generally so manie wonderfull works vnder the cope of heauen I cannot maruell enough at the excellencie of Man for whom all these things were created are maintained and preserued in their being and moouing by one and the same diuine prouidence alwaies like vnto it selfe AMANA There is nothing more certaine than this that all things whatsoeuer either the eie can behold or the eare heare were created for the benefit profit and vse of man and that he was made excellent aboue all things to rule ouer them yea the very Angels are sent to minister for their sakes which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation ARAM. Oh vnspeakable and heauenlie goodnesse which hast created man little lower than thy selfe and crowned him with glorie and worship But tell vs I pray thee ACHITOB more particularly what this great and principall worke of nature Man is to what end his being was giuen him and how he hath shewed foorth the fruits thereof For it â—â—st needes be that there is something in him greatly to be woondered at seeing all things were created to serue and obey him ACHITOB. Truely yee haue reason companions to begin our happie assembly with that knowledge which we ought to haue of our selues as being the storehouse of all wisdome and beginning of saluation wherof we may haue an assured testimonie from that father of Philosophie Socrates who beholding the first precept written at Delphos in that temple of Apollo which was so renowmed throughout Graecia namely Know thy selfe was foorthwith driuen into a very deepe cogitation and being rapt with contemplation of spirit he began from that time forward to doubt and to inquire of himselfe Wherupon contemning that way which all the Philosophers of his time who busied themselues about nothing but onely in finding out the causes of naturall things and in disputing curiously of them he gaue himselfe wholie to the knowledge of himselfe I meane of his soule which he maintained to be in deed man and by disputuation to intreat of the soueraigne good thereof and of vertue By which meanes the gate of wisedome was opened vnto him wherein he profited in such sort that according to the oracle at Delphos he was called of all men the wise the iust the prince of Philosophers and father of Philosophie And surely out of his sayings which being more diuine than humane were written by his disciples all other Philosophers haue drawne their knowledge Heraclitus another excellent man minding to giue out in speech that he had done some notable act woorthy of himselfe said I haue sought my selfe Which beginning truely is verie necassarie for man as being a guide to leade him to the true knowledge of God which is a heauenly gifte of God and peculiar to his And this is learnedly taught vs by the same Socrates where he saith that the dutie of a wise man is to seeke out the reasons of things that in the ende he may finde that diuine reason wherby they were made and hauing found it may worship and serue it that afterward he may enioy it and reape profite thereby Moreouer he addeth that the perfect knowledge of ones selfe which consisteth in the soule is in such sort ioined with the knowledge of God that the one without the other cannot be sincere and perfect And for the same reason Plato his disciple who for the excellencie of his writings was surnamed the Diuins saith that the perfect dutie of man is first to know his owne nature then to contemplate the diuine nature and last of all to bestow his labour in those things which may be most beneficiall to all men Ignorance of a mans selfe saith Lactantius and the want of knowledge wherefore and to what end he is borne is the cause of error of euill of leauing the right way to follow the crooked of wandring out of the plaine way to walke in the ragged and vneeuen way or vpon a dangerous and slipperie mountaine and lastly of forsaking the light to walke in darknes Now if we account it a shamefull thing to be ignorant of those things which belong to the life of man surely the not knowing of our selues is much more dishonest Let vs then consider what man is according to that meane knowledge which by the grace of God we are endued withal not staying in those curious definitions which the Philosophers haue made Man is a creature made of God after his owne image iust holy good and right by nature and compounded of soule and body I say of soule which was inspired of God with spirite and life and of a perfect naturall bodie framed of the earth by the same power of God In this sort man had his beeing of the eternal workmaster of the whole world of whom he was created by his incomprehensible goodnes to be made partaker of his immortalitie and permanent felicitie for this onely ende to set foorth the glorie of his Creator and to speake and do those things that are agreeable vnto him through the acknowledgement of his benefits From which ende man being fallen of his own free wil through ingratitude and disobedience was bereaued of all those ornaments which he had receiued before of God and in steede of righteousnes and holines all iniquitie filthines and vncleannes entred into him wherby he was made the slaue of sinne and of death from whence all those miseries had their beginning wherewith the life of man is ouerwhelmed His soule also was wrapped with infinite hurtfull passions and perturbations which worke in it a continuall disquietnes and his body became subiect to innumerable trauailes and violent vntowardnes Of which corruption the ancient Philosophers had great and assured knowledge but the first and true cause therof which was sinne and the voluntarie fall of man with his restoring vnto grace by the vnspeakeable goodnes and mercie of his Creator from whence he was fallen were alwaies hidden from them as we shall see anon as also from an infinite number of men who liuing holily according to the world neuer had the perfect knowledge of God in his eternall sonne As for any good thing whatsoeuer they vttered or found out it came through earnestnes of studie by discoursing and considering in the reasonable part of their soule of those things which offred themselues to their minde But forasmuch as they were not wholy ouerwhelmed in euery part of reason and yet had no knowledge of the heauenly word Iesus Christ they vttered many things contrarie one to another and in the midst of their great and woonderfull skill according to that saying of the Scripture who hideth his secrets from the prudent and reueleth them to babes they had a continuall troubled spirit wandring here and there aswell in the seeking out of themselues and of the causes of naturall things as of those things which are aboue nature And truely the reason of man naturally ingraffed in his hart which so farre foorth
sence obiect vnto it Aristotle maketh another distinction of the soule saying that one part of it is voide of reason in it selfe and yet may be guided by reason and that the other part is of it selfe partaker of reason And in another place this Philosopher saith that there are three thinges from whence humane actions proceed namely sence vnderstanding and appetite Many others both ancient and late writers make foure parts of the soule Vnderstanding reason anger desire The vnderstanding lifteth the soule vp to heauen to the contemplation of diuine intellectual things Reason guideth the soule by prudence in all her functions Anger is ruled and moderated by the vertue of magnanimitic and desire is gouerned by temperance Of these a very harmonicall Iustice is framed which giueth to euerie part of the soule that which belongeth vnto it But the most sensible common and true opinion which the wisest amongst the Philosophers had of the soule is that which diuideth it into two parts onely vnder which all the rest are comprised the one being spiritual and intelligible where the discourse of reason is the other brutish which is the sensuall will of it selfe wandring and disordred where all motions contrarie to reason and all euill desires haue their dwelling Amongst all the philosophical discourses of the soule written by these great personages this error is verie great when they attribute such a strength and power to reason which they say is resident in the soule as a lampe to guide the vnderstanding and as a queene to moderate the will as that by it alone a man may wel and iustly gouerne himselfe Now although we know that this reason of man is of it selfe wholy depraued corrupted yet we may say wel enough that the soule which is spirit and life cannot be diuided being immortall bicause whatsoeuer is diuided dissolueth and parteth a sunder and whatsoeuer is dissolued perisheth Neuertheles it may be said to be compounded and made subiect during the coniunction thereof with the body to these two principall parts of vnderstanding and will The vnderstanding serueth to conceaue and comprehend all things propounded vnto vs and to discerne and iudge what we ought either to approoue and allow or what to refuse and reiect The will is that which executeth and bringeth to effect whatsoeuer the vnderstanding iudgeth to be good and contrariwise flieth from that which it reprooueth and condemneth And herein we agree with the Philosophers that the vnderstanding vnder which we comprehend the sence is as the gouernour and captaine of the soule and that the will dependeth of it But withall we say that both the one and the other are so corrupted and altered from their nature the vnderstanding being obscured and dimmed with the clouds of darknes by reason of the first mans sinne descended vpon all his posteritie through hereditarie and naturall filthines and the will in such sort corrupted by this disobedience and so weakened and made feeble to all goodnes that if there be none other guide comming from aboue to teach the vnderstanding and to direct and leade the will I meane regeneration by the spirite of God both of them cannot but do euill drawing the soule with them to vtter ruine and perdition by causing her to consent to the law of her members which are the bodie and flesh ful of ignorance of obscure darknes of frowardnes miserie calamitie ignominie shame death and condemnation Notwithstanding if in the corruptible heauie and grosse lumpe of the bodie within which the soule is contained we found matter of praise and of the contemplation of heauenly things what shal we say of that which is immortal which in a moment in hir discourses and cogitations goeth through the whole heauen compasseth the earth about saileth all ouer the sea without which the body mooueth not at all and all the beautie thereof turneth suddainly into putrefaction This onely can make a man happie both in this and in the other life by reason of the treasures of wisedome the vnderstanding whereof is proper vnto it yea this is the onely instrument whereby a man may behold the diuine nature This is inuisible and cannot be perceiued by any naturall sence this is contemplatiue and actiue at one and the same time this beholdeth vniuersall things and practiseth particulars vnderstanding the one and feeling the other This hath for the actions and operations of her essence and nature Will Iudgement Sense Conceauing Thought Spirite Imagination Memorie Vnderstanding and Reason and for her incomparable beautie she hath Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Iustice without which the excellent order of all humane things would be changed into disorder and confusion This is that moreouer which being illuminated with wisedome bringeth foorth the fruites of loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie Briefely to conclude our present speech we may well say that the soule is so great and diuine a thing that it is a verie hard matter to comprehend it by reason but altogither incomprehensible by the outward sence and that all mans felicitie as well present as to come dependeth of the soule when being regenerated as hath been said and made free and voide of al wicked perturbations as neere as the nature of man can approch to perfection her humane contentation and delight is onely in vertue and in the hope and certaine expectation of a more sound and perfect vertue by the renuing and changing of this mortall life into that which is immortall and most blessed as S. Paule exhorteth vs hereunto saying Let vs reioice in the Lord both bicause our names are written in heauen as Christ saith and that our modesty meeknes and goodnes may be knowne to all men Moreouer let vs learne that in the woonderfull composition coniunction and disposition of the soule bodie there is matter whereby to draw man greatly to the consideration of the chiefe ende for which he was first placed in the world namely to glorifie his Creator in godlines holines and religion He ought therefore both to serue him with all the parts of his body not abusing them in any sort but keeping them pure and cleane to be made members of the glorious body of his eternall Sonne in the resurrection and also to praise and glorifie him with all the gifts and graces of his soule not defiling it with vncleannes and vice that she may by the same diuine grace returne vnto the full fruition of that most happy essence and nature from whence she had her being In the meane while let vs learne that as the bodie vseth many instruments wherof it is compounded and which are proper vnto it so the soule being much more noble excellent and diuine ought to vse the bodie and all the parts therof and that the soule is the organ and instrument of God whereby he worketh in vs and lifteth vs vp to the contemplation of his
reason worketh in the soule of a prudent man by curing the passions and perturbations thereof and by causing him to rest ioyfull and contented in what estate and condition soeuer he be Let vs note moreouer which we touched in the beginning of this present discourse that all these passions of the soule are much more dangerous than those of the bodie bicause the most hurtfull passions of the bodie are first ingendred of those in the soule For the bodie yeeldeth it selfe ready to serue the desires appetites and pleasures of the soule which being ouercome and in the power of fleshly prouocations procureth in the end destruction to them both But contrariwise the soule being ruled by reason resisteth mightilie all corporall passions and is nothing at all or verie little made partaker of their euill dispositions whereas on the other side the bodie is constrained to alter and change with euery infirmitie of the soule If the minde be troubled what cheerefulnes can be seene in the face The diseases of the bodie hinder not the soule from effecting all good vertuous actions yea many haue brought forth the fruits of wise philosophers and great captaines when they were vexed with diseases which they could neuer do at least verie few of them that were corrupted and defiled in soule And therfore Democritus said very well that it was much more conuenient and meet for a man to haue care of his soule than of his bodie For if the soule be perfect she correcteth the naughtines of the body whereas the strength disposition of the body without the vse of reason hurteth both the soule and it selfe Moreouer that the passions of the soule are harder to be perceiued and knowne and consequently more vneasie to be cured who doth not easily feele it being greeued but in the least part of his bodie yea what griefe doth not of it selfe sufficiently appeere either by some inflammation or by the colour of the visage or by some other outward shew But how many do we fee whose soules are extreemly sicke spoiled and corrupted with vice and yet being depriued of all feeling they thinke themselues to be the soundest men in the world And that they are headstrong and vneasie to be cured we may know by this that the body is in the end so farforth obedient that if reason be vrgent vpon it she forceth euen the naturall passions of hunger thirst and sleepe findeth out besides a thousand remedies to help it self But when the passions of the soule haue once beene grounded and rooted within it without resistance they haue such pearcing pricks that oftentimes they presse ouerwhelme all reason which is their onely medicine and preseruatiue And yet to fill vp the measure of all miserie such is the froward nature of man that he is much more slothfull to seeke out this remedy of the soule than that of the bodie as we touched in the beginning of this present discourse Moreouer the iudgement of reason being oftentimes diseased within him is the cause that when he thinketh to finde health he encreaseth his euill and falleth into those inconueniences which he desired most of all to eschew Example hereof we haue in those who being led onely with a desire of glory and honor obtaine nothing by their dooings if we consider them well but shame and dishonor The like may be said of all the other diseases of the soule which commonly are accompanied and followed with effects contrary to their endes and desires What remaineth then seeing we perceiue the dangers to be great which follow al the perturbations of the soule but that knowing it to be more easie not to receiue them than to driue them out being receiued we preuent them and hinder them from taking liuely roote within our soules by making reason which as Hesiodus saith is a diuine guide and wisedome inspired from aboue so strong and powerfull that it may be able by the grace of God to resist al the assaults of vnbrideled desires and the froward affections of this flesh But behold yet a better and more certaine remedie namely that being assured that all perturbations are but opinions drawne from our will through a iudgement corrupted with the affections of this flesh we labor by good and sound reasons to ouerthrow and confound these false and erronious opinions perswading our selues that whatsoeuer we imagine to be good or euill in the world which is the cause that our minds are depriued of their rest and quietnes is indeede neither good nor euill and so consequently that it ought not in any sort to breed passions within vs. Hereof the sequele of our discourses shall by the helpe of God giue vs to vnderstand more at large and furnish vs with examples of pernicious effects which proceed from all the passions of the soule We will here by the way note their force hauing learned out of Histories that they haue oftentimes set vpon the harts of men in such violent maner that some through desire some for ioy those by feare others by griefe haue ended their liues Diagoras the Rhodian and Chilon hearing that their children had wonne the price at the games of Olympus felt such a motion in them of the spleene that they were stifled with laughter Herennus the Sicilian as he was led prisoner for being a copartner in the conspiracie of Caius Gracchus was so astonished oppressed with the feare of his iudgement to come that he fell downe strke dead at the entrie of the prison Plautius the Numidian looking vpon his dead wife tooke it so to hart that casting himselfe vpon the dead body he arose no more but was there stifled with sorrow As for extreme desire or coueting there is nothing that so greatly mooueth or carieth away the minds of men or that commeth neerer to their destruction than this foolish passion indangereth their life Galeace of Mantua saying oftentimes to a damsell of Pauia whom he courted and made loue to that he would suffer a thousand deaths for hir seruice if it were possible was in iest commanded by hir to cast himself into the riuer which he presently performed was drowned But we shal alleadge more fitly such testimonies of the fond effects of desire and of all the perturbations of the soule when we discourse more particularly of euery vice that proceedeth from them In the meane time I would gladly aske this question of him that is most ignorant vicious and carnall whether he will not grant vertue to be a good of the soule There is none so impudent whose conscience would not compell him to confesse the same And yet no man is caried away with too great a desire of vertue neither doth any reioice therein too excessiuely after he hath obtained it Likewise there is none that feareth so vehemently least he cannot obtaine hir as that the feare thereof driueth the soule out of his place and rest For
when themselues shal be vngently handled by thē when they shal endure reproch when they shal be polled or afflicted with any kind of iniurie their comfort in al these euils will be to haue the last day before their eies in which they know that the lord wil gather his faithful ones togither into the rest of his kingdom that he wil wipe away the teares frō their eies crown thē with glory clothe thē with gladnes satisfie them with the exceeding sweetnes of his delicacies exalt them vnto his high mansion in a word make them partakers of his happines In the meane time going on in their course with all tranquillitie ioy of spirit they are cheerfully to giue vnto God that homage worship that is due vnto him submitting themselues wholy to his greatnesse receiuing with all reuerence his cōmandements Next they must put that trust hartie assurance in him which they haue receiued by knowing him aright attributing to him all wisdom iustice goodnes vertue truth making this account that all their happines is in communicating with him Inuocation foloweth wherby their soules must haue recourse vnto him as to their only hope whē they are pressed with any necessity In the last place is thanksgiuing which is that acknowledgement wherby all prayse is giuē vnto him Vnder these 4. points of worship trust prayer and thanksgiuing all those innumerable duties which we owe to God may well be comprehended Moreouer the contempt of this present life and the meditation of that which is immortal heauenly will teach vs the right vse of earthly goods created of God for the seruice of man as necessary helpes for this life Which things we must not neglect in such sort that we neuer vse them but vpon constraint necessity taking no delight in them as if we were sencelesse blocks Much lesse may we abuse them by ouer-great lust in superfluity delights but apply them to that end for which God hath created appointed thē for our good not for our hurt namely that they should sustain nourish preserue delight our nature vsing thē in al temperance mediocritie with thanksgiuing So that we are to vse these goods as though we vsed them not that is to say our chief affection and desire must be so smally set vpō them as if we were wholy depriued of them and we must be disposed and affected as well to sustaine pouertie patiently with a quiet mind as to vse abundance moderately Especially let vs referre the true and holy vse of all our earthly commodities to the works of charitie as we haue already touched knowing that all things are so giuē vnto vs by the goodnes of God appointed for our commoditie as things cōmitted to our trust of which we must one day giue account before his maiestie For the conclusion therfore of our speech we learn that thelife of a Christian is a perpetuall studie and exercise of the mortification of the flesh vntil it be so throughly dead that the spirit of God may raigne fully in his soule We learn also that our whole life ought to be a meditation and exercise of godlines bicause we are called to sanctification that true happines of life in this world consisteth therein namely when being regenerated by baptisme and the spirit of God we haue the loue of righteousnes throughly imprinted in our harts and follow the diuine rule thereof by framing and directing all our actions to the glory of our God and profit of our neighbors Wherfore euery one of vs must take his vocation and calling for a principle and ground for a station assigned of God vnto which we must direct our leuell withdrawing our mindes from the yoke and bondage of those naturall perturbations that are in vs. Wee must not be led with ambition and desire to take hold of many sundry matters at once being assured that euery worke done according to our calling how contemptible soeuer it be among men shineth before God and shall be rewarded by him beyng accounted very precious in his sight Of Death Chap. 72. AMANA NO man ought to be ignorant of this that after God had created man in the beginning he placed him in a garden and paradise ful of al pleasures and delights and gaue him leaue to vse all things contained therin the fruit of the knowledge of good and euill onely excepted which was expresly forbidden Neuerthelesse being vnable to keepe himselfe in that high degree and great dignitie he fell by disobedience so that thinking to make choice of life he chose the fruit of death as God had foretold him saying Whensoeuer thou eatest of this fruit of the knowledge of good and euil thou shalt die the death which thing fell vpon him and vpon all his posteritie Whereby we see that the reward and recompence of sinne is death not onely bodily death but which is more spirituall whereby we are banished and shut out of the heauenly kingdome and inheritance if we apprehend not that great grace and mercy of the father offered to all that draw neere vnto him by true confidence in Iesus Christ to the ende as the Apostle saith that as sinne raigned vnto death so grace might raign by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And this is the onely way wherby to passe from death to life when we shall be subiect to no condemnation or afflictiō Moreouer neither sworde famine nor any other miserie can hurt vs no not temporal death which according to mās iudgement is the extreamest of all miseries shall in any sort confound vs but rather be a meane and pleasant way for vs to passe by from prison and bondage to ioyfull liberty and from miserie to happinesse Therfore my companions as death is the end of all men happy to the elect and vnhappy to the reprobate so let vs finish our discourses with the handling thereof ARAM. Nothing but death and the end of this bodily life is able to accomplish the wish and desire of a faithful christian For the spirit being then deliuered as it were out of a noisome and filthie prison reioyceth with freedom and libertie in those pleasant places which it seeketh after and desireth so earnestly ACHITOB. It is decreed that all men must once die And therfeore as the Wiseman saith whatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt neuer do amisse Now ASER as thou beganst to lay the foundation of our Academie so make thou an end of it with the treatise of Death that endeth all things ASER. It is no maruell if natural sense be mooued astonished when we heare that our body must be separated from the soule But it is in no wise tollerable that a Christian hart should not haue so much light as to surmount suppresse this feare whatsoeuer it be by a greater comfort and consolation For if
himselfe indebted for the glorifieng of his name whether it were by death or by life For it belongeth to him to determine what is expedient for his glorie Wherefore if it behooueth vs to liue and die vnto him let vs leaue both our life death to his good pleasure but yet so that we alwaies desire rather to die than to liue be ready cheerfully to renounce this life whensoeuer it pleaseth the Lord bicause it holdeth vs vnder sin And let vs hold this Maxime that no man hath throughly profited in the school of Christ Iesus but he that with ioy gladnes expecteth the day of death and of the last resurrection S. Paul in his epistle to Titus describeth al the faithful by this mark the scripture when it propouÌ„deth vnto vs matter of reioicing calleth vs backe thither Reioice saith the Lord in Luke and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere It were absurd that that thing should breed nothing but sorow and astonishment in vs which Christ thought was fit matter to worke ioy in vs. Now than seeing death is dead to them that beleeue in him there is nothing in death which a maÌ„ ought to feare It is true that the image thereof is hideous and terrible bicause that besides the violent taking away of life it representeth vnto vs the wrath of God which biteth like a serpent but now the venome of it is taken away and can not hurt vs. And as through the brasen serpent which Moses lift vp in the wildernesse the liuing serpents died and their venome hurt not the Israelites so our death dieth and is not able in any sort to hurt vs if we behold with the eyes of faith the death of Iesus Christ Briefly it is nothing but an image and shadow of death and the beginning and entrance vnto true life Wherefore concluding our present speech let vs learne that as our miserable nature had brought vs to the like condition of death so the grace of God maketh this difference that some namely the wicked die to their destruction and others which are the children of God led by his spirit and word die to liue more happily so that their very death is precious in the sight of God And although the lust of our fleshe beyng blind and earthly striueth continually against the desires of the spirit seeking to separate vs as far as it can from our soueraigne Good yet let vs haue this ingrauen in our harts that they are happy that know the vanitie of this world more happy that set not their affections vpon it and they most happy that are taken out of it to be with GOD in the kingdome of heauen The ende of this Academie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist lib. 2. Eth. cap. 2. Aug. lib. 2. de doct chr cap. 40. Aug. lib. 8. de ciuit Dei cap. 6. 7. 8. c. Aristotle de Mundo Lib. 6. Strommat This commendation of vertue is chiefly to be vnderstood of faith the roote of all good vertues Hebr. 1. Psalm 8. All things were created for man To knowo our selues is true wisedome The soule is truly man Socrates was called the father of Philosophie Socrates said that the knowledge of God and of our selues must be ioined together Wherin the dutio of man consisteth Ignorance of our selues the cause of much euill What man is Gen. 1. Col. 3. The ende of mans being There is a double reason in man Heraclitus wept continually Democritus alwaies laughed The iudgement of Philosophers concerning the nature of man Pindarus Homer Timon Plinie The custome of the Scythians The presumptuous opinion of the Stoiks The end of the knowledge of our selues The wilfull fall of man The restoring of man All men naturally haue some loue and liking of the truth Effects of Christian regeneration The perfection of a wise mans life The wonderfull coniunction of the bodie and soule All things are preserued by agreeing discords The definition of a bodie Gen. 6. Rom. 8. Gal. 5. The works of the flesh Man is a little world Gen. 3. Of the conception and fashioning of man Of the excellencie of the bodie and of all the parts thereof Great secrets of nature The diuersitie of mens voices and writings The soule is infused not 〈◊〉 The definition of the soule Pythagoras was the first that was called a Philosopher The diuision of the soule Plato maketh sixe parts of the soule Aristotle diuideth it in two parts Foure parts of the soule The best diuision of the soule The soule cannot be diuided but is made subiect to two parts Both parts of the soule are corrupted Rom. 7. 23. The properties of the soule The actions of the soule The beautie of the soule Gal. 5. 22. 23. The true delight of the sense Phil. 4. 4. Luke 10. 20. How a man ought to vse both body and soule Nothing woorse to man than man himselfe Rom. 7. 18. 19. There is no good thing in the flesh of man Man is a mutable creature Pleasure and griefe the cause of passions Manis more carefull of his body then of his soule The ende cause and remedie of bodily diseases Naturall passions The definition of passion The diuision of passions All men haue naturally a desire of happines No man by nature can finde out the right way that leadeth to happines The word of God sheweth vs the right way to happines Of the perturbations of the soule The scope of our passions The ancient heathen may rise vp in iudgement against many Christians in these daies The originall nature and effects of perturbations All perturbations are contained vnder these foure heads Desire Ioy Feare Griefe An excellent comparison The cause of the diseases of the soule Reason is the medicine of the soule A sound soule correcteth the naughtines of the bodie The passions of the soule are headstrong and hard to be cured The passions of men commonly bring foorth effects contrarie to their purposes Reason is wisedome inspired from heauen A remedie against passions Examples of death by ouer-great ioy Herennus died for feare Plautius through griefe The effects of desire Vertue is alwais without excessiue passion The nature of worldly goods A wise soule gouerneth the affections What it is to liue happilie The common drife of men What men ought chiefly to leuell at The worke of philosophie The proper end and scope of Philosophie Why the philosophers could neuer attaine to the souereigne good in this life The definition of philosophie The diâ—ision of philosophie Of diuine philosophie How we must behaue out selues in searching our the secrets of God Of naturall philosophie Aâ—ule to be kept in naturall philosophie Against sorcerers magitians and birth-gazers The issue of all things is to be referred to the prouidence of God Of morall philosophie God the Idea of all good The benefit that commeth by philosophie Philosophie is the art of life What it is to play the philosopher Where and how philosophie is
time forward to liue a mortall life so that his bodie and soule became subiect to infinite miseries and damnable infirmities which draw vpon them the condemnation of eternall death Notwithstanding God whose goodnes and mercie are endles reestablished and assured the succession of his immortall inheritance vnto those whom it pleased him by grace to make dead to sin and aliue to himselfe through the satisfaction of his wrath made by the innocencie of his eternall sonne purging them in his bloud and opening vnto them by him the gates of heauen after he hath renewed them in righteousnes holines and innocencie that they may follow after godlines and religion And knowing that man so fraile and weake might easily fall downe vnder the heauie burden of those miseries and calamities whereunto the corruption of his nature made him subiect and wherein by reason of hereditarie sinne he should remaine during this mortall life as also that those furious and continuall passions which are mingled togither in his soule being ioined to the common infirmities of his bodie would be of too great force to throwe him againe headlong into destruction this infinite mercie of God appointed that from the beginning there should remaine in the spirite of man a little sparke of light which driueth him to a naturall loue of the truth and to a desire to inquire after it yea which pricketh and prouoketh him not to sleepe altogither in his vices This weake instinct being awaked stirred vp holpen and disposed by the pure grace vertue and power of the author of all goodnes draweth and moueth a Christian regenerated by the holie Ghost after knowledge of himselfe and hatred of that which is in him to seeke after and to couet with a speciall hartie desire that goodnes and righteousnes whereof he is void and that glorious libertie of which he depriued himselfe Furthermore the same heauenlie grace blessing this holie desire of the man regenerate causeth him to draw out of the doctrine of holie scriptures that wherewithall he may if not heale perfectly his wicked inclinations yet at the least containe and represse them in such sort that they breake not out into any damnable execution He teacheth him also to receiue the infirmities of his flesh as fatherly chastisements for his sin and as necessarie means to exercise him and to keepe him in awe And lastly for the vpshot and perfection of all happines and felicitie in this world he instructeth him how he may lead a quiet and peaceable life in beholding the woonderfull works of the diuinitie which he is to adore and honour and in the amendement and correction of his maners naturally corrupted by squaring them after the patterne of vertue that so he may be made worthie and fit to gouerne humane affaires for the profit of manie and at length attaine to the perfection of a wise man by ioining togither the actiue life with the contemplatiue in the certaine hope and expectation of a second immortall and most blessed life Whereunto also the precepts and discourses of learned and ancient philosophers may serue for-our instruction and pricking forward as also the examples which are liuely reasons of the liues of so manie notable men as histories the mother of antiquitie do as it were represent aliue before our eies And this in my iudgement is sufficient generally to vnderstand of Man seeing we are heerafter to discourse more particularly of both his principall parts the bodie and the soule Of the bodie and soule ACHITOB THe bodie and soule are so knit and conioined togither that nothing can separate them but death the destroier of all which through sinne and for the iust punishment thereof entred into the world And this is no sooner done but that whatsoeuer we see of man vanisheth from before our eies the earthie part returning into the masse of earth frō whence it came according to that saying of Aristotle that All things are resolued into those things whereof they are compounded likewise that which is spirituall and inuisible goeth into an eternall immortalitie from whence the being thereof proceeded ASER. Truly this knitting togither and coniunction of the bodie and soule is a most wonderfull thing in nature yea as manie of the philosophers say against nature seeing the soule which is light is contained within the bodie being heauie that which is of celestiall fire within that which is cold and earthie that which is inuisible within that which is palpable that which is immortall within that which is mortall But what Where is the sence of man which is able to comprehend the reason of the doings of that great Maister-builder of the vniuersall frame Yea there is more For during this coniunction as all things that mooue within this generall globe are maintained by agreeing discords euen so of necessitie there must be such a harmonie betweene the bodie and the soule that by the helpe of the one the other subsisteth and abideth and that through their continuall striuing sometimes the one and then the other be in the end obeied AMANA Thou tellest vs heere of a wonderful strange thing that that which is spirituall and immortall sometime obeieth that which is mortal and made of a corruptible lumpe But I vnderstand thee well This proceedeth of the imperfection and imbecillitie of our nature For as Socrates said if we were perfect philosophers we would neuer agree with our selues but resist continually Now following this matter make vs to vnderstand more particularly ARAM what the bodie and soule are what properties they haue and what is the excellencie both of the one and the other ARAM. With a good will my companions and first I will begin at the definition of a body A body as the Philosophers say speaking generally of all things that haue bodies is that which may be deuided and measured after three sorts in length in breadth and in deapth Or according to others a bodie is a masse or lump which asmuch as lieth in it resisteth touching and occupieth a place A body saith Plato is that which being in his proper place is neither heauie nor light but being in a strange place first inclineth somewhat then is driuen and caried forward either with heauines or lightnes Hereupon both he and other Philosophers discourse learnedly and profoundly of the particular nature of al bodies of the earth of the fire of the aire of the water and of all other both simple and compound bodies and of their contrarie motions But seeing all those discourses are at this present without the compasse of our Academy let vs simplie with more profite and that according to the scripture define the body which we haue vndertaken to handle We say then that the body is flesh that euery affection of the flesh is deadly and that the works therof are vncleannes pride fornication enmity debate wrath contention enuy murder gluttonie and such like and therfore that the bodie is made of
diuine nature Of the diseases and passions of the bodie and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof Chap. 3. ARAM. ONe of the ancient philosophers vsed to say that no liuing creature was worse to man than man himselfe bicause albeit he hath dominion ouer all things yet he cannot rule himselfe nor his desires Experience causeth vs but too much to knowe the truth of this saying For who can doubt in any sort heerof seeing blessed S. Paule himselfe confesseth that he did not the good thing which he would but the euill which he would not and that in his flesh there dwelt no goodnes So vndoubtedly we haue both bodie and soule compassed about with so many pernitious passions that it is very hard yea altogither vnpossible that what good thing soeuer is in vs should not faint and sinke vnder their heauie waight without a speciall and diuine grace ACHITOB. Truly this is no vaine speculation nor vnprofitable to man as also for a man to know that he is as it were tied in this world to all vncertaine things which he being mortall by nature cannot any way shun and auoid without the helpe of God He which is in health expecteth sicknes he that is sicke health Doth any one desire in his mind any thing Before he enioyeth it his desire is often changed into another In a word no man abideth still in one and the same estate And therfore Plato calleth man a mutable creature as if he meant to say that he is easily altered and changed ASER. The change which this diuine philosopher meant if I be not deceiued hath relation principally to the conditions of the soule which being filled with infinite perturbations fastened in the midst of it with the naile of pleasure and griefe is carried away with inconstancie and vncertaintie into a streame of troublesome passions which if they be not cut off and maistred by reason draw a man into vtter destruction But giue vs to vnderstand AMANA more at large of these passions of the soule and of the way to remedie them and if you thinke good you may speake somewhat of those of the bodie AMANA Amongst the innumerable euils which the desire of pleasure and feare of griefe ingrauen in the most secret parts of our soule by our first corruption bring to man this is the greatest and most pernitious that they make sensible things more euident and plaine vnto him than things intelligible and constraine the vnderstanding to iudge more by passion than by reason For vsing through the sence oâ— pleasure or trauell to attend to the erronious vncertaine and mutable nature of the bodie as to that which is subsisting and subiect to sight he remaineth blind and looseth all knowledge of that which truly is and subsisteth namely of the light of the soule which is diuine and immortall Moreouer applying himselfe wholie to the sensuall and vnreasonable will which is that part of the soule that proceedeth of the corruption thereof he laboureth with all his might to quench and choke that weake instinct of the soule which aspireth vnto the true Good from whence she perceiueth hir selfe to haue fallen And this he doth with such force and power that if God strengthen not the soule and reason the diuine guide accompanie hir not without doubt she yeeldeth to such mightie enimies and then as we haue said staying himselfe wholy in things subiect to sight he appeereth too carefull and curious in seeking to decke that which belongeth to the bodie but as for the soule wherof all humane felicitie dependeth bicause she is inuisible and not seene of him it is the lest of his cares to furnish hir with that which she seeketh and desireth and which is necessarie for hir Wherupon in the end it commeth to passe that the lest ouerthwarts and discommodities of his flesh seeme very greeuous and burthensome to a man but as for the incurable diseases which ouerwhelme his soule he doth not so much as feele them Now to the end we may vnderstand more particularly that which is heer propounded vnto vs we will handle in order and as briefly as we may this matter being very large the diseases and passions of the bodie and soule with the remedie which we are to desire and seeke after And first we will speake a word of the diseases of the bodie next of the naturall and necessarie passions thereof albeit we will intreat of the passions of the soule as of our chiefe matter subiect Concerning the maladies and euill dispositions of the bodie one Hippocrates one Galen nay infinite others skilfull in physicke are not able to describe them exactly much lesse prescribe certaine and sure remedies But seeing it is not my purpose or profession to stay long heere neither yet necessarily belonging to the cause of our assemblie I will content my selfe to speake these few words by the way that we ought to take euerie bodily infirmitie as a fatherly chastisement of our sins and as a necessarie meane to awaken vs to warne vs of our dutie and to keep vs in awe Besides one principall cause of all bodilie diseases proceedeth ordinarily from vices which are the proper inheritance of man and with which we defile our selues continually Therefore if we heale our soules we may cure our selues of the most of them and as for others which come by defect of nature or by some other hidden cause we haue the counsell and helpe of physicions whom willingly and diligently we seeke after There are besides these certaine naturall and necessarie passions in the body properly belonging vnto it euen from the first creation therof which are not to be condemned neither can be taken away but with the abolishing of mans nature as the desire of drinking eating sleeping such like which onlie by the direction of reason are to be freed from all superfluitie But it standeth otherwise with the diseases and passions of the soule deriued from our first corruption and driuen forward by sinne being plentifull and rich which without comparison are far more dangerous than those of the bodie more hard to be perceiued knowen more headstrong and vneasie to cure and which is worse man is very slothfull in seeking out a remedie for them And for the most part thinking that he hath found some remedie through want of skill and ignorance he falleth into a worse estate than he was in before and as we commonly say from a gentle ague into a pestilent and burning feuer But first we will generally define this word Passion according to the opinion of those philosophers who were endewed with greatest light Passion is euerie naturall and actuall motion in the soule This motion is of two sorts the one weake good and holie aspiring and reioicing in that which is truly good the other verie strong euill and pernitious coueting with a disordered desire and delighting with an immoderate ioy in a good falsly so imagined The
matter of these motions are opinions affections and inclinations which being considered in their owne nature are through sinne wicked and corrupt throughout the soule yea the blossome and roote of them proceed from our owne substance to the end as Plato saith that no man should thinke God to be the cause of euill Now albeit these passions thus defined by the philosophers are many in number yet drawing neerer to the truth we may comprehend and diuide them all into two principall kinds The first kind shall be that which we beleeue by faith the other according to our opinions and affections Vnder the first we comprehend that which euerie one beleeueth thinketh and desireth concerning diuine and heauenlie things as of true righteousnes of the immortalitie of the second life and of the iudgement to come Vnder opinions and affections is comprehended whatsoeuer respecteth and concerneth earthlie things this life maners gouernment of a houshold of a common wealth and generally al humane inclinations and actions As touching that which we beleeue by faith we are led thereunto and stirred by the weake instinct and feeling of the diuine nature imprinted in euery soule which after a sort mooueth man to aspire vnto and to desire the true and souereigne good and which being more power-full and of greater efficacy in some than in others causeth the better sort to delight also in the same good Neuertheles it is proper to euery mans vnderstanding not to hold a stedfast and sure way in seeking out the truth but to wander aside into diuers errors as a blind man that walketh in darknes and to fill it selfe rather with lies and with a continuall desire and curiositie of new vnprofitable and superfluous things than to content it selfe simplie with the truth insomuch that finally it misseth of all But to the end we be not of this number we ought to hold fast the infallible rule of the holie scriptures which gift we are to aske hope wait and seeke for in the onely grace and mercie of that Spirit which indighteth them and to looke for the full opening of these treasures in the second and eternall life As for the second kind of our passions properly called perturbations according to the philosophers from whence all the euils and miseries of mankinde proceed and whereof we minde chiefely to speake they are but affections and inclinations which come from our will corrupted by the prouocations and allurements of the flesh and which wholy resist the diuine nature of the reasonable part of the soule fastening it to the bodie as Plato saith with the naile of pleasure Which passions the mind of man commonly beholdeth cleerly enough when it applieth it selfe thereunto if it be not altogither peruerted and depraued yea by the grace and helpe of God the mind is able to confirme it selfe against any passion through the discourse of reason before it be in force and during the vehemencie thereof to fortifie it selfe against it And although the passion be contrarie to reason and haue for hir onely scope pleasure and the feare of griefe which can preuaile greatly with man yet reason by the meanes of Gods grace can both easily constraine maister and compell all passions in such sort that they shall take no effect and also bring to passe that whatsoeuer is rashly desired shall be ouercome by the discourse of prudent counsell And for this cause we say that the first motions are not in our power but that the euent and issue of them is in some sort Likewise reason doth not wholie quench and extinguish all passions which cannot possibly be performed in the nature of man but repelleth and hath the vpper hand of them as the precepts of doctrine and infinite examples of the liues of ancient heathen and pagan philosophers do learnedly teach vs. Which thing as it ought to cause many at this day to be ashamed who vaunt themselues of the name of Christians so it condemneth them in a fault not to be excused before the iust iudgement of God bicause those men being destitute of the perfect knowledge of God which they say they haue far excelled and surpassed them in the bridling ouercomming and killing of so many pestiferous passions as compasse the soule about as we may handle elsewhere and see examples thereof worthie of eternall remembrance when we shall discourse particularly of vertues and vices In the meane while we may learne of Cicero the father of Latine eloquence whose skill in ioining philosophie with the art of Rhetorike was excellent and who in my iudgement handleth this our present matter more profitably than any other of the ancients that all the aboue named euill passions are perturbations which if they be not maistered by reason depriue man of the soueraigne good of the soule which consisteth in the tranquillitie therof Moreuer he saith that through ignorance basenes of minde they proceed onely of the opinion of good or euill either present or to come which we imagine to be in the vnperfect and transitorie things of the world and which are accompanied vnseparably either with good or euill In respect of good things we are caried away with a vehement desire or coueting of them besides an immoderate ioy in them in regard of euil things we are oppressed with feare and sorrow And these are the foure springs of all vices sins wherein men plunge themselues during this life and vnder which all perturbations are comprehended which fill the soule with endlesse trouble and disquietnes causing man to liue alwaies vncontented and to finde euery present kinde of life burthensome and so to seeke after and to desire another But as fearefull men saith Plutark that excellent philosopher schoolemaster to that good Traian and they that are at sea subiect to casting thinking they shal be better in one place than in another go from the sterne to the stem then to the bottom of the ship afterward to the highest part frō thence go into the skiph and in the end returne into the ship without any amendment of their euil because they carrie alwaies about with them both feare griefe so the alteration of life of worldly conditions and estates into others doth not purge but rather increase the perturbations diseases of the soule if first the cause of them I meane ignorance of things the imperfection of reason be not taken out of it These are the mischiefes which trouble both rich and poore these are the miseries which wait vpon great and final bond and free yoong old Thus is the spirit of sick persons vexed and that continually One while the wife is troublesome the physition vnskilfull the bed vneasie the friend that visiteth importunate he which visiteth not proud but being once healed they finde that whatsoeuer was irksom vnto them before now pleaseth them But that which health doth to the diseased body the same thing
blessed felicitie we may a great deale more perfectly than did all those great and ancient philosophers lead a contented ioyfull and quiet life void of all perturbations and feare for asmuch as they knew the iustice of God onely and not his mercy which is assured vnto vs in his beloued sonne Moreouer they were ignorant notwithstanding their philosophie of the chiefe point of his iustice namely of the beginning of all things and of their end which the word of God teacheth vs together with the truth of that permanent happines of the soule whereof they had but a shadow in their life Heerof our Lorde Iesus Christ himselfe hath left good and sure pledges in the depth of our harts saying that he gaue and left his peace with vs his peace I say in our soules and not with the world Therefore it appeereth sufficiently that nothing is so much to be desired whether we regard profite to our selues or seruice to the whole bodie and societie of our brethren and countrimen as the studie of philosophie which is the knowledge of life and the true medicine and tillage of the soule whereby all vertue is taught vs. The end of the first daies worke THE SECOND DAIES WORKE Of Vertue Chap. 5. ASER. AMongst the infinite number of them that were honoured with this faire name and excellent title of Philosopher which is as much to say as a louer of wisedome there were three principal sects that contended together by generall rules but especially about the souereigne good and felicitie of man namely the Academiks the Peripatetiks and the Stoiks The best of them all and they which came neerest to the knowledge of the truth were the Academiks whose first authors were Socrates Plato who as we heard yesterday alwaies taught that our true good consisted in the tranquillitie of the soule void of all perturbations in stead of them adorned and enriched with all vertue which is the proper substance and matter of philosophie therfore called the onely permanent good of the soule AMANA I can not but greatly commend this paradox of the Stoiks that There is no good but vertue nor euill but vice which is the contrarie vnto it And to go a little further following their opinion and the opinion of many ancient wise men I say that The vertuous man onely is free and happie yea although he were in Phalaris bull and that The vicious man onely is a bond-man and vnhappie albeit he had the riches of Craesus the empire of Cyrus and the glorie of Alexander For great callings are nothing where the mind is not content and where the hart pricked with desire troubleth the tranquillitie of the soule ARAM. Riches saith Pythagoras are no sure pillers and glorie is lesse certaine Likewise beautie and the disposition of the bodie magistracies and honors are all of no force but Prudence Magnanimitie and Iustice are ankers of greatest stay which cannot be plucked vp by any tempest For it is the will and law of God that vertue onely should be mightie and firme all other things being but toyes and fooleries But we must now learne of thee ACHITOB that which is necessarie for vs to know concerning this excellent disposition of the soule ACHITOB. The disputation concerning the good of man hath indeed alwaies been great amongst the learned so that as well their diuers opinions as their arguments would stay vs heere with too long a discourse especially seeing they are vnnecessarie for vs who seeke onely to be instructed in the truth Now that we may attaine heerunto and to the perfect vnderstanding of that matter which is heere propounded vnto vs we will heere set downe this Maxime or principle confessed of al the greatest and most ancient philosophers and agreeable to that truth which is taught vs in the holie scriptures that There are two sorts of goods the one which is the last end the other is the meanes to attaine thereunto The first is the souereigne supreme most perfect and eternall good which we expect and hope for in the immortalitie of the second life when we shall enioy that true and absolute felicitie which neither eie hath euer seene nor eare heard neither hath entred at any time into the hart of man That which we call the meanes whereby we come to the first is vertue onely whereof we are now to speake and which is the proper effect of our regeneration by the spirit of God dwelling in vs. First then let vs consider what vertue is also the diuision sountaine incomparable excellencie and inuincible force thereof with those woonderfull effects which it worketh in him that possesseth hir wherein also we will see some notable examples of ancient men Vertue as the philosophers say is a disposition and power of the reasonable part of the soule which bringeth into order and decencie the vnresonable part by causing it to propound a conuenient end to it own affections and passions wherby the soule abideth in a comely and decent habit executing that which ought to be done according to reason But to speake more briefly Vertue is a proportion and vprightnes of life in all points agreeable to reason The diuision thereof is altogither like to that of philosophie For they are so linked togither that it is all one to be vertuous and to be a philosopher the one being the matter and substance of the other Vertue therefore is diuided into Contemplatiue and into Morall The eternall Wisedome by the operation of his spirit guideth and lifteth vp the contemplatiue vertue to hir proper end which is that happie and immutable knowledge that concerneth the maiestie of God This did Socrates call Religion and the greatest vertue saying further that the contempt thereof brought vpon men a cursed ignorance and that no man ought to persuade himselfe that he could finde amongst the race of men any greater vertue than religion and pietie towards God whose honor is the foundation of euerie good worke which if it be ouerthrowne the other parts are as soone dispersed as the peeces of a ruinous building Yea religion is not onely the head of iustice and vertue but also is as it were the soule to giue vigor and strength vnto it From this supreme science floweth prudence which is a worke thereof appointed to gouerne rule and moderate by the meanes of morall vertue the passions and affections of the vnreasonable part of the soule in all mediocritie by cutting off all excesse and defect of those passions and by moderating them between too little and too much thereby to â—â—epe men from erring As for example she holdeth a man within the limits of prowes and valure least he should cast away himselfe through rashnes or cowardlines she causeth him wisely to vse liberalitie bicause he should not be spoiled by couetousnes or fall into prodigalitie And that he should not be cast downe too much in aduersitie nor lift vp
being desirous to procure the benefit and ease of the Common-wealth would serue himselfe for this sacrifice And so it came to passe for presently this gulfe closed vp to the great astonishment of all the people How shal we thinke that these and so many others as histories set before our eies who haue freely offered their liues for the safetie of many and chose rather to vndertake any danger than to turne aside in any thing from that which they knew to be the dutie of a good man how I say shall we thinke that they would haue fainted or yeelded through the enticements of honor grace fauor riches whereby the greatnes of their courage limited onely with the bounds of right and iustice might haue beene weakened But hoping that the sequele of our discourses will furnish vs with more ample testimonies both of this and of all the other parts of dutie which respect euery particular action and fearing least I haue been somewhat too long in the examples alreadie alledged we will conclude our present matter with this generall instruction that vnto what estate qualitie or condition soeuer men are called they ought to propound to themselues in all their actions Dutie and Honestie searching for them in the holie scriptures and in the precepts of good life conformable thereunto which are left vnto vs by the ancient Sages and wise philosophers to this end that being wel instructed in true pietie we may first of all giue honor and glorie to God and then be beneficiall helpfull and profitable to his creatures These graces we may by the direction and blessing of God draw out of those fower riuers which proceed and flow from this generall vertue and fountaine of Honestie of which we are to discourse particularly heerafter namely of Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Iustice which are those morall vertues whereby all good and vertuous actions are brought to passe Of Prudence Chap. 10. ACHITOB THere is one only wise souereign Creator of al things the almighty strong and terrible who sitteth vpō his throne frō whom commeth al wisedom which alwaies hath been and is for euer with him and which he hath powred out vpon all works and vpon all flesh according to his liberalitie and giueth hir abundantly to them that loue him She teacheth the doctrine of God and causeth vs to choose his works She decketh vs with prudence iustice and courage giuing vs the knowledge of the time past and iudgement of that which is to come The multitude of those which are endued with these gifts graces are the gard of the world and a prudent king is the assurance of his people The sequele therfore of our speech leadeth vs to the handling of Prudence the first riuer of the fountaine of Dutie ASER. Wisedome raineth downe knowledge and wise vnderstanding and bringeth to honor those that possesse hir Of hir therefore we are to seeke for true Prudence a necessarie guide to all our actions but we must hate the prudence of the flesh which is follie before God and maketh all the thoughts of the wise of this world to become vaine and foolish Moreouer Cicero saith that no man can be prudent but he must be good AMANA O how learnedly hath Socrates taught vs to know and marke this true and heauenly Prudence proceeding from the loue and feare of the highest from that earthlie Prudence which is full of darknes when he saith that Prudence is the generall vertue the princesse and guide of morall vertues and that wherein the knowledge of our souereigne good and of the end of our being consisteth as also the choice of those waies wherby we may come vnto it But let vs heare ARAM discourse more largely of the great woorthie and wonderfull effects of this rich vertue ARAM. All the life of men expressing a worthie end of their being consisteth in contemplation and action For knowing that the thoughts of all mortall men are vnstable and their inuentions vncertaine bicause the bodie and the affections thereof oppresse the soule and cast downe the spirit loden with care they lift vp their harts towards the brightnes of the eternall light who of his meere grace prepareth their soules lighteneth their vnderstandings and directeth their paths to the knowledge of that true and perfect Idea of Good from whence Prudence floweth that she may gouerne their actions according to Gods will and to the profit of humane societie Therefore it is from knowledge and reason gotten in the studie of wisedome by the grace of God from whence the vertue of Prudence proceedeth which is that rule of all the actions of man whereby through good and sage aduice he discerneth and chooseth good from bad that which is profitable from the contrarie to the end he may shun the one and practise the other This is that which Aristotle saith that the office of Prudence consisteth in skill to consult and to choose to the end to execute that which vertue commandeth namely Honestie and decencie and that for no other respect than for the loue thereof And therfore wise men haue put a difference betweene Science and Prudence saying that Science is a dead knowledge of things which of it selfe cannot change the will in such sort that it may imbrace and follow the knowen good or auoid the euill which is euident in wicked men endued with knowledge But Prudence is a beame proceeding from that true sunne which doth not only illuminate and lighten the vnderstanding but also warmeth and kindleth the affection This vertue saith Bias one of the Sages of Graecia is amongst the rest of the vertues as the sight is amongst the fiue senses of mans bodie thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that as the eie of al the other senses is most beautifull subtill and pearcing so the vertue of Prudence by hir quicke and cleere light directeth and conducteth al vertues in their good and commendable operations It is by hir that man is alwaies clothed with a milde and setled disposition whereof he standeth no lesse in need than a ship floating on the sea doth of the presence of a pilot that he may prudently vndertake wisely execute whatsoeuer he knoweth to be good after mature deliberation and consideration of all the circumstances of the fact Morall philosophers attributed three eies to this vertue of Prudence namely Memorie Vnderstanding and Prouidence which three things Cicero calleth the parts of Prudence With the first she beholdeth the time past with the second the time present with the third the time to come Moreouer a prudent and wise man by the consideration of things past and of that which hath followed since iudgeth of that which in the like case may fall out in the time following And after long deliberation he expecteth the times waigheth the dangers and knoweth the occasions and then yeelding now and then to the times but alwaies to necessitie so it be not against dutie he boldly setteth
of women when he is inuited to weddings or in their companie to request him to walke that hath alreadie gone a great way when he seeth a thing sold to bring a chapman to the seller who would haue giuen a great deale more for it to repeate one thing oftentimes to shew himselfe readie to do that which a man would not haue him to do and yet dare not well denie it him to woonder at all things and to speake all in a word an vnskilfull man is alwaies in all places and in all affaires vnciuill and impertinent The examples of these foresaid effects are but too familiar amongst vs. And first concerning these of small and meane estate and condition how many millions of men haue there been in the ages past and do liue yet among vs whose life being ignorant of euery good cause and reason is not much vnlike and in many things worse than that of brute beasts The originall of so many errors foolish opinions and impieties hath it not had passage through the midst of their soules bicause they had no true knowledge of the end of their being nor of his will by whom they liue From thence it commeth that the best aduised among them exercise base handicrafts not being desirous to learne further that some lead a seruile and contemptible life bringing their bodies and soules in subiection to the lusts and wicked desires of the greater sort that others remaine idle and vnprofitable seeking to maintaine their liues by vnlawfull meanes that all through a blockish ignorance depriue themselues of all present and eternall felicitie Now albeit these poore men who haue no great meanes to execure their wicked desires may after a sort seeme tollerable and excuseable to mans iudgement bicause their ignorance doth not greatly hurt any but themselues yet it falleth out far worse with those that haue wealth at will and authoritie to command others who not knowing how to vse their goods well by vertuous deeds abuse them to all vice dissolutenes and pleasure whereby for the most part they cast themselues headlong into infidelitie and Atheisme bicause they neuer had true vnderstanding of the perfect diuinitie nor yet considered the perfection of his works both in heauen earth O pitifull calamity abounding in this our age more than euer it did A thousand millions of Pagans and heathens considering that there was nothing to be misliked in the heauens neither any negligence disorder or confusion in the moouing of the stars nor in the seasons of the yeere nor in their reuolutions nor in the course of the sunne about the earth which causeth the day and the night no not in the nourishing and preseruation of all sorts of liuing creatures nor in the generation of yeerly fruits and for a thousand other good considerations beleeued and worshipped one supreme eternall essence which gouerneth all things And shall they that carie the name of Christians to whom the vnspeakable treasures of the heauens haue been opened and offered with innumerable graces shall they I say doubt yea impudently denie that there is a God But let vs returne to our matter It is most certaine that the higher that ignorant men are aduanced so much without question are their faults greater than those of meaner estate bicause they are hurtfull to many Yea oftentimes it hath come to passe that one onely fault of such a man hath been the losse and destruction of an infinite number of men Nicias the general captain of the Athenians through the feare which he had conceiued of the darkness of an Eclipse of the moone and not knowing the cause thereof staied so long vntill his enimies had inclosed him round about whereupon he was taken aliue of them and put to death besides the losse of fortie thousand Athenians that were taken and slaine Who doubteth but that ignorance draue Caligula Domitian into such pride crueltie that whilst they sought to be worshipped in stead of the true God they were the cause of the death destruction of more than a hundred thousand men In the time of Otho the first there fell a stone from heauen which astonished all Germanie and turned them from prosecuting an enterprise of great waight and importance for the benefit of their countrie If they had knowen it to be a naturall thing and such as had come to passe long before as Aristotle affirmeth they had not been so fearfull nor receiued that dammage to the detriment of the Common-wealth which came to them afterward That speech of Anaxagoras a Greeke philosopher agreeable heerunto is worthie to be remembred when he said that a man ought to driue out of himselfe and to tread vnder his feete all superstitious feare of the heauenly signes and impressions of the aire which worke great terror in them that are ignorant of their causes and that feare the gods with a forlorne and amased feare bicause they want that certaine knowledge that philosophie bringeth which in stead of a trembling and alwaies terrifying superstition engendreth true deuotion accompanied with an assured hope of good Let vs looke a little into our Chronicles and consider what profit our kings receiued by their ignorance when they were called Simple when they stood but for images and were seene of their subiects but once a yeere They suffered their wise maisters of the palace to take knowledge of and to order and rule all things who depriuing them as vnworthie of all authoritie tooke possession in the end of their crowne And surely it is no lesse pernitious for the greater sort to aduance ignorant men to charges and places of honor and to vse their counsell than to be ignorant themselues For as we said ignorance causeth him that is aduanced to forget himselfe and lifteth him vp into all pride There are amongst vs too many examples of the ambition and presumption of many ignorant men who contrarie to Torquatus that refused the Consulship bicause of his diseased eies altogither blind as they are deafe dumbe and destitute of all natural light of prudence and experience to guide themselues are not contented to manage the sailes and tacklings but desire to haue the rudder of the Common-welth in their hands And it is greatly to be feared that such vnskilfull and ambitious men will in the end shew themselues both in will and practise to be imitators of one Cleander an outlandish slaue who being preferred by Commodus the emperor to goodlie offices and great places of honor as to be great maister of his men of war and his chiefe chamberlaine conspired notwithstanding against his Lord seeking to attaine to the imperiall dignitie by feditions which he stirred vp in Rome betweene the people and the soldiers But through good order taken his enterprise tooke no effect except the losse of his owne head and destruction of his house Although oftentimes it falleth out cleane contrarie through the iust punishment of God for the ignorance
aside himself he would eate nothing but bread Masinissa king of the Numidians was of so great sobrietie that euen at ninetie yeeres of age he would eate but once a day and then vpon homely meates without sauce Mithridates king of Pontus being very old neuer sate downe at the table to eate and liued very frugallie Hannibal fed vpon no other meat than did the meanest of his souldiers The reason why I stay longer in the examples of this vertue of sobrietie is to shew the beastlines of men in our age to whom it seemeth an impossible vayne and contemptible thing to liue in such sparing and austeritie of life saying that there were none but certain foolish Philosophers for that is the Epithite which the ignorant sort giue to vertuous men some simple Hermites who liued after that maner Therefore that they may vnseele their eyes let them behold here how in all sorts and conditions of men euen in the greatest the vertue of temperance frugalitie and sobrietie did appeere and shine The emperor Vespasianus one day in euery moneth vsed to eate nothing The priests of Egypt the sages of India and Persia and Iupiters priests seruing false gods did neuer eate any flesh nor drinke wine Notable examples for those that haue the first places in the Church who ought to be as a lampe in the midst thereof Neither may they take example by Ethnikes and Pagans onely but also by many holy men who had in them the true loue and feare of God Daniel and his companions neglecting the Kings table liued with pulse and water onely S. Iohn Baptist passed ouer the greatest part of his age in the desert cating nothing but Locusts and wilde hony S. Hierome maketh mention of one Paul an Hermite who liued from sixteen yeeres vnto sixtie of Dates onely and from sixtie yeeres vnto the age of sixe skore and fiue yeeres when he died he was fed with a litle bread brought daily vnto him by a Crow Maxentius bishop of Poytiers liued alwayes with barly bread and water But to the end we may reape profit by all that hath been here spoken let vs learne of Socrates that the soule which hath gotten the habite of frugalitie and is contented with her estate passeth away her dais in this world as he that in the spring time taketh small easie iournies in a pleasant and fruitful region with great contentation of mind and litle labour And let that notable and diuine precept of Empedocles sound often in our eares Behaue thy selfe full soberly and free from all offence Let vs adorne and decke our life with this good and rare vertue of sobrietie which wil teach vs to renounce worldly vanitie and to content our selues next vnto God in vertue onely and in heauenly riches And although delicacie of fare be so common amongst vs Frenchmen and maintained with such impudencie that we permit amōgst vs and studie kitchin Commentaries as much as any good Science so that it may seem a very difficult matter to take it away and banish it from amongst vs yet is it not altogether impossible as many thinke But let vs follow that ancient precept of Pythagoras To chuse the best kinde of life and no doubt but custome will by litle and litle make it easie pleasant vnto vs. And if we be despised rebuked of others we may answer as Socrates did who being reprooued because he had made no greater preparation of meat in a feast wherunto he inuited many of his friēds sayd If they be vertuous there is enough and if they be not there is too much So let vs not seeke to please and to imitate the most part of men but the best and smallest number neither let vs looke vnto custome but to that which is decent and honest But if we perseuer in our dissolutenes superfluitie as if we were Christians in name and sect onely but Epicures in life we are to feare that in the end need and necessitie will force vs to forsake it And as it fell out to king Darius who after he had liued a long time in all abundance of delights and neuer knew what hunger or thirst meant as he fled from the battell gotten by Alexander was very thirstie and after he had drunke puddle water proceeding from a riuer tainted with dead bodies he burst foorth into this speech that in all his life he neuer dranke better drinke so likewise after we haue been tamed with miseries and calamities we must confesse but too late and peraduenture O dangerous downfall without hope of recouerie that our estate is yet better albeit most miserable than our offences haue deserued euen then when God for our dissolutions shall withdraw his blessing wholy from our grounds possessions This he hath already begun to performe in some measure by causing the ground to bring foorth vnto vs thistles and thornes in steed of good graine and fruite and by continuing amongst vs wars and hurly burlies which are accompanied with pestiferous diseases that he may ouercharge those with the scourges of his iust vengeance who will not humble themselues vnder the sweetnes of his word Of Superfluitie Sumptuousnes Gluttonie and wallowing in delights Chap. 20. AMANA SEeing we haue summarily vnderstood the excellencie and profit of the vertue of sobrietie that it may yet better appeere by the contrarie and that we may be so much the more induced to desire it amongst vs I thinke we shall do well to intreat of superfluitie sumptuousnes and gluttonie whose fruits are weltring in delights which is the principall cause of destruction as Plato saith to Kingdoms Monarchies and Common-wealths Therefore I propound these vices to you my companions to discourse vpon ARAM. Whatsoeuer is desired more than that which is necessarie for the life of man is superfluitie which causeth so many foolish and excessiue expences amongst vs that besides the ruine and decaie of many good houses the destruction of the bodie and which is more to be feared of the soule also doth for the most ensue thereupon Therefore Erasmus said very well that nothing is more abiect and hurtfull than to liue as a slaue to the pleasure of the mouth and bellie ACHITOB. Those men saith Plato that are addicted to the seruice of their bellies and care nothing for the foode of their minds are like beasts who neuer enioy true pleasures Which thing also may be said of them that like fooles depend more of opinion than of reason But it belongeth to thee ASER to handle this matter here expounded more at large ASER. Good things said Lycurgus are contrary and enemies to him that abuseth the gifts of nature as if a valiant man should loue rather to be a theefe than a souldier or a beautifull person an adulterer rather than a maried man So is it with the goods of Fortune as we terme them the possession of which giueth occasion to
old man quoth he to learne I am goyng said he to Sextus the Philosopher to learne that which I know not Than Lucius lifting vp his hands towards heauen cried out O good God I see an emperour euen gray-headed carying his booke as if he were a child to heare a lecture and to be instructed thereby and yet most kings of the earth will not vouchsafe to looke vpon a booke at eighteene yeeres of age Solon had this sentence commonly in his mouth that he waxed old as he learned The same day and houre that he died being aboue 80. yeeres olde and hearing some of his friends disputing of a certain point of Philosophy he lift vp himself vpon his bed after his maner as wel as he could And being asked why he did so To the end quoth he that when I haue learned that whereof you dispute I might end my dayes so in deed he did For the disputation was no sooner ended but he died Socrates learned musick when he was very olde Terentius Varro and Marcus Portius Cato learned Greek when they were old Iulianus the great lawyer vsed to say whē he was very old that although he had one foot in the graue yet he was desirous to learne Alphonsus king of Arragon when he was 50. yeeres old learned the Latin toong and translated Titus Liuius out of Latine into Spanish The sixt and last age of man is called Old-age which according to Marcus Varro and other authors beginneth at 50. yeeres bicause at this age the naturall power and strength of man beginneth to decline and fade away Isidorus calleth this time Grauitie which he maketh to last vntill 70. yeeres and termeth the ouer-plus of age beyond that old-age But as neither the diuision of ages here set downe nor the termes wherein we haue enclosed them could agree to the ages of our first fathers either in the first or second age wherin they liued commonly as manie yeeres as we do moneths so considering the shortnesse of our days which the Psalmist limiteth within 80. yeeres at the most I think we are to folow the opiniō of Varro who calleth old-age whatsoeuer is aboue 50. yeeres In which age prudence is a very meet necessary ornament which those ancient men might attain vnto through long vse of life through knowledge and through experience Therfore it is their office to succour and helpe the yonger sort their friendes and the common-wealth by their prudence and counsell For this cause Romulus the first founder of the citie of Rome chose an hundred of the eldest in the citie by whose counsell he willed that it should be gouerned And of these old men called in Latin Senes came that word Senatus which is as much to say as an assembly or gathering togither of olde men whom we now call counsailors or Senators And albeit that men now a dayes greatly abuse those charges yet surely they properly belong to olde men to whome it appertaineth to gouerne townes to administer iustice and to be a paterne and example of honestie to the younger sort For then haue they no time to take their ease but as Cicero saith they must encrease the exercises of the soule as they diminish the labours of the bodie Let them remember that saying of the Lacedemonian who being asked why he suffred his beard to grow so long to the end quoth he that by looking vpon my white haire I should be put in mind not to do any act vnbeseeming this hoarie whitenesse In this age that sentence of Plato ought especially to be well thought vpon That yong men die very soone but that olde men cannot liue long To which effect Epaminondas sayd that vntil 30. yeeres it may be thus said to men Ye are welcome for vntill that time they seeme still to be comming into the world From 30. vntill 50. yeeres they must be saluted in this maner Ye are in a good hower bicause they are then to know what the world is And from 50. to the end a man must say vnto them Go in a good hower bicause then they go faire and softly taking their leaue of the world Olde age said Cato to an olde man that liued ill hath sufficient deformities of it self do not thou adde such as proceed from vice For it is not grisled haire nor a wrinckled visage that bringeth authoritie but a life that is honestly led and guided according to the best end of our being whereunto euery age is to be referred To such olde men saith Sophocles as haue their soules nourished with heauenly light old age is not grieuous and in such the desire of contemplation and knowledge encreaseth as much as the pleasures of their bodie decrease Therfore when we haue passed ouer the greatest part of our days to the profite of many if than through weaknes of extreme age we are constrained to leaue the managing of publike affaires it will be very great honour comfort and contentation of mind vnto vs to run the rest of our race quietly and peaceably in the studie of letters wherein delight is ioyned with honest contemplation The ende of the thirteenth daies worke THE FOVRTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of Policie and of sundry sortes of Gouernments Chap. 53. ASER. IF we are able to discern between the bodie the soul between this present transitorie life and the life to come which is eternall we will not thinke it strange that one part of mans building should be created to remaine free for euer and to be exempted frō the yoke of humane power acknowledging onely the spiritual iurisdiction and the other part to be in seruitude and to receiue commaundement from those humane and ciuill offices which are to be kept amongst men In the kingdome of God saith Paul there is neither Iew nor Graecian neither bond nor free neither Barbarian nor Scythian but Iesus Christ is all in all Stand fast in the libertie wherewith you are made free And by and by after he addeth Onely vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another And else-where he saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Wherby it appeereth that they which thinke that the maintenance of ciuil policies are the worke of man only are greatly deceiued For we must of necessitie beleeue that it proceedeth from the counsel of God and from his eternall prouidence without which neither the round frame of the world nor cities townes could in any sort abide stedfast so that it is very necessary for their preseruation that certain lawes should be appointed according vnto which men may liue honestly iustly one with another As there are then two chief regiments gouernments in man of which one respecteth the soule and acknowledgeth no temporal
king or master but holdeth of one only Iesus Christ according to the ministerie of his word the other is to ordaine a ciuil iustice only and to reforme outward maners wherunto the body during this life is wholy subiect rescruing the first estate of man in his freedom according to the diuine rule of pietie we are diligently to looke to this second estate of subiection seruitude which is most necessary for the maintenance of common peace tranquillitie amongst men Now forasmuch my companions as we haue hitherto according to our weak iudgement noted the moral vertues of the soul for the better framing of mens actions to that which is decent honest in this life and folowing the same order haue also giuen rules instructions for the gouernment of a family we are now to enter into this large field of humane policie to consider of the parts that belong vnto it referring the chiefe scope of the handling of this matter which otherwise would be infinite to the ruling preseruing of our French monarchie for the instruction of al estates that are therein And first we wil see what ciuil policie is and intreat briefly of the diuers kinds of gouernments amōg the ancients that we may so much the better attaine to the knowledge of that vnder which we liue AMANA To command and to obey saith Aristotle are not only necessary but also profitable yea some things are borne to obey and others to command whose common end is publike benefit ciuil iustice which are preserued by a wel established policie and right gouernment according to the lawes of nature ARAM. Euery ciuil societie must be kept in order by some policie which is a necessary helpe to cause a man to walke in his vocation But as the elements cannot be intermingled one with another except it be by an vnequall proportion and temperature so I thinke that ciuil policies cannot wel be preserued but by a certaine inequalitie which is to be seene in all countries by diuers sorts of Gouernments But let vs heare ACHITOB discourse to this effect ACHITOB. In all things compounded of matter and forme commanding obeying are so naturall that there is some shew therof euen in things without life as we see in that harmonie which consisteth in voyce in sounds wherein the contra-tenor seemeth to command ouer the base This whole inferiour world obeyeth the superiour and is gouerned thereby through a certain vertue accompanied with light and heate called of many Philosophers the spirit of the world or as Plato saith the soule of the world which descending from the celestiall nature and intermingling it selfe throughout the whole masse of this great body penetrateth quickneth nourisheth and moderateth all chaungeable things vnder the Moone The chiefe minister and disposer of this vertue is the Sunne whom we acknowledge as king among the starres lightning the vniuersall frame with his beames The Moone is as it were the Queene ruling ouer all moistures and among other maruails shewing hir manifest power ouer the flowyng and ebbing of the Ocean seas We see among the Elements that the Fire and Aire through their first qualities are Actiue and that the water and earth are Passiue as beeyng more materiall Amongst all kinds of birdes the Eagle is president amongst beasts the Lion In fresh and salte waters the mightiest fishes rule as the Whale in the sea and the Pike in pooles Man ruleth ouer all liuing creatures and in man compounded of body soule and vnderstanding the soule commaundeth ouer the body and the vnderstanding ouer the desire We haue also seene by proceeding from one particular man to a familie made of many persons how the head commandeth diuersly ouer the partes of his house Euen so it is necessary that euery ciuill societie which is made one of many families tending to a generall good should be kept in by some policie consisting in commanding and obeying In many places of the world there are countries where the cities are not inclosed where there is no vse of learning and where there are no kinges Other people there are that dwell in no houses that vse no money that liue with rawe flesh in a worde that seeme to hold more of the nature of beasts than of men And yet there are none that haue no kind of policie established amongst them or that vse no lawes or customes whereunto they willingly submit themselues Neither are they without some apprehension and reuerence of the diuine nature vsing prayers sacrifices although damnable so straightly are these two things diuine Iustice and humane Policie ioined togither that the one cannot in any sort remaine amongst men without the other Therefore Plutarke saith that a citie will sooner stand without a foundation than ciuil policie can be framed and established without any religion and opinion of God or without the preseruation thereof after it is once receiued Moreouer the first agreement of people forsaking their barbarous and rusticall life to ioine in ciuil societie was to this ende that they might haue a place of religion to keepe them togither Religion surely is the foundation of all common-wealths of the execution of lawes of the obedience of subiects towards their magistrates of their feare towards princes of mutual loue among themselues and of iustice towards others Lycurgus reformed the estate of the Lacademonians Numa Pompilius of the Romanes Solon of the Athenians and Deucalion of all the Graecians generally by making them deuout and affectionate towardes the gods in prayers othes oracles and prophesies through the means of feare and hope of the diuine nature which they imprinted in them Polybius gouernour and lieutenant to Scipio Africanus and taken for the wisest Politician in his time saith That the Romans had neuer any greater means than religion to extend the borders of their empire and the glory of their famous acts ouer all the earth Desiring therfore that religion the truth and the law of God all which are one and published by the mouth of God may continue and dwel amongst vs let vs see what Policie is wherunto it ought chiefly to tend and what sundry sorts there are of establishing it by the contrary kindes of gouernment vsed among the auncients Policie is a worde deriued of this Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the regiment of a citie or common-wealth and that which the Graecians call Political gouernment the Latines call the gouerment of a common-wealth or of a ciuil societie This word Policie hath been taken in many significations amongst the auncients sometime it signified a Burgesie that is to say the participation and enioying of the rights and priuiledges of a towne sometime the maner of life vsed by some politicall person as when one commendeth the policie of Pericles or of Bias that is their kind of gouernment sometime also when they would note some woorthy
haue not onelye infinite testimonies in the Scripture that the estate of Magistrates is acceptable before God but which is more it is adorned with honourable titles that the dignitie therof might be singularly recommended vnto vs. When we see that all men placed in authoritie are called Gods we must not esteeme this title to be of smal importance seeing it appeereth therby that they are authorized by him and represent his maiestie in the ruling gouerning of vs. If the Scripture as that heauenly word saith called them Gods vnto whom the word of God was giuen what is that else but that they haue charge cōmission from God to serue him in their office as Moses Iosaphat said to their Iudges whom they appointed ouer euery citie of Iudah to exercise iustice not in the name of men but in the name of God By me saith the wisedome of God kings raigne and princes decree iustice By me princes rule and the nobles and all the iudges of the earth Moreouer we see that many holye men haue obtained kingdomes as Dauid Iosias Ezechias some gouernments and great estates vnder kings as Ioseph and Daniel others the guiding of a free people as Moses Iosua and the Iudges whose calling and estate was acceptable to God as he hath declared by his spirite Wherefore no man ought to doubt of this that ciuill superioritie is not onely a holie and lawfull calling before God but also the holiest and most honourable of all other whereunto all the people is subiect aswell by the establishment of the right of the estate as by the holie and heauenly ordinance of God And if the Magistrate be perswaded as it is certaine that many Estates haue had that foundation that the cause of his first institution and voluntarie subiection whereunto the people submitted themselues for their cōmon benefit was that excellencie of vertue which appeered in some aboue the rest ought he not to thinke himselfe vnwoorthy of so honourable a title if he want the cause of the beginning thereof But further if the Magistrate know that he is appointed the minister of Gods iustice vnto what great integritie prudence clemencie moderation and innocencie ought he to conforme frame himselfe With what confidence dare he suffer any iniquitie to haue entrance into his seate which he vnderstandeth to be the throne of the liuing God With what boldnes will he pronounce any vniust sentence out of his mouth which he knoweth is appointed to be an instrument of the truth of God With what conscience will he subscribe to or seale any euill statute with his hand which he knoweth is ordained to write the decrees of God To be short if the Magistrate call to mind that as God hath placed the Sunne and Moone in the heauens as a token of his diuinitie so is he also appointed in earth for the like representation and light will he not thinke that he is to imploy and bestow all his care and studie that he may represent vnto men in all his dooings as it were an image of the prouidence defence goodnes clemencie and iustice of God It is certaine that the Magistrate is the same thing in the Common-wealth which the hart is in the body of a liuing creature If the hart be sound and pure it giueth life vnto the whole body bicause it is the fountaine of the bloud and of the spirits but being corrupted it bringeth death and destruction to all the members So fareth it with the Magistrate who is the soule of the people their glasse and the white whereat all his subiects aime If he liue vnder right reason truth and Iustice which are the proper wil of God onely he is not vnlike to a line or rule which being first right it selfe afterward correcteth all other crooked things that are applied vnto it For nothing is more natural than that subiects should conforme them selues to the manners deedes and words of their prince The wise Hebrew Plato Cicero and Titus Liuius haue left this Maxime vnto posteritie as an infallible rule of Estate And Theodoricus king of the Gothes writing to the Senat of Rome goeth yet further vsing these words as Cassiodorus rehearseth them That the course of nature would sooner faile than the people would leaue off to be like their Princes But further as the hart in the bodies of liuing creatures is last corrupted insomuch that the last relicks of life seeme to abide therein so it is meete that if any disease corrupt the people the soueraigne Magistrate should continue pure and sound vnto the end from all that pollution If there be any euill in the soule it proceedeth from the wickednes of the body being subiect to peruerse affections and looke what good thing soeuer is in the body it sloweth from the soule as from the fountaine thereof Now as it would be against nature if the euils of the body should come from the soule the good gifts of the body should be corrupted by the vices of the spirite so would it be very absurd that corrupt manners euill lawes vice and vngodlines should proceede from the Magistrate vnto the people seeing as Plato saith he holdeth the same place in the Common-wealth that reason doth in the soule which guideth the other parts by wisedome And forasmuch as the whole Common-wealth representeth but one certaine bodye compounded of diuers members whereof the Magistrate is the Head and most excellent of all he must also vse such equitie that he profit euery one of them and beware that he be not contagious to the whole publike body through his euil example The people saith Seneca giue more credite to their eies than to their eares that is to say they beleeue that which they see sooner than that which they heare And to instruct the people by precepts is a long and difficult way but to teach them by examples is very short and of greater efficacie Therefore the Magistrate must be more carefull of that which he doth than of that which he speaketh And that which he prescribeth his subiects for a rule as it were by law must be confirmed of him by works and deedes For as he is chiefly bound to follow the lawes of God and nature so he must make all those lawes and statuts which he establisheth in his estate according to that paterne And therfore one of the Ancients said very wel that the prince togither with his subiects had one and the same God to serue one law to keepe and one death to feare We will then briefly comprehend the dutie of the Magistrate in these three things in ruling in teaching and in iudging his people which duties are so neerely knit and ioined togither that the one cannot be well exercised without the other and he that faithfully dischargeth one fulfilleth them all For this cause Plato saith that the arte and science of the King of the
man must vse his own subiectes in warre Three causes from whence proceeded the ruine of the Romane empire The diuision of the empire weakened the same Dangerous to an Estate to call in forraine succours As appeereth by the Sequani By the Frenchmen The end that forraine souldiours propound to themselues Reasons why forraine force is woorth nothing The cause of the last destruction of Italy The discommoditie of bringing in hired Captaines Dangerous for a Prince to call in a Potentate to succour him Examples of the change of Estats by meanes of forraine succour Charles the fift bound by oath not to bring any forraine souldiors into Germany Charles 7. made decrees for French souldiors What inconueniences France is fallen into by hiring Switzers Francis 1. established seuen legions of footmen How a Prince may vse the succours of his Allies How a Captain should exhort his souldiors How victory is to be vsed Examples of such as knew not how to vse victorie wisely and to take opportunitie offered The Tyrians besieged and subdued by Alexander It is not good to fight with desperate men Iohn king of France taken by the Englishment Gaston de Foix. Small armies that ouercame great Victorie commeth only from God Valiant men are full of compassion No true victorie without clemencie Ringleaders of euill are to be punished and the multitude to be pardoned Humane sciences are but darkenes in regard of the word of God Psal 84. 4. 5. 11. Iohn 17. 3. Of the loue of righteousnes Leuit. 19. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 15. 16. Holines is the end of our calling Christ is a paterne of righteousnes vnto vs. Malach. 1. 6. Eph. 5. 26. 30. Col. 3. 1. 2. 1. Cor. 6. 19. 1. Thes 5 9. We must alwaies striue to come to perfection What the dutie of euery faithful man is Rom. 12. 1. 2. What it is to consecrate our selues to God Gal. 2. 20. True loue of God breedeth in vs a dislike of ourselues Matth. 16. 24. Fruits of the deniall of our selues Selfe loue is the cause of the most of our imperfections The definition of charitie 1. Cor. 13. 4. The effect of true charitie towards our neighbour The naturall inclination of men Corruptible things are no sufficient recompence for vertuous men Rom. 8. 28. Matth. 16. 24. 25. Rom. 8. 17. How God teacheth vs to know the vanitie of this life We must not hate the blessings of this life Psal 44. 22. The comfort of the godly in the midst of troubles Math. 25. 34. Isai 25. 8. Apoc. 7. 17. The summe of our dutie towards God The true vse of temporal things Wherein a happy life consisteth Gen. 2. 17. Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 5. 21. Temporal death is the way that leadeth the godly from bondage to blessednesse Heb. 9. 27. Ecclus 7. 36. The comsort of euery true christian against death Rom. 8. 22. Against Atheists and Epicures that deny the immortalitie of the soule Plato prooueth that there is a iudgement to come and a second life How good men are discerned from the wicked The afflictions of the godly in this world prooue a second life Three kinds of death Apoc. 20. 6. Why the faithfull ought to desire death What the life of man is Phil. 1. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 50. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 2. Cor. 4. 14. Phil. 3. 20. 21. Col. 3. 3. 4. 1. Thes 4. 13. 14. Heb. 2 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 10. Iob 19. 25. 26. 27. Iohn 12. 17. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Who they be that feare not death A comparison betweene this life and that which is eternall Phil. 1. 23. Titus 2. 13. Luke 21. 28. How death can not hurt Psal 116. 15. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS CONTAINED IN THIS ACADEMIE A ADmonition sundrie instructions how to admonish wisely Pag. 153 Aduersitie who are soonest thrown downe with aduersitie 301. the cōmon effects thereof 345. the Romanes were wisest and most constant in aduersitie 347. examples of constancie in aduersitie 348 Adulterie the miserable effects of adulterie 240. the punishment of adulterers among the Egyptians 241. Zaleucus law and the law of Iulia against it 240. testimonies of Gods wrath against it 241 Age hath no power ouer vertue 61. the diuision of the ages of man 563-564 Ambition two kindes of ambition 224. the cause of ambitious desires 225. the effects of ambition 224. 229. examples of mê void of ambition 186. ambition breedeth sedition 225. ambitious men full of selfe-prayse 226. examples of ambitious men 227. c. they cannot be good counsellours to Princes 231 Anger the crueltie of Theodosius committed in his anger 316. Valentinian brake a veine in his anger 317 Apparell against excesse in apparell 219. examples of sobrietie in apparel 219 Archbishop the free gird of a Pesant giuen to an Archbishop 158. the Archbishop of Magdeburg brake his neck in dancing 216 Armes Armie the exercise of armes must alwayes continue 762. the auncient order of the Romane armie 766 Arrogancie dwelleth in the ends with solitarines 157 Aristocratie the description of an Aristocratie 579. the estate of Lacedemonia was Aristocraticall 580 Artes and Artificers the necessitie of artes and artificers in a common-wealth 750. artificers of one science ought not to dwell all togither 751 Authors how much we owe to good authors 45 Authoritie what authoritie a prince hath ouer his subiects 670 B Backbiting the prudence of Dionysius in punishing two backbiters 388. when backbiting hurteth most 460 Bankets the custome of the Egyptians and Lacedemonians at bankets 203 Beard what vse is to bee made of a white beard 572 Belly the belly an vnthankefull and feeding beast 201. 202. it hath no eares 212 Birth the follie of birth-gazers 42 Biting what biting of beasts is most dangerous 460 Body the wonderfull coniunction of the body and soule of man 19. the conceptiō framing and excellencie of the body 21 Brother he that hateth his brother hateth his parents 542. the benefite that brethren receiue by hauing common friends 544. examples of brotherly loue 545 C Calling callings were distinct from the beginning 478. sixe sundry callings necessary in euery common-wealth 744. holinesse is the end of our calling 795 Captaine the losse of a captaine commonly causeth the ruine of an armie III. how captaines were punished if they offended 768. a captaine must not offend twise in warre 773. what captains are woorthiest of their charge 784. the captains of an armie must be very secret 781. two faults to be eschewed of euery captaine 778. how a captain should exhort his souldiors 790 Cheere good cheere keepeth base mindes in subiection 206 Children must loue feare reuerence their father 533. the dutie of children towardes their parents 541. examples of the loue of children towards their parents 541 Choler whereof choler is bred 314. how the Pythagorians resisted choler 315. magistrates ought to punish none in their choler 316 Citie what Citie seemed to Clcobulus best guided 264 Citizens who are truly citizens 606
commodities to get and treasure vp vertue only And why do we after their example despise all these things and spend that which we account most pretious I meane time that we may be adorned and cloathed with vertue if it cannot make vs hit that marke which euery one so much desireth and seeketh after with such great paine and labour namely that they may enioy some chiefe Good in this world and lead thereby a contented and happy life Be not ouertaken friendly Reader with this smal difficultie which perhaps might cause a grosse and feeble head not well instructed in wisedome to stagger and depart out of the right way Now although the heauenly word onely hath the perfect and sound knowledge of wisedome bicause he is that eternall wisedome it selfe yet man being his workmanship aided with his grace must not leaue of to seeke for to require earnestly of him that gift of the knowledge participation of the secrets of that incomprehensible truth so farre foorth as he may and shall be necessary for him that his soule thereby may obtaine hir permanent and lasting happines Moreouer albeit our soueraigne chiefe Good our perfect contentation and absolute felicitie be onely in heauen in the enioying of that diuine light yet we must not in the meane while albeit we cannot fully possesse that leaue of to seeke without ceasing or giue ouer in any sort to keepe and follow that good and infallible way of vertue which causing vs to passe ouer quietly and to sustaine with ioy of spirite the miseries of mankind and appeasing the perturbations of our soules from whence proceed all the euils that torment vs and making them void of all damnable effects will teach vs to lead a pleasant peaceable quiet life to effect all things woorthy beseeming this certaine hope that we shal one day by the grace of God be framed a new in that eternal most happy contented life Let vs therefore account this world and all the riches thereof as a thing belonging to an other as a straunger and nothing appertaining to those men who beyng regenerated by the spirite of grace haue profited well in the schoole of wisedome Let vs not seeke for friendshippe vpon earth let vs not couete after riches glory honour and pleasure which none but fooles doe extoll desire and wonder at Wee are not of this worlde but straungers onely therein and therefore let vs set all worldly things behinde vs and account them vnwoorthie the care of our immortall soules if we meane not to perish with the worlde by ioyning our selues there-unto Let vs forsake it I say forsake it boldly how precious soeuer it bee that we may aboundantly treasure vp that great sweete and durable wealth I meane vertue which is honoured loued and desired for it selfe onely which is the true and wholesome medicine for diseased soules the rest of the mynde oppressed with care the cause by the will of GOD of that chiefe Good wherein the principall ende of the soule consisteth and the onely assured guide which leadeth to the Hauen so much desired of euery one namelie the contentation of minde Which thing this present Academie doth not onely set before our eyes but also doth saue and keepe vs beyng already entered into this Hauen of safetie agaynst all tempestes if wee will our selues and not spare our labour to reape profite of those learned and wise instructions that are here giuen vnto vs by the preceptes of doctrine and examples of the lyues of auncient vertuous and famous men For first of all wee shall learne hereby to know our selues and the ende of our beyng Secondly wee shall bee instructed in good maners and taught how we may liue well and happily in euery estate and condition of lyfe whatsoeuer Yea we shall finde in the basest and lowest estate which of the ignorant and common sort of people is oftentimes called miserable as much ioy and happinesse as a Monarch can be partaker of in the fruition of his greatnesse yea much more than he if he bee wicked bicause vice in all Estates maketh the possessour thereof wretched and contrarywise Vertue maketh euery condition of life happy Moreouer wee shall see in this Academie that euery one louyng and fearing GOD may obtaine this inestimable Good of vertue and thereby remayne a Conquerour ouer the perturbations of his soule which breede all his miserie remembring this poynt alwayes so farre foorth as the fraile nature of man ayded by the Author of all goodnesse can attayne to this perfection Wee shall learne here how we ought to gouerne our selues wisely and duetifully in all humane actions and affaires and in all charges and places whatsoeuer either publique or priuate whereunto we shall be called We may note here cause of the subuersion and ruine of many Empires Estates and Common-wealths and of the glittering shew and glory of infinite others as also the cause of the wretchednesse and destruction of a great number of men and what hath lift vp others and crowned them with honour and immortall prayse We shall bee taught here the gouernement of a house and familie the maner of the education and instruction of children the mutuall duetie of married couples of brethren of masters and seruauntes how to commaund and how to obey We shall see here the order and establishment of policies and superiorities what is the duetie of the Heads of them of Princes and Gouernours of nations as also what the duetie of their subiectes is Briefly both great and small may drawe out from hence the doctrine and knowledge of those things which are most necessarie for the gouernement of a house and of a Common-wealth with sufficient instruction how to frame their life and maners in the moulde and paterne of true and holy vertue and how by meanes thereof the grace of GOD woorking in them they may runne the race of their dayes in ioy happinesse rest and tranquillitie of spirite and that in the middest of greatest aduersities which the vncertaintie and continuall chaunge of humane things may bring vpon them Nowe bicause the sequele compounded of the sundrie treatises and discourses of this Academy will sufficiently instruct thee in all things aboue mentioned as it promiseth in the fore-front and title thereof I will not dilate this matter any farther but only desire of thee Reader patiently to heare these Academicall students from the first of their discourses vnto the last Their intent was only as thou maiest vnderstand more at large in the entrance of their assembly to teach themselues and next euery one according to their abilitie the institution of good maners and rule of good lining for all ordinarie and common estates and conditions of life in our French Monarchie to the ende that euery member of this politike body brought thus low with euils and beaten with tempestuous stormes might somewhat helpe and profite it by their counsels and instructions And this thou mayest do friendly
Reader if thou takest payns to read well to vnderstand better and which is best of all to follow the precepts instructions and examples which thou shalt find here as also if thou bringest hither a good will and cheerefull disposition voyd of all malicious enuy which at this day is commonly practised by most men of this our age who like to malicious Censorers busie themselues rather in seeking out what to bite at and to reprehend in other mens workes than to draw out and to commend that which is good or to assay to make them better Besides thou shalt haue somewhat to commend in the order of these discourses and in the maner of teaching which is in them For after the handling of that knowledge which is especially necessary for man all those vertues follow which he ought to imbrace and those vices which he is to shun Next he is instructed in that which concerneth house-keeping then in that which hath respect to estates and policies last of all how he may die well after he hath liued well As for the maner of teaching which is diligently obserued by these Academikes thou shalt see that first they prayse that vertue or disprayse that vice which they propound to themselues to discourse vpon that they may mooue and frame mens minds as well to hate the one as to desire the other Then they define that wherof they discourse that the end of the present subiect may be better knowen Afterward they giue precepts to find out the means wherby to attaine to that which is Good and to eschew the euil Lastly they adde examples which are liuely reasons and of great waight to mooue men with delight to embrace vertue and to flie vice Now if thou thinkest that too litle is spoken considering the goodly and large matter here propounded it is not bicause they knew not that the excellencie of euery thing put foorth here is so great and the reasons so aboundant that a man might well make a booke therofby it selfe as many learned men haue done but the chiefe scope and drift of these Inter-speakers was to discourse briefly of such things as are necessarily required in the institution of maners and of a happy life Neuerthelesse it may well be that that which thou findest not sufficiently folowed in one place may be learned in another if thou lookest vnto the end Moreouer they who are here named and who mind to retaine alwayes the name of disciples neuer purposed or presumed to set downe resolutions or to appoint lawes which are necessarily to be kept and may not be changed in any wise by those that are cleere-sighted according to the occurrence benefit of the estate of this Monarchie but grounding their counsels and instructions vpon the soundest and most approoued opinion of the writings of learned men both of auncient and late times and vpon such as drew neerest to the infallible rule of the holy scriptures according to the small measure of graces giuen them from aboue they haue left to euery one following therein the ancient schoole of the Academikes libertie to compare the motiues of the one side with the reasons on the other that the truth of all things might be diligently searched out and inquired after that none through any head-strong conceit should be wedded to priuate opinions and that afterward choise might be made of the best and of such as are most certain therby to order and rule all intents and actions and to referre them to the perpetuall glory of that great Lord of Hierarchies who is the onely cause and chiefe fountain of all Good contentation and happinesse Spe certa quid melius The Contents of the seuerall chapters of this Booke Chap. 1 Of Man Page 10 2 Of the body and soule 19 3 Of the diseases and passions of the body and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof 27 4 Of Philosophie 38 5 Of Vertue 51 6 Of Vice 63 7 Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories 72 8 Of the Spirit and of Memorie 83 9 Of Duetie and Honestie 92 10 Of Prudence 103 11 Of want of Prudence and of Ignorance of Malice and subtletie 115 12 Of Speech and Speaking 126 13 Of Friendship and of a Friend 136 14 Of Reprehension and Admonition 148 15 Of Curiositie and Noucitie 159 16 Of Nature and Education 170 17 Of Temperance 179 18 Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes 189 19 Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie 198 20 Of Superfluitie Sumptuousnesse Gluttonie and Wallowing in delights 209 21 Of Ambition 223 22 Of Voluptuousnes and Loosenesse of life 234 23 Of Glory Praise Honour and of Pride 245 24 Of Shame Shamefastnes and of Dishonor 256 25 Of Fortitude 265 26 Of Timorousnes Feare and Cowardlines and of Rashnes 277 27 Of Magnanimitie and Generositie 288 28 Of Hope 298 29 Of Patience and of Impatiencie of Choler and Wrath. 308 30 Of Meeknes Clemencie Mildnes Gentlenes and Humanitie 319 31 Of good and ill Hap. 328 32 Of Prosperitie and Aduersitie 338 33 Of Riches 350 34 Of Pouertie 358. 35 Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming 367 36 Of an Enimie of Iniurie and of Reuenge 378 37 Of Iustice 390 38 Of Iniustice and of Seueritie 402 39 Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason 413 40 Of Ingratitude 424 41 Of Liberalitie and of the vse of Riches 434 42 Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie 444 43 Of Enuie Hatred and Backbiting 457 44 Of Fortune 467 45 Of Mariage 478 46 Of a House and Familie and of the kinds of Mariage of certaine ancient customes obserued in mariage 484 47 Of the particular dutie of a Husband towards his wife 500 48 Of the dutie of a Wife towards hir Husband 513 49 Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other partes of the house namely in the Parentall Masterly and Possessorie part 523 50 Of the dutie of children towards their Parents of the mutuall loue that ought to be among brethré of the dutie of seruants towards their masters 536 51 Of the Education and instruction of Children 549 52 Of the diuision of the ages of Man and of the offices and duties that are to be obserued in them 561 53 Of Policie and of sundry sorts of Gouernments 573 54 Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office 584 55 Of the Lawe 593 56 Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Lawe 603 57 Of a Monarchie or a Regall power 615 58 Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tiranny 627 59 Of the Education of a Prince in good maners and conditions 640 60 Of the office and dutie of a King 652 61 Of a Councell and of Counsellers of Estate 675 62 Of Iudgements and of Iudges 689 63 Of Seditions 703 64 Of the causes that breede the change corruption c. of Monarchies and Policies 716 65 Of the preseruations of Estates and Monarchies and of remedies to keepe them from sedition 730 66
might refer all to the glorie of the diuine maiestie and to the profit and vtilitie as well of themselues as of their country And yet in the meane while these noble toward youths were not depriued of other exercises meete for them which as the diuine Plato saith are very profitable for this age and helpe much to quicken the spirits of yoong men and to make their bodies which are weake by nature more strong and apt to sustaine trauell as namely to ride horses to run at the ring to fight at barriers to applie themselues to all kind of weapons and to followe the chace of beasts All which exercises this wise and ancient Knight did intermingle with their earnest studies by way of recreation himselfe standing them in steade of a maister For in such exercises he was as fully furnished as is to be wished in a man of valure and actiuitie insomuch that he was more expert than many of our time who make no other profession Now this schoole hauing been continued for the space of sixe or seauen yeeres to the great profit of this nobilitie of Aniou the fower fathers on a day tooke their iournie to visite this good old man and to see their children And after the vsuall welcome which is betweene kinsfolks and friends they discoursed togither of the corruption which then was in all estates of France wherevpon they foresawe as they said some great storme at hand if euerie one did not put to his helping hand for the correction and reformation of them but chiefly the secular power authorised of God for this purpose They alledged for witnes of their saying many examples of ancient estates common-wealths and kingdoms which were fallen from the height of glorie and excellencie into a generall subuersion and ouerthrow by reason of vices raigning in them vnpunished And thus continuing their speech from one thing to another they fell in talke of the corrupt maners that might particularly be noted in all and those maintained by authoritie and with commendation insomuch that both great and smal endeuored to disguise vice with the name of vertue In fine they were of opinion to heare their children discourse heervpon that they might know and iudge whether they had profited so wel in the institution of good maners the rule of good life by folowing of vertue and by the knowledge of histories the patterne of the time past for the better ordering of the time present as their maister who was present at the discourses of these ancient gentlemen did assure them by intermingling the praises of his schollers in the midst of their graue talke and vaunting that they were well armed to resist the corruption of this age For truly vertue purchased and gotten by practise is of no lesse power against all contagion of wickednes than preseruatiues well compounded are of force in a plague time to preserue in good helth the inhabitants of a countrie and as heeretofore that famous physicion Hippocrates preserued his citie of Coos from a mortalitie that was generall throughout all Grecia by counselling his countrymen to kindle many fires in all publike places to the end thereby to purifie the aire euen so whosoeuer hath his soule possessed and his hart well armed with the brightnes and power of vertue he shal escape the dangers of corruption and eschew all contagion of euill maners But returning to the intent and desire of our good old men bicause they had small skil in the Latine tong they determined to haue their children discourse in their owne naturall toong of all matters that might serue for the instruction and reformation of euerie estate and calling in such order and method as themselues with their foresaid maister should thinke best For this purpose they had two howers in the morning granted vnto them wherein they should be heard and as much after dinner which was to each of them one hower in a day to speake in You may ghesse gentle readers whether this liuely youth did not bestow the rest of the day yea oftentimes the whole night vpon the well studying of that which they purposed to handle and with what cheerfulnes of hart and willingnes of mind they presented themselues before the honorable presence of their fathers who were so greatly delighted in hearing them that for the most part in stead of fower howers a day before mentioned they bestowed sixe or eight For after they had heard the two first discourse one morning they had not the patience to refer the rest of that matter vnto the afternoone when the other twain of their children should be heard but commonly commanded them presently to enter the lists and to proceed as being iealous ouer their glorie in regard of their companions In this commendable maner of passing their time they continued certaine daies But the sudden and sorrowfull newes of the last frantike returne of France into ciuill war brake vp their happie assemblie to the end that these noble youths betaking themselues to the seruice due to their prince and to the welfare and safetie of their countrie might make triall of their first feates of armes wherein they wanted neither readines nor valure of hart which being naturally in them was also increased by the knowledge of philosophie The studie whereof resembling as Plato saith to a separation of the soule from the bodie standeth wise men in stead of an exercise to die without feare when dutie requireth it and causeth them to esteeme of death as of the cause of the true and perfect good of the soule For which reason Socrates Xenophon Architas Thucidides Thales Epaminondas and a million of other famous men learned philosophers and historiographers hauing charge of armies neuer doubted or feared in any sort to offer themselues cheerfully vnto all perils and dangers when the question and contention was for publike benefit and safetie and in a iust war without which a wise man neuer ought to fight Yea I dare boldly say that the greatest and most famous exploits of warfare were atchieued for the most part by them and their like Which serued well for a spurre to our yoong Angeuins to cause them to vndertake this iournie with ioy and cheerfulnes of spirit being resolued to follow with all their might the examples of such great and notable personages as histories the treasurie of time did call to their remembrance When they were in the campe each of them according to his particular affection ranged himselfe vnder sundry cornets of great Lords and good captaines But as we said in the beginning after news of the peace proclaimed which was so greatly looked for and desired of all good men they labored foorthwith to meete togither knowing that their ioint-returne would be acceptable to their friends especially to that good olde-man by whome they were brought vp Moreouer they deliberated with themselues as soone as they were arriued at the old mans house to giue their fathers to vnderstand thereof to the end
mortall matter of as small continuance as a vessell of earth sinning without ceasing and endeuoring that that which is shut vp within it should please it Notwithstanding we ought not to neglect and contemne the woonderfull frame of this heauenly plant as Plato calleth it saying that the roote thereof is in the head drawing towards heauen seeing as in a little world we may behold therein the excellencie of the woonderful works of God and that in so great measure that the wisest and most eloquent men could neuer set them foorth sufficiently And if we cal to minde how by his almightie power he framed him at the first of a peece of earth we shall not neede to stand long heere to inquire and search out how he could be ingendred and fashioned in his mothers wombe how he receaued nourishment and life and lastly how he came into the light As for example how the sixe first daies after his conception he is nothing but milke the nine following blood twelue daies after flesh and howe in the eighteene next ensuing he is fashioned at what time the fruite beginneth to liue and to haue sence which is the fiue and fortieth day after he was conceaued These are secrets of nature which may seeme as incomprehensible and beyond the capacitie of man as his first creation For what greater maruell can there be than that of a little drop of mans seed there should be engendred bones sinewes vaines arteries similar and instrumentall partes skinne and flesh and that all these should be framed in that kinde figure and similitude which we daily see in men who are all created after that maner What neede we then to make an anatomy of all the chiefest partes of the body of man when as the consideration of the least of them which peraduenture may be found to be most necessarie will suffice to rauish vs with admiration What superfluous thing can be noted in the bodie What small parcell is there which the noblest part may want conueniently and which is not partaker of euerie euill disposition thereof What thing is there in the whole nature thereof which doth not satisfie that dutie verie profitably whereunto it is borne and appointed which mooueth not of it selfe which either doth suffereth or disposeth of it selfe otherwise than is most expedient and meet for it owne benefite and for the rest of the frame of man The progresse and growth thereof from day to day from houre to houre and that of all the parts together of this principall worke at one instant euen from the first houre of his being vntil his whole perfection are they not more heauenly than humane things What is more woonderfull vnder the cope of heauen than the coniunction and subiection of the naturall sences vnto the bodie I meane of the sight smelling hearing taste and touching whereby saith Plato the common sence which is as it were a generall receptacle conceaueth al outward things What an excellent propertie in man is it to voide from him a profitable superfluitie of his nourishment from whence the cause of the preseruation of mankinde proceedeth The articulate and distinct voice proper to him onely is it not woorthy of great maruell What greater secret of nature could rauish the minde of man more with admiration than amongst the infinite multitude of men in the world to consider the variety of their gestures and diuersity of their countenances that hauing al but one and the same forme yet not one almost resembleth another And when in so great varietie two are found resembling in all points one another as we read of some euen of sundry nations who haue been taken indifferently one for the other is it not a stranger matter How maruellous is it that all men hauing a toong wherewith they speake and sing yet we seldome see that the speaking and singing of one resembleth the speech and tune of another wherupon it commeth to passe that friends and familiars oftentimes acknowledge and vnderstand one another by their speech and voice before they see ech other Who will not admire this great secret in the hand of man that a hundred thousand writers may write the same thing with the same inke and like pen and that with three and twentie letters which haue each his owne figure and shape and yet the writings shall not resemble one another so but that euery writing may be knowne by his hand that wrote it Briefely what is there in the whole body of man that is not full of rare beautie This is sufficient for the matter in hand now let vs come to the soule which is much more noble and infused into the body by God the Creator without any vertue of the generatiue seed when as the parts of the body are alreadie framed and fashioned This alone can lead vs to the knowledge of God and of our selues or rather as Socrates said we shall neuer vnderstand perfectly what the soule is except we first know God and behold it in him as in a true glasse who onely can represent it vnto vs. Let vs then see what the soule is according to the sayings of the ancient Philosophers Thales Milesius one of the sages of Graecia who florished in Athens in the time of Achab king of Iuda was the first that defined the soule affirming it to be a nature alwaies moouing it selfe Pythagoras the light of his time and the first that tooke vnto himselfe the name of a Philosopher bicause all those who before him were addicted to the contemplation of the diuinity of the secrets of nature caused themselues to be called by the name of Mages and wisemen which he would not haue spoken of himselfe saying that this diuine and lofty title of Wise was proper to God onely and that it farre passed all humane ability I say this excellent man Pythagoras affirmed that the soule was a number moouing it selfe Plato saith that it is a spiritual substance moouing it selfe by harmonicall number Aristotle saith that the soule is the continuall act or moouing of a naturall and instrumentall bodie that may haue life Or else according to others it is the light of the substance and in perpetuall motion They diuiâ—e it likewise diuersely and make many parts therof The soule as Pythagoras said is compounded of vnderstanding knowledge opinion and sence from which things all knowledge and Arts proceed and of which man is called reasonable that is apt to discourse by reason Plato saith that there are three vertues in the soule belonging to knowledge and vnderstanding which for this cause are called cognitiue or knowing vertues namely reason vnderstanding and phantasie Vnto which three others are answerable appertaining to appetite namely Will whose office is to desire that which vnderstanding and reason propound vnto it Choler or Anger which followeth that that reason and phantasie offer vnto it and Concupiscence which apprehendeth whatsoeuer phantasie and
no man can fall into this feare least he should not becom vertuous except he be very desirous to be so indeed and none can haue this desire except reason guided with heauenly light and doing her dutie in him had wrought the same but reason thus qualified must needs be an enimy to all perturbations Thus we see that no man through feare of not being vertuous is ouertaken with perturbations The like may be saide of sorrow For albeit a man be greeued bicause he is not vertuous yet his minde is not excessiuely disquieted seeing this desire is neuer in him but when reason commandeth according to hir diuine nature by causing vs to knowe our selues Whereby we perceiue that perturbations neuer arise in vs for that which is the true good of the soule but onely for that which fooles do falsely call good and which the philosophers call the goods of the bodie and of fortune But these being naturally subiect to corruption and as we haue alreadie said inseparably accompanied with vehement desire vnbrideled ioy feare and griefe as we shall see more at large when we handle them hereafter are vnwoorthy to be cared for by the immortall soule neither may or ought they to be called goods bicause they are possessed much lesse euils when they are wanting If we be thus perswaded we shall be masters ouer all perturbations not esteeming that which is mortall and fraile woorthy to be either wished for or delighted in Hereof it will come to passe that our soule and spirit shall be quiet and reason which knoweth how discerne good from euill wil deale with vs as a good husbandman and vine dresser dealeth with his tree and vine when he cutteth off the dead branches and vnprofitable twigs to the end that all noisome sap and moisture may be taken away And thus shall we be taught to desire and do that which we ought and euery contrarie inclination shall be weakened not taking effects and the soule shall fulfill hir dutie in commanding absolutely ouer all the prouocations of the flesh and in quenching them so foone as they do appeere For as they that haue healthful bodies saith Epictetus easily indure both cold and heate so they that haue a staied and setled soule haue the dominion ouer anger griefe ioy and all their other affections Then shall we liue happily not being terrified with any feare nor vexing our spirits with any longing or tedious desires nor being tormented with any lustes and disordred affections and lastly not suffering our selues being drunken with sugred poison to be ouer come and bound vnder the yoke of pleasure This shall we learne by the studie of Philosophie which is a certaine remedie and a sound medicine for euery vice and passion and is able to inrich and cloath vs with reason which is such a beautifull perfect and profitable ornament Of Philosophie Chap. 4. AMANA THe life of man said Pythagoras is like to that generall assemblie of Graecia at the Olimpyan games where manie carried with glorie and ambition presented themselues at those exercises that they might beare away the crowne and prize otehrs led with couetousnes came thither to traffike selling and buying merchandise and a third sort of men more praise worthie and noble came thither also who sought not after vaineglorie or couetousnes but carefully marked whatsoeuer was done in that assemblie that they might reape profit and commoditie thereby So men comming into this world as into a faire or mart some giue themselues to ambition and vaineglorie others to couetousnes and to heape vp treasure But they that are of a more diuine nature sequestring themselues from worldlie affaires meditate vpon heauenlie things and thereupon fasten the scope of their intents desires and wils Diuine Plato ioining action with contemplation in a happie and perfect life saith that next to the glorie of God we must haue regard to do that which is profitable for the Common-wealth Which excellent opinions of these two philosophers are comprehended vnder this onely word of practising philosophie and that art which giueth vs the precepts thereof is called philosophie whose worke and effect as Seneca Neroes schoolmaister said very well is to find out and to knowe the truth both of diuine and humane things Iustice pietie religion yea the whole companie of vertues neuer depart from hir She teacheth vs to adore and serue God and to loue men ARAM. Surely philosophie is the mother and continuall spring of all good knowledge For she teacheth vs to knowe good and euill she prouoketh vs by the vprightnes of reason to flie this thing to do that causing vs to liue as wise and prudent men ioyfull and contented in euery estate whereupon ariseth the sound rest of the spirit Moreouer the excellencie of this knowledge as Plato saith is so great that it is but one and the same thing to be a king a gouernor of a Common-wealth and a philosopher bicause the roiall ciuill and philosophicall arts are compounded of the same matter namelie of iustice and prudence ACHITOB. Philosophie cannot sufficiently be praised seeing that whosoeuer obeieth hir may passe his daies without tediousnes For the true scope thereof is to seeke to glorifie God in his woonderfull works and to teach a man how to liue well and to helpe his neighbor Which perfection cannot be attained vnto without a speciall and heauenlie grace and that after the knowledge of the sountaine from whence all goodnes commeth And this hath beene the cause as I thinke why so many great philosophers knowing certainly wherein the true and perfect felicitie of man liuing in this world consisted namely in the tranquillitie of the soule and labouring continually to roote out or at least to weaken al the perturbations therof by the vprightnes of reason and to engraffe vertue therein yet could neuer perfectly enjoy this souerigne good which they so much desired bicause they were ignorant of the fountaine from whence it proceeded which is the grace and mercie of our God in his beloued sonne And albeit their life was maruellously quiet and void of many vices yet it standeth vs in hand if we be Christians in deed to lead without comparison a more happy contented and excellent life and to exercise philosophie according to that true wisedome which our Lord Iesus Christ teacheth vs. But I thinke ASER is prepared to speake of this matter and to discourse thereof more at large vnto vs. Let vs harken then what he will say ASER. That which presently offereth it selfe to bee handled requireth truely a farre better spirit than mine Notwithstanding that I seeme not to shun those lists into which we entered willingly I purpose according to my weake iudgement to tell you first what philosophie is what good commeth vnto vs by it the meanes to learne it and to profit thereby how a man may know he hath it and how he must shew foorth the fruits thereof and lastly how we
to be excused than the greater sort when we follow after such things bicause we are but of meane and small calling For euery one is borne to command himselfe whereunto our chiefe studie and labour ought to tend We haue further to note diligently that vice is not onely hurtfull to him that is infected therewith but also that it vseth him as a minister and instrument to corrupt and spoile others For you shall neuer see any wicked man that laboureth not to make others like himselfe which if he cannot do yet he will so thinke of them and seeke to persuade all others that they are such or rather worse than himselfe Wherby it is easie ynough to iudge that this is that which vndoeth and destroieth communalties and Commonwealths townes and cities when the gouernors and magistrates of them are ministers of vices The change of monarchies estates and kingdoms proceeded alwaies of vice Roboam through want of prudence Sardanapalus through intemperancy and luxuriousnes the last French king of the race of Clouis through retchlesnes Perses of Macedonia thorough rashnes with infinite others whose examples we shall see heerafter lost their kingdoms through vices But that we may yet haue greater occasion to hate and shun this horrible monster of nature let vs know that vice chasticeth it selfe Which is not done onely by mans law out of which the mightier sort as Anacharsis said escape as great flies that breake through the spiders web the punishment also of which may oftentimes be auoided for a time but euen the paine followeth the offence so neere that it is equall vnto it both for age and time For from that very instant wherein wickednes is committed she frameth for and of hir selfe hir owne torment and beginneth to suffer the paine of hir mischieuous deede through the remorse thereof This is that worme that continually gnaweth the conscience of a malefactor and accompanieth his miserable life with shame and confusion with frights perturbations anguish and continuall disquietnes euen to his very dreames so that all his life time he is destitute of all tranquillitie and rest of spirit wherein only humane felicitie consisteth And therefore one of the Hebrew interpreters well and truly answered king Ptolemie who asked him how he might be in rest when he dreamed Let pietie quoth this wise man vnto him be the scope of all thy sayings and doings For by applying al thy discourses and works to excellent things whether thou sleepest or wakest thou shalt haue quiet rest in regard of thy selfe Truly that man feareth nothing whose soule being free from all notorious crimes followeth the will of God who directeth all counsels to good But as Plato saith there is nothing that maketh a man so fearefull as the remembrance of his life passed in shame Yea presently after the offence saith Iustin Martyr the conscience of a wicked man is vnto him in stead of an accuser a witnes a iudge and a hangman This is that which the scripture teacheth vs in Leuiticus saying that the wicked shal tremble at the fall of the leafe of a tree that they shall be as if their life hung by a thread We ought to be persuaded that this violence of mans conscience commeth frō God who causeth his enimies to feele his iudgement and furie in such sort that they cannot abide it but are constrained to condemne themselues And if our hart condemne vs God is greater than our hart Now although the word should wholie faile in this yet we haue the testimonie of nature imprinted with such characters in our harts that it did euen compell the ancient poets to finde out and to faigne Furies as reuengers of our sins which are nothing else but the torments of euill consciences This is that worme wherof Esaie speaketh which dieth not but gnaweth and deuoureth them without ceasing Caligula a most cruell Emperor neuer had secure and quiet rest but being terrified and in feare awoke often as one that was vexed and caried headlong with wonderfull passions Nero after he had killed his mother confessed that whilest he slept he was troubled by hir and tormented with Furies that burned him with flaming torches Let vs not then suppose that although a wicked act may be hidden and kept close from men therefore the torment is the lesse which a wise man neuer thinketh of knowing that he ought to be in more reuerence of himselfe than of others but rather more greeuous within vs not for the only feare of worldly shame or punishment but for the apprehension of the iust iudgement of God from whom nothing is hid He pursueth the wicked hard at the heeles for the most part and knoweth how to take vengeance of their iniquitie in due time And if he defer the punishment it serueth but to aggrauate their condemnation so much the more vpon their heads and to make the punishment more horrible whereof we ought to stand in greater feare than of any bodily paine bicause the dolor thereof abideth for euer He that would go about to repeate heer seuerally al those vices wherewith men may be infected and wherein we see them commonly wallow should find their number very great yea infinite But as Democritus said let vs onely lay open that which is within vs and we shal find there a heap and conserue of many diuers and different euils which haue their originall beginning from thence For as shadowes follow bodies so passions and vices follow soules Heerafter we may discourse more particularly of the greater part of them and of their proper and peculiar effects with that iust punishment which commonly followed them In the meane time we may learne this that if custome be of so great force that as we say it ouercommeth nature it is chiefly to be seene in vice and dissolutenes which is a gulfe wherein a man may very easily cast himselfe headlong but it is a very difficult matter yea vnpossible to withdraw himselfe againe And as a wise Romane said most horrible and execrable offences through vse and custome are made small faults and are commonly practised For it is the propertie of vice to be head-strong and contentious seeking to defend it selfe by reasons which although they be altogither vaine and friuolous yet of great waight in regard of the weake flesh of man which easily suffereth it selfe to be bound vnder the yoke of sinne Therefore we are to take good heed that we suffer not our selues to be surprised by so dangerous an enimie nor giue him any accesse or entrance into vs I mean that he should not dwell in vs for otherwise we know that perfect righteousnes is in God onely but rather let vs exercise all those things that are contrarie to vice accustoming our selues in such sort to maister our common and small imperfections which are but too abundant in the iustest men that they take no effect howsoeuer of themselues they may seeme
that the studie of letters is rich and vndoubtedly giueth vs the knowledge of things Moreouer nothing may be compared to sciences which comfort vs in our life time and cause vs to liue after death ASER. O science saith Plato how would men loue thee if thou wert knowne Fire and aire are not more necessarie for life than is the art and rule of good liuing which is shewed vnto vs by learning And as health is the conseruation of the bodie so is doctrine the safegarde of the soule But we are to vnderstand more amply of thee AMANA what is the greatnes and beautie of sciences AMANA Whatsoeuer is profitable not onely for a house and familie for a citie and nation but generally for all mankinde may well be accounted deere precious and woonderful as so excellent a thing ought to be bought with all that a man hath especially if it be the true substance of all happines and felicitie and the efficient cause of prudence which is an excellent guide for mens actions to make them woorthy of an immortality What can one desire more than profite pleasure and honor which are those things wherewith all men are commonly led The treasure of Arabia and India may well bring some pleasure to man but yet alwaies vnperfect seeing all riches is of it selfe blind bringeth no light to the soule but receiueth hir brightnes from the soule when it is framed according to vertue Great and proud armies may by notable victories procure to themselues renowm and glory but blame woorthy a title of honor but forced and vniust if their enterprises are not grounded vpon equitie iustice The marchant sailing on large and terrible seas may reape profite by his trafficke but bought with the perill of his life and hazard of his certaine patrimonie Neither can this be done except he haue first laide a good ground of his voiage vpon a sure discourse of reason and vpon the direction of a good and wise pilot Now of all these things thus poore of themselues and begging all their ornaments else where what certain ioy true honor or great profite may a man chalenge to himselfe and not rather looke for a sodaine change of them into a woorse estate than they were in before through the inconstancie and vncertaintie of mans nature Where then shall we seeke for these great and rare properties to finde that which of it selfe will be vnto vs profitable pleasant and honorable altogither and that not for an instant but for euer Truely in science or knowledge which first is able to mollifie mans nature being before sauage and wilde and to make it capable of reason secondly frameth and setleth his iudgement that he may passe the course of his daies in al tranquillitie of minde to the profite of many lastly causeth him to die in honor with certaine assurance of eternall life and happines It is knowledge that maketh man prudent for doctrine bringeth foorth prudence and worketh vnspeakable pleasure in his soule For the searching out of the truth is the proper worke and perfection of the spirite neither doth any delight come neere to that which a man taketh in learning It is science which guideth mens iudgements whereby their chiefest deliberations and counsailes are executed aswell in feats of war as in the establishment and preseruation of lawes kingdoms monarchies commonwealths cities and peoples likewise in the regiment and gouernment of all worldlie affaires either generall or particular which are well or ill guided according as he that manageth or gouerneth them is instructed To this purpose Seneca saide that they who being destitute of knowledge did learne onely by experience to gouern publike affaires although they were borne with a diuine and happy spirit yet both late and to the detriment of their common-wealth they would in the end become good gouernors of the people As contrariwise they that should come thereunto being garded with the precepts of knowledge so they caried a good minde woulde quickely and without paine become woorthy of their charge O wisedome saith Cicero the guide of our life the onely cause of vertue and enimie tovice what should not we only but euen all the life of men be without thee Thou hast builded townes thou hast gathered together dispersed and wandering men that they might liue in a societie of life and in common friendship Thou compellest them to come togither first by keeping all in a house and by mariage then by the common vse of words and speech Thou hast beene the inuentresse of lawes and the mistres of maners and discipline We haue no recourse but to thee in our afflictions we craue aide and succour of thee we put our selues wholy into thine armes Truely one day well and iustly spent according to thy holie precepts is to be preferred before an immortalitie of time consumed in wickednes and vice With what riches shall we furnish our selues rather than with thine which hast liberally giuen vs the meanes to obtaine tranquillity in this life and hast taken from vs all feare and terror of death Briefely we may be assured that science is the onely diuine and immortall qualitie in vs and that infallible rule which bringeth both peace and warre to their perfect proportion without which whosoeuer goeth about to frame any glorious or happy building doth asmuch as if he should vndertake to sarle in the midst of the sea without a rudder or walke through vnknowne places without a guid Now the ancients knowing the greatnes difficultie of knowledge and that it cannot be obtained as it falleth out in all great matters without great paine and trauell that their labor might become profitable vnto vs they I saie who had spent their life euen with sweating in seeking out the secrets of nature and were desirous to ease mans studie who otherwise is inclined from his youth to pleasure rest haue diuided science for vs into diuers parts Which they did to this ende that step by step according to the nicenes of our spirits euen as our bodies are first nourished with milke and then with stronger meats we might finde therein apt and conceiueable foode and in the ende be made partakers of the secrets of perfect wisedome euery one according to his capacitie and need expecting the full vnderstanding thereof in the immortality of that second and most happie life First then al arts and sciences handled by reason were diuided into three principall kinds into Philosophie Rhetoricke and Mathematicke Afterwards ech of these sciences was diuided into three other parts and kinds Philosophie into Moral Logicall and Physicall or Naturall Rhetoricke into Demonstratiue Deliberatiue â—udiciall Mathematick into Arithmetick Musick and Geometry Since that for greater facilitie and that it might be more easie to learne all humane philosophie hath beene reduced into art as we haue it at this day from whence the name of liberall arts came bicause they are woorthy beseeming a free
man Their names are these Grammer which is the entrance and beginning of all knowledge Rhetoricke which is the art of fine speaking and of perswading Dialectick or Logick which is to learne the truth of all things by disputation Physick which is the studie of naturall things Metaphysick which is of supernaturall things Mathematike which hath many members whereof Arithmetick is the first which is the science of numbers and the foundation of all the other parts of Mathematicke without which science of Arithmetick Plato denied that any man could be either a philosopher or captaine generall Next to that is Geometry that is to saye the art of measuring the ground very necessarie likewise for a captaine and for many other martiall affaires Then followeth Cosmographie and Geography to know the situation of the whole world euen from the tower of the highest heauen called the first moouer vnto the center of the earth and likewise of the diuers regions therof with their particular temperatures After that is Astronomie the science that teacheth vs to know the course of the starres and planets which thing practise onely might teach vs I meane so much as is necessarie for vs as our first fathers were a long time content therewith vntill the curiositie of men inuented these names of Saturne Mars others attributing natures vnto them according to their imaginations and also power ouer our bodies yea those things that shall perish and are without life are said to haue power ouer our immortall soules And from thence proceeded iudiciall Astronomy wherewith so many good wits are deceiued and of which so many abuses haue their beginning Next Musick is set downe also for a member of the Mathematicks as being a science drawne from numbers bicause that by them harmonicall proportion was found Lastly followeth Poetry which is attributed to Musick In this short discourse the woonderfull greatnes ofscience appeereth sufficiently as also how hard yea vnpossible it is to attaine to the perfection thereof through the sound knowlege of all the parts thereof Wherefore we are first to seeke after those that are most necessarie and then to desire a meane vnderstanding of them all according to the gifts and graces of God bestowed on our soules But aboue all things we must shunne that idlenes and rechlesnes which is in many who by reason of the difficultie which they heare say is in sciences and distrusting themselues for euer comming neere the skill of so many good wits as haue gone before them remaine as buried in ignorance and vnprofitable amongst men The greatnes of Alexander staied not his successours from trying the issue and euent of all sorts of noble enterpises And the woonderfull knowledge of Plato could not keep Aristotle from handling philosophie as he thought good He that distrusteth his wit and the inuention thereof sheweth himselfe too vngratefull For it seemeth he will condemne nature the mother of all things as though she had put all hir gifts and graces in some men and euer after purposed to be idle and barren hauing no more strength to bring foorth any thing woorthy commendation We must not therefore in this sort be discouraged in the searching out of euerie good discipline knowing that those things also which draw neere to perfection are great But yet for the chiefe part of all our studies let vs take Morall philosophie whereof we haue alreadie discoursed that we may frame our maners according to vertue and lead and direct our selues to that ende which we desire euen to liue well and happily So let vs practise that diuine saying of Plato speaking by the mouth of Socrates That more vertue and pietie is required in a philosopher than knowledge and that all science which is to be required in him is that aboue all thinges he worship and reuerence God the onely true master of wisedome and authour of whatsoeuer may be knowne and that he endeuour to separate his soule from his bodie as much as may be by contemning pleasures ambition vaineglory and riches that so he may lay hold of the treasures of immortall life This we may learne by reading books writings which are the instruments of wisedome and are left vnto vs by learned men for a rule and for instruction By the studie hereof we shall attaine to that knowledge of the true and perfect good of man which consisteth in vertue and veritie the onely nourishment rest and tranquillitie of the minde But will we know further what profite we may receiue by the doctrine of ancient men Let vs onely read that which Anacharsis wrote to Craesus king of Lidia Know quoth he to him that in the studies of Graecia we learne not to command but first to obey not to speake but to keepe silence not to resist but to humble our selues not to get much but to content our selues with a little not to reuenge our harmes but to pardon iniuries not to take from others but to giue our owne not to take care to be honored but to labour to be vertuous Lastly we learne to despise that which others loue and to loue that which others despise that is pouertie Behold the faire fruits of science and of the studie of these ancient Sages to which no treasures of worldly riches are in any sort comparable and which we ought to desire aboue all things Moreouer by this studie of letters we shall be taught to search out diligently the vnderstanding of histories which are the treasury of things past the patterne of those that are to com the picture of mans life the tuchstone of our dooings the workmaster of our honor and as Cicero calleth them the witnes of times the light of truth the life of memorie the mistres of life and the messenger of antiquitie Histories cause vs to beholde that without danger which so many millions of men haue tried with the losse of their liues honor and goods that we may be made wise by their perill and stirred vp to follow the vertue of others which hath brought them to the top of all felicitie and glorie Now if we thinke to learne by our owne experience these excellent instructions which we may draw out of histories in stead of so rare treasures we shall know but few things and those with losse perill amongst a thousand aduersities from which the vnderstanding of that which is past saueth deliuereth vs. Prudence gotten by experience is too perilous and so long a comming that very often a man dieth before he haue obtained it so that he had need of a second life to imploy about it But we must hasten it forward by the searching out of things which haue come to passe both before and since our time in the studie both of philosophie which is rich and plentifull in worthy examples and also of histories which are a singular gift of God whereby he would haue his
woonderfull works continued in the memorie of men For this cause Zeno being demanded how a man might become happie answered if he drew neere vnto and haunted the dead meaning thereby if he read histories and endeuored to learne their good instructions that haue gone before vs. Ptolemie also asking one of the wise interpreters wherein a king ought to exercise himselfe In the knowledge quoth he of things which haue been done and in reading books of things which daily offer themselues or which are fit for present affaires and lastly in searching out whatsoeuer is written for the preseruation of kingdoms and correction of maners And truly they that are exercised in the vnderstanding of histories although they be but yoong yet in knowledge of worldly matters they become like to the aged and gray-headed as contrariwise they that are ignorant of things done and past before their being remaine alwaies children and euen within their owne countrie where they were borne they are in the same estate in respect of knowledge that forreners are If we yet desire more testimonies from amongst the ancients of the honor loue zeale and ardent affection which they bare towards the studie of good letters and how the chiefé glorie of all their heroicall and noble acts doth of dutie belong to science we read of Phillip king of Macedonia that when Alexander was borne to him he gaue thanks to God not so much bicause he had this sonne as bicause he was borne in the time of so wise a philosopher as Aristotle was whom he made his schoolmaister Of him Alexander learned many goodly sciences as well in philosophie as in physicke and namely those Acroamaticall sciences that is speculatiue and such as could not be learned but by hearing a teacher Of which Sciences this great Monark was iealous and taken with so greedie a desire that hearing how Aristotle had published certaine bookes he wrote a letter vnto him in this maner Alexander sendeth greeting to Aristotle Thou hast not done wel to publish these bookes of speculatiue sciences forasmuch as we shall haue nothing aboue others if that which thou hast taught vs priuately come to be published and communicated to all For I would thou shouldest know that I loue rather to excell others in the vnderstanding of high and notable things than in power How greatly this excellent prince alwaies loued knowledge appeereth sufficiently by the exceeding liberalitie and gifts wherewith he honoured the maisters and teachers thereof as we may somewhat touch it heerafter as also in that he alwaies caried Homers Iliads about him which vsually he laid vnder his pillow naming it the nourishment and preseruer of warlike vertue Caesar in the midst of his campe had his commentaries in his bosome and that time which he spared from fighting he bestowed in reading and writing holding a launce in the left hand and a pen in the right We see in these two mightie and sacred princes and in infinite other great personages both Greekes and Romanes the woonderfull effects of knowledge which conducted them to the top of all honor felicitie and prosperitie Xenophon the disciple of Socrates serueth for another witnes who being guided by an vnspeakable prudence and prouidence gotten in the studie of philosophie brought an armie of a thousand footmen out of Persia into Greece going ouer the foords of fiftie riuers and through the midst of a hundred thousand enimies pursuing him and yet his aray was neuer broken albeit he fought with them sundry times Besides if we are desirous of testimonies of the incredible delight which the studie of any science worketh in mens soules touched with the zeale of knowledge we read of Nicias the painter how he tooke such great delight in his works that oftentimes he inquired of his seruants whether he had dined or no. Archimedes drawing his geometricall figures vpon a table was as it were by force drawne away of his seruants that he might annoint himselfe with oile according to their custome before he did eate and during the time of his annointing he would trace new figures vpon his bodie Socrates was seene standing a whole summers day for the space of 24. houres continually in contemplation and discoursing in his mind which was when he drew this conclusion out of his thoughts that There was but one only God and that the soule was immortall The Emperor Charles the fourth going on a day to a College in Praga to heare the disputations of vertue that were there remained aboue fower howers on foote in hearing them And when his courtiers to whom he was wearisom told him that it was time to sup he answered that It was no more time for him and that he had supped Robert king of Ierusalem and Sicilia a very learned prince was so affectionated to letters that he oftentimes said that if he were to lose either his kingdoms or his learning he would choose rather to be depriued of them than of knowledge What greater testimonie of loue toward Science can one desire than that of Ptolemie Philadelphus that vertuous king of Egypt who with incredible charges gathered togither into his librarie fiue hundred thousand bookes and purposely caused seuentie and two of the most learned and religious men of Iudea to come and translate the holie Bible out of Hebrew into Greeke And surely we should be too vngratefull towards our princes if amongst so many famous men we should leaue no place for that great Emperor and king Charlemaine who was skilfull in the Greeke and Latine toongs and who in fauor of those toongs and of the louers of knowledge erected the Vniuersitie at Paris and that at Pauia according to the patterne of those places of learning which were at Athens Francis the first a prince of most famous memorie so loued and fauored letters and the professors of them that he deserued the name of the restorer of sciences and good arts sparing neither care nor meanes to assemble togither bookes and volumes of sundry sorts and of all languages for the beautifying of his so renowmed a librarie which was a worthy monument of such a magnificall monarke whose praise-worthy qualities we see reuiued in our king treading in the selfesame steps Now to conclude our present discourse we learne heereby to despise all earthly goods for the obtaining of knowledge which of it selfe is truly profitable delectable and honorable altogither and whereby we are taught how to liue and die well and happily And bicause that arts and sciences consist of many parts let vs apply our minds to the studie and contemplation of those which togither with delight do also draw vs to that which is our proper and peculiar good namely to the knowledge of truth and vertue which worke in vs alwaies an affection and zeale to follow them and cause all arts and sciences teaching other things to be esteemed base mechanicall and
vnbeseeming good wits This did Antisthenes giue one to vnderstand who greatly commended Ismenius for an excellent plaier on the flute it is true quoth he to him but otherwise he is good for nothing For else had he not been so good a minstrell So euerie one applying himselfe to some base and vaine art produceth for witnes against himselfe that labor which he hath bestowed about vnprofitable matters to prooue that he hath beene idle and slothfull in learning honest and profitable things And for the last fruit and vse of our speech we see heere what great occasion we haue all our life time to become the disciples of knowledge which is so high and profound and to diminish all pride and presumption of our skill after the example of that wise man Socrates who although he were the learnedest of his time and so iudged to be by the oracle at Delphos yet alwaies said that he knew nothing And when he was demanded any thing he would neuer answer resolutely as if he would haue been beleeued but doubtingly vsed to say I thinke so or It may be so Being therefore desirous to learne with all modestie let vs endeuor to seeke out more and more by trauell and studie the assurance and knowledge of veritie and vertue Of the Spirit and of memorie Chap. 8. AMANA HAuing now discoursed of the greatnes beutie and profit of knowledge I thinke that if we were to wish for two helps very necessarie for the attaining vnto it those ought to be a spirit or mind ready to conceiue and memorie firme to retaine without which two things we shall profit our selues little and much lesse a great many ARAM. Those two things which thou propoundest vnto vs would seeme woonderfull if they were togither For we commonly see that they who haue a readie and quicke wit for the most part want memorie and they that learne with greatest difficultie and paine do best retaine and keepe that which they haue once learned ACHITOB. This talke of the spirit whereunto you attribute the propertie of comprehending and yet speake not of the soule is vndoubtedly worthie of great consideration For euen when we speake of a yong infant we say by and by that his spirit or wit will grow with his bodie and of a crooked old-sire we say that his spirit waxeth old with him which in many we see oftentimes becommeth altogither dul and vnfit for the ordering gouernment of affaires Now that which waxeth old draweth to an end as the scripture it selfe teacheth vs concerning times and seasons which wax old like to mens garments and are to take end And yet we know that the soule is immortall and therefore waxeth not old So that one would thinke that the soule and spirit are two distinct things although we see euery where the one taken for the other But let vs heare ASER discourse of this matter and so we shall learne what the spirit is in the soule ASER. As the works of the diuine power are altogither incomprehensible to the outward sence of man and very hard to be comprehended by reason guided conducted by grace from aboue so we are not to think much if the knowledge of a mans selfe which is most necessary be so hardly found out by him seeing his composition farre passeth all the works of nature that are visible and subiect to sight Now if a man cannot know himselfe how should he hope to comprehend greater matters which are supernaturall and hidden in the heauens And who can rightly boast that he hath the true and perfect vnderstanding of the chiefest part and most powerfull beginning of himselfe namely of his spirite Who am I saide Socrates Am I a subiect compounded of soule and body Or rather a soule that vseth the body as a horseman doth a horse Or is euery one of vs that principall part of the soule whereby we vnderstand discourse and do and all the other parts of the bodie but instruments of this power Or if there be no proper substance at all of the soule by it selfe but that it is onely a temperature and complexion of the bodie so framed that it hath power to vnderstand and to liue am I not a sauage beast more crafty bold and furious than euer was the serpent Typhon Or else am I a meeker and simpler creature pertaker of a better estate and voide of pride All the excellentest philosophers that euer were handled this self same matter aswel as Socrates with incredible trauel and paine that they may attaine to this knowledge of the noblest part in the which is the soule and spirite taking indifferently the one for the other But first of all this wise Socrates spake excellently of the dignitie and immortalitie of the soule saying that in truth the soule is man and not this mortall masse and lumpe of the bodie which of it selfe is no more than a simple and base instrument is in regard of the most cunning workeman of any art of science And for this cause giuing vp the ghost amongst his disciples and being asked by Clito where he would be buried As for Socrates quoth he to him take thou no thought or care For thou canst not stay him whose tombe hath beene from all time readie for him But concerning that which he leaueth here below it is not woorthy to be cared for by him The greatest thing said Periander that may be said to be contained in a little place is the soule in a mans bodie Empedocles speaking of the generation of the soule saith that neither bloud nor the vitall spirit congealed haue giuen vnto vs the substance of the soule and the beginning of life The bodie onely is compounded earthlie and mortall But the generation of the soule is heauenly being sent here below as a passenger and stranger or as one that is banished and sent out of his countrey Whereupon she continually sigheth groneth and as it were drieth away like to a good plant translated out of a good plot of ground into a bad vntill in the end she returne and be receiued into hir immortall habitation after she hath changed hir present life which is vnto hir but as a vaine illusion of some dreame in respect of a true certaine and permanent life Surely these philosophicall speculations are not vaine and friuolous but very necessarie to lead vs to that happie end of our being which we seeke for For if we be well instructed concerning the great and honorable place and condition which the soule enioieth aboue the bodie as well in hir immortall generation as in hir contemplation and action as also that of hir happines dependeth as before we handled it the felicitie of the whole frame of man will we not apply all our principall care studie and diligence in prouiding such things for hir as she desireth and which are meet and healthfull for hir But we haue further thanks be giuen to
the author of all good a second more perfect vnderstanding of the soul than had all these notable heathen men both in respect of the blessed immortalitie and also of the cause thereof We know also that so long as she is detained in this mortall prison of the bodie that we are become new creatures by the grace of God she is diuided into these two partes the spirit and the flesh betweene which there is a perpetual combat Yea the flesh continually offereth to the spirit a thousand temptations to delight it withall For the bodie and flesh consisting of mortall and corruptible matter are but a lumpe of sinne and full of wicked desires whereas the spirit of it selfe vertuous and good and of an immortall essence is of it owne nature enimie to vice and iniquitie so that being ruled and guided by the spirite of God it loueth and desireth eternall happines and reioiceth in iustice puritie and holines And yet the soule is not so freed from the slauerie of sinne but that there remaineth in hir many steps of the earthly man so that she alwaies carieth about with hir the relickes of the flesh whereby hir libertie is so much diminished This is that fight whereof the true children of God haue dailie experience when they are lifted vpward by the spirit and by the flesh turned downeward by the spirit they bend with an ardent desire towards immortalitie by the flesh they are caried astray into the way of death by the spirit they thinke to liue iustly by the flesh they are stirred foreward to iniquitie by the spirit they contemne the world by the flesh they desire wordly delights But in the ende the grace of God causeth the spirit to remaine superiour so that his children walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Whereas if we be left of God to our owne corrupt and peruerse nature we haue not sufficient strength to resist the temptations of this wicked flesh but in steade of commanding it we obey it with shame and confusion And then accustoming our selues to sinne and to consent to the desires of the flesh the diuine part of the soule is so weakened that she hath no more strength or feeling of hir essence which is enimie to vice but hauing forsaken God he forsaketh hir and giueth hir ouer into the power of carnal desires So that by this long dwelling in sinne being as it were altogither dead she taketh no more counsaile of reason but followeth after detestable vices and such as are against nature But on the contrarie side being guided by the grace of God after we haue laboured by fasting watching and praier to resist the vnpure desires of the flesh al the concupiscences therof wil at length be so tamed and forced that the soule shal execute hir office in commanding ouer them absolutely and in choaking them so soone as they shall spring vp Therefore it commeth from the spirit that we aspire continually to our last and soueraign good that with a singuler desire of hart and with all our affection we studie to seeke and finde it out euen with teares and sighes by reason of those continuall impediments which the flesh laieth before vs in following our course Moreouer the spirit causeth vs to imploy all our might in the separation of the soule from the bodie and in dispising pleasure ambition vainglorie and riches that we may offer an acceptable present by yeelding vnto him the soul which he hath giuen vs. Which thing cannot be done saith Plato but by keeping it as much as may be purged cleansed from earthly spots that she may be knowne and acknowledged aboue amongst hir companions considering that no defiled thing shall enter into the kingdome of heauen In this discourse of the soule and of the spirit thus intermingled I thinke we may here set downe some special difference betwixt them although vndoubtedly the one is taken indifferently for the other without any absurditie yea they are one and the same thing The difference may be made in this sort if we say that the soule is common to all things that haue life as we vse to say that all beasts are animated and haue sensitiue soules but that the spirite which is immortall and capable of reason knowledge is proper and peculiar to man onely And it seemeth that Sophocles would teach vs this distinction when he saith that The spirit is the same thing to the soule which the eie is to the bodie Socrates also putting a difference betweene the soule and the spirit saide that as eucrie seditious man is to be banished out of a well gouerned citie so a spirit enclined to all mischiefe is to be remooued from that soule which we would saue Or else we may say otherwise not diuiding any thing that the spirit is the first and principall part of the soule wherein the Minde the Vnderstanding and the memorie are contained which are most necessary for the direction of all good and vertuous actions and which stand in need of preseruation nourishing and exercise and therfore they are said not without reason to increase decrease in the minde of man The minde is as a white paper wherein as a man groweth in age iudgement he writeth his cogitations and thoughts which the studie of letters and learning do affoord him Vnderstanding is framed by the knowledge of reason and lastly memorie followeth preserueth it being the mother of the muses and the treasorie of knowledge Plutark calleth it the hearing of deafe things and the sight of the blinde There is nothing that serueth so much to beget and preserue learning and knowledge as memorie doth whereof we haue many examples among the ancients We reade of Mithridates king of Pontus who was a great enimie to the Romaines that he had vnder his dominion two twentie nations speaking diuers languages all which he learned and answered their ambassadours in their owne toongs Which thing he could neuer haue comprehended without an excellent and happy memorie which also was the cause that Themistocles knew personally and could name all his countrimen by their proper names The emperor Frederick the 11. spake the Greeke Latin Hebrew Arabian Morisko Almaigne Italian and French toong In our time there was an interpreter of Sultan Solymaus named Genusbey borne in Corfou endued with the richest memorie that euer was For he spake perfectly the Greek toong both vulgar learned the Turkish Arabian Moorish Tartarian Persian Armenian Hebrew Russe Hungarian Sclauonian Italian Spanish Almaign Latin and French It is recorded of Publius Crassus that at one instant he heard fiue sundry languages spoken and answered ech of them in the same toong Whereby we see that he was endued with an excellent and quicke spirite apt to conceiue and with a firme memorie able to retaine them altogither and this may be seene in many But the
may be blameles And to this purpose Diogenes answered wisely to one who demanded how he might be auenged on his enimie By making thy selfe quoth he a vertuous and good man Most finister accidents likewise turne to the profite of a prudent man For being long time before prepared for all euents the woorst that happen confirme him further in the knowledge of the vncertaintie of humaine things and lift him vp so much the more to the contemplation of heauenly things that he may desire nothing but the blessed immortalitie of the soule Anaxagoras hearing newes of his sonnes death said nothing but this that he knew he had begotten him a mortall creature The foresight of prudence maketh it also to be greatly admired Marcus Cato when he saw that Pompey ioined himselfe in league with Caesar told him that he did put Caesars yoke vpon his own necke which then he perceiued not but that shortly it would weigh heauy vpon him and then should he finde himselfe taken and tied A prudent man is not amased through feare either of blame or of false accusation but alwaies goeth with his head vpright trusting to his innocencie and to his owne vertue Scipio Africanus being accused of many things by the Tribunes of the people answered nothing to the crimes laid against him but onely saide thus In such a day as this is sirs I ouercame both Carthage and Hannibal and therefore I am now going to the Capitoll to sacrifice to Iupiter the best and greatest God and to giue him thanks for the victory In the meane while if any man long to proceed against me in iudgement let him do it After he had so said he went towards the Capitoll being followed of his friends and of the greater part of the Senators When the people saw this they likewise accompanied him so that in stead of condemning him they caused him in a maner to triumph againe Emilius Scaurus being also accused of a certaine crime by Varius made this onely answer O ye Romanes Varius affirmeth this crime laid against me to be true and Scaurus denieth it whom will ye rather beleeue By this wise and couragious answere he made the accusation of no effect bicause his honestie was well knowen to euery one The conuersation assemblies laughters quips and pastimes of prudent men are neuer without some profit Plato in his booke intituled Conuiuium that is a feast discourseth of the last end of mens actions and of the souereigne and chiefe good of man but yet in very familiar speeches by certaine examples and pleasant fictions and deuises fit for the time and place and not with serious and graue words as he vseth to do in his other writings Moreouer learned deuises are the sports and delights of wise men who account all other pastimes vaine and vnbeseeming them and as hinderances and lets rather of their pleasure than occasions of any recreation Notwithstanding wisely applying themselues to places persons they can in their serious discourses intermingle some honest pastimes but yet not altogither without profit As Plato in his foresaid feast interlaceth certaine comicall speeches of loue how beit all the rest of the supper there was nothing but wise discourses of philosophie A Lacedemonian being asked of a certaine matter by an other answered cleane contrarie to the truth And when the other told him that he lied behold quoth he againe what a foole thou art to aske me that which thou knowest well ynough Diogenes in a great assemblie of people purposely going backward and seeing that euery one laughed at him asked them alowd if they were not ashamed to mocke him for going backward when he walked whereas they did so all their life time And as Aristippus on a time beheld him washing of coleworts for his supper he said vnto him If thou didst know Diogenes how to obey kings and to seeke them out thou wouldest not wash coleworts And thou Aristippus quoth he if thou knewest how to wash coleworts thou wouldest not serue kings but liue at libertie What profitable doctrine may a man draw out of these philosophicall disports and iests Further a prudent man neuer beleeueth any thing ouerlightly but laieth aside all reputation and credit of him that speaketh and examineth the speech by it selfe so far is he from giuing credit to an ignorant or naughtie fellow Neither will he be dazeled with fine and eloquent speech but as Zeno said considereth whether his speech be tempered with sense and reason that so he may iudge foundly of the truth and take order thereafter O what number of examples to this purpose might be alledged of the great harme that hath followed the credulitie and light beliefe of magistrates gouernors and heades of monarchies and nations Alas our poore France hath but too great experience thereof to hir confusion and and destruction But this matter may offer it selfe heerafter to be more amply handled as also other effects of Prudence which I haue briefly touched In the meane while we will conclude that Prudence is an excellent gift of God that it is the guide and light of all the morall vertues from whence all good and noble actions haue their being and beginning and that without it a man can do nothing that is excellent and praise-worthy Of want of prudence and of Ignorance of malice and subtiltie Chap. 11. ARAM. NO man saith diuine Plato can be hurt or deceiued but by himselfe Which proposition at the first sight may seeme somwhat absurd But if being well instructed in philosophie we wil follow the opinion of the ancient Sages that Whatsoeuer we see of the bodie subiect to sight is not man but that the soule onely which is inuisible and immortall is that which truly ought to be called man and that whereby we liue and for which we ought to liue it is out of doubt that none can hurt our soules but our selues The kniues wherewith we hurt our soules are either want of prudence or Malice which are as pernitious things as can come to man seeing by them he committeth all sinnes and offences whatsoeuer and by them hurteth himselfe onely when as oftentimes he thinketh to offend another As then in our former discourse we haue scene the laudable effects of Vertue and Prudence so let vs now consider my Companions of the dangerous fruits of these two vices which are altogither contrarie vnto it ACHITOB. If the blind lead the blind both will fall into the pit and he that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be much more chasticed than the ignorant So that both want of prudence and malice are two plagues in the soule greatly to be feared and therefore Bias saith Be neither simple nor subtill ASER. Herillus the Chalcedonian affirmed that Science was the souereigne good But we see contrariwise many excellent men for skill and doctrine who liue most wickedly So that in my opinion if it be not accompanied with
vertuous deedes it ought rather to be called the chiefest euil forasmuch as he that sinneth through ignorance is more excusable than the malitious who sinneth wittingly And for defence of my saying besides the authoritie of the scripture I haue Plato who saith that Science without the knowledge and practise of that which is good is very pernitious But let vs harken to AMANA who will discourse vnto vs more at large of these two vices want of discretion and malice or subtiltie AMANA All vertue being in the midst of two vices the one of them is cleane contrarie vnto it and the other being more dangerous seeketh to couer it selfe with hir name and it is called of the philosopher a false follower of vertue For this cause they placed want of prudence which vice is in the defect at the right hand of prudence and at the left hand Malice or Craft which is the excesse and causeth a man to sinne not through ignorance but by deceit and subtiltie and that vnder the name of Prudence First then let vs consider of want of prudence or vnskilfulnes and of the effects thereof in the soule Vnskilfulnes proceeding or rather being the same thing that ignorance is causeth a man as Aristotle saith to iudge euil of things to deliberate worse not to know how to take the aduantage of present good things but to conceiue ill of those things that are good and honest in mans life And as Prudence is the knowledge of that which ought to be done or left vndone so vnskilfulnes is the ignorance of those selfe same things and is alwaies followed of incontinencie of want of ciuilitie and of forgetfulnes Briefly want of prudence is so contagious and pestilent a thing in the mind of man that all other infirmities of the spirit wherewithall it is commonly molested and all euill actions seeme to proceed from the same And truly wheresoeuer it is there neither God can be truly honored and serued nor vice auoided nor any action either publike or priuate can be orderly and according to dutie executed For as a weake and diseased sight cannot behold the light of the sunne so an vnskilfull soule cannot know the truth Vnskilfulnes causeth a man to fall into seueritie when he thinks to exercise iustice If he would be liberall he becommeth prodigall If he thinketh to auoid superfluitie he falleth into couetousnes If he haue any apprehension of the diuine nature he consumeth his soule with a confused feare through superstition If his mind cannot conceiue that there is a most happy and blessed nature forthwith he iudgeth that there is none at all and thus guided by ignorance all his desires and inclinations tend to wretchednes and miserie Moreouer Plato saith that ignorance taketh away the sight of the mind from those that are tainted therewith as blindnes taketh away the sight of corporall eies from those that lacke their sight And further he testifieth that the ignorant mind is vile and wretched and that it is more expedient not to liue at all than to liue in ignorance But if we giue credit to Cicero he onely liueth indeed and possesseth a soule who setling himselfe to some good matter seeketh after renowme by some notable fact or by some good art It is good saith Socrates to leaue off altogither the vse of that thing wherof we haue no skill to vse it well And so for those that know not how to vse their eies eares and whole bodie it were more profitable neither to see heare or helpe themselues any way with their bodie In like maner it were better for him that knoweth not how to use his soule to haue none at all than to liue And if he must needs liue being borne he should be happier in the estate of a slaue than of a free man The speech of this wise philosopher expoundeth it selfe sufficiently as tending to no other end than to giue vs to vnderstand that it is better not to be yea neuer to haue been borne than through ignorance to follow vice and further that it is more dangerous when a man may freely do so without feare of any greater than himselfe For as droonkennes engendreth rage and madnes so saith Aristotle ignorance ioined with power begetteth insolencie and furie And it is all one as Plato saith to place an ignorant man in authoritie as to lay a great burden vpon the shoulders of a man halfe dead through weakenes All these things make me iudge an ignorant man to be I will not onely say like an image or blocke of wood but in a maner nothing differing from brute beasts This caused the ancients to vse this saying that Euery ignorant man was euill And Terence going yet further saith that The earth beareth nothing worse than an ignorant man And in truth what mischiefs do we not see to come of ignorance If a man be of a meane or base estate it maketh him good for nothing fearfull superstitious vnprofitable needie vnciuill slothfull and vnfit to euery good thing If he be mightie and rich besides that he may fall into the said miseries through the same imperfection he will so much the sooner become arrogant cruell rash talkatiue couetous vnconstant giuen to voluptuousnes and vniust In a word the more meanes he shall haue to exercise vices the richer in them will he grow to be through ignorance and so not being able to gouerne himselfe he must needs be vnwoorthie to intermeddle at all either in politicall or Oeconomicall gouernment If an ignorant man possesse any great benefit or felicitie he can neuer know so much before he hath lost it againe Moreouer this mischiefe followeth him that he can neuer make his profit of any good counsell bicause of the presumption of his owne opinion which he alwaies thinketh better than any other yea he supposeth that nothing can be well done except he put to his helping hand For as Menander saith nothing is so rash as ignorance And the more that an ignorant man is lift vp vnto some excellencie of dignitie or riches the more vnsufferable he is as one that knoweth not how to vse them so that he is puffed vp with pride aboue measure and not content with his estate but driuen with ambition he presumeth oftentimes to vndertake things against all reason and equitie And contrariwise if fortune change he abaseth himselfe out of measure shewing nothing but abiection of mind inconstancy and impatiencie and that with so great trouble and disquietnes of spirit that oftentimes he is wholie besides himselfe Now these are but small fruits of ignorance namely to make a man importunate to cause him to stay another that hath great affaires saying that he hath many things to communicate vnto him when in truth they will do him but small pleasure to desire one that hath lost his suite to bestow a dinner vpon him promising to tell him a way how he may recouer it againe to speake ill
speech whereat one of the inhabitants suddenly stood vp and pronounced the word aright as he should haue vttered it For this correction quoth Demetrius I giue thee besides fiue thousand measures of wheat The example of good Traian writing to his maister Plutarke ought especially to be imitated of great men I aduertise thee quoth he that hence forward I will not vse thy seruice to any other thing than to counsell me what I ought to do and to tel me of those faults wherinto I may fall For if Rome take me for a defender of hir Common-welth I make account of thee as of the beholder of my life And therefore if at any time I seeme vnto thee not well pleased when thou reprehendest me I pray thee maister not to take it in ill part For at such a time my griefe shall not be for the admonition thou vsest towards me but for the shame I shall haue bicause I offended Philoxenus the poet may also serue for a witnes of free correction void of all flatterie in regard of great men For when Dionysius prince of Syracusa sent vnto him a tragedie of his owne making that he should read and correct it he sent it backe againe vnto him all rased and blotted from the beginning to the end bicause he found it in no respect worthie to be published Neither doth antiquitie onely affoord vs such examples of bold reprehension by word of mouth vsed by wise men in old time but there hath been also in our ages woorthie examples of base and contemptible men yet full of good learning For profe heer of may serue that quip which not long since a peasant gaue vnto an Archbishop of Cullen who was well accompanied with armed men according to the custome of Almaigne This countrie-fellow beginning to laugh and being demanded by the prelate the cause therof I laugh quoth he vnto him at S. Peter prince of prelates bicause he liued and died in pouertie to leaue his successors rich The Archbishop being touched therewith and desirous to cleere himselfe replied that He went with such a companie as he was a Duke Wherat the peasant laughing more than before said I would gladly know Sir of you where you thinke the Archbishop should be if that Duke of whom you speake were in hell Neither may we omit the answer which a poore Franciscan Frier made to Pope Sixtus the fourth who from the same order being come to that great dignitie shewed him his great wealth and riches saying Frier I cannot say as S. Peter did I haue neither gold nor siluer No truly answered the Franciscan no more can you say as he said to the impotent and sicke of the palsie Arise and walke Now concluding our present discourse we learne that free reprehension and gentle admonition grounded vpon reason and truth and applied fitly are of such vertue and efficacie with men but especially with a friend that nothing is more necessarie or healthfull in true and perfect friendship and therefore ought to be ioined inseparably therewith according to that saying of the wise man that Open rubuke is better than secret loue and that The wounds made by a louer are faithfull but the kisses of him that hateth dangerous In the meane time we must as S. Paule saith restore those that fall with the spirit of meeknes considering our selues and neuer betraie the truth for feare of the mightier sort Of Curiositie and Noueltie Chap. 15. ARAM. MAn hauing by nature imprinted in his soule an affected and earnest inclination to his soueraigne good is drawen as it were by force to search it out in euerie thing which he esteemeth faire and good in this world And from hence proceed all those his affections which carrie him hither and thither causing him to reioice in and to desire greatly all varietie and noueltie But the ignorance of things and imperfection of reason which abounde in him bicause of his corruption make him for the most part to labour and take delight in euill rather than in goodnes if he be not by other means called to the knowledge of the truth which ought to be the principal and most woorthy obiect of our minds esteeming all other knowledge vaine and vnprofitable being compared to this which is so great and diuine And in this respect curiositie tending to vnderstanding albeit in many things it be verie hurtfull especially being left vnto it selfe is also verie profitable and necessary when it is directed and guided by the grace of God to the best end Wherefore I thinke my companions that it will not be vnprofitable if in this matter we discourse of these two things Curiositie and Noueltie which seeme to proceed from one and the same fountain and about which the vertue of prudence sheweth great and woorthy effects ACHITOB. Curiositie indeed desireth in part to know and learne much which cannot be condemned Neuertheles we must wisely beware that we imploy it not vpon euil and vile things but rather testifie alwaies that we are of a graue and contented nature which is enemie to all noueltie and to superfluous things that are without profite ASER. Noueltie causeth vs through error of iudgement to esteeme those things wherewith we are not acquainted greater and more to our liking and so to buy them dearer than better things that are common and familiar It is the verie guide of the curious causing them to contemne their owne climate and to hazard what good thing soeuer they haue to possesse that which belongeth to others But let vs heare AMANA who will handle this matter more at large AMANA Amongst those learned precepts belonging to good life which were written in the temple of Apollo in Graecia this was in the second place Nothing too much Solon said Nothing more than enough Pittacus Do all things by a mediocritie These sayings are verie short and of one matter but yet comprehend all prudence necessarie for the gouerning of mans life aswell for the preseruation of the tranquillitie of the soule and of the spiritual gifts therof as of all humane goods called by the philosophers the Goods of the bodie and of fortune The ancients being desirous to make vs vnderstand this the better propounded vnto vs euerie vertue betweene two vices teaching vs thereby that we cannot decline neuer so little either to the right hand or to the left but we step aside from the right way of vertue which is our onely true good and that al difference betweene good and bad consisteth in a certaine moderation and mediocrity which Cicero calleth the best of all things If men had from the beginning contained themselues within the limits of these diuine precepts it is certaine they would not so lightly haue abandoned the simplicitie and first modestie of their nature to feed their minds with a vaine curiositie and searching out of things supernaturall and incomprehensible to the sence and vnderstanding of man Which things the
And then how much more easie wil it be to restraine yea wholy to ouerthrow the foolish desires of vanitie Soüs a captaine of great renowne and king of Lacedemonia being besieged in a narrow straight very craggie place void of water after he had endured the necessitie of thirst to the vttermost he offred to the Clitorians his enemies to restore vnto them al their land which he had wonne of them so that he and all his companie might drinke of a fountaine neere vnto them Which being thus agreed vpon betweene them he led al his men thither and said vnto them that if any one would abstaine from drinking he would resigne his royaltie of Lacedemonia vnto him But none would accept thereof insomuch that all dranke except himselfe who going last downe into the fountaine did nothing but refresh himselfe and wet his mouth a little on the outside in the presence of his enemies not drinking one drop thereof By meanes whereof he maintained that he was not bound at all vnto his promise bicause all dranke not and so he continued the warre to the great honor aduantage of his country Lysimachus one of Alexanders successours in the empire had not so great power ouer the like passion For being compelled by thirst he diliuered himselfe and all his armie to the Getes his enemies After he had drunke being prisoner O God quoth he how faint-harted am I that for so short a pleasure haue depriued my selfe of so great a kingdome Cato the yoonger trauelling ouer the deserts of Lybia endured verie sore thirst And when a souldier offered him a little water in his morion he threw it vpon the ground in presence of them all to the end his armie might knowe that he would be in no better estate than they Truely a woorthy example for all captaines for by so doing that which would hardly haue quenched the thirst of one restrained it in a whole armie The emperor Rodolphus who of base estate attained to this dignitie by his vertue vpon the like occasion made an answere woorthy to be remembred For when a full cup of beere was brought vnto him in the warre which he had against Octocarus king of Bohemia at what time he was in a place where his whole army was greatly troubled with thirst he would not receiue it but said vnto the bearer thereof that his thirst was for all his armie and not onely for himselfe therfore that cup of beere was not sufficient to quench it We read of Socrates that whensoeuer he felt himselfe very thirsty he would not drinke before he had spilt and cast away the first pitcher of water which he drew for himselfe out of the well to this ende as he said that he might acquaint his sensuall appetite to expect the conuenient time of reason Seeing therefore by such examples and infinite others contained in histories we haue certaine and assured proofe of the force of temperance ouer naturall and necessarie passions how credible is it that she may haue farre greater power ouer those other passions that came from without vs after we fell from our first creation Let vs therefore conclude by our present discourse that the vertue of temperance is verie necessarie and profitable for a happie life as that which hath this propertie belonging vnto it to be skilfull in chasing a mediocritie in pleasures and greefes in keeping that which is honest vertuous and in shunning of vice especially of carnall pleasures although she serue also to moderate all the actions of our life And if a prudent man auoideth dishonest things in publike places a temperate man goeth farther eschewing them in solitarie and obscure corners If iustice suffereth no violence to be vsed or wrong offered to any temperance further permitteth none to offend any and therefore is verie well called of the philosophers the mother of all dutie and honestie Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes Chap. 18. ACHITOB BEing instructed in the vertue of temperance which as well as hir fellow vertues consisteth in mediocritie we are now to consider of hir extremities and vices that are in excesse and in defect Intemperance is cleane contrarie vnto it which as Cicero saith inflameth prouoketh and troubleth the tranquillitie of the spirit but concerning the defect I find no proper name giuen vnto it by the philosophers But I leaue the handling of this matter vnto you my Companions ASER. Intemperance saith Plato was so called of the ancients bicause that peruerse cruell great and variable beast Lust exerciseth therein more power than it ought as also disordered ioy doth the like Whereupon it commeth that intemperate men enioying the pleasure of their senses imagine falsely that true felicitie accompanieth them therein But truly whosoeuer obeieth bodilie pleasures serueth most cruell tyrants AMANA Nature said Architas hath giuen no plague more pernitious hurtful than the pleasure of the body For wheras God hath bestowed vpon man nothing more excellent than the soule and reason there is none so great an enimie to this heauenlie gift as voluptuousnes bicause where luxuriousnes and concupiscence raigne there temperance can haue no place yea all vertues are banished out of their kingdome But let vs heare ARAM discourse of these vices heere propounded vnto vs. ARAM. I red in Plato not long since that there were many sins which ought rather to be called punishments of other sins going before than sinnes According to the course and sequele of his speech if my memorie be good I thinke his meaning is that men suffering themselues to be ouertaken of vice in the beginning as it were in sport neuer take heed vnto themselues vntill they be wholie abandoned and giuen ouer as S. Paule saith to their vile affections and pleasures of their harts in all vncleannes and turbulent passions of ignominie and reproch Insomuch that after they haue opened the gate to their concupiscences and to the desires of the flesh of whooremongers couetous persons reuengers of their owne wrongs belly gods gluttons and from other lesse imperfections being notwithstanding foule and beastly they become Sodomites Church-robbers parricides Epicures Atheists and full of all execrable villanies which are comprehended vnder this word of intemperance Intemperance is very well defined of the philosophers to be an ouerflowing in voluptuousnes forcing and compelling all reason in such sort that no consideration of losse or hinderance is able to stay or keepe backe him that is through long custome infected with vice from betaking himselfe of set purpose and as a man would say willingly and desperately to the execution of all his desires and lusts as he that placeth his sole and soueraigne good therein seeking for no other contentation than in that thing which bringeth to him and to his senses delight and pleasure For this cause Aristotle distinguisheth betweene intemperance and incontinencie albeit many take them indifferently one for an other saying
that an incontinent man chooseth not neither consulteth when he offendeth as one that knoweth full well that the euill he committeth is euill and had resolued with himselfe not to follow it but being ouercome with perturbations yeeldeth thereunto Whereas the intemperate man committeth euill of election and setled purpose to follow it accounting it a good thing to be desired And this commeth through a long custom habit of vice which is the cause that he neuer repenteth him of the fact but taketh pleasure therein whereas on the contrarie side the repentance of an incontinent man followeth hard at the heeles of his sinne and transgression In this maner then proceedeth intemperance vntill men are wholie addicted and giuen ouer to vice This is the cause why the sensuall and vnreasonable part of the soule contendeth no more with reason which then is as it were starke dead and suffereth it selfe to be caried to vgly and vnnaturall vices and to all fleshly desires bicause the diuine part of the soule is weakened in such sort that she hath no more strength nor feeling of hir essence which is an enimie to vice And thus accustoming hir selfe to follow nothing but the will of the bodie she forsaketh God altogither who seeing himselfe forsaken leaueth hir to hir concupiscences from whence is ingendred this exceeding luxuriousnes euen against nature this mortall venemous and bloodie enuie this furious and barbarous crueltie this insatiable couetousnes this bloud-thirstie ambition and other incurable diseases of the soule too wel knowen amongst vs whereof the sequele of our discourses will affoord a more ample knowledge vnto Thus we see that intemperance as Cicero saith is the mother of all the perturbations in the soule and causeth man as Socrates said to differ nothing from a beast bicause he neuer thinketh vpon that which is best but onely seeketh how to satisfie and content the vnbridled desires of pleasure and lust hauing no more vse of reason than beasts haue Intemperance saith Eusebius corrupteth the soule and destroieth the bodie bicause it constraineth a man for loue of pleasure and desire to satisfie it to do that which he knoweth well is dishonest and vile And as the winds torment and tosse that ship which they haue seazed vpon now heere now there and will not suffer it to be guided by hir maister so intemperance moouing and compelling the soule to disobey reason suffereth hir not to enioy tranquillitie and rest which is an assured hauen of harbour from all winds Intemperance saith Aristotle is a vice that proceedeth from the coueting part of man whereby we desire to enioy vnlawfull pleasures It is hir propertie to choose the fruition of hurtfull and vile pleasures supposing none to liue happily but such as passe away their life in them This vice is vnseparably accompanied with the troubling of all Order with impudencie vnseemlines luxuriousnes sloth negligence and dissolutenes In a word intemperance remooueth and troubleth all tranquillitie of the mind and leadeth men to all kind of wickednes the end of one vice being the beginning of another which Socrates called the punishment of sinne that doth not cleanse but kill the malefactor There is no kind of dissolutenes wherein the intemperate man plungeth not himselfe no wickednes or crueltie which he executeth not for the satisfying of his vncleane desires and vnsatiable lusts no feare or imminent danger which can draw him backe And further he laboreth oftentimes to procure that glorie and honor should be giuen to his most cursed and execrable misdemeanors imagining and fansying with himselfe dreames answerable and agreeable to that he most desireth Wherein he resembleth mad men who haue alwaies before their eies those Ideas and shapes which worke the apprehension of their furie and hold them in the vision and inward view of that which most troubleth their diseased braine But to make this vice of intemperance more odious vnto vs and to moue vs more earnestly to flie those causes that nourish it labouring to cut off all those branches and hurfull fruits which it bringeth with it as superfluitie gluttony ambition pride and other excesses in all kind of delight wherof we will intreat more particularly heerafter let vs call to mind examples of such pernitious effects as it hath brought foorth in them that voluntarily submitted themselues vnder hir tyrannous gouernment Although we should search throughout all ancient histories yet hardly could we alledge a more euident testimonie than the life of Heliogabalus bicause there is no kind of cursed mischiefe of detestable lust of iniustice of crueltie wherwith he was not defiled Yea he fel into such a furious frensie of vice that seeking to become a woman and to be maried to one of his minions thinking in that sexe better to satisfie his beastlines he apparelled himself after such a fashion that he was neither man nor woman And knowing it impossible for him by reason of his impietie and corrupt life to escape a miserable end and violent death which ought rather to haue been vnto him an occasiō of amendment he was so bewitched with intemperance that he prepared poisons ready at hand to poyson himself withall if he perceiued himselfe pressed of his enimies And to make his death luxurious according to his desire he kept his poisons in vessels made of precious stones He prouided also silken halters to hang himself withall if he saw that more expedient for him than to be poisoned or if he should thinke it better to murder himselfe he kept for that purpose kniues made of precious mettals Likewise he caused a high tower all gilded to be built all 〈…〉 his death as fittest occasion should be offred In the meane while he gaue not ouer that execrable kind of life which through Gods iust iudgement he ended being depriued of all those means wherwith he desired to serue his owne turne in his death For he was strangled by the souldiers of his gard who trailed him in that maner through all places of the citie of Rome Nero one of his predecessors was little better than he For he slew a Romane Consul called Atticus that he might haue the free vse of his wife and pleased himselfe so much in his crueltie that he was the murderer of his own mother brother sister of two wiues which he had named Octauia and Poppea Likewise he put to death his schoolemaster Seneca and many other good men But his end dissembled not his life For beyng hated of all and sought for to be slayne he killed himselfe Commodus an other emperor not finding wherwith to satisfie his intemperance in three hundred concubines three hundred buggerers which he kept in his palace committed incest with his owne sisters Caligula also did the like but the one of them was slain by his wife the other by his concubine Proculus a Romain emperor was so much giuen to lust that he bragged how in
too carefull to keep themselues But to come to the conclusiō of our discourse we say with Aristotle that concupiscences and desires change the bodie and make the soule outragious that so many as are infected with such a pernicious and damnable vice as intemperance is are no mē but monsters in nature leading a life altogether like to that of brute beasts which being destitute of all reason know nothing better or more honest than pleasure hauing no knowledge of the iustice of God neither reuerencing the beautie of vertue bestow al the courage craft force that nature hath giuen them to satisfie and to accomplish their desires So that if death brought with it an end of all sence and feeling and an vtter abolishing of the soule as well to men as to beasts intemperate folks should seeme to gaine much by enioying their desires and lusts during their life time and to haue good cause to waxe old and euen to melt in their foule filthie pleasures But seeing we know for truely he that doubteth hereof is very ignorant most miserable that sence and feeling remaine after death and that the soule dieth not with the body but that punishment yea euerlasting payne is prepared for the wicked let vs be careful to do the will of our father which is in heauen whilest we haue time that in the triumphing day of his eternal sonne we may not heare to our confusion that sentence of his mouth Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie At which time the iust shall shine as the sunne in the kingdome of God and the wicked shall be cast headlong into euerlasting fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie Chap. 19. ARAM. SOcrates vsed to dispute earnestly and grauely of the manner of liuing as of a thing of great importance For he said that continencie in meate and drinke was as it were the foundation and beginning of skill And truely the minde is much more prompt to comprehend all good reason when the operations of the braine are not hindered by vapours which the superfluitie of meates send vp thither I am of opinion therefore that we handle this vertue of sobriety which dependeth of temperance and is contained vnder the first part thereof namely vnder continencie ACHITOB. To liue well and frugally saith Plato is to liue temperately and as Epictetus saith there is great difference betweene liuing well and liuing sumptuously For the one commeth of temperance frugalitie discipline honestie and moderation of the soule contented with her owne riches and the other of intemperance lust and contempt of all order and mediocritie In the end the one is followed with shame and the other with true and lasting praise ASER. We can not well vse our spirite saith Cicero when we are stuffed with meate Neither must we gratifie the belly and intrailes only but also the honest ioy of the mind For that which is contained in the other parts perisheth but the soule separated from the body abideth for euer Let vs then harken to AMANA of whome we may vnderstand howe necessary sobrietie is for a happie life AMANA If we set before our eies the long and happy life of the Ancients so long as they obserued sobrietie and frugalitie out of doubt we will attribute one principall cause of our so short life and so full of infirmities to the riot superfluitie and curiositie of diet which at this day are seene amongst vs. The life of our first Fathers was it not maintained a long time with fruits milke honie and water Who euer came neere their long and happie daies since those times What preparation of exquisite victuals did those six hundred thousand Israelites thinke to find that came out of Egypt to go into a new land walking fortie yeeres through the wildernes drinking nothing but water and many times wanting that After those first ages the Grecians and Romanes loued sobrietie more than all other nations And as the Hebrewes vsed to eate but once a daye which was at dinner so the Grecians onely supped For this cause we read that Plato being demanded whether he had seene any new or strang thing in Sicilia answered that he had found a monster of nature which did eate twice a day This he spake of Dionysius the tyrant who first brought vp that custome in his countrey In the time of Iulius Caesar the Germaines a strong and warlike people liued onely of milke cheese and flesh not knowing what wheate and wine were nor yet what it was to labour the ground or to sowe Yea how many millions of men are there at this day in the West regions and Ilands who know not what all this superfluitie and daintines of fare meaneth and yet liue long and healthie in all frugalitie the greatest part of them vpon herbs and rootes whereof they make cakes in steede of wheate and others of raw flesh Whereby it is easie to iudge that sobrietie is the preseruation and maintenance of health and of naturall strength and vigor and so consequently of the life of man But when we looke higher and with the eies of our mind marke the excellent glorie and immortall praise deserued by so many Camilli Scipiones Fabriti◠Metelli Catones and by a thousand other famous families which executed so many woorthy acts by their owne vertue and yet in the meane while kept such a simple and sober diet that the most of them were contented with bread herbs and water endured and tolerated cheerefully all iniuries of weather went but homely araied and altogither contemned gold and siluer out of question we will iudge those men very blind and farre from the white of such glorie and honour who imbrace nothing but dissolutenes superfluitie lust dronkennes pride and all such like imperfections that beare sway amongst vs who behold Vice mounted so high that men must in a manner blush as much to speake of Vertue or to be vertuous in a thousand companies as in that happy time of the Ancients they were ashamed of vice or to be vitious And truly I thinke that these men being past shame care but little for the glorie that hath beene in many ages seeing they liue for the body onely after a brutish impietie without all regard of the foule or of the second life What say I for the body Nay rather they are the destroiers thereof seeing it cannot be denied but that sobrietie is a great benefit and helpe to preserue health and bodily strength and to expell diseases and is to be vsed as a good foundation to attaine to a happy old age The experience heereof is well knowne to euery one although there were no other proofe but this that we see the simple sort of people that labor and trauell to liue with bread and water grow old in health whereas our Princes and great Lords being delicately brought vp in idlenes die yoong men tormented with infinite diseases especially when they
grow a little in yeeres Further let such dissolute men as make pleasure the ende of their desire know that sobrietie leadeth those that follow her to farre greater and more perfect pleasures than incontinencie and superfluitie doe For these excessiue fellowes neuer expect hunger or thirst or any other pleasure of the bodye but through intemperance preuent them and so enioy scarce half the pleasure But sober and temperate men forbearing the fruition of their desire a long time haue a farre more perfect taste of them bicause as Cicero saith the pleasure of life consisteth rather in the desire than in the satietie thereof And if mediocrity be not obserued those things that are most acceptable and pleasant become most vnpleasant Do we not also see that when the body is not ouercharged with meate and wine it is better disposed and more temperate for euery good action And as for the spirite for which we ought chiefly to liue it is more ready and nimble to comprehend and conceiue what right reason and true honestie are For as Aristotle saith sobrietie causeth men to iudge better and according to truth of all things and in that respect is very necessary for the attaining of Philosophye Likewise sobrietie retaineth that in a wise mans thought which a foole without discretion hath in his mouth And therefore saith Cares we must striue by all meanes to restraine our belly bicause that only is alwaies vnthankfull for the pleasures done vnto it crauing continually and oftener than it needeth so that whosoeuer is not able to command ouer it wil daily heape vp mischiefe vpon mischiefe to himselfe But frugalitie and sobrietie are the mistresses of good counsell and the badges of chastitie For this cause Titus Liuius commendeth more the barrennes and sterilitie of a countrey than fertilitie and fruitfulnes saying that men borne in a fat fertile soile are commonly do-littles and cowards but contrariwise the barrennes of a countrey maketh men sober of necessitie and consequently carefull vigilant and giuen to labor as the Athenians were being situated in a very vnfruitfull place We make great account saith Paulonius of frugalitie not bicause we esteeme the creatures themselues vile and of small value but that by meanes thereof we may encrease the greatnes of our courage And if the greatest chiefest benefit that could come to man were said Solon to haue no need of nourishment it is very manifest that the next to that is to haue neede but of a little But amongst so many good reasons of such excellent mē the counsell of Epictetus is wel woorth the marking where he saith then when we would eate we must consider that we haue two guests to entertain the body and the soule and that whatsoeuer shall be put into the body departeth away quickly but what good thing soeuer entreth into the soule abideth for euer To this effect Timotheus a Grecian captaine hauing supped with Plato in the Academie at a sober and simple repast for the greatest festiual dainties were oliues cheese apples colewoorts bread wine said that they which sup with Plato feele the benefit therof the next day yea a long time after For these wise men met togither at bankets void of excesse not to fill their bellies but to prepare and dresse their minds to learne one of another by their goodly discourses of Philosophie whereof a vertuous soule hath better taste than the body of a well relished and delicate meale Such were the feasts of Pythagoras Socrates Xenocrates and of other Sages of Grecia where the discussing of good and learned matters there handled brought through the remembrance of them great pleasure and no lesse liked commoditie and that of long continuance to such as were present at them And as for the pleasures of drinking and eating they iudged the very remembrance thereof to be vnwoorthie and vnbeseeming men of honor bicause it was to passe away as the smell of a perfume Neither would they suffer that men should bring into their assemblies the vanitie of foolish delights as of the sound of instruments of enterludes or of any other pastime which a wise man ought rather to esteeme as a hinderance of delight than any pleasure at all For hauing within themselues sufficient matter of recreation and reioicing through their learned discourses it were meere follie to beg strange and friuolous delights from without them And Plutark saith that the brutish part of the soule depending of the feeding beast and vncapeable of reason is that which is pleased brought to order satisfied by songs and sounds which are sung and tuned vnto it euen as with the whistling of lips or hands or with the sound of a pipe sheepeheards cause their sheepe to arise or lie downe bicause they vnderstand not an articulate or distinct speech that hath some pith in it Therefore I commend Euripides for reprehending such as vse the harpe so long as a feast lasteth for quoth he musicke ought rather to be sent for when men are angrie or mourne than when they are feasting or making merry thereby to make them giue more libertie to all pleasure than before I suppose the Egyptians did better who vsed in the midst of their bankets to bring in the Anatomie of a dead bodie dried that the horror thereof might containe them in all modestie For this cause the memorie of the Emperour Henrie the third greatly recommendeth it selfe who banished all pompe and vanitie from his wedding and draue away the plaiers iesters causing a great number of poore folke to come in their place The custom which the Lacedemonians obserued when they liued vnder Lycurgus lawes is also worthie to be remembred which was that no torches or lights should be brought vnto them when they departed from feastes at night that it might be an occasion vnto them to feare drunkennes and so to auoid this shame that they onely could not find out their houses Now in those happie times vines were planted and dressed that wine might be drunke rather in time of sickenes than of health insomuch that it was not sold in Tauernes but onely in Apothecaries shops Those ancient Sages commonly measured their drinking by that saying of Anacharsis that the first draught which men drunke ought to be for thirst the second for nourishment and as for the third that it was of pleasure and the fourth of madnes Pythagoras being much more religious in this matter and liuing onely of herbs fruite and water said that the vine brought foorth three grapes whereof the first quencheth thirst the second troubleth and the third altogither dulleth He neuer dranke wine no more did that great Orator Demosthenes nor many other famous men of whome histories make mention The kings of Egypt were forbidden wine which they neuer dranke except on certaine daies and then by measure And truly it bringeth with it pernitious effects aswell to the soule as to
the bodie For from it proceedeth the chiefe and most common cause of bodilie diseases and of the infirmities of the soule But to continue the examples of loue which the Ancients bare to the vertue of sobrietie this was it that caused Alexander the Great to refuse those Cookes and Paisterers which Ada Queene of Caria sent vnto him to send her word backe againe that he had better than they were namely for his dinner early rising and walking a good while before day and for his supper a little dinner Notwithstanding in the ende the Persian delicacies and riches which alwaies is the propertie of such goods caused this vertuous monarke to change his commendable custome of liuing and to approoue and like of excesse in drinking to which vice that he might giue greater authoritie he propounded six hundred crownes for a reward to him that dranke most and called a great cup after his owne name Which cup when he offered to Callisthenes one of his fauorits he refused saying that he would not for drinking in Alexander stand in need of Esculapius With which the King perceiuing him selfe touched was so incensed against him that he caused him to be put in a cage with dogs where he poisoned himselfe being impatient of his captiuitie Wherein we may note how ridiculous their blockishnes is who for feare not of such an entertainment as this wise man receiued but of being taken and reputed as void of good fellowship and vnciuill cast themselues into the danger of a sore sicknes rather than they will refuse to drinke carouse when they are inuited thereunto Hereby also those men shew their want of iudgement and of conuenient matter to talke of who cannot entertaine their friends without dronkennes and gluttonie And the other if they knew how to make denial fitly and in good sort besides the profit which they should receiue thereby their companie would be more desired than it will be for their dronkennes Cyrus Monarke of the Persians from his childhood gane great testimonie that he would one daye become a very sober man For being demanded by Astyages his grandfather why he would drinke no wine he answered for feare least they giue me poison For quoth he I noted yesterday when you celebrated the daye of your natiuitie that it could not be but that some bodie had mingled poison amongst all that wine which ye then dranke bicause in the winding vp of the table not one of all those that were present at the feast was in his right mind Afterward this vertuous Prince alwaies liued very frugally for proofe whereof may serue his answer made one day to Artabazus as he marched in warre who asked of him what he would haue brought vnto him for his supper Bread quoth he for I hope we shall finde some fountaine to furnish vs with drinke Porus a noble king of India liued with water and bread onely Phaotes also king of the same countrey did the like and the greatest feastes which he made or suffered his Courtiers to make was onely with a kind of venison Alphonsus king of Arragon and Cocilia a very sober man was demanded of certaine of his Princes why he dranke no wine bicause quoth he wisdome is hindred through wine and prudence darkned which two things onely are able to make a king worthy of that name he beareth Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia hauing beene alwaies brought vp in the discipline of Lycurgus who had banished all riot and superfluitie from that citie by the vtter defacing and abolishing of gold and siluer became very woonderfull by reason of his simplicity and plainnes in feeding and clothing his bodie and in behauing himselfe as the meanest of his subiects He vsed to say which he likewise put in vre that he which commanded and ruled many ought to surpasse them not in dainties and delicacie but in sustaining labor and in nobilitie of hart The benefit which as he said he reaped thereby was libertie whereof he assured himselfe that he could neuer be depriued by any alteration and change of fortune And as he passed with his armie by the countrey of the Thasians they sent him certaine refreshing of sloure of daintie cates as comfits and other daintie deuices made of paast but he would take nothing saue onely the floure And being vrged of others to receiue all he said Well if ye thinke it good diuide the rest amongst the Ilots who were their slaues for it agreeth not with them that make profession of manlie fortitude and powers to take such iuncates For that which allureth and inticeth men of a slauish nature ought not to be acceptable to thē that are of a franke free courage But is there any thing now a daies I pray you that so much allureth and keepeth base minds in the seruice of great men as the daintines of their table And surely the Ancients did not vnfitly apply the name of Tyrant to a rich man keeping a sumptuous table as to one that compelleth men to follow to obey him Neuertheles a courageous hart suffreth not it self to be takē with such baits but let vs continue the examples of sobrietic Pompey the great hauing all his life tyme loued modestie and frugalitie gaue yet a more certain testimonie thereof when by reason of a lingring disease he had lost his appetite to meate His Physition appointing him to eate of a Blackbird he was giuen to vnderstand by his serunats that because they were out of season it would be a hard matter to get any except it were of Lucullus who kept some all the yeere long and would willingly giue him some What quoth he then if Lucullus were not a daintie and nice glutton could not Pompey liue No no let me haue somthing made ready that may easile be gotten Marcus Cato after he had ouercome Spaine and triumphed of notable victories albeit he was now old and very rich yet he would adde nothing to his ancient maner of liuing which was very austere but dranke almost nothing but water and for the most part did eat nothing but bread and biefe laboring in the field in time of peace as much as the meanest of his seruants Epaminondas the greatest captain philosopher of his time liued so thriftily and temperately that being inuited by a friend of his to supper and seeing great superfluitie and sumptuosnes he returned very angry saying that he thought he had been requested to sacrifice and to liue honestly together and not to receiue reproch by being entertained like a glutton Caius Fabritius a notable Romain captaine was found by the Samnite embassadors that came vnto him eating of reddish rosted in the ashes which was all the dishes he had to his supper and that in a very poore house Scipio Aemilius kept a very honourable table for his friends for in his time riot had alredy begun to enter into Rome but going
those that are vnwoorthie of them to commit many follies Amongst which we may note superfluitie for a verie pernitious vice hauing this propertie in it to draw the wils of men secretly to induce them to couet delights Wherunto after they haue once addicted themselues they busie their mindes with nothing but to make prouision of friuolous exquisite and sumptuous things taking smal care yea forgetting easily those things that are profitable and necessarie whereof afterwards they perceiue themselues to stand in great need Now the end of all superfluities wherein men plung themselues after diuers manners is pleasure which chiefly and for the most part they seeke in such a riotous and delicate life as causeth the bodie without labor to enioy all his desires lustes and delights or else in the fruition of worldlie glorie wherein through vnprofitable and superfluous expences they striue to excell or at leastwise to match those that are greater than themselues Concerning the marke whereat they aime there is nothing more hurtfull to man than pleasure and delight which as Plato saith serueth for a baite and allurement to draw him to commit wickednes as hereafter we may discourse in more ample manner thereof as also of that luxurious life whose desire and contentation is in whoredome And that I may begin to handle the other two general points wherein they that are giuen to superfluitie and costlines seeke delight namely the delicate life and curiositie of expences let vs consider of the fruites that issue and proceed from them First when men suffer themselues to be ouertaken with the Epicures doctrine and appeere so carefull to serue their bellie nourishing it in excesse daintines gluttonie and dronkennes is it not from this headspring from whence diseases and euill dispositions of the bodie proceed We are sicke saith Plutark of those things wherewith we liue neither is there any proper and peculiar seed of diseases but the corruption of those things within vs which we eate and the faults and errors which we commit against them Homer going about to prooue that the gods die not groundeth his argument vpon this bicause they eate not as if he would teach vs that drinking and eating do not only maintaine life but are also the cause of death For thereof diseases gather togither within our bodies which proceed no lesse of being too full than of being too emptie And oftentimes a man hath more to do to consume and digest meat put into his bodie than he had to get it Phisitions saith Seneca cry out that life is short and art long and complaint is made of nature bicause she hath graunted to beasts to liue fiue or six ages appointed so short a time of life for men who are borne for many great things We haue no smal time but we lose much time and life is long enough if it be well imploied But when it passeth away through excesse and negligence and no good is done therein in the end through constraint of extreame necessitie although we perceiue it not going yet we feele it is gone Moreouer a man may reckon greater store of griefs than pleasures that come to him frō his nourishment or to speake better the pleasure of eating is but small but the toile and trouble that men haue in prouiding it is great It were hard to repeate the shamefull paines and toilesome labors wherewith it filleth vs. Many a mans soule saith Solon is ouerwhelmed and as it were clothed with feare least it should stand in need within the bodie as it were in a mill and turning alwaies about like a milstone it seeketh after nourishment Heereupon it remaineth void and destitute of feeling and desire of all honest things and attendeth onely to the insatiable lustes of the flesh which is neuer contented bicause need and necessitie are alwaies ioined with desire of superfluitie The ancient Egyptians vsed this custome to cleaue in sunder the bodie of a dead man to shewe it to the sunne and to cast the guts and intrailes into the riuer and being thus clensed to imbaulme the rest And in very deede those inward parts are the pollution and defiling of our flesh and are properly the veric Hell of our bodies But which is worse is it not the stuffing and filling of the bellie that maketh the mind for the most part dull and vncapeable of any science or reason whereby the diuine part of man is oppressed and ouerwhelmed through the waight and force of that part which is mortall A wise soule is a cleare brightnes said Heraclitus O how hard a matter is it saith Cato to preach to the bellie which hath no eares and which will take no deniall howsoeuer the case standeth And as when we behold the sunne through thicke clouds and vndigested vapours we see it not cleare but with a pale and wannish light and as it were plunged in the bottome of a cloud so through a troubled and defiled bodie heauily loaden with food strang meates the brightnes and clearnes of the soule must needes become pale troubled and dimmed not hauing such forceable light as to be able thereby to pearce through vnto the contemplation of those things that are great heauenlie subtil exquisite and hard to discerne I thought in my hart saith the wise man to withdrawe my flesh from wine that I might bend my mind to wisedome and eschew follie vntill I knew what was profitable for the children of men It is not for kings it is not for kings to drinke wine nor for princes strong drinke least he drinke and forget the decree and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction To whom is woe To whom is sorow To whom is strife To whom is murmuring To whom are wounds without cause And to whome is the rednes of the eies Euen to them that tarie long at the wine to them that go and seeke mixt wine which in the beginning is pleasant but in the end pricketh like a serpent and poisoneth like a Cockatrice And in another place the wise man speaking of gluttonie faith that it drieth the bones and that more die by it than by the sword We see that beasts fatted vp languish through sloth and idlenes neither do beasts faint through labor onely but also by reason of the masse and heauie weight of their owne bodies Furthermore the vice of gluttonie and drunkennes is neuer alone but draweth with it a thousand other excessiue and dissolute fashions For as Plato saith it stirreth vp lust griefe anger and loue in extremitie and extinguisheth memorie opinion and vnderstanding Brieflye it maketh a man twise a childe And in another place the same Philosopher saith that gluttonie fatteth the bodye maketh the minde dull and vnapt and which is worse vndermineth reason Wine hath as much force as fire For as soone as it hath ouertaken any it dispatcheth him And as the North or Southwind tormenteth the Lybian sea so
and much more doth wine vexe a man For it discloseth the secrets of the soule troubleth the whole mind A drunken gouernor and ruler of any thing whatsoeuer bringeth all to ruine ouerthrow whether it be a ship or a wagon or an armie or any other thing committed to his keping We see by the goodly sentences of these Authors how many discommodities mischiefs come as wel to the body as to the soule by this excessiue superfluitie and curiositie of nourishment whether it be in drinking or eating We see also that from this self same spring-head proceed those vnmeasurable and loose behauiours in all kind of delights in carding and dicing in dauncing masking and mumming in loue of maidens and adultery with wiues the filthines whereof is so shameful and discouereth it self so much that I shall not greatly need to loose time in reproouing thereof For it is most certaine that all such inuentions are meerely heathenish or rather diuelish when men commit such reprobate actions with publike libertie and licence Especially we haue to note this well that concerneth masks and mummeries so common amongst vs and the cause of infinite offences that forasmuch as the face was appointed and ordeined of God to be seen openly and the mouth to speake we destroy the ordinance of God as much as lieth in vs and become contrary vnto him when we take vnto vs a false face and depriue our selues of speech It may be sayd that manie thinke no harme when they doe these things But that which of it self is euil cannot be excused and no fashion of liuing taken vp and practised through the onely motion of our sensualitie such are these delights pleasures can be maintained neither hath it any good and lawfull defence Now let vs consider some examples of those pernitious effects which proceed from this Epicurian vice of intemperance Esau fold his birth right through a gluttonous desire The self same cause mooued the Israelites to murmure many times against God The drunkennesse of Lot caused him to commit incestwith his daughters Alexander the great darkned the glory of his valiant acts with this vice For being ouertaken with wine he slew Clitus one of the valiantest captains he had to whom he was beholding for his own life Afterward when he was come to himself he would oftentimes haue murdered himself and wept three days togither without meat and drink Dionysius the yonger was somtime more than nine dayes togither drunken and in the ende he lost his estate Cyrillus sonne in his drunkennes wickedly slew that holy man his father and his mother also great with child He hurt his two sisters and defloured one of them Ought not this to cause the haire of our head to stand vpright as often as any occasion is offred vnto vs whereby we might fall into such inconueniences Amongst the Romanes Lucullus a man of great dignitie and commended of Historiographers for many braue exploits of warre which he did in Armenia and for his bountie iustice and clemencie is yet greatly blamed because towards the end of his dais omitting all intermedling with the gouernment of publike affaires he gaue himself to all kind of excessiue sumptuousnes superfluous wasting of that great substance which he had Whereof this only testimonie recited by Plutarke shall serue for sufficient proofe Cicero and Pompey meeting him one day in the citie told him that they would sup with him on this conditiō that he should prepare nothing for them but his owne ordinarie diet At the least wise quoth he vnto them giue me leaue to bid my Steward make ready supper in my hall of Apollo and by that he beguiled them For his seruants vnderstood therby what cost he would haue bestowed thereupon in so much that a supper of fiftie thousand drachmes of siluer which amount to fiue thousand crownes was prepared for them This was so much the more wonderfull bicause so great and sumptuous a feast was made ready in so short a time But this was his ordinarie diet which he caused manie times to be prepared for himselfe alone And as his men asked him on a day who should dine with him seeing he commanded them to make readie such a great feast Lucullus quoth he shall dine with Lucullus This superfluous pompe magnificence wil not be thought verie strange if we compare it with that which not long since a simple Franciscan frier called Peter de Ruere made after he had attained to the dignitie of a Cardinal through fauour of the Pope his kinsman For within the space of two yeeres which he liued in Rome he consumed in feasts and banquets the summe of two hundred thousand crownes besides his debts which came to no lesse summe Philoxenus the Poet wished that he had a necke like a Crane to the end he might enioy greater pleasure in swalowing downe wine and meat saying that then he should longer feele the tast thereof We read of the emperor Vitellius Spinter that he was so much giuen to superfluitie and excesse that at one supper he was serued with two thousand seuerall kinds of fishes and with seuen thousand flying foules But within a very litle while after he changed his estate being executed publikely at Rome at the pursuite of Vespasianus who was chosen emperor in his place In our time Muleasses king of Thunes was so drowned in pleasure and delight that after he was banished from his kingdom bicause of his whoredom in his returne out of Almaign being without hope that the emperor Charles the fift would helpe him at all he spent one hundred crownes vpon a pecock dressed for him as Paulus Iouius rehearseth and that he might take the greater delight in musike he couered his eyes But the iudgement of God was such vpon him that his owne children made him blind with a bar of hote iron Concerning exāples of the miserie that followeth accompanieth riot delight in playing dancing mumming we see daily that a thousand quarrels blasphemies losse of goods whoredoms proceed frō thence And oftentimes God suffreth the punishment therof to be notorious euen by vnlooked for strange means as not long since it hapned to Lewes Archb. of Magdeburg who dancing with gentlewomē vntil midnight fell down so fiercely vpon the ground that he brake his neck with one of the women which he led Charles the 6. being clothed like a wild mā with certain of his familiar friends dancing by torchlight was also in great peril of burning if a gētlewoman had not cast her cloke vpō his shoulders And I think it wil not be from the matter if we say that it is a shameful thing to suffer amongst vs or to loose time that ought to be so precious vnto vs in beholding in hearing plaiers actors of Interludes and Comedies who are as pernitious a plague in a common wealth as can be
imagined For nothing marreth more the behauior simplicitie and natural goodnes of any people than this bicause they soone receiue into their soules a liuely impression of that dissolutenes and villanie which they see and heare when it is ioyned with words accents gestures motions actions wherewith players and iuglers know how to inrich by all kind of artificiall sleights the filthiest and most dishonest matters which commonly they make choice of And to speake freely in few wordes we may truely say that the Theater of players is a schoole of all vnchastnes vncleannes whoredom craft subtletie and wickednes Now let vs speake of those that propound as we said vnto themselves the vainglory of outward shew among the best and men of great calling through friuolous vnprofitable and superfluous expences as in sumptuous and costly apparel precious and rich moueables goodly furniture and trapping of horses great traine of seruing men dogs birds other vanities gifts and presents sent to such as are vnwoorthie thereby to obtaine the good will of them that are most wicked in authoritie to the end to prepare a way vnto high callings and to preferments vnto offices Besides the wasting of their goods hereupon to their shame and confusion which they should imploy vpon charitable works they spend many times other mens goods euen the substance of the poore which they craftily get by vnlawfull meanes This is that which at length as Crates the Philosopher said very well stirreth vp ciuill warres seditions and tyrannies within cities to the end that such voluptuous men and ambitious of vaine glorie fishing in a troubled water may haue wherewith to maintaine their foolish expences and so come to the ende of their platformes Heerof we haue many examples in the ciuil wars amongst the Romanes as namely vnder Cinna Carbo Marius and Sylla Likewise in the conspiracie of Catiline his complices who being of the chiefe families in Rome and perceiuing themselues to be brought to the estate of bankrupts as we commonly say sought by all meanes to prosecute their first deliberation which was alwaies to seeme great and mightie Thus dealt Caesar in procuring to his countrey that ciuill warre which he made against Pompey after he had indebted himselfe in seuen hundred and fiftie thousand crownes to get the fauor and good liking of the people This is that which Heraclitus meant to teach his countreymen when after a sedition appeased and quieted being asked what waie were best to be taken that the like should not fall out againe he went vp into that place from whence orations were made to the people there in steed of speaking began to eate a morsell of browne bread and to drinke a glasse of water Which being done he came downe againe and spake neuer a word Heerby he would signifie that vntill daintines of fare were banished the citie and immoderate expences cut off and sobrietie and modesty brought in their place they should neuer be without sedition If this counsell were euer requisite in a Monarchie it is certainly most necessarie at this present for ours wherein all kind of supersluitie riot and weltring in pleasures curiositie in apparell tapistrie and pictures vessels perfumes and painting of faces aboundeth in greater measure than heertofore it did amongst the Persians which was the cause of their finall subuersion and of Alexanders greatnes who subdued them That which for the space of fiue hundred yeeres and more maintained the Lacedemonian estate being the chiefest in Grecia for glory and goodnes of gouernment was the cutting off and abolishing of all superfluitie in diet apparel moueables and of all strang wares which Lycurgus banished Whereby also forraine merchants the cause of corruption banished themselues as they that seeke not after others but for gaine by selling their nouelties very deere vnto them Neither did the Romane Commonwealth florish more at any time than when those men that caried about them perfumes and sweetesmels and those women that were found swilling like drunkards were corrected with the same punishment This caused Cato being the Censurer of the election of two captaines that one of them might be sent as General of the Pannonian warre to say with a loud voice that he would dismisse Publius his Allie bicause he neuer saw him returne wounded from the war but had seene him walke vp and downe the citie of Rome perfumed What would he haue said of our Courtiers so finely curled ruft and perfumed The Kings and Magistrats of those so happie times were the principall obseruers of their owne lawes and edicts reforming themselues before all others and liuing so austerely that their example constrained their subiects more to follow them than all the punishments which they could haue deuised to propound vnto them We haue a notable testimonie heereof in Agis king of Sparta who in his returne from the warre wherein he had ouercome the Athenians being desirous to sup priuately with his wife sent into the kitchen that was appointed for his band and company for they liued all in common being seuered into quarters to haue his portion But this was denied him and the next morning for this fact he was fined by the Ephories who were ioined in soueraigne authoritie with the kings for the maintenance of lawes and of iustice in which sentence and iudgement of theirs he willingly rested But to returne to our matter how ought we to blush for our riot and excesse in apparell which we maintaine with such glorie What follie is it to imploy the industrie of the soule ordained for heauenlie things in trimming decking and gilding hir enimie hir prison and if I may so speake hir poison the bodie Excesse of apparell saith Erasmus is an argument of the incontinencie of the soule and rather whetteth the eies of the beholders thereof to wicked desires than to any honest opinion and conceite Decke not thy house saith Epictetus with tables and pictures but paint it with temperance For the one is to feede the eies vainely but the other is an eternall ornament and such a one as can neuer be defaced If we make account of things of small importance we despise those that are of great weight but in not caring at all for little things we make our selues woorthie of great admiration That great Monarke Augustus Caesar ware no other garments than such as his wife and daughters made and those very modest Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia neuer had but one kind of garment for winter and sommer Epaminondas Generall Captaine of the Thebanes was contented with one onely gowne al the yeere long Further if we looke vnto their simplicitie and modestie in their traine and followers truely it was woorthie of reuerence being without pride pompe or superfluous magnificence Scipio Africanus that great Captaine going as delegate into Asia to compound and end certaine contentions that were betweene the kings of that countrey was accompanied but
with two of his friends and with seuen slaues Cato the elder visiting the prouinces of his gouernment tooke but three seruants with him Nowe a daies we see that the least accounted gentleman amongst vs thinketh it a cracking of his credite to ride so ill furnished And yet the most part euen of the greatest neuer make any great inquirie how their traine defray their charges But howsoeuer they may say that they know not of the excesse and riot committed vnder their authoritie and in their seruice yet they are not thereby excused For we ought carefully to beware that no man abuse our name Now if princes and gouernours of Commonwealths in steede of abridging superfluous charges take delight therein themselues from thence proceedeth the necessitie of charging and ouercharging their people with imposts and subsidies to maintaine their excesse and in the end commeth the ouerthrow and subuersion both of the one and the other But they ought rather both to abstaine from such vanities themselues and also to seeke by all meanes to banish them from their subiects and where their owne example and bodilie punishments are not sufficient for this purpose there ought they to lay great imposts vpon all such things as serue but to spill and corrupt their subiects Such things are all exquisite dainties and prouocations of appetite all sorts of toies and trifles perfumes cloth of gold and siluer silkes sypers networks lace wouen works all works of gold siluer and inammell all kind of superfluous apparel with colours of skarlet crimson and such like the forbidding whereof hitherto hath profited little For the nature of men is such that they find nothing more sweete and acceptable than that which is straightly forbidden them so that the more superfluities are prohibited the more they are desired especially of foolish men of such as are vainely brought vp Therefore it were good to raise the price of these things so high by meanes of imposts that none but rich men and daintie folks may vse them And such subsidies would asmuch set forward the glorie of God the profite of the common wealth the desire of good men and reliefe of the poore as many others now vsed are quite contrary hereunto Then these speeches would no more be so common amongst vs as now we heare them daily vttered by our Courtiers We will say they keep company and be seen amongst the greatest be esteemed thereafter If we spend not freely men will make no account of vs. It is our honor and greatnes and the way to procure glory and renowne to our houses and families But I would gladly tell a great number of them that they would be very much troubled to make answer to a law made by Amasis king of Egypt and after established in Athens by Solon whereby it was enacted that euery one should yeerely make it appeere vnto his Prouost or Bailie how he liued and if he approoued not his maner trade of life to be iust and reasonable he was condemned to die If in like case these great spenders were to giue an account from whence they receiue wherewith to satisfie their pride and vanities a man should find that their purchase as we say is far better vnto thē than their rents that they commit a thousand wrongs and detestable vices to make supply to their lauish expences As for them that haue goods lawfully gotten yet in spending of them wastfully they giue sufficient testimonie that they care seeke for nothing but a vaine and vanishing glory which oftentimes contrary to their expectation is waited vpon with great infamie and with the certaintie of perpetual punishment And in the meane while they neglect that glorie which is eternall and always profitable which they should enioy by well vsing and not by mispending their goods whereof they are but Gardians and Stewards must one day yeeld vp an account of them O witlesse man sayd one of the ancient Sages what will the remembraunce of vaine glory profite thee if thou art tormented and vexed where thou art and praised where thou art not This deserueth a longer continuance of speech but we may hereafter discourse thereof more at large In the meane tyme let vs note an other mischief which commonly followeth superfluitie of expences namely pouertie whereinto many rich men fall before they be aware and are then verie much grieued therewith and not able to beare it But the shame and reproch thereof is yet greater because they fell into it by their own folly and misgouernment Therefore to the end we walke not in such a slipperie way which in the beginning is large and pleasant but yet leadeth the trauailer vnto a down-fall frō which he can neuer escape let vs leaue and forsake the discipline and life of Epicures and beware that our pallate and toong be not more sensible than our hart Let vs lead a life woorthy an honest Academie and beseeming the doctrine of the ancient Sages that is a simple sober and modest life adorned with temperance and continence knowing that diet and decking of the body ought as Cicero saith to be referred to health and strength not to pleasure and delight and that all outward excesse is a witnesse of the incontinencie of the soule And for the perfection of all that lasting and ineuitable miserie which belongeth to them that are giuen to voluptuousnes and superfluitie let vs heare that sentence of scripture and feare least we be comprehended vnder the iudgement thereof Continuall miserie and mourning be vpon you that haue liued in pleasure on the earth and in wantonnesse and haue nourished your harts as in a day of slaughter The ende of the fift daies worke THE SIXT DAIES WORKE Of Ambition Chap. 21. ASER. AS often as I remember the strāge tragedie of the Romane Emperors since the time that the Empire was mounted vp to the verie top height of hir greatnes vntill hir declination according to the vncertaintie of all humane things and how within the space of one hundred yeeres wherein there were three skore and thirteene emperors onely three of them died of sicknesse in their beds all the rest by violent death I cannot sufficiently admire considering the inconstancie and short continuance of so great a gouernment which cannot but be well known to euery one the folly of men which commonly affecteth them with an vnmeasurable desire to rule whereby they are all their life time slaues to ambition which is one point of the vice of intemperance whereof we spake yesterday And thus in my opinion we are to begin our days worke with the description of this pernitious passion AMANA It is natural in man the greater his stomack is the more to labor to excel others which is accompanied with an exceeding desire to rule whereupon he is easily driuen forward to do vniustly if by wisdom he be not moderated ARAM. Ambition and contention for honour saith
cruell beast making men hir slaues and chaining them as Sophocles saith with diamond chaines She is so much the more odious by how much the more she hideth hir venom putting vpon hir the garment of good liking betraying vertue and killing a man euen when she flattereth him When pleasures come saith Erasmus they flatter vs with a disguised visage and when they depart they leaue vs full of sorow and sadnes Which Xenophon very wittily deuised vnder the name of Hercules saying that as he went one day into the fields in a certaine threefold high-way he met Vertue and Vice both of them being in the shape and apparell of women Vice being clothed in a stately delicate gorgeous and lasciuious gowne with a smiling painted and coloured countenance which did woonderfull allure by reason of the sweetnes and flourishing beautie that seemed to be in it offred her selfe suddenly vnto the said Hercules saying that if he would follow hir she would cause him to lead his whole life in delight and pleasure But Vertue with a sorowfull leane and dismaied face and clad with a long and plaine robe without any decking of hir speech vsed these words If thou wilt come to me Hercules thou shalt be indued not with bodilie ornaments nor with vading and vanishing beautie but with certaine other riches which are more worth and indure for euer For whosoeuer beleeueth me forsaking that which seemeth faire cleauing to those things which outwardly appeere austere and hard he receiueth in the end an eternall felicitie Let vs vncloth voluptuous men saith Plutark and consider their doings They are drunkards whoremongers sluggish in all waightie matters neglecting the benefit of the Common-wealth of their parents and of their friends But of all kind of voluptuousnes Lecherie is most defiled filthy vile and pernitious whereof especially we are now to discourse being properly called of the Philosophers a furious passion which corrupteth the sence of man and a burning fire that consumeth him All vnmeasurable pleasure which men take by their fiue sences is vile and dishonest but the Grecians after a speciall manner called those men incontinent and immoderate who exceeded in tasting and touching And Hippocrates said that he supposed copulation to be a part of that foule disease which we call the Epilepsie or falling sicknes And truly there is nothing more certaine than that immoderate vse of the venereous act spoileth beautie defileth the bodie drieth it vp and causeth it to stinke maketh the face pale wanne or yellow weakneth the members and ioints ingendreth Sciaticke goutes collick passions griefes of the stomacke giddines of the head or dimnes of sight the leprosie and pocks It shortneth life taketh away the vnderstanding darkeneth the memorie and as the Prophet Osey saith taketh away the hart Moreouer how odious all whoredome ought to be vnto vs so that it be not so much as once named amongst vs the onely curse that is laid vpon it of God ought sufficiently to persuade vs seeing thereby he condemneth it both with temporall and with eternall death But we haue besides many goodlie sentences and notable examples of Ethnicks and Pagans and namely of the iust punishment which for the most part followed this detestable vice hard at the heeles and which ought to stir vs vp to hate it and to flie from it with all our might especially when adulterie is ioined therwith which is when the sacred knot of mariage is violated and broken Concupiscence saith Aristotle changeth mens bodies and breedeth madnes in their soules The end thereof is luxuriousnes from whence proceede a thousand wrongs violences incests murders poisonings and innumerable other impieties Is it not then a signe of great loosenes and basenes of mind for a man to subiect himselfe to carnall concupiscences which are disordered desires contrarie to reason and whose office and practise is to chuse euill for good Let vs heere giue eare to Socrates disputation with Enthydemus being very fit for our present matter Tell me O Euthydemus doest thou thinke that libertie is a good great and profitable possession whether it belongeth either to a man or to a citie Verie great Therefore whosoeuer serueth the pleasures and vnbrideled desires of the bodie so that for loue of them he cannot execute that which he knoweth to be very good Doest thou thinke that he is free No. It may be thou iudgest it a thing woorthy a free man to be able to put in practise whatsoeuer he taketh to be good and contrarywise to be hindred from so doing to be seruile and slauish So it is Thou beleeuest then that no incontinent men are free Yea truly and that iustly Thinkest thou that incontinent men are hindred frō doing that which is honest or compelled to commit vicious things I thinke they are as much compelled to do the one as hindered from practising the other But what maisters doest thou thinke them to be who forbid well doing and constraine men to embrace euill In good truth very wicked And doest thou not thinke that bondage of all others most troublesome when one serueth most wicked and naughtie maisters Yea. Then incontinent men are of all others most miserable of what estate or condition soeuer they be Besides he that neuer thinketh vpon goodnes but seeketh by all means to fulfill his vntamed desires of pleasure and lust hath no more vse of reason than beasts haue This wise Philosopher teacheth vs sufficiently how hurtfull and pernitious a thing it is to suffer the desires of the flesh to raigne in vs considering that they draw vs vehemently to the practise of them to our owne destruction especially whoredom which bringeth with it all kind of mischiefe dissolueth and weakneth the body and offendeth all the vertues and goods of the soule Through hir it commeth that men abase themselues so lowe as to submit both their bodies and soules to the inconstant will and vnrulie desire of a foolish woman For we see some men so bewitched with a harlot that if neede be and she commaund it they will hazard their honour and credit and oftentimes make themselues an example to a whole country vpon an open scaffold And then they labor to couer their folly with this goodly name of Loue which is better termed of Euripides by the name of Furie madnes in men For true good loue which is the fountain of friēdship is alwais grounded vpō vertue tendeth to that ende but this slipperie and loose loue is a desire founded vpon the opinion of a Good which in deede is a most pernitious euil And if adulterie follow vp̄ it which according to Aristotle is a curious inquirie after another mans loue the vice is two fold more detestable and wicked bicause that he which committeth it seeketh against all dutie of nature to take away another mans honor and reputatiō spoileth him of that which he accounteth most precious namely of the loue and
slain by the womans husband whome he abused Roderigo king of Spaine was depriued of his kingdome and life by the Sarrasins who were called in by an earle named Iulian that he might be auenged of his king who had forced his daughter Galeatius Maria Duke of Millan being at masse was slaine by a Citizen who stroke him into the stomack with a dagger faining that he would haue spoken with him The chiefe cause heerof was for a suspition which he had conceiued that this Prince intertained his wife In the time of Philip the faire king of France two knights that were brothers named d'Aunoy were flaied aliue for their whoredomes committed with a Queene of Nauarre and with the Countesse of March daughter to the Countie of Burgundie which twaine also were condemned to perpetuall prison Not long since Peter Lewes Duke of Placentia was murdred for his incests and incredible whoredoms Among other things it is written of him that he forced Cosmes Chers bishop of Valentia whome he caused to be held by his men and after poisoned him least he should haue accused him to the Emperour Also not long ago the cities of Almendine Delmedine were cut off from the kingdome of Fez and brought vnder obedience to the Portingales bicause a yoong woman was taken away by force from hir husband by the Gouernor of them who was afterwards slaine Abusahid also king of Fez was murdered with sixe of his children by his Secretarie whose wife he had abused This is set downe by Leon in the description of Africke In our time and euen amongst vs too many such examples of the pernitious fruits of whoredom haue fallen out Neuertheles it beareth such sway in this desolate France that they are accounted the gallantest men who are the greatest pillers of whoredome Yea the greater sort that ought to be paterns of chastitie to others are bold in the practise thereof thinking to couer their shame to cloke and disguise their whoredome with the maske of vertue accounting it a point of glorie and honor to be the chiefest and most expert in that schoole But let vs know that this visard is but to make them altogither without excuse before him from whom nothing can be hidden and who abhorreth all maliciousnes and shameles impudencie wherwith whoremongers set forth their face And seeing that he whose mercie is endles supplieth the want and infirmitie of his creatures this vice of whoredome is without all colour of excuse before him bicause he hath giuen vs a holie and honourable remedie against it which is mariage permitted to euery one but yet despised of all whoremongers to their ruine and eternall confusion And if they were not wholly blinded through continuance in vice the scourges of ciuill warre of heresie of famine and of rebellion which Fraunce at this day suffereth would be more than enough to vnseele their eies that they might acknowledge the wrath of the Almightie readie to destroy them both bodie and soule Therefore let vs that are better instructed by our Academie learne of Socrates that a wise man ought to passe by pleasures as by the Syrens if he long to attaine to vertue his most happie countrey and dwelling place And for a good helpe heerunto let vs take the counsell of Epictetus saying When thy spirite is drawne with some desire of pleasure beware thou tumble not into some downefall and meditate a litle considering diligently that after thou hast beene ouercome of pleasure there remaineth nothing but repentance and thy hatred against thy selfe Where as if thou abstainest a stedfast and assured ioy possesseth thy hart which wholy driueth away sorow Thus let vs endeuor to decke our selues with puritie chastitie and vprightnes hating in such sort voluptuousnes and lecherie the deere and costlie pleasure whereof passeth away as the winde and leaueth behind it a shamefull remembrance that following the will of our law-maker we shun all dissolutenes tending that way whether it be immodest garments vnchast gestures and countenances or vile and filthie words which may induce others to euill Let vs remember in good time what Archelaus a Greek Philosopher said to a yoong man clothed with superfluous apparell that it was all one in what part soeuer of his bodie he declared his vnchastnes and that it was euermore to be condemned But aboue all things let that diuine sentence sound without ceasing in our eares that no whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Iesus Christ And if being naturally giuen to loue pleasure and to feare griefe we would delight our soule with a ioy that is both profitable and pleasant let vs lift it vp in the meditation of those vnspeakeable and endles riches which are promised vnto it in that happie immortalitie and so we shall weaken and make fruitles that desire of worldlie pleasure which is borne togither with vs. Of glorie praise honor and of pride Chap. 23. ARAM. MEn hauing their eies couered with ignorance vse commonly to say that he hath a great loftie and noble mind who aspireth to honors estats riches and other worldlie vanities Albeit truly if we narrowly looke vnto the end wherefore they direct their intents and actions that way we shall see nothing els in them but a desire of vaine-glorie praise thereby to feede their pride and naturall passions which are so pernitious in the soule that if they be not ruled by temperance and mediocritie and grounded vpon vertue which is the fountain of honor they will bring foorth very dangerous effects cleane contrary to mens desires ACHITOB. They saith Seneca that would make choice of a happy life must not follow the fashion maner of life vsed by the multitude and greatest part of men but such a one as is altogither contrary therunto And this we shall do if we despise the glory honor praise and pride of the world and iudge nothing woorthy to be cared for of vs but onely vertue which is able to bring vs to the fulnesse of true glory and of euerlasting felicitie ASER. The glory saith Pindarus that a man taketh to see himselfe in honor and credite maketh pains to seeme pleasant and trauell tollerable It is the propertie of a stone saith Cicero not to haue any feeling of the difference that is betweene praise and dispraise but it belongeth to a wise man not to be so mooued with all these things as that they should cause him to draw backe from duetie Let vs thā heare AMANA discourse more at large of the matter which is here propounded vnto vs. AMANA Most certain it is that commonly nothing affecteth a man more than the coueting of glory of praise and of honor whereof he is by nature desirous But as all the passions and diseases of the soule are for the most part folowed with those inconueniences which men pretend most of all to eschew so oftentimes they that glaunce at honor as if
saith it lifteth vp our minds to attend to that which is most excellent laudable best and most profitable Therefore let vs heare ACHITOB discourse of the woonderfull effects of this great and woorthie vertue ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer is done manfully and with a great courage appeereth very decent and beseeming a man But the perfection of euery work consisteth in this that it be done by a staied and constant reason which reacheth vs that there is nothing after God but honestie which we are to admire to make account of to desire and that we ought not in any sort to shrinke and yeeld vnto perturbations or to any other humane accident whatsoeuer Which opinions being well imprinted in our minds pricke vs forward to enterprize those things that are most excellent difficult and fullest of labors perils For being free from all earthly care and void of feare or sorow we contemne euen death it selfe and are in such sort prepared against all griefes that our contentation lieth heerin that the greatest and most exceeding paines will not continue long that the least will vanish away of themselues and that we shall be maisters of the middle sort This is that which the Philosophers by infinite learned writings required to be in the vertue of Fortitude with which the force and strength of the bodie hath nothing common as that which is a Good that belongeth to the bodie But this is an immortall Good of the soule consisting in the power and direction of the spirite being fortified and confirmed through the studie of Philosophie and causing man of his owne accord to make choice of and to perfect all honest things for their owne sakes Fortitude then as Cicero saith is that part of honestie which is knowne by the excellencie greatnes and dignitie of the hart which after aduised counsell and good consideration causeth man to vndertake without feare all perillous matters and constantly to endure all kind of trauell For constancie and dignitie are neuer farre from Fortitude in greatest distresses bicause it adorneth him that possesseth hir with the contempt of griefe and of death causing him to esteeme nothing vntollerable that can happen to man neither any thing euill that is necessarie And so it is the preseruation of a firme setled iudgement in things that seeme terrible full of danger seeing it is the knowledge of that which a man ought to indure Plato also calleth it the knowledge of all good and euill as though he would say that nothing can come to a valiant and noble minded man against his expectation although it may be contrarie to his will bicause he is setled and prepared to vndergo all euents as if he had certainly foreseene them Aristole saith that Fortitude is a mediocritie betweene fearing and enterprizing Moreouer it maketh a man fit for all occasions of dangers and trauels and holdeth him betweene these two extremities of cowardlines and rashnes which vices are very hurtfull to a happie and commendable life The same Philosopher saith that whosoeuer will be strong and valiant must be free from all feare of death constant in aduersities void of feare in perils chosing rather to die honestly than to saue himselfe vilan ously He must endeuor to build noble enterprises hauing for his companions hardines greatnes of hart good confidence and hope besides industrie and patience Then he commeth to set downe many kinds of Fortitude Cicero agreeing well with him saith that Magnificence Considence Patience and Perseuerance are the parts of Fortitude Magnificence sheweth it doing great excellent things Confidence in this that a valiant man conceiueth good hope of the euent of them Patience in a voluntarie and continuall suffering for the loue of honestie and vertue and Perseuerance in a perpetual constancie and in a firme and stedfast abiding in his purposes and resolutions vndertaken with good consideration following reason Moreouer Fortitude as the Stoicks said very well is a vertue that fighteth for equitie and iustice And therefore neither they that suffer for vniust matters nor they that fight for their priuate commodities not being led onely with zeale of publike benefit can boast except falsly that they are decked with this pretious vertue For these latter sort of men are rather to be called cruell barbarous mercenaries and hired hangmen destroying all humanitie and the others impudents shameles and desperate yea so much more woorthie of blame as guiltie of wilfull madnes in that they shew themselues constant in doing euill But those men are valiant of great courage who thinke that no action whatsoeuer no time or season ought to be void of iustice who deliuer the oppressed and those that are wronged who build all their deuises vpon vertuous works They saith Aristotle are void of generositie who fight either for feare of reprehension or by constraint or being stirred vp with other mens speech or of choler or through ignorance of dangers And this was Platoes meaning when he said that all strong and valiant men were hardie but not all hardie men valiant bicause hardines commeth to men either by arte anger or pollicie but Fortitude is ingendred in the soule by nature and holie education And therefore this vertue standeth not in need either of choler rancor ambition pride or of any other euill passion whereby to bring to passe braue and glorious effects but is rather an vtter enimie vnto them because it proceedeth from a mature and ripe consideration and election of reason which causeth a man boldly to put in execution whatsoeuer he knoweth to belong to dutie and honestie according to that place whereunto he is called And this also is the cause that he neuer taketh any thing in hand rashly what pretence soeuer it hath neither is he kept backe by any feare in those matters which offer him good occasion of putting to his hand what hazard or imminent danger soeuer seemeth to threaten him But according to that sentence of Socrates that the hardest things ought to be taken in hand and executed with greater constancie and valure of hart after he hath well and prudently grounded his enterprise vpon a certaine knowledge and firme discourse of reason neither reproches nor praises neither promises nor threatnings or torments neither pleasures nor griefs are able to cause him to breake off or in any sort to alter and change his resolution which remaineth alwaies praise-woorthie and is neuer subiect to repentance the matter falleth out bicause we are not to iudge of enterprises by the euents which are altogither out of our power but by the ground-worke and foundation wherupon they were built And further when the greatest dangers are then is the time wherein a valiant man being nothing at all abashed most of all sheweth his strength prowes neuer taking himselfe to be ouercome as long as his vertue is free and at libertie to giue him new supplie of meanes to set forward againe his matters otherwise in a
without a soule The memorie of such men of whome we see but too many examples among vs ought to be buried in obliuion and during their life time they should remaine vnknowne aswel for their owne honor as for the good of the common societie of men to which they could not but be offensiue and hurtfull For the most part they are not onely afraid of men of the hazards of warres of troubles seditions of the dangers of long voyages of the losse of their goods of diseases of dolors yea of the least discommodities and aduersities that can befall men the euent of all which causeth them vsually to forget all reason and dutie but they are also frighted with dreames they tremble at sights and visions they credite false abusing spirits and with a forlorne feare they stand in awe of the celestiall signes Briefly vpon the least occasions that may be and such as are vnwoorthie the care of a prudent and valiant mind they fall oftentimes into such vexation of spirite that they loose it altogither and become mad and inraged insomuch that many haue hastened forward with their owne hands the end of their so miserable daies As we read of Mydas king of Phrygia who being troubled and vexed with certaine dreames grew to be desperate and died voluntarily by drinking the bloud of a Bull. Aristodemus also king of the Messenians being in warre against his subiects it happened that the dogs howled like woolnes which came to passe by reason of a certain herbe called Dogsteeth growing about his altar at home Wherupon vnderstanding by the Southsayers that it was an euill signe he was stroken with such a feare and conceit thereof that he slue himselfe Cassius the captaine had a better hart when he answered a Chaldean Astrologian who counselled him not to fight with the Parthians vntill the Moone had passed Scorpio I feare not quoth he Scorpions but Archers This hee spake bicause the Romane armie had beene put to the worst before in the plaine of Chaldea by the Parthian archers Neuertheles that which we spake of Midas and Aristodemus is seldome followed yea is rarely found amongst cowards and base minded fellowes who commonly flie from temporall death as much as may be as also from griefe which they feare in such sort that contemning all vertue and iustice they labour for nothing more than to preserue their liues togither with their carnall commodities for the obtaining of which they seeme to liue cleane without all care of their soule as if hir portiō were in this world should end togither with the bodie The effects of this feare of death are sufficiently felt of euerie one in particular the number of them being verie small who would not willingly make as we say a sluce to their consciences that they might be deliuered thereof Let vs then confesse our selues to be fearefull and faint-harted and not boast of Fortitude and generositie of hart which will not suffer vs to stand in feare no not of certaine death in an holie and honest cause so farre is it from fearing and forsaking dutie through doubt of an vncertaine death That which Speron rehearseth in his dialogues of a gentleman of Padua sufficiently sheweth what maruellous force is in the apprehension and conceit of death which extendeth it selfe not onelie vpon the spirites of men but also changeth the nature of their bodies who want constancie to beare and sustaine a small and light griefe for the inioieng of eternall goods This yoong gentleman being put in prison vpon some accusation it was tolde him that of a certaintie his head should be cut off the daie following Which newes altered him in such sort that in one onelie night hee was all white greie-headed whereof before there was no shew or appearance and so he liued long time after Besides experience daily ministreth vnto vs sufficient proofe of the mischiefes which proceed of want of courage and faint-hartednes especially in matters of estate gouernment and publike offices wherein a fearefull and soft man for euerie reproch dislike or euill opinion of the world yea of such as are most ignorant and much more for the least dangers of his person and for feare and threatnings of the greater sort yeeldeth easilie against all dutie and suffereth himselfe to be drawne to the error of the wicked and common sort As for the middle and lesser sort wherefore serue they being void of reason and assurance Homer saith that king Agamemnon dispensed with a rich Coward for going to warre personally for a Mare which he gaue him Wherein truly he had great reason bicause a fearefull man hurteth much and profiteth little not onely in warre but euen in euery good and vertuous action This caused that great captaine Paulus Aemilius to say that magnanimitie and courage were for the most part reuerenced in euery enimie of theirs but that cowardlines although it had good successe yet was it alwayes and of all men despised I might here mention sundry vices which ordinarily growe and are nourished of cowardlines and pusillanimitie as namely crueltie treason breach of promise impatiencie idlenesse slouth couetousnes enuie backbiting and all iniustice were it not that I hope the sequele of our discourses will offer vs matter and occasion to handle these vices particularly our houre not affording vs time and leasure to enter vpon so many things togither There remaineth yet a word to be spoken of that feare which I said did accompany the froward and wicked many times being called by the Poet a seruile feare which through the onely horror of punishment holdeth them backe from practising their wicked purposes Of them spake Pythagoras when he sayd that he which careth not for doing of euill in any other respect but onely bicause he would not be punished is very wicked Now although such feare is accursed and to be condemned in all yet is it necessarie for the preseruation of humane societie For otherwise all things would run to confusion through the shameles malice of the wicked of whom the earth is full And it is a great deale better that through such feare they should be restrained from their wicked desires and wils than that they should without all feare abandon themselues to put them in execution albeit they are no way excusable before God who requireth to be serued with hart and spirit Neuerthelesse such feare doth not alwayes stay them from putting their malice in effect but the more they are retained so much the more are they inflamed and kindled with a desire to satisfie their corrupt will which in the end is constrained to burst foorth and euidently to shew that mischiefe which they kept secret a long time But if the commō sort saith Seneca be staied by lawes from committing euil the Philosopher contrarywise hath reason for all lawes doing good not bicause the law commandeth it and abstaining frō euil not bicause it forbiddeth it but bicause
conquering the same whereof he reaped no other benefit but onely a vaine name and glorie of small continuance in his life time which procured him the enuie and hatred of his countreymen so that he was murdred with 23. blowes of the sword on his bodie after he had ouerliued Pompey who was vanquished by him foure yeeres onely or little more Histories are full of sundrie such alterations which commonly follow them that are not content with their estate from whence wise men and of good iudgement may drawe this instruction to limit their thoughts and desires For as Diodorus the Athenian said these two things are very hurtfull to men Hope and Loue of which the one leadeth and the other accompanieth them the one seeketh out the meanes to execute their thoughts and the other persuadeth them with good successe And although these two things are not seene with the eie yet are they mightier than visible punishments Heerof came that old prouerb that proud men fat themselues with vaine hope which by little and little choaketh them as naughtie fat doth mans bodie And if we be willing to keepe our selues from so dangerous a downefall let vs cure our soules of all hurtfull hope and let reason and dutie as we haue alreadie said lead and limit all our affections and enterprises considering wisely their beginning namely that we ground them vpon right and equitie only knowing that they ought not to be iudged of by the euent and end of them which oftentimes seeme to fauor vniust coūsels and doings And this offreth some colour occasion to the wicked to prosecute their dealings hauing no care of violating right and iustice But how soeuer it be a miserable end bringeth them an ouer late repentance Neither let vs perswade our selues that the issue of our imaginations and enterprises although they be well grounded shall certainly fall out according to our meaning for this is that hope which greatly hurteth and most of all troubleth men but let vs know that as in al things which grow there is alwaies some corruption mingled in them it being necessarie that all mortall seedes should presently be partakers of the cause of death so from the same fountaine ill hap floweth vnto vs in great measure yea sooner and more abundantly than good successe Which thing Homer willing to giue vs to vnderstand fained that there were two vessels at the entrie of the great Olympus the one being full of honie the other of gall of which two mingled togither Iupiter causeth all men to drinke And Plutark saith that men can neuer purely and simply enioy the ease of any great prosperitie but whether it be fortune or the enuie of destinie or else the naturall necessitie of earthlie things there ease is alwaies intermingled in their life time with euill among the good yea in the like mishap that which is woorse surmounteth the better All these things being considered of vs they will make vs more aduised and staied in all our counsels and deuises in such sort affected and prepared with true prudence fortitude and magnanimitie that whatsoeuer hapneth vnto vs we shall not be troubled or further mooued but receiue it as hauing long before expected and looked for it This doth Seneca very learnedly teach vs saying that we ought not to be astonished or maruell at vnlooked for chances that light vpon vs but prepare and conforme our harts to all euents that may come vnto vs premeditating and thinking aforehand that we are borne to suffer and that nothing commeth to passe which ought not to be Destinie saith he leadeth those that are consenting draweth gain-sayers by force Neither ought we through doubt of that which is to come to neglect good heroicall and farre remooued hopes of excellent things hauing thus grounded them as we haue said For wise and famous personages desirous of honor and glorie were alwaies of opinion that they ought to be intertained and kept in a sound and setled resolution of the mind bicause of the varietie of accidents which daily happen contrary to the common opinions of men wherein experience teacheth vs that according to the direction of a good spirite and the good successe that followeth and accompanieth it whatsoeuer concerneth the managing of worldlie affairs is changed and turneth about with the moouing of fortune if it be lawfull for vs vnder this Heathen word to vnderstand the ordinance of God Therefore to ende our present discourse we will note this that first we are to defend our selues by the grace of God with that happie and certaine hope which can neuer deceiue or confound any being a certaine guide to keepe vs in this long and tedious pilgrimage from going astray out of the way of saluation Secondly from this the prop staie and comfort of mans life against all miseries and calamities will flow and issue Thirdly and lastly we shall be stirred vp to all great and noble works for the good and common profit of euery one referring the euents of them to the woonderfull counsell of the prouidence of God and receiuing them as iust good and profitable The ende of the seuenth daies worke THE EIGHT DAIES WORKE Of Patience and of Impatiencie of Choler and Wrath. Chap. 29. ASER. IF vertue consisteth in hard matters if that which commeth neerest to the diuine nature and is most vneasie and least of all vsed of all men better beseemeth a valiant and noble minded man than any other thing whatsoeuer no doubt but patience is the very same thing whereof the Scripture teacheth vs that God is the author and that he putteth it in dailie practise among his creatures deferring the full punishment of their faults by expecting their repentance Further this vertue so much resembleth Fortitude wherof we discoursed yesterday that we may say with Cicero that Fortitude is borne of hir or els with hir seeing there is nothing so great and burthensome which she can not easilie sustaine and ouercome euen the violentest most common passions of mans nature as impatiencie choler and anger which commonly procure the vtter ruine of the soule Therefore let vs my Companions begin our daies worke with the handling of the effects of this great vertue of Patience and of the vices that are cleane contrarie vnto it AMANA Patience saith Plautus is a remedie for all griefes Endure patiently and blame not that which thou canst not auoid For he that is able to suffer well ouercommeth But this vertue is so rarely found among men that moe will offer themselues to death than abide griefe patiently Neuertheles it is the point of a wise man saith Horace to set a good face vpon that which must needes be done ARAM. By patience saith Cicero we must seeke after that which we cannot obtaine by fauour and if we endure all the inconuenience will turne to our profite But learned men whilest they resist not their perturbations trouble and ouerturne with a suddain
proper end expecting our renewing in that life which is immortall and euerlasting Of Good and Ill hap Chap. 31. ARAM. THere hath beene alwayes men of great humaine learning but voyd of the sincere knowledge of the truth that haue maintained one of these two opinions some That all things were gouerned by nature others that they were ruled by fortune They that acknowledge nature for the first cause of all things did attribute vnto hir a constellation which through the strength and efficacie of the starres gouerned the counsaile and reason of men The other sort acknowledging fortune maintained that all things were done at aduenture and by chance Now albeit there are too many at this day that follow this error yet is it so absurd a thing that in the writings of Ethnicks and Pagans a thousand inuincible reasons are found of sufficient force to conuince such opinions of meere lying and ouer-great sottishnes and to constraine those that are most impudent and shameles to acknowledge an infinite almightie power to be the creator of nature and of all things moouing therein and to dispose and order them with an eternall and euerlasting prouidence True it is that I would not absolutely deny the maruellous effects which many haue noted in heauenlie bodies throughout nature neuertheles I hold this for certaine that as all their vertue dependeth of one onely God so he withdraweth from them his power when and as soone as it pleaseth him Of this I inferre that they greatly deceiue themselues who thinke that the seeking out of the starres and of their secret vertues diminisheth any thing from the greatnes and power of God seeing that contrariwise his maiestie is much more famous and woonderful in doing such great things by his creatures as if he did them himselfe without any meane Nowe that which I haue touched heere my companions is not to offer any occasion to discourse of the Mathematicks or of any part thereof which would be to depart out of those bounds which we appointed to our Academy But seeing nothing is so common amongst vs as to vse or rather to abuse these wordes of Good and Ill hap by attributing vnto them some power and vertue ouer our doings insomuch that we commonly say there is nothing but good or ill lucke in this world I thinke it wil not be without fruite to consider narowly what we ought to thinke of these words and wherein we are to seeke and desire good hap and wherein to feare and flie ill lucke Now therefore let vs be instructed of you touching this matter ACHITOB. Good hap consisteth in that contentation which proceedeth from the perfection of the subiect therof being adorned with a perfect habit and intire possession of all kind of Goods in the priuation whereof all ill hap consisteth This cannot be verified of the passions and affections of men nor of their worldly affaires which are alwaies intermingled with diuers sundry accidents turning one while on this manner by and by after an other and carying the soule continually vp and downe with these two perturbations Desire and Griefe Therefore if there be a happie man in this world said Socrates it is he that hath a pure and cleane soule and a conscience defiled with nothing For the mysteries of God may be seene and beheld of him onely ASER. A temperate and constant man that knoweth how to moderate feare anger excessiue ioy and vnbrideled desire is very happie but he that placeth other vading Goods in his felicitie shall neuer haue a quiet mind Let vs then heare of AMANA wherein we ought to iudge that happines or vnhappines consisteth AMANA The continuall alteration sudden chang of one estate into another cleane contrary which might alwaies be noted in the nature disposition and euents of mens actions counsels desires gaue occasion to some of the ancient Philosophers to thinke the sicke more happie than the sound bicause said they sicke folks looke for health whereas the healthie expect sicknes For this very consideration it seemeth that Amasis almost the last of those kings that raigned peaceably in Egypt shoke off the alliance and league with Policrates king of Samos who was so happie in worldlie respects that do what he could yet could he not know what sorow meant but all things fel out vnto him better than he desired For proofe wherof may serue that which happened vnto him after he had cast into the sea a ring of great value which he loued exceedingly Now although he did so of purpose to the end he might taste of some sorow and griefe yet he found it quickly againe in the bellie of a fish taken by Fishermen and bought for his kitchen Whereupon this wise Egyptian iudged it a thing altogether impossible but that some great miserie was to follow hard at the heeles of so great happines and therefore he would not be partaker therof as of necessitie he should haue beene if he had continued still that league which before was betwixt them Neither was Amasis any thing deceiued in his opinion For within a while after Policrates was depriued of his kingdome and shamefully hanged seruing for a common and notable example of the instabilitie and variablenes of mans estate as also to shew that it is a very absurd thing to place happines in so vncertain felicity And yet among infinit imperfections borne with man this is common in him to loose quickly the remembrance of a benefit receiued but to retaine a long time the memorie of a calamitie fallen vpon him Which is the cause that he alwaies supposeth his mishaps to be without comparison greater than all the good hap that he can haue so that he complaineth continually of his miseries and calamities not remembring the innumerable benefits which are daily offred presented vnto him from the grace and bountifulnes of God Notwithstanding if all men as Socrates said aswell rich as poore brought their mishaps and laid them in common together and if they were in such sort diuided that euery one might haue an equall portion then should it be seene that many who thinke themselues ouercharged oppressed would with all their hartes take againe vnto them their fortune and be contented withall Wouldest thou said Democritus auoid the griefe of thy miserie Behold the life of the afflicted and by the comparison thereof with thine thou shalt see that thou hast cause to thinke thy selfe very happie He that will measure his burthen saith Martial may well beare it Now with this common complaint in men of their estate and condition this custome also is ioined to lay the cause of that which they suffer vpon cruell and intollerable destinie accusing that to excuse their owne fault Wherefore we cannot more aptly compare them than to blind folks who are angrie and oftentimes call them blind that vnawares do meete and iustle them But if we desire to cure our soules of so many
miserable passions which depriue vs of true rest tranquillitie necessarie for a happie life let vs be carefull to learne how to discerne true happines from mishap that we may reioyce in that which is good and as readily giue thanks to the author thereof as naturally through a false opinion which we haue of euill we sustaine humaine miseries and crosses vnpatiently First then let vs heare the sundry and notable opinions of many ancient men touching good and ill hap If thou knowest all that ought to be knowen in all things said Pythagoras thou art happy Let them be accounted very happy said Homer to whom fortune hath equally wayed the good with the euill The greatest miserie of all said Bias is not to be able to beare miserie That man is happie said Dionysius the elder that hath learned from his youth to be vnhappy For he will beare the yoke better whereunto he hath been subiect and accustomed of long tyme. Demetrius surnamed the Besieger said That he iudged none more vnhappy than he that neuer tasted of aduersitie as if he would haue sayd that it was a sure argument that fortune iudged him to be so base abiect that he deserued not that she should busie hir selfe about him That man saith Cicero is very happy who thinketh that no humane matters how grieuous soeuer they may be are intollerable or ought to discourage him iudging also nothing so excellent wherby he should be mooued to reioyce in such sort that his hart be puffed and lift vp thereby Yea he is very happy who fitly and conueniently behaueth himself in all things necessary for him Nothing is euil saith Plutarke that is necessarie By which word Necessarie both he and Cicero vnderstand whatsoeuer commeth to a wise man by fatall destinie bicause he beareth it patiently as that which cannot be auoyded thereby increasing his vertue so much the more and so no euill can come to a good man Solon drawing neerer to the truth of sincere happinesse sayd that it consisted in a good life and death and that to iudge them happy that are aliue considering the danger of so many alterations wherein they are were all one as if a man should before hand appoint the reward of the victorie for one that is yet fighting not beyng sure that he should ouercome Socrates speaking rather with a diuine than a humane spirite sayd that when we shall be deliuered from this body wherein our soule is inclosed as an Oyster in his shell we may than be happy but not sooner and that felicitie cannot be obtained in this life but that we must hope to enioy it perfectly in the other life as well for our vertues as by the grace and mercy of God Not the rich said Plato but the wise and prudent auoyd miserie They that thinke sayth Aristotle that externall goods are the cause of happines deceiue themselues no lesse than if they supposed that cunning playing on the harpe came from the instrument and not from Arte but we must seeke for it in the good and quiet estate of the soule For as we say not that a body is perfect bicause it is richly arayed but rather bicause it is well framed and healthfull so a soule well instructed is the cause that both hir selfe and the bodie wherein she is inclosed are happy which cannot be verified of a man bicause he is rich in gold and siluer When I consider all the aboue named wise opinions of these Ethnikes and Pagans I cannot sufficiently maruell at the ignorance and blockishnes of many in our age touching Good and Ill hap bicause they labor to make these words priuate and to tie them to the successe of their affections in worldly matters which if they fall out according to their desire and liking behold presently they are rauished with extreme ioy boasting of thēselues that they are most happy But contrarywise if they misse of their intents by and by they dispaire and thinke themselues the vnhappiest men in the world Do we not also see that most men iudge them happy that possesse riches pleasure delight glory and honour and those men miserable that want especially if after they had aboundance they loose it by some mishap the cause wherof they commonly attribute either to good or ill lucke which they say ruleth all humaine affaires We read that Apollonius Thianaeus hauing trauelled ouer al Asia Afrike and Europe sayd that of two things whereat he maruelled most in all the world the first was that he alwayes sawe the proud man commaund the humble the quarellous the quiet the tyrant the iust the cruel the pitifull the coward the hardie the ignorant the skilfull and the greatest thieues hang the innocent But in the meane while who may doubt whether of these were the happiest that the good were not rather than the wicked if happines according to the ancients to the truth be perfected in good things then it is certain that whosoeuer enioieth al good things shall be perfectly happy Now nothing can be called good but that which is profitable and contrary to euill so that whatsoeuer may as so one be euill as good ought not to be called good Moreouer it must be the possession of some firme stedfast and permanent Good that maketh a man happy For nothing ought to wax old to perish or decay of those things wherin a happy life consisteth seeing he that feareth to loose them cannot be sayd to liue quietly Therefore neither beautie nor strength and disposition of body neither riches glory honour or pleasure can be truely called Goods seeing oftentymes they are the cause of so many euils waxe old and vanish away many times as soone as a man hath receiued them and lastly worke in vs an vnsatiable desire of them How many men are there to whom all these things haue been the occasion of euill And how can we call that good which being possessed and that in abundance cannot yet keep the owner thereof from being vnhappy and miserable Wherfore we may say that happines cannot be perfected by the possession of humane and mortall things neither vnhappines through the want of them but that the true felicitie which we ought to desire in this world consisteth in the goods of the soule nourished in the hope of that vnspeakable euerlasting happines which is promised and assured vnto it in the second life And so we say that none are vnhappy but they who by reason of their peruersnesse feele in their conscience a doubting of the expectation of eternall promises as also they that giue ouer themselues to vice whose nature is to corrupt destroy and infect with the venom that is alwayes about it all things whereof it taketh hold As for the common miseries of mans life they cannot in any sort make him vnhappy whose naturall disposition maners beyng framed and decked with vertue are able to giue to impart to euery
condition of his life whether it be poore or rich prosperous or aduerse honourable or contemptible happinesse ioy pleasure and contentation which flowe in his soule aboundantly from that fountaine and liuelie spring which Philosophie hath discouered vnto him in the fertile field of Graces and Sciences whereby he enioyeth true tranquillitie and rest of spirit as much as a man may haue in this mortall life moderating the perturbations of his soule and commaunding ouer the vnpure affections of the flesh And than as the shoe turneth with the fashion of the foote and not contrarywise so the inward disposition of a wise and moderate man causeth him to lead a life like vnto the same that is mild peaceable and quiet being neuer caried away with vnreasonable passions bicause she neuer enioyeth or reioyceth immoderately in that which she hath but vseth well that which is put into her hand without feare or repining if it be taken away following therein the saying of Democritus that whosoeuer mindeth to liue alwayes happilie must propound to himselfe and desire things possible and be content with things present Therefore seeing the fountaine of all felicitie and contentation in this life is within vs let vs cure and cleanse diligently all perturbations which seeke to hinder the tranquillitie of our spirites to the ende that externall things which come from without vs agaynst our will and expectation may seeme vnto vs friendly and familiar after we know how to vse them wel Plato compared our life to table-play wherein both the dice must chance wel the plaier must vse that wel which the dice shal cast Now of these two points the euent lot of the Dice is not in our power but to receiue mildly and moderatly that which falleth vnto vs to dispose euerie thing in that place where it may either profite most if it be good or do least hurt if it be bad that is in our power belongeth to our dutie if we be wise men Fortune saith Plutarke may well cast me into sickenesse take away my goods bring me in disgrace with the people but she can not make him wicked a coward slouthfull base-minded or enuious that is honest â—aliaunt and noble-minded nor take from him his setled and temperate disposition of Prudence which maketh him to iudge that no tedious grieuous or troublesome thing can befall him For being grounded not vpon vanishing goods but vpon Philosophicall sentences firme discourses of reason he may say I haue preuented thee fortune I haue closed vp all thy chances and stopped the wayes of entrance in vpon me and so led a ioyfull life as long as vertue and that part which is proper to man are strongest And if peraduenture some great inconuenience happen vnto him against all hope which humaine power is not able to ouercome than with ioy of spirite he considereth that the hauen of safetie is at hand wherein he may saue himselfe by swimming out of the body as out of a Skiffe that leaketh departing boldly and without feare from the miseries of the world that he may enioy absolute and perfect happines Alexander the great hauing vnder his dominion more than halfe the world when he heard the Philosopher Anaxarchus dispute and maintaine that there were innumerable worlds he began to weepe saying Haue I not good cause to be sorowful and to mourne if there be an infinite number of worlds seeing as yet I haue not been able to make my selfe Lord of one But Crates the Philosopher being brought vp in the schoole of wisdome and hauing in stead of all wealth but an old cloke and a scrip neuer wept in all his life but was always seen mery and passing ouer his dayes cheerfully By which two kinds of life contrary one to an other it appeereth sufficiently that it is within our selues and not in outward things wherein we must seeke for the foundation of a certaine ioy which is watered and flourisheth in strength by the remembrance of good and vertuous actions proceeding from the soule guided by right knowledge and reason Homer bringeth in Agamemnon complaining greatly bicause he was to command so great a part of the world as if he had an intollerable burthen vpon his shoulders Whereas Diogenes when he was to be sold for a slaue lying all along mocked the Sergeant that cried him to sale and would not rise vp when he commanded him but scoffingly said vnto him If thou wart to sell a fish wouldest thou make it arise Cry this rather that if any man want a maister he should buy me for I can serue his turne well Wherby we may fitly note this that all the happines rest and contentation of man dependeth of vertue onely and not of worldlie greatnes and glorie For this reason the selfe same Diogenes beholding a stranger come from Lacedemonia more curiously decked on a festiuall day than he was woont said vnto him What Doth not an honest man thinke that euery day is festiuall vnto him And truly there is nothing that ought to mooue vs so much to shew all outward signes of ioy or that breedeth such serenitie and calmenes against the tempestuous waues of humane miseries and calamities than to haue the soule pure and cleane from all wicked deedes wils and counsels the manners vndefiled not troubled or infected with any vice For then acknowledging the estate of mortall and corruptible things we iudge them vnwoorthie the care of our soules that we may wholy lift them vp to the contemplation of heauenlie and eternall things wherein our happines and perfect felicitie consisteth Heereby we learne that in the second life onely we are to seeke for and to expect the fruition of true happines which can neuer increase or be diminished For as no man can make a line straighter than that which is straight and as nothing is more iust than that which is iust so he that is happie can not be more happie Otherwise vntill a man had gotten all that might be had his desires would neuer be setled so no man should be called happie But felicitie is perfect of it selfe Cicero knew it well enough when he said that no man standing in feare of great things could be happie and in that respect no man liuing can be so but to speake in deed of a happie life that is it which is perfect and absolute To the end therefore that we may reape some profit by our present discourse let vs neuer thinke that any man may be called happie or vnhappie bicause he is aduanced or disgraced with honors goods and worldlie commodities or bicause he is partaker either of prosperitie or aduersitie throughout his whole life But he onely ought to be esteemed happie in this world that knoweth in rest quietnes of soule how to vse both estates and neuer suffereth himselfe to be caried away or troubled with vncleane desires but with all his hart seeketh for the possession of a
them next we will behold some examples of these famous personages that we may be induced thereby to contemne such pernitious goods Men ought to make great account of riches said Socrates if they were ioined with true ioy but they are wholy separated from it For if rich men fall to vsing of them they spoile themselues with ouergreat pleasure if they would keepe them care gnaweth and consumeth them within and if they desire to get them they become wicked and vnhappie It cannot be saith Plato that a man should be truly good and very rich both togither but he may well be happie and good at one time And it is a verie miserable saying to affirme that a rich man is happy yea it belongeth to children and fooles to say so making them vnhappy that beleeue and approoue it Slouth and slug gishnes grow of riches and they that are addicted to heape them vp more and more the greater account they make of them the lesse they esteeme vertue So that if riches and rich men are greatly set by in a Common-wealth vertue and good men will be much lesse regarded and yet great matters are brought to passe and Common-wealths preserued by vertue and not by riches Riches saith Isocrates serue not so much for the practise of honestie as of wickednes seeing they draw the libertie of men to loosenesse and idlenesse and stirre vp yong men to voluptuousnes Men said Thales are by nature borne to vertue but riches draw them backe vnto them hauing a thousand sortes of sorceries to allure them to vices and through a false opinion of good to turne them from those things that are truly good They suffer not him that hath them to be able to know any thing but draw him to external goods They are passing arrogant most feareful If they vse themselues they are riotous if they abstaine miserable They neuer content their Owners nor leaue them void of sorow and care but as they that are sicke of the dropsie the more they drinke become the thirstier so the more that men abound in wealth the more they desire to haue Riches of themselues breed flatterers who helpe to vndoe rich men They are the cause of infinite murders and hired slaughters they make couetous persons to contemne the goods of the soule thinking to become happy without them They prouoke them also to delicacies and to gluttony whereby their bodies are subiect to diseases and infirmities Briefly riches greatly hurt both bodie and soule They stirre vp domesticall sedition and that among brethren They make children worse in behauiour towards their fathers and cause fathers to deale more hardly with their children Through them it commeth that friends suspect each other for a true friend is credited no more by reason of a flatterer Besides rich mē are angry with good men saying that they are arrogant bicause they will not flatter them and in like maner they hate such as flatter them thinking that they keepe about them onely to robbe them and to diminish their wealth These are the cuils which may be said to be commonly in riches But these also accompany them being execrable diseases namely presumptiō pride arrogancie vile and abiect cares which are altogether earthly naughtie desires wicked pleasures and an insatiable coueting Besides if they were not pernitious of thēselues so many mischiefs would not take their beginning from them For men commit a thousand murders for gaine They robbe churches fidelitie is lost and broken friendship is violated men betray their country maidens are loosely giuen brieflie no euils are left vnexecuted through the desire of riches They that giue them selues said Bion to gather riches are verie ridiculous seeing fortune giueth them couetousnes keepeth them and liberalitie casteth them away Men must haue rich soules saith Alexides as for siluer it is nothing but a shew and vaile of life It is a naughtie thing saith Euripides but common to all rich men to liue wickedly The cause thereof as I take it is this bicause they haue nothing but riches in their mind which being blind seele vp likewise the eies of their vnderstanding I pray God neuer to send me a wealthy life which hath alwaies sorow and care for hir Companions nor riches to gnaw my hart Speake not to me of Pluto that is to say of riches for I make no great reckoning of that God who is alwaies possessed of the most wicked vpon the earth O riches you are easie to beare but infinite cares miseries and griefs keepe you companie He saith Democritus that woondereth at such as haue great riches and are esteemed of the ignorant multitude to be happie will surely through a desire of hauing commit and vndertake wicked things and those oftentimes against the lawes As drunkennes saith Aristotle begetteth rage and madnes so ignorance ioined with power breedeth insolencie and furie And to those whose minds are not well disposed neither riches nor strength nor beautie can be iudged good but the greater increase ariseth of them the more harme they procure to him that possesseth them Moreouer do we not see that the most part of rich men either vse not their riches bicause they are couetous or abuse them bicause they are giuen ouer to their pleasures and so they are all the seruants either of pleasures or of trafficke and gaine as long as they liue But he that would be as Plato saith truly rich ought to labor not so much to augment his wealth as to diminish his desire of hauing bicause he that appointeth no bounds to his desires is alwaies poore and needie For this cause the libertie of a wise mans soule who knoweth the nature of externall goods belonging to this life is neuer troubled with the care of them being assured as Plutark saith that as it is not apparell which giueth heate to a man but only staieth and keepeth in naturall heate that proceedeth from the man himselfe by hindring it from dispersing in the aire so no man liueth more happily or contentedly bicause he is compassed about with much wealth if tranquillitie ioy and rest proceed not from within his soule Heape vp saith the same Philosopher store of gold gather siluer togither build faire galleries fill a whole house full of slaues and a whole towne with thy debtors yet if thou doest not maister the passions of thy soule if thou quenchest not thy vnsatiable desire nor deliuerest thy soule of all feare and carking care thou doest asmuch to procure thy quietnes as if thou gauest wine to one that had an ague Life of it selfe saith Plato is not ioyfull vnles care be chased away which causeth vs to waxe gray-headed whilest we desire but meane store of riches For the superfluous desire of hauing alwaies gnaweth our hart Whereupon it commeth to passe that oftentimes amongst men we see pouertie to be better than riches death than life And truly there is great madnes in the greedy coueting of
monie For they that are touched with this maladie follow after riches with such zeale as if they supposed that when they had gotten them no more euill should come neere them And then also they set so light by those which they haue that they burne with the desire of hauing more How then shall we call that good which hath no end or measure Or that which being gotten is the beginning of a further desire to haue more A horse saith Epictetus is not said to be better bicause he hath eaten more than another or bicause he hath a gilt harnesse but bicause he is stronger swifter and better made for euery beast is accounted of according to his vertue And shall a man be esteemed according to his riches ancestors and beautie If any man thinke that his old age shall be borne more easilie by the meanes of riches he deceiueth himselfe For they may well cause him to enioy the hurtfull pleasures of the bodie but cannot take from him sadnes horror and feare of death nay rather they double his griefe when he thinketh that he must leaue and forsake them In this short discourse taken from ancient men the vanitie of riches appeereth sufficiently vnto vs as also the hurtfull effects that flow from them if they be not ruled by the reason of true prudence Heereafter we are to see how we may vse those riches wel which God putteth into our hands being iustly gotten by vs which is a part of iustice whereof we are to intreat In the meane time that we fasten not our harts to so friuolous and vaine a thing let vs call to mind some examples of wise and famous men woorthie of immortall renowne who haue altogither contemned eschewed and despised the couetous desire and hoording vp of riches as the plague and vnauoidable ruine of the soule We read of Marcus Curius a Romane Consul the first of his time that receiued thrice the dignitie of triumphing for the notable victories which he obtained in the honor of his countrey that he made so small account of worldlie riches that all his possession was but a little farme in the countrey soryly built wherein he continued for the most part when publike affaires suffered him labouring and tilling himselfe that little ground which he had there And when certaine Embassadors vpon a day came to visite him they found him in his chimney dressing of reddish for his supper And when they presented him with a great summe of monie from their Comminaltie he refused it saying that they which contented themselues with such an ordinarie as his was had no need of it and that he thought it farre more honorable to command them that had gold than to haue it Phocion the Athenian being visited with Embassadors from Alexander they presented him with a hundred Talents being in value three score thousand crownes which this Monarch sent vnto him for a gift Phocion demanding the cause why seeing there were so many Athenians besides him they answered bicause their maister iudged him onely among all the rest to be a vertuous and good man Then quoth he let him suffer me both to seeme and to be so in deede and carie his present backe againe to him Notwithstanding he was needie as may be prooued by the answer which he made to the Athenian Councell who demanded a voluntarie contribution of euery one towards a sacrifice And when there were no moe left to contribute but he they were verie importunate with him to giue somewhat It were a shame for me said he vnto them to giue you monie before I haue paied this man and therewithall he shewed one vnto them that had lent him a certaine summe of monie Philopaemen Generall of the Achaians hauing procured a league of amitie betweene the citie of Sparta his owne the Lacedemonians sent him a present of sixe score Talents which were woorth three score and twelue thousand crownes But refusing it he went purposely to Sparta where he declared to the Councell that they ought not to corrupt and win honest men or their friends with monie seeing in their need they might be assured of thē and vse their vertue freely without cost but that they were to buy and gaine with hired rewards the wicked such as by their seditious orations in the Senate house vsed to raise mutinies and to set the citie on fire to the end that their mouthes being stopped by gifts they might procure lesse trouble to the gouernment of the Common-wealth A great Lord of Persia comming from his countrey to Athens and perceiuing that he stood in great neede of the aid and fauour of Cimon who was one of the chiefe in the citie he presented vnto him two cups that were both full the one of Dariques of gold the other of siluer Dariques This wise Grecian beginning to smile demanded of him whether of the twaine he had rather haue him to be his friend or his hireling The Persian answered that he had a great deale rather haue him his friend Then said Cimon carie backe againe thy gold and siluer For if I be thy friend it will be alwaies at my commandement to vse as often as I shall neede Anacreon hauing receiued of Polycrates fiue Talents for a gift was so much troubled for the space of two nights with care how he might keepe them and about what to imploy them best that he caried them backe againe saying that they were not woorth the paines which he had alrcadie taken for them Xenocrates refused thirtie thousand crownes of Alexander sent vnto him for a present saying that he had no neede of them What quoth Alexander hath he neuer a friend For mine owne part I am sure that all king Darius treasure will scarce suffice me to distribute among my friends Socrates being sent for by king Archelaüs to come vnto him who promised him great riches sent him word that a measure of floure was sold in Athens for a Double and that water cost nothing And although it seemeth quoth this Philosopher that I haue not goods enough yet I haue enough seeyng I am contented therewith What is necessarie sayd Menander for the vse of our life besides these two things Bread and Water Bias flying out of his citie which he foresawe would be besieged without hope of rescue would not lode himselfe with his wealth as others did And being demaunded the cause why I cary quoth he all my goods with me meaning the inuisible gifts graces of his mind Truly gold and siluer are nothing but dust and precious stones but the grauell of the sea And as Pythagoras said we ought to perswade our selues that those riches are not ours which are not inclosed in our soule According to which saying Socrates when he saw that Alcibiades waxed arrogant bicause of the great quantitie of ground which he possessed shewed him an vniuersall Map of the world and asked him whether he knew
which were his lands in the territorie of Athens Whereunto when Alcibiades answered that they were not described nor set downe there How is it then quoth this wise man that thou braggest of that thing which is no part of the world One meane which Lycurgus vsed and which helped him much in the reforming of the Lacedemonian estate was the disanulling of all gold and siluer coine the appointing of iron money onely to be currant a pound waight whereof was woorth but sixe pence For by this meanes he banished from among them the desire of riches which are no lesse cause of the ouerthrow of Common-wealths than of priuate men This mooued Plato to say that he would not haue the princes and gouernors of his Common-wealth nor his menne of warre and souldiours to deale at all with gold and siluer but that they should haue allowed them out of the common treasurie whatsoeuer was necessary for them For as long gownes hinder the body so do much riches the soule Therfore if we desire to liue happily in tranquillitie and rest of soule and with ioy of spirit let vs learne after the example of so many great men to withdraw our affections wholy from the desire of worldly riches not taking delight pleasure as Diogenes said in that which shall perish and is not able to make a man better but oftentimes woorse Let vs further know that according to the Scripture no man can serue God and riches togither but that all they which desire them greedily fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and noisome lustes which drowne men in perdition whereof we haue eye-witnesses daily before vs. This appeereth in that example which the self same word noteth vnto vs of the rich man that abounded in all things so that he willed his soule to take hir ease and to make good cheere bicause she had so much goods layd vp for many yeeres and yet the same night he was to pay tribute vnto nature to his ouerthrow and confusion Being therefore instructed by the spirite of wisedome let vs treasure vp in Iesus Christ the permanent Riches of wisedome pietie and iustice which of themselues are sufficient through his grace to make vs liue with him for euer Of Pouertie Chap. 34. ACHITOB NOw that we haue seen the nature of riches with the most commō effects which flow from them and seeing the chief principall cause that leadeth men so earnestly to desire them is the feare of falling into pouertie which through error of iudgement they account a very great euill I am of opinion that we are to enter into a particular consideration thereof to the end that such a false perswasion may neuer deceiue vs nor cause vs to go astray out of the right pathe of Vertue ASER. Pouertie said Diogenes is a helpe to Philosophy and is learned of it selfe For that which Philosophie seeketh to make vs know by words pouertie perswadeth vs in the things themselues AMANA Rich men stand in need of many precepts as that they liue thriftily and soberly that they exercise their bodies that they delight not too much in the decking of them and infinite others which pouertie of hir selfe teacheth vs. But let vs heare ARAM discourse more at large of that which is here propounded vnto vs. ARAM. If we consider how our common mother the earth being prodigall in giuing vnto vs all things necessarie for the life of man hath notwithstanding cast all of vs naked out of hir bowels and must receiue vs so agayne into hir wombe I see no great reason we haue to cal some rich and others poore seeing the beginning being and end of the temporall life of all men are vnlike in nothing but that some during this litle moment of life haue that in abundance and superfluitie which others haue onely according to their necessitie But this is much more absurd and without all shew of reason that they whom we call poore according to the opinion of men should be accounted yea commonly take themselues to be lesse happy than rich men and as I may so say bastard children not legitimate bicause they are not equally and alike partakers of their mothers goods which are the wealth of the world for the hauing whereof we heare so many complaints and murmurings For first we see none no not the neediest and poorest that is except it be by some great strange mishap to be so vnprouided for that with any labour and pains taking which is the reward of sinne he is able to get so much as is necessary for the maintenance of his life namely food and raiment neither yet any that for want of these things howsoeuer oftentimes he suffer and abide much is constrained to giue vp the Ghost But further as touching the true eternall and incomparable goods of our common father their part and portion is nothing lesse thā that of the richest Yea many times they are rewarded and enriched aboue others in that beyng withdrawen from the care gouernment of many earthly things they feele themselues so much the more rauished with speciall and heauenly grace if they hinder it not in the meditation and contemplation of celestiall things from whence they may easily draw a great and an assured contentation in this life through a certaine hope that they shall enioy them perfectly bicause they are prepared for them in that blessed immortalitie of the second life For nothing is more certaine than this that as the Sunne is a great deale better seene in cleare and cleane water than in that which is troubled or in a miry and dirtie puddle so the brightnes that commeth from God shineth more in minds not subiected to worldlie goods than in them that are defiled and troubled with those earthlie affections which riches bring with them This is that which Iesus Christ himselfe hath taught speaking to him that demanded what he should do to haue eternall life If thouwilt be perfect saith he sell that which thou hast and giue it to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen adding besides that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen If a father diuiding his substance among his children should leaue to one as to his eldest or best beloued the enioying of his principall mannor by inheritance and to the rest their mothers goods which are of much lesse value and that only for terme of life what folly were it to iudge that these last were more preferred and had better portions than the other And I pray you what comparison is there betweene the greatest worldlie and transitorie riches that can be and the permanent treasures of heauen seeing those cannot be compared but to a thing of nought than which they are weaker beeing moreouer accompanied with innumerable hurtfull euils as we haue alreadie shewed What happines and felicitie can wealth adde to rich men aboue the poorer
that fall into it through negligence or misgouernment of those goods which God hath put into their hands that they should be faithfull keepers and disposers thereof in charitable workes This is that which Thucidides saith that it is no shame for a man to confesse his pouertie but very great to fal into it by his owne default Therefore to reape profite by that which hath beene heere discoursed let vs put off that old error which hath continued so long in mens braines that pouertie is such a great and troublesome euill whereas it is rather the cause of infinite benefits and let vs say with Pythagoras that it is a great deale better to haue a quiet and setled minde lying vpon the ground than to haue much trouble in a golden bed Moreouer let vs knowe that to possesse small store of earthlie goods ought not to be called pouertie bicause all fulnes of wealth aboundeth in the knowledge and assurance of the fatherlie grace and goodnes of the Author and Creator of all things which he offereth liberally to all without accepting either of pompe or greatnes And further when as continuing the care which it pleaseth him to take of vs he giueth vs although in trauell and sweate wherewith to feede and to cloth vs in all simplicitie and modestie and that according to our necessitie we should be vnthankfull and altogither vnwoorthie the assistance of his helpe and fauour and of his eternall promises if not contented nor glorifieng him for our estate we complained or wondred at desired the calling of other men offering thereby in will and affection our birthrights through a gluttonous desire whereas we ought to preserue to our selues the possession of that heauenlie inheritance wherein consisteth the perfection of all glorie rest and contentation Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming Chap. 35. ARAM. TWo things being the cause of all passions in men namely Griefe and Pleasure they alwayes desire the one but flie from and feare the other But the occasion of the greatest euil that befalleth them is bicause these desires and affections being borne with them from the beginning do also grow encrease a long time before they can haue any iudgement framed in them through the right vnderstandyng of things Whereupon as well by nature which of it selfe is more inclined to euill than to good as through a long continuing in vice they are easily drawen to follow the appetite and lust of their sensualitie wherein they falsly iudge that pleasure consisteth and thinke it painfull not to please it Being thus guided by ignorance and walking like blindmen they haue experience for the most part of such an end as is cleane contrary to their purposes As we may see in those men who purposing with themselues to liue at their ease in ioy rest and pleasure giue ouer all intermedling in serious matters and such as beseeme the excellencie of vertue that they may liue in idlenes wherwith being bewitched they are partakers of many false pleasures which procure them a greater number of griefs and miseries all which they thought to auoyd very well And this we may the better vnderstand if we discourse of Idlenes the enemie of all vertue and cleane contrary to Perseuerance which is a branch of Fortitude Therefore I propound the handling of this matter to you my Companions ACHITOB. Although we haue not a singular excellencie of spirite yet we must not suffer it to be idle but constantly follow after that which we haue wisely hoped to obtaine For as Erasmus saith that which is often done reiterated and continually in hand is finished at last ASER. They that do nothing saith Cicero learne to do ill through idlenesse the body minds of men languish away but by labour great things are obtained yea trauail is a worke that continueth after death Let vs then giue eare to AMANA who will handle more at large for our instruction that which is here propounded vnto vs. AMANA As we admire and honour them with very great commendation in whom we may note as we think some excellent and singular vertues so we contemn them whom we iudge to haue neither vertue courage nor fortitude in them and whom we see to be profitable neither to themselues nor to others bicause they are not laborious industrious nor carefull but remain idle and slouthfull And to say truth the maners conditions and natural disposition of such men are wholy corrupted their conuersation is odious vnprofitable and to be auoided seeing that Idlenes is the mother and nurse of vice which destroieth and marreth all Therefore it was very well ordained in the primitiue Church that euery one should liue of his owne labor that the idle and slothfull might not consume vnprofitably the goods of the earth Which reason brought in that ancient Romane edict mentioned by Cicero in his booke of Lawes that no Romane should goe through the streets of the city vnles he caried about him the badge of that trade whereby he liued Insomuch that Marcus Aurelius speaking of the diligence of the ancient Romanes writeth that all of them followed their labor and trauell so earnestly that hauing necessarie occasion one daye to send a letter two or three daies iournie from the towne he could not find one idle bodie in all the citie to carie it That great Orator and Philosopher Cicero minding to teach vs how we ought to hate Idlenes as being against nature sheweth that men are in deede borne to good works whereof our soule may serue for a sufficient and inuincible proofe seeing it is neuer still but in continuall motion action And for the same cause he greatly commendeth Scipio who vsed to say that he was neuer lesse quiet than when he was quiet Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that when he was not busied with waightie affaires of the Common-wealth yet his owne priuate matters and the searching after knowledge were no lesse troublesome vnto him so that euen then in his solitarines he tooke counsell with himselfe It seemeth saith this father of eloquence that nature doth more require of a man such actions as tend to the profit of men than she doth the perfect knowledge of all things seeing this knowledge and contemplation of the workes of nature should seeme to be maimed vnperfect if no action followed it whereas vertuous deedes are profitable to all men for which end nature hath brought vs foorth which sheweth sufficiently that they are better and more excellent So that vnles the knowledge of things be ioined with that vertue which preserueth humane societie it will seeme to be dead and vnprofitable Therefore Chrysippus the Philosopher said that the life of those men that giue themselues to idle studies differed nothing from that of voluptuous men So that we must not studie Philosophie by way of sport but to the end we may profit both our selues and others Now if action must of necessitie be ioined to
studie and contemplation to make a happie life so that otherwise it is as it were dead and idle what shall we say of that life that is void both of studie and action but that it is more beast-like than humane And how many millions of men are there in the world who liue in this sort and more in France than in any other nation Yea howe many are more idle and lesse carefull than brute beasts neglecting the prouision euen of things necessarie for this present life Amongst the obscure precepts which Pythagoras gaue to his Disciples this was one Take good heede that thou sit not vpon a bushell meaning that Idlenes and Sloth were especially to be eschewed Likewise when we shall enter into the consideration of those euils that issue from idlenes and sloth no doubt but we will flie from them as from the plague of our soules They are greatly to be feared in a Common-wealth bicause they open a gate to all iniustice and kindle the fire of sedition which setteth a floate all kind of impietie Furthermore they are the cause of the finding out of infinite false and pernitious inuentions for the releâ—uing of pouertie which for the most part floweth from the same fountaine of idlenes This mooued the wise and ancient kings of Egypt to imploy their idle people in digging of the earth and in the drawing foorth building of those Pyramides the chiefe of which is by the Historiographers placed among the seuen woonders of the world It could not be perfectly finished before the space of twentie yeeres albeit that three hundred and three score thousand men wrought about it continually The Captaines and Heades of the Romane armies fearing the dangerous effects of idlenes no lesse in their host than in their townes caused their souldiors to trauell in making of trenches when they were not vrged of their enemies as Marius did alongest the riuer of Rhone The Emperor Claudius enioying an assured peace caused the chanell Fucinus to be made that Rome might haue the commoditie of good waters about which work thirtie thousand men were daily imploied for the space of twelue yeeres Adrianus seeing a generall peace within his Empire continually vndertooke new and long iournies one while into Fraunce another while into Germanie sometime into Asia into other strange countries causing his men of warre to march with him saying that he did for feare least they being idle should be corrupted forget the discipline of warre and so be the cause of nouelties And it seemeth that this was the cause why a wise Romane councelled the Senate not to destroy Carthage least the Romanes being in safetie by the vtter subuersion thereof which onely at that time made head against them should become idle But now we may iustly say of them that through a lazie and cowardlie idlenes they haue lost the dignitie and vertue of their forefathers The Ephoryes who were Gouernors of the Lacedemonian estate being mooued with the same reason with which the Romane Scipio Nasica was touched after intelligence had of the taking sacking of a great towne into which their men were entred said that the armie of their youth was lost Whereupon they sent word to the Captaine of the armie that he should not after the same manner destroy another towne which he had besieged writing these words vnto him Take not away the pricke which stirreth forward the harts of our yoong men Gelon king of Syracusa led his people oftentimes into the fields aswell to labor the ground and to plant as to fight both that the earth might be better being well dressed as also bicause he feared least his people should waxe woorse for want of trauell So greatly did these ancient wise men feare the pernitious effects of idlenes and sloth which bring to nothing and corrupt the goodnes of nature whereas diligence exercise in good educatioÌ„ correcteth the naughtines thereof For as close waters saith Plutark putrifie quickly bicause they are couered shadowed standing so they that busie not themselues but remaine idle albeit they haue some good thing in them yet if they bring it not foorth neither exercise those naturall faculties that were borne with them they corrupt and destroy them vtterly And which is woorse as concupiscence saith Plato and luxuriousnes are quenched with great sharpe and continuall labor so are they kindled through idlenes Aretchles and slothfull man can find out nothing that is easie But there is nothing saith Seneca whereunto continuall labor is not able to attaine through care and vigilancie men come to the end of most difficult matters Fortune saith a Poet helpeth and fauoureth them that boldly set their hand to the worke but giueth the repulse to fearefull and base-minded men Let vs beleeue said Pythagoras that laborious and painefull things will sooner lead vs to vertue than those that are nice and delicate And as Hesiodus saith the Gods haue placed sweate before vertue and the way that leadeth vnto hir is long difficult and craggie A good Pilot seeing a tempest at hand calleth vpon the Gods that they would graunt him grace to escape it but in the meane while he taketh the helme into his hand he vaileth the foresaile and bringing about the maine saile laboureth to come out of the darke sea Hesiodus commaundeth the Husbandman to make his vowes to Iupiter and to Ceres before he either ploweth or soweth but he must do it with his hand vpon the plow taile Plato writing his lawes forbiddeth a man to fetch water at his neighbours house before he hath digged and delued in his owne ground euen to the clay and that it be perceiued that no water springeth there In like sort lawes must prouide for necessitie and not fauour sloth and idlenes By sloth we loose that which we haue alreadie well gotten but by diligence we attaine to that which we haue not and which may be necessarie for vs. I passed saith the wise man by the field of the slothfull and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and lo it was all growne ouer with thornes and nettles had couered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe It is sloth and negligence that causeth a man through want of good vnderstanding and iudgement not to care for the getting of that which is needfull for him bicause he feareth least he should loose it Whereupon this would follow which is a very absurd thing that nothing how deare and precious soeuer it be ought to be sought for or desired seeing all things are subiect to chaunge yea knowledge through great diseases and other inconueniences may be lessened and lost Idlenesse and slouth doe not hurt the soule onely but impaire also the health of the bodie Yea that rest which a man taketh by negligence is much more hurtfull vnto him than painfull exercise And they which thinke that health needeth
consequently the bond and preseruatiue of humane societie But if we being well instructed by the spirite of wisedome feede the hungrie giue drinke to the thirsty lodge them that want harbour and clothe the naked sowing in this manner by the works of pietie that talent which is committed to our keeping we shall reape abundantly in heauen the permanent riches treasures of eternall life Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie Chap. 42. ACHITOB IF that diuiue rule of Cicero were aswell written in our hart as he desired to haue it setled in his sonne that onely that thing is to be iudged profitable which is not wicked and that nothing of that nature should seeme profitable we should not behold amongst vs so many cursed acts as are daily committed through the vnbrideled desire of the goods of this world For that which most of all troubleth men is when they thinke that the sin which they purpose to practise is but small in respect of the gaine thereby craftily separating profite from honestie and so suffering themselues to be ouercome of couetousnes which is the defect of liberalitie whereof we discoursed euen now whose excesse also is Prodigalitie of which two vices we are now to intreat ASER. Every one that coueteth treasures said Anacharsis one of the wise men of Graecia is hardly capable of good coūsell and instruction For the couetous man commonly murmureth at that which God permitteth and nature doth so that he will sooner take vpon him to correct God than to amend his life AMANA It is a hard matter said Socrates for a man to bridle his desire but he that addeth riches therunto is mad For couetousnes neither for shame of the world nor feare of death will not represse or moderate it self But it belongeth to thee ARAM to instruct vs in that which is here propounded ARAM. Since the greedie desire of heaping vp gold and siluer entred in amongst men with the possession of riches couetousnesse folowed and with the vse of them pleasures and delights whereupon they began to saile in a dangerous sea of all vices which hath so ouerflowen in this age of ours that there are very few towers how high so euer seated but it hath gone vp a great deale aboue them For this cause I see no reason why men should esteeme so much or iudge it such a happy thing to haue much goodly land many great houses and huge summes of readie money seeing all this doth not teach them not to be caried away with passions for riches and seeing the possession of them in that maner procureth not a contentation void of the desire of them but rather inflameth vs to desire them more through an insatiable couetousnes which is such a pouerty of the soul that no worldly goods can remedie the same For it is the nature of this vice to make a man poore all his life time that he may find him self rich only at his death Moreouer it is a desire that hath this thing proper and peculiar to it selfe to resist and to refuse to be satisfied whereas all other desires helpe forward the same and seeke to content those that serue thē Couetousnesse saith Aristotle is a vice of the soule whereby a man desireth to haue from all partes without reason and vniustly with-holdeth that which belongeth to another It is sparing and skantie in giuing but excessiue in receiuing The Poet Lucretius calleth it a blind desire of goods And it mightily hindereth the light of the soule causing the couetous man to be neuer contented but the more he hath the more to desire and wish for The medicine which he seeketh namely gold and siluer encreaseth his disease as water doth the dropsie and the obtaining thereof is alwaies vnto him the beginning of the desire of hauing He is a Tantalus in hell who between water and meat dieth of hunger Now it is very sure that to such as are wise and of sound iudgement nature hath limited certaine bounds of wealth which are traced out vpon a certaine Center and vpon the circumference of their necessitie But couetousnesse working cleane contrary effects in the spirit of fooles carieth away the naturall desire of necessarie things to a disordinate appetite of such things as are full of danger rare and hard to be gotten And which is worse compelling the auaritious to procure them with great payne and trauell it forbiddeth him to enioy them and stirring vp his desire depriueth him of the pleasure Stratonicus mocked in olde ryme the superfluitie of the Rhodians saying that they builded as if they were immortall and rushed into the kitchin as if they had but a little while to liue But couetous men scrape togither like great and mightie men and spend like mechanicall and handy-craftesmen They indure labour in procuryng but want the pleasure of enioying They are like Mules that carie great burthens of golde and siluer on their backes and yet eate but hay They enioy neyther rest nor libertie which are most precious and most desired of a wise man but liue alwayes in disquietnesse being seruauntes and slaues to their richesse Their greatest miserie is that to encrease and keepe their wealth they care neither for equitie or iustice they contemne all lawes both diuine and humane and all threatnings and punishmentes annexed vnto them they liue without friendship and charitie and lay holde of nothyng but gayne When they are placed in authoritie and power aboue others they condemne the innocent iustifie the guiltie and finde alwayes some cleanly cloke and colour of taking and of excusing as they thinke their corruption and briberie making no difference betweene duetie and profite Wherfore we may well say in a word That couetousnes is the roote of all euill For what mischiefs are not procured through this vice From whence proceed quarels strifes suites hatred and enuie theftes pollings sackings warres murders and poisonings but from hence God is forgotten our neighbour hated and many times the sonne forgiueth not his father neither the brother his brother nor the subiect his Lord for the desire of gaine In a worde there is no kind of crueltie that couetousnesse putteth not in practise It causeth hired and wilfull murders O execrable impietie to be well thought of amongst vs. It causeth men to breake their faith giuen to violate all friendship to betray their countrey It causeth subiectes to rebell against their princes gouernours and magistrates when not able to beare their insatiable desires nor their exactions and intollerable subsidies they breake foorth into publike and open sedition which troubleth common tranquillitie whereupon the bodie politike is changed or for the most part vtterly ouerthrowen Moreouer the excesse of the vertue of liberalitie which is prodigalitie may be ioyned to couetousnesse and than there is no kind of vice but raigneth with all licence in that soule that hath these two guestes lodged togither And bicause it is a thing that
the Cannibals who yet spare domesticall blood But God the iust Iudge would not that such an execrable wickednes should be long concealed vnpunished For when it could not be found out by any inquirie of man one of the murderers touched with the hand of God and taken with an extreame sickenes being as it were mad and as Cain was in times past disclosed his sinne of himselfe the hainousnes whereof so troubled him that he said he could hope for no mercie Afterward recouering his health he was taken vpon his owne confession and being conuicted of the fact accused all the authors thereof of whome some are executed and the rest expect no better euent That couetousnes causeth subiects to rebell against their couetous Princes and that oftentimes to their ouerthrowe we haue an example in Mauritius the Emperour who was depriued of the Empire and had his head cut off besides the death of his fiue children of his wife by reason of the ill will of his people and men of warre which he had purchased who could beare no longer his couetousnes whereby he was mooued to winke at spoiles and murders and to keepe backe the pay of his souldiors In the time of S. Lewes the king the people of fiue cities fiue villages of high Almaigne which at this day we call Switserland raised such a great tumult sedition that they put to the edge of the sword all their Princes Lords and Noble-men the chiefe cause therof was their couetousnes which made them oppresse their subiects with vniust exactions The niggardlye sparing of king Lewes the eleuenth mooued strangers greatly to contemne him and was in part the cause of the rebellion of his subiects For hauing put away in a maner all the Gentlemen of his houshold he vsed his Tailor alwaies for his Herald of Armes his Barber for Embassador and his Phisition for his Chancellour and in derision of other kings he ware a greasie hat of the coursest wooll We find in the chamber of accounts a bill of his expences wherein is set downe 20. souse for two newe sleeues to his olde dublet and an other clause of 15. deniers for grease to grease his bootes And yet he increased the charges of his people three millions more than his predecessour had done and alienated a great part of his Demaine Sparing may well be vsed which at this daye is more necessarye than euer and yet the maiestie of a king nothing diminished neither the dignitie of his house and without the abasing of his greatnes Likewise those men who after they haue hoorded much treasure are so besotted and blinded with a couetous loue of their wealth that they will not vpon any necessitie imploy it can no more auoid their destruction than the other before mentioned This doth the historie of Calipha king of Persia teach vs who hauing filled a Tower with gold siluer iewels and pretious stones and being in warre against Allan king of the Tartarians was so ill succoured of his owne people bicause he would not giue them their pay that he was taken in his towne and by Allan committed prisoner in the said Tower with these words If thou hadst not kept this treasure so couetously but distributed it amongst thy souldiors thou mightest haue preserued thy selfe and thy citie Now therefore enioy it at thy ease and eate and drinke thereof seeing thou hast loued it so much And so he suffered him to die there of hunger in the midst of his riches The punishment which Dionysius the elder king of Syracusa laied vpon a rich couetous subiect of his was more gentle but woorthie to be well noted being full of instruction For being aduertised that he had hid great store of treasure in the ground he commanded him vpon paine of life to bring it vnto him which he did although not all of it but retained part which he tooke with him went to dwell in another citie where he bestowed his monie vpon inheritance When Dionysius vnderstood thereof he sent for him and restored all his gold and siluer saying vnto him forasmuch as thou knowest now how to vse riches not making that vnprofitable which was appointed for the vse of man take that which before thou wast vnwoorthie to enioy And to speake the truth there is no reason wherewith the couetousnes of such men may be coloured For if they say that they spend not bicause they care not for spending it is a point of great follie in them to labour to gather more wealth than they want But if they desire to spend and yet dare not for niggardlines do so nor enioy the fruite of their labour they are a great deale more miserable Whereby it appeereth vnto vs what a goodly and commendable thing it is to be content and satisfied with a little which freeth vs from the desire of vnnecessarie things Now if we are to take those things for superfluous which we will not vse we ought for the reasons already set down to make no lesse accoūt of those which we would abuse in riot and superfluitie The couetousnes of Darius king of the Persians was beguiled and laughed to scorne through the subtile inuention of Nitocris Queene of Babylon some attribute it to Semiramis who being desirous to welcome hir successors that were touched with auarice which she abhorred aboue al things caused a high sepulcher to be erected ouer those gates of the citie through which there was most passage with these words ingrauen therein If any king of Babylon that shal come after me find want in his treasurie let him open this tombe and take as much as he will Otherwise let him not open it for it will not be best for him After many ages were past and none of the kings of Babylon had touched the said sepulcher Darius conquering the kingdom caused the coffin to be opened thinking to find there that which was promised Neuerthelesse he found nothing there but a dead body with this writing If thou wert not insatiable and very couetous thou wouldest not haue opened the tombe of the dead Moreouer that couetousnes oftentimes blindeth men so farre as that it causeth them to take away their owne life without feare of condemning their soules many examples thereof are left in memorie of whom some through griefe for some great losse of goods others to leaue their children rich haue voluntarily procured their own death Cassius Licinius was of this number who being accused attainted conuicted of many thefts and briberies and beholding Cicero President at that time about to put on the purple gowne to pronounce sentence of confiscation of goods and of banishment he sent word to Cicero that he was dead during the processe and before condemnation and presently in the field he smothered himself with a napkin hauing no other meaning therein but to saue his goods for his children For then the lawes concerning the punishment of such as had
great Iudge and conuince vs of taking some thing of his and then the Iudge being vpright and iust deliuer vs into his hands to throw vs into darknes where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euermore Of Enuie Hatred and Backbiting Chap. 43. ARAM. THe mind of man which of it owne nature is created sociable gratious and ready to helpe euery one yea which by the force of charitie working togither with it feeleth it selfe as it were constrained to mourne with those that weepe and to reioice with them that laugh is able to shew nothing more vnwoorthy it selfe than to be ouercome of enuie which is a wild plant in the soule bringing foorth cleane contrary effects to that good wil which we owe to our neighbor comprehending in it all iniustice generally all wickednes of men as we may see if you think good my companiōs to search more narowly into the nature of this vice ACHITOB. Enuie proceedeth of a naughtie disposition and prouoketh light braines as Pindarus saith to reioice in beholding the aduersitie of some and to be vexed at the happie successe of others causing men also to delight in backbiting honest men especially such as are praised But take heede saith Pittacus least seeking to auoid enuie thou becommest miserable ASER. Glorye and vertue saith Virgil are alwaies enuied which vice is commonlye accompanied with Hatred and Ill-will whereby men are driuen forward to detract and slander others But hee that keepeth his mouth sayth the wise man keepeth his soule Let vs then heare AMANA who will instruct vs more at large in this which is heere propounded vnto vs. AMANA That wicked and suttle enimie of mankind not being able to abide the glorie whereunto God had called men of which he depriued himselfe through his pride was driuen with enuie to tempt our first parents whose ingratitude conceiuing sinne in the soule of man the first fruite brought foorth by this cursed plant seemeth likewise to haue beene enuie with which Adams eldest sonne being mooued slew his onely brother Oh cursed and furious enuie oh fruitfull branch of execrable euils seeing by thee man was first beguiled and induced afterward to admit murder into his hart and to water the earth being yet virgine-like with his brothers blood whereby he began his chiefe worke vpon innocencie to the end that wicked men might from father to son haue this prerogatiue to oppresse the good Is there any vice then amongst vs which we ought to hate and flie from more than from enuie which hauing nothing of hir first euill nature diminished leadeth men to most vniust and detestable actions Neuertheles to what passion are we more inclined or do we nourish more willingly than this Let euery one enter into himselfe and vndoubtedly he shall find there a thousand enuies which are neuer without hatred and rancor grafted in the secretest place of his soule True it is that enuy according to the subiects which it meeteth withall bringeth foorth more pernitious effects in some and lesse hurtfull in others But how soeuer it be this passion is alwaies blame-woorthie and ought to be eschewed of euery good and vertuous man whose desire is not to wander out of the path of dutie and honestie We say therefore that Enuie is a griefe arising of another mans prosperitie and that malignitie is commonly ioined with it whether it be the fountaine therof as some say or one part thereof as others will haue it This malignitie is a delight pleasure takē in another mans harme although we receiue no profit thereby and it seemeth to be accidentall that is procured by hatred or ill will arising of some euill affection that one man beareth to another For this cause Plutark distinguisheth hatred from enuie saying that hatred is bred in our harts through an imagination and conceit which we haue that he whome we hate behaueth himselfe wickedly either towards all men generally or particularly towards vs but that men enuie onely those whome they know to be in prosperitie And so it seemeth that enuie is indefinite and not limited much like to sore eies that are offēded at euery cleernes and light but that hatred is limited being alwaies grounded and staied vpon some certaine obiects in regard of it selfe Moreouer no man hath iust cause to enuie another mans prosperitie For he doth no man wrong bicause he is happie whereas on the contrarie side many are iustly hated for their vices and impieties and ought to be shunned of good men which hatred of the wicked is a propertie that belongeth to good men But the hatred that is borne towards good men is a passion not much separated from enuie And thus may these two passions resembling two plants be said to be nourished preserued increased by the selfe same meanes albeit they succeed one another The same Plutark being desirous to teach vs how we ought to abhorre enuie calleth it sorcerie bicause through the poison thereof it doth not onely fill the enuious bodie with a naughtie and hurtfull disposition but the infection disperseth it selfe also through the eies euen vpon them that behold it so that they are touched therewith as it were by some poisonfull influence Likewise he compareth it to the flies called Cantharides For as they alight especially vpon the fairest wheate and most blowne roses so enuie commonly setteth it selfe against the honestest men and such as haue most glorie vertue Power honor strength riches are but brands to kindle the fire thereof Therefore Thucidides saith that a wise man desireth to be enuied to the ende he may doe great things Bias said that enuie and an old house oftentimes light vpon a man and neuer knocke at his gates But if enuie be hurtful to others it is much more noisome to him that possesseth it tormenting him within continually with a thousand turbulent passions which shorten his daies diminisheth powers of his bodie and are a great deale more pernitious to his soule For it will not suffer him to taste or conceiue any good speech or sound instruction from whomsoeuer it commeth but causeth him to reiect and speake against it as if he were iealous and enuious of his owne good The occasion whereof is the ill will which naturally he beareth against all them that deserue more than himselfe whereupon he striueth rather to blame or to wrest in ill part whatsoeuer was well meant than to reape any profite thereby And if he heare a man commend other mens deuices or any of his owne doings contrary to his mind he thinketh that he hath so many blowes giuen him with a cudgell Thus we see that enuie wishing well to none doth no lesse torment and hurt his soule that is infected therewith And to speake in a word it comprehendeth the generall iniustice which is all kind of wickednes and destroieth all duties of humanitie causing men to hurt those whom they ought
as may serue for hir profit For seeing women as Plato saith haue a soule as well as we and as quicke a spirite yea oftentimes a more excellent spirite than we we must not think them vncapable of the goodly reasons of Philosophie wherein many of them haue gone beyond many Philosophers Knowledge and skill wil keepe a woman from other vnmeete exercises and being rauished with hir husbands braue discourses she will contemne the losse of time in vnprofitable matters She will neuer fall into that daunger which oftentimes befalleth women who conceiue and bring foorth by themselues strange counsels and extrauagant passions when they receiue not from else-where the seedes of good speeches and when their husbands impart not vnto them any sound doctrine The same as fables faine preuailed more than the Northerne winde For the more the wind laboured to get away a mans gowne and to that ende blew more violently the harder did he girde vp and restraine his garment But when the Sunne waxed hote after the winde the man feeling himselfe heated cast off his gowne and afterward burning with heate he put off his coate and all So if husbands go about to order their wiues with their bare authoritie and by force they will striue against it and be offended but contrarywife being admonished with reason they yeeld of themselues and take it patiently The fooles of this world commonly gird and mocke that man who peraduenture seemeth to be led a litle too much by his lawfull wife loyall spouse vsing more gentlenesse and curtesie towards hir than rigor and commaunding and yet you shall see themselues so strangely bewitched by some strumpet that they feare not to hazard their life and honour in hir seruice But it beseemeth a man a great deale better to be well liking gentle and acceptable to an honest and vertuous wife than to abase himselfe to a common harlot And those men deceiue themselues who hauing maried rich wiues and of noble houses studie not to make them more honest and better qualified but to pull them downe perswading themselues that they will come to better order when they haue abased brought them lowe Whereas euery one ought to maintain the dignitie of his wife as he would do the iust height of a horse and be skilful both in the one and the other to vse the bridle well as it becomemeth him Besides a husband is not to rule his wife as a lord or master doth his slaue but as the soule doth a wise mans bodie through a mutuall loue and ioint affection whereby he is bound vnto hir And as the soule may well be carefull ouer the body although it become not a slaue to the pleasures inordinate affections thereof so a wise husband will behaue himselfe by pleasing and gratifiyng his wife in honest things and by shewing that he loueth honor and vertue aboue all things This will be a mean to make hir as wise vertuous and honest as otherwise if himselfe be giuen to voluptuousnesse he shall cause hir to like of curtisans conditions and to become slipperie and lasciuious No man saith Cleobulus ought to chide or to fawne vpō his wife before others for the one is the point of a foole the other of a mad man Socrates practised one of these points very well when Xantippa his wife reuiling and chiding him in the ende being caried headlong with wrath ouerthrew table and all Whereupon Euthydemus whom he had brought home to suppe with him rose vp to depart But Socrates not shewing himselfe greatly mooued or angry with his wife staied him and sayde What do you not remember my friend that as we were at dinner with you the other day a henne lept vpon the table and did as much to vs and yet we were not angrie therefore Solon ordained that the husband should goe see his wife thrise a moneth at the least not for pleasure but to yeeld vnto hir as it were by obligation the pledges and gages of friendship through honor grace and loialtie which ought to increase daily And as cities at sundry times renew these alliaunces which they haue one with another so this lawe-maker would haue the alliaunce of mariage that I may so speake renued by the speeches vsed at such greetings and visitations We see daily what miseries and offences light vpon houses when the head of the familie hath no care to rule and guide it whereupon also the women thinke that they are despised and smally beloued And in truth they haue occasion giuen them so to thinke when their husbands seldome keep them company The Pilote that giueth ouer his ship to the mercy of the waues declareth euidently that he careth not for loosing that which is in it A wife without hir husband is exposed to many ambushes and assaultes that are hardly sustained To this purpose I remember a notable historie written in the chronicles of Russia namely that the inhabitants of Nouogradum which at this day is the chiefe principall seate of that countrey being gone into Graecia to besiege the towne of Corsun where they continued for the space of seuen yeeres their wiues in the meane while wearied with their long abode there maried their seruants The husbands afterward returning conquerours found their slaues in the field who gaue them battell and had the better of them Neuertheles in the end the slaues were vanquished and the most part of the women moued with indignation for that ouerthrow hung themselues Now as touching that other point mentioned by that wise man Cleobulus namely that a mā must not dally with his wife in the presence of others Cato depriued a Senator of Rome from the Senatoriall dignitie bicause he kissed his wife in his daughters presence This was somwhat too extreme But howsoeuer it be as Plato admonisheth men growen in yeeres to shew themselues shamefast before the yonger sort to the end that they also should learne to behaue themselues reuerently and warily so surely this precept is especially to be kept betweene man and wife that they may be an example of honor and chastitie vnto all Likewise the man must diuide the offices and affaires of the house with his wife giuing hir authoritie ouer all things in his absence and in his presence also ouer houshold matters such things as are more proper agreeable to that sexe causing hir to be feared reuerenced and obeied of the children men-seruants and maid-seruants as himselfe But as if one take two sounds that agree well the base is always more heard so in a well ruled and ordered house all things are done by the consent of both parties but yet so that it is alwaies apparant that things are done by the direction counsell and inuention of the husband For a familie will suffer but one head one master one lord otherwise if there were many heads the commandements would be contrary and the familie in
were partly founded to this ende But how carefull are we at this day to imitate those auncients in this earnestnesse of good bringing vp of children in the studie of sciences and good discipline Haue we not very good occasion to say with Crates the Philosopher that it is most necessarie that one should ascend vp into the highest place of this kingdome and cry aloude Oh ye men whither doe ye throwe your selues headlong in taking all the paynes that may be to heape vp goodes and treasures that perish and in the meane while make no reckoning of your children but suffer them to continue long and to grow old in ignorance which destroyeth them both body and soule and turneth to the confusion and ouerthrow of your country For it is most certaine that a good nature ill brought vp waxeth very pernitious and that the mindes and hartes of men that are corruptly instructed become most wicked Doe you thinke saith Plato that execrable villanies and horrible vices proceede rather of a naughtie nature than of a noble nature corrupted with euill education In like maner a good nature well tilled will attaine to the toppe of vertue but if it be negligently looked vnto it will be nothing but vice But let vs see what goodly instructions the auncients haue giuen concerning this matter The same Plato was so carefull and searched out so exactly the good education of children as that which is as precious and necessarie a thing as any can be in the life of man that hee taketh them euen from their mothers wombe yea before they are begotten First hee willeth that the husband and wife that are desirous of children should keepe them-selues from drunkennesse and from entring into the bedde when they are cholerike and full of trouble bicause that many times is the cause of vices in children Next he requireth that great bellied women should giue themselues to walking and beware of liuing either too delicately or too sparingly that they should haue quiet mindes with many other things which he alleageth to that purpose He saith also that children being in their mothers wombe receiue good and ill as the fruites of the earth doe After they are borne he carefully recommendeth their education Wee will not here stande vpon many pointes to be obserued therein as namelie vpon the choice of Nurses whereof fewe are ignoraunt seeing it belongeth to the true and naturall office of euerie mother to nourish that with hir teate which she hath brought into the world except there be some great and lawfull impediment But let vs go on with the sayings of Plato He chargeth nurses to lead their children oftentimes on their feete vntil they be 3. yeeres old bicause this moouing is very profitable for them He forbiddeth much crying in children bicause it breedeth in them a habite and custome of sadnesse From 3. yeeres to six he would haue them moderately corrected when they commit a fault forbidden aboue all things to accustome them from that time forward vnto daintines or to ouer-great seueritie saying that delicatenes maketh them froward hard to please cholerike soone mooued and that seueritie maketh them hard-harted cruell abiect base-minded very blocks and fooles and haters of men At sixe yeeres of age he would haue them put apart from the daughters and begin to learne to ride a horse to shoote to practise all kind of feates of Armes both with the right hand and with the left to put in vre all other exercises of moderate labor that they may waxe strong and be acquainted with labour and therefore to vse such laborious pastimes But he expresly forbiddeth to change euery day for new this age being very apt thervnto saying that nothing is more pernitious than to acquaint youth to despise antiquitie But aboue all things he commandeth that children should be so brought vp that they be not constrained to any thing whatsoeuer they shall take in hand but as it were in sport that so euery ones nature may be knowne Neither would he haue them beaten without great discretion bicause it is not seemely that a free man should learne liberall sciences by seruitude and compulsion And in truth no science forced vpon a man will continue stedfast with him Moreouer he would haue them apply themselues to Musicke both to sing hymnes and songs to the praise of God to laud and magnifie him and to hope for all good successe from him as also to recreate their spirits He greatly misliketh in them slouth and too much sleepe saying that much sound sleepe is good neither for the bodie nor for the soule that it is nothing profitable for him that desireth to bring any good thing to passe bicause as long as a man sleepeth he doth nothing more than if he liued not Therefore whosoeuer desireth to liue and to come to knowledge let him watch as much as he may hauing regard notwithstanding to his health which is contented with a little when a man is once acquainted therewith Now bicause a child as he saith is more vnruly than a sauage beast he would neuer haue him left without a wise and vertuous maister It is no lesse necessarie saith he to consider what teachers a man hath than what parents For as children doe in a manner carie away the spirits of their forefathers so the vices of teachers are deriued vnto their schollers Therefore let such be chosen as teach vs their vertue by their workes and not such as onely vtter and speake many goodly words studied out of it At ten yeeres this diuine Philosopher would haue children to learne letters vntill fifteene But bicause we are to learne languages that differ from ours it were good to beginne sooner and to end a little after I thinke it were very profitable for youth to begin at the aboue named age of sixe yeeres to teach him his moother toong perfectly that he may read pronounce and write it well After at eight yeeres to teach him the rudiments of the Latine toong and to let him follow that vntil it be as familiar vnto him or little lesse than his natural speech At fourteene yeeres the same Plato would haue children learne Arithmetike saying that it is very necessary both for a souldior and for a Philosopher next Geometrie and that part of Astronomie that is necessarie for Cosinographie which he would haue likewise learned He commandeth also that youth should practise hunting bicause it is as it were an image of warre and an exercise that maketh men apt to sustaine all labour and trauell This institution of youth is surely woorthie of that diuine spirite of Plato and that partie were very vnhappie and of a froward and corrupt nature who being thus diligently brought vp would not growe to be a vertuous and good man He putteth small difference betweene the education and bringing vp of daughters and that of sonnes not depriuing women
youth if we obserue and vse these fower things Instruction Admonition Promise Praises and Threatnings We will comprehend all Instruction vnder sixe precepts The first shall be to shewe vnto children that they must worship God and honour him chiefly and aboue all things referring all their thoughts and deedes to the glorie of his name that it is he that hath created and preserueth all things that he suffereth no wickednes to passe vnpunished nor good worke vnrewarded but giueth eternall happines to good men and euerlasting paine and punishment to them that are euill Let them knowe that without his grace and fauour they can doe nothing no not so much as liue one moment and therefore that they must continually and before euery worke call vpon him and beware that they offend him not by neglecting his commandemēts which for this cause they must diligently learne The second instruction which I finde most necessarie for youth is to teach them not to glorie in earthlie and worldlie goods but to learne rather to despise them and to transport the loue of the bodie and of carnall goods which it desireth to the loue of the soule and of eternal goods which properly belong vnto them They must not make great account of the beautie of the bodie which hauing inclosed within it the soule that is defiled with vice and sinne is nothing else but a pretious and proud sepulcher vnder which is contained a stinking and putrified carrion They must not put their hope and confidence in riches but be perswaded that they are rich and happie if they be wise learned and vertuous And whilest their vnderstanding is good and in vigour and themselues haue time they must put all their strength to the obtaining of that which will be profitable vnto them in their olde age namely of knowledge and vertue which will procure vnto them honour safetie praise happines rest and tranquillitie in their life time and will in the ende guide them to eternall life to be made coheires of the kingdome of heauen with Iesus Christ Thirdly they must be taught to eschewe and flie from all such thinges which they see are hurtfull to others and learne to be wise by their dangers and perils Nowe that which marreth and hurteth others is disobedience lying pride infidelitie naughtines hazarding games whoredome drunkennes prodigalitie idlenes and euill companie Against the contagion of which vices no better preseruatiue can be had than to ingraue modestie in their hartes by the rule and measure whereof they may easily be directed to behaue themselues vertuously For this cause Plutarke sayth very elegantly that the foolish opinion and presumption which yoong men commonly conceiue of themselues ought rather to be emptied than the ayre wherewith bottles and Kiddes skinnes are puffed vp when any good thing is to be put into them Otherwise being full of the winde of ouer-weening they receiue none of that good instruction which men thinke to powre into them For the fourth precept of their instruction we will set downe these fower thinges which will stande them in great steede towards the attayning of a happie life Let them not be delicate or superfluous in anye thinge Let them bridle their toong and not be full of wordes nor vtter filthie and dishonest talke at anie tyme but be gratious and curteous in speaking to all men saluting euery one gladly and willingly giuing place in those things wherein the truth is not hurt Let them maister their choler by cutting off impatience as much as may be which is a singular vertue Lastly let them haue pure hands seeing manie great men by taking monie vniustly haue stilled all that honour which they had gathered togither all the former time of their life Fiftly the examples of good and bad men are to be laid before their eies through the reading and vnderstanding of histories that they may knowe that vertuous men haue beene well rewarded and the vitious receiued an euill and miserable ende For this cause we reade that the olde men of Rome vsed at feastes to singe the famous actes of their Ancestours before their youth For the sixt and last precept we say that it is needfull for youth to be vsed to labour and wearisomnes to keep them from idlenes and from falling into any dishonest pleasure We haue seene what exercises and pastimes are meete for them according to the opinion of the Ancients and at this daye we knowe howe to make choice of them as shall be meetest for the nobilitie Now to speake briefly of the other three generall precepts giuen by vs for the institution of youth Admonition is very necessarie for that age For although youth be well borne and brought vp yet hath it such actiue and vehement prouocations that it is easily brought to stumble Wherfore yoong men must be often admonished of their dutie and spoken vnto of honestie and of vertuous men bicause words mooue their minds The steps of their honest predecessors are to be laid before their eies to induce them to follow their paths And aboue all things the promise of that life which is eternally happie for those that perseuere in vprightnes and iustice is to be propounded vnto them O man well affected saith Horace go ioifully whither thy vertue leadeth thee and thou shalt reape great rewards for thy deserts O ye yoong men saith Plautus walke on in that way wherein vertue will direct you and ye shall be very well recompenced For he that hath vertue hath all thinges necessarie for him and wanteth nothing These are the promises which ought to be beaten into the harts of children adding further to them that are very yoong a promise to giue them what they will so that they learne well that which is taught them Last of all praises and threatnings must be added by commending children when we see them profit in vertue and honestie to encourage them to go forward and to do better better Glorie saith Ouid giueth no small strength to the mind and the desire and loue of praise causeth the hart to be resolute and readye to vndertake all things Quintilian would haue yong men praised when they profitte and are willing to learne as likewise they are to be threatned if they be slothfull and negligent in the obtaining of vertue and honestie and wil neither heare nor vnderstand nor yet put in practise those good admonitions that are giuen them And if they amend not with threatnings they must haue good discipline and correction vsed towards them and be chasticed with discretion To this purpose Plutark saith that the hope of reward and feare of punishment are as it were the two elements and foundation of vertue For hope maketh yoong men prompt and readie to vndertake all good and commendable things feare maketh them slowe in presuming to commit such things as are vile and full of reproch So that if
good and iust but if to an ill ende namely to the particular profite of such as commaund they are euill and vniust Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office Chap. 54. ACHITOB WE commonly say that that thing is rightly done which is done according to the order and institution of policie Neither is right any other thing amongst vs than the order of that estate vnder which we liue the soueraigntie wherof is the sure foundation vnion and bond of all the particulars in one perfect body of a commō-welth And when iudgements are exercised by the magistrates when the wil of iustice is declared by the exposition of the lawes of right and when we direct our actions vnder iustice thē is the order of ciuil societie duly obserued Hereupon in our last discourse we said that the estate of a common-wealth was compounded of 3. general partes of the magistrate of the law and of the people Thus followyng our purpose let vs intreat particularly of these parts wherof euery common-welth consisteth first let vs consider of the chief magistrate and of his authoritie and office ASER. All ciuil superioritie is a holy and lawful vocation before God And as iustice is the end of the law and the law a worke of the magistrate so also the magistrate is the image of God who ruleth and gouerneth all according to which mould and paterne he must fashion himselfe through the meanes of vertue AMANA As in a man that is well disposed both in bodie and soule according to nature not corrupted the soule ruleth and commandeth with reason being the better part and the body with the affections thereof serue obey as the woorse part so is it in euery humane assemblie It belongeth to the wisest to rule and to such as are lesse aduised to obey Therefore the Magistrate must aboue all things labour that he be not vnwoorthie of that person which he sustaineth But let vs heare ARAM discourse of this matter which is heere propounded vnto vs. ARAM. God being carefull of all things euen of the very least and comprehending in himselfe the beginning end and midst of them according to his good pleasure and making all in all by his onely spirite respecting the common good of this whole frame and preseruation of humane societie hath from time to time distributed to sundry persons distinct and different graces that in exercising diuers estats charges administrations offices handicrafts and occupations they might through mutuall succour and interchangable helpe preserue and maintain themselues This is that which we see in cities amongst ciuill companies which is asmuch to say as a multitude of men vnlike in qualities conditions as rich poore free bond noble vile skilfull ignorant artificers labourers some obeying others commanding and all communicating togither in one place their arts handicrafts occupations exercises to this end that they may liue the better and more commodiously They obey also the same Magistrates lawes and soueraigne councell which Plato calleth the Anchor head and soule of the citie which naturally tendeth to some order and rule of dominion as that which tooke beginning and increase from persons acquainted with a gouernment that resembleth the royall regiment as appeereth in euery well ordered familie and hath already beene touched of vs. The first soueraign gouernment was established either by the violence of the mightiest as Thucidides Caesar Plutarke and others write and the holy historie testifieth the same vnto vs and putteth this opinion out of doubt where it is sayd that Nimrod Chams nephewe was the first that brought men into subiection by force and violence establishing his principalitie in the kingdome of Assyria Or if any will beleeue Demosthenes Aristotle and Cicero the first soueraigntie was instituted vpon their will and good liking who for their owne commoditie rest securitie submitted themselues to such as excelled most in vertue in those times which they called heroicall Who knoweth not saith Cicero in his oration for Sestius that the nature of men was sometime such that not hauing natural equitie as yet written they wandred vp and downe being dispersed in the fields and had nothing but that which they could catch keep forceably by murders and wounds Wherefore some excelling in vertue and counsell knowing the docilitie vnderstāding of man gathered the dispersed togither into one place brought them from that rudenes wherein they were vnto iustice gentlenes Then they established those things that belonged to common profit which we call publike appointed assemblies afterward called cities walled about their buildings ioined togither which we cal townes hauing first found out both diuine and humane equitie At the same time the authoritie of Magistrats tooke place who were instituted by the consent of the people for that excellent heroicall vertue which they saw in those first Rectors and Ordainers of ciuill societie to whome was committed the iurisdiction of lawes or receiued customes and the disposition of written equitie to rule and gouerne their people thereafter But not to staye long about the diuersitie of those opiniōs which we haue heere alleadged for the establishment of the soueraigntie this is out of question that the foundation of euery common-wealth dependeth thereupon that it is the absolute perpetual power of the Common-wealth is not limited either in power or charge or for a certaine time This soueraigntie is in him or them that are chiefe of the Estate a little king is asmuch a soueraigne as the greatest Monarch of the earth For a great kingdome saith Cassiodorus is nothing else but a great Common-wealth vnder the keeping of one chief soueraigne But before we intreate more amply of his authoritie and office it behooueth vs to render a reason of the name of Magistrate which is heere giuen vnto him This word Magistrate hath beene taken of the Ancients in diuers significations and Plato maketh seuenteene sortes of them calling some necessary Magistrats others honourable Aristotle said that they ought chiefly to be called Magistrats that haue power to take counsell to iudge and to command but especially to command And this doth the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently declare as if he would say Commanders and the Latine word Magistratus being a word of commanding signifieth to maister and to exercise dominion Also the Dictator who had the greatest power to command was called of the Ancients Magister populi Therefore albeit the name of Magistrate hath been heeretofore and is yet giuen to all that haue publike and ordinarie charge in the Estate yet we will as it were abuse this name a little by transferring it to the Soueraigne of all of whome all Magistrats lawes and ordinances of the Common-wealth depend Now let vs see whether this vocation of the Magistrate be lawfull and approoued of God We
ciuil estate gouernment which is the chief Magistrate let vs consider now of the second no lesse necessary therein which is the law whereby he is ioined and vnited to the rest of the publike body for the maintenance and preseruation thereof ACHITOB. The lawe is in the citie as the spirite is in the body For as the body without the spirite vndoubtedly perisheth in like maner euery citie Commonwealth that hath no law falleth into ruine and perdition Therefore Cicero calleth lawes the soules of Common-wealths ASER. As the soule guideth the body and indueth it with abilitie to work so the law is the direction maintenance of euery Estate By the lawe is the Magistrate obeied and the subiects kept in peace and quietnes But let vs heare AMANA handle this matter AMANA We see that naturally all liuing creatures whether earthie watry aërie or flying tame or wild seeke after the companies and assemblies of their kinds to liue with them as Sheepe by flocks Kine Oxen Harts and Hindes feeding by herds Horses Asses Mules by companies Choughs Stares Cranes other birds by flights Fishes both in fresh and salt waters following one another in sholes Bees dwelling in hiues Pigeons in doouehouses Ants in little hollow places No maruell therefore if men singularly adorned with an immortal soule with reason speech and by these prerogatiues more communicable than other creatures as borne to honour God to loue one another to liue togither in a ciuill policie with lawes Magistrats iudgements hauing proper to themselues onely the knowledge of good euill of honestie dishonestie of iustice iniustice knowing the beginnings causes of things their proceedings antecedents consequents their similitudes cōtrarieties no maruel I say if they liue more commodiously happily togither do that by right equity which other liuing creatures do only by a natural instinct seeing also they may be assured as Cicero saith that nothing here below is more acceptable to god the gouernor of all the world than the cōgregations assemblies of mē linked togither by right equity which we cal cities Now we are to note that all those which obey the same lawes Magistrats make iointly togither but one city which as Aristotle saith is euery cōpany assembled togither for some benefit If a city be assēbled in monarch-wise it is to be defēded against strāgers to liue peaceably among thēselues according to law if Aristocratically vnder certaine chiefe lords it is to be respected according to their riches nobility vertue if in a popular cōmunity it is to enioy liberty equality the better that the city is guided by policy the greater benefit they hope for therby Therefore as the Venetians make but one city liuing vnder an Aristocraticall gouernment the Bernians an other liuing vnder a Democraty whether they liue within or without the wals or far frō the chief towne so all the natural subiects of this Monarchy acknowledging one king for their soueraigne lord obeying his commandemēts the decrees of his coūcel represent one city political cōmunion cōpounded of many villages townes prouinces Prouostships Bailiweeks Senshalships gouernments Parliaments Barronies Counties Marquesies Dukedoms Cures Bishopriks Archbishopriks being in of it self sufficiently furnished with all necessary honest things for the leading of a good vertuous life obeying the statuts lawes ordinances established therin according to which the Magistrat ought to rule to gouern his subiects shewing therby that albeit he be not subiect to the law yet he wil as it becommeth him liue gouerne himselfe vnder the law Therfore the Magistrate is very wel called by some a liuing lawe the law a mute Magistrate Moreouer the marke of a soueraign Prince of which depēdeth whatsoeuer he doth by his imperial authority is the power to prescribe lawes vnto all in general to euery one in particular not to receiue any but of God who is the Iudge of Princes saith Marcus Aurelius as Princes are the iudges of their subiects yea it is God saith the wise mā that wil proceed with rigor against thē for the contēpt of his law So that they which say generally that princes are no more subiect to laws thā to their own couenāts if they except not the laws of god of nature those iust couenants and bargaines that are made with them they are iniurious to God And as for their power to abrogate such lawes by their absolute authoritie it is no more permitted vnto them than the other seeing the power of a soueraign is only ouer the ciuill or positiue lawes But that we may haue some certaine vnderstanding of the matter heere propounded vnto vs to intreate of we must first see what the lawe is into howe many kindes it is diuided whereunto it ought to tend the profite of it and howe we must obey it The lawe is a singular reason imprinted in nature commanding those things that are to be done and forbidding the contrary We haue both the lawe of nature and the lawe written The lawe of nature is a sence and feeling which euerie one hath in himselfe and in his conscience whereby he discerneth betweene good and euill asmuch as sufficeth to take from him the cloake of ignorance in that he is reprooued euen by his owne witnesse The written lawe is double diuine and ciuill The diuine lawe is diuided into three partes that is into Manners Ceremonies and Iudgements That of Manners was called of the ancient writers the Morall lawe beeing the true and eternall rule of Iustice appointed for all men in what countrie or tyme soeuer they liue if they will direct their life according to the will of God And as for the Ceremonies and Iudgements although they haue some relation to Maners yet bicause both of them might be altered and abolished without the corruption or diminution of good manners the Ancients did not comprehend those two parts vnder the word Morall but attributed this name particularly to the first part of the lawe of which the sincere integritie of Maners dependeth which neither may nor ought in any sort to be altered or changed and whereunto the end of all other lawes is to be referred in honouring God by a pure faith and by godlines and in being ioined vnto our neighbour by true loue The Ceremonial lawe was a Pedagogie of the Iewes that is to say a doctrine of infancie giuen to that people to exercise them vnder the obedience to God vntill the manifestation of those things which were then figured in shadowes The Iudiciall law giuen vnto them for policie taught them certaine rules of iustice and equitie wherby they might liue peaceably togither without hurting one another Now as the exercise of ceremonies appertained to the doctrine of pietie which is the first part of the Morall law
general end be to set an order and policie amongst vs and not dispute of their reason and cause as long as their iurisdiction extendeth not to our soules to lay vpon them a new rule of iustice Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Law Chap. 56. AMANA WE haue hitherto seene that the preseruation of policies dependeth of the obseruation of the law that the soueraigne magistrate ruleth thereby and vseth it as a bond to reduce to vnitie and agreement all the citizens of one Common-wealth being vnlike in calling and liuing vnder his dominion at which marke euery good politike gouernor ought chiefly to aime Now my companions we are to intreat of this third part of a citie which maketh the politike body perfect and absolute namely of the people and of that obedience which they ought to yeeld to the magistrate and to the law ARAM. The whole Common-wealth fareth well or ill as all hir parts euen to the least are ruled and containe themselues within the compasse of their duetie For all of them togither make but one body whereof the magistrate is the head and the lawe the soule that giueth life vnto it Wherefore it is needefull that these should commaund and the other obey ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer profiteth the whole profiteth the part and that which is commodious to the part is also commodious to the whole and so contrarywise Wherefore to obey well which is necessarily required of the people is greatly auaileable to the whole political bodie Now let vs heare ASER handle this matter vnto vs more at large ASER. In euery discipline the beginning is commonly taken from the least partes thereof Grammer taketh his beginning from letters which are the least things in it Logike from the two least partes thereof namely the Nowne and the Verbe Geometrie from the point Arithmetick from Vnitie Musick from the Minnem and Sembrief which are likewise the least parts therof Therefore hauing seene that Policie is the order and life of the citie and that the citie is a multitude of citizens before we speak of the whole bodie of them we must as I think intreat first of a citizen who although he differ according to the diuersitie of common-wealths yet to take him properly may be said to be euery one that hath right to iudge in his citie hath a deliberatiue voyce in the generall or common councell thereof This definition of a citizen cannot fitly be applied to all citizens of all Common-wealths but only to those that are ruled popularly wherin they are all equall and gouerne themselues by assemblies in which euery one hath libertie to speake his aduise Some define a citizen to be he whose parents are citizens or els to be a free subiect holding of the soueraigntie of an other wherin they adde this word Free to distinguish him from slaues and strangers But generally we may say that whosoeuer may beare offices or magistracie in what forme of gouernment so euer is reputed taken for a citizen and such are all the naturall Frenchmen in this monarchie amongst whom there is not one how base soeuer he be that may not be made noble by vertue or that may not by skill and integritie of life attaine to the greatest estates of iustice of treasurie and of other publike charges This is not seen in all common-wealths For in the Seignorie of Venice it seemeth that none are truely citizens but the lordes and nobles who onely enioy the office of magistracie and may enter into the great councell after they haue attained the age of fiue and twentie yeeres As for the people they intermeddle not with any matter of gouernment this only excepted that they may be Secretaries and Chancellors as Contarenus reporteth The citie of Rome hauing many times sundry gouernments the appellation of a citizen was likewise diuers therein For as long as the first kings rules the common people were altogither excluded from publike honors offices But after when the regall power was changed into the gouernment of a certaine number of men chosen by suffrages and common voyces the people were admitted to magistracies and to the managing of affairs being present at the publike assemblie had in Mars his field which was distributed by tribes wardes companies and centuries to deliberate of the common estate to create magistrates and to decree new lawes where he was reputed for a citizen in deed that was a free man that had both house and tribe and possibilitie to attaine to honor enioying besides many other priuiledges and prerogatiues But when the soueraigntie came into the emperors hands those assemblies continued onely vnder Iulius and Octautus and after were abrogated by Tyberius and translated to the Senate and to the absolute power of the prince taking away al authoritie frō the people in publike matters Now to returne to our former assertion we say that all they are citizens to whom the gate that leadeth to the gouernment of the citie lieth open I mean the whole company of them that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates Such are all the subiects and naturall vassals of our king of whom the people and the nobilitie are the two orders or estates and of them is the estate of the church compounded which maketh one part of the common-wealth of France This self-same distinction of citizens is obserued almost throughout all Europe But besides this general diuisiō there are some more special in many common-welths as at Venice into the Gentlemen Burgesses Common people at Florence before it was brought in subiectiō to a Prince there were the greater sort the middle sort the vulgar or common sort of people And our ancient Gaules had the Druides the Horsemen the inferior people In Egypt were the Priests the Souldiors the Artificers And although Plato labored to make all the citizens of his common-welth equal in rights prerogatiues yet he diuided them into three estates into Gardes Souldiers and Labourers Whereupon we must necessarilie inferre this conclusion that there neuer was nor can be Common-wealth wherein the citizens were equall in all rights and prerogatiues but that some had more or lesse than others and yet so that wise Politikes haue carefully prouided that the meanest should haue no cause to complaine of their estate Moreouer the conueniencie and proportionable agreement of our French estates hath been the cause why this kingdome vntill this our infortunate age hath continued prospered so long amongst other kingdoms both of auncient and late times namely when Goodes Honours and publike charges were ordinarily distributed according to the condition of euery estate and their rightes and priuiledges preserued especially when it was carefully prouided that one estate should not grow too great aboue the other I meane that the nobilitie should not keep the people too much vnder and bring them to a
according to his will that he may enioy prosperitie in this world and eternall felicitie in the blessed life to come Let him be taught to loue vertue as the only good and to hate vice as the onely euil let him know that the one is folowed no lesse with shame and dishonor than the other with glory and honor especially in a prince in whom if vertue take place as it were in a high watch-tower it shineth so cleerely that the brightnes thereof remaineth long after his death As for all worldly pompe antiquitie of petigree images and riches they are but meere vanitie and folly not woorthie to be cared for or to be admired by a vertuous prince Let him be perswaded that dignitie greatnes and maiestie are not to be sought after by the helpe of fortune or by humane means but by wisdome integritie of life maners and by vertuous and noble deeds Plato saith not without cause that a Common-wealth will neuer be happie vntill princes play the Philosophers or Philosophers take the rudder of the Empire in hand Now his meaning is not to cal him a Philosopher that is learned in Logike in naturall Philosophie and in the Mathematicks but him who with an vntamed hart despiseth the vaine shadowes of things and followeth after true goods A philosopher and a Christian differ but in name and a prince wel instructed in piety is truly both the one and the other Therefore he ought to learne nothing sooner next to the law of God than the morall philosophie of the auncients which teacheth all vertue Is there any thing more foolish than to esteeme highly of a prince if he vaute well if he play well at tennise if he be stoute and strong briefly if he be cunning in some things which peraduenture a peasant would doe better than he and in the meane while he is puffed vp with pride he polleth his people and sporteth himselfe in all kind of dissolutenesse and pleasure What honor is it for a prince to go farre beyond the common sort in precious stones gold purple traine of seruants and in other ornaments of the body and in euery thing that is falsly called good and in the meane while to be farre inferior in the true goods of the soule to many of his people and those of lowest calling These opinions as holy and inuiolable lawes must bee ingrauen in the hart of a young prince and must bee as it were the first lines that are to be drawen in the voide table of his soule namely that he must striue that none excell him in the goods of the soule in wisdome magnanimitie temperance and iustice Frugalitie modestie and sobrietie in other men may be attributed either to pouertie or to niggardlines but in a prince they cannot but be a note of tēperance I meane when he vseth goods modestly who hath as much as he will Ancient men called that prudence miserable which was gottē by the experience of things bicause it is bought with publike losse calamity But such kind of experience ought to be farthest off from a Prince bicause the longer it is a learning the greater cause is it of many euils vnto al his people If Scipio Africanus had reason to say that this speech I had not thought it did not beseem a wise man how much more vnseemely is it for a Prince who cannot vtter the same without his great harme and greater to the Common-wealth For as in a voiage the fault of a common Mariner saide Agapetus doth but little hurte whereas the slip of a Pilot bringeth shipwracke so in monarchies the offence of a priuate man is more hurtfull to himselfe than to the Common-wealth but if the prince begin to faile he hurteth euery one This is the cause why the mind of a prince must especially be instructed with good resolutions sentences to the end he may be skilfull by reason and not by vse For then the counsel of aged men will supply that experience of things which is wanting in him He must be giuen to vnderstand that his life is in the face of all the world that he can do nothing that will be hid and therfore if he be good it must needs turne to the great benefit of many if wicked to their hurt likewise bicause the prince is always the very portrature after which subiects conforme themselues He must know that the greater honour is giuen vnto him the more he is to striue that he may be woorthie of it looking more to his owne doyngs and actions than to the prayses that men giue him which he must beleeue and receiue according as he behaueth himselfe For if hee rule well they are due vnto him if ill he is honoured and praised either through constraint or of flatterie or els it is to shew him vnder hand what he ought to bee Let him know that as God hath placed the Sunne and the Moone in the heauens for a resemblaunce of his diuinitie so a prince is the like representation and light in a kingdome as long as he hath the feare of GOD and the obseruation of iustice imprinted in him For these two things make their life diuine and celestiall that are placed in high degree of power and authoritie as contrarywise the contempt of pietie and iustice maketh it beast-like and sauage As God the giuer of all things standeth not in neede of any mans seruice to receiue a good turne of him so it is the dutie of a worthie prince who representeth the figure of the eternall king to profite euery one with-out respect of his owne commoditie and glory As God is not touched with any affections or passions but ruleth and gouerneth all thinges perfectly by his prouidence so after his example a prince laying aside the perturbations of his soule must follow reason onely in all his dooings As there is nothing more common than the sunne which imparteth of hir light to all the celestiall bodies so a Prince must be alwaies readye to profite the Common-wealth and haue within him the light of wisedome to the end that if others loose their brightnes yet he may neuer be ouertaken with darknes As the Sunne when it is highest in the Zodiacke mooueth slowest so the higher that a Prince is lift vp in greatnes and authoritie the more gentle and gratious he ought to be keeping himselfe from dooing any thing that beseemeth not a Prince Therefore let him thinke that nothing is more vile and abiect than for him that is called a king and Prince of free men to become a slaue to riot choler couetousnes ambition other vices of like qualitie which are most vile and cruell maisters He must be so affected towards his subiects as a good father of a familie is towards those of his houshold bicause a kingdome is nothing els but a great familie and a king the father of a great many For although he passe them in greatnes and
Prince whereby it seemeth he thought that there was lesse to do in well ordering ruling and preseruing a great Empire once entirely gotten than in conquering the same And surely to speake truth there is nothing more difficult than to raigne well Moreouer it is better for a Prince to gouerne prudently and to rule according to his estate than to inuade possesse another mans countrie namely if he consider that God being so gratious vnto him as to bring innumerable persons vnder his obedience hath chiefly established him to keepe them in the knowledge and obseruation of true religion to rule them by good lawes to defend them by armes and in all things to be so carefull of their good that they may esteeme of him as of their father and sheepeheard Now seeing we haue summarily intreated of the education and institution of a prince vnder the charge of a teacher and gouernour let vs in this place my Companions consider of his office and dutie when he raigneth with full authoritie ouer his subsubiects ARAM. Forasmuch as integritie of religion and the good will of the people are two principall pillers vpon which the safetie of euery Estate standeth the king ought to procure the first being therefore appointed by God ouer so many millions of men and the second without doubt dependeth of the former which is the onely difference betweene a king and a tyrant who ruleth by constraint ACHITOB. In a king is seene the ordinance of God who is the author and preseruer of policies and of good order Therefore his feare and reason must neuer depart out of his mind to the end that seruing God he may profite all those that liue vnder his dominion But from thee ASER we looke for the discourse of this matter ASER. The seuen Sages of Grecia being inuited to a feast by Periander prince of Corinth were requested by him to enter into the discourse of the estate of great men Solon speaking first said That a soueraigne king or prince cannot any way procure greater glorie to himselfe than by making a popular Estate of his Monarchy that is to say by communicating his soueraigne authoritie with his subiects Bias speaking next said By submitting himselfe first of all to the lawes of his countrie Thalcs I account that Lord happie that attaineth to old age and dieth a naturall death Anacharsis If he be the onely wise man Cleobulus If he trust none of those that are about him Pittacus If he be able to preuatle so much that his subiects feare not him but for him Chilon A Prince must not set his mind vpon any transitorie or mortall thing but vpon that which is eternall and immortall Periander concluding vpon these opinions said that all these sentences seemed to him to disswade a man of good iudgement from desiring at any time to command ouer others The Emperour Traian writing to the Senate of Rome among other things vsed these very words I freely confesse vnto you that since I began to taste of the trauels and cares which this Imperiall Estate bringeth with it I haue repented me a thousand times that I tooke it vpon me For if there be great honor in hauing an Empire there is also very great paine and trauell in gouerning the same But ouer and besides to what enuie is he exposed and to how many mislikings is he subiect that hath others to gouerne If he be iust he is called cruell if pitifull he is despised if liberall he is thought to be prodigall if he laie vp monie he is taken for couetous if he be addicted to peace he is supposed to be a coward if he be courageous he is iudged ambitious if graue they will call him proud if affable and courteous he is termed simple if solitarie an hypocrite and if he be merrie they will say he is dissolute After many other speeches this good Emperour concluded that although he willingly accepted of his estate at the first yet he was very sorowful afterward that he had so great a charge bicause the sea and the Empire were two pleasant things to looke vpon but perilous to tast Diuine Plato wrote also that none was fit to gouerne an Empire and to be a Prince but he that commeth vnto it through constraint and against his will For whosoeuer desireth the charge of a Prince it must needes be that he is either a foole not knowing how dangerous and full of care the charge of a King is or if he be a wicked man that he mindeth nothing but how he may raigne to satisfie his pleasure and priuate profite to the great hurt of the Common-wealth or else if he be ignorant that he considereth not how heauie the burthen is which he taketh vpon him Therefore a wise Prince will not thinke himselfe the happier bicause he succeedeth in a greater Empire and kingdome but remember rather that he laieth so much the more care and paine vpon his shoulders and that he beginneth then to haue lesse leasure lesse rest and happines in passing away his time In other persons a fault is pardoned in youth and growing old they are suffered to take their ease But he that is Head of a Common-wealth bicause he is to trauell for all must be neyther yoong nor old For he can-not commit a fault how small soeuer it be without the hurt of many men nor yet rest from his dutie but it will turne to the miserie of his subiects This caused the Philosophers to say that a Prince ought not to dedicate the Common-wealth to himselfe but to addict himself to the Common-wealth and for the profit thereof alwaies to be diligent vertuous and wise so to gouerne his Empire that he may be able easily to giue a reason of his charge And bicause no man asketh an account of him in this life he ought to be so much the more stirred vp to demand a straighter reckoning of himselfe being assured that the time wil come and that speedily wherein he must yeeld it vp before him with whome there is no respect of Princes except in this that they shal haue the Iudge more rigorous against them that haue abused greater power and authority To begin therfore to handle the duty and office of a Prince first he must haue the lawe of God continually before his eies he must engraue it in his soule and meditate vpon the wordes and ordinances thereof all the dayes of his life desiring of God to graunt him the spirite of vnderstanding to conceiue them well and according to that diuine rule to direct all his intents and actions to the glorie of that great eternall and Almightye Kinge of Kinges aswell for the saluation of his owne soule which he ought to preferre before the rule of the whole worlde as for the good of those that are committed to his charge to gouerne teach and iudge them For it is moste certaine that of the knowledge of the truth in
Counsailors of estate Chap. 61. ASER. DIoclesian the Emperor said That the condition of Princes was miserable and dangerous bicause they were commonly deceiued by them whome they trusted most being themselues almost alwayes shut vp in their pallaces and vnderstanding no more of their affaires thaÌ„ their ministers would declare vnto them who consult many times togâ—ther how they may disguise the truth of their estate For this cause although it be necessarie for a prince to haue many eyes and eares for which intent we say that his counsellors serue yet he must looke himselfe as much as he can euen to the depth of his affaires And truly it belongeth to the dombe blind and deafe to speake see and heare nothing but by the mouth eies and eares of other men But in those things wherein the prince is constrained to relie vpon an other mans report he must vse great prudence to discerne flatterers and disguisers of matters who are not touched but only with their priuate profite from those that are mooued with the zeale of publike benefite and of his seruice and vse these men in matters of counsell which is most necessarie for the sound preseruation of al estates And in deede there was neuer any estate but vsed counsell and counsellors in the establishing and gouernment thereof as we may vnderstand more of you my companions if you thinke good to discourse of this matter AMANA Counsell sayd Socrates is a sacred thing and as Plato calleth it the anchor of the whole city wherby it is fastned and stayed as a shippe in the water Yea all the great and goodly exploites of armes and lawes are nothing else but the execution of a wise councell ARAM. Counsell saith the same Plato hath the self-same place in a common-wealth that the soule and head hath in liuing creatures For the vnderstanding is infused into the soule and sight and hearing are placed in the head so that the vnderstanding being ioined to these two goodly senses and reduced into one preserueth euery thing But of thee ACHITOB. we expect a whole discourse vpon this matter ACHITOB. All Common-wealths consist chieflie of two things of counsell of iudgement according to the disposition of which the affaires of the estate are well or ill handled Therefore to enter into this matter here propounded and to leaue iudgements to be considered of hereafter we must first know that the ordinarie Councell of an estate which the Ancients commonlie called a Senate is the lawfull assemblie of counsellors of estate to giue aduise to them that haue soueraigne power in euery Common-wealth When we say a lawfull assemblie it is to be vnderstood of that power which is giuen vnto them by the soueraigne to meete togither in time and place appoynted And where as we call them counsellors of estate it is to distinguish them from other counsellors and officers who are often called to giue aduise to Princes euery one according to his vocation and qualitie and yet are neyther counsellors of estate nor ordinarie counsellours Of this councell all the rest of the publike gouernment dependeth and by this all the partes of the Common-wealth are tied vnited and knitte togither through that direction of religion iustice warre treasures lawes magistrates and maners which proceedeth from it Therefore the Senate is very well called by Cicero the soule reason and vnderstanding of a Common-wealth whereby he meaneth that it can no more bee maintained without a councell than a bodie with-out a soule or a man without reason The Hebrewes likewise called the councell a foundation where-upon all goodly and commendable actions are built and without which all enterprises are ouerthrowen Now forasmuch as there hath been and are at this day among sundry nations sundry sortes of gouernments and policies so there is no lesse difference in the establishment of a councell in them as also many alterations in the institution and power thereof And namely among the auncient Graecians beside the seuerall councell of euery Common-wealth there was the sacred councell of the Amphictions so called bicause it was instituted by Amphiction the sonne of Deucalion This councell was as it were the generall assemblie of the estates of all Graecia and was helde twise a yeere in Spring time and in Autumne at Delphos in the Temple of Apollo for the commoditie of the seate thereof beyng as it were in the middest of all Graecia The authoritie thereof was so great that whatsoeuer was concluded vpon there the Graecians obserued and kept it inuiolable whether it were in matters concerning religion and pietie towards their gods or peace and vnitie among themselues The Lacedemonians and Messenians met togither certaine dayes in the yeere at the temple of Diana vpon the borders of Laconia and there after sacrifice consulted of their waightiest affaires And yet both they and the rest of Graecia had certaine general councels concerning the gouernment of their estate besides those that were particular which they vsed daily The Senate of thirtie counsailors established by Lycurgus when he reformed the Lacedemonian estate obtained the soueraigntie not long after and of Senators became absolute lordes Solon ordained amongst the Athenians besides the Senate of 400. which was changeable euery yeere a priuie perpetual councell of the Areopagites compounded of three score of the wisest and of such as were blameles who had the managing of those affaires that were most secret Romulus the first founder of Rome compounded the Senate of 100. of the notablest citizens and hauing receiued the Sabines into his protection he doubled the number of Senators which afterward Brutus encreased with an other hundred As long as the happy popular gouernement of the Romanes lasted the Consuls albeit in dignitie they represented a royall person yet they had no other power but to lead the armies to assemble the Senate to receiue the letters of captains and of their allies and to present them to the Senate to heare embassadors before the people or before the Senate to assemble the great estates and to aske the people aduise concerning the creation of officers or publishing of lawes But the Senate disposed the reuenues of the Empire and the common expences appointed lieutenants to all gouernors of prouinces determined of the triumphs ordered religion receiued and licenced embassadors of kings and nations and tooke order for such as were sent to them The punishment of all offences committed throughout Italy which deserued publike execution as treason conspiracie poysoning wilfull murder belonged to the Senate If any priuate person or any citie stood in need of some speciall fauour or of reprehension or of succour and protection the Senate had all the charge thereof It was forbidden vnder paine of high treason to present any request to the people without aduise taken of the Senate Neuerthelesse the soueraigntie always belonged to the people who might confirme or
remaine emptie forsaken famous and wealthie townes stand desolate by reason of the losse of their ancient ornaments I meane their priuate and publike buildings and their notable Inhabitants and Citizens And which is woorst of all no man will acknowledge a Soueraigne but euery Prouince will seeke to withdraw it selfe and to be made a Canton In the end the bodie thus dismembred and the parts thereof infected with the same poison of discord destroy themselues that the prophesie of Iesus Christ who is the truth it selfe might be fulfilled where he saith That euery kingdome diuided in it selfe shall be desolate Therefore Dauid did rather chuse a plague amongest his subiects than warre or tumults And Pythagoras sayde that three thinges were by all meanes to be remooued a disease from the bodie ignorance from the soule and sedition from the Citie Plato also affirmeth that no euill is woorse in a Citie than that which diuideth it and of one maketh it two and that nothing is better than that thing which tieth and vniteth it togither Whereupon he wished that there might be a communion not onely of all goods but also of that which nature hath appropriated to euery one as of eies eares and hands to the end that whosoeuer saw heard or did any thing he might imploy all to common profite and vse thereby to maintaine better the mutuall loue of Citizens who hauing nothing priuate would by this meanes be alwaies touched with the same ioy and griefe praising and disliking all iointly togither the same things There are two sorts of warre mentioned also by Plato who calleth the one sedition which is the woorst and the other which is more gentle is that against strangers Nestor a wise and prudent counsellour among the Grecians said in a Councell as Homer reporteth that he which loueth ciuill war is a most wretched cruell and detestable man and vnwoorthy to liue And truly if we looke to the examples of those fruits which haue alwaies proceeded of ciuill wars we shall see that they haue beene guided after a most cruel and horrible kind of hostilitie and that their issue hath beene the losse and ouerthrow of many flourishing Common-wealths Thucydides speaking of the generall dissention amongst the Grecians for diuersity of gouernments which they sought to bring in amongst themselues some desiring to be gouerned in a Democraty others is an Oligarchy rehearseth incredible euils which arose of that warre As soone saith he as any insolencie was knowne to be committed in one place others were encouraged to do woorse to enterprise some new thing and to shewe that they were more diligent than others or more insolent and hot in reuenging themselues They disguised all the euils which they committed with commendable titles calling rashnes Magnanimitie and modestie Basenes of mind head-long indignation Manlines and Hardines prudent counsell and deliberation Coloured back-sliding Whereby it came to passe that whosoeuer alwaies shewed himselfe furious was accounted a loial friend and he that gain-said was suspected If any one of the contrarie faction gaue any good and honest counsell it was not accepted but if they could withstand it by any notorious deed they had rather be reuenged so then they would not giue occasion to others to offer the like wrong to them When any agreement was made and confirmed with a solemne othe it lasted vntil one of the parties grew to be the stronger that he might breake and violate the same and by extreme wickednes ouercome the other which proceeded of couetousnes and desire of other mens goods Hereupon those factions and part-takings were kindled which procured infinite euils to the whole countrey of Graecia wherein there was no quietnesse vntill it was quite ouerthrowen by seditions and ciuill warres This is that which Demades obiected to the Athenians by way of reproche that they neuer intreated of peace but in mournyng gownes namely after they had lost many of their kinsfolkes and friends in battels and skirmishes Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia bewailed this miserie when he sawe such cruell warres betweene the Athenians and Lacedemonians people of one countrey and although he had wonne a great battell neere vnto Corinth with great losse to his enimies and small hurt to his owne men yet not reioicing but rather being very sorowfull he vttered these words with a loud voyce O poore Graecia how miserable art thou to slay with thine owne hands so many of thy valiaunt men as would haue sufficed to discomfite in one battell all the Barbarians ioyned togither Histories tell vs that the Romanes came to that great Empire more by dissentions and ciuill warres which they sowed amongst their neighbors than by force of armes For after they had kindled the fire in one nation they maintained one side a certaine time vntill in the end they ouerwhelmed both the one and the other Thus they deceiued the Carthaginians the Asians the Gaules and Graecia Onely England was not quite subdued bicause it knew their practises and turned all domesticall choler against the enemie when the danger was common Traian the emperour writing to the Senate of Rome amongst other things sent these wordes I recommend vnto you aboue all things friendship and brotherhood among your selues bicause ye know that in great Common-wealths home-warres are more hurtfull than those that are made against strangers For if kinsmen and neighbours had neuer begun to hate one another to war one vpon another Demetrius had neuer ouerthrowen Rhodes nor Alexander Tyrus nor Marcellus Syracusa nor Scipio Numantium And in deed the Romane Empire fell from hir greatnesse by the same meanes of ciuill warre which they had long time nourished among others Yea it is certaine that in no place part-takings full of all kind of crueltie were so vsuall and so long time practised or factions and seditions were more cruell than in Rome The first occasion thereof was their gouernement wherein the people alwayes set themselues against the Senate and the Nobilitie the Senate seeking to rule without measure and the people to encrease their libertie During these dissentions it came to passe that at one time foure thousand and fiue hundreth slaues and banished men inuaded the Capitoll and wanted litle of making themselues lords of Rome Appian hath written at large of their seditions and partialities and saith that through ambition and couetousnes one side daily sought to diminish the authoritie of the other He saith that Martius Coriolanus being vpon this occasion and in these dissentions driuen out of the citie contrary to right and reason went to the Volsci and warred on their side against his countrey being the first banished person that tooke armes against Rome And in deed neither in the councell nor in the citie there was no sword drawen nor man slaine in ciuil sedition vntill Tyberius Gracchus fauouring the people making lawes in their behalf was killed and many others that were
he hinder publike benefit and hurt the estate it is not to be called right any longer as Appius Claudius said speaking of the authoritie of the Tribunes among the people of Rome And it is a point of true and naturall prudence sometime to giue place to the times but to necessitie always A good Pilote neuer opposeth himselfe wilfully against a tempest but striketh saile and keepeth himselfe still then waighing his anchors he floteth safely vpon the waues which not long before were swollen and lift vp to drowne him If a man striue against a tempest and against heauen doth he not euen blindfold cast himselfe downe headlong and as it were desperately seeke his owne destruction Now if all these things hetherto mentioned by vs be diligently obserued there is no doubt God prospering all but that the preseruation of Estates and Monarchies with good remedies to keepe them from trouble and sedition will follow after Of the Harmonie and agreement that ought to be in the dissimilitude or vnlike callings of subiects by reason of the duetie and office of euery estate Chap. 66. ACHITOB WE saw before my companions that a citie or ciuill company is nothing else but a multitude of men vnlike in estates or conditions which communicate togither in one place their artes occupations workes and exercises that they may liue the better are obedient to the same lawes and magistrates We learned also that of such a dissimilitude an harmonicall agreement ariseth by due proportion of one towards another in their diuers orders estates euen as the harmonie in musicke consisteth of vnequall voyces or sounds agreeing equally togither I am of opinion therefore that to prouoke euery one particularly to seeke after and to practise this apt agreement we are to consider seuerally of all the principall partes that are in a politike body well ordered and to handle the seuerall dutie and office of euery one of them But I leaue the discourse of this matter to you ASER. As there is but one Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in vs all so all that beleeue in him ought to be one and to haue but one hart and one soule euery one referring his giftes and graces to the exercise of perfect charitie AMANA Oh how happy a thing is it to see one flock guided vnder one God and one king in one religion and policie Although they be many mēbers yet they make but one bodie of which euery one hath a like care But let vs heare ARAM discourse at large vpō that which is here propounded vnto vs. ARAM. As we see that in the body of this vniuersall frame there is as the Philosophers say matter forme priuation simplicitie mixture substaunce quantitie action and passion and that the whole world being compounded of vnlike elements of earth water ayre and fire is notwithstanding preserued by an Analogie and proportion which they haue togither and as we see in a mans body head hands feete eyes nose eares in a house the husband wife children master seruaunts in a politike body magistrates nobles common people artificers and that euery body mingled with heate cold drie and moyst is preserued by the same reason of analogie and proportion which they haue togither So is it in euery common-wealth well appointed and ordred which consisting of many and sundry subiects is maintained by their vnitie being brought to be of one consent wil and to communicate their works artes and exercises together for common benefit profit For euery one is best in his own arte neither can all men do all things And if it be a very hard matter to bee excellent in any one vocation it is impossible to excel in al to exercise them duly Now we say that sixe things are necessarily required to frame a happy citie ciuil societie namely sacrifices iudgements armes riches artes and Aliments vnto which sixe things and works six sortes of men are answerable Pastors magistrates nobles burgesses artificers and husbandmen Therfore to begin the particular handling of the dutie office of these callings and that as briefly as I can we are first to note that neuer any nation in all the world was so barbarous or so farre estranged from ciuilitie that did not acknowledge and adore some diuine nature and vse some kind of sacrifices and so consequently that had not some priests to exercise them some proper ceremonies Aristotle in his Politikes saith expresly that it is a necessary thing to haue priests in euery city to take care of the worship of the gods and of sacrifices Euery worke that we do saith Augustine to be ioyned neerer to God by a holy societie is a sacrifice There are three general sorts of sacrifices the first is the sacrifice of the soule which we offer to God by contrition deuotion contemplation and prayer the second is of the body which we offer to God by fasting abstinence or by suffring martyrdom to maintain his law iustice and truth The third sacrifice is of outward goods whē we offer them vnto him in the works of charitie according to his holy ordinance So that if sacrifices and priests always took place among the Barbarians much more careful ought they to be to maintaine this diuine mysterie that adore and perfectly know God And as men haue liued vnder three lawes the law of Nature the written law and the law of Grace so there were sacrifices and priests vnder euery one of them Melchizedech liued vnder the law of Nature Aaron vnder the written lawe and vnder the law of Grace vnder which we liue at this present Iesus Christ that great and eternall Priest and Sacrificer who hath offered himselfe a sacrifice for our redemption and hath left vs his disciples and Apostles and their successours to be our pastors in the guiding of our soules vnder his Testament and new couenaunt which is the infallible rule of his holy and iust will Therefore let them that boast that they are called of God to such an excellent charge looke to discharge themselues faithfully by teaching the truth and leading a life agreeable to their doctrine Otherwise if they sit in the chaire of pestilence as Dauid speaketh let them looke for a horrible iudgement of God vpō their soules when he shall say vnto them by way of reproch that in this world they sate in their pōtificall seates as the Scribes and Pharisies did long since in the chaire of Moses Their watchmen saith Esay speaking of euil pastors are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are dumbe dogs they cannot barke they lie and sleepe and delight in sleeping These greedie dogs can neuer haue enough these sheep-heards cannot vnderstand for they all looke to their owne way euery one for his aduantage for his owne purpose But contrarywise A Pastor saith Saint Paule must be
of a man feeleth moueth by the sinewes so the body of the common-wealth receiueth strength power by riches to gather men of war togither in defence of hir libertie For this cause Aristotle in his plat-forme of a happy common-welth requireth abundance of wealth and money to help publike affairs at home warlike matters abroad And in another place he saith that a happy life consisteth in the perfect vse of vertue assisted with bodily external goods as with instruments that serue to execute honest actions wel vertuously It is certain that gold siluer in respect of the soule are neither good nor ill but by good vsage they are made profitable for this life the abuse of them is hurtful both to the body soule And in deed riches of their own nature are not to be condemned Abraham Lot Iacob Iob were rich holy men Iosephus writeth that neuer any king either of the Hebrews or of any other nation left so great riches to his successor as Dauid did to Salomon For he left him to build the temple withal 10000. talents of gold 100000. of siluer beside infinite store of stuffe of wonderful cost and value which he had caused to be prepared made readie The sumptuousnesse of that Temple as it is described by this Historiographer is wonderfull He saith that it was made and finished in seuen yeeres by 80000. Masons 3200. Ouerseers 30000. Hebrewes that hewed wood in the forest and 70000. others that brought stones and such like matter for the worke If the riches of the Romane Empire had not been great I meane both the publique and priuate wealth it is certaine that it had not so long time maintained it selfe in such a glorious and flourishing estate as the like was neuer before causing the farthest and most vnknowen nations to stand in feare of hir weapons Hereof wee haue good proofe by that which we read of Augustus Caesar who ordinarily defrayed the charges of 44. Legions which amounted yeerely to twelue millions of gold But the Romane empire was then come to the top of hir greatnesse hauing for hir bounds the riuer of Euphrates on the East side the Oceā sea on the West on the South side the fruitfull region of Africa and on the North side the riuers of Rhine and Danubius At this day 50. kingdoms estates are diuided out of that monarchy Therfore if the citizens of the common-wealth possesse riches if they imploy thē vpon good workes and that liberally for the tuition defence and setting foorth of their countrey they behaue themselues like good citizens borne to do good and to profit the Common-wealth The fift thing necessary in euery good Common-wealth and citie are occupations and consequently crafts-men An arte is a habite of working according to right reason as Aristotle saith Or else an arte is the knowledge of some certain thing gotten by vse instruction or reason tending to necessary vses for mans life Some artes consist in Speculation and others in practise We call Speculation Theoricall that is to say Speculatiue and Action practicall that is to say Actiue This word Artificer is deriued of the worde Arte. Nowe bicause that nature is most perfect next to God the neerer that arte approcheth to nature the better and perfecter it is as appeereth in images and pictures so that arte is nothing else but an imitation of nature Those Artes that are commonly called Mechanicall or handy-craftes whereby they differ from liberall Artes of which we haue alreadie discoursed are of diuers sortes For the better vnderstanding of them wee will presuppose that man hath need of three temporall things for the maintenaunce of this life namely of Alimentes Houses and Clothing He standeth in neede of Alimentes to restore the consumption of radicall moysture wasted away by naturall heate as the weeke consumeth the oyle in the Lampe I saye to restore it agayne by moyst nourishment as by breade wine flesh and other aliments without which a man could not liue These nutrimentes are prouided and prepared by men of Occupations as by Butchers Fishmongers Bakers Cookes Vintners and other handycrafts-men which serue and looke to the prouision of victuals Next mē haue need of houses that euery one may haue his priuate place of refuge to keep his body familie goods vnder couert these are edifices and frames erected by the arte of building made by Masons Carpenters Geometricians Sawyers Ioiners other handycrafts that are occupied in caruing Likewise a city in respect both of ornament of defence standeth in need of wals towers bulwarks rampires andother things of defence as also of temples and other common places all which cannot be made without the artes of building and of Masonry The third thing which men stand in need of are garments to clothe themselues withall to preserue natural heat and to keep out external cold these are prouided by Mercers Drapers Tailors Hosiers such like Besides the abouenamed things we stand in need of armour of horses to defend our libertie and for our greater commoditie and so consequently Armorers Glazers Sadlers Spur-makers Smithes and such like are necessarie Likewise for the preseruation and recouerie of our health we must honor the Physition Chirurgion Apothecarie Drug-seller and such like The dutie and office of all artificers is to auoyd idlenes slooth and negligence and especially to vse no deceit in their artes but to referre the end of their labours more to common profite than to their priuate gaine And for the auoiding of Ingrossers it is very expedient that the crafts-men should be diuided into diuers parts of the city and not placed all on a rowe in one quarter therof as they do in the townes of Afrike and in many cities of Europe For besides the discommodities in great townes when euery quarter hath not in it such artificers as are commonly necessary it is to be feared that there wil be amongst thē Ingrossers to fore-stall the merchandise and wares or else iealousie and quarels are to be feared if one sell better cheape than another euen before his eyes that refused to take that money It is true that such artificers as are least required as men that liue by the hammer may be ranged in one quarter that thereby they may be separated from men of learning and quietnes The sixt and last thing necessary in a Common-wealth remaineth to be considered of namely Aliments and consequently labourers We haue already spoken of Aliments but as for that which concerneth husbandry especially there is no other arte that doth more awaken the minde of man that rauisheth his sences more that affoordeth greater pleasure or is more necessarie and profitable for the life of man than husbandry Moreouer nothing sauoureth of greater antiquitie nothing doth better discouer the greatnes of the works of God
chiefly to handle at this present The Grecians called it by these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one signifieng troble the other a band as if they would haue said that it held the soule bound and wholie troubled They affirmed also that this feare was as it were a giddinesse and alienation of the mind from the right sense making the soule idle dead void of euerie good exploit or effect whatsoeuer The last kind of feare is that which worketh in the wicked a feare of paine and punishment appointed for offences wherby they are as it were with a bridle kept backe and restrained from presuming to commit their villanies and damnable purposes Now as the first kind of feare said to be good and necessarie is a great token of a commendable and vertuous nature as that which for good cause is grounded vpon the feare of reproch and infamie and vpon a desire to effect whatsoeuer belongeth to dutie so the one of these two last kinds testifieth a vile contemptible and abiect nature and the other a wicked corrupt disposition Plutark speaking of this good feare calleth it one of the Elements grounds of vertue saying that it is chieflie requisite and necessarie for those that haue authoritie ouer others who ought to feare rather to practise euil than to receiue punishment for the same bicause the first is the cause of the latter not onelie to themselues but to so manie as wallow in wickednesse which is neuer without recompense Therefore a prudent and well aduised man ought to haue this feare alwaies before his eies I meane this childlike feare which is vnseparably ioined with the true loue we owe to our common father and is the beginning of all wisedome wherby we are induced to honour him And looke how much the more the ancient Pagans were kept in awe by this good feare so much the more shall our condemnation be doubled if we despise it The dutie also of this profitable feare is to haue an eie vnto the good and safetie of our countrie and to cause vs faithfully to discharge euery charge committed vnto vs to the end we incurre not perpetuall shame and infamie among all good men It causeth vs to feare onelie the dishonor of an vnaduised counsel or action and to account it very seemelie honorable to be blamed and euil spoken of for well dooing which Alexander the great said did well become a king This good feare made Phocion who for his desert and valure was chosen generall of the Atheniens fiue fortie times to saie that he would neuer counsell but hinder to the vttermost of his power that enterprise of war which they would haue concluded against Alexander For said he although the Athenians would cast awaie themselues yet I will not suffer them to doe so bicause I haue for that intent purpose taken vpon me the charge of a Captain And when Demosthenes who persuaded this warre said vnto him the people will kill thee if they enter into a furie Phocion replied Naie they will kill thee if they be well in their wits Antigonus the second king of Macedonia declared what benefit commeth of this good feare necessarie for the foresight of a wise and experienced captaine in warre when retiring once from before his enimies who came to assaile him and being told by certaine that he fled he answered It is cleane contrarie For I looke backe to that profit wich is behind me As touching the opinion of the ancients alreadie mentioned that to stand in feare of nothing is more hurtful to Common-wealthes than foraine enimies it is that which Scipio Nasica a Romane Senator meant to signifie when vpon the hearing of some who said that Rome was in safetie if Carthage were laid wast he replied that it was farre otherwise For said he we are in greater danger now than euer bicause we stand no more in awe of anie whereby he wiselie inferred that too great and vnlooked for prosperitie of cities is commonly the cause of raising ciuill wars in them secret diuisions or else of bringing into them so great idlenes that by it a gate is opened to all vices as in truth it fell out with the Romans For then beeing in the top of their felicitie and greatnesse by reason of the destruction aswell of the Carthaginians by Scipio the yonger as of the Macedonians vnder Perseus and Antiochus the people began to abuse their authoritie preferring vnto estates and places of honour not the best and iustest citizens but such as flattered them most in their vices and dissolutenes and wan their hearts with prodigall and superfluous feasts and distributions to whome they solde their publike voices Whereupon in the end those ciuill wars arose which was the cause of their finall ouerthrow and of the alteration of their popular estate into a tyrannie afterwards called a Monarchie But this discourse being the matter of another Subiect let vs come to the defect of the vertue of Fortitude which is a feare voide of reason and assurance and argueth a faint and cowardlie hart causing a man through want of sense and vnderstanding to account this the surest waie to doubt all things and to distrust euerie one Of this feare one of the ancients said Feare taketh awaie memorie and all good effects from euerie art and industrie Yea sometimes some haue beene found so faint-harted that as soone as this feare seazed vpon them they gaue vp the ghost not beeing oppressed with anie other euill or violence It is in this passion that Feare and Greefe fullie practise their power being grounded vpon a false opinion of euill and sworne enimies to all rest and tranquillitie gnawing and consuming life as rust doth steele or yron Neither is this feare without an vnrulie desire and immoderate ioie in things that are worldlie base and contemptible whereupon the soule is continuallie carried hither and thither with pernicious and immoderate passions which depriue hir of the excellencie of hir immortalitie to attend to the mortall and corruptible affections of the flesh Alexander spake of such as are possessed with this feare when he said that no place is so strong by nature and situation which fearefull men iudge safe enough Therefore the Satyricall Poēt said verie well that Fortune alwayes maketh timorous men little For although they be borne bigge of stature yet the small courage of their hearts maketh them so much the more contemptible bringing foorth worse and more dangerous effects and making them vnwoorthy of all intermedling with matters of estate of policie or of warre In this number among many whom histories mention we may heere reckon Claudius the first of the Caesars who was so faint-harted base-minded blockish that his mother said often of him that Nature had begun but not finished him And truly a hartles-fellow or one of litle-hart is nothing els but a bodie
it is a greater point of Magnanimitie to surmount the common nature of men by a woonderfull diuinitie of the soule than to follow after that which beasts are able to do better than we For many of them in this earthly generositie whereof many men make so great account excell surpasse the best of them all In all debates controuersies with our enimies let vs retaine as Cicero counsaileth vs grauitie constancie and chase awaye all choler bicause nothing that is done through perturbation can be done constantly or be approoued of any Let vs not be afraid said Antisthenes to wish all the good in the world to our enimies except valure which may make them rash to venture vpon our life and let vs giue ouer all will to procure them any hurt or displeasure or any maner of reuenge Let vs rather desire not to be spared of them in those things which are blame-woorthie in vs that so we may be more readie to amend and correct them Let vs loue our enimies blesse them that curse vs do good to them that hate and persecute vs ouercomming euill with good and leauing all vengeance to him that hath reserued it to himselfe who by his power directeth the nets swords hatchets instruments and scourges of his wrath all which are our enimies for the amendment of our life and then shall we shew foorth those true effects of the vertue of Fortitude Magnanimitie which our heauenly Father requireth of vs. The ende of the ninth daies worke THE TENTH DAIES WORKE Of Iustice. Chap. 37. ASER. TRue Philosophie saith Socrates is to know and to practise both priuately and publikely those things that are honest iust This is that Prudence which teacheth vs well and nobly to gouerne both domestical and ciuill affaires the name whereof is Temperance and Iustice. By which speech this wise Philosopher taught vs the straight and vnseparable coniunction and knot of the foure Morall vertues being neuerthelesse distinguished by their proper and particular effects Which hauing hitherto offred vs matter wherein to reioice our spirites about the three first riuers flowing out of the fountaine of Honestic there remaineth now for vs to consider of the last of them which although it be but one particular yet in truth it is the very perfection of all dutie and is called Iustice the precepts whereof if we keepe diligently we shall truly become images of God his essence be made according to his likenesse Let vs then begin my companions to intreat of this great and heauenly vertue AMANA Iustice saith Cicero is the mistresse of all the other vertues and as it were their Queene She is the ground-worke of euerlasting glory and renowme and without hir nothing can be praise-woorthie She putteth a difference between the good and the bad which being taken away saith Seneca nothing foloweth but confusion For to reward the wicked and not the good to afflict the vertuous and not to chastice the euill man is to make a gallimaufrey of vice and vertue ARAM. What is Iustice but godlinesse saith Lactantius and what is godlinesse but the knowledge of God our Father Notwithstanding in respect of vs Iustice is commonly taken for an equall distribution of right and of lawes But of thee ACHITOB we shall presently vnderstand the greatnesse and riches of this precious vertue and the vnspeakeable fruites which she distributeth liberally for the profit of all men ACHITOB. No kingdome common-wealth or citie saith Plato can be either well ruled or instituted in the beginning or preserued and kept in a happie estate without diuine or humane Iustice without the counsaile of the aged or without the fauor of the heauenly wisdome Now that is diuine iustice as Lactantius saith whereby we are ioyned to God by deuotion and good will and humane Iustice knitteth vs vnto men by mercie and humanitie Whereby we see that the foundation of all Iustice is grounded vpon that honor seruice which we owe to God whereupon we are induced to be dutifull to our neighbors according to charitie Therfore we must aboue all things loue Iustice and apply all our studie thereunto seeing it is the first and principal point that concerneth the direction of a Christian mans life yea mo are partakers of the fruit thereof than of any other vertue Iustice saith Seneca is the law of God and the bond of humane societie For auoiding therfore of confusion in this matter we say with Plato that Iustice obserued and kept towards God taketh vnto it the name of pietie But we will enter into the handling of that Iustice onely which hath respect to our dealings with men being by the same Plato called an equall distribution towards all the world according to the deserts of euery one and a sure foundation of cities and common-wealths He saith also that Iustice requireth vpright dealing throughout a mans calling and charge and that nothing is more like to the greatnes of God than a man perfectly iust Aristotle calleth Iustice a generall vertue bicause he that hath hir perfectly may boast that he hath within him all the other vertues For he could not know what were iust and vniust nor make choice of the one and flie from the other if he were not prudent to which vertue that thing doth properly belong Neither could he exercise the precepts of Iustice if by temperance he knew not how to moderate all his passions and priuate affections not suffering himselfe to be ouercome either with wine gluttonie lust couetousnes or with any other desires and motions which hinder the vse of reason Besides he could not practise one principall diuine point of iustice which is to succour with all his might the afflicted and oppressed and to prouide that no man be wronged if it lie in his power notwithstanding any danger whereinto he may fall although it be certaine losse of life and of all earthlie and transitorie goods I say he could not practise this if through Fortitude and Generositie he contemne not death the earth and whatsoeuer sauoreth of the world that he may be so farre foorth as his humane nature will suffer a follower of the diuinitie Iustice saith Cicero is a constant and perpetuall will and desire to giue to euery one his right She is the proper vertue of a noble minded man bicause she is profitable to others but to hir selfe fruitles laborious and perilous Yea that man onely may be called iust that profiteth as many as he can but hurteth none that is alwaies at agreement within himselfe and is a friend to God to men and to himselfe Iustice saith Diogenes worketh great tranquillitie and perfect felicitie in our soules For to be afraid of none and not to blush at the sight of any mans person bringeth with it great contentation and is as it were the perfection of life which is proper onely to a iust soule Iustice saith Hesiodus is a
chast and reuerent virgine not violated or defiled but lodged alwaies with shamefastnes chastitie and simplicitie Pindarus calleth hir the Queene of all the world Pythagoras teaching by his riddlelike precepts how a man ought to beware of transgressing Iustice saith Go not beyond the ballance If we purpose saith Plato to exercise Iustice perfectly we must make no differēce of men in regard either of their friendship kindred wealth pouertie or dignitie This vertue saith Cicero requireth of vs the forsaking of our pleasures and priuate commoditie that we may procure the benefit of the Common-wealth although it be to our perill and losse And those men command and gouerne very wel who forbid vs to do any thing wherof we doubt whether it be iust or vniust bicause equity is so cleere of it self that when we doubt of any thing we may be assured that there is some iniustice in it Aristotle and Cicero deuide Iustice into these two partes Distributiue and Commutatiue Distributiue Iustice consisteth in giuing to euery one according to his desert whether it be honor and dignitie or punishment Commutatiue Iustice is in keeping fidelitie and in causing it to be kept in promises and contracts in behauing our selues no otherwise to another than we would be delt withall Many parts and particular dueties are also attributed by the Philosophers to Iustice as Liberalitie and sundry other whereof we will particularly discourse hereafter But we must here learne that the end of all Iustice tendeth to the preseruation of the common societie of men For the preseruation of the lawes which are the Gardian and Tutor of good men and a mortall enimie to the wicked is so necessarie for euery estate and condition of life that as Cicero saith the very Pirates thieues robbers could not liue together without some part thereof If we desire to know more of hir vnspeakeable fruits let vs consider that which Paulus the Pythagorian hath written saying Iustice among men ought in my opinion to be called the Mother and Nurse of all the other vertues For without hir no man could be either temperate valiant or prudent the profite wherof will be very euident if we consider all hir effects For the prouidence of God is that Iustice which gouerneth the world and hath the principalitie ouer it In cities and townes Iustice is rightly called Equitie and Peace in particular houses betweene the husband and the wife Vnitie and Concord in respect of seruants towards their masters Good will of masters towards their seruants Humanitie and Gentlenesse and in mens bodies Health and perfection of the members Thus you see that Iustice is the beginning and perfection of all the vertues By these short sayings of ancient and graue personages the excellencie of this holy and sacred vertue Iustice appeereth sufficiently vnto vs. Yea it is so earnestly commaunded by the spirit of God vnto Magistrates in these words of exercising Iudgement and Iustice so often repeated that whosoeuer infringeth and violateth it can not auoid the curse and wrath of the Almightie which will both light vpon their owne heads and also worke the destruction of them that are committed to their charge It belongeth to Iustice to receiue the innocent into protection and safegard to maintaine defend sustaine and deliuer them and to Iudgement to resist the boldnes of the wicked to represse their violence and to punish their offences bicause Magistrats are therefore armed with the sword and with power that publike peace should not be disturbed This also is that which Solon meant to teach vs when he said that the greatnes and preseruation of all Common-wealths consisted in two things in the reward of the good in the punishmēt of the wicked which being taken away the whole discipline of humane societie must needes be dissolued and come to nothing For there are many that haue no great care to do wel if they see not vertue recompenced with some honor although this beseemeth not a noble-minded man who ought to do nothing but onely for the loue of vertue And againe the malice of the wicked cannot be brideled if they see not vengeance and punishment prepared for offenders All these aboue specified considerations did so greatly recommend Iustice to the men of old time and caused them to esteeme so much of it that whensoeuer occasion was offered to maintaine and execute it it was preferred before all things insomuch that the father did not pardon his owne sonne The Egyptians were the ancientest Lawmakers as Historiographers report and were very carefull and diligent obseruers of Iustice In their cities they painted Iudges without hands and the President or chiefe Iustice with his eies blind-folded to teach that Iustice ought not to be either a briber or respecter of persons that is she must neither take any thing nor iudge for any fauour The kings of their countrey obserued this order to cause Iudges when they were installed by them in their offices to sweare that albēit they were commanded by them to iudge vniustly yet they should not obey them Since their time the ancient Grecians and Romanes shewed themselues great true and zealous followers of this vertue of Iustice and that towardes their greatest enimies They iudged it a very noble act to accuse the wicked so it were not vpon any priuate occasion or passion they delighted greatly to see yoong men by way of Iustice to pursue transgressors as grayhounds well flesht follow after wild beasts This caused Solon being demanded what citie seemed to him best gouerned to answer that city wherein they that are not wronged do as egerly follow after satisfaction in the behalfe of another man wronged as if themselues had receiued the iniurie For the truth is quoth he that they which violate and breake lawes do not offend one man alone but the whole Citie and Common-wealth therefore euery one ought to desire and seeke after iust punishment Moreouer the seueritie which the Lacedemonians obserued in their iudgements procured such a publike safety that for a long time they vsed not to put either lockes to cofers or barres to gates Aristotle maketh mention of a certaine countrey where the inhabitants were to assure the safetie of the waies and to repay vnto passengers that losse which they had receiued by theeues and robbers Neither is it long since the like statute was obserued in many places of Italie But I stand greatly in doubt that at this day it is ilfauoredly kept O happie yea an hundred times happy was the golden age of those famous men full of heauenlie spirite bicause vnder their gouernment Iustice was had in such honor and reuerence But let vs rub vp the memorie heereof by some notable examples If any thing causeth Magistrates to commit iniustice it is chieflye the fauour which they beare the bond wherewith they are bound more to some than to others Therefore Cleon the Lacedemonian