was euerlasting but that all are mortal in the ende both high lowe haue an end for many are layde to nighte into their graue which the next day following thought to be aliue Leaue aside the deuine iudgment in that he spake he said highly and like a Philosopher for it semeth to be a pleasaunt thing to see how men gouerne the world Therfore now to the matter it is but reason we know the cause of this so auncient a noueltye whiche is that God wylleth and ordeinethe that one onlye commaunde all and that all together obey one For there is nothing that God doth thoughe the cause therof be vnknowen to vs that wanteth reason in his eternall wisedome In this case speakyng like a Christian I saye that if our father Adam had obeyed one onlye commaundemente of God whiche was forbydden him in the terrestial Paradise we had remayned in lybertie vpon the earth and should haue bene Lordes and maisters ouer al. But sith he would not then obey the Lord we are nowe become the slaues of so many Lords O wicked sine cursed be thou sith by the onely the world is broughte into suche a bondage without teares I cannot speake that which I would that through our first fathers which submitted them selues to sinne we their children haue lost the sygnorye of the world For sithe they were prisoners to synne in their hartes lytle auaileth the lybertie of their bodyes There was great dyuersitie betwixt the opynions of Pythagoras and the opinyons of Socrates for somuch as those of Socrates scoole saide that it were better all thinges should be common and all men equall Thother of Pythagoras scoole sayde the contrarie and that the common wealthe were better wherin eche one had his owne proper and all should obey one so that the one of them dyd admit and graunte the name of seruantes and thothers dyd despise the name of Lordes As Laertius in his first booke of the life of Philosophers sayth that the Philosopher Demostenes was also of the same opinyon that to the end the people should be well gouerned he would two names should be vtterly abbolished and taken a way that is to wete Lords and subiectes masters and seruaunts for the one desirous to rule â–ª by fyersnes and thothers not willyng to obeye by tyranny would shedde the bloud of the innocent and would be vyolent agaynst the poore they would destroy the renowmed famous people and tyrannes would waxe stout the which thyngs should be taken away if there were no sygnorye nor seruytude in the world But notwithstanding these thinges the Phylosopher in his first booke of his pollitiques sayth that by fower natural reasons we may proue it to be very necessarie that Princes do commaund and the people obey The first reason is of the partes of the Elements symple and mixt For we se by experience that the Elementes do suffer to th ende they wold be ioyned together the one to haue more power then al the whyche is shewed by experyence forasmuch as the Element of the fyer the Element of the ayer and the Element of the water do obey the Element of the earth doth commaund For against their nature he bryngeth them all to the earth But if all the noble and chiefest Elements were obedyente to the most vile Element onely to forme a body myxt it is a greater reason that al obeye to one vertuous person that the common wealth mighte therby the better be gouerned The second reason is of the bodye the soule in the armony wherof the soule is the mistresse which commaundeth and the body the seruaunt which obeyeth fo the body neither seeth heareth nor vnderstandeth without the body The sage Philosopher by this wil infer that the sage men should naturally be lords ouer others For in the world ther is nothing more mâ—nstrous then that fooles should coÌ„maund wise men obey The third reason taketh his ground on beastes for we se by experience that diuers beastes by thonely knowledge of men are gouerned therfore it is but mete that many men which are more lyker beastes then the beastes theym selues do suffer them selues to be gouerned and ruled by wise men For the common weale is more profited by a brute beast then it is by a witlesse man The fourth reason proceadeth of women for we se that they being created to the image of God god commaundeth and ordayneth that they should be subiect to man presupposing their knowledge not to be so great as the knowledge of men Therfore if this thing be thus why could not diuerse mortal men who with out comparison know lesse then women take theym selues for happie that one alone would commaund gouerne them so that such one were a sage vertuous parson Sithe man is naturally pollytike which is to be a frend of company the company engendreth enuy afterwards discord norisheth warre warre bringeth in tiranny tiranny destroyeth the comon wealth the common wealth being lost all men thinke their liues in peryl Therfore it is very necessarie that in the common wealth many be gouerned by one alone for to conclude ther is no common wealth wel gouerned but by one alone The great trauayles and inconuenyences which the auncientes found in tymes past were the occasion that it was ordeyned in the publyke weale that all should obey one Sythe that in a campe one onely Captaine is obeyed and in the sea one Pilot followed in the monasterye all obeye one prelate and in the Churche all obeye one byshoppe and syns in a hyue of bees one bee onely leadeth all the rest it were not reason that men should be without one king nor the common wealth without a gouernour Those men that will not haue a king in a common wealth are lyke vnto drones waspes which without trauaile eate the swete of others And mine opinion in this case should be that euery man that will not be commaunded as an abiect of the common weale should be expulsed and cast out therof For in a common wealthe ther can be no greater enemye then he that desireth that many should rule therin In that publike weale where one alone hath care for al al obey the commaundement of one onely there God shal be serued the people shal profit the good shal be estemed the euil dispised and besides that tirannes shal be suppressed For a gouernaunce of many is not profitable onlesse they referre theym selues to the iudgemente of a fewe and to the arbitermente of one alone Oh howe manâ—e people and Realmes because they woulde not obey their princes by iustice haue since by cruell tirannes bene gouerned with tyrannye For it is euen a iuste plage that they which disire the scepters of righteous Princes shoulde feale and proue the scourge of cruell tirauntes Alwayes it was and shal be that in the worlde there was one to commaunde another to obeye one to gouerne and another to bee gouerned
to be blamed for those which haue credit for their euil are many and those whych haue power to do well are very fewe ¶ Of the golden age in times past and worldly miserie which we haue at this present Cap. xxxi IN the first age golden world al liued in peace ech man toke care for his owne lands euery one planted sowed their trees corne eueryone gathered his frutes and cut his vynes kned their breade and brought vp their children and finally all liued by their owne proper swette trauaile so that they all liued without the preiudice or hurt of any other O worldly malice O cursed wicked world that thou neuer sufferest things to remaine in one estate and thought I cal the cursed maruaile not therat for when we are in most prosperitie then thou with death persecutest vs most cruelly Without teares I say not that I wil say that 2000 yeres of the world wer past before we knew what the world ment god suffering it and worldly malice inuenting it ploughes were turned into weapons oxen to horses goades to lances whippes to arrowes slinges to crosbowes simplycitye into malice trauaile into Idlenes rest to paine peace to warre loue to hatred charitie to crueltie Iustice to tyranny profite to domage almes to theft aboue al fayth into Idolatrie And finallye the swete they had to profite in their owne goods they tourned to bloud sheading to the domage of the comon wealth And herein the world sheweth it selfe to be a world herein worldly malice sheweth it selfe to be malicious in somuch as the one reioyceth the other lamenteth the one reioceth to stomble to the end the other may fall breake his necke the one reioyceth to be poore to the end the other maye not be riche the one reioyseth to be dispraised to the end the other may not be honored the one delighteth to be sad to the ende the other shoulde not be merye to conclude we are so wicked that we banishe the good from our owne house to the end that the euill might enter in at the gates of an other man When the creator created the whole world he gaue to eche thinge immediatly his place that is to wete he placed intelligence in the vppermoste heauen he placed the starres in the firmament the planettes in the orbes the byrdes in the ayre the earth on the center the fyshes in the water the serpentes in the holes the beastes in the mountaines and to al in generallye he gaue place to reste them selues in Now let princes and great Lordes be vaine glorious sayenge that they are Lords of the earth for truly of all that is created god only is the true Lord therof because the miserable man for his part hath but the vse of the fruit for if we thinke it reasonable that we should enioy the profite of that which is created then were it more conuenient we should acknowledge god to be the Lord therof I do not deny but confesse the God created al things to the end they should serue man vpoÌ„ condicion that maÌ„ shold serue God likewise but wheÌ„ the creature riseth against god immediatly the creator resisteth against man For it is but reason that he be disobeyd who one only coÌ„maundemeÌ„t wil not obey O what euil fortune hath the creature only for disobeying the comaundement of his creator For if man had kept his coÌ„maundement in Paradise god had conserued to the world the signorie but the creatures whome he created for his seruice are occasion to him of great troubles for the ingratitude of benefit heapeth great sorow to the discret hart It is great pitie to behold the man that was in paradise that might haue bene in heauen now to se him in the world aboue al to be interred in the intrailes of the earth For in terrestiall paradise he was innocent in heauen he had bene blessed but nowe he is in the worlde enuirouned with cares and afterwardes he shal be throwen into hys graue and gnawen of the wormes Let vs nowe see the disobedience wee hadde in the commaundemente of GOD and what fruite we haue gathered in the world For he is very simple that dare commit any vice taking no delight nor pleasure therof in his body In my opinion through the sinnes whiche our forefathers committed in paradise the seruitude remaineth in vs their children which are on the earth For so much as if I entre into the water I drowne if I touche the fire I burne if I cone neare a dog he biteth me if I threaten a horse he casteth me if I resiste the wynde it bloweth me downe if I persecute the serpent he poysoneth me if I smite the beare he destroieth me and to be brief I saie that the man that without pitie eateth men in his life the wormes shal eate his intrailes in the graue after his death O princes great lordes lode your selues with cloth of gold heape vp your great treasours assemble many armies inuente Iustes Torneis seke your pastimes reueÌ„ge your selues of your enemies serue your selues with your subiectes marrye your children to mighty kinges set them in great estate cause your selues to be feared of your enemies imploye your bodies to al pleasures leue great possessions to your heires rayse sumptuous buildinges to leaue memory of your persons I sweare by him that shal iudge me that I haue more compassion to see your sinfull soules then I haue enuy to see your vicious liues For in the end all pastimes will vanishe away and they shal leaue you for a gage to the hungry wormes of the earth O if princes did consider though they haue bene borne princes created norished in great estates that the day thei are borne death immediatly commeth to seke the end of their life and taketh them here and there when they are whole when they are sicke now tombling then rising he neuer leaueth them one houre vntill their woful burial Therfore sith it is true as in dede it is that that whiche princes possesse in this life is but small that which they hope in the other is so great truly I marueile why princes the which shal lie so straight in the graue dare liue in such so great largenes in their life To be riche to be lordes to haue great estates men should not therof at al be proude since they see how fraile mans condicion is for in th end life is but lone but death is enheritage Death is a patrimonie heritage which successiuely is inherited but life is a righte which daily is surrendred For death counteth vs somuche his owne that oftimes vnwaâ—es he coÌ„meth to assault vs life taketh vs such straungers that oftetimes we not doubting therof it vanisheth away If this thing theÌ„ be true why wil princes great lordes presume to coÌ„maunde in a straunge house which is this life as in their own house which is the
and cold of the ayre that is whot and moyst of fyre that is dry and whot So that taking the world in this sort there is no reason why wee shoold complayn and lament of it since that without him wee cannot lyue corporally When the paynter of the world came into the world it is not to bee beeleeued that hee reproued the water which bare hym when hee went vppon it nor the ayre that ceased to blow in the sea nor the earth that trembled at his death nor the light which seased to lyght nor the stones which brake in sonder nor the fish whych suffred them selues to bee taken nor the trees which suffered them selues to bee drye nor the monuments that suffered them selues to bee opened For the creature knowledged in his creator omnipotency and the creator founded in the creature due obedience Oftentymes and of many parsons wee heere say o wofull world o miserable world o subtyl world o world vnstable and vnconstant And therfore it is reason wee know what the world is whereof the world is from whence this world is wherof this world is made and who is lord of thys world since in it all things are vnstable all things are miserable all disceitfull and all things are malicious which can not bee vnderstanded of this materiall world For in the fyre in the ayre in the earth and in the water in the lyght in the planets in the stones and in the trees there are no sorows there are no miseries there are no disceit nor yet any malyce The world wherein wee are born where wee lyue where wee dye differeth much from the world wherof wee doo complayn for the world agaynst whom wee fight suffreth vs not to bee in quiet one hour in the day To declare therfore my entencion this wicked world is no other thing but the euill lyfe of the worldlings where the earth is the desire the fire the couetice the water the inconstancy the ayre the folly the stones are the pride the flowers of the trees the thoughts the deepe sea the hart Fynally I say that the sonne of this world is the prosperity and the moone is the continuall chaunge The prince of this so euill a world is the deuill of whom Iesus Christ sayd The prince of this world shall now bee cast out and thys the redeemer of the world sayeth For hee called the worldlings and their worldly lyues the world For since they bee seruaunts of sinne of necessity they must bee subiects of the deuyll The pryde the auaryce the enuy the blasphemy the pleasures the lechery the neglygence the glottony the yre the malyce the vanity and the folly This is the world agaynst whych wee fight al our lyfe and where the good are princes of vyces and the vyces are lords of the vicious Let vs compare the trauels which wee suffer of the elements wyth those whych wee endure of the vyces and wee shall see that lyttle is the perill wee haue on the sea and the land in respect of that which encreaseth of our euyll lyfe Is not hee in more daunger that falleth through malyce into pryde then hee which by chaunce falleth from a high rock Is not hee who wyth enuy is persecuted in more daunger than hee that with a stone is wounded Are not they in more perill that liue among vicious men than others that liue among bruit and cruell beasts Doo not those which are tormented with the fire of couetousnes suffer greater daunger then those which lyue vnder the mount Ethna Fynally I say that they bee in greater perils whych with hygh immaginations are blynded then the trees which with the importunat wyndes are shaken And afterwards this world is our cruell enemy it is a deceitfull frend it is that which always keepeth vs in trauell it is that which taketh from vs our rest it is that that robbeth vs of our treasor it is that which maketh him self to bee feared of the good that which is greatly beeloued of the euill It is that which of the goods of other is prodigall and of his own very miserable Hee is the inuenter of all vyces and the scourge of all vertues It is hee which entertaineth al his in flattery and fair speech This is hee which bringeth men to dissention that robbeth the renowm of those that bee dead and putteth to sack the good name of those that bee aliue Fynally I say that this cursed world is hee which to all ought to render accompt and of whom none dare ask accompt O vanity of vanity where all walk in vanity where all think vanity where all cleue to vanity where all seemeth vanity and yet this is lyttle to seeme vanity but that in dede it is vanity For as false witnes shoold hee bere that woold say that in this world ther is any thing assured healthfull and true as hee that woold say that in heauen there is any vnconstant variable or false thing Let therfore vayn princes see how vayn their thoughts bee and let vs desire a vayn prince to tell vs how hee hath gouerned him wyth the vanities of the world For if hee beeleeue not that whych my penne wryteth let him beeleeue that whych hys parson prooueth The woords written in the book of Ecclesiastes are such I Dauids sonne that swaies the kingly seat with hungry thurst haue throwen amid my brest A vayn desire to proue what pleasures great In flying life haue stable foot to rest To tast the sweet that might suffise my will with rayned course to shunne the deeper way whose streams of his delight shoold so distill as might content my restles though to stay For lo queene follies imps through vayn beelief So proudly shape their serch of tickle retch that though desert auailes the waue of grief to science toppe their claimming will doth stretch And so to draw some nice delighting end Of fansies toyl that feasted thus my thought I largely wayed my wasted bounds to bend to swelling realms as wisedoms dyall wrought I ryall courts haue reached from the soyl to serue lodge my huge attending trayn Ech pleasant house that might bee heapt with toy◠I reared vp to weeld my wanton rayn I causd to plant the long vnused vynes to smooth my tast with treasure of the grape I sipped haue the sweete in flaming wynes old rust of care by hidd delight to skape Fresh arbors I had closed to the skies A shrouded space to vse my fickle feete rich gardeins I had dasing still myne eyes A pleasant plot when dainty food was meet High shaking trees by art I stroue to sett to fraight desire with fruit of leeking tast VVhen broyling flame of sommers sunne did hett the blossomd bows his shooting beams did wast From rocky hills I forced to bee brought Cold siluer springs to bayne my fruitful ground Large thrown out ponds I labord to bee wrought where nūbers huge of swimming fish were found Great compast parkes I gloried long to plant
the dede we employe our thorough power to vice which is an abuse where with al the world is rorrupted and deceiued For heauen is not furnished but with good dedes and hell is not replenished but with euill desires I graunt that neither man nor beaste desireth to dye but all trauaile to th ende they may liue But I aske now this question What doth it auaile a man to desire his life to be prolonged if the same be wicked vngodly and defamed The man that is high minded proude vnconstante cruell disdeinfull enuious ful of hatred angry malicious full of wrath couetous a lier a glutton a blasphemer and in al his doinges disordred why wil we suffer him in the worlde The lyfe of a poore man that for nede steleth a gowne or any other smal trifle is forth with taken away why than is he that disturbeth a whole common wealth left aliue O would to God there were no greater theues in the worlde than those whiche robbe the temporall goodes of the riche that we did not winke cōtinually at them which take away the good renoume aswell of the riche as of the poore But we chastice the one dissemble with the other which is euidētly sene how the thiefe that steleth my neighbours gown is hanged forthwith but he that robbeth me of my good name walketh still before my doore The diuine Plato in the firste booke of lawes sayde We ordayne and commaunde that he that vseth not him selfe honestly and hath not his house wel refourmed his riches well gouerned his family well instructed lyueth not in peace with his neighbours that vnto him be assigned tutours which shal gouerne him as a foole and as a vacabonde shal be expulsed from the people to thintent the common wealth be not through him infected For there neuer riseth contention or strife in a common wealthe but by suche menne as are alwayes out of order Truly the diuine Plato had greate reason in his sayinges for the man that is vitious of his person and doth not trauaile in things touching his house nor kepeth his family in good order nor liueth quietly in the common wealthe deserueth to be banished and driuen out of the countrey Truly we sée in dyuerse places madde menne tied and bound fast which if they were at libertie would not doe suche harme as those that dayly walke the streates at their owne willes and sensualitie There is not at this daye so greate or noble a Lorde nor Lady so delicate but had rather suffer a blowe on the head with a stone than a blot in their good name with an euill tongue For the wounde of the heade in a moneth or two maye well be healed but the blemmishe of their good name duringe life will neuer be remoued Laertius saith in his booke of the lyfe of Philosophers that Diogenes beinge asked of one of his neighboures what they were that ordeyned the lawes aunswered in this wise Thou shalt vnderstande my friende that the earnest whole desire of our forefathers and all the intention of the Philosophers was to instructe them in their common wealth how they ought to speake how to be occupied how to eate how to slepe howe to treate how to apparaile how to trauaile and how to rest and in this consisteth all the wealth of worldly wisedome In déede this Philosopher in his aunswere touched an excellent pointe for the lawe was made to no other ende but to bridell him that liueth without reason or lawe To menne that wil liue in reste and without trouble in this life it is requisite necessarye that they chose to them selues som kinde and maner of liuinge whereby they may mainteyne their house in good order and conforme their liues vnto the same That estate ought not to be as the folly of their parson doth desire nor as may be most pleasaunte to the delightes of the body but as reason teacheth them and God commaundeth them for the surer saluacion of their soules For the children of vanitie embrace that onely which the sensuall appetite desireth and reiecte that which reason commaundeth Since the time that trées were created they alwayes remayning in the firste nature vntil this present day doe beare the same leafe and frute which things are playne sene in this that the palme beareth dates the figge trée figges the nut trée nuttes the peare trée peares the apple trée apples the chesnutte trée chesnuttes the Oke acornes and to conclude I saye all thinges haue kepte their firste nature saue onely the sinfull man which hath fallen by malice The planettes the starres the heauens the water the earth the ayre and the fier the brute beastes and the fishes al continewe in the same estate wherein they were first created not complayninge nor enuying one the other Man complayneth continually he is neuer satisfied and alwayes desireth to chaunge his estate For the shepherd woulde be a husbandman the husbandman a squier the squier a Knight the knight a King the king an Emperour Therefore I say that few is the number of them that seke amendment of life but infinite are they that trauaile to better their estate and to encrease their goodes The decaye of the common wealth at this present through all the worlde is that the dry and withered okes which haue bene nourished vpon the sharpe mountaynes woulde nowe seme to be daynetie date trées cherished in the pleasaunt gardeins I meane that those which yesterday coulde haue ben pleased with dry acornes in a poore cottage at home at this day wil not eat but of delicate disshes in other mens houses abroade What estate menne ought to take vppon them to kepe their conscience pure and to haue more reste in their life a man cannot easely describe For there is no state in the Church of God but men may therin if they will serue God and profite them selues Nor there is no kind of life in the world but the wicked if they perseuer and continew therin may sclaunder their persons and also lease their soules Plinie in an epistle that he wrote to Fabatus his friēd saith There is nothing among mortal men more common and daungerous than to geue place to vayne imaginacions whereby a man beleueth the estate of one to be much better than the estate of an other And hereof it procedeth that the worlde doth blinde men so that they wil rather seke that which is an other mans by trauaile and daunger than enioy their owne with quiet and rest I say the state of Princes is good if they abuse it not I say the state of the people is good if they behaue them selues obediently I say the estate of the rich is good if they wil Godly vse it I say the estate of the religious is good if they be able to profit others I say the estate of the communaltie is good if they will contente them selues I saye the state of the poore is good if they haue pacience For it is no
ende of her lyfe Therfore why should I bewayle her death synce the gods haue lent her life but vntyll this daye The greate estimation that we haue of this life causeth that death semeth vnto vs sodayne and that the lyfe vnwares with death is ouertaken but these are wordes of the children of vanitie for that by the wyl of the gods death visiteth vs and against the wylles of men lyfe forsaketh vs. Also my chyldren be vertuous philosphers and albeit they be nowe in the handes of tyrauntes we oughte not therefore to call them captiues for a man may not call him a captiue whiche is laden with irons but him whiche is ouerwhelmed with vices And although the fire haue burnt my house yet I knowe not why I ought to be sad for of truthe it was now olde and the wynde did blowe downe the tyles the wormes did waste the woode and the waters that ran downe perished the walles and it was old and lyke to fall and perchaunce would haue done greater displeasure For most commonly enuy malice and olde houses sodainely without any warning or knocking at the doore assaulteth menne finally there came the fire whiche quited me of many troubles First of the trouble that I should haue had in repairing it secondarely it saued me money in pluckinge it downe thirdly it preserued me and myne heires from muche coste and many daungers For oftentimes that whiche a man consumeth in repayring an olde house would with auauntage by hym a newe Also those whiche saye that for the taking away of my goodes I lacke the goodes of fortune such haue no reason so to thinke or saye For fortune neuer geueth temporall goodes for a proper thing but to those whome she list and when she will dispose them therfore when fortune seeth that those men whome she hath appointed as her distributers doe hourde vp the same to them and to their heires then she taketh it from them to geue it to an other Therefore by reason I should not cōplayne that I haue lost any thing for fortune recommendeth vnto an other the temporall goodes but I cary pacience and Philosophie with me so that they haue discharged me from all other and haue no more charge but for my selfe alone Laertius declareth in his fift boke of the sayings of the Gretians That this Bias determined to goe to the playes of Mounte Olimpus whereunto resorted people of all nations and he shewed hym selfe in this place of so highe an vnderstanding that he was counted supreame and chiefe of all other philosophers and wonne the name of a true philosopher Other philosophers then beinge in the same playes Olimpicalles asked him many questions of sondry matters whereof I wyll make mention here of the chiefest ¶ The questions demaunded of the Philosopher Bias. THe first question was this Tell me who is the vnhappiest man in the worlde Bias aunswered He is moste vnhappy that is not paciente in aduersities For men are not killed with the aduersities they haue but with the impacience whiche they suffer The second was what is most hardest troublesome to iudge he answered There is nothing more difficulte then to iudge a contention betwixte two friendes For to iudge betwene two enemies th one remaineth a frend but to be iudge betwene two friendes the one is made an enemy The third was what is moste hardest to measure whereunto Bias aunswered Ther is nothing that needeth more circumspection then the measuring of time for the time shold be measured so iustly that by reason no time should want to do wel nor any time should abound to do euill The fourth was what thing is that that nedeth no excuse in the accomplishment therof Bias answered the thing that is promised must of necessity be parformed for otherwise he that doth lose the creadite of his word shoulde lose more then he that should lose the promise to him made The 5 was what thinge that is wherin the men aswell good as euill should take care Bias aunswered men ought not in any thinge to take so greate care as in sekinge counsayle and counselours for the prosperous times cannot be maintayned nor the multitude of enemyes resisted if it be not by wise men and graue counsayles The sixte was what thing that is wherin men are praised to be negligent he aunswered in one thinge only men haue lycence to be neglygente and that is in chosing of frendes Slowly ought thy frendes to be chosen and they neuer after for any thing ought to be forsaken The seuenth what is that which the afflyeted man doth most desire Bias aunswered It is the chaunge of fortune and the thing which the prosperous man doth most abhorre is to thinke that fortune is mutable For the vnfortunate man hopeth for euery chaunge of fortune to be made better and the wealthye man feareth through euery chaunge to be depriued of hys house These wer the questions which the philosophers demaunded of Bias in the playes of the mount Olimpus in the 60 Olimpiad The philosopher Bias liued 95. yeres and as hee drew nere his death the Prienenses shewing them selues to be maruelous sorofull for the losse of suche a famous man desired him earnestly to ordeine some lawes wherby they myght know howe to chose captaynes or some Prince whiche after hym mighte gouerne the Realme The phylosopher Bias vnderstandinge their honeste requestes gaue theym certaine lawes in fewe woordes whiche folowe Of the whyche the deuine Plato maketh mencion in his booke De legibus and lykewise Aristotle in the booke of Occonomices ¶ The Lawes whych Bias gaue to the Prienenses WE ordeine and commaunde that no man be chosen to be prince amonge the people vnlesse he be at least 40 yeres of age For gouernours ought to be of such age that nether youth nor small experience should cause theym to erre in their affaires nor weakenes through ouermuch age should hinder them from taking paines We ordeine and commaund that none be chosen amongest the Prienenses gouernour if he be not wel learned in the greke letters For there is no greater plague in the publik weale then for him to lack wisedome whych gouerneth the same We ordeine and commaunde that ther be none amongest the Prienenses chosen gouernour vnlesse he hath bene brought vp in the warres 10. yeres at the leaste For he alone dothe knowe how precious a thing peace is whych by experience hath felte the extreme miseryes of warre We ordeine and commaund that if any haue bene noted to be cruel that he be not chosen for gouernour of the people For that man that is cruel is likely to be a tyrant We ordeine comaund that if the gouernor of the Prienenses be so hardy or dare presume to breake the aunciēt lawes of the people that in such case he be depriued from thoffice of the gouernour and lykewise exiled from the people For there is nothing that destroyeth soner a publike weale then to ordeine new and fond lawes and
questions of Babilon where is sayed that Alexander propounded the Philosophers disputed the pryncipalles of Persia replied and Aristotle determined And so continued in disputations as long as Alexander dyd eate for at the table of Alexander one day the captaines reasoned of matters of warre and another day the Philosophers dysputed of their philosophie Blundus sayeth in the booke intituled Italia Illustrata that amonge the Princes of Persia their was a custome that none could sit downe at the table vnlesse he were a kyng that had ouercome an other kyng in battaile none coulde speake at their table but a Philosopher And truly the custome was veray notable and worthy to be noted for there is no greater follie then for any manne to desire that a Prince shoulde reward him vnlesse he know that by hys workes he had deserued the same Kynge Alexander dyd eate but one meale in the daye and therefore the firste question that he propounded vnto them was That the man which did not eate but once in the day at what houre it was best to eate for the health of his personne and whether it shold be in the mornyng none dayes or nyght This question was debated among the philosophers wherof euery one to defend his opinion alleaged many foundacions For no lesse care haue the Sages in their mindes to issewe out of them disputations victorious then the valiaunt captaines haue in aduenturing their persones to vanquyshe theyr enemyes It was determined as Aristotle maketh mētion in his Probleames that the man whyche eateth but once in the daye shoulde eate a litell before nyght for it auayleth greatly to the health of the body that when the digestion beginneth in the stomacke a man taketh hys first steape The second question that Alexander propounded was what age the child should haue when he should be weyned from the dugge And the occasion of this question was for that he had begoten a yong doughter of a Quene of the Amazones the whiche at that tyme dyd suche and for to knowe whether it were tyme or not to weyne her there was great dysputations For the childe was nowe great to sucke and weake to weyne I haue declared this history for no other purpose but to shew howe in Babilon this question was disputed before kyng Alexander that is to wete how many yeares the chyld ought to haue before it were weyned from the teate for at that tyme they are so ignoraunt that they cannot demaunde that that is good nor cōplaine of that whych is nought In that case a man ought to know as the tymes are variable and the regions and prouynce dyuers so lykewyse haue they sondrye wayes of bryngynge vp and nouryshyng their chyldren For there is asmuche dyfference betwene the contryes of one from the contries of others in dyeng and buryeng the dead bodyes as there hath ben varyeties in the worlde by waye of nouryshyng and bryngyng vp of children Of sondrye kindes of sorceries charmes and witchecraftes whych they in olde time vsed in geuing their children sucke the which Christians ought to eschewe Chap. xxiii IT is not muche from our purpose if I declare here some olde examples of those whych are paste Strabo in hys boke de situ Orbis sayeth that after the Assirians whych were the first that reigned in the world the Siconians had signorie whych lōge tyme after were called Archades whych were great and famous wrastlers and scolemasters at the fence from whom came the best and first masters of fence the whyche the Romaynes kepte alwayes for their playes for as Trogus Pompeius sayeth the romaynes founde it by experience that ther wer no better men in weighty affaires then those of Spaine nor no people apter to plaies and pastimes then those of Archadia As those Siconians were auncient so they were marueilously addicted to follyes and superstitious in theyr vsages and customes for among other they honored for their god the Moone And duryng the time that she was sene they gaue their children sucke imagenyng that if the Moone shyned vpon the breastes of the mother it would do much good vnto the child The auctour herof is Sinna Catullus in the boke De educandis pueris And as the same historian sayeth the egiptians were great enemyes to the Siconians so that all that whych the one dyd alowe the others dyd reproue as it appereth For asmuche as the Siconians loued oliues and achornes they were clothed with lynnen and worshypped the Moone for theyr god The Egiptians for the contrary had no olyues neyther they nourished any okes they dyd were no lynnen they worshypped the sonne for their god and aboue all as the Siconians dyd geue theyr chyldren sucke whyles the Moone dyd shyne so the egyptians gaue theyr chyldred sucke whyles the sonne dyd shyne Amonge other folyes of the Caldians this was one that they honoured the fier for their god so that he that was not maried could not lighte fier in hys house bycause they sayed the custodye of Goddes shoulde be committed to none but to maryed and auncient men They had in mariages suche order that the daye when any children dyd marie the priestes came into his house to lyghte new fier the which neuer ought to be put out vntill the houre of his death And if perchaunce during the life of the husband and of the wife they should finde the fier ded and put out the mariage betwene them was dede and vndone yea thoughe they had ben .xl. yeares togethers before in such sorte And of this occasion came the prouerbe which of many is redde and of fewe vnderstanded that is to wete prouoke me not so muche that I throwe water into the fier The Chaldeans vsed such wordes when they woulde deuorce and seperate the mariage for if the woman were ill contented with her husbande in castinge a lytel water on the fier immediatelye she myghte marye with another And if the husbande in lyke maner dyd putte oure the fier he mighte with another woman contracte mariage I haue not bene maried as yet but I suppose there are manye christians whych wysheth to haue at this present the liberty of the Caldes for I am wel assured there are manye men which would cast water on the fier to escape from their wiues also I sweare that their would be a number of women whiche would not onely put out the fier but also the ashes imbers coles to make thē selues fre and to be dyspatched of their husbandes and inespecially from those whiche are ielous Therfore returnyng to oure matter the Chaldeans made before the fier all notable thinges in their lawe as before their God For they dyd eate before the fier they slepte before the fier They did contracte before the fier and the mothers dyd neuer geue the children sucke but before the fier For the milke as they imagined dyd profite the child when it sucked before the fier which was their god The aucthour of this that is spoken is
wee are all of the earth wee liue in the earth and in th end wee haue to turne into the earth as to our naturall thing If the planets and the beasts coold help vs wyth the instrument and benefite of the tongue they woold take from vs the occasions of vayn glory For the starres woold say that they were created in the firmament the Sunne in the heauens the byrdes in the ayer the Salamaunder in the fyer and the fysh in the water but only the vnhappy man was made of earth and created in the earth So that in that respect wee cannot glory to haue other kinsfolk neerer to vs then are the woormes the flyes and horseflyes If a man did consider well what hee were hee woold assertain vs that the fyer burnes him water drownes him the earth wearies him the ayre troubles him the heate greeues him the cold hurts him and the day is troublesom to him the night sorowfull hunger and thirst makes him suffer meat and drink filles him his enemies daily follow him and his frends forget him So that the tyme a man hath to lyue in thys wretched world cannot bee counted a lyfe but rather a long death The first day wee see one borne the self same wee may make rekening that hee beginnes to dye and although that parson lyued amongst vs a hundreth yeres after in this world wee shoold not say therefore that hee lyued along tyme but only that hee taryed a great tyme to dye Therefore that parson that hath his lyfe tyed to so many trybutes I can not deuyse or think with my selfe why or wherefore hee shoold bee proud But now returning againe to our purpose let vs say and exhort the seruaunts and familiers of princes that they take heede they bee not proud and presumptuous For it seeldom happeneth that the fauored of kings and princes fall out of fauor and credit for that they haue or can doo much nor for that they craue and desyre much but for that they are to bold and presume to much For in the court of kings Princes there is nothing more hurtfull and lesse profitable then pryde and presumption For oft tymes the ouerweening of the courtier and the foolysh vayne pryde and reputacion hee hath of hym self brings him to bee in the princes disgrace and makes the people also to bee offended and angry wyth him For till this day wee neuer saw nor hard tell of any that euer got into the princes fauor and credit for that hee was proud and high mynded but only for that hee hath shewed himself an humble obedient curteous louyng and a faithful seruant I woold bee of this mynd that the courtier that seeth hee is receiued into fauor in the princes court shoold euer waxe better in seruing well then grow woorse in presuming to much And I dare boldly say and affirme that it is a mere point of folly by his pryde and rashenesse to lose all that good in one day that by great good fortune hee hath attained to in many yeres And though that the fauored courtier subiect possible to his fantasticall humor bee sometymes ouercome wyth cholor carnal desyre drawen with auaryce and addicted to the gorge enuenomed with enuy plunged insloth and ydlenes or some other vyce and imperfection it shal not skill much neither bee any great wonder since all mankynd is subiect to those passions and neither the prince nor the common weale will recken much of that For of all these faults and vyces there can come no greater hurt to him saue only that that the common people woold murmure against him But his pryde and pecokes glory once knowen and espied euery man casteth his eys vppon him to beehold his princely gate and curseth hym in woord and deede Therefore let a man bee in as great fauor as hee can deuyse to bee as woorthy noble ritch and of as great power and aucthority as hee desyreth to bee I neuer saw any yll in al my lyfe if with al these vertues hee were proud and high mynded but in th end hee was persecuted of many and hated and enuyed of all For those that are in greatest fauor about the prince haue secret enemies enough to hinder their credit although they doo not purchase them new to accuse them of their pryde and presumption And as wee are taught by experience the burning coal cannot long bee kept alyue without it bee couered with the whot ymbers Euen so I mean that the fauor of the prince cannot bee long maintained without good bringing vp and ciuile maners gentle conuersation and familiarity The great mē of auctority about the prince runne estsones into great and many daungers and this happeneth because they woold not bee reproued in any thing what so euer they doo much lesse here any woord that shoold displease them neyther can they abyde to bee told of their faults much lesse suffer to bee corrected for them Nether doo they suffer willyngly to bee counselled in any thing bee it neuer of so great weight and importance neyther woold they haue any compaygnion with them in fauor and credit with the Prince but they desire to bee both on the right hand of the prince and of the left styll they only woold bee the fauored of the prince and none other aspiring to gouerne them in all their dooings and to bee thought and reputed the sole and only rulers of the affairs of the prince and his common weal and to bee beleeued in all things of the prince and to bee obeyd also of the comon people Those therfore that are continually resient in the court of princes and that haue the cheefest roomes and offices of auctority in the court let them well consider and keepe in memory this one woord that I will tell them And that is this That the first day that they take vppon them to bee superintēdēts and gouernors of the common weal euen in the self same day they shal come to put in hasard their honor fauor and credit how great so euer it bee For with great difficulty are the lest things the prince himself cōmaundeth executed or doon in his realm or common weal and therefore may the fauored of the court see how much more hard it is for him to rule as sole absolute lord the affairs of the realme and to bee obeied in the common weal since the kyng him self cannot doo it by his regall auctority And therefore the lesse hee shall desire to meddle with thaffairs of the people the more shall hee lyue in quiet and contented For naturally the common people are so vnstable and vncertain in their dooings vnthankfull of benefits receiued and so ingratefull of a good turne doon them that the beloued of the court or any other person in fauor with the prince can euer doo any thing for the people bee it neuer so well but they will speak ill and mislyke of him and fynd fault with some of his dooings It is impossible
force and power and as in the greenest bows is soonest hidd the fowlers little nett to katch the sely byrds And as wyth the fullest bayts of meat the fish are soonest taken and that wyth great force the wynd dooth blow on hyghest trees and as the most proud and stately buyldings the earthquake dooth most hurt and soonest ouerthrow them euen so by this I mean that Fortune neuer stroue to throw down any but such as shee had made great in honor and fauor For I doo not take yt for no great good luck though all thyngs succeede to bee fauoured of the court better then hee looked for nor to see them brought by their frendes to great estate and honor For albeeit fortune for a tyme dyssemble with him it is not for that shee hath forgotten him but afterwards to geeue him a greater punishment Those that will maruell at that I will speak euen now it proceedes of nothing els but wantyng witt and capacity to vnderstand yt There is no greter sicknes in this world then to bee in health No greater pouerty then neuer to haue neede of any thing And there ys no greater temptation then to bee neuer tempted Nor there can bee no greater sadnes then to bee always mery Nor greater daunger then neuer to bee in daunger For many tymes it so happeneth that where a man thinketh to passe ouer a daungerous flood safe enough his horse falleth ouer head and eares and drowneth his maister or hee escapeth hardly Socrates beeing one day demaunded which was the most sure and certayn thyng of this lyfe aunswered thus There is nothing more certayn in thys lyfe then to account all things vncertayn hee hath nor among ryches any greater then to haue lyfe and health But if the lyfe bee doubtfull and vnquiet what surety or certeinty may bee found in it Surely none Kyng Agesilaus beeing requested of certain of his Grecian captains to goe see the Olimpiade in mount Olimpus where all the Philosophers dyd assemble to dispute and where all the rich men of the countrey came to bye and sell any thing hee aunswered them If in mount Olimpus they sold and exchaunged sorow for myrth sycknes for health honor for infamy and lyfe for death I woold not only goe to see yt but I woold also spend all that I am woorth and that I haue But since the byer is mortall and the thyng also hee byeth condemned to death I wil buy nothing in this lyfe since I cannot carry yt with mee into my graue Yet is there an other deceipt whych the poore courtiers falleth into dayly and that is that in lyuing many yeres they thynk and assuredly beleeue in th end to lyght of a tyme when they hope to haue ease and rest whych is a mockry to thynk it and an extreme madnes to hope for yt For if their yeres grow by ownce and ownce their sorows and troubles increase by pounds Who can deny but that mylk that is kept many dayes dooth corrupt and becometh sharp and sower Yea the garments that are now very old and haue beene long worne without that euer moth dyd touch it dooth in the end also become rags and dust By this therefore I doo inferre that if it bee a most certeyn thing for yong men to dye quicly much more shoold old men bee assured that they haue no long tyme to lyue And there are many in the court of Princes also that fynd them selues so laden with sinnes and wickednes that they think assuredly that in changing their age tyme and fortune they shal not only leaue their vyces but shal bee discharged also of many greeues and troubles Which wee see afterwards happen contrary to them For there is no way so playn in this world but there is some ascent or discent for vs to goe vp to the toppe or some ryuer for vs to passe ouer or some terrible mountayn to fear or some crooked yll fauored way to lose vs in or some caue or hole to fall into Those also that thynk certeynly that the sunne cannot lose hys lyght nor that the moone can bee Eclipsed nor that the starres may bee darkened and that the earth shall not cease to bring foorth the seas to flow the water to runne the fyre to burne and winter to bee cold let them also bee assured that man cannot bee excused to suffer and abyde much For sure it is impossible hee shoold passe one day without some trouble or sinister happ of Fortune And the greatest trompery and deceipt that courtiers for the most part are abused in is that the more they wax in yeres the more they enter dayly into greater affairs and busines with a vayn hope and assuraunce they haue to dispatch them and bring them to such end as they list or desyre But afterwards whan they come to looke into their matters it is the wil of god and their deserts doo procure it that the poore old men fynd when they think to goe home to their houses that they see death approch neere them and they afterwards are caried to bee buryed in their graues O how many are there in court that beecome aged men by long seruing in court wyth a vayn hope afterwards in their age to depart from the court and to repose their aged yeres in their own houses in quiet and tranquility which abuseth them very much So that they may bee called Christians in name and thoughts but right wordlings and courtiers in dooings And therefore many tymes I reprooued dyuers old courtiers my frends for that they dyd not leaue the court when they myght haue left it wyth honor and commodity tellyng them it was more then tyme now they shoold depart from the court since age had stollen vppon them Which coold not tell how to aunswer mee nor what to say more then that they woold within a short tyme goe home to their houses wyth deliberation and intent to take theyr ease at home for the better health of their persons which they had not tyll then and so to seclude them from all dooings saue only in the morning when hee ryseth to goe to the church and serue god and from thence to goe to the hospitalles to visite the sick and diseased to seeke out the poore orphans and wydows amongst his neighbors to make peace betweene neyghbor and neyghbor and to releeue the poore And albeeit they haue told mee thys tale many a tyme and oft yet I neuer saw any of them put it in execution wyth good wyll And I saw once an honorable and rich courtier that was so old that for very age hee had neuer a black hear on his head nor any teeth in hys mouth neither any children sonnes or daughters to inherit his goods who notwithstanding was of so foolysh and fantasticall oppinion brought to that madnes by his sinnes that hee sware to mee that for discharge of his conscience only hee woold neuer leaue or geeue vp his office hee hadd in
another beside her self for shee ceaseth not to defaÌ„e him to follow the other to rayse a sclauÌ„der amoÌ„gst her neighbors to coÌ„plaine to his freÌ„ds to bewray the matter to the iustice to quarel with officers alwayes to haue spies for hym in euery place as if hee were one of her mortal enemyes O I woold to god the courtier would as much esteeme of his coÌ„scieÌ„s as his louer maketh accoÌ„pt of his parsoÌ„ happy were hee For I dare assure him if he know it not that shee spieth out al the places hee goth so couÌ„ts euery morsel of meat hee eateth becoÌ„meth ielious of al that hee dooth of all those whose coÌ„pany hee frequeÌ„teth yea shee deuiseth imagineth all that hee thinketh So that hee that seeketh a cruel reueÌ„ge of his enemy cannot doo better theÌ„ ê‘swade induce him to loue one of these wel coÌ„ditioned womeÌ„ Now let him think that hee hath great warres that by his euil hap hath made her his enemy which heretofore hee so eÌ„tierly loued For any maÌ„ that exteemeth his honor reputacioÌ„ dooth rather feare the euil tongue of such a womaÌ„ theÌ„ the sweord of his enemy For an honest maÌ„ to striue coÌ„teÌ„d with a womaÌ„ of such quality is eueÌ„ asmuch as yf hee woold take vpon him to wash an asses head Therefore hee may not set me to make accoÌ„pt of those iniuries doon him or euel words shee hath spoken of him but rather seeke to remedy it the best hee caÌ„ that shee speak no more of him For womeÌ„ naturaly desire to enioy that persoÌ„ they loue wtout let or interruption of any to pursue to the death those they hate I woold wysh therfore the fauored of priÌ„ces such as haue office dignity in the court that they beware they incurre not into such like errors For it is not sitting that meÌ„ of honor such as are great about the prince shoold seeme to haue more lyberty in vice theÌ„ any other neither for any respect ought the beloued of the prince to dare to keepe coÌ„pany much lesse to haue freÌ„dship with any such coÌ„moÌ„ defamed womeÌ„ syth the least euel that can coÌ„e to theÌ„ they caÌ„not bee auoided But at the least hee must charge his coÌ„scieÌ„s trouble his freÌ„ds wast his goods coÌ„sume his ê‘son lose his good fame ioyning with al these also his coÌ„cubine to bee his mortal enemy For there is no womaÌ„ liuiÌ„g that hath any measure in louiÌ„g neither end in hatiÌ„g Oh how wareli ought al meÌ„ to liue specialy wee that are in the court of princes for many womeÌ„ vnder the color of their autority office goe oft tymes to seek theÌ„ in their chaÌ„bers not only as huÌ„ble suters to sollycyte theire causes but also liberaly to offer theÌ„ their ê‘soÌ„s so by that colour to coÌ„clude their practises deuyses So that the decisioÌ„ coÌ„clusioÌ„ of processe which they fain to solycite shal not goe with him that demaunds there goods of theÌ„ but rather with him that desires but their parsoÌ„s to spoile theÌ„ of their honor Now the princes officers must seeke to bee pure clene froÌ„ al these practises of these comoÌ„ struÌ„pets much more froÌ„ those that are suters to theÌ„ haue maters beefore theÌ„ For they should highly offeÌ„d god coÌ„mit great treasoÌ„ to the King if they should send those weomeÌ„ froÌ„ theÌ„ that sued vnto theÌ„ rather dishonored defamed theÌ„ honestly dispatched of their busines And therfore hee bindeth him self to a maruelous inconuenieÌ„ce that falleth in loue with a woman suter For euen froÌ„ that instant hee hath receued of her the sweete delights of loue eueÌ„ at the present hee byâ—deth him self to dispatch her quickly to end al her sutes not wtout great greefe I speake these woords There are many women that come to the court of princes to make vnreasonable dishonest sutes which in the end notwtstaÌ„ding obtaine ther desire And not for any ryght or reasoÌ„ they haue to it saue only they haue obtained that thorough the fauor and credit they haue won of the fauored courtier or of one of his beloued So as wee see it happeÌ„ many tymes that the vniust fornication made her sute iust resonable I should lye and doo my selfe wrong mee thinks yf I should passe ouer with silence a thing that happened in the emperors court touching this matter in the which I went one day to one of the princes cheefe officers best beeloued of hym to sollycyte a matter of importauÌ„ce which an hostes of myne should haue before him And so this fauored courtier great officer after hee had hard of mee the whole discourse of the matter for full resolution of the same hee axed mee yf shee were yong fayre I auÌ„swered hym that shee was reasonable fayre of good fauor Well than sayth hee bed her com to mee I wil doo the best I can to despatch her matter with speade for I wyl assure you of this that there neuer caÌ„e fayre woman to my hands but shee had her busines quickly dispatcht at my haÌ„ds I haue knowne also many womeÌ„ in the court so vnhonest that not conteÌ„ted to folow their owne matters would also deale with others affayrs gaine in soliciting their causes so that they with their fyne words franke offer of there parsons obtayned that which many tymes to men of honor great autorytye was denyed Therfor these great officers fauored of priÌ„ces ought to haue great respect not only in the coÌ„uersatioÌ„ they haue with these womeÌ„ but also in the honest order they ought to obserue in hering theyr causes And that to bee done in such sort that what so euer they say vnto theÌ„ may bee kept secret prouided also the place where they speake with them bee open for other suters in like case ¶ That the nobles beloued of princes exceede not in superfluous fare that they bee not too suÌ„ptuous in their meates A notable chapter for those that vse too much delicacye and superfluity Chap. xviii ONe of the greatest cares and regard the nature layd vpon her self was that men could not lyue wtout sustinaÌ„ce so that so long as wee see a maÌ„ eat yea if yt were a thousaÌ„d yeares wee might bee bold to say that hee is certainly alyue And hee hath not alone layd this burdeÌ„ vpon meÌ„ but on brute bests also For wee see by experience that some feedeth on the grasse in the fyelds some liues in the ayre eating flyes others vpon the wormes in carin others with that they fynd vnder the water And finally ech beast lyueth of other and afterwards the wormes feede of vs al. And not oÌ„ly reasonable meÌ„ brute beasts lyue by eating but the trees are norrished therby wee see it thus that they in stede of meat receyue into theÌ„ for nutriture the heate of the sunne the teÌ„perature of the ayre the moysture
wholly his to dispose and possible as it were his right hand that they be those whom hee happely too hath doone much for in dispatching their affairs For lightly in such lyke feasts treasons poisonings are not practised with the maister of the feast but only with him that waiteth at the table to geeue drink or els by the cooks that dresseth the meat Also let not the courtier trust too much those whom hee hath been in company with all at dyuers feasts where hee neuer had hurt much lesse knew any little occasion to suspect yll of them touching any tresōment towards him For so at a tyme when hee suspecteth least hee may be in most daunger find him self deceiued And therefore by my councell hee shall not easely bee intreated to euery mans boord vnlesse hee bee first well assured of the company that are bidden as also of the seruants that wayt For the holes spaces of the french rydles with which they dust their corne sometimes is euen stopped with the very graines of the same corne and letteth the cleere passage of all the rest One of the greatest troubles or to terme it better one of the greatest daungers I see the fauored courtiers in is this that al the courtiers and in maner all the citizens desire to see them out of fauor or dead by some means For euery man is of this mynd that with the chaunge of things by his fall or death hee hopeth hee shal rise to some better state or happely to catch some part of his offices or lyuings An other mischief inconueniēce yet happeneth to this fauored courtier by haunting others tables that is that many times it chaunceth vnseemly vnhonest woords are let fall at the table perhaps quarel rise vppon it which though hee bee present yet hee can neither remedy nor appease it And because these things were done spoken in the presence of the esteemed of the prince hee that spake them hath credit and those that hard it discried it Yet ys there an other disorder that commeth by these feasts that is that hee that maketh the feast and biddeth guests dooth it not for that they are of hys acquayntaunce his kinsfolks or his faithfull frends nor for that hee is bound and beeholding to them but only to obtayn his desyre in his sutes that hee hath in hand for they are few that seeke to pleasure men but in hope to bee greatly recompenced Therefore those that are in fauor auctority about the prince that accept others bydding sure one of these two things must happen to them Eyther that hee must dispatch his busynes that inuyteth him yea although it be vnreasonable so vniust damnable that obtaining it both hee the fauored courtier goe to the deuyll togeethers for company for the wrong iniury they haue doone to an other or on the other syde refusing to doo it the bydder is stricken dead repenteth his cost bestowed vpon him Aboue all things I chiefly admonish the courtiers and officers of princes not to sell change nor engage their liberties as they doo the same day that they begin to follow such feasts or to receiue gyfts or presents or to lynk them selues in streight frendship with any or to deal parcially in any cause For by these foresaid occasions they shall oft bynd them selues to doo that that shal not bee fitt for them besydes the losse of their liberty they had beefore to doo that was most honest and commendable ¶ That the fauored of princes ought not to bee dishonest of their tongues nor enuyous of their woords Cap. xix ANaxagoras the philosopher disputing one day of the cause why nature had placed the members of mans body in such order as they are and of the property and complexiō of euery one of them and to what end they had been so orderly placed by nature eche member in his place falling in the end to treat of the tong said thus of it You must vnderstand my good disciples that not without art grete mistery nature gaue vs ii feete ii hands .ii. eares ii eyes yet for all this but one tongue whereby shee shewed vs the in our going feeling smelling hearing and seeing wee may bee as long as wee will but in speking wee shoold bee as sparing scant as coold bee alleging further that not without great reason also nature suffered vs to goe open bare faced the eyes the eares the hands the feete other parts of the body bare also except the tongue which shee hath enuironed with lawes inured with teeth and also shut with lips which shee did to geeue vs to vnderstand that there is nothing in this present life that hath more neede of gard defence then hath this our vnbrydled tong And therefore said Pithachus the philosopher that a mans tong is made lyke the yron poynt of a launce can but yet that it was more daungerous then that For the point of the launce can but hurt the flesh but the tongue perseth the hart And truely it was a true saying of this philosopher For I know not that man how vertuous or pacient so euer hee bee but thinks yt lesse hurt the bloody swoord shoold perce his flesh then that hee shoold bee touched in honor with the venimous point of the serpentyen tong For how cruel so euer the wound bee time dooth heal it maketh it well again but defame or infamy neither late nor neuer can bee amēded We see men refuse to goe by water for fear of drowning not to come too neere the fyer for fear of burning not to goe to the warres for fear of killing to eat no yll meats for being sick to clym vp a high for fear of falling to goe in the dark for fear of stumbling to auoid the yll ayer rayn for fear of rewmes and yet I see very few or none that can beware of detractors yll tongs And that this is true I tell you I doo not think that in any thing a man is in such perill and daunger as when hee lyueth accompanyed with men dishonest in their dooings and vyle and naught in their tongues I haue also read touching this matter that Aformius the philosopher being asked what he ment to goe the most part of his tyme amongst the desert mountains in hasard euery hower to bee deuoured of wyld beasts answered thus Wild beasts haue no other weapons to hurt mee but their horns nayls their teeth to deuour mee but men neuer cease to hurt and offend mee with al their whole members And that this is true behold I pray you how they looke at mee with their eyes spurne mee with their feete torment mee with their hands hate mee with their hart and defame mee with their tongue So that wee haue great reason to say that a man lyueth with more security amongst wyld beasts then among malignaunt and enuious people Plutarche in
day in hearing tydings another day in doing seruyces somtime liking darknes sometime lothing lyght being in company and solitary lyueth and finally the poore louer may that he wil not and would that he may not More ouer the counsel of his frends auayleth hym nothing nor the infamy of his enemyes not the losse of goodes the aduenture of honour the losynge of his lyfe nor the sekyng of death neyther commyng neare nor flyeng farre nor seing with his eyes ne hearing with his eares nor tasting with his mouth nor fealing with his hand to conclude to get vyctory he is alway at warre wyth hym selfe Then I would ye louers knewe from whence your loue doth come it is this The entrayles wherof we are bread be fleshe the breastes that we sucked are fleshe the armes wherin we be fastned be of flesh the thoughts which we thynke be fleshly the workes which we do are fleshly the men with whom we lyue are of flesh and the wonder for whom we dye are flesh by whych occasion commeth the reuerting of our flesh to flesh many fre harts are intangled with the snares of loue It semeth wel my ladies ye were gendered in puddels as before is mencioned of the Egiptians the puddels haue no cleare water to drincke nor fruite to eate nor fish to be taken nor shyppe to sayle in I meane that in your lyues ye be filthy your personnes wythout shame in aduersitye weake and feble in prosperity ful of deceite and guyle false in your woordes and doubteful in your doynges in hatynge without measure in loue extreame in gifts couetous in takyng vnshamefast finally I say ye are the ground of feare in whom the wise men find peril the simple men suffer iniury In you the wise men hold their renowne slaundered the simple men their lyfe in penury Let vs omit the opinion of the Egiptians and come to the Grekes which say that in the desertes of Arabia the sonne shineth hottest at the beginning ther was found one womaÌ„ with one bird called the Phenix which bird was created on the water and the woman engendered by the great heat of the sonne of the pouder of trees in this wise Ther was a tree sore eaten with wormes vpon a time a blast of lightning set it on fier burnt it so as amongest the ashes of that rotten tre the first woman was made found Although I be a Roman philosopher yet can I not disalow the opinion of the greke philosopher Of trouth ye amorous dames ye haue your tongues of the nature of fire and your condicions like the pouder of a rotten tre Accordyng to the dyuersity of beasts so nature hath in diuers parts of the body placed their strength as the Eagle in her byl the Vnicorne in the horne the serpent in the taile the bul in the head the beare in his pawes the horse in the breast the dogge in the teath the bore in the tuske the doues in the winges the women in their tongues For of trouth the flight of the doue is not so hyghe as the fantasy of your folyshnes is vaine the cat scratcheth not so sore with her nayles as ye scratch the folish men with your importunities The dogge hurteth not hym so much that he runneth after as ye do the sorowful louer that serueth you the life of him is not in so muche daunger that catcheth the bul by the hornes as the same of him that falleth in your hands To conclude the serpent hath not so much poison in his taile as ye haue in your tongues I accept the Romaine ladies a part for ther are many very noble whose lyues are not touched with complaint nor good fames had in suspect Of such neither my letter speaketh ought nor my penne writeth but of those women I speake that be such as al the venemous beastes in the world haue not so much poison in their bodyes as one of those hath in their tongues And sith the gods haue commaunded our fate doth permit that the life of men cannot passe without women I aduise the youth besech the aged I wake the wise instrucâ—â—â—mple to shonne women of euyl name more then the comon pestilence Râ—â—â—â—ng the auncient lawes of Plato I find written this We comaund that al women openly defamed bee openlye banished the citye to thintente that others seing the sinne punished may abhorre the same for feare to fal in the like paine The same law said further we comaund that they pardon a woman for al her faults she committeth bodely in case ye se amendment likewise in her but we wil that no fault be pardoned committed by the tongue For actual sinne done is the frailety of nature the tongue only of malyce O deuyne Plato maister measure of al knowledge science prince of al philosophers When thou in the golden world maydst such lawes in whiche time ther was such scarsitye of those women which were euil and so great plenty of them that were good what should we do now in Rome wher there be so many euil openlye and none good in secret women naturally oughte to be shamefast in their face temperate in wordes wise of wit sober in going honest in conuersacion pitiful in correction ware in their lyuyng auoyding companyes faithfull in their promyse constaÌ„t in loue Fynally she that wil be counted honest let her not trust to the wisedome of the wise nor commit her fame to the wanton youth let euery wise woman take hede what he is that promyseth her ought For after that the flames of Venus be set on fire and Cupide shotte his arrowes the rich offereth all that he hath and the poore al that he may The wise man wil euer be her frend and the simple man for euer her seruaunt The wise man wil lose his lyfe for her and the simple wil accept his death for her The old men say they wil be frendes to their frendes and the yonge man wil say he wil be enemy to their enemyes The aged promysing to pay her debtes the other to reuenge her iniuries Finally the one because to hide their pouertie and the other to publyshe their beautie leade these fooles losing their lyues bringinge their fame to ende I wil leaue to speake of the good women for I mind not to charge them with ought I aske you amorous ladyes yf Plato was amongest you when ye made a play of my lyfe drew my picture about Rome no surely for that I se in your act now I do suspect that to be true which hath bene sayd of others for there are fewe in Rome that execute the paine of Platoes law One thing ye cannot deny if I were the worst of al men at the last ye se the end of my vylanies but this you caÌ„not deny that she which is least euil of al you the naughtines of her life I could not sufficiently set out in my lyfe Yt
within a yere shee is met in euery place of Rome what auaileth it that for few days shee hydeth her self from her parents and frends and afterwards shee is found the first at the theaters what profiteth it that widows at the first doo morne and go euil attired and afterwards they dispute and coÌ„plain of the beauty of the romayn wiues what forceth it that widows for a certein tyme doo keepe their gates shutt and afterwards their housen are more frequented then others What skilleth it that a man see the widows weep much for their husbands and afterwards they see them laugh more for their pastymes Fynally I say that it lytle auaileth the woman to seeme to suffer much openly for the death of her husband if secretly shee hath an other husband all ready found For the vertuous and honest wydow immediatly as shee seeth an other man alyue shee renueth her sorow for her husband that is dead I will shew thee Lady Lauinia a thing that beefell in Rome to the end thou think not I talk at pleasure In the old time in Rome ther was a noble and woorthy Romayn Lady wife of the noble Marcus Marcellus whose name was Fuluia And it happened so that this woman seeing her husband buryed in the field of Mars for the great greef shee had shee scratched her face shee ruffled her hear shee tore her gown and fell down to the earth in a found by the reason wherof two Senators kept her in their arms to th end shee shoold torment her self no more To whom Gneus Flauius the Censour said Let Fuluia go out of your hands shee will this day doo all the penaunce of wydows Speaking the trueth I know not whether this Romain spake with the Oracle or that hee were a deuine but I am assured that al hee spake came to passe For that this Fuluia was the wyfe of so excellent a Romayn as the good Marcus Marcellus was I woold that so vnlucky a chaunce had not happened vnto her which was that whyles the bones of her husband were a burning shee agreed to bee maried to an other and which was more to one of the Senators that lyfted her vp by the armes shee gaue her hand as a Romayn to a Romayn in token of a faithfull mariage The case was so abhominable that of all men it was dispraised that were present and gaue occasion that they neuer credit wydows afterwards I doo not speak it Lady Lauinia for that I think thou wilt doo so For by the faith of a good man I swere vnto thee that my hart neyther suspecteth it nor yet the auctority of so graue a Romayn dooth demaund it for to thee onely the fault shoold remain and to mee the wonder Hartely I commend vnto thee thy honesty whych to thy self thou oughtest and the care whych beehoueth so woorthy and noble a wydow For if thou art tormented wyth the absence of the dead thou oughtst to comfort thee with the reputacion of the lyuing At this present I will say no more to thee but that thy renowm among the present bee such and that they speak of thee so in absence that to the euill thou geeue the brydell to bee silent and to the good spurres to come and serue thee For the widow of euill renowm ought to bee buried quick Other things to write to thee I haue none Secrete matters are daungerous to trust considering that thy hart is not presently disposed to here news It is reason thou know that I with thy parents and frends haue spoken to the Senat which haue geeuen the office that thy husband had in Constantinople to thy sonne And truely thou oughtst no lesse to reioyce of that whych they haue sayd of thee then for that they haue geeuen him For they say though thy husband had neuer been citizen of Rome yet they ought to haue geeuen more then thys onely for thy honest beehauiour My wyfe Faustine saluteth thee and I will say I neuer saw her weepe for any thing in the world so much as shee hath wept for thy mishap For shee felt thy losse which was very great and my sorow whych was not lytle I send thee .iiii. thousand sexterces in money supposing that thou hast wherewith to occupy them as well for thy necessaries as to discharge thy debts For the complaints demaunds and processes which they minister to the Romayn matrons are greater then are the goods that their husbands doo leue them The gods which haue geeuen rest to thy husband O Claudine geeue also comfort to thee his wyfe Lauinia Marcus of mount Celio wyth his own hand ¶ That Princes and noble men ought to despyse the world for that there is nothing in the world but playn disceit Cap. xxxix PLato Aristotle Pithagoras Empedocles Democrites Selcucus Epicurus Diogenes Thales Methrodorus had among them so great contention to describe the world his beginning and property that in maintaining euery one hys oppinion they made greater warres with their pennes then their enemies haue doon wyth their launces Pithagoras sayd that that which wee call the world is one thyng and that which wee call the vniuersall is an other The philosopher Thales sayd that there was no more but one world and to the contrary Methrodorus the astronomer affirmed there were infinit worlds Diogenes sayd that the world was euerlasting Seleucus sayd that it was not true but that it had an end Aristotle seemed to say that the world was eternall But Plato sayd cleerely that the world hath had beginning and shall also haue endyng Epicurus sayd that it was round as a ball Empidocles sayd that is was not as a bowl but as an egge Chilo the philosopher in the high mount Olimpus disputed that the world was as meÌ„ are that is to weete that hee had an intellectible and sensible soule Socrates in his schoole sayth in his doctrin wrote that after .37 thousand yeres all things shoold returne as they had been beefore That is to weet that hee him self shoold bee born a new shoold bee norished shoold read in Athens And Dennis the tyraÌ„t shoold return to play the tyraÌ„t in Siracuse Iuliê° Cesar to rule Rome Hanniball to conquer Italy and Scipio to make warre against Carthage Alexander to fight against king Darius and so foorth in all others past In such and other vayn questions and speculations the auncient philosophers consumed many yeres They in writing many books haue troubled their spirits consumed long tyme trauayled many countreys and suffred innumerable daungers and in the end they haue set foorth few trueths and many lyes For the least part of that they knew not was much greater then all that which they euer knew When I took my penne in my hand to write the vanity of the world my entention was not to reprooue this materiall world the which of the fower elements is compounded That is to weete of the earth that is cold and dry of the water that is moyst