IN the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi.C.lxxxxv. in the Olimpiade a. C.lxiii. Anthony the meke, beinge deed, than consules Fuluie Caton, and Gnee Patrocle in the hygh capy­tol, the .iiii. daye of Octobre, at the demaunde of all the people Romayn, and consent of the sacred Se­nate, was declared for emperour vniuersall of all the mo­narche of Rome, Marc Aurely Antony. This excellente baron was naturally of Rome borne in the mounte Celye. And accordyng as Iulius Capitolyne sayth, he was born the .vi. kalendes of May, the whiche accordynge to the accompt of the latyns, was the xxvi. daye of the monethe of Apryll passed. His father was named Anio Vero. For the occasion whereof the histories dyuers tymes calle hym Marc Anthony Vero. True it is, that Adriane the empe­rour called hym Verissimus, bycause in hym was neuer founde no lyes, nor neuer fayled the trouth. These Anius Veres was a lignage, that auaunced them to be descēded of Numa Pompilio, and of Quintꝰ Curtius the famous Romayn: whiche for to delyuer the towne of Rome from perylle, and to gyue his persone perpetualle memorye, of his owne good free wylle he yelded hym selfe to the same vorage, that as than was sene in Rome. The mother of this emperour was called Domiciade, as Cyne historien recounteth in the bokes of the lygnages of Rome. The Camilles were persones in that tyme greatly estemed, by cause they were accompted to be descended of Camille the [Page 1] famous and auncient capytayne Romayne, whiche dely­uered Rome frome the Gaulles, that had wonne hit. The men that descended of that lygnage were called Camil­li, for the remembrance of Camille, and the women were likewise called Camilles, in the remembrance of a dough­ter of the sayde Camylle, that was called Camilla. ¶There was an auncyent lawe, that al Romaynes shuld haue a partycular priuylege in the same place, where their predecessours had done to the Romayne people any great seruyce. For this auncient custome they had priuylege, so that all they of the lygnage of Camylle were kepte and maynteyned in the hygh capytol. And though the varietie of the tyme, the multitude of tyrantes, the ebulition and mouynge of cyuill warres were cause of the diminyshing of the aunciente Polycie of Rome, and introduced in ma­ner a lyfe not very good: yet for all that we reede not, that the preemynences of the Romaynes were broken, but yf it were in the tyme of Sylla, whanne he made the vny­uersall prescription agaynst the Marians. After the deth of this cruelle Sylla, in exaltynge of hym selfe, Iulius Cesar the pitiefull, made dictatour of Rome, and chiefe of the Marians, adnulled and vndydde all that Sylla had made, and broughte ageyne into the auncyent estate the common welthe.

¶What hath benne the condycions, the estate, pouertie, rychesse, fauour, or disfauour of the auncestours of this Marke Aurelye Emperour, we fynde not in the aunciente hystories, and yet it hath ben dilygently serched for. The ancyent Romayn hystoriens were not accustomed to write the lyues of the emperours fathers, namely whanne they be made monarches, but the merytes and graces that their chyldren had, as for the auctoritie that they hadde in­heritynge their fathers. Trouthe it is, as saythe Iulius [Page] Capitolyn, the father of Marke Aurelee themperour, had ben pretour in exercises, and capitayne in the Frontiers, in the tyme of Traian the good, and Adrian the wyse, and Anthony the meke, emperours. This is cōfirmed by that the same Marc Aurelee wrot (being at Rodes) to a frende of his called Polion, that was at Rome, sayinge thus: Many thynges haue I felte and knowen frende Polyon, by the absence of Rome, namely of that I se my selfe here alone in this yle: but as vertue makethe a straunger na­turall, and vice tournethe naturall to a straunger: And as I haue ben .x. yeres here at Rodes to rede philosophy, I therby repute my selfe as naturall of this lande, & that hathe caused me to forgette the pleasures of Rome, and it hath lerned me the maners of the yle. And here I haue founde many of my fathers frendes. Here was capitayne agaynste the Barbariens, to my lorde Adrian, Anthonye my father in lawe, the space of .xv. yeres. I lette the to wyte, that the Rodian people are curteis, and ful of good graces. I wolde haue redde phylosophy as longe as my father had ben at Rodes in warre, but I maye not: for A­drian my lorde commaundethe me to go and kepe residēce at Rome, howe be it euery man reioysethe to see his natu­rall countrey.

¶So by the wordes of this letter it is to be beleued, that Anio Vero, father to this emperour Marc, hadde applyed the mooste parte of his lyfe in warre. It was not the cu­stome lyghtly to truste a person to haue the office of a go­uernour on the Frontiers, without he had bene well exer­cysed in the feates of warre. And as all the glorie of the Romaynes was to leaue after theym good renowme, the sayd Marc certaynly was taken for the mooste vertuous, and had greatteste frendes in the Senate, wherby he tru­sted on the conquest of the most cruell enmyes: accordyng [Page 2] as the sayde Sexto Cheronense historien saythe. The Ro­mayns all though they had in theyr handes mooste peryl­lous warres, yet they hadde in foure partes of the empire stronge and entier garnisons. That is to say in Byzance, the which is nowe Constantinople, by reasone of them of the oryente: And Engades, the whiche nowe is called Ca­lex a citie of Spayne, for loue of them of the weste: In the ryuer of Rhodano, which is nowe y^e ryuer of Ryne, for the Germaynes: And in Collosse, whiche nowe is calledde the Rhodes, bycause of the Barbariens. In the kalendes of Ianuarie, whanne the senate deuyded the offyces, beinge pourueyed of a dictatour, and of two consulles yerely. Incontynente in the thyrde place they prouyded for foure mooste excellente barons to defendethe sayde foure Fron­tiers: The whiche semeth to be true, for the most famous and renowmed barons of theyr yonge daies were capitai­nes in the said Frontiers. The great Pompeius was sent to the Byzaunces Canstantinople: The worthy Scipio was sente to the Collossences and Rodyans: And the cou­ragious Iulius Cesar was sent with the Gadytaynes of Calyx of Spayne: and the stronge estemed Marcus was sente to theym of the ryuer of Ryne. This we saye bycause that Anio Vero father to Marc Aurele emperour, had ben prouoste and pretour in the offices, and one of the capitai­nes of the Frontiers, whiche oughte to be in Rome one of the persons most estemed.

VVe haue not by any autentike histories, fro whens, whan, or howe, in what maner, or in what exercyses, or with what persons, or in what londes was spent & con­sumed [Page] the moste parte of the lyfe of this good emperour. But to be shorte, Iulius Capitolyn sayth, that he had ben xxiii. yere vnder the commaundemente of Adrian the em­perour. Howe be it contrarye wyse is founde by other hy­storiens, accordynge as saythe Sexto Cheronense in his hystorie. It was not the custome of the Romayns crony­clers, to wryte the thynges doone by these princes, before they were pryncis, but onely of yonge people, beynge in their yonge age, hauynge greatte and hye magnyficence, and doing great interprises. This semeth to be of trouth: for Sueton Tranquyll recounteth largely the fearefulle dedes and enterpryses doone by Caius Iul. Cesar in his yonge age, to shewe to princes to comme, howe it was a great ambicyon, that they had to attayn to the monarchy, and but of smalle wytte and maturitie to kepe theym selfe therin. It is noo newe thynge that menne gape for hye and frayle thynges. And the more hygher the magnificēce is, the more lower they fele fortune. And whan they were diligent to accomplysshe their desyre, as moche thoughte had they to conserue their quyetnes and reste. In case thā that Anio Vero, father to Marke the Emperour, folowed the exercise of warres: yet he put his sonne in the way to lerne science. For there was a lawe sore vsed and accusto­med, and well kepte in the Romayne polycye, that euery citesens sonnes, that enioyed the lybertie of Rome, and had accomplyssed .x. yeres, shulde not be suffred to goo by the stretes as vacabundes. Nor it shulde not be suffered by the Censure, who gouerned Rome, & dayely toke hede to the forfaytes doone therin, to suffre a chylde no lengar than .x. yeres of his age to play the chylde. But fro thense forthe the father of the chylde shulde be bounde to noryshe hym out of the circuite of Rome, or to laye a pledge, that his sonne shulde doo no folyes. Whan Rome tryumphed, [Page 3] and by theyr policie gouerned all the worlde, it was cer­taynly a meruaylous and monstruous thing to se it then, and no lesse fearefull vnto vs nowe to here therof. There was at that tyme in Rome .iiii. hūdred. M, inhabitantes, amonge whom there was .ii. hundred. M. yonge people, that were refreyned and brydled from their yonge pleasu­res. The sonne of Cato was chastysed, bycause he was wylfull and presumptuous. And also the brother of good Cyna was banyshed, bycause he wente ydelly as a vaca­bounde. Without that Cicero begyleth vs in his bokes of the Romayne lawes, no Romayne ought to straye abrode in the stretes of Rome, but if he bare in his hand the signe or token of the offyce, wherby he lyued. To thentente that euery man shuld knowe, that he lyued by his trauayl, and not by the sweate of other men. This lawe was kepte of euery persone. The emperour hadde borne before hym a brennynge brande: The consulle an axe of armes: the priestes a hat in maner of a coyfe: the senatours a tongue in maner of a crusyble on their armes, the Censure a lyt­telle table: the tribunes a mace: the centuryons a sygne or baner, the oratours a boke, the gladiatours a swerde, the tayllours sheres, the smethes a hammer, and in lyke wyse of all the other offices and craftes. We maye knowe than by this that is sayde, that after that Marke Aurelye was borne at Rome, his father in his youthe had taughte hym good norture. And though it so were, that the begin­nynge of his yonge aege shulde be hydde from vs: at the least way we are certayne, that the myddell aege and ende of hym was ryght glorious. His father Anio Vero wolde that his sonne Marcus Aurelius shoulde leaue feates of armes, and folowe study. And surely it is to be thoughte, that it was done more by the valyauntenes of the father, than the cowardenes of the sonne, excepte the dedes of [Page] them that be deed begyle vs that ben alyue, and the cause iudged by clere vnderstandynge, and that we fynde moo sentences of dyuers sadde persons, that there hath benne but fewe that ben loste by writinges and lernynge, ye and a great meynye fewer that haue had auantage by armes. Reuolue all bokes, and serche throughe all realmes, and finally they shewe vs, that very few in theyr realmes haue ben happy in armes, but there haue bene many famous & renowmed by scripture and lernynge. Take here example and se if it be true or not that I saye. Had the Assiriens mo than one kynge, that was Ninus, one Lygurge amonge the Lacedemonians, the Egyptiens one Ptholome, the Hebrewes one Machabee, the Grekes one Hercules, the Macedoniens one Alexāder: the Epirotiens one Pirrhe, one Hanyball the Carthageniens, and one Iulius Cesar amonge the Romayns? It is not thus of lerned men: for if the Grekes had one Homer, noo lesse the Grekes vaun­teth theym of the .vii. sages, whome we beleue more in their philosophy, than Homer in the warres of Troy. For as difficile it is to fynde a trouthe in Homere, as a lye in these sages. Semblably the Romaynes hadde not onely Cycero as ryght eloquent, but also they had Salust, Lu­can, Titus Liuius, with a great company of noble men, and well approued, who haue left ryght great credence in their scriptures in the sayinge of trouthe. What lost Cice­ro in the senate for vsyng of inuectiues? And as we saye of so small a nombre of Grekes and latynes, we may saye of the Assitiens, Persians, Medes, Argiues, Acayens, Pe­niens, Frenchemen, Britons, Englyshemen, and Spa­nyardes. All the whiche nations withoute comparyson haue of theym selfe lefte more memorye, and haue honou­red theyr londes and countreyes more by writing, thanne they that haue lefte signes by armes. Than lette vs leaue [Page 4] these straunge histories, and retourne to the pythe of our emperour Marcus Aurelius, as Eutrope recountethe. According as this excellent baron lerned diuers sciences, so he had dyuers maysters to teche hym. He studied gram­mer with a mayster named Euphorion, musyke with an other named Gemino Comode, eloquence with Alexander a greke, In naturalle philosophy he had to his maysters Comode Calcedonien an auncient baron, whiche expounded to hym Homer: and Sexto Cheronense, neuewe to the great Plutarche. Also he studied in the lawes, and Volu­sie Meciano was his mayster. This emperour estemed to haue the knowlege of payntinge, and to graue in wood and metall, in erthe, and other sculptures, in whiche arte his maister was Diogenito, in his tyme a famous and re­nowmed paynter. He trauayled also to knowe and serche what extended to the arte of Nygromancye. By accasion wherof he wente openly to here Apolonio. And to thentēt that there shulde be nothynge vnlerned of hym, he aboue all sciences sette his mynde to Cosmography, in the why­che for his maysters, he toke Iunio Rostyco, that sythe wrote his lyfe, and Cina Catule, the whiche wrote of his deathe, and the lyfe of Comode his sonne. Of these noble and excellent barons, that flourysshed in those dayes, he was taughte in vertues and sciences. Cicero lamentethe the auncient policie of Rome, bycause that he sawe great losse in the common welthe than presente, sayinge in his Retorike, that the auncient Romayns had alway regarde to that parte, where they thoughte mooste domage and peryll shulde growe. There were .v. thynges amonge all other in Rome, whervnto they hadde euer a vigilante re­specte, the whiche the senate neded not to care for, nor no lawe dispensed for them: and these bene they, the pryestes were honest: and the virgines vestales ryghte chaste: the [Page] penalties right iuste, the capitaynes full valiant: They that taught yonge chyldren were vertuous. It was not permytted in Rome, that he that was a mayster in scyen­ces, shulde be disciple of vices.

PHilostrate saythe, that it was demaunded of Polion, who was the rycheste manne of the worlde: He aunswered, It was he that had moste wysedome. He was demaunded agayne, who was mooste poore: He aun­swered, he that had least wytte. Of trouth it was a worthy sentence of suche a personne. The effecte therof we se dayly by experience, the wyse slydynge in dy­uers chances of fortune, releueth hym selfe: The vnwyt­ty persone, in very small thynges thouchynge his lyuyng not greatly decayed, fallethe downe. There is nothynge that is so lost, but that there is hope of recoueryng, if it be in the handes of a wise man. And cōtrary wise, there is no thynge so assured, but the recouerance therof oughte to be feared, if a fole haue the guidinge therof. It was axed of Xenophon the philosopher, whether he hadde rather to be foolyshe and a greatte lorde, or to be wyse and poore. He aunswered and sayde, I haue pitie of a ryche foole, and I haue enuye of a wyse manne waxen poore. For if a wyse man haue but one fote, yet wyl he ryse and kepe hym selfe from fallynge: And if ye gyue an abbaye to a foole, yf by fortune he fall, he wyll neuer releue agayn. ye may thynke that the father that dieth and leaueth his sonne poore and wyse, that he leaueth to hym moche: And he that leauethe [Page 5] his sonne ryshe and folyshe, I thinke he hath lefte him no­thynge. These thynges considered, Anio Vero, father of the emperour, as a father that loued his sonne hartly, was not content, to delyuer one mayster to his sonne, to make him vertuous, and to lerne one sciēce, wherwith he myght occupie his vnderstandynge, but he gaue hym many mai­sters, that refreyned hym from vices, and commaunded, that he shuld lerne many sciences, to thentēt that he shuld be the more besily exercised. Whan and howe moch he tra­uayled to lerne, and what sciences, and with whom, and with what wyll he lerned, and what he knewe, he wrote hym selfe, beinge at Agrippine, nowe called Coleyn, to a frende of his, named Polion, as it foloweth.

¶Frend Polion, thou meruaylest, why that I leaue not to lerne newe thynges at the ende of my dayes. He that hath but one meate to eate, and can not eate therof, he le­ueth it, and peraduenture it was holsom for hym, and ea­teth other thynges, that he seeth, which maye be hurtfull to hym. It is a great magnificence to a man, to haue dy­uers sortes of meates: for if he haue no luste to one, that is good for hym, he maye take of an other, that is better. He that is wyse, may vnderstande me, without any more declarynge. As in all artes, a man is content at the laste: so at the laste, be they neuer so swete, they torne to a weri­nesse. He that knoweth but one science, though he be wise, yet he renneth in great daungier. For being annoied ther­with, he wyll occupie his lyfe in other hurtefull thynges. The noble and worthy persones, that dyd caste slouthe a­waye fro them, haue lefte of theym eternall memorie, not wyllyng to lerne al only one science, to attempre their vn­derstāding with, but also trauayled, to lerne diuers other, wherwith they sharped their wittes, to thentente that they shuld not be dulled and made blonte. In al naturall thin­ges, [Page] nature is with righte lyttell content, but the spirite & vnderstandynge, is not satisfied with many thinges. And sithe the vnderstandynge is of suche condition, that it is loste by libertie, and is lyghtely encombred, with subtilite it percethe, with quicknes it knoweth, & with ignorance it wasteth: it is necessarie, by time to remount to very high thinges, lest it bowe vnto lowe and yll thynges. Al corpo­rall domages, that chance to mortall men, are by medicy­nes healed, or by reason remedied, or by length of time cu­red, orels by dethe ended: The only vnderstanding, which is dusked in errours, and depraued in malyces, canne not be healed by medecines, nor redressed by reason, nor holpe by counsel. The aunciente philosophers, in the sayd hap­pye golden worlde, and golden age, dyd not all only lerne one thing, wherby they myght susteyne theyr life, and encrease good fame: But they trauayled, to knowe all that was to be knowen, and yet euer soughte to knowe more. ¶In the .lxxv. of the Olympiade, as dyuers persons were assembled in the hygh mountayn Olympius, to celebrate the playes, by fortune thither came a philosopher of The­bes, whiche had made all that euer he brought with hym. He made his showes, his cote, and sewed his sherte, and had written his bokes, and so of all other thynges. They that were there assembled, were abashed, and meruaylled greatly, that one man coude do it. He was dyuers tymes asked, where he lerned so many thynges. And he aunswe­red and sayde, The slouthe of man is the cause, that one arte is diuided into dyuers artes. For he that knoweth al artes together, muste nedes knowe one alone. This phi­losopher answered highly. And surely, they that herd him, ought to haue bene as greatly ashamed of his wordes, as the philosopher was of the vainglory of his apparel. Let euery man remembre hym selfe, and let no man blame the [Page 6] shortnes of the tyme, nor wekenes of our nature. For ther is nothyng so hard, but it is made soft: nor so high, but it may be raught: nor kept so close, but it may be sene: nor so subtyle, but it may be felt: nor so darke, but it may be ligh­ted: nor so profounde, but it may be discouered: nor so dis­seuered, but it may be gathered to gether: nor so lost, but it may be found: nor so impossible, but it may be conserued, if with al our hartes, we occupie our powers in good exer­cises, and applye our vnderstandynge in hyghe thynges. I deny not, but our nature is lyttell worth: But I know well, that lesse worth is our slouthfulnes. I wold demāde of euyll men, the whiche praye vs to be good, and axeth counsell of vs, for their sensualitie, sayenge, that they be weyke and fraile, although they haue vnderstandyng, to inuent euyls, and haue strength inough, to put them in ef­fecte, and to perseuer therin, they neuer lacke constance. The cause is, we call it natural, for to do and commit vy­ces and miseries. And slouth in vertue, we calle straunge and weake, bycause of the werkes.

¶Lette no man blame our nature, for beynge weake and fainte: nor lay agaynst the goddes, that they be cruell: for we haue no lesse ablenes to do well, than redynesse to doo yll. Lette none say, I wold, and I can not withdrawe me from vice. It is better sayde, I maye, but I wyl not fo­lowe vertue. I wyll not defame straunge realmes, but I wyll speake of vs, that be latynes, and by theym shall be sene, howe they haue benne full of malyce, and that they myghte haue done well. I wolde wytte of the dedes, that Marcus Anthonius dyd with Cleopatra: The proscrip­tion, that Scilla made of the nobles of Rome: The con­iuration, that Catilina inuented agaynste his countreye: The bloudde, that was shedde for the cause of Pompeye, in the campe of Pharsale: And the greatte thefte, that Iu­lius [Page] Cesar made of the treasour, the cruelties, that Nero dyd to his mother: the shames, that Calygula committed with his sisters, the treson, that Brutus dyd to his father Gaius: the shrewdenes and cruelties, that Domician did to the virgins vestales: the treasons, that Iulius Patro­clus vsed with the Syliciens and Syculians, the frayes & murders, that Vlpio, the mariner, made in the temples and churches of Campayne. I wolde knowe of suche, as I haue rehersed, and diuers other, that I speke not of, that applied them to so many shrewde turnes, who letted them (if they had wolde) to haue applied them selfe to do other good dedes? All this I haue sayde, my frende Polyon, to aunswere, to that ye haue demaunded of me. That is, in what sciences I haue wasted and consumed my tyme. Wherfore it pleaseth me, to telle it to the. Anio Vero my father, suffred me but .viii. yere in my childhode: and than, tyll I was .x. yere of age, I went to schole for to write and rede: and fro .x. yere to .xiii, I went to studye with Eufor­mion, and lerned grammer: Fro .xiii. yere to .xvii. I lerned eloquence, with Alexander y^e greke, a famous oratour: fro that tyme to .xxii. yere, I was with Sexto Calcedon, ler­nynge naturall philosophy. Those yeres passed, I was at Rhodes, and studied humanitie, tyll I was .xxxii. yere of age. And than I wēt to Naples, where as I was thre yere with Fonton a greke, lernynge greke letters. And I put my good wylle soo moche therto, that I spake, and wrote greke more easily than latin. Than I retorned to Rome, where the warre of Dace arose, to the whiche Adrian my lorde sente me: And bycause that in armes, and in tyme of warre, I coude carie no bokes of science, I determyned me, to lerne the science of musike with Hieronyme Como­de, to thentent that I myght with swetenes of instrumentes, restrayne my body fro certayn vices, which as than in [Page 7] my house began to take force. All the reste of my lyfe, thou knowest, it hath ben in bearyng of offyces in Rome, vnto the tyme that the weight of the monarchye was layde on my shulders. Hytherto the emperour spake.

¶Than by this letter, writen to his frend, it semeth well, that without sleuth he passed his tyme. It is reason, to be­leue it holly, in that he hath sayd. For so excellent workes, that he made, and so hygh sentences, as he wrote, myghte not procede, but of a prudent man, and a very wise spirite.

AS the lyfe of the prince is but as a whyte, for all other to shote at, and as a glasse wherin al the worlde doth beholde: so we se by experiēce, that whervnto a prynce is inclyned, the peo­ple trauaylynge to folowe the same, haue not the discretion, to eschewe the euyl, and folowe the good. Certaynly they muse no lesse vppon a counterfayte fowle, made of fethers, thanne though it were of flesshe, and yet at the fyrste flyght, it leeseth the lybertie, and yet his hun­ger is not therby quenched. Whereby all the wynges of lybertie are tourned to peyne of seruage. It is a greatte offence, and an immortall infamye, to a prynce, that in the steede of gyuynge his hande of good lyuynge, to re­leue other, casteth backewarde his fote of euyll example, wherby all other ouerthrowe. Than withoute cōparison, greatter is the wyckednesse of the people, than the negly­gence of the prince. For if one lyueth ylle, and an nother loweth him, it is no meruayle: and thoughe there be but fewe, that folowe hym, it is no newe thynge. Nor in case, that many folowe hym, is noo fearefulle thynge: but all [Page] the hole to folowe hym, is a great sclander. If the people were such, as they ought to be, one shuld rather tourne frō yll to good for many, than that many for one shuld torne frō good to yl. Certainly euery man knoweth, that though we be bounde to folow the honest cōmaundementes of our princes, yet we be not bounde to folowe theyr yll lyuynge. What shall we say thanne, seynge that nowe adayes, the delytes of menne are of so greatte pryce, and the rygour of theyr empire, in so poore estimation, that without shame, some disprayse their iust commaundementes, and folowe their euyll werkes. O, if the princes had suche nombre of good folke, that wolde fulfyll theyr commaundemente, as they haue greatte nombre of wretches, that folowe theyr doinges, I swere, that there shulde be no nede of any pri­son for the mysdoers, or carcans for blasphemers, chaines for sclaues, nor heddynge blockes for traytours, nor kny­ues for aduoutrers, nor galowes for theues. I wyll gyue you example of all this, wherby ye shall se, that it is trew, that I say. If the kynge be inclyned to hunte, all wyll be hunters: if he be a player, all wyll playe: yf he vse armes, all wyll tourney: if he be an aduoutrer, other wyll vse the same: yf he be fierse, other wyll be fierse: yf he be vertu­ous, all wyll be vertuous and valyaunt: yf he be tempe­rate and moderate, all wyll absteyne: if he be hardye, all wyll be bolde: yf he be pitiefull, al wyll haue pitie: if he be wyse, all wyll lerne. And to the entente, that we blame not all onely the princes of our days, lette vs call to memory, the princis of tymes paste. Who that hath redde Sextus Cheronense, in his boke called the dyuers inclynatyons, that princis haue had, shall fynde, that Romulus, founda­tour of Rome, honoured greatly grauers in stone: Numa Pompilius, his successour, honoured priestes: Paulus Emilius, mariners: Caius Cesar, goldsmythes: Scipio, [Page 8] the capitaynes: Augustus Octauiꝰ, tennis players: Cal­ligula, ruffyens, Tyberius, baudes: Cruell Nero, swerde players: Claudius, writters: Scilla, armorers: Marius, his compagnion, grauers of ymages: Vaspasian, good paynters: Titus his eldest sonne, mynstrelles: Domitian, his myghtye brother, crossebowe makers: And aboue all other, our Marcus Aurelius emperour, wyse menne. The dyuers inclynations, that princis had in dyuers thynges, hath made to vary the fauour & disfauour of many pryn­cis, with their people. And as the common people regar­deth more fauour, than Iustice, suche officers are mooste fauoured, to whom princis doth mooste inclyne. All this we say, to shewe, howe that in the tyme of this good emperour, wise men were fauoured. If the hystorians doo not lye, sythe the tyme of Mecena, the Romayne (whiche was moche more happye, to haue wyse menne to his frendes, than to inuent newe maner of meates and bankettes) vn­to this Marcus Aurelius, haue passed .xvii. emperours, which were Iulius, Octauius, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Othus, Vitellus, Vaspasianus, Ti­tus, Domitianus, Nerua, Traianus, Adrianus, Antho­nius, and Aurelius. And of all these, we can fynde al one­ly but two, that fauoured wyse men, that is to saye, Nerua and Traian. All the other emperours were not onely dy­sciples of liers, but also were persecutours of the trouthe. This semeth to be trewe: for Iulius persecuted Cicero: Octauius banished Ouide: Tyberius enpoysoned Calui­tio: Caligula caused to cutte the throtes of .iiii. oratours to gether: Nero slewe his mayster Senec: Claudius sette his vncle Lucan in prison: Othus hanged vp Patroclus: Domitian banysshed all the oratours of Rome: And the more to shewe his cursednes, whā the wise men, y^t were banished, wēt out at one gate, there entred in at an other gate [Page] all vnthriftes, the whiche by Tytus his brother, had ben banysshed and exiled. And as I saye of these fewe in nom­bre, I myghte say of many other. For certaynely the wyse men were not thus intreated in the tyme of this good em­perour Marcus: and that this is true, it semeth by diuers excellent barons, well lerned in diuers sciences, that flou­rished in his tyme: Iulius Capitolin recounteth of them as foloweth. Alexander, a greke, Trasion, Polyon, Euti­cius, Anius Macrion, Caninius, Crodiaticus, Fornius, Cornelius, Apolonius, Nius, Sextus Cheronense, Iuni­us Rasticus, Claudius Maximus, Cina Catulus, Clau­dius Seuerus, and the renowmed Diogenitus paynter, and the well lerned lawyer Volusius Mecianus. All these were in this emperours palays, and residente in his per­sence: And yet for all that, he had dyuers other wise pre­sons in Rome, and abrode in Italy. It was no meruail, to se in those dayes, the multitude of men, that flourisshed in wisedome. There was no father, but if he had two sonnes, he wolde set one of them to study, and the other, accordyng to the Romayne lawe, shuld be sette to the warres. And if this emperour wyst of any wyse yong man aboue al other he wolde fauour hym.

THis emperour Marcus Aurelius, hadde only two sonnes, as Herodian saythe. The great­test and eldest, was called Comode, and the yō ­gest was named Verissimus. He was a fayre childe of person, and right vertuous of liuing. With his beautie he drewe to hym the eies of many, and with his good inclinations, he robbed the hartes of all [Page 9] men. He was the hope of the people, and the glorie of his fathers age. And though the eldest was prince, yet them­perour determyned, that the laste borne, for his vertues, shulde inherite as the eldest: And he that was fyrst borne, for his demerites, shulde be disherited. And as good de­syres in the best tyme fayle often by vnhappy chance, this emperour being of .lii. yeres of age, and the sonne. of .xvi. the glorie of Rome, and hope of the father, the lyfe of the sonne toke an ende. And as moche was the deathe beway­led, as the lyfe desyred. It was great pytie, for the senate by reason therof sawe not themperour, nor the olde empe­rour for sorowe sawe not the senate of a longe space. Rome was ryght heuy, and the senate withdrewe them to the heighte of the capitoll dyuers dayes. And as the my­stes and wyndes cause the leaues to falle, that were grene in sommer, and the dedes of honour constrayne vs to for­get the myshappes of fortune, & as a man of high lynage, and of stronge courage, thoughe that sorowe remayne in his harte, and abydethe locked therin, determynethe to clense the braunches of sorowes that is outward, fayning ioy and myrthe outwardely, kepynge the sorowe within: so this Marcus the emperour, as a man whose vine fre­seth and dyethe, wherin he had al his hope, contented him with that was lefte behynde. Whan his dere sonne Veris­simus was deed, he sente for the prince Comode his onely inheritour, whiche sythe the chylde his brother was deed, entred not in to the palays. And the emperour seynge the proude and outragious porte of his sonne Comode, bede­wed his eien with salte teares, remembrynge the shame of the one, and the dethe of the other. The whiche perceyued by Faustyne his mother, which loued hym moste entierly, commaunded to haue her sonne awaye fro the presence of his father.

THoughe that the harte of this emperour was occupied with the death of his chylde, yet for all that he reysed his vnderstandyng, to haue the prince his heyre ryght well brought vppe. For certaynely princis bene suche, whan they come to mans estate, as they be brought vp in their ten­der youth. The father than knowynge the frayle inclina­tions of his chylde, not correspondent to the good gouer­naunce of the empire, as a good emperour sent ouer all I­talye for the moste wysest persones in lernynge, the moste famous of renowme, and the mooste vertuous in dedes. And as in dyuers thynges the infamye is greatter in the yll doinge by malyce, than the faute of the trespassour by weakenes: so in dyuers other thynges, the common voyce is more than the secrete vertue. For the whyche occasyon after the assemblynge of these wyse menne, the emperour commaunded to examyne them, and to be informed of the bloude of their predecessours, of the appoyntement in all their thynges, and of the treatie of their busynes, and of the credence amonge their neyghbours, and of the pure­nes of their lyues, and grauitie of theyr persones, and fi­nally of their sciences, what they coulde do, and this to be done in an order. The astrologiens in astronomie, the mu­sitiens in musyke, the oratours in their arte of rhetorike: and some in other sciences. And this not in one daye, but in many: and not onely by informacyon of other, but he wolde knowe hit by his owne propre experience. Thus they were all examyned, soo that there was none lefte be­hynde. And as for perfecte knowlege of thynges, wherin we haue great affection, it behoueth to haue straunge ad­uyse, [Page 10] clere vnderstandynge, and propre experience: so the emperour commanded to chose out of dyuers a fewe, and out of fewe the wysest, and of the wysest the moste experte, moste worthy, and moste auncient. And accordyng to the vii. artes lyberall there was assigned to euery science two maysters: so that the prince was one, and the maysters xiiii. This renowme that the Emperour sente ouer all, to haue maysters for his sonne the prince, caused to come to hym moo wyse men from straunge countreys, than of the marches and neyghbours of Rome. The good emperour considerynge that it was no reason, that suche as came to his seruice, shulde returne myscontented, some with ioy­full wordes, some vpon certayne hope, and some with gif­tes and presentes were dispatched, soo that they were all pleased. And if this doinge was renowmed by the reporte of the wise men, it was no lesse vertuous by the wisedome and worthynes of the emperour, to sende them home soo well content. For he sent them away as well satisfied that were ouercome, as they were cōtented that ouercam them. And certaynly they had all reason, for some bare the swete wordes and satisfienge of the father: and somme aboode there charged with the enterprise of the sonne. Yet the good emperour, not being contented with this, comman­ded that these maysters shoulde be lodged in his palayes, and eate in his presence, and acconpany his personne, to se if theyr lyfe were conformable to their science, and whe­ther their plesant and wel couched wordes, agreed in effect with theyr warkes. It was a meruaylous thinge to se the study and thought that the emperour had to regard them, as well in goynge as fedynge.

IN the month of Septembre, the .xi. day therof, in halowyng the feast of the Emperours nati­uitie, in the same house where as he was borne, in the place of moūt Celio: As a trewande and foole dothe lyke hym selfe, and semblably as he is accustomed to doo: And lyke as oone dothe the sem­blable thynges and customes, that he is wonte to doo: so the emperour set more his intention on wyse men, than his eies on fooles. He sawe .v. of them satte beatyng the paue­ment with their feete, and arose frome their places, clap­pynge theyr handes, speakynge lowde, and laughyng ex­cedyngely, the whiche was noo lesse marked of the empe­rour than beholden. Whan the feaste was done, he called them asyde, and sayde: Frendes lette abyde with me the pitiefull goddis, and lette the good dedes go with you. I haue chosen you to thentent that foles shuld be conuer­ted to wyse men, but I see wyse men become foles. Do ye not knowe, that with the fyre of myxture golde is drawen, and by the lyghtnes of fooles wyse men are proued? Cer­taynly the fyne gold defendeth his qualities in the quycke fournayes: and lykewise the wyse man sheweth his ver­tues amonge fooles. Wote ye not, that a foole can not be knowen amonge fooles, nor a wyse manne amonge sage folke? Amonge wyse men, the fole is made bryght, and a­monge foles wyse men do shyne. Do you not knowe, what shame it is to make the disciples of foles, masters of prin­cis? Knowe ye not, that of the couragious vnderstandyng procedethe the composytion of the bodye, the reste of the person to be the temperance of the tonge? What profiteth [Page 11] it you to haue an experte tongue, a quicke memorie, a clere vnderstandynge, great science, profounde eloquence, or a swete style, if with all these graces ye haue a wycked wyll? Wherfore wyl wise men haue their wordes so distincte and moderate, if their wordes be lyght? And to thentent that it shulde not seme to you that I speake of pleasure, I wyl brynge to you an antyke lawe of Rome. In the seuenthe table of the lawes of our fathers was written these wor­des: We commaunde, that a more greuous chastysement be gyuen to the wyse manne for a lyght dede done openly, than to a secrete murderer. O iuste lawe and iust men that ordeyned it. For the symple labourer sleeth but one with his knyfe in his angre, but he y^t is wyse sleeth many with the euyll example of his lyuynge. Curiousely I haue re­garded, that Rome begynneth to declyne, when our senate fayllethe of meke and wyse Senatours, and multyplieth with these serpentines. The holy senate was adorned with olde prudent persons: And not without teares, I saye at this houre it is full of ianglers and lyers. Auncientely in the scoles of Grece was taught onely wordes, leauynge the werkes: and than in Rome was taught to do werkes, and leaue wordes. But nowe it is contrarye, for nowe in grece the lyers and ianglers are banyshed, and hath sente them to Rome: and Rome hath banished and sent the good wyse menne in to Grece: and in this maner I desyre ra­ther to be banyshed into Grece with wyse menne, than to abyde in Rome with fooles. To the prayse of a good man (I sweare to you my frendes) that whyles I was yonge, I sawe in the senate the philosopher Crisippus (broughte vp with good Traian) speake oftentymes: and he was so swete in his wordes, that many tymes he was harde more than thre houres to gyther: And he neuer spake word but it was of eternall memorye. And whan so euer he wente [Page] out of the senate, I neuer sawe hym do dede, wherby he deserued to haue greuous peyn. Certainly it was a meruay­lous thynge to se & here the estimation of his eloquence, & the infamie of his person. All Rome was abasshed of his high eloquence: and all Rome and Italy were sclandered with his wycked werkes. The prosperitie of Rome dured CCC. yere. And so long Rome was Rome, as it had sim­plicitie in wordes, and grauitie in workes. One thynge I shal shewe you▪ which is great confusion to them alyue, and great admyration of them that be deed, that of all the auncient men I neuer redde a lyght word that they spake, nor an yuell dede that they dydde. What thynge was sene than in that glorious worlde, but to reioyce in so glorious wyse men? And nowe at this daye the worlde is so corrup­ted, bycause there is so many yong corrupt, surely I haue greatter enuie of their dedes thanne of our wrytynges. Their fewe wordes and good werkes haue lefte vs exam­ple of greate admyration. And the wyse men of this tyme teache vs openly, and write vs secretely doctrines of par­dition. Than by this that I haue sayde, and by other ex­amples that I shall say, ye maye knowe, what I meane. Whan the realme of Acaye submitted his peryllous hor­nes and his proude heed, to the swete obeysance of the em­pire, they drewe theym to this condicion, that they wolde haue benne the hoostes of the garnysons of all Asye, and not disciples of the oratours of Rome. At that seson there was in Rome a great lorde, ambassadour of Acaye, tem­perate in wordes, and honeste of lyuynge, with a whyte heed: He was enquired of the senate, why he was so cruel, to leade into his countrey for men of warre, poore and co­uetous squiers, and leaue wyse men of greatte harte. He aunswered with suche loue as he had to his countrey, and with suche grauitie as longed to suche a person, and also [Page 12] with suche hardynes as his offyce required, saying O fa­thers cōscriptes, O happy peple, It is .ii. days syth I yete any thynge, and .ii. dayes sythe I slepte, cursynge the fa­tall destenyes of fortune, that hath brought me into Ita­lye, and lamenynge vnto the goddis, that kepe me in this lyfe, bycause my spirite is betwene the harde anuelde and the importunate hammer, where as I do se all is as harde as the anuelde, wheron the hammer often strykethe. The thynge moste peryllous amonge all perylles, is to make election. ye constrayne me to chose, and myne vnderstan­dynge canne not attayne therto: and the goddis doo not shewe me, what I haue to choose. If I leade garrysons of menne of armes, it shall be verye noyfull to the fami­lyes: if I brynge aduocates, it shall be peryllous for the common welthe. Sorowfull that I am, what shall I do? Oh heuy and vnhappy realme, that abydeth for theym, and ye cruel, that commaundeth them. Than sythe hit is thus, I determyne me to leade them, that shall waste our goodes, and spende them, rather thanne those that should corrupte and breake our customes. For a legyon and an army by necessitie may put to affliction and sorowe onely a people: But an oratour or an Aduocate by his malyce, may corrupte a hole realme. Than sayde the emperour to these wyse men: Frendes, howe greatte is the credence of ignorant people, and losse of lerned men? Wherfore shuld they of Acaie rather gyue meate to poore sowldiours, men of armes, than to haue for their neyghbours oratours and wyse speakynge aduocates? So whan this communyca­tion of the emperour was ended, the .v. greate maysters wente awaye with greatte shame, and the .ix. other taryed with great feare. In all this whyle it passed not two mo­nethes after, that the prince Comode was come from his norces, where as he hadde lerned the doctrine of suckyng [Page] of brestes. Also he was but of tender age, and not of great delycate vnderstandyng. This prince Comode was borne in Rome on the mount Celio, and nourished at the gate of Hostie. He was more derely beloued of Faustina his mo­ther, then hated of Marcus Aurelius his father. And to speake with all due honour among them, the mother held her for certayne to be the chyldes mother: and the chylde accordynge to his customes was moche lyke his mother: and the father was in doubte, whether he were his sonne, bicause he resembled but lytel in vertues to the father.

AL these matters beinge paste, the good em­perour for to esteme the thynge that he hadde done, and to pouruey for that he had to do, he called asyde the nyne wyse men, and sayde to them, There is greatte fame in Rome of that I haue done in thempire, to do suche dilygence as to dis­couer all the wyse men, and of the curiositie that I haue shewed as in certaynynge of the beste. Of trouth yf ye be wyse, ye can not be sclaundered of any thynge. The an­noyance of yl thynges commeth of wysedome and vertue, but the admyration of good thynges procedethe of smalle vnderstandynge or lesse experience. The wyse person wyl suffre none admyration. To shewe at the fyrst bronte mo­cion in euery thynge, sheweth to be constant in nothynge. I haue made strayt examynatiō amonge you, for so ought suche to passe as shulde be admytted to strayte amytyes. New amities is wery in thre dayes: and euer haue I sene and proued by experience, that frendes lyghtelye taken, [Page 13] are lyghtely lefte agayne. I chaunced in companye of an auncient Romayne, whiche was all whyte for aege: and bycause he merited it, I called hym father, and he for loue and nurture called me sonne: the whiche in case of aduen­ture enquyred many thynges of me, but I wolde make hym none aunswere. Than he sayde these wordes to me: Son beholde, In the lawe of frendshyp it is written, that the frende in all thynges trusteth to his frend, first regar­dynge who is his frende. Surely this councel was good. The curious man of armes (if he wil bye a horse) fyrste he wyll se hym renue and assayed, or he speake of the sale of hym: if he please hym not, thoughe he myghte haue hym for a lesse price, he wyll not haue hym: yf he please hym, what so euer the price is set, he wyll not leaue hym. Than it is a lefull thynge, that the beaste be examyned and felte er he be had into the stable. In lyke wyse a manne shulde be examyned, er he be receyued in to amytie. And yf the horse that eateth but hey, strawe, and otes, be lefte for one yll tatche, moche more the frende, whiche is the intestyne of the harte, and oughte to kepe our secretes and affecty­ons, for dyuers fautes ought not to be receyued in to the same. There was a philosopher named Arispo, the fyrste that was in the tyme of Silla and Marius, who sayde, that frendes ought to be lyke good horses: That is to say, that they oughte to haue a lyttell heed by humble conuer­sation: quicke of herynge, to the entent that they be redye whan they are called: a softe mouthe, to thende that theyr tongue be temperate: The houe of the foote harde, to suf­fer trauaylle: and theyr handes open to doo good dedes: their fete sure to perseuer in amitie: a baye colour for his good renowme: And fynally the hors retournethe, that is the manuall frende: And thereto is ioyned these wordes: That is, that he be without curbes or byttes: and that he [Page] maye go where as any fatall destenyes tourneth the bry­dell and reyne of fortune. The goddes vnderstande me, though that men can not atteyne therto or comprise it. Re­tournynge than to the purpose, I wyl yee knowe, bycause I haue taken you for frendes, not to putte you awaye at length. And though that cherytrees produceth theyr flou­res in Februarie, we abyde not to haue the cheries but in Maye. Frendes oughte to be as molberies, that in suche tyme producethe their beries, whiche is theyr fruite, that they feare not the frostes of Maye, as the vynes doo: nor the mystes of Octobre, as the peches and quinces do. I wyll not that they come whan the prosperitie is good, and go away whan the fortune is nought. For that is no pointe of true frendes. As the lyes of wynes causeth dron­kardes to vomyt in the tauernes, lyke wyse aduersitie dri­ueth away faynt frendes out of the house, bycause the ser­uice is not acceptable, without the wyl be knowen of hym that dothe it. Than holde you sure of my contentation, sythe that I haue it of your warkes. I come nowe to the effecte of our pourpose. I haue taken you for to be may­sters of this chylde: and regarde, that I haue taken you fewe amonge many, to thende that my sonne shuld be no­ted amonge fewe. His nurses at the gate of Hostie haue gyuen hym two yeres sucke of theyr mylke, and his mo­ther Faustyne hath gyuen hym other two yeres to sporte hym in the Palays, And I lyke a good father wyll gyue hym .xx. yeres of chastisement. It soore displeasethe Fau­styne his mother to leaue hym so sone, and I am sory that I toke hym so late. It is no meruayle, for these womenne with theyr lyghtnes, and these chyldren with theyr smalle knowlege, occupy them selfe in thinges present: But wor­thy wyse men oughte to thynke on that is passed, and also to ordeyne for that that is present, and with great study to [Page 13] prouyde for the tyme to comme. I thynke on euery daye in the yere, and of the daye that the goddis haue gyuen me, and of the day that I gyue vnto you. The goddis to me, and I to you doo gyue hym mortall to be as a manne, and than you to me and I to the goddis do render him immor­tall to be wyse. What wyll ye that I saye more? Certainly god hath made hym man amonge men by the sowle: and I haue engendred hym a beaste amonge beastes by the fleshe, ye shall make hym a god amonge goddis by shape. I assertayne you of one thynge, whyche is, I haue not gy­uen to my chylde but mortalle flesshe, wherwith he shall take an ende of his lyfe: but ye shall gyue hym doctryne, wherwith his memorie shall neuer peryshe. If his youth knewe the weake and faynt fleshe that I haue gyuen hym, and that his dull vnderstandyng wold reache to the wise­dome that ye maye gyue hym, he shulde calle you fathers, and me an ylle stepfather. And thoughe he saye not soo, yet I confesse it, that is, that the naturalle fathers of the fleshe are stepfathers of noblenesse, sythe that we gyue the naturalitie of them subiecte to so many mutabilities, and bonde and captiue to soo many myseries. For certayne ye shall be iuste fathers to hym, yf as nowe ye canne enable his fleshe in good customes, and then to bryng his vnder­standynge to be occupied with high sciences. And syrs, re­pute it nat smalle, that I committe to your charge and ar­bytrement, that thynge whiche pryncis oughte mooste to regarde, that is, to se to whom they commytte the nourys­shynge of their chylderne. To be maysters of prynces in erthe, is to haue the offyce of the goddis that ben in heuen. For they gouern him that hath cure to gouerne vs: They endoctrine hym that shoulde teache vs: they shewe vnto hym, that ought to shewe vs: Chastyse hym that oughte to chastise vs: and finally they commaunde one, the whi­che [Page] afterwarde aloone maye commaunde all the worlde. What wyl ye that I shal say more? For certayne they that haue the charge of a prince, be the gouernall of the shyp, The standerde of an army, the gouernance of people, the guyde of wayes, the shylde of kynges, the treasure of all, bycause they haue amonge theyr handes hym that after­warde ought to gouerne all the worlde. And furthermore to the entente that ye haue hym in more estimation, I wyll tell you, that in gyuynge my sonne vnto you, I doo gyue you more, than if I had gyuen you a realme. The pure & clene lyuinge of the sonne alyue, is the gloryous fame of his father that is deade. For of hym, that the sonne tru­steth in his lyfe, dependeth the renowme of the father that is deade. Thus haue ye hadde the goddis atte wylle, and the bryttel destenies of fortune happy to you, as vnto this howre ye haue not watched with chyldren of straungers. Fro hensforthe wake ye with the prince, which is the pro­fite of al other. And take good hede my frendes, that there is greatter difference in bryngyng vp of princis chyldren, than to teache yonge boyes of the common people. The moste part of them, that come to scholes, come for to lerne to speake, but I delyuered not my sonne Commode to you to lerne hym to speake many wordes, but for to sette hym in the way to do good dedes. The glorie of folishe fathers is to se their children vanquyshe other in disputynge: but my glorie and ioye is to see my sonne surmounte other in vertue: for the glorye of the Grekes was to speake moche and to do lyttell, and the glorie of the Romayns is to doo moche and to speake but lyttell.

[Page 15] MArcus Aurelius folowing his purpose, ioyned this to his foresayd wordes, and sayd: Regarde well my frendes, and forget not, that I truste you in myn honour, who am my sonnes father, and of the studye of Co­mode my sonne, and of the glorie of Rome my naturall countrey, And of the solace and rest of Rome, whiche is my subiecte: Of the gouernance of Italy, whi­che is your countrey: And aboue all thynges of the peace and tranquillitie of our common welthe. Than he that is put in truste with suche administration of other, hath no cause to slepe. Nowe lette vs come to more partycular thynges. Regarde as nowe, what thynge is moste conue­nable for my sonne, whiche as a yonge colte wold go play in the grene medowes, and noysome shall be the keper to hym, and a thynge peynefulle to kepe hym therfro. The first thyng, wherof I praye you, is to gyue hym a stronge bridel, and a sharpe bytte, to thentent that he be well mou­thed, so that none take hym with lyes. The greattest faut that can be in men of honestie, is to spare the trouthe, and not to be veritable: And the greatteste vyllanye in a vyl­layne is to be gyuen in largesse of lyes. Sette good or­der vppon hym. Take hede to his handes, to the entente that he accustome hym not to demaunde to play at the ta­bles and dyce with suche as be loste and noughte. The greattest token, that a prince wyll loose and dystroye the empire, is whan in his yonge age, he is knowen to be vycious in play. The play is suche a vyce, that who so e­uer it bytethe, hit is lyke the bytynge of a madde dogge, the whiche rage endureth vnto deathe. I recommende to you my chylde, though he be yong, make hym sad and mo­derate. Certaynly it is not so great a glorye vnto a prince [Page] to haue the crowne on his heed, nor a chayn of gold about his shulders, nor the sceptre in his hande, nor the greatte company and garde that he hath aboute hym, as to shewe sadnesse from his youthe. The open honestie suppliethe many fautes and debilities. Spare not to caste on hym a stronge chayne, and to tye hym fast, that he goo not to de­lytes and vanities. For an effeminate persone neuer hath spirite to any hye or noble dedes. I am greately satisfied with that the teacher of Nero said to his disciple: Though I wyst that god wolde pardon me, and that men knew no mysse of me, yet for the vilany of the flesshe, I wolde not synne in the fleshe. Surely they were good wordes, and yl borne awaye of Nero. Let not yet go the reyne. For yf he see the yonge mares, he wyll neigh or bray if he see tyme. The vyce of the fleshe in all tymes, in all ages, and in al estates holdeth his seasone or course, yf it passe not in the grene age of chyldehode, castynge of the reyne of reason, and stryking with the spurres of the fleshe, and blowynge with the trompe of sensualite: Takyng the brydell in the tethe with a furious wyll, rennyng through mountaynes and woddes after the mare: In leauynge her goinge but softely, and in the ouertakynge moche lesse. And than af­terwarde being therin deliberate, the body remayneth im­potent, the vnderstādinge acloyed and blynded, the reason troubled, the good name loste, and yet neuerthelesse at the laste the fleshe remayneth fleshe. What remedy for this? I fynde none other but that a greate quycke fyre, couered and laden with erthe, dieth. And whan the vitious man is layde in his graue, he maketh an ende and may neuer cor­recte hym selfe. Wherfore I aduyse you to gyue noo place to this yonge chylde to be vycious. And in the chastysing of hym, gyue noo respyte, though he be younge, and my chyld, and well loued and cheryshed with his mother, and [Page 15] though he be the only heire of thempire. With chyldren of a stranger crueltie is tiranny, but with a mans own childe pitie is the occasion of his losse in tyme to come. It is she­wed vs by trees, howe we ought to norishe our childrē. Of trouthe the chestain trees bryng forth the soft swete chest­nutte out of the sharpe prickinge & hard huske: And on the nut tres amonge the swete softe leaues, is nourisshed the harde nutte. Applieng this to our purpose, we haue seene a pyteful father, bringe forthe a cruell son, and a cruel fa­ther a piteful sonne. He that was lerned amonge all other lerned, and renoumed among al other renoumed, Ligur­gus king of the Lacedemoniens, in giuinge his lawes in his realme, I remembre to haue red therin these wordes: We commaunde as kynges, & pray as men, that all thing be forgiuen to them that be olde and broken: and to them that be yonge and lusty, to dissimule for a tyme: & nothing to be forgiuen to very yonge chyldren. In good soth these were good wordes spoken of suche a persone, and semeth reasone. For it is reason that the hors, that hathe runne and passed his course of cariage, shoulde reste hym. And who that hath passed rightousely, it is Iustice that he be suffred in reste. And the chylde that wyll passe reasonne, ought to be reformed. Cause hym to be alwayes occupied in vertuous actes. For if the vnderstandynge be dulled, and the bodye slouthfull in suche aege, with greatte diffi­cultie wylle they drawe to thynges that be straunge to their delectations, bycause that the lyghtenesse is in the heed, and reasonne vnder the eyes. His youthe wylle de­maunde you some recreation, whiche ye shall consider, so it be not often nor to seldome. Fyrste that it be by reasonne: Secondely that they be taken in noble exercyses. Take hede, For I gyue not my sonne vnto you, that ye shoulde gyue hym recreation, but onely for to teache hym. [Page] The henne hauynge her egges vnder her wynges, in that season gothe not abrode in the yardes, and though the eg­ges be not her owne, yet she hatchethe theym, as yf they were her owne. For this cause at this tyme in Rome of a C. disciples .lxxxx. cometh forth withoute doctryne, for yf theyr masters wast two houres in doctrine with them, they lese with thē .xx. houres in mockerye. And therof it is, that of the smal grauitie of the mayster, spryngeth great bold­nes and lyttell shame in the disciple. Beleue me frendes, that the teachers to princis, and maysters to disciples, pro­fite more in one day with good exaumples, than in a yere with many lessons. My sonne seynge you drawe to ver­tues, wyll drawe to the same, if he se you studie, he wylle study, if he se you peasible, he wyll be styll: he seinge you temperate in fedynge, wyl eate but lyttel: seing you sham­fast, he wyll feare you, seinge you restefulle, he wyll reste, and if ye do contrary, he wyll do contrarye. This surelye is true, for the auncient men onely with the euyll that they se, eyther do they corrupte their bodyes, or sclaunder theyr owne iugementes, as chyldern do, that can say nothynge but that they here: nor do nothynge but that they se. I wil also that the prince my sonne lerne the .vii. artes lyberalle. For I haue taken many of you, to thentent that ye shulde teache hym moche. And if at the laste we shulde be sorow­full, bycause he hath not lerned all, we shal not be sorie, yf he knowe moche, nor thynke his tyme yll spent, nor be be­gyled, in saying, that he knoweth inough of that so yōge a chylde shulde haue to gouerne and rule thempire. A ve­ry philosopher after the lawe of lygnage, ought to haue speche at place and tyme conuenient, to fyght in the felde, and to speke in the senate. If myn owne remembrance be­gyle me not, amonge myn antiquities I haue brought a stone out of Grece, the whiche Pythagoras y^e philosopher [Page 17] helde at the gates of his schole, wherin was written with his owne handes, these wordes: He that knoweth not, that he ought to know, is a brute beaste amonge men: He that knoweth no more, than he hath nede of, is a man amonge brute beastes: He that knoweth all, that may be knowen, is a god amonge men. O moste highe wordes, Glorious is the hande that wrote them, the whiche not at the gates, as they were than, oughte to be written, but within mens breestes they shoulde be paynted and grauen. Our fore­fathers toke the laste sentence of this philosopher, and the fyrste rebuke abydeth to vs theyr last chyldren. For cer­tayne amonge the Grekes and Lacedemoniens was at­teyned as moche fame by theyr philosophers and conque­stes, as by theyr writinges, which they haue lefte vs. And our former emperours gatte no lesse loue in theyr empire, by theyr profound eloquence, thanne they feared all the worlde by their noble triumphes. For a profe wherof, be­holde Iulius Cesar, whiche beinge in the myddell of his campe, with his lyfte hande wolde holde his speare, and his penne in his righte hande. Ne he neuer lefte of his ar­mour, but forthewith he toke his bokes. We must not lay excuses, sayinge with them that be ignorante, that the ly­berall artes are to hye, and the tyme that we haue, verye shorte. For certayne the diligence of men in tymes paste, reproueth our slouth at this day. One thyng I do se, that in a shorte whyle we lerne all yll, but in a longe season we can not lerne goodnesse. Wyll ye se, what is our fortunes and destenyes, and in what thoughte the goddes doo kepe vs, that for to do one good dede we lacke tyme, and for to do many shrewde tournes, we haue to moche tyme. I wyll say no more, but that I wolde my chylde shulde be noury­shed in suche wyse, that he shoulde lerne the feare of god, the science of philosophers, the vertues of aunciente Ro­mayns, [Page] the quietnes of you his maysters, and the good­nesse of all them that be good, as he hathe taken of me to be the heire of the empire. I protest to the immortal god­dis, to whom I truste for to go: and protest to the high ca­pitoll, where my bones shall be brent, that neyther Rome now in my lyfe, nor the heuens in tyme to come shall curse me after my deth, if by yll lyuynge my sonne shoulde lese the common welthe, yf by your small chastisement, ye shal be cause of the losse of the empire.

MArcus Aurelius the emperour hadde but two sonnes, that is to wytte, the prince Comode and Verissime: He hadde fowre doughters by Faustyne his wyfe, legittimate and hey­res of thempyre. This emperour was exce­dyng diligent for to nourishe his daughters. As soone as any of them were borne, forthwith they were put to nours into some ferme without Rome: He wolde neuer suffre a­ny of his chyldren, sonnes nor doughters, to be nourys­shed within the walles of Rome: Nor consente, that they shoulde sucke the breastes of delycate women. He hated delycate and gaye nourses, and they that were laborous homely and holsome he loued, and to them and none other he betoke his chyldren to nouryshe, and he wolde neuer a­gree, that they shoulde be brought home to his howse. He was wont to say in his sportynge: I haue more adoo to contente these nourysses, than to mary my doughters. Homere shewethe, that in Grece there dyed Arthemio, that was kynge of Argiue, withoute any sonne to inhe­ryte: and the nourse, that hadde nourysshed hym, with all [Page 18] her myght demanded the realme for a sonne of hers, why­che hadde sucked of the same mylke, that the sayde kynge had done, allegynge, that syth they were bothe nourysshed togyther, and sucked one mylke, that they bothe shuld en­heryte one realme. This sayde Homer, to reproue the nouryces of Grece, whiche toke more presumption for nouris­shynge of princis, than quenes dyd in bearynge of theym. Therfore this noble Marcus Aurelius emperour, wolde not that his doughters alonely shoulde sucke grosse and rude mylke, but he wolde not agree, that any reuerence honour or seruice shulde be doone vnto them, as it belon­geth to the chyldren of so hygh princis to be doone, and as the custome is to be doone. On a daye as the sayde empe­rour was at supper, a foole named Galindo, at whose wordes the emperour often toke pleasure, sayde, Syr yester­daye I came from Salon, and fro the gate of Hostie, and there I sawe the emperours chyldren goo lyke labourers, and I se here in thy house labourers chyldren go lyke em­perours: Telle me, why do ye dissimule as a wyse man, for I that am but a foole, vnderstandethe hit not. The emperour aunswered: O Galyndo, bycause that yet at this tyme, Rome is not Rome, all thoughe throughe all the worlde hit be renowmed Rome. In my selfe I fynde farre more assuraunce, that my chyldren begynne lyke poore labourers, and ende as ryche emperoures, thanne to begynne as ryche emperours, and ende as poore squi­ers. Doest thou not knowe why Italy is nowe lost? They wolde haue theyr chyldren to be wantonly and delycately nourysshed, and wyl not suffre theym to lyue in trauayle, and to leaue theyr heires poore and nedy, and theym selfe to ende in greatte peryl. This aunswere was so excellent in fame, that it was euer taken for a prouerbe in Rome. Whan this emperours doughters were of two yere olde, [Page] incontinent he prouided women and maystresses for to te­che theym. Sextus Cheronense saythe, that he serched a­monge the auncient matrones of Rome, which were clea­nest of lyfe, mooste estemed of good fame, of noblenesse of bloudde, of sadde wytte, and that had ben mooste vsed in bringing vp of princis chyldren. This emperour was soo thoughtefull in the orderynge and teachynge of his chyl­dren, that he wolde haue no woman, but if she were of .l. yere of age at the leaste, and .x. yere a widowe, and that she hadde nourished a. C. chyldren, doughters of senatours. Imagining, that she that had medled in so many thynges of other mens, shulde not be ignorant in her owne. After that he hadde prouyded these maystresses, he caused his doughters to be broughte to theyr houses, and there gaue them theyr charge. And frō the birth of any of his dough­ters, he wolde neuer consent, that they shuld come into his palays, tyll they shulde haue husbandes. It chanced, that Faustine the empresse chylded a doughter, and she beinge certified, that it was lyke her, and very faire, moued with a soft herte of womanheed, and with a motherly affection, prayed themperour, that the sayde chylde myghte be nory­shed in her presence, sythe euery man sayd, the chylde was so fayre and so lyke vnto them. The emperour aunswered and sayde: Faustyne, for those thynges that all other haue sayde to you, dothe it beseme you, to demaunde this of me? But I that haue red in this case, and in other cases haue sene, in no maner I ought to condiscende therto. Do you not knowe, that the tyme, that the doughter is nourysshed in the house, the father is charged with thoughte, the mo­ther with wantō flatteringes, enuy in the bretherne, bold­nes in the doughter, and foly in the nouryce. I wolde wit of you, if she were nourysshed in the house: what profyt­tethe it, if her maystres teache her saddenesse and honestie [Page 19] with her wordes: and we entice her to lewdenes with our workes and dedes? what profiteth it, if the doughter de­serue chastisemente, and the mother flatter and make her wanton? More reason it were, that your doughter should folowe the good doinges of you, that are her mother, than the wordes of the straunge wydowe, that is her maystres. Marke well Faustyne, if ye oughte to reioyce at her chyl­dyshe toys. Remembre, that the plesure of yonge chyldren, is but chyldysshe trifles. But if you nouryshe theym not well, as the pleasures were ioyful whan they were yonge, so whan they be olde, to refrayne them, shal be greatter di­spleasure. Therfore, if you be vertuous, with drawe theyr iapynge trifles as nowe, for them that shall be vertuous. I wyll tel you one thynge, I wolde rather my doughters, in myne absence, shulde be disciples to vertues, than to be maystresses in lewdenesse in my presence. And sythe it is so, I desire you, require it not of me. And I desire you, that it be not soo. I am importune on you, that ye be not im­portunate on me. I pray you, that you pray not me. Orels I commaunde you, that you demaunde it no more of me. This harde aunswere of the father, ceassed the importu­nitie and pitiefulle requeste of the mother. Thus Fau­stine, all fearefulle, seinge the father within the walles of Rome, durste not go se her doughter without, but as pri­uely as she myght.

LIke wise as Marcus Aur. the emperour sur­mounted in vertues al mortall men, y^t died, soo for certayne in mariage of his doughters he semed to be kin to the goddes, y^t euer lyue: & by [Page] the grace and gyfte of god, or by his fortune, he was as happy in vertuous sonnes in lawe, as greatly infortunate of dyshonest doughters. After the dethe of the good olde man, with the smalle thoughte of the prynce his sonne in his gouernance, and vngoodly fame of his doughtes in theyr lyuinge, it semed to haue made an ende of the glory­ous memorie of the father, but if it were by the souerayne goodnes of his sonnes in lawe, that he hadde chose by his lyfe tyme. It is dayely sene, that the losse of the father by euyll chyldrene, is wonne by vertuous sonnes in lawe. Than Marcus Aurelius, in chosinge husbandes for his doughters, he toke not of dyuers, that the vanitye of the worlde offered hym: but of a fewe, that of manye folkes were estemed to be of good behauour, and that to his se­mynge were suche in dede. And as in mariages all the er­rour is to couete goodes that be in the pourse, and not to examyne the persone that is broughte to the house, He re­gardynge this, maried not his doughters to straung kyn­ges, but to naturall borne Senatours, not to suche as discended from hygh lygnage, as were the Sipions, Fa­bricions, and torquates: but to suche that with theyr ver­tues reysed newely good lygnages: Nor he maried theym not to suche as were presumptuous of the prowes and dedes of theyr predecessours: but to them that resplendy­shed by the dedes of theyr owne personnes. Nor of trouthe he chose none that were very riche, but suche as were ver­tuous: nor suche as were soone moued, but suche as were quiete: not the hyghe mynded: but to the moderate, that were no bosters, but shamefast: no bablers, but small spe­kers: no quarellers, but suffrers: not to presumptuous, but to them that were meke, not to hasty men, but to them that were pacient: not to them that were estemed amonge the commons, but vnto them that deserued laude amonge [Page 20] wyse men. In this maner he trusted no person, for he ma­ried not his doughters to suche as were praysed a farre of▪ but to them that of longe tyme had ben proued nerehand. In good faythe herein his reasone was good. For in the thynge that towcheth a mannes honour, he that is wyse ought not to trust in the onely information of straungers: Nor he is not wyse, that is so hardy, to doo al thynges by his owne semynge and opinyon. And he is but a symple persone, that wyll do all thynge after the opinion of stran­gers. And in these poyntes the emperour Marcus had a good respecte to kepe theym: In walkynge good rest, In speakynge great eloquence, in eatynge good temperance: In answering great subtiltie: In his sentences and deter­mynations great grauitie. And therfore in this case of maryage he was full of grauitie, tyl he was therin determy­ned. And this onely came not of hym, but of other, whan they came to pray hym. It befell that in a feast of the god Ianus, the emperour goinge to the campe of Mars, vp­pon a lusty hors fyers and flyngynge, he mette soo rudely with a trūpettour, that coursed as a knyght vpon a hors, that with the stroke of metyng, the trumpetour was ouer­throwen with his horse, so that he was slayne, and them­perours hors legge broken, and his owne fote hurte, and his arme out of ioynte. So greattely encreaced his hurt, that he was in perylle, Italye in heuynesse, and all Rome was in doubte of his lyfe. And bycause a fewe days afore that, he had communication of a maryage for his thyrde doughter, named Matrina, for the determination that he shulde haue made the same day, great suite was made to hym. But for the great peyne of his arme, and the bloude that was congeled in his bodye, and the anguysshe that was at his harte, as for the demaunde that was offered hym, he dyfferred the aunswere tyll an nother daye. The [Page] whyche daye commen, in open presence he sayde in this manier.

OFtentimes I haue sene in other, and haue pro­ued by experience, that the small consyderati­on passed, and the great acceleration in busy­nesses nowe present, maketh great inconueni­ences in tyme to come, onles that at that point the thynge be commytted to the vertue of some wyse per­sone, rather than to his owne sole opinion. Neuer the lesse in the case of mariage, though the father be wise, yet with­out the opinion of an other, he ought not to determyn him lyghtly: For enuyous fortune, thoughe she shewe her selfe somwhat frowarde in all thynges, yet in this case of mari­age, she ouerthroweth more than in all the other. He that wyll speake of maryage, ought to entre into his owne se­cretenes, and to thynke profoundly theron, as of a thyng that all his welthe lyeth in, his credence, his lyfe, his ho­nour, his good fame, the reste of his owne personne, and his fleshe, whiche is his chylde. I am of opinion, that yf all wise men were molten in a fournayes, they coude not gyue one good counsell to make a mariage: And wold ye that I, whiche am simple, shuld do it lyghtly by my selfe? Truely therin behoueth rype and sadde counsell. For ones fallen into the peryll therof, none may haue remedy with­oute greatter perylle. The renowmed Marcus Portius, whose lyuynge was a myrrour in his dayes, and his wor­des and counsels remayne for a remembrance, sayd open­ly in the senate: O noble fathers and happy people, by the [Page 21] decrees openly proclaimed in places accustomed, I know that in a coūsel and senate ye ordeyned three thinges, that is, ye vndertoke to make a newe warre agaynste the Par­thes, to continue the enmitie agaynst the Peniens, and to marie .v. hundred matrones of Rome, to .v.C. knygh­tes of Mauritanie. And certaynely I am abashed, that a­monge wyse men so hyghe affayres shulde be so soone and sodaynely concluded and determined. To satisfie myn vn­derstandynge, and for the good wylle that I owe to the countrey, I shall saye one worde, that is, to begyn warre, and to pursue hatred and yll wyll, and to conclude mari­ages, In these causes a man ought to aske counsell of all the men of the worlde, and al the goddis oughte to correct and amende it. And .x.M. counsaylynges wolde be hol­den vpon eche of these thynges. These wordes were wor­thy of great recommendation. For one thynge by dyuers opinions ought to be determyned: But many thinges by one opinion oughte not to be determyned. And if this be for all thinges, it serueth then most specially in mariages. My frēdes, ye say, that he that offreth hym to be my sonne in lawe, is greatly desyred loued and wel named amonge the common people. To sell suche marchandyse, set it not in so yll a shewe▪ The credence of an honest manne lyethe not amonge the common voyce of the people, but amonge philosophers: not amonge many, but amonge fewe: not among howe many, but what they be. Ye know your selfe, that at this houre all that the commons thynke is but a vayne thynge: that they prayse is false: that they con­dempne is good, that they approue, is nought, that they alowe is shamefull: and finally all that they laude, is but folye. Theyr praysinge begynneth with lyghtnes, their fo­lowynge without order, and it endeth with furie. O howe many haue I sene in Italye lyke the lies of wyne caste out [Page] of the senate, and after put as fyrebrondes of tauernes in Rome, by whose opinions the cōmon welth is gouerned, and with great lyghtnes men put downe, and with no les lyghtnes exalted agayne. Beholde here, that the workes of the people are holden in mockage with wyse men: and that that is agreed amonge theym, is estemed but for va­nities with wise men. For that that is meale with philoso­phers, is eaten but for branne & chaffe with symple folke: and contrary wyse, the meale of the symple, is but branne & chaffe amonge wise men. Of al that our predecessours haue syfted, in these dayes the chylderne of vanitie worke thereafter, for they wyll be desyred, and hate to be hated. All suche holdeth a generall rule, that euery man that de­syreth to be beloued of euery man openly, can not escape fro diuers secrete fautes. Shall I tell you, who is best be­loued nowe adayes? Than harken to me, and I wyll tell you, as moche as it toucheth, to whom it may touche, hurt who it may hurte, fele it who that may fele it. The people loueth hym that can dissimule with them, and him that is nought, and enuious of them that be good, & also suche as fauour lyers, & setteth trouth asyde, and suche as accom­panieth with mankyllers and murtherers, & to be serued of theues, and fauoureth quarellers, and pursueth suche as be peasible, delyuereth offenders, and sleeth innocētis, renometh them that be shamefull, and shameth them that be of good fame: Finally he is most set by, y^t putteth them that be good fro hym, and is the most vayne among them that be vayne. Certaynly there is great suspection to sette hym amonge wyse men, that is allowed of all fooles. And the reason therof is, that the commons lyghtly loue none but men that with malyce refrayneth them that be vertu­ous, and letteth the rayne slyppe to them that be vicious. Truely wise men haue hym as suspect that the commons [Page 22] desyre, whiche wyl not be displeased with his yl doinges. O howe often tymes dothe the goddis permytte the ambicious man in honours, that procureth to do yl many dais without Iustice, and dothe not beholde the sodayne hole losse therof with shame? Than take this word of me, that in the multitude of men there are fewe to be praysed, and many to be repreued.

NOwe to come to our particular purpose. ye a­monge you do prayse this yonge man, and yf his werkes be as your wordes, ye shoulde not onely say, that he hath merited to be my sonne in lawe, but rather meriteth to be onely inhe­ritour of the hole empire. And therfore I wolde wytte of you, wherof you can praise this your kynseman, that there be no contraritie betwene his werkes and your wordes. If he be rusticall, it abateth hym soore: if he be of hyghe bloude, he wyll be presumptuous: if he be ryche, he wylle gyue hym to viciousnes: if he be pore, he wyl be couetous, if he be valiant, he wyll be ouerbolde: yf he be a cowarde, he is defamed: if he be a greate speaker, he shall be a lyer: if he be to lyttelle a speaker, he shall be noted as vnwyse: yf he be faire, he wylle be coueted: if he be foule, he wylle be ielous. Than if he be quite of al these, I swere to you, that I wyll gyue hym my doughter Matrine with all my hart. I do not say this vnto you, bicause I suppose any yl in your kynsman: but to thentent that ye shulde thynke, that I say it accordynge to my naturalitie. And than syth I say it not agaynst your credence, for the knowelege that ye haue of hym, mistake not my suspection, sith that I am [Page] hole ignoraunt of this yonge mans lyuynge. And I wyll not, that ye shoulde thynke, that the chylde my doughter, that hath ben brought vp in so great vertue in my palais, shulde be maried to this yong man for the onely fame that he hath amonge the people. O howe often haue I sene in our tyme nowe, and haue redde of the worlde passed, the whiche as nowe by commaundement of the goddis, at an other tyme by their yll workes haue deserued it, at an no­ther tyme by their sorowfull destenies haue permytted it, wenynge for to brynge sonnes in lawe into theyr howse, haue brought in a hell: In stede of wyse and fayre dough­ters, haue recouered adders: And seekynge sonnes, haue founde basilycke serpentes: In bienge of bloudde, poy­son delyuered: In sekynge frendes, they haue founde en­nemies: In demaundyng honour, shame hath be gyuen: and finally in marienge theyr chyldren, wenynge to haue lyued merily, the sorowfull fathers haue hadde euyll lyfe and a wors dethe. And in case that suche ought to be mo­ued more of them that be ioyous, than they that bene sory, of them that ben ioyous, as well oughte we to approue the iuste chastisement of the iuste goddis, by the vniuste workes done to iuste men. For he deserueth great chastise­ment, that with feareful hardynes as a foole determineth hym selfe in high and difficult thynges with sodayn coun­sell. And therfore my frendes, if ye be vertuous, be not a­bashed of that that I saye, nor take the examination that I make in a sclaunder: If I take this younge man to be my sonne, to be sonne in lawe to Faustyne my wyfe, hus­bande to my doughter Matrine, brother to Comodus the prince, felowe to them of the senate, kynsman to my kyns­folke, and lorde of my seruantes: It is reason, that suche a robe ought well to be regarded, sythe that so many per­sons muste weare the lyueray therof. The garmente that [Page 23] so many persons must weare, must be wysely cutte, to con­tent them all. We se naturally many thynges noyfull to vs, if it be nere vs, and yet nat domageable to vs ferre of. The sonne with his shynynge beames dothe parche the fleshe of the people of Ethiope, bycause hit is nere vnto them: and contrary wise it doothe no greefe to theyr per­sones that inhabite in the ende of Europe: for bycause it toucheth them afarre of. There haue bene dyuers sonnes of Rome, whiche beinge in strange countreys, haue done greatte proufyte to the common welthe, and noo lesse fa­med throughout the worlde, whiche after they were retur­ned to theyr owne howses, haue spylte more bloode of in­nocentes, than they had done before of the Barbariens. And that it is sothe demaunde of Iulius Cesar, of Pom­peius, of Sylla, of Marius, of Casius, of Catilina, and of Lypulus, of Octauius, and Marcus Anthonius, of Caligula, and of Nero, of Othus, and Domitianus. And as I say of soo small a nombre of bastarde chylderne that helde Rome, I maye saye of dyuers other tyrauntes broughte vppe in Italye. Beleue me in oone thynge, All that is agreable to vs abroode, agreethe not to vs yf we brynge them into the howse. For there gothe many thyn­ges betwene the entreatynge of a man in wordes, and to belonge conuersant with hym in workes. Lyttell nedethe humayne ignorance for to begyle an other, and yet lesse to be begyled of many an other. With a meke vysage, swete wordes in the tongue, good delyberation in the personne, temperaunce in the worde euery one may begyle an other nowe adayes: and by shrewdenes and malyce, is begyled hym selfe. I say to you, I beinge a yonge man knewe the famous oratour Taurin propose dyuers tymes in the se­nate: And on a day he spake for a Romayn matron, which shulde haue maried an honest doughter of hers to a may­ster [Page] of horses, by semynge a Romayne, and not very well appoynted: And amonge other wordes he sayde: O no­ble fathers, O happy people, commande not that thinge, that afterwarde ye wolde were not commaunded. An yll mariage is lyke as he that shoteth a pellet of duste, it hur­teth hym that it toucheth, and blyndeth theym that stande nexte. Sothelye these were hie wordes, and the compari­son well vnderstanden, conteyneth in it sentences of gra­uitie. It is manyfest to all men, that an ylle sonne in lawe is the deathe of the wyfe that hath hym, shame to the fren­des that procured it, and at the laste an yll ende for hym selfe, and for his father that offered it. Than by all these thynges that I haue sayde, ye maye vnderstande what I thinke in this mariage. His sayinges thus ended, the Se­nate was gretly edified therwith, and the knyghtes kyns­folke to this yong man, greatly abashed: and Faustin the empresse sore confused, for by her introduction the matter was moued. And howe this mariage failed, the historiens write not, whom we haue folowed in this werke.

THe vertues of this good emperour, and the knowlege of sciēces, the worthines in armes, and the purenes of his liuinge, caused hym to be named amonge the famous men of Rome. The gentel conuersatiō that he had with eue­ry man, made him to be renowmed amonge the worthyest of al the worlde. The thinge most agreable without repre­hencion of the greattest, meane, and least is, that a lord and prynce of many, be communicable and conuersaunt with many. All the good werkes of good men may be condem­ned [Page 24] with the yll intentions of theym that be ylle: But the good condicions haue such a priuilege, that of yl the good is praysed, and the good approueth the yll. In a mans ly­uynge, there is none so great a vyce, but by good cōuersa­tion it is couered and hid. And contrary wise, no crime is secrete, but with ylle conuersation, at the tyme that it hur­teth, it is more openly knowen. Of two extremities hit is not so greuous to the common welthe, a man to be weake and faynt in secretenes, & of gentyll conuersation abrode, as it is of hym that is secrete, and is rude & of yll conuer­sation openly. Dyuers not being of good order and poli­cie, we haue sene cōuersant a gret whyle in Rome, only for beinge well condicioned. And many mo we haue sene, that in a short whyle after they were put in office, haue ben soo proude and hasty in theyr condicions, that they haue ben depriued from theyr offyces. And this we say bicause this good emperour was so ioyous of vysage, soo amyable in his customes, so louynge in his conuersation, that lyght­ly he wolde caste his armes aboute the necke, and on the shulders of them, and take them by the handes, that had any thynge to do with hym. The porters shoulde not lette them that wolde accompany hym in the palays: nor his garde was not so hardy to put abacke such as wold speke with hym in the fieldes. In all his ages he applyed to that that euery age gaue hym by nature: He was a childe amonge children, yonge amonge yonge folkes, worldely with them that were worldly, good felowe with good fe­lowes, a baron amonge barons, hardy with hardy men: and finally olde with olde menne. He was wonte to saye, whan any in his presence that were yonge and not welle taught in their language, iested at the debilitie of age, or olde men at the foly of youth: Leaue them, sith they leaue you. Many tymes of wyse yonge men cometh olde foles, [Page] And of yonge fooles customably cometh wise olde men: Naturalyte at the laste maketh all thynge in kynde. As of greatte debilitie we canne drawe but smalle strengthe, by our naturalitie we may for a tyme resiste it, but not vtter­ly mayster it. I am sore abashed, that somme wyll be soo lordely and valiant in vertues, and so hygh mynded, and yet wyll make vs beleue, that they lyuinge in the flesshe, and being of fleshe, onely fele not the fleshe. I can not tel, if nature hath made other of an other nature than I am of, or me of an other nature thanne other be. For I beynge neuer so faste inclosed in the swete conuersation of philo­sophy, yea in the beste tyme, this false flesshe wolle calleatte the gate with his noughtye fleshe. The more that we reyse and exalte vs with science and gette lyberties, the more lower we doo putte the flesshe with her myse­ries. Beleue me one thynge, that if a tree beareth not in Prymetyme his flowers, we hope not to haue the fruite in harueste type: and a yonge man that hathe not passed his youthe with yonge people, we haue noo hope that he shulde passe his age with olde men. And as we may resyste our naturalitie, and not cleane to for do it, so those fathers erre, that are so extremely affectioned, to haue theyr chyl­dren to begynne as olde men, whervpon it foloweth, that they ende as yonge. This emperour was soo wyse in all thynges, that amonge them that were mery, he was of great myrthe. And in verities he was very veritable. In his pastimes he was greattely temperate, and a louer of musike, specially in good voyce and instrumentes, and soore displeased if he harde any discorde therin. He pas­sed moste of his youthe in lernynge of sciences. Whan he came to mannes state, he exercised feates of knyghthode: he loued disciplyne and not of adulation. He was apt and happye in armes, but yet in rydinge of horses he hadde [Page 25] ofte tymes yll happe. In his yonge age he delyted to play at the tennys, and at the chesse in his aege. He loued not these counterfaytyng players of farces and mummeries, and yet lesse trewandes, that bene natural fooles, iuglers, and gesters for pleasure. The players and gesters suffred great varietie in the empire, accordynge to the diuersitie of emperours. Iulius Cesar susteyned theym, Octauian his neuewe droue theym away, Caligula called theym a­gayne, Cruell Nero banyshed them, Nerua made theym come agayne, Good Traian banyshed them out of al Ita­ly, Anthony Pius brought theym in ageyne: And by the handes of this good emperour Marcus Aurelius, they ended. And the occasion was, the Romayns dyd celebrate with great ioye, the .iiii. day of May, the great feaste of the mother Berecynte, mother of all the goddis. The sacred priestes flamines diales, wold haue brought thyther these mynstrelles iugglers and gesters, for to reioyce the feaste, and contrarye wyse the holy nunnes vestales wolde haue done the same, so that variance felle betwene theym, some with force, and somme with resistence, and some ranne thi­der in fauourynge of bothe parties, and not a fewe, to de­parte theym. The cruell and greate noyse of slaughter a­monge them, was suche, that it tourned the feaste to we­pynges, the pleasures into sorowes, and theyr songes in­to waylynges. This good emperour laboured to pease this furie of the people, and to sette peace among the ney­bours of Rome. Whan all was done, he made curious di­ligence to serche out all the players, iuglers, and iestours of Rome, and in all the circuite of Italy, that they might be chastised, and Rome delyuered of them. And for exam­ple of all the worlde, he sente theym to the gate of Hostie, and commaunded to sette them in Galies, and to banyshe them for euer, into the yles of Hellispont: whiche was ac­complyshed, [Page] as the emperour commaunded. And fro that daye, was neuer sene at Rome, iugler nor iester, as longe as the emperour lyued. But it passed not two yeres after his deathe, but they retourned, whan his sonne hadde the rule. And excepte the bokes doo lye, there was in Rome greatter nombre of fooles than of wyse men.

WE haue sayd of the hatred that this emperour had to trewandes, reuelers, getters, iuglers, gesters, and suche other: Nowe wyl we speke of his laudable exercyses of them that came to hym. To be welle condicioned, the malyce of mankynde is so great, that as good men are bounde to regard the yll, so do they that be yll, regarde to distroy the good. The trace of vertu is as good in good thingis, with them y^t be good, as the vice & dishonestie of euyll folkes, is in euyll thinges. What greatter corruption in this worlde may be, than a vertuous persone, for one worke of vertue, can not fynde one to helpe hym to worke it, and whan he alone hath wroughte it, there cometh tenne thousande to gaynsaye hym? The greattest goodnes of all goodnes is, whan tyrannies are putte vnder by vertues acquyred: or to fynde remedye agaynste accustomed vyces, with good inclynations. And the greattest euyll of all euyls, is whan a persone forgetteth that he is a manne, puttynge reason vnder fote, straynynge his hande agaynst vertue, and let­teth vice rule the bridell. This emperour Mar. Aurel. su­steyned in his lyfe great glorie, in the eschewyng the villa­ny of vyllaynes: no lesse merited he immortall memorye, in sufferynge dyuers dyshonesties in the execution of his [Page 26] vertues. An vnfallible reule hit is, amonge the chyldren of vanitie, to chylde the vices of theym that be vycyous. And the vertues welle incorporate, nourysshe many enui­ous. They that be ylle, benne allwayes double ylle, by­cause they beare armour defensiue, to defende theyr owne yuelles: and armes offensyue to assaylle the good ma­ners of other. The trowthe is, if good menne be dyly­gente to seke other that be good, no lesse oughte they for to hyde theym from theym that be ylle: for a good manne with one fynger, hathe power ouer all theym that be ver­tuous, but for to withstande one ylle personne, he hathe nede of handes feete and frendes. And thoughe fortune be ylle to good menne, theyr owne propre fame shall be spente as of straungiers. This good emperoure was stronge in vertue, meeke in wordes, attemperate in his exercyses, homely with euery manne, sadde amonge sadde men, hasty amonge hasty men, mery with mery men, and wise amonge wyse men, as it is conuenable for a curyous prince to be. And whan these are approued in the lawe of good men, by clere vnderstandynge, as well shall they be condempned by theym that haue yll intencions. Thanne as the cooles canne not be in the embres without sparkis, nor corruption of the carion withoute stenche: no more can he that hath a hole and clere herte be, without inforsynge hym to vtter louynge wordes: And he that hathe an ylle harte, alwayes ouercommeth other with wordes of ma­lyce. For it is certayne, for a small seasone the louer maye absteyne his loue, and yette lesse tyme the payne of hym, that is payned with loue hydde. The sorowfulle syghes, shewe the hurte of the harte, and the malicious wordes di­scouer the yll of the harte. We haue sayde all this, bycause that the bountie of this good Emperoure Marcus Au­relius set all his ioy and gladnes in them that were good, [Page] and bewayled theym that were ylle. And as in semblable thynges, the worthy men shewe their worthynes, and wise men their wysedome, beinge vertuous in workynge, and wise in knowlegynge, were very wise in dissimulyng. One of the vertues, that a wyse man ought to haue (wherin he shall be knowen as wyse) is that he can suffre well. For a man y^t can suffre well, was neuer but wyse & wel manerd, and therwith to suffre the vertue of yll busines, is a thing reasonable, of all reasonable beastis, and of them that be good, very good. And by contrarye wise, the man that can not well suffre, though it be in very iuste thynges, hopeth not to be welle treated. And lykewise as this Emperoure Marcus in all vertues, hath ben egall with all the empe­rours of Rome, that haue benne, In this vertue of suffe­raunce, he hath surmounted all them of the world. He was wont to saye many tymes, I haue not attayned to the em­pire, by the sciēces that I haue lerned of the philosophers, but by the pacience, that I haue had with them that were frowarde and not lerned. And this semeth to be true: for oftentymes this Emperour, beynge with the Senate at Collisee, or the Senate with hym in the hygh Capytolle, he seynge in his presence dyuers that praysed hym, and o­ther, that in his absence amonge the people blamed hym, and rebuked hym, his attemperance yet was soo greatte, and shewed him selfe so iuste with one and other, that ney­ther his frendes, that agreed with him, were sorowful, nor his ennemies, for any disfauour, went away complayning and angrye.

[Page 27] AMonge the solemne feastes, y^t the auncient Romaynes had inuented, was one of the god Ianus, kept the fyrst day of the yere, whiche as nowe is the fyrste day of Iani­uer: He was paynted with two faces, to shewe, that it was the laste daye of the yere passed, and the begynnyng of the newe yere. To this god was dedicate a sumptuous temple in Rome, which temple Numa Pōpilius, called it the temple of peace. And except the temple of Iupiter, it was holden in most reuerence of all other. Whan the Romayn emperours went or came to Rome, to vysite the high capitoll, and the vestall vyrgins, forthwith they wente to praye, worshyp, and to offre at the temple of Ianus. The day of celebration of the sayd feast, all Rome reioyced, and put on them the beste clothes that they hadde, brennynge great lyghtes in euerye hous, and made many playes of interludes, of gestes and iuglyng, & watched all nyght in the temples, & delyuered al the priso­ners that were in prison for dette, & payde the debtes with the common treasour. They had tables with meate before their doores, in such haboundance, that more was left thā eaten, wherwith all the poore folkes in Rome were rele­ued. The Romayns thought, that what so euer they spent that daye, that the god Iano (whiche was god of tymes) wolde rewarde them double. The Romaynes sayde, that this god Ianus was not vnkynde nor no nygarde, for yf they spente a lyttell, he wolde recompence theym with a great deale. At this feaste was made greate processions, euery sorte of people by them selfe, the senate went apart, the priestes aparte, The Censores aparte, the Plebeyens aparte, The matrones and yonge maydens by them selfe, and the ambassadours went in procession with al the cap­tiues and prisoners. Thus they wente euer two and two: [Page] the ende of one company, was the beginnyng of an other. And thus out of the temple of Ianus, they wente aboute all the temples of Rome, and soo out of Porte latine into the fieldes, and rounde about the walles of Rome. And bycause the circuite of Rome was greatte, the processions went but from one gate to an other, so that towarde night all the processions of Rome had gone euerychone in theyr company aboute: And that done, they retourned all into the temple, that they came out of, and there offred echeone as they myght. And in the sayde processions it was of cu­stome, that the emperours went accompanied with the se­natours: but this good emperour was soo famylier, that he wolde honour and accompany euery man. It was ac­customed in Rome, that the sayde day themperour shulde weare on his robe, and mantelle unperiall. And all priso­ners and captiues that myght touch hym with their hāde, were deliuered, & al trespassours were pardoned, and banished folke were forgiuen, and called agayn. And this em­perour to vse his clemency, and to leaue after hym perpe­tuall memorie, lefte the procession of senatours, and with­out any gard, went the procession with prisoners and cap­tiues. The whiche doinge, was occasion to leaue behynde hym perpetuall memory of hym selfe, and greate example of clemencie and lowlynes to princes for to come. Howe be it there is nothynge so well done of them that be good, but forthwith it shalbe contraried of them that be yl: And therfore this example was soo moche dispraysed of theym that were yll, as praysed and allowed of theym that were good. And in likewise as among them that be good, there is one noted to be pure good, so amonge them that be yll, there is one noted to be right ylle. And that worse is, that the vertuous person estemeth not the glorie his vertue so great, as the malitious person by his malice is shamid. [Page 28] This is sayde, bycause there was a senatour in the senate, named Fuluius, whiche was as blacke by his malyce, as whyte by his heares. He laboured soore in the dayes of A­drian to haue ben emperour, and had Marcus always as competitour. And as it is a naturall thyng to theym that haue yll hartes, to shewe theyr malyce in smal thynges, so this emperour dyd neuer no good thynge openly, but this Fuluius wolde grudge therat secretely. And though this emperour was greatly praysed for the delyuerynge of pri­soners, yet the sayd senatour coude not haue the prudence for to suffre it, and so part in mockery, and part in erneste, he sayd these wordes to the emperour in the senate: Why gyuest thou thy selfe to all men?

THe emperour Marcus Aur̄hering what the senator had said to him, in the p̄sence of the sena­tors, y^t is to wite, Wherfore he gaue him to all men, He aunswered, Frende, I giue me to all men, bycause all men giue them to me, and ar glad of me. Beleue me, that ouer great rigour in a prince, causeth hatred of the people. The goddis wyll not, nor the lawes permit not, nor the agreement of the cōmon welthe wyll not suffre, y^e princis be lordes ouer many, & to accom­pany but with a fewe. I haue redde in bokes, & haue pro­ued it by my selfe, that the loue of subiectes, the suretie of the prince, the dignitie of thempire, and the honour of the Senate, do conserue the prince, not with rigour, but with gentyll conuersation. The fysher goth not to take dyuers fyshes of the riuer with one baite, nor y^e mariner with one nette entreth into the see. I promyse you the depenesse of [Page] good wylles ought to be wonne with the depenesse of the harte, some with gyftes, some with wordes, some with promyses, and some with fauours. The insaciate couetous men are neuer content, nor wyll open their affection, but locke vp their treasours. And such as serueth for loue, ar lesse content with openyng of their treasure, than locking vp their wylles. It is an olde prouerbe of Pythagoras: Loue is payd with other loue. O how yl fortune it is to a prince, & how vnhappy it is to a cōmon welth, whā y^e peo­ple serue not their lordes, but for rewardes, & the lordes to kepe & mayntayne them, but for their seruice. With diuers stones and one ciment, buyldynge is reysed, and of diuers men, and one lord, is composed a common welthe. And if geometrie begile me not, the morter that ioyneth one stone with an other, ought to be medled with sande and slecked lyme by reson. Separate the stones, and the wal openeth, and let the cyment fayle, and the edifice falleth. He that is wyse, may well vnderstande me. Loue betwene neybours suffereth to be mitigate with water: but hit is requysite, that the loue of the prince and his people be pure. Dy­uers trowbles, and acte dyuers tymes, I haue seene a­mong the common people of Rome in one day moued and appeased: but one discorde, reysed betwene the lorde and the common welthe, vnto the death, is neuer accorded. It is a difficile thinge, to make appoyntment of many with many, and more difficile, to accorde one with an nother. But without comparison, more harder it is, to appoynt di­uers with one, than one with dyuers. And in this case I wyl not saue the prince, nor leue the people vncondēpned. Fro whens (as ye thynk) cometh it now adays, that lordis with annoyance commaunde vniuste thinges, and in iust thinges the subiectes are vnobediente? Nowe here me, & I shall tell you. The prince doinge a thynge in dede, and [Page 29] not of righte, wyl confounde the wyl of euery manne, and beleue his owne vnderstandynge, and drawe of hym selfe and all other his onely wyl. Contrary wise, the multitude of the people dispraysynge theyr lordes vnderstandynge, do as they will: not as all wyll, but as euery manne desi­reth hym selfe. Of trouth it is a greuous thing, although it be greately accustomed, to wyll, that all gounes shulde be mete fore one man, and that one mans harneis shuld be mete to arme all men. Than what shall we do, that our fathers haue lefte thus in the worlde, & also we hold that we be theyr chyldren, and that worse is, we leaue the same to our heires? O howe many princis of my predecessours, I haue redde of, that haue bene loste in shewynge theym selfe ouer straunge, and beloued of none? I wyll tell you of somme of them for exaumples, that I haue redde in my bokes, to thintent that pryncis maye se what they wynne by amiable conuersation, and what they lose by ouermoch straungenes. In the realme of Assiens, greatter in armes than the Caldeens, and lesse in aduantage and antiquitie than the Assiriens: One maner forme of kynges endured amonge them. CC. and .xx. yeres, by reason they were of lowable conuersation. And an nother fourme and maner (as Homer sayth) lasted but .xl. yeres, bicause their kinges were of an yll condition. And the .ix. Epiphanes of the Egiptiens was vnnombred and put down, bycause there was a lawe that eche one shulde be bare legged in the tem­ples vpon the holy dayes. And this kynge on a day riding came before the god Apis, god of the Egiptiens, the whi­che thyng was not suffred, for besyde that he was put out of his realme, he was chastised. Also the .vi. Arfacidauel the inuincible kynge of Parthes, not onely was depriued, but also banyshed out of his realme, bycause he dyned at a knyghtes bridale, and wolde not eate at the bridale of a [Page] cōmuner. Yet also though the realme of Italy was scant, theyr hartes were greatte: for bycause one of their Mar­ranes, for so were their kynges called, had shette his ga­tes by nyghte, for to slepe the surelyer, he was depriued of his realme: bycause a lawe was made, that noo prynce shulde shette his gates nyght nor day. for they saide, they had made him kynge for to dryue awaye their ennemyes, and not to be daintily nourished. Tarquine the last kyng of the Romayns was vnkynde to his father in lawe, dif­famed his blod and kynrede, was a traytour to his coun­trey, cruell of his persone, and aduoutrer with Luctece: but for all that he was not called vngentyll, nor infamed, nor traytour, nor cruell, nor aduoutrer, but he was named Tarquine the prowde, bycause he was of ylle condicions and complexions. And yet by the lawe of good menne, I swere to you, that if the sayd vnhappy Tarquine had had good wyll in Rome, for the aduoutry of Lucrece he hadde not be put out of his realme, for as moche as other great­ter and more greuous harmes hadde benne doone before his tyme, and also moche wors sithen by aged emperours in the empire, the whyche crymes by theym commytted were suche, that the offence of this frayle yonge man was but small in estimation. For thynge certayne these pryn­ces holde, that if they gyue dyuers occasions for their yll wyll, yet a lyttell thing suffiseth if he shewe, that the hate that he hath is for none yll wyll: but the hate that the sub­iecte hath to the lorde, is bycause he hath no power. ¶Iulius Cesar, the laste dictatour and firste emperour, bycause he forgate to be a man among men, but thinking to be a god amonge goddis, beynge a lawdable custome, that the senate shulde salute the emperour on their knees, and the emperour to ryse courteysly agaynste theym: by­cause of a presumptuous mind, he wold not kepe the sere­monie, [Page 30] he merited to lese his lyfe with .xxiii. strokes of pen kniues, And as I saye of these so fewe a nombre, I maye saye of many other. The phisitions with a lyttel Rubarbe purge many humours of the body, and the emperor with a littel beneuolence taketh many greues fro the stomakes of his subiectes. The people owe obedience to the prynce, and to do his persone great reuerence, and fulfyll his cō ­maundementes, and the prince oweth egall iustice to eue­ry man, and meke conuersation to all men.

¶Marcus Portius sayde dyuers tymes in Rome: That the publycke welthe is there perpetuall and without any sodayne falle, where the prynce fyndethe obedience, and all the people fyndethe loue with the prynce. For of the loue of the lorde bredethe the good obedience of the sub­iecte, and of the obedience of the subiecte bredeth the good loue of the lorde. The emperour in Rome is lyke to a spi­der that is in the myddes of her webbe. For if the sayde coppe webbe be touched with the poynte of a nedell, forth­with the spider feleth hit. I meane that all the werkes of the emperour in Rome benne streyghte waye knowen in all the erthe. I beleue that this daye I haue bene iudged of humayne malyce, for accompanyenge the processyon of the captiues, and that I suffredde theym to towche me, that they myghte enioy the priuilege of lybertie. I yelde and gyue great graces to my goddis of my good happe, bycause they haue made me pitifull for to delyuer prisoners, and not cruell as a tyraunte for to make theym bonde that be free. The prouerbe sayth: One snare maye take two byrdes: So it hath ben this daye, for that bene­fyte rebounded onely to the myserable prisoners, but the fauour, to all theyr nations. And doo ye not knowe, that by the takyng away of their yrons, I haue drawen to me the hartes of all theyr realmes and countreys? Fynally [Page] hit is more sure to a prince to be serued with free hartes, and loue of them that be at libertie, than of subiectes con­streyned with feare.

HEre before we haue shewid how this good em­perour had great hatrede of men that were of yll lyuynge, and that passed their tyme in ylle exercyse. It suffiseth not the philosopher to re­preue the vice of other by wordes, but it is ne­cessary that he do the werkis that he requireth other to do: It is reason nowe to shewe, howe this Emperour by his great prudēce compassed & dispatched the great and huge busynesses of the empire, the particularities of his house­holde, the recreation of his persone, thexercyse of his stu­dies, the infinite reasonynge with one and other, with su­che peyne takyng, and in so shorte tyme. He was soo apte and wel aduysed, that by hym there was no tyme yl spent. Nor neuer fayled to dispatche the besynes of the empire. And bycause the tyme is glorious of hym that gloriously spendeth it, and the tyme is accursed, that to our domage and without profyte to other passeth, leauing vs ignorant as brute beastes: He departed the tyme by times, the order wherof was thus. Seuen howres he slepte in the nyght, and rested one howre in the daye: At dyner and supper he wasted but onely two howres: he deputed two howres for the matters of Asie: Other two howres for the busynesse of Europe and Affrike: and in conuersation of his house, and with his wife and children seruantes and frēdes that came to see him, he spente other two howres: And for the outwarde besynesse, as to here the complayntes of theym [Page 31] that were greued: The suites of poore men wantynge iu­styce, the wydowes, the robberies of pyckers, of mychers, and vacaboundes, he deputed an other houre. All the rest of the day and nyght in reding of bokes, to write workes, to make metres, to studye antyquities, to practyse with wise men, to dispute amonge philosophers, he passed thus ordinately in wynter: And in sommer if cruel warres let­ted hym not, or that he were troubled with great and hai­nous matters, he went euer to bed at .ix. of the clocke, and awoke at .iiii. It was of custome that emperours hadde euerlyghtes brennynge in their chaumbre. And therfore whan he awoke, bycause he wolde not be ydel, he had euer a boke at his beddes heed. And thus in redynge he spente the rest of the nyght, tyll it was day. He rose at .vi. of the clocke, and made hym redy openly, not angrely, but meri­ly: he wolde demaunde of them that were presente, howe they had spent all the nyght tyme. And there he wolde re­herse what he had redde that nyght. Whan he was redye, he wolde washe his handes with very well smellynge wa­ters: for he was a great louer of al swete odours. He had a good and a quycke smellynge. Than in the mornynge before euery man, he wolde take .iii. or .iiii. morselles of e­lectuarie of sticados, and two draughtes of Aqua vite. After that in sommer he wold go forthwith a fote to the ri­uerside, and there passe the tyme the space of two houres. And as soone as the heate came, he wolde goo to the hygh capitoll to the senate. That done he wente to the colledge, where as all the procurours and ambassadours of al pro­uinces were, and there he wolde be a greatte parte of the daye, and here euery nation by hit selfe, accordynge to the tyme that was deputed by order. And towarde the euen­nynge, he wolde goo to the temple of the vyrgins vesta­les. He eate but ones a day, and that was somewhat late, [Page] and thanne he wolde make a good meale, and but of fewe meates. He had a custome euerye weke in Rome, or other cities, where as he was, that two dayes late in the euen­nynge he wolde walke in the stretes without his garde or knyghtes, onely with .x. or .xii. pages, to se if any persone wolde speake with hym, or complayne of any officer of his courte and house, and this he caused to be demaunded of other men. This good emperour wolde often tymes saye: A good prynce that wyll rule and gouerne wel, and not to be a tyraunte, oughte to do thus: That is, that he be not couetous of tributes, nor proude in his commaundemen­tes, nor vnkynde to seruices, nor bolde in the temples, nor defe to here complayntes. In fulfyllynge hereof he shall haue the goddes in his handes, and the hartys of menne shalbe his. Al the whyle that this Marke was emperour, he had neuer porter at his chaumbre doore, but if it were the two houres that he was with Faustine his wyfe. This good emperour had in his howse a secrete closette locked with a key that he bare hym selfe, and neuer trusted none other therwith to the houre of his death. And than he cō ­maunded to delyuer it to Pompeiano, a prudent ancient bacon that was maryed to his doughter: In the which closet he had diuers bokes writen in all langages, as Greke, hebrewe, latyne, and Caldee, and other antike hystories.

AS it is natural to womē to dispise that thyng that is gyuen them vnasked, so it is deathe to them to be denayed of that they do demande. This emperour had the study or closet of his howse in the mooste secrete place of his palays, wherin he [Page 32] neyther suffred his wyfe seruant nor frende to entre. On a day it chanced, that Faustin thempresse desyred importu­natly to se that study, sayinge these wordes: My lorde, let me se your secrete chaumbre. Beholde I am greatte with chylde, and shall dye, if I see it not. And ye knowe well, that the lawe of the Romayns is, that nothynge shall be denyed to womenne with chylde, of that they desire. And if ye do otherwise, ye doo it in dede, but not of ryghte. For I shall dye with the chylde in my bodye. And more o­uer I thynke in my mynde, that ye haue some other louer within your study. Therfore to put away the peryl of my trauaylyng, and to assure my harte frome Ielousie, hit is no great thyng to lette me entre into your study. The em­perour seinge that Faustines wordes were of trouth, & by­cause he sawe her wordes washed with wepyng, answered her on this wyse: It is a thyng certayne, whan one is con­tented, he saythe more with his tongue, than he thynketh with his harte. And contrary wyse, whan one is heuy, the eyen wepe not soo moche, nor the tongue can not declare that is locked in the hart. Vayne men with vayne wordis shewe and declare their vayne pleasures: And the wyse men with prudent wordes, dissemble their cruel passions. Amonge wyse men he is wysest, that knoweth moche, and sheweth to knowe but lyttell: And amonge the symple, he is mooste symple, that knoweth but lyttelle, and sheweth hym selfe to knowe moche. They that ar prudent, though they are demaunded, say nothyng: but symple folke wyll speake ynough without askynge of any question. This I saye Faustine, bycause thy wepynge hath soo hurte me, and thy vayn speche so turmented me, that I can not de­clare that I fele, nor thou canst nat fele y^t that I saye. Dy­uers aduertisementes haue they writen, that haue writen of mariage, yet haue they not writen, how many trauailes [Page] that one womanne causeth her housbande to suffre in one daye. Of a suretie, it is a ioyfull thynge to reioyce in the chyldhode of chyldren, but it is a ryght cruel thing to suf­fre the importunities of theyr mothers. The chyldren do nowe and then a thing that tourneth vs to pleasure, but ye women do nothynge but gyue vs displeasure. I shall agree with all maried men to pardon theyr chyldrens ple­sures, for the annoyance that the mothers gyue to theym. One thynge I haue sene, the whiche neuer begyled me, that the iuste goddes do gyue to the vniuste menne, that all the euylles that they doo in this worlde, shall be re­mytted to the furies of the other worlde: But if they doo commytte any synne for the pleasure of any woman, the goddis commaunde, that by the handes of the same wo­manne, we shall receyue peyne in this worlde, and not in the other. There is not soo fyers or peryllous an ennemie to a manne, as is his wyfe. And though a manne can not lyue with her as a man, I neuer sawe none soo lyght, be­ynge with a vicious woman, in doynge vyce, but that by the same woman at the last he receyued shame and chasty­sement. Of one thynge I am sure, and I saye it not by­cause I haue sene it, but experimented in my selfe, that though the husbande do all that his wyfe wylle, yet wyll she do nothynge that her husband wolde haue done. Gret crueltie is among the barbariens to holde theyr wiues as sclaues: And no lesse madnes is it of Romaynes, to kepe them as ladyes. Flesshe oughte not to be soo leane, that it abhorre: nor so fatte that it cloye the stomake: but meane and enterlarded, to the ende that it be sauourye. I saye that a wyse manne canne not gyue so stronge a brydelle to his wyfe, that she wylle obeye as an hande mayden: nor gyue her so lyttell of the brydell, but she wylle exalte her selfe as maystresse and reuler. Beholde Faustine howe [Page 33] ye womenne are soo extreme in all heedlonge extremities, that with a lyttell fauour ye wylle exalte, augemente, and growe into great pride: and with a lyttell disfauour, ye recouer greatte hatred. There is no parfite loue, where is no egalitie betwene the louers. And as ye and other are vnperfite, soo is your loue vnperfite. I wote well ye vn­derstande me not. Therfore vnderstande Faustine, that I say more than ye wene. There is no woman, that with her wyll wolde suffre any greatter than her selfe: nor to be contente to haue an other egall with her. For thoughe she haue a. M.li. rent, yet she hathe, x.M. folyes in her heed. And that worse is, though it chaunce her husbande to dye, and she lese all her rent, yet endeth not her folyshe­nes. Herken to me, and I shall tell you more. All women wolde speake, and haue all other to be stylle: they wolde gouerne, and be gouerned of none other. One thyng they desyre, that is to se, and to be sene. And suche as be lyghte in folowynge theyr lyghtnes, they holde as theyr subiec­tes and sclaues: and suche as be wyse, and reproue theyr appetites, they pursue as enemies. In the annales Pom­peyens, I haue founde a thyng worthy for to be knowen, and that is: Whan Gnee Pompeie passed into the Orient on the mountaynes Rifees he founde a maner of people called Masagetes, whiche had a lawe, that euery inhabi­taunt or dweller shuld haue two tonnes or fattes, bycause there was lacke of houses in the sayde mountaynes: In one was the housbande, the sonnes and men seruauntes: and in the other the wyfe the doughters and maydens. On the holy dayes they dydde eate to gether, and ones in the weke they laye together. Whan great Pompeye had questioned the cause of theyr lyuynge in that maner, for that he neuer sawe nor knewe a more extreme thynge in all the worlde, One of them aunswered: Pompey behold, [Page] the goddis haue gyuen vs but a shorte lyfe, for none of vs may lyue aboue .lx. yere at the moste, and those yeres we trauayle to lyue in peace. And in hauing our wyues with vs styll in companye, we shulde lyue euer dyenge: for we shulde passe the nyghtes in herynge their complayntes: and the days in sufferynge their brawlynges and chydyn­ges. In kepynge them this wise from vs apart, they nou­rishe their chyldren more peasibly, eschewynge the noyses that sleeth the fathers.

¶I tell the Faustin, that though we cal the Masagettes barbariens, in this case they be wiser than the Romayns. One thing I wyl tel you Faustin, and I pray you marke it wel. If the beastly mouynge of the flesshe enforced not the wyll of man to do his luste, and that he wolde not de­sire women, I doubte whether women wolde suffre it or loue it the lesse. Of trouth if the goddis hadde made this loue voluntarie, as it is naturall, that is as we wolde we myght, and not as we wold and may not: with great peyn a man myghte be satisfied, though he shuld lose him selfe for any woman. It is a great secrete of the goddis, and a great myserie to man, that the faynt and weke fleshe doth force the herte whiche shulde be free, to loue that it abhor­reth, and to alowe that that domageth. This is a greatte secrete, that men can fele hit euery houre as men: and yet by discretion may not remedy it. I enuie not the lyuynge goddis, nor the menne that be deed, but for two thynges, and they ben these: The goddis lyue without feare of thē that be malycious, and they that be deed are in peace with out nede of women. The ayre is so corrupt, that it corrup­teth euery man with two pestilent plages so deadely, tha the fleshe and the harte endeth. O Faustine, is the loue of the fleshe so naturall, that whā the fleshe fleeth scornefully we shulde leue the true harte as captiue? And the resonne [Page 34] as reason put her to flyght, the fleshe as fleshe forthewith yeldeth her to you as ouercome.

THemperour folowynge his purpose declareth the vniuersall domages, that come to man by ouermoche conuersacyon and hauntynge of women. And after he had tolde some particu­lar cases that he had suffred with Faustin his wyfe, he sayd: I am well remembred, y^t in my yong age I folowed the fleshe to moch, with purpose neuer to returne. And therfore I cōfesse, y^t if I had good desires in one day, in stede therof a. M. dayes I wrought yll. It is reson that ye women flee from them that flee from you: to hyde you from them that hyde them fro you, to leue them that leaue you, to seperate you fro them, that separate them fro you: to forgette them that forget you. For some scape fro your handes yll famed and effeminate: and other are hurt with your tonges, many ben persecuted with your werkes, and the better to scape free, they come awaye abhorred of your hartes and bounde to your lyghtnesses. Than who that feleth this, what getteth he by the attaynynge therof? O to howe many perylles offerethe he hym selfe, that with women is greatly conuersant? If a man loue theym not, they count hym as a villeyne: if he loue them, they thinke hym lyghte: yf he leaue theym, they repute hym for a co­warde: if he folowe them, he is loste, if he serue theym, he is not regarded, if he serue theym not, he shall be hated of them, yf he wylle haue theym, they wylle not haue hym: yf he desyre theym not, they wylle seeke on hym: yf he haunte theym, he is ylle named: if he haunte theym not, [Page] they recken hym no man. What shall the vnhappye man do? Let men take this for certayne, that thoughe the hus­bande do for his wyfe all that he can do as a mā, and that he ought to do as a husbande, and with his weakenes do the beste that he can, for to fynde remedy agaynste pouer­tie with his trauayle, and put hym selfe in danger for her euerye houre: al this shall not please his wyfe, nor make her the better, but she wyll say, that the traytour louethe other, and that all that he dothe, is onely to accomplysshe his pleasure on them. Many dayes ago Faustyne, I haue wylled to tell the this, but I haue differred it tyll now, ho­pynge that thou woldest gyue me occasion to telle it the: the whiche longe agoo thou haste caused me to feele. It is no poynte of wyse men, that for euerye tyme they are an­noyed with theyr wyues, forthewith to hurte theym with wordes. For amonge wise men the sayd wordes are moste estemed whan they are well appropried and sayd to good purpose. I do bethynke me, that it is .vi. yere sith Antho­ny Pie thy father dyd chuse me to be his sonne in law, and thou me to be thy husbande, and I the for my wyfe: this my fatall destenie dyd permytte, at the commaundemente of Adrian my lorde. My father in lawe gaue the his fayre doughter to me for wyfe, and the very sadde and ponde­rous empyre in maryage. I trowe we were all begyled: He to take me for his sonne, and I to chuse the for my wyfe. He was named Anthony Pius, bycause he was pi­tiefull in all thynges, saue vnto me, to whom he was cru­ell, for in a lyttell flesshe he gaue me many bones: and to say the trouthe, I haue no tethe to gnawe it, nor no heate in my stomacke to dygeste hit: and manye tymes I haue thoughte my selfe loste with it. For thy beautie thou were desyred of many, but for thyn yuell condicions thou were abhorred of all. O howe vnhappy ben thy destenies Fau­styne, [Page 35] and howe yuell haue the goddis prouided for the. They haue giuen the beautie and richesse for to vndo the: And they haue denied & refusid to the the best, that is good condicions, qualitie, and wysedome to maynteyne them. I say to the agayn, that the goddis haue ben very cruelle to the, sythe they adressed the to the whyrlepoole, where as all yll folke peryshe, and haue taken from the, the sayles and oores, wherby all good folke escape. The .xxxviii. ye­res, that I was without wyfe, seemed not to me .xxxviii. dayes: and the .vi. yeres that I haue ben maried, seme to me .vi. hundred yeres. I wyll assure the one thynge, that if I had knowen before, that I knowe nowe, and had felt than, that I fele at this houre, I wold say an other thyng. And though the goddis wold commande me, and Adrian my mayster wolde commaunde me, I wolde not chaunge my pouertie and quietnes, for the mariage of the & them­pire. But I haue desired the in thy good fortune, and my selfe to myn yll fortune. I haue sayde but a lyttelle, and haue suffred a great deale: I haue feyned a great whyle, but I can feyne no longer. No man suffreth his wyfe soo moche, but he is bounde to suffre more. Let a man, that is a man consider, and lykewise a woman that is a woman consyder, what boldenes she is of, that quarellethe with her husbande, and that he is a foole that brawleth openly with his wyfe. For if she be good, he ought to fauour her, that she maye be the better: if she be a shrewe, he must suf­fre her, that she waxe not wors. Euery man knoweth, that all thynges suffereth chastisement saue a woman, whiche (as a woman) wyll be desired and praide. Faustine beleue me, yf feare of the goddis, the shame of her persone, and speche of the people, withdrawe not a woman from euyll, all the chastisement of the worlde wyll not ouercome her. The harte of man is verye noble, and the harte of a wo­man [Page] is deyntie, and wyll haue great hyre for a lytel good­nes, and for moch euyl no chastysement. A wyse man wyl knowe what he hath to do or he marie. Than if he deter­myne hym to take the company of a wyfe, he ought to en­large his harte to receyue all that may come with her. It is but a smalle wytte in a man to sette by the smalle fanta­sies of his wyfe, or for to chastise openly that may be righ­ted betwene them secretely. He that is wyse and wyl lyue quietly with his wyfe, ought to kepe this rule: Admonishe her often, and reproue her but seldome, and lay no handis on her. For by other meanes he getteth no fydelitie in her, nor good entreatynge of her, nor good bryngynge vp of their chyldren, nor seruyce to the goodis, nor any hope of profyte of her. And thus Faustyne I wyll say no more to the, but that thou consyder, that I do consyder, and know that I do se, and that my suffrance vnknowen to the, may suffyse to amende thy lyfe.

NOwe that I haue opened and put out the olde venym, I wyl answere to thy present question or demande. To thentent that medicines may profyte them that be sycke, it is necessary to di­spoyle the opilations & lettes of the stomake: Lykewise none can counsaylle his frende conuenientely, but if he shewe fyrste his grefe. Thou demaundest of me the key of my study, and thou thretnest me, that if I gyue it the not, thou shalte be loste and hurte with thy fruyte: ye womenne with chylde haue a good hostage or pledge, for vnder colour of trauaylynge before your tyme, ye wolde haue vs fulfylle all your fonde appetytes. Whanne the [Page 36] holy senate in the vnhappy tyme made a lawe in fauour of Romayne matrones, they were not so desirous. Nowe I wote not howe it is, but ye all anoyed and wery of all goodnes. And all ye in all yll are desyrous and couetous. As farre as I canne remembre, whan Camylle made his vowe to Cybille the mother of goddis, to sende hym victorie in a battayle, whan he had wonne the victorie, Rome was so poore, that it hadde neyther golde nor syluer for to make the statute of promesse, the matrones than being, se­ing that their husbandes dyd offre their lyues in the sayde warre, they granted to present their iewels to the holy se­nate. It was a meruayllous thynge to see, that withoute any spekynge to them, or without any mans entysement they determyned all togyther to go to the hye capitol, and there in the presence of euery man presented their owches hanginge at theyr eares, The ringes of their fingers, the bracelettes of their armes, the perles from their attires of their heades, the collers from their neckes, The broches of theyr brestes, the girdelles aboute theyr myddels, and borders of their gownes. And though that their gift was estemed to a great value, yet their good wylles was este­med a greatte deale more. The rychesses that they offered there was so greatte, that there was not all onely inough to performe the vow of the statute, but also to pursewe the warre. And as than the custome of Rome was, that none dyd them any plesure, but he was shortly recompensed: the same day that the matrones did offre theyr ryche and faire iewelles in the capitolle, there was graunted vnto theym fyue maner of thynges in the Senate: The fyrste, that at theyr deathes the oratours shuld preache, publishe, and shewe their good liuinge: The seconde that they shulde sit in the temple, where as before they were wont to stand: The thirde, that they shuld were furred & lyned gownes, [Page] where as before they ware none but syngle: The .iiii. that in theyr diseses they myght drinke wyne, where as before on theyr liues they durst drinke none, but water: The .v. that the matrones of Rome great with chylde, shulde not be refused of any thynge that they desyred. These fyue thinges for certayne were iustlye and wyllyngely graun­ted by the senate. And why this lawe that commaundethe to denaye nothynge to a woman with chylde was made, I wyll tel the the occasion that moued the senate so to do. Fuluius Torquate beinge consull in the warre agaynste the Volseos, the knyghtes of Mauritayne broughte to Rome a wylde man, that had but one eye, that they hadde taken in huntynge in the desertes of Egypt. And the ma­trones of Rome were at that tyme as sad and honeste, as they be nowe bolde and lyght: so was the wyfe of the said Torquate, that was nyghe the tyme of her delyueraunce great with chylde, of trouth a woman so honeste, that for the sobre solytarines that she kepte in Rome, she hadde noo lesse glorie thanne hadde her husbande in the warres for his worthynes, the whiche was well proued. For in the .xiiii. yere that Torquate her husbande was in Asye a warre fare, the fyrste tyme that he wente thyder, she was neuer sene at the wyndowe lokynge out, and she was not all onely regarded for that, but in all the sayde .xiiii. yeres neuer manchylde nor manne aboue the age of .viii. yeres came within her gates. And not contente with this, that she dyd to gyue example to all Rome, and to attayne per­petuall memory, where as she had lefte with her thre son­nes, the eldest of whom was but thre yeres of age: and as soone as they came to .viii. yere, she sente them out of her house to their grauntefathers. And thus dydde this ex­cellent Romayne lady, to the entente that vnder colour of her owne chyldren there shulde none other yonge children [Page 37] entre into her howse. Those yeres passed, after that the good olde man Torquate was retourned fro the warres of the Volseos, the sayde wylde man with one eye wente by the doore of the sayde Torquate, and one of her may­dens tolde her, that it was a meruaylous thyng to se: and the good lady hadde great desyre to see hym, and bycause there was none to brynge hym to her, that she myghte see hym, she dyed for sorowe. And for certayne thoughe he came often inoughe by her doore, yet she wolde neuer goo nor loke out at her wyndowe to se hym. Her deathe was gretly bewayled in Rome, for she was in Rome most dere­ly beloued, and good reason: for many dayes afore was no suche womanne brought in Rome. And by the com­maundement of the senate, the tenour of this writinge in verses were set vpon her sepulchre,

¶Here lyeth the glorious matron wife of Torquate, that wolde aduenture her lyfe to assure her good fame. ¶Beholde Faustine, this lawe was not made to remedy the death of this matrone, but to the ende that to suche as ye be, and to all the worlde it shulde be a perpetuall exam­ple of her lyfe, and memorie of her deathe. It was well done to ordeyne that law for an honest woman being with chylde, that it shulde be kept to all vertuous women. And as women wold, that the lawe of them that be with chylde shuld be kepte, so by the same lawe it is requisite to require that they be honest. In the .vii. table of the lawe it is sayd: we commande, that where there is coruption of customes, there lyberties shal not be kepte.

[Page] IN the .liiii. yere of Marcus the emperours aege, and the tenthe yere of his election to thempire, In the month of Iuly, as he was in the citie of Naples, and not in verye per­fite helthe, for he was soore payned with the goute in his foote: there came a Centurion in maner of a messager with great hast, saying, that in great Britayn was sodenly arryued a great nauye of warre, to the nom­bre of .C. & .xxx. shyps of the realme of Mauritain, and the quantitie of .xx.M. men of foote: and .ii.M. men of ar­mes: and that the kyng of Mauritayns brother was their capitayne, named Aselipio, the whiche had taken lande at a hauen of the yle called Arpine, and that to resyste soo great a power, there were but a fewe people in the sayde yle. The good emperour heringe these tidynges, though he felte it inwardely as a man, yet he feyned it outwardly as a discrete man with a sadde countenaunce, and made fewe wordes. Than seinge, that busines myght not be de­layed, he sayde these wordes: I wyll go with a fewe peo­ple, and do what I can. For better it were with a fewe to go betymes, than to tarye for many and goo to late. And forthwith the good emperour pourueyed, that all they of his palays shulde departe to go to Brytayne, and none to tarie behynde, to do hym seruyce. The custome was, that the emperours shulde haue alwaye in theyr houses suche men as were mete to be sent forthe in any besynesses that shulde happen for warre. And after that they were shyp­ped, there ariued one of Britayne, that shewed, howe the Mauritayns were retourned, so that none of theym was lefte in the ile. Than this emperour kepte his house in a good poynt. Lyttel occasion suffiseth to them that be na­turally of yll inclynation, to departe and sprede throughe countreys to do harme: therfore he sent them of his house [Page 38] to the entent, that by occasion of the warre, they shuld not leade an yll lyfe. Than the emperour fearyng the dissolu­tion of his courte, and boldenes of his offycers, to the in­tent they shuld not leaue vertue and growe in vice, he de­termyned on a day to call them to him secretely, and to say these wordes to them.

THe greattest sygne in a vertuous mā is to do vertuous werkes, and vertuously to spende and occupie his tyme: and the greatest signe of a loste man is to lese his tyme in naughtye warkes. The greattest happe of all, and the greattest desire of men is to lyue longe. For dyuers chan­ces that fall in shorte tyme may be suffered and remedyed by longe space. Plato sayde: A man that passeth his lyfe without profyte, as one vnworthy to lyue, oughte to haue the reste of his lyfe take from hym. The fylthe of secrete chambres, the stynche of the pompe in shippes, nor the or­dures of cities do not corrupt the ayre so moche, as ydell folke do the people. And as there is in a man, that occupi­eth his tyme well, no vertue but it encreaseth, soo in hym, that occupieth his tyme ylle, there is no villanie but it is suspecte in hym. A manne that is alwaye welle occupied, ought euer to be reputed as good: and the ydel man with out further enquerie, ought to be condemned as nought. Shewe me nowe, I desyre you, what dothe nourysshe the corrupte and fowle wiedes, the nettelles that stynge, and the briers that pricke, but the erthe that is vntylled, and waxen wylde, and the fyeldes fulle of thystelles, whyche is not wyeded, and vysyted with the ploughe? [Page] O Rome without Rome, that nowe as vnhappy hast but onely the name of Rome, bycause thou arte so dere in ver­tues, and makest vices good cheape. Yea yea, and I shall tell the, knowest thou wherfore thou arte so? bycause thou haste vnpeopled the lanes and stretes of werkemen and offycers, and haste peopled it all aboute with infinite va­caboundes. I knowe for trouthe, that the Samytes, Vo­sigoths, Astrogoths, and Peniens spredde in your terri­tories, do you not so moche domage as do these ydell and loste people stuffed in euery shoppe. All wryters canne not deny me, that if al natiōs wold cōquere Rome, they coude not take awaye one loope of the walles of it: and these ydell people haue troden and pulled vnder theyr feete the good renome of it. An infallyble rule it is: a man gyuen to exercyses is vertuous, and one gyuen to lewtringes is a vicious person. What a diuine thing was it to se the di­uine worldes of our predecessous, the whiche syth Tulli­us Hostilius, vnto Quintus Cincinatus dictatour, and sith Cincinatus vnto Cyncinos, whiche were of the Syl­lans and Marians, there was neuer Consulle at Rome, but he coude do some maner of offyce or occupation, wher­with they were occupied whan their offyce in the Senate was ended. Some coude paynte pyctures or other flatte workes: Other coude graue images and portry in wood or erthe, or other thynges, or coulde worke in syluer, and other mettalles: and other redde in scholes: In suche wise that the holy senate myght chuse none, but if he were first knowen in some maner handy craft. I do fynde in the an­nales all that is aboue sayde: and if I lye, I do gyue me to the flames of Vulcan. And there was an ancient lawe, that a myller, a smyth, a baker, or a poynt maker, myghte not be a Senatour, bycause men of the sayd occupations were commonly taken with deceytes and gyles. Than re­garde [Page 39] the maner and change of tyme, and the corruption of customes, that .CCC. yeres euery man trauayled for y^e renoume of Rome, & this .viii.C. yeres euery man slepeth to the sclander of Rome. Other thynges I fynd in the said annales worthye of eterne memorie, the people of Rome hauyng .iiii. peryllous warres togyther (yonge Scipio a­geynst the Peniens, Mucio agaynst the Cayens, Metel­lus ageynst Alexander of Macedonie, and an other Me­tellus his brother agaynst the Celtiberes of Spayne) the lawe beinge so soore kepte, that none shulde be taken from the mysterie and offyce that he occupied, & the senatours hauynge extreme necessitie of messangers to sende to the warres, whan the senatours had gone thre dayes aboute with the censors of Rome, they coulde not fynde one y­dell man to be sente forthe with their letters. I wepe for ioye, that I haue of this antyque felicitie: and I mourne for compassion of the myserie nowe beinge. It is a confu­sion to say, but I wyll say it: Twenty yeres I had offyce in the senate, and it is .x. yeres sythe I haue ruled the em­pire, whiche is .xxx. in all, In the whiche season I sweare by the goddis immortall, I haue caused to whyppe, caste in welles, to bury quicke, to hange, to prycke, and to ba­nishe mo than .xxx.M. vacabundes, and .x.M. ydell wo­men. Than what difference is there betwene that life and this dethe, that glorie and this peyne, that golde and this ordure, that antike Romayn werke and this our present inuentife ydelnes of Rome?

¶In the lawes of the Lacedemoniens this was written in the table of the ydell people: We commaunde as kyn­ges, we pray as seruantes, we teche as philosophers, and admonyshe as fathers, that the fathers shall fyrste teache their chyldren to labour the feldes, where by trauayle they may lyue, and not brought vp in places, where by ydelnes [Page] they may be lost. And that lawe saith ferthermore: If that yonge people obeye not as yonge, we wylle that the aged people do correcte and punyshe them as aged. And in case that the fathers be negligent to commaunde them, or that they be disobedient: We commande the prince than to be diligent to chastise them.

¶Certaynly these wordes are worthy to be noted: wher­by Lygurge the kynge deserued eternall memorie for his persone, and the sayd realme perpetuall peace in the com­mon welthe. O Rome, what doste thou? why regardest thou not these lawes of the Lacedemoniens, whiche with their frendely customes, dothe mocke thy brutall vyces? Slepest or wakest? O Rome thou wakest all the worlde to leaue swete trauayles, and slepest in vniuste ydelnesse. Thou arte sure of ennemies, and thou careles art drow­ned in slouth and ydelnes. Than sythe that they that bene farre of, do waken the, thou oughtest to awakē them that thou kepest with the. I wolde speake to al them to gyther of my palays, and longe ago I wylled so to doo, but the multitude of straunge besynesses somtyme causeth a man to forget his owne.

THan the emperour ioined these wordis to that he had sayd. Many thinges I haue sene, and of credible persones I haue harde, whiche me semed to be yll, and none of them good. Spe­cially one, whiche offendeth the goddis, sclan­dreth the worlde, peruerteth the cōmon welthe, and endo­mageth the person selfe: whiche is this cursed slouth, and ydelnes that distroyeth them that be good, & vtterly brin­geth [Page 40] to naught them that be yll. Sometime secretely, and halfe as in sport openly I haue admonysshed and rebuked some of you, but I se it proufite none of you. On one syde the pricke of reson constrayneth me to chastise you: ageine consyderynge the malice of mankynde, all thoughe that it be prompte to yll, sometyme I am determyned to suffre you. Many tymes I wold with furie chastise you as chil­dren, but I do refrayne it, consideringe that ye are yonge, & as yet knowe not the wiles of the worlde: for they holde so styffely together the yl with the yl, & among them make so great a leage of vices with the vices, that there be ma­ny that do by gyle suffre them selfe to be begyled, and that whan we escape fro a littell wyle, and knowe the begyler, we thynke that we are begyled all redy with other greatte wyles. I haue meruaylous great compassion of you my seruauntes, speakynge to you as a lorde: and to you my chyldren speakyng as a father, for to se you al the day and nyght wandryng through Rome as loste persones: and that worste of all is, I perceyue that ye doo not perceyue your owne perdition. What greatter beastlynes can there be, than to se you wander lyke foles from house to house, fro tauerne to tauerne, from one gasinge to an other, fro strete to strete, fro place to place, fro play to playe, fro re­uellers to reuellers? And that more is, that ye knowe not, what ye desire, nor what ye wold, where ye go, nor whens ye comme, what pleasethe you, or what displeaseth you: what is proufytable or losse vnto you. Nor ye remem­bre not, that ye were borne reasonable menne, and that ye lyue as wylde folke amonge menne, and after shall dye as brute beastes. Fro whens wene ye that this comethe? The cause is the desyre of beastelye mouynges, not resy­stynge the desyres of the luste of youthe, and aboue all not applienge your mindes and willes to be wel ocupied. [Page] Take hede amonge you of my courte, and forgette not this. Haue ye no thought but to seke newe pastymes, and to borowe euery day? No man, of what condition so euer he be, excepte he haunt feates of armes, or other lernynge in some ordinarie exercyse, shall haue his body lustye and his spirite quicke: but shalbe acloyed in al other thinges, and wander frome strete to strete, as a vacabounde. The harte of man is noble, and hathe power continuallye for all actes, and all pastymes of the bodye: and yet in three dayes it is annoyed of hym selfe alone, soo that with hym can not rest one laudable exercyse. Lyke as I am emperor of all the worlde, so it is reason, and muste nedes be, that I haue folke of all nacions in my palays. And suche as the prince is, suche shal be his householde: & as his house is, so shal his courte be: & as the courte is, so shal the hole empire be. For this cause a kynge ought to be ryghte ho­neste: his house well ordered and ruled, his officers well lerned, and his courte well kepte in awe. Of my good life dependeth their good lyues, and consequētly the yl liues. Euery nation lerneth in theyr particuler scoles, The Sy­riens in Babylon: the Persians in Dorkes: the Indiens in Olympe: the Caldees in Thebes: the Grekes in Athe­nes: the Hebrewes in Helye: the Latines in Samie: the Frenche men in Orliance, the Spaniardes in Gades: and they all togyther in Rome. The vnyuersall scole of all the worlde is the persone, the house, and courte of a prynce. As we emperours do say, the same wyl our subiectes say: as we do, they wyll do: that we forsake, they wyll leaue: yf we lese our selfes, they wyl lose them selues: if we win, they wyl winne: and fynally our welth is theyr welth, and our harme is their harme. Truely the prince is bound to kepe his owne persone honestly and well besene, his hous and courte so well ruled, that all they that shall se it, maye [Page 41] haue desyre to folowe and do therafter: and that all they, that here therof, may desyre to see it. Take ye hede, and let vs take hede: Haue ye in mynde, and let vs haue in mind, that they, which be of strange lādes, going through strāge landes into strange landes, by their great trauayles com­mynge to haue and demaunde succour and remedy of vs, may haue no cause to report any sclanders of our yl custo­mes. What thing more monstruous can be noysed among men, than that they shulde come and complayn of the the­ues of their countreys, to the theues of my courte? What greatter shame and inconuenience can be, than to demand Iustice of their mensleers, of the mankyllers of my court and house? What crueltie were so cruel, as to complayne of the vagaboundes of theyr landes, to the slouthfull and ydell folke of my house? What thyng can be more shame­full, than to come to accuse theym that haue sayde ylle of emperors, before them that euery day blaspheme the god­dis? What thynge can be more inhumayne, than to come to aske iustyce on hym, that hath transgressed but ones, of them that neuer dyd good warkes? Truely in suche case the pore men shulde retourne with their ignoraunce begy­led, and we shulde tarie with our cruell malyce shamed of men, and culpable before god. O howe many smalle mat­ters do we chastise in men of smal reputation, which with­out breakyng of Iustyce we myghte forbeare? and howe many great thynges do the goddis suffre in the hye pryn­cis and lordes, the whiche not without Iustyce, they may greuousely punyshe? And by that cruell men as cruel, can pardon nothynge: and the goddis pitiefull scantely wyll chastyse anye thynge. Yet for all this, I wolde that none shulde deceyue hym selfe, for though the goddis forbeare theyr iniuries, yet they leaue theym not vnpunysshed, by straunge Iustice. The goddis ben in their chastisementes [Page] as he that gyueth a blowe to an other, the hyer that he lyf­teth his bande, the greatter is the stroke on the cheke. By semblable wise, the mo yeres that they forbere our sinnes, the more afterwarde do they hurte vs with peynes. True­lye I haue seene the goddis dyuers tymes to dyuers per­sones forbeare dyuers synnes a greatte whyle, but at the laste I haue sene theym all vnwaares chastysed with one chastisement.

SIthe that the goddis haue ordeyned, and my fatall destenies haue permytted, that I shulde be chosen emperour (not to slouthfull) I haue laboured all that I myght, to vysyte the Em­pire: ye lyttelle yonge folkes that are here, were gyuen to me of your fathers, for to nouryshe you in my palays. And for you that ar bygger, I was desyred to receiue you, in hope to haue gyftes and rewardes, and other I dydde chuse to do my seruyce. The intention of the fathers, whā they bryng theyr chyldren to the court of princis, is to put theym from dalyance of their frendes, and banyshe them from the wantonnes of their mothers. And me seemeth it is well done, for the chyldern from theyr youthe oughte to gyue them selfe to trauayle, wherby they ought to lyue, and resiste the disfauour and falles of fortune. Ye are not come from your coūtreys to lerne the vyces of Rome, but to lerne many good maners that are in Rome, and leaue the yll maners of your landes. All that doo not this, and forsake trauayle: gyue them selfe to very ydelnes. The myserable Rome hath moore nede of labourers for to la­bour, than of lordes and habytauntes, Patriciens, that [Page 42] wyll but passe the tyme in rest and pleasures. I sweare to you, that not for werynge the armes with the craft of we­uynge, and the fyngers with spinnyng, the bordell houses nowe adayes are fuller of ydel women, than the churches of good priestes. And I sweare ageyne, that easelyer may be founde .x.M. yll women in Rome to serue in pleasure of vyces, than .x.M. good menne to serue in the churches. I pray you, who sleeth the marchantes in hye wayes? Who dispoyleth wayfaringe men and pylgrimes on the moun­taynes? Who piketh the lockes and breketh honest mens dores and wyndowes? Who robbe by strengthe the chur­ches? but these lewtrynge theues, which wyll not labour by day, but dispose them to rob by nyght. O Rome, what harmes come to the for one onely euyll? Who hath fylled Italy so full of loste people, the palays soo full of vnable persones, the mountaynes so full of theues, the tauernes so full of yl women, and euery place so full of vacabūdes? but one, the canker of ydelnes and slouth, whiche destro­yeth the god customes more than the windes and waters thyne olde worne walles. Beleue me oone thynge, for I wote that I say trouth therin, that the crafte of weauing, wherin all the naughty vilanyes are wouen and wrought, and the seede of all vnhappye vyces, the slydynge of all goodnesse, the fallynge of all theym that be euyll, and the awakynge and prouokynge of all these, is but this fowle vyce of slouthe and idelnesse. And more ouer I saye, that there is no vyce amonge all vyces, that bredeth so great a fyre, and causeth soo contynualle a syckenesse of slepe a­monge aaged folke, and that puttethe good folke in soo great peryll, and dothe soo moche domage to theym that be euyll, as doth ydelnes. Who is it, that causeth sedition amonge the people, and sclaunder in Realmes, but they that reste and doo nothynge: bycause they wolde eate the [Page] foode gotten by sweat of them that labour? Who is it, that fyndeth newe inuencions of tributes and forayne exacti­ons, but ydell men, the which bycause they wyl not worke with theyr handes, fynde profite with infinite exactions? who maketh discētion betwene neighbors but idel folke? they deuide theyr ylle amonge theyr neighbours, bycause they occupy not theyr forces in good workes, nor refraine theyr tongues to clatter of other mens liues? who imagi­neth in these dayes so many malices in Rome, the whiche was neuer harde of our fathers, nor redde in our bokes: but vacabundes, that neyther apply nor sette their wittes about nothynge els: but thynke howe to endomage other? The emperour that coude vanyshe all these ydell persons out of his empire, myght well auant him selfe to haue op­pressed all the vices of the worlde. I wolde it pleased the immortal goddis, that of so many triumphis, that I haue hadde of straungers, occupied in good exercyses, that I hadde sene one of the vacaboundes of Rome driuen out of all houses. There was an auncient lawe, none myghte be taken and receyued for a citisen in Rome, but he were first examined by the Censure. In the time of Cato Censorius, when any wolde be a citiesin of Rome, this examination was made of hym: He was not demaunded, of whens he was, nor what he was, nor whens he came, nor wherfore he came, nor of what kinne or auncient stocke he cam: but only they toke his handes betwene theyrs, and if they felte them softe and smothe, forthewith as an ydell vacabunde man they dispatched and sent him away: and if they found his handes harde and full of hard knottes, by and by they admitted hym a citezen and dweller in Rome. Also whan any officers toke any yll doers, & put them in prison, that was called Marmotine, in stede of information, the firste thynge that they toke hede of, was theyr hondes, whiche [Page 43] if they had bene as a labourers handes, and a worke man, though his crime were greuous, yet his chastisement was mitigate, and more easye: and if the vnhappye prysoner chāced to haue ydell handes, for a littel faut he shuld haue sharpe punishement. It hath ben an old sayeng: He that hath good handes, muste nedes haue good customes. I say, I chastised neuer a labouringe man, but I was sorye for it: nor I neuer caused to whyppe a vacabunde, but I was gladde of it. I wyll tel you more of this Catho Cen­sorius, whiche was greately feared. For euen as chyldren in the scholes, herynge their maister commynge in, renne to their bokes, So when Catho went through the stretez of Rome, euery body went to theyr worke. O right happy baron, before whom the people feared more to be idel, than to do yl before any other. Than beholde ye at this houre, what force vertue hath, and howe valiaunte a vertuous man is, seinge that all the worlde feared Rome onely, for her worthynes in armes: and all Rome feared Catho, one­ly for his vertues. The aduentures of men are so dyuers, and the suspect fortune gyueth soo many ouerthwart tur­nes, that after that a great space she hathe gyuen greatte pleasures, incontinent we are cyted to her subtyll trauay­les of repentaunce. O happy Cato Censorine, who with suche as haue folowed his wayes, are nowe sure fro the a­batementes of fortune. Than he that wyll haue glorye in this lyfe, and attayne glorye after deathe, and be beloued of many, and feared of all: lette hym be vertuous in do­ynge of good workes, and deceyue no manne with vayne wordes. I sweare vnto you by the lawe of a man of wor­shyppe, that if the goddes wolde accomplisshe my desyre, I had rather to be Cato with the vertuous policies that he vsed in Rome, than to be Scipio, with the abundance of blode, that he shedde in Affrike. All we knowe wel, that [Page] Scipio hadde a great fame in beatynge downe of cities, and cuttynge innocentes throtes, and Catho hath attay­ned eternal, memorie in reformyng the people, pardoning trespassours, and teachyng ignorant folke. Than ye may all see, yf I haue not good reason, more to desyre to be Ca­to, to the profyte of many, than to be Scipio, to the preiu­dyce of so many. Lo my frendes, these wordes I haue said, bycause ye may see, that our predecessours, somme in their owne londes, other in strange landes, some beinge yonge, and some olde, in their tymes had glorye in their persons, for them selfe: and for the worlde to come haue left no lesse memory for their successours and ofsprynge. And we doo all the contrary, I beinge emperour am lothe for to com­mande any yll, and our officers for theyr interest do wors. And where as we are set in dyuers pleasures by our vice, we fall hourely into dyuers myseries, and are noted to our greate infamie. By the which occasion the iust goddes for our vniuste workes, gyuinge iuste sentence, commaunde, that we lyue with suspection, dye with shame, and to be buried with forgettefulnes, neuer to be hadde in memory. Than you of my courte take good hede, and prynte welle my wordes in your myndes: for who so seuer I se or fynde ydell from hensforth, I discharge hym out of my seruice. ye that be lerned may write and rede, ye that be men of ar­mes and knyghtes, exercyse you in feates of warre, ye that be officers, occupie you in your offices. And take this for certayne, that if ye take not this for a warnynge and mo­nition, that I haue gyuen you betwene you and me, the punyshementes that I shall gyue vnto you, shall be open­ly. And to the entente that ye haue it better in your memo­rie, and to be a doctryne to pryncis hereafter to comme, this presente practise and remonstrance I haue written in all tongues, and set it in the hyghe Capitoll with manye [Page 44] other of my wrytynges. The goddis be kepers of you, and also they defende and kepe me from yll fortunes and mysaduentures.

IN the yere of the foundation of Rome vii.C.xx. and .xli. of the aege of Mar­cus the emperour, and .ii. yeres before he toke possession of the empire, the .xx. day of the month Sextilis, which now is called August, about the tyme of the sonne settynge, in the realme of Sycil, than called Trinacrie, in a citie called Bellyne, on the see now named Palerme, a port of these, there chāced a thing right perillous to them that sawe it, and no lesse fearefull to them that shall here it nowe. As they of Bellyne or Pa­lerme were then celebratynge a feaste with great ioye: for the gladnes that their Pirates had ouercome the army of the Numidiens, and had taken .x. of theyr ships, and cast xxxii. persones into the see, bycause at that time they were ennemies eche to other, and for the yl workes they dydde, were shewed the great passions, that passed among them. And as it is the customme, the thinge that these Pyrates get on the see, they departe it amonge them all, whan they come home. And whan they comme to lande, they spende that merily, that they gatte with greatte trauayle. It is a thynge well to be noted, howe all good and ylle hartes are applyed: The good men haue greatte desyre to theyr triumphes, and couetous men to their lucre & wynnynge. [Page] Thus men ought to be beloued, though shortly after they ought to be abhorred. And also they ought to be abhorred▪ as though shortely after they ought to be beloued. Thus than the gouernours of the sayde cytie, commaunded all the sayde shyppes to be sequestred into theyr owne han­des, to the intent, that they shulde not be solde, nor the co­ueytous people to haue the aduauntage in the byenge of them. The cause was, for the custome of the menne of the yles was, that all thynges shulde be kepte togyther, vnto the ende of the warre, or at leaste tyll they had peace. This was a iuste lawe: For many tymes is made stedfaste ap­poyntmentes betwene great enmyes, and not all onely for the auncient hatred, but also for lacke of rychesse to satis­fie the presente domages. Thanne as all the people were withdrawen into theyr houses aboute suppertyme, for it was sommer, sodenly there came a monster into the myd­des of the citie, after this shape: He semed to be of two cu­bytes of heighte, and he had but one eye, his heed was all pylled, so that his scul myght be sene: He had none eares, but that a lyttell of his necke was open, wherby it semed y^t he hard: He had two croked hornes as a gote: His ryght arme was longer than the left, his handes were lyke hors fete, he had no throte, his necke was egall with his heed: his shulders shone as pytche, his breste and stomacke was all rough of heare, his face was lyke a man, saufe it had but one eye in the myddes of his forheed, and had but one nosethryll, from the waste downewarde he was not seene, for it was couered, he satte on a chariot with .iiii. wheles, wherat were two lyons fastened together before, and two beares behynde: and it coude not be determyned, wherof the chariotte was made, but there was no difference in fa­cion therof, and other that were vsed commonlye: In the myddis of the sayde chariotte was a caudron lyke a table [Page 45] with two eares, wherin the sayd monster was: and ther­fore it was sene but fro the gyrdelstede vpwarde. He went about in the citie fro gate to gate a long space castyng out spercles of fyre. The feare was so great, that dyuers wo­men with chylde were delyuered with great peryll, and o­ther that were weake harted fell in a swowne. And all the people great and smalle, lesse and more, ranne to the tem­ples of Iupiter, Mars, and Phebus, makyng importu­nate cries and clamours. And the same season all the said Pyrates were lodged in the gouernours palayes named Solyn. He was of the nation of Capue, and there was all the rychesse kepte. And whan this monster had bene o­uer all the citie with his charyot, than the lyons and bea­res brought hym to the palays, where the Pyrates were, and beinge very nygh to the gates that were faste closed, the monster cut an eare of one of the lyons, and with the bloode therof he wrote these letters. R. A. S. P. I. P. These letters were a profe to all theym of highe spirite, to gyue declaration of them: and there were mo declarations than there were letters. But finally a woman diuineresse, or contrary, a sothsayer, that was had in great reputation for her craftes, made the very declaration of the sayde let­ters, sayinge thus. R. reddite. A, aliena. S, si vultis. P, propria. I, in pace. P. possidere. Whiche all togyther is to saye, Render that perteyneth to other, yf that ye wylle in peace possesse your owne. Surely the Pyrates were soore affrayde of that dredeful commaundement: and the womā was greatly praised for her high declaration. Than forthewith the same nyght the monster wente into a highe mountayne called as than Ianitia, and there by the space of thre days was in the syght of all the citie: and in that season the lyons made great rorynge and howlynge, and the beares and monster keste out greate fearefull flames. [Page] And all that season there neyther appered byrd in the aire, nor beaste in the feldes, and all the men offred great sacri­fices to the goddis, in suche wise that they brake the vey­nes of their handes and fete, and offred their blode, to se if they myght appease their goddis. After the thre days pas­sed, sodenly appered a clowde blacke and derke vppon the erthe, and it began to thunder and lyghten, with a greate erthequake, so that many howses fell in the citie, and ma­ny of the dwellers and citesins dyed. And than sodaynely there came a flame of fyre from the monster, and brent all the palays, where the sayd Pyrates were, and the ryches­ses that were in it, so that all was consumed in it, yea the very stones: and the domage was so great, that there fell mo than .ii.M. houses. And there died as good as .x.M. persons. And in the same place on the toppe of the moun­tayne, where as the monster was, thēperour cōmanded to edifie a temple to the god Iupiter in memorie of the same. Of the whyche temple themperour Alexander, hauynge warre with them of the realme, made a stronge castell.

THe same tyme that this aduenture chaunced in that Ile, there was dwellynge in the same citie a Romayne named Antygone, a lorde of noble bloude, and sommewhat entred in age: and about two yere before, he, his wyfe, and a doughter of his were banyshed Rome, and not his son­nes. The occasion was, There was an auncient laudable custome, sith Quintus Cincinatus dictatour, that two of the auncient senatours togyther shulde goo with the cen­sure newly created, and the olde, in the month of Decēbre [Page 82] for to visite all Rome: and they to call euery Romayne a­parte alone, shewynge hym the .xii. tables of their lawes and particular decrees of the senate, demandyng of them if they knewe any neyghbour in their quarter, that hadde broken these lawes. And if they dyd, it shulde be informed to the senate. And there all togyther to ordeyne punysshe­ment, accordynge to the diuersitie of the fautes that they hadde commytted: But the fautes commytted that pre­sente yere, they myght not chastise, but to aduertyse them to amende afterwarde. And all suche as were ones war­ned, and in the nexte visytation founde stylle vnamended, to be greuously punyshed, and somtyme banyshed. These were the wordes of the lawe in the .v. table and third cha­piter: It is ordeyned by the holy senate, by consent of blis­full men, receyuyng the auncient colonies, that if men be­ing men in one yere do trespas, the men as mē for the said yere shall dissimule and forbeare: but if they that be yll as yll do not amende, they that be good, as good, shal chastise them. Also the sayd lawe saith, the first fautes are suffred, bycause they ar cōmitted with weake ignorāce: but if they cōtinue them, y^t they be chastised, bycause their yll cometh of slouth and malyce. This inquisition was euer made in the monethe of Decembre, bicause that soone after in the month of Ianiuer the offyces of Rome were dyuided. And it was reason, that they shuld knowe to whom they shulde giue or denye their dignities: to thentent that good shulde not be chosen in stede of yll, nor the yl in stede of good. The ꝑticular cause why they banyshed the man & his wife with their doughter was this: The second emperour of Rome August ordeined, that none shuld be so hardy to pys at any dores of the tēples: and Caligula the .iiii. emperour com­manded, that no woman shuld gyue any cedules to hange about the peoples neckes, to heale the feuer quartayne. [Page] And Cato Censorine made a lawe, that no yonge man nor yonge mayden shulde speake togyther at the conduites or welles, where they fetched water, nor at the ryuer, where they washed their clothes, nor at the ouens where they ba­ked breadde, bycause all the yonge people of Rome that were wylde and wanton, ranne euer thyther. So it befell, that as the censures and consules vysited the quarter cal­led mount Celio, there was a dweller named Antigonus accused, that he was sene pyssyng against the temple wall of Mars: and his wyfe was accused, that she hadde solde cedules for feuer quartaynes: and lykewise his doughter was accused, that she was sene at the conduytes, ryuers, & ouens, spekyng and laughing with yonge men of Rome. The whiche was a great shame to the maydens of Rome. Than the censures seinge the yll order, that they had foūd in the howse of the sayde Anthygone by the regesters, by due examination, being warned afore, they were banyshed into the yles of Cycill, for as longe as it shulde please the senate. And lyke as in edifices, sumptuous and of greate estimatoin, one stone is not decayde or writhed out with­out shakynge or mouynge of an nother: euen lykewyse is it in the chaunces of men. For commonly one vnhap­pynes chaunceth not, but an nother foloweth. And I saye this bycause Anthigone loste not allonely his honour and welthe, but also he was banyshed, and besyde that by the tremblynge of the erthe his howse fell downe, and slewe a welbeloued doughter of his. And all the whyle that this was done at Rome, & that that befell of the monster in Ci­cile, Marke the emperour was in the warres agaynst the Aragons, and there he receyued a letter frome Antygone, wherin was rehersed his banysshynge▪ wherof the Empe­rour hadde great compassion, and to comforte hym, sente hym an other letter.

FIue yere after the dethe of Anthony the meke, father in law to Marcus Aurelius, and father to Faustine, there felle a pestilence in Italye. and it was one of the .v. great pestylences a­monge the Romayne people. This mortalitie dured the space of two yeres, and it was vnyuersall tho­rough out all Italy, to the great domage and feare of all the Romains: for they thought that the goddis wold haue distroyed them, for some displeasure that they had done a­gaynst them. There dyed so many, as wel of great estate, as ryche and poore, greatte and small, yong and olde, that the writers had lesse trauayle to wryte the smal nombre of them that were lefte alyue, than to wryte the multytude of them that were deed. Lyke as whan a great buyldynge wyll falle, firste there falleth some stone: In lyke wyse the Romayns neuer had no great pestilence in their tyme, but first they were thretned with some token, signe, or prodigie fro heuen. Two yere before that Hanyball entred into I­taly, in an euenyng, whan the wether was clere and faire, sodaynely it rayned bloudde and mylke in Rome. And it was declared by a woman, that the blode betokened cruel warre, and the mylke a mortall pestilence. Whan Scilla retourned from Champayne, to put Marius his ennemy out of Rome, his men of warre and knyghtes sawe in a nyght a fountayne that ranne bloudde, and who soo euer was bathed therin, semed to be poysoned with venyme. Of the whiche prodigie folowed, that of .ii.C. and .l.M. dwellers in Rome, what with theym that dyed with the swerde, and other consumed by pestilence, were consumed with Scilla, and of them that sledde with Marius, of the [Page] sayde great multitude of Romayns, there abode alyue no mo but .xl.M. persons. Certaynly Rome neuer receyued so greate domage in .vi.C. yeres before, as they dydde by their owne propre people. All the tyrantes were neuer soo cruell ageinst strange landes, as the Romayns were than ageinst their owne propre landis. And this seemeth to be true, bycause the same day y^t Scilla passed through Rome with his bloody swerde, a capitayn of his sayd to him: Sir Scylla, if we slee them that beare armour in the feldes, & them that bere no armour in their houses, with whom shal we lyue? I coniure the by the hye goddis, sith we be borne of women, let vs not slee the women: and syth we be men, lette vs not slee the men. Thou thynkest that in sleinge al the Romaynes, to make a common welth of beastis of the mountaynes. Thou entrest with a crie to defende the com­mon welthe, and to put out the tyrantes that distroye the common welthe, and we do remayne tyrantes our selues. To myn vnderstandynge that capitayn merited as great glorie for the good wordes that he spake, as Scilla dydde merite chastisement for the crueltie that he dyd. This we haue said, bycause that ere suche damages dyd falle, there appered before certayne prodigyes and tokens. No lesse token was shewed before the mortalitie that fel in the time of this good emperour, the whiche was a fearefull thyng. The case was so: On a day as themperour was at the tē ­ple of the Virgins Vestales, sodaynly there entred in two hogges, and ranne aboute his fete, and there felle downe deed. And on an other day as he came frome the high Ca­pitoll, for to haue gone oute at the gate Salaire, he sawe two kytes ioynynge togyther with their talantes: and soo fel downe deed at the emperours fete. And within a shorte whyle or season after, as the sayd emperour came fro hun­tynge, his houndes rennynge at a wylde beast, as he gaue [Page 84] two greyhoundes that he loued well, water to drinke with his owne handes, sodenly they fel downe deed at his fete. Than he remembryng the swyne, the kytes, and the grey­houndes deed so sodeynly, he was greatly dismayed, and assembled all his priestes magitiens, and diuines, deman­dynge what they sayde to the prodigies. And they by those thinges passed, iudged the dede present, and determyned, that within two yeres the goddis wold sende great & gre­uous punyshementes to Rome. Than within short while after there began a warre agaynste the Parthes, whereby there fel the yere after great famyn and pestylence amōge the Romayns. This pestilence came with sores vnder the arme pittes, so that all the senate fledde away, and the em­perour alone abode styll in the capitoll. Than the ayre be­gan to be so corrupt, that though he scaped the pestylence, yet he was vexed with hote feuers. Wherfore he was fayn to leue Rome, and went into Champayne: and fynally in the citie of Naples he made his abode durynge the tyme that the pestilence was in Rome.

THe emperour beinge in the sayde citie of Na­ples, where as other soughte pastyme to con­serue their lyues, this emperour occupied him selfe in his bokes to augment science. A man coude do hym no better seruice, than to seke to gette hym a newe boke: not suche as was written in his tyme, but suche as were forgotten for age. This emperour was not onely a louer of olde and antike bookes, but also of auncient stories, and set very great stoore by theym. And he thus beinge in the cytie sycke and very yll at ease, [Page] there was brought to hym out of a citie of Asia called He­lia, by certayne Hebrewes, a boke writen in Hebrew: & he toke suche pleasure in that boke, that ofte tymes he wolde leaue his meate and goo to study: and for all that he was in his hote feuer, he wolde not leaue to reede, for all that his phisitiens warned him, and his frendes prayde hym: and they that were about hym, counsaylled hym, and de­manded hym, why he lefte to procure the helth of his per­sone in so moche redynge. He aunswered: By the goddis that we honour I coniure you, and for the frendshyp that is betwene vs, I pray you lette me alone. Ye knowe well, that suche as are of a delycate bloode, haue not soo moche solicytude as the rusticall people, that haue hard synewes and be of a more harder complexion. Lyke maner they of clere vnderstandynge haue nede of other medicynes, and to be heled with other syropes thā they of grosse vnderstā ­dyng. This is the differēce that I haue of eyther of them: The ydeote kepeth dyete from bookes, and resteth on his meate, and the wyse man abhorreth meate, and draweth hym to his bokes. If they knewe, that knowe not, what thynge knowlege is, I sweare to you, they shuld see what auayleth more the lyttell knowlege that a wyse man hath, than the greatte ryches of the ryche man. For the mysera­ble ryche persone, the more that he encreaseth in rychesse, the more he diminisheth in frendes, and groweth in enne­myes to his domage. And he that is wyttie, the wiser that he is, the better he is beloued of theym that be good, and feared of them that be yll for his profite. One of the thin­ges, wherin I holde my selfe moste bounde to the goddis is this, that they haue caused me to compas the tyme as I haue done, the whiche is no lyttel gift for a man to lyue in this worlde. I say it is, bycause I haue had great com­passion of the poore, that be verye poore, of wydowes, of [Page 49] them that be sorowfull and vnhappy, and of Orphelins. But without comparison, I haue had greattest compas­siō of them, that lacke knowlege. For the goddis, making menne ignoraunt by naturalitie, myghte haue made them goddis by connynge and knowledge: and as the slouthe­full men are tamed and made lesse than men, by their ne­gligence, so certainly blessed he is, that is not contente to be a man, but if he procure to be more than a man, by his vertue. And cursed is that man, that knoweth not to be a man, but maketh hym selfe lesse than a man by his vyce. By the iugement of al philosophers, there is but one, that is the fyrste cause, which is one god immortal, and if there be dyuers goddis in the heuens, it is bycause there are di­uers vertues in the erthe. And in the worlde, that is paste, whan the symple men were seruauntes and bonde menne, and the good men rulers and gouernours, they were then so estemed, bycause they were knowen and renowmed for theyr good werkes in theyr lyfe. Soo that they were hol­den and reputed as goddis after theyr deathe. This is the ryghte rewarde, that commeth of vertue. It is a thynge consonaunt to reason, that they that be good amonge soo many yll in this lyfe, shulde be greattely honoured among the goddis after theyr deathe. Ye are not wel content with me, bycause I am alwaye redynge▪ but I am worse con­tent with you, bycause I neuer se boke in your handes: ye thynke it great trauayle, to a sycke man, to rede, and I re­pute it a very peryllous thynge, for a hole manne, to reste and be idell. Ye say, my redyng is cause of my feuer quar­tayne in my flesshe: and I saye, that ydelnes engendreth great pestilence. Syth I may profite by my bokes, let no man haue compassion of my trauayle. For I desire rather to dye as a wise person, amonge wise men, than to lyue ig­norantly amonge men. I demaunde one thynge of you: [Page] A man, presuming to be a man, and is not lerned, what difference is betwene hym and other beastes? Certaynly, the beastes are more profitable to labour the erthe, than sym­ple persons be, to serue the common welthe. A pore oxe gi­ueth his skynne to make shone, his fleshe to be eaten, and his strength to labour: and a poore symple shepe doth pro­fite, his flece and wol to make clothe, & his mylke to make chese: But what profiteth a folishe ideote man? Nothing, but offendeth the goddis, sclaundereth innocentes, eateth the breade of other, and is chiefe heed of vacabundes. Of trouth, if it lay in my handes to do, I had rather giue lyfe to a simple oxe, than to a malycious ideot. For the beast li­ueth, for the vtilitie of dyuers, without doing domage to any other: and the simple ideot man liueth, to the domage of all other, and without profite to any person. Therfore thinke well, why I am not pleased with theym that be ig­noraunt, and loue them that be lerned. Harke syrs, what I shall shewe you: That man semeth good, that is meke and gentyll of condition, softe in wordes, and restefull in his persone, and gracious in conuersation: And contrary wise, that personne soore displeaseth me, that is sharpe of wordes, soore moued in his warkes, riottous in his con­dicion, and double of his promys, and harde harted. Al­so I say, that if any thing wante in a wise man by nature, he supplyeth it by science: and he that is ignorant and fo­lyshe, if he want discretion, he supplyethe it with his ma­lice. And trust surely, that a worthy vertuous man ther­by becomethe wise, and he is to be trusted: and he that is of an other maner, beware of hym, for he goeth aboute to sell his malice. He that wyll begile an other, the first thing that he doth is, he sheweth hym selfe to be symple and ig­noraunt. For a man beinge in credence, may soone sprede abrode his malyce. The mothes and softe wormes, freete [Page 50] freate the clothe, and the canker worme perseth the bone, and flatterynge men begyle all the worlde.

THe said emperour, folowing his purpose, said: Frendes beholde, howe greate domage igno­rance dothe to all men. And thoughe it be do­mageable to euery man, yet it is moste hurte­full to a prince, whiche oughte, not onely to be content, to knowe as moche as any other wise person kno­weth, but to knowe that euery man knoweth, sythe he is lorde ouer all other. To my iugement, these princis ar not chosen, that they shulde eate more meate, thā all other, nor to be apparayled rychelyer than all other, nor to renne fa­ster than all other: but with presupposition y^t they oughte to knowe more than all other. Whan a prince wyll refrain his sensualitie, than he ought to regarde, that his person be right honest, and remēbre this worde, that is, The gret­ter that a prince is of power, aboue other, the more ought he to be vertuous aboue al other. For certainly the great­test infamy is, to se a man most mighty & most riche aboue all other, and than to be knowen an ideot, & lesse of know­lege than other. Al defautes in a gouernour may be borne saue ignoraunce: for ignoraunce in a prince, is a stroke of pestilence: and it sleeth dyuers, and infecteth all persons, and vnpeopleth the realme, chaceth awaye frendes, & gy­ueth harte to enmies of strange natiōs, that were in drede, & finally domageth his person, and sclaūdreth euery one. ¶Whan Camyll triūphed ouer the frenche men, the day of his triumphe he wrote these wordes in the capytoll: O Rome, thou hast ben moder of all wise men, and stepdame to al fooles. ¶These were worthy wordes of such a lorde. [Page] and but if my remembrance begyle me, certaynely Rome was more renoumed for wise persons, that came thyther, than for the featis of warre, that were sente from thense. Our auncient Romayns were more feared, for their wise­dome and knowlege, than for their conquestes. Al the erth feared them more, that tourned leaues of bokes in Rome, than them, that were armed with armour. For that cause Rome was neuer vanquished: and though their armyes were deuyded and broken, yet they neuer lacked wyse mē. I can not say it without teares, Rome is fallen frome the most hight of her estate, not for faut of money and armes, for to fight withall, but for lacke of wyse men, and vertu­ous, for to gouerne. Our forefathers wanne lyke men, and we lese lyke simple chyldren. All thynges that are desired of men, they atteyn by trauayle, susteyn with thought, and departe fro, with great annoyance. And the reason is this: There is nothynge so good, nor soo well beloued, but the course of tyme, causeth vs to leaue it, and to disprayse and abhorre it, or to be wery therof. This is the vayn vanite of the world, and lost tyme lost: for with their yonge desires, they do refrayne their desires. They wolde oftentimes at­tayne a thynge, and after they study, howe to go therfro a­gayne. And yet to shewe further their lyghtnes, that that coste moche, they gyue for a lytel price. That that they loue at one tyme, they hate at an other: and that that they with great study and labour haue atteyned, with greatte furye they forgo. And me thynketh this is the ordinaunce of the goddis, that he that loueth, shall haue an ende, and it that is beloued, shall take an ende: and the tyme that we are in, shall ende. Than it is reasone, that the loue, wherwith we doo loue, shall ende in lykewise. Thus our appetite is so dishonest, that in seinge we desire it, and in desyryng we procure it, and in procurynge, we attayne it, and in the at­tayninge [Page 51] we abhorre it, and in the abhorryng, we leaue it: and than forthewith agayne, we procure an other thynge, and that newe procurynge, we abhorre agayne: In suche wyse, that whan we begynne to loue a thyng, than we fall agayne to hate it, and in the fallynge to hate it, we begyn ageyn to loue an other thynge. So thus fynally, our lyfe dothe ende, er our couetyse dothe leaue vs. It is not thus of wysedome and knowlege, the which, if it ones entre in­to a mans hart, it causeth hym to forget the trauayle, that he toke in the attaynynge thereof. For he taketh the tyme past as good, and enioyeth with rightful ioy, the tyme pre­sent, and hateth ydelnes. Nor he is not contente with that he knoweth, but inforceth his appetite, to knowe more, lo­uynge that other leaueth: and leauyng, that other loueth. Finally, he that is perfittely wyse, sporteth in this worlde with trauayle, and in trauailyng in bokes, is his reste. We haue not to say of all thinges, but of that we fele of them. For it is an other maner to speake by similitude of a stran­ger, and of our owne experience. And in this case I saye, that though we hope of no rewarde of the goddis, nor ho­nour amonge men, nor memorie of the worlde to come: yet am I ryght gladde, to be al onely a philosopher, to se howe gloriously the philosophers haue passed their tyme. I de­maunde one thynge, whan myne vnderstandynge is dul­led, in that I haue to doo, and whan my memorie is trou­bled, in that I haue to determyne, and whan my bodye is compassed with dolours, and whan my harte is charged with thoughtes, and whan I am without knowlege, and whan I am set about with peryls, where can I be better accompanied, than with wise men, or els redynge amonge bokes? In bokes I fynde wysedom, wherby I may lerne: also there I fynd worthynes, which I may folowe: I fynd there prudence, to counsell me, I fynde suche as be sorow­full, [Page] with whom I may wepe. I fynde them there that be merye, with whom I may laughe: I fynde there, symple folke, at whom I may sport: I fynde that is nought, whi­che I may leaue: And fynally, in bokes, I fynde, howe in prosperitie, I ought to behaue me: and howe in aduersi­tie, I ought to guyde me. O, howe happy is that manne, that hath wel red: And yet more happy is he, that though he knoweth moche, yet stayeth vppon counsayle. And yf this be true generally, than moche more is it necessary, y^t he kepe the true waye, whiche gouerneth all other. It is a rule infallible, that a prince being wyse, can neuer be sim­ply good, but very good: and the prince that is ignorant, can not be simply yll, but very yll. A prince, that is not wel fortunate, his wysedome may greately excuse hym to his people, of his mysfortune gyuen to hym by fortune. Whan a prince is greatly beloued of his cōmontie, and is vertu­ous of his persone, than euery man saythe, if he haue not good fortune: Al though our prince wāt good fortune, yet his worthy vertues fayle not: and though he be not hap­py in his ententes, yet at the leaste he sheweth his wysdom in the meane season. And thoughe fortune denye hym at one howre, yet at an other tyme. she agreeth, by his wyse­dom. And contrary wyse, an vnwyse prince, and hated of his people, by yuell fortune, renneth into great peryll. For if ylle succede to hym in weighty mattiers, than inconty­nent it shalbe said, it is by reason of the ignoraunce of hym selfe, or by yll counsell of such as be about hym: & if good­nes succede to hym, it shall not be attrybuted by reason of his good gouernaunce, but that fortune hath suffered it, and not by the circumspecte wysedome, that he hath hadde in the meane seasone, but that it was of the pitie, that the goddis had of hym. Than sithe it is thus, a vertuous and a worthy prince, in his ydell tymes, ought secretely to rede [Page 52] is bokes, and openly to common and counsell with wyse men. And in case, yll fortune wyll not permyt hym, to take their counselles, yet at the least, he shal recouer credence a­mong his subiectes. I wil say no more to you, but I estem the knowlege of a wise persō so moch, that if I knewe, that there were shops of sciēces, as there is of other marchaun­dise, I wold giue al y^t I haue, only to lerne, that a wise mā lerneth in one day. Finally I say, that I wil not giue, that litel that I haue lerned in one houre, for al the gold in the worlde: And more glory haue I, of the bokes that I haue red, and of such workes, as I haue writtē, thā of al the vic­tories, that I haue had, or of y^e realmes that I haue won.

THis emperour, being sicke, as it is aforesaid, on a day, as there were with hym diuers phi­sitiōs and oratours, there was a purpose mo­ued amonge them, howe greately Rome was chaunged, not all onely in edifices, but also in customes, and was full of flaterers, and vnpepled of mē, that durste say the trouthe. Than the emperour sayd: The fyrste yere, that I was consul, there came a poore vilayne from the riuer of Danubie, to aske iustice of the senate, a­yenste a censure, who dydde dyuers extortions to the peo­ple: and he hadde a small face, and great lyppes, and ho­lowe eyes, his heare curled, bare heeded, his shoes of a porkepes skyn, his cote of gotis heare, his gyldell of bulle rushes, and a wyld eglantine in his hand. It was a strāge thinge to se him so monstruous: and meruayl, to here his purpose. Certainly, whan I saw him com into the senate, I wende it had bene some beaste, in the figure of a manne. [Page] And after I had harde hym, I iuged hym one of the god­des, if there be goddes amonge men. And as the custome in the senate was, that the complayntes of the poore per­sons were hard, before the requestis of the ryche: this vil­layne had lycence to speake, and so beganne his purpose, wherin he shewed him selfe as bolde in wordes, as extreme and base in his aray, and sayd: O ye auncient fathers, and happy people, I Myles, dwellynge in a citie on the ryuer of Danubie, doo salute you Senatours, that are here as­sembled in the sacred senate. The dedes do permytte, and the goddis suffre, that the capytayns of Rome, with theyr great pride haue redused vnder subiection, the vnhappy people of Germany. Great is the glory of you Romayns, for your battayles that ye haue wonne throughout all the worlde. But if writers say true, more greater shalbe your infamy, in time to come, for the cruelties that ye haue done to the innocentes. My predecessours had people nyghe to the flode of Danubie, and bycause they dyd ylle, the erthe wared drie, and they drewe to the frseshe water: than the water was noyful to them, and they returned to the main lande. What shal I say than? your couetise is so great, to haue steangers goodes, and your pryde soo renoumed, to commaunde all strange landes, that the see maye not pro­fite vs, in the depenes therof, nor the erthe, to assure vs in the caues therof. Therfore I hope in the iust goddes, that as ye, without reason, haue cast vs out of our houses and possessions: so other shal com, that by reason, shal cast you out of Italy and Rome. And infallible rule it is, that he, that taketh wrongfully an other mans good, shall lese the right of his owne. Regard ye Romains, though I be a villain, yet I knowe, who is iust & rightwise, in holding his owne: and who a tyrant, in possessynge others. There is a rule, that what so euer they, that be yl, haue gathered in [Page 53] many dayes, the goddes taketh fro them in one day: and contrarie wise, all that euer the good haue loste in manye days, the goddis restoreth to them agayne in one day. Be­leue me in one thynge, and haue no doute therin, that of the vnlaufull wynning of the fathers, there foloweth the iuste losse to theyr chyldren. And if the goddes toke from them, that be yll, euery thyng, that they haue wonne, as soone as it is wonne, it were but reasone: but in lettynge them alone, therby they assemble by lyttel and lytel diuers thynges, and than, whan they thynke least theron, is ta­ken from them all at ones. This is a iuste iugement of the goddis, that sithe they haue done yll to dyuerse, that some shulde do yll to them. Certaynely it is not possible to any vertuous man, if he be vertuous, that he take any taste in an other mans good. And I am sore abashed, how a man, kepynge an other mans good, can lyue one houre. Syth he seeth, that he hath don iniure to the goddis, sclādred his neibours, plesed his enmies, lost his frendes, greued them that he hath robbed, and aboue all, hath put his owne per­son in peryll. This is a shamefull thynge amonge menne, and culpable before the goddis, the man that hath the de­syre of his harte, and the brydelle of his warkes at suche lybertie, that the lyttel, that he taketh and robbeth fro the poore, semeth moche to hym: but a great dele of his owne, semeth to hym but lyttel. O what an vnhappy man is he, whether he be Greke, or latin, that without consideration, wyll change his good fame into shame, iustice into wrōg, ryght into tyranny, or trouth into lesynge, the certayne in­to vncertayne, hauynge annoyaunce of his owne goodes, and dye for other mens? He that hath his principall inten­tion, to gather goodes for his chyldren, and seke not for a good name, amonge them that be good: it is a iuste cause, that he lese all his goodes, and so without good name to [Page] to be shamefull amonge them that be yl. Let all couetous and auaricious people knowe, that neuer amonge noble men was gotten good renoume, with spredynge abrode of yll gotten goodes. It can not endure many dayes, nor yet be hydden vnder couert many yeres: a man to be holden ryche amonge them that be ryche, and an honorable man amonge them that be honorable: for he shal be infamed, of that he hath gathered his ryches, with greate couetyse, or kepeth it with extreme auarice. O if these couetous peo­ple, were as couetous of theyr owne honour, as they be of other mens goodes: I swere to you, that the lyttel worme or mothe, that eateth the gounes or clothes of suche coue­tous people, shulde not eate the reste of theyr lyfe, nor the canker of infamie, distroye theyr good name and faame at theyr deathes. Harke ye Romaynes, harke what I wyll say, I wolde to the goddis, that ye coude taste it. I se, that al the world hateth pride, and yet is there none, that folo­weth mekenes and humilitie. Euery man condempnethe aduoutrie, and yet I see none, that liueth chaste: Euerye man curseth excesse, and I se none lyue temperately: eue­ry man prayseth pacience, and I se none that wyll suffre: euery man blameth slouth, and I se none, but they be ydel: euery one blameth auarice, and yet euery body robbeth. One thynge I say, and not without wepynge: I say eue­ry manne, with his tongue onely, prayseth vertue, and yet they them selfes, with al theyr lymmes are seruantes vn­to vices. I saye not this onely for the Romaynes, whiche bene in Illirie: but I saye it, by the senatours that I se in the senate. All ye Romaynes, in your deuises aboute your armes beare these wordes: Romanorum est debellare superbos, et parcere subiectis, That is, it pertainethe to Romaynes, to subdewe them that be proude, and to forgyue subiectes. But certainely ye maye better saye: hit partayneth to Ro­mains, [Page 54] to expell innocentis, and to trouble & vexe wrong­fully peasible people. For ye Romayns are but distroyers of peasible people, and theues to robbe frome other, that they sweate for.

O Ye Romayns, sayd this vyllayn, what action haue ye, that are brought vppe nygh to the ry­uer of Thyber, agaynste vs, that are nyghe to rhe ryuer of Danubie? Haue ye seene vs fren­des to your ennemies? or haue we declared vs your ennemyes? or haue ye harde say, that we haue lefte our owne lande, and inhabyted any straunge londes? or haue ye harde, that we haue rebelled ageynst our lordes, or haue troubled any strange realmes? or haue ye sente vs anye ambassadours, to desyre vs to be youre frendes? or hath any hooste of ours come to Rome to distroye you, as our enmies? or hath any kynge dyed in our realme, that in his testament made you heyres to our realme? or what an­tyke lawe haue ye founde, wherby we ought for to be your subiectes? Of trouthe in Almayne hereby, they haue felt your tyranny, as wel as we haue herde of your renoume. And more ouer I say, that the names of the Romaynes, & the crueltie of tyrantes, aryued togither in one day vppon our people. I wote not what ye wyll say, that the goddis care not for the hardines of mē: for I see, he that hath mo­che, dothe tiranny, to him that hath but lytell. And he that hath but lyttell, though it be to his infamy, wyll serue him that hath moche. So that disordred men appoynt thē with secrete malice, & secrete malice gyueth place to open theft: and the open robbery no manne resisteth. And therfore it cometh, that the couetyse of an yll man necessarily is had [Page] to be complete, to the preiudyce of many good men. One thynge I wyl say, that eyther the goddis ought to thynke, howe these men shall haue an ende, or elles that the world must ende: or els the worlde, to be no worlde: Or fortune muste holde sure with you, if all that ye haue won in .viii.C. yeres, ye lese not in .viii. dayes. And where as ye are be­come lordes ouer many, ye shall become slaues to all the worlde. Certaynely the goddis shall be vniuste, withoute that thynge come, that muste fall to the worlde hereafter. For that man that maketh hym selfe a tyraunt perforce, it is ryght, that he retourne to be a slaue by Iustice. And it is reason, that syth ye haue taken our myserable lāde, that ye kepe vs in Iustyce. I haue great meruayle of you Ro­mains, that ye send so smple persōs to be our iuges. For I swere to the goddis, they can not declare your lawes, nor vnderstande ours. I wote not whether ye sente them thy­der or no, but I shal shewe you, what they do there. They take openly, what so euer is delyuered to theym: and they doo their profytte with that they desyre in secrete. They chastise the poore personne greuousely, and they forbeare for money, them that be riche: they consent to many wron­ges, to bryng them after to the lawes: & without goodes it boteth not to demand Iustice: and fynally, vnder y^e colour that they be iuges, vnder the senate of Rome, they say they may robbe all the londe. What is this ye Romayns? shall your pride neuer haue an ende in commandyng, nor your couetyse in robbynge? Saye what ye wyll. If ye do it for our chyldren, charge theym with yrons, and make theym sclaues: If ye do it for our goodes, goo thyther and take them: If our seruyce doth not contente you, stryke of our heedes. Why is not the knyfe soo cruell in our throtes, as your tyrannies be in our hartes? Doo ye knowe, what ye haue doone ye Romaynes? ye haue caused vs to sweare, [Page 55] neuer to retourne to our wyues: but to flee our chyldren, rather than to leaue them in the handes of so cruell tyrā ­tes. We had leauer suffre the beastly motions of the fleshe for .xx. or .xxx. yeres, than to dye without wounde, leauynge our children sclaues. ye ought not to do this ye Romains. Alond taken per force, ought the better to be ruled, to thē ­tent that the myserable captiues, seinge Iustice duely mi­nistred to them, shulde therby forgette the tyranny passed, and to set their hartes to perpetuall seruitude. And sythe we are come to complayne of the grefes that your Censu­res do vpon the fludde of Danubie, peraduenture you of the senate wyll here vs. Wotte ye what they doo? Harke, and I shall shewe you. If there come a ryghte poore man, to demande Iustice, hauyng no money to gyue, nor wyne to present, nor oyle to promyse: they fede hym with wordis, sayenge, howe he shall haue Iustyce, but they make hym to waste the lyttell that he hath, and gyue hym nothynge, though he demaunde moch. And so the myserable person, that came to complayne, retourneth complaynyng on you all, cursynge his cruell destenies, and maketh exclamatiō vppon the rightwise goddis. I lyue with acornes in win­ter, and cutte downe the grene corne in sommer, and some­tyme I go a fyshynge for pastyme, so that the moste parte of my lyuynge, is feedyng in the fieldes, and ye wote not why: here me, and I shall shewe you. I se suche tyrannies in your censures, and suche robberyes amonge the poore people, and I se suche warres in that realme, and hope of so small remedy in your senate, that I am determined, as moste vnhappy, to banyshe my selfe out of myn own hous, and honest company, to thentent that my harte shulde not fele so great a hurte. It is a great peyne to suffre the ouer­throwe of fortune: but it is a greatter yll, whan one feleth it, and can not remedy it: and yet without comparison my [Page] greattest grefe is, whan my losse may be remedied, and he that may, wyll not, and he that wyll, can not remedy it. O ye cruell Romaynes, if the sorowes all onely shulde be re­duced to memory, that we suffre, my tonge shulde be wery, and all my membres faynte, and myne eyes shoulde wepe bluddy teares, & my fleshe wold consume. This in my lāde maye be sene with eies, harde with eares, and felte in pro­pre persone. Certaynly my harte departeth, and my soule is troubled, & myn entrayles breake. And I beleue yet, the goddis wyll haue compassiion. I wylle desire you to take my wordes for sclaunder. For ye Romaynes, if ye be Ro­mayns, ye may well see, that the trouble, that we haue, co­meth by men, and amonge men, and with men, and by the handes of men. Than it is no meruayle, though men fele it as men. One thynge comforteth me, and dyuers tymes amonge other, that be vnfortunate, it cometh to such pur­pose, the whiche is, I thinke the goddis be so ryghtwise, that their fierce and cruell chastisementes come not but by our owne cruell shrewdnes: & our secrete sinnes awaketh vs so, that we haue open iustyce. But of one thynge I am sore troubled, bicause the goddis can not be contēted. For a good person, for a lyttel faut, is greatly chastised, and he that is yl, for many fautes, is not punished at al. So thus the goddis forbeare some, & some haue no mercy. Thus it semeth, that the goddis wyl turment vs by the handes of suche men as greue vs extremely. So that if there were a­ny iustyce in the worlde, whan they chastise vs with their handes, we shoulde not merite to haue our heedes on the shulders. Therfore I say to you, ye Romayns, and swere by the immortal goddis, that in .xv. days, that I haue ben in Rome, I haue seene suche dedes done in your senate, y^t if the leest dede of them had ben done at Danubie, the ga­lowes & gibettes, had ben hanged thycker of theues, than [Page 56] the vineyard with grapes and reysons. And sith y^t my de­sire hath sene, that it desireth, my harte is at reste: in spre­dynge abrode the poyson that was in it. If my tonge hath offended you in any thing, I am here redy, to make recō ­pence with my throte. For in good sothe, I had rather to wynne honour, offerynge my selfe to the deathe, thanne ye shuld haue it, in takynge my lyfe fro me. Thus this vilain ended his purpose. Than the emperour sayd: How thinke ye my frendes, what kernel of a nut? What golde of filth? what grayne of strawe? what rose of thornes? What ma­rowe of bones, dyd he vncouer? what reason so hie? what wordes so wel sette? what trouth so true, and what malice opened he soo? He discouered the duetie of a good manne. And I swere to you, as I may be deliuered from this euill feuer, that I haue, that I saw this vilayn standing a hole houre on the erth boldly, & we holdinge downe our hedes abashed, & coude not answere him a word. The next day it was accorded in the senat, to send new iuges to Danubie. And we cōmanded the vilaine to delyuer vs in writing, al that he had sayd, that it might be regestred in the boke of good sayinges of strangers. And the saide vilayne, for his wise wordes, was made patricien, & so taried styl at Rome, and for euer was susteyned of the common treasure.

IN the seconde yere that Mar. was chosen em­perour, the .xlv. yere of his aege, as he retour­ned fro the warres, that he had in conqueryng the Germains and the Aragons, whereby he got glory & riches for the Romaynes empire, he lay at Salon to reste him, and to appointe his armye, [Page] and to the entent, that the Romaynes shulde apparell his triumph in Rome right glorious and rychly: There was one thynge done, that was neuer sene before in Rome. For the day of his triumph, by al the people and consent of the senate, the prince Comodus, sonne to Marcꝰ Au. was cho­sen after the dethe of his father to be emperour vniuersall of thempire. He was not chosen by the petition of his fa­ther, for he was agaynste hit with all his power, sayinge, that the empire oughte not to be gyuen for the lawde of them that be deed, but he shoulde be chosen, for his owne good warkes. Often tymes this emperour wolde saye, Rome shall be loste, whan the election shal be taken frome the Senate, and the Emperour to enheryte the empire by Patrimonie.

¶Nowe to returne where as we lefte. This emperour beynge at Salon, studied sore to entre into Rome in good order, and Rome studied soore howe to receyue hym, as it appertained triumphantly for suche a warre. He was sore desyred of thempire: and euer he imagined, howe to do plesure to the people, and the people were redy to dye in his seruice. Dyuers tymes was moued a pleasant purpose in the senate, which of these thynges was moste to be loued: The emperour to loue the people of the empire, or the people of thempire themperour. On a daye hit was determy­ned, to sette iuges in that case: There were chosen the am­bassadours of the Parthes and Roodes: and vppon that effecte they hadde writynge. It was layde for the empe­rour, the good dedes that he had done in his absence, and the tokens of loue, that they hadde alwayes shewed in his presence. And on an other day the emperour moued an o­ther question before the senate, saying, that it was a great­ter glorie, to haue such subiectes, than the glorie of the se­nate, to haue suche an emperour. Than the Senate sayde [Page 57] nay: Affirming that it is a greatter glorie that they had of hym, than he coude haue of them. And in this maner the emperour gaue the glorie to the people, and the people to the emperour. Thus in sporte and play they toke iudges agayn. It was a merueylous thyng to se the ioy that they al had to proue their intentes. And the good emperour for a memorye gaue the laude to the people, bycause of theyr great obedience and seruice, and extreme loue that he had founde in them: And the happy people recounted the gret clemencie and mercy that was in the emperour, and his vertue and worthynes in gouernynge, his honestie of ly­uynge, and his force and valiantnes in conqueringe. It was a great thing to se the honour that the people gaue to themperour, and the good renoume that themperour gaue to the people. The writinges were gyuen to the straunge ambassadours, to thentent that the people myght lerne to obey theyr princes: and princes to loue theyr people. To the ende that by such examples, as it was reason, the good people shuld enforce them selfes, and the yl to withdrawe. Thus this emperour adressed his entre with his capitay­nes and captiues, and Rome apparayled theym with all their senatours and people to receyue hym. It was a huge thynge to se what people was at Rome to go forth to mete hym, and what people were with the emperour to entre. They that were at Salon hadde their eyes and also theyr hartes at Rome: and they that were at Rome hadde theyr hartes at Salon. In suche wyse that theyr eies daseled with that they sawe, and their hartes aked for that they hoped to se. There is no greatter peyne, than whan the hart is deferred fro that it longeth sore to haue.

[Page] IT is to be knowen, that the Romaynes had a custome, that in the monethe of Ianiuer, they shulde make triumphes to theyr emperours: and in the same seson that the triumphes were apparailed, Faustin thempresse caused dyuers high persones to pray the emperour to gyue lycence to a doughter of his, to com from there as she was kept, to the palays, and sporte her at the feastes. This mayden was named Lucie or Lucyll: She was higher than the prince Commodus her brother: she was of a goodly gesture and wel proporcioned of her body, and wel be loued of her mo­ther. And she resembled her not all onelye in her beautie, but also in her lyuynge. And thoughe the request was py­tifull, and they that made it familier, and he to whome it was made was the father, and the demaunder was the mother, and she for whom it was made, was the dough­ter: the emperour graunted it, but not without great dis­pleasure. Neuertheles Faustine was full gladde, and as sone as she had obteyned lycence, she broughte her dough­ter to the palays. And so whan the day of the great feaste and triumph was comme, the damoysell Lucylle beynge out of gouernance, and seinge her selfe at large, trustinge thanne vppon her owne innocencye, toke noo hede of any strange malyce, laughed with them that laughed, talked with them that talked, and behelde them that behelde her, and without care she thought that none thought yl of her, bycause she thought yll of none: yet in those dayes a may­den to laugh among men was reputed as moche as a wo­man to haue done aduoutrie with the priestes of Grece, so great was the honestie of Romayn women estemed. And lightnes of maydens was a great infamie: for they were wors punished for one open lyghtnes, than for two secrete fautes. Amonge all other seuen thynges the women dyd [Page 58] obserue surely, that is to wytte, not to speke moche at fea­stes, not to eate moche at bankettes, to drynke no wyne in theyr helthe, nor to speake alone with men, nor to lyfte vp their eies in the temples, nor to stande longe lokynge out at wyndowes, nor to go out of their houses without their husbandes. The woman taken with any of these dysho­nest thynges, was always after reputed infamed. Many thynges were suffred of persons in small reputation, that were not suffred in persons of honour. For the noble wo­men coude not cōserue the reputatiō of their estate, but by reason of keping their person in great feare & good order. Al thinges done vnkyndly is syn, & may be amended: but the dishonest woman is alway shamed. The noble ladies, if they wyl be taken as ladies, whā they excede other in ri­ches, the lesse lycēce ought they to haue to go wandring a­bout. Certainly the plentie of goodes, & the libertie of p­sons, shuld not be a spur to pricke thē forward, but rather a brydell to kepe them in their closettes. And this is sayd, for bycause that duryng the said feastis, the damoysel Lu­cille, as a yonge mayden, and Faustyne, her louynge mo­ther not beinge olde, sommetyme a foote, and sometyme rydynge on horsebacke, sommetyme openly, and somme­tyme meruaylous secretely, sommetymes with company, and sommetymes without companye, sommetyme on the day, and nowe and than by nyghte, they wolde walke a­brode in the stretes of Rome to se the feldes of Vulcan, in gardeynes Saturnynes, and drynke at the conduites of Neros water, and sommetyme passe the tyme by the faire ryuer of Thiber, and in all suche other pleasaunt sportes as apperteyned to their age. And thoughe the fore ryped primetyme prouoked them therto, yet the grauitie of su­che ladies shoulde not suffre it. I wylle saye one thynge, to thentent noble women shuld take aduertisemēt therby, [Page] and that is this: I knowe not whiche was the greatteste dissolution, eyther the walkynge abrode of Faustyne and Lucylle through the stretes and other places, or elles the boldnes of yll speakers, speakyng ageynst their persons and good names. The withdrawyng and kepinge of wo­men cloose is a brydell to the tongues of all men: and the woman that dothe otherwise, otherwise putteth her good name in daunger. Of trouthe it were better for a woman neuer to be borne, than to be defamed. Amonge the Ro­mayns the lygnage of the Cornelies were had in great e­stimation. For of them all, neuer none was founde a co­warde, nor a woman defamed. The hystories shewe, that ones a lady of that lygnage beynge onelye defamed, was hanged on the galowes by the handes of her owne kyns­folke. Surely it was well doone of the Romaynes, to the entent that the wyckednes of one woman shuld not suffer yll fame to renne vppon the hole lygnage: where is there noblenes without shame? The thynges that to wche ho­nour, ought not to be hyd but amended by Justice, and to put theym to deathe, that lose their good fame. It is not sufficient for a person to be good: but it is necessarye that he put fro hym all occasions that are reputed to be yll. All the losses that a man may haue of any temporall goodis, can not countrepeyse the leest losse of good fame. A man that layeth his good name for a farthynge at a but of this worlde, at a hundred shottes scantly shall he shoote one a­ryght. And contrary wise the man that feareth no shame, nor wyll not haue his personne in reputation, there is noo hope of goodnes in hym. Than this emperour, as a ship­maister, sayling in moste faire and calme wether, foreca­stethe, and is in greatte thoughte and feare of tempestes and stormes to comme, in the feastis of his greatte glory, was in doubte of these two ladies, leste sodenly any mys­fame [Page 59] shuld folowe. And certaynly he had great cause. For hit is an infallyble rule of enuious fortune, that this pre­sent felicitie is gyuen with a prycke of a sodayne falle of myschaunce. In thinges naturall, we se somtyme the see caulme, and yet forthewith foloweth a peryllous storme, and consequently the great heate of the daye is sygne of thunder at nyght. I say fortune comynge with some pre­sent delyte or pleasure, is a token that by flatterynge vs, she hath made redy her snares to catche vs. Whan the mil­ler is sure, he dresseth his water gaate, and the labourer whan it reyneth not, couereth his howse, thynkynge that an other tyme the wethers or raynes wyll falle theron and trouble hym: In lyke wyse a wyse and a vertuous man ought to thynke, as longe as he lyueth in this worlde, he holdeth his felicitie but at aduenture: and his aduersitie for his naturall patrimony. Amonge all them that coulde reioyce in prosperitie, and helpe theym selfe in aduersitie, this emperour Marcus Aurelius was one: whiche for a­ny flatterynges that Fortune coulde shewe hym, he neuer trusted in them: nor for myshappe that he had in this life, he neuer dispayred.

WHanne these feastes were passed, as Sertus Cheronense saith, a senatour named Aluinus sayde to themperour, the same nyght that the triumphe ceassed: Syr reioyce you sythe that this day ye haue gyuen so great ryches to the common treasure of Rome: and I haue sene your person in the triumph of glorie: and to the worlde to come of you and your house you haue lefte perpetuall memorye. The [Page] emperour hering these wordis, said in this maner: Frēdes it is good reson we beleue, the hūter knoweth the fiersnes of vestis, the phisition the propretie of herbes, the mariner the perils of rockes, the capitaines the chances of warre, and the emperour that triumpheth, the ioyes that he hath of triumphes. As god helpe me, and as euer I haue part with my predecessours, and as euer I haue good for­tune, the thoughtes that I haue had for these festes, haue bene farre greatter than the feares that I haue had in all the iourneyes and battayles afore. And the reason therof is very euydent to theym that haue clere vnderstanding: For always in cruel battailes I was euer in hope to haue glorie, & feared not the ouerthrow of fortune. What coude I lose in battayle? Nothynge but the lyfe, that is the leest thyng that men haue, and alwayes in these triumphes I feare to lose renowme, whiche is the greatest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen me. O howe happy is that man, that loseth his lyfe, and leaueth behynde hym perpetuall memorie? Lette euery man vnderstande this that wylle, and saye what they lyste: that amonge noble and valy­aunt barons, he dyeth not, that leeseth his lyfe, and lea­ueth good renowme after hym: and moche lesse tyme ly­ueth he that hath an yll name, thoughe he lyued many ye­res. The ancyent philosophers reckened not the lyfe of a man, though he lyued many yeres, but they reckened the good werkes that he hadde doone. The senate was im­portune vppon me, that I shulde take this triumphe, as ye knowe well: and I can not tell whiche was greattest, theyr desyre or my resistence. You knowe not the trouthe why I say thus. I dyd it not bycause of ambicion, and for couetousnes of glorie, but it was bicause I fere y^e humain malice. At the day of the triumph there was not so greate ioy shewed by the symple persons, but the hyd enuy was [Page 60] greatter among the greattest persons. This glory passeth in one day, but enuy abydeth a hole yere. The plentifulle realme of Egipt, so happy in the blodshed of their enmies, as in the waters of Nyle, hadde a lawe immouable. They neuer denyed theyr mercy to the captiues ouercome: nor they gaue no triumph to theyr capitaynes ouercomers. ¶The Caldees mocke at the Romayne triumphes, affir­myng how there is not gyuen so great chastisement to the capitayne of Egipte ouercome, as the empire Romayne gyue to the ouercomer, whan tryumphe is gyuen to hym. And surely the reason is good, for the thoughtefull capy­tayne, whanne he hathe chased his ennemyes, that Rome hath in straunge londes, with his owne propre speare, in payement for his trauayle they gyue him ennemyes in his owne propre lande. I swere to you, that all the Romaine capitaynes haue not lefte so many enmyes deed by swerd, as they haue recouered ylle wyllars the daye of theyr try­umphes. Let vs leaue the Caldees, and speake we of our auncient Romaynes, whiche if they myghte retorne nowe agayne in to the worlde, they wolde rather be tyed faste to the chariottes as captiues, than to syt in them as vyc­tours. And the cause is, theyr neighbours seinge them go­inge as captiues, wolde moue theyr hartes to set theym at liberte, so that the glorie of theyr tryumphes is a meane to cause them to be persecuted and pursued. I haue redde in writyng, and herd of my predecessours, and haue seene of my neighbours, that the aboundaunce of felicitie hathe caused cruel enuie to be in many. O in what peril are they that with particuler honor wold be exalted among other? In the moste higheste trees the force of wyndes is mooste aduaunced. And in most sumptuous buildynges lyghte­ninge and thunder doothe mooste hurte, and in greatte thycke and drye busshes the fyers kendle mooste easelye: [Page] [...] [Page 60] [...] [Page] I say that in them that fortune hath reysed most hyghly, agaynst them spredeth the greattest poyson of enuye. All suche as be vertuous say: The mo ennemies they subdue to the common welthe: the moo enuious they recouer of their renoume. One ought to haue great compassion of a vertuous manne: bycause where he trauaileth to be good, there abydeth one thynge in hym, of the whiche all onely at the deth he seeth the ende. And that is, the more a man recouereth here renoume amonge straungers, the more he is persecuted with enuy amonge his owne nations. Ho­mer shewethe in his Illiades, that Caluitio kynge of the Argiues was expert in clergie, valiant in armes, and in­dued with dyuers graces, beloued with his people, aboue al other he was a great louer of his goddis and worshyp­per of them. This good kynge had a custome, that in all thynges that he had to do, he wolde fyrste aske counsayle in the temples of the goddes: he wolde begynne no warre agaynste other, nor ordeyne no newe lawe nor custome in his realme: nor gyue aunswere to the ambassadours, nor put no trespasours to death: nor set no tribute on his peo­ple: but first he wolde go to the temple, and make dyuers sacrifices to knowe the wyll of the goddes. And bycause he went so often to the oracles, he was demaunded what answere the goddis made to hym in secrete, seinge he was so importunate. Then he answered and sayde: I demand of the goddes, that they shulde not gyue me so lyttell, that euery man myght abate and ouercome me: Nor also that they shulde gyue me so moche, that euery manne shoulde hate me: but my desyre is to haue a meane estate, where­with euery manne myghte loue me. For I hadde leuer be felowe with many in loue, than to be kynge of all with ha­tred and enuy.

AFter the feastes of the triumphe afore sayde, this good emperour wyllynge to satysfye his harte, and to aduertise Faustine his wyfe, and to teche his innocēt doughter, without know­ledge of any other, he sent for them and sayde: I am not contēt Faustine, with that your doughter doth, and yet lesse with that you do, which ar her mother. These maidens, for to be good maydens, oughte well to knowe, howe to obey theyr mothers. And the mothers to be good mothers, ought to knowe how to bring vp their children. The father is excused in gyuynge counsaill, if the mother be vertuous, and the doughter shamefast. It is a greatte shame to the father, beinge a noble man, that his wyfe be­ing a woman, shuld chastise his sonne: And a great incon­ueniēce of the mother, beinge a mother, that her doughter shuld be chastised by the handes of her father. There was a lawe ordeyned by the Rodiens, that the father with the doughter, if she hadde a mother, nor the mother with the sonne, if he were a man, shuld not entermedle eche with o­ther, but alonely men with men, and women with women, ought to be brought vp. And thextremitie of the lawe was such, that amōge them that dwelled in one house, semed y^t the fathers had no doughters, nor the mothers no sonnes. O Rome, I wepe not to se thy stretes vnpaued, nor that there is so many gutters in thy houses, nor that the batyl­mentes fall downe, nor the tymbre hewed downe, nor for the mynyshynge of thine habitantes, for all this the tyme bringeth, and the tyme beareth away: but I wepe for the, and wepe for the agayne, to se the vnpeopled of good fa­thers, [Page] and vnprouided in the nourishing of theyr sonnes. Our countrey began to faille vtterly, whan the doctrine of sonnes and doughters was enlarged, and theyr bridell lette go at libertie. For there is now such boldnesse in men children, and so lyttell shamefastnes in women chyldren, with the dishonestie of the mothers, that where as one fa­ther suffised for .xx. sonnes, & one mother for .xxx. dough­ters, nowe .xx. fathers, scantly dare vndertake to brynge vp well one son, and .xxx. mothers, one doughter. I say to you thus Faustin, you remēbre not how you ar a mother, for you gyue more libertie to your doughter, than oughte to be suffred. And you Lucill remembre not, how you are a doughter: For you shewe to haue more lybertie, than re­quireth for a yonge mayden. The greattest gyfte that the goddis haue gyuen to the matrones of Rome is, bycause they are women, they kepe them selfe close and secret: and bycause they be Romayns, they are shamefaste. The day, whan the women want the feare of the goddis secretelye, and shame of menne openly, beleue me, eyther they shall faile the worlde, or the worlde them. The common welth requireth so greatte necessitie, that the women that dwell therin, shulde be as honest, as the capitaynes be valiant. For the capitaynes going to warre, defende them, and the women that abyde at home, conserue them. As a. iiii. yeres passed ye sawe the great pestilence, and I demanded then to haue a compt of the people, and I founde, that of a. C.xl.M. women well lyuynge .lxxx.M. dyed: And of .x.M. yll womenne, in maner they scaped all. I can not telle for whiche I shulde wepe, eyther for the lacke, that we haue of the good and vertuous women in our common welthe, or elles for the greuous hurte and domage, that these yll and wycked women do to the youthe of Rome. The fyre that brenneth in mounte Ethna, dothe not so greatte do­mage [Page 64] to them that dwelle in Scycille, as one ylle woman doth in the circuit of Rome. A fierse beast and a perillous, ennemie to the comon welth, is an yl woman: for she is of power to do moche harme, and is not apte to folowe any goodnesse. O how many realmes and kynges rede we of, to be loste by the yll gouernance of women, and to resyste agaynste them hath ben nede of wysedom, peryls, money, force, and worthynes of many men. The vices in a womā is as a grene rede, that boweth euery way: but the liber­tie and dishonestie is as a drye kix, that breaketh: in suche wise that the more yll they vtter, the more vnlykely is the redres therof ageyn. Behold Faustin, there is no creature that more desireth honour, and wors kepeth it, than a wo­man. And that this is true, se by Iustice, by orations, by writynge, and other trauayles, manne getteth renowme: but (without it be by flatterynge and fayre speakyng) vn­to this houre, by antyke writing, we can rede of fewe wo­men or none, that eyther by writinge, redynge, workinge with nedell, spynnyng, or by weauyng, haue gotten them any great renoume. But as I saye of one, I saye of an o­ther. Certaynly of dyuers we rede, by kepynge them close in their houses, well occupied in their besynesses, tempe­rate in theyr wordes, faythfull to their husbandes, well or­dered in their personnes, peasible with their neyghbours, and finally beinge honeste amonge theyr owne famylye, and shamefaste amonge straungers, suche haue attayned great renowme in theyr lyfe, and lefte eternal memorie of them after theyr death. I wol tel you an antike histore, as profitable to restreyne our vices, as it dyd than augment vertues, and it is this: The realme of Lacedemoniens (as Plato sheweth) was at a season more dissolute by the vn­thriftines of women, than infamed by the crueltie of men: so that of al maner nations they were called Barbariens. [Page] What tyme Grece as a mother, called philisophie of phi­losophers, Lygurge, a wise philosopher in knowlege, and a right iuste kynge to gouerne, partely with his doctrine righte profitable, and partely with his pure lyfe, made la­wes in the sayde realme, wherby he extirped all vices, and planted all vertues. I can not telle, whiche of these two were moste happy, The kynge, hauynge so obedient peo­ple, or els the realme, to haue so rightfull a kynge. Amōge all other lawes, for women he made one greatly to be com­mended: He commanded, that the father that dyed, shuld gyue nothing to his doughter. And an other, that neyther lyuinge nor dienge, he shuld gyue any money to mary her with: to the entent that none shulde marye her for her ry­ches, but all onely for her goodnes: and not for her beau­tie, but for her vertues. And where as nowe, some be vn­maried, bycause they are poore, so then they abode vnma­ried, bycause they were shamefulle and vicious. O tyme, worthy to be desyred, whan maydens hoped nothynge to be maried with theyr fathers goodes, but by the vertuous werkes of theyr owne persons. This was the tyme, called the golden worlde: whan neyther the doughter feared to be disherited by the father in his lyfe, nor the father to dye sorye for leauynge her without remedye at his deathe. O Rome, cursed be he that first brought golde into thy hous: and cursed be he, that firste beganne to hurde vp treasure. Who hath made Rome to be so ryche of treasure, and soo pore of vertues? Who hath made menne wedde villaynes doughters, and leaue the doughters of senatours vnma­ryed? What hath made, that the ryche mannes doughter is demanded vnwyllyng, and y^e doughter of a pore mā none wyll desyre? what hathe caused, that one mariethe a foole with fyue .C. marke, rather than a wyse woman with .x.M. vertues? Than I saye, that in this poynte the flesshe [Page 65] vanquysheth the fleshe, and er euer the vanytie of the ma­lice therof is vanquished. Howe cometh it, y^t a couetous ꝑ­son wyll soner nowe adays haue a wyfe, that is ryche and foule, than one that is poore and fayre? O vnhappy wo­men that brynge forth chyldren, and more vnhappy be the doughters, that are borne, which to haue them maried, no store is set by the blodde of theyr predecessours, nor the fa­uour of theyr frendes, nor the value of their warkes, nor the beautie of theyr persones, nor the clennes of theyr lyfe. O cursed worlde, where the doughter of a good mā, with­out money, shall haue no mariage. But it was not wonte to be soo. For in the aunciente tyme, whan they treated of maryages, fyrste they spake of the persones, and after of the goodis: not as they doo at this houre, in this vnhap­py tyme: for nowe they speke firste of goodes: and laste of all, of the persone. In the sayde golden worlde, fryste they spake of the vertues, y^t the person was endowed with, and whan they were maryed, in sportynge, they wolde speake of the goodes. Whan Camillo triumphed vpon the Gau­les or frenchemen, he had then but one sonne, and he was suche one, that his person merited great lawdes. And for the renome of his father, dyuers kynges desyred to haue him to theyr sonne: and dyuers senatours desyred to haue hym to theyr sonne in lawe. This yonge manne, beinge of the age of .xxx. yeres, and the father at .lx. was impor­tunatelye styred by his naturalle frendes, and desyred of strange kynges, for to mary hym: but alway the olde Ca­myll repugned the counsell of his frendes, & the importu­nitie of the straungers. whan it was demaunded, why he determyned not vppon some maryage for his sonne, sythe therby shulde folowe the restefulle lyfe of the yonge man, and the quietnes of hym selfe in his aege, He aunswered: I wyll not mary my sonne, bycause somme offer me ryche [Page] doughters, some noble of lygnage, some yonge, and some fayre: but there is none hath sayde to me, I gyue you my vertuous doughter. Certaynly Camylle meryted to haue triumph, for that he dyd. And he deserued eternall memo­rie, for that he said. I say to you Faustine al these wordes, bycause I se you lede your doughter to the Theatres and playes, and do brynge her into the Capitoll. You put her to the kepynge of the swerde players, you suffre her to se the toumblers, and yet you doo not remembre, that she is yonge, and you not aged: ye go into the stretes withoute lycence, and play by the ryuers. I fynd no vilany therin, nor thynke that your doughter is yl: but I say it, bycause you giue occasion, that she shoulde not be good. Beware Faustine, neuer truste in the case of the fleshe of yong peo­ple. Nor haue no confidence in olde folkes. For there is no better way, than to flee the occasion of al thynges. For this entent the virgins vestales are closed vp betwene the walles, to eschewe the occasions of open places, not to be more lyght and foolyshe, but to be more sadde and vertu­ous, fleing occasions. The yonge shal not say, I am yong and vertuous, nor the olde shall not say, I am olde & bro­ken. For of necessite, the drye flaxe wyl brenne in the fyre: and the grene flagge smoke in the flamme. I saye, that a man beinge a diamonde enchaced amonge men, yet of ne­cessitie he ought to be quicke and mery amonge women. And as waxe melteth in the heate, we can not denye, that thoughe the wodde be taken fro the fyre, and the ymbres quenched, yet neuer the les the stones oftentime remayne hote and brennyng. In lyke wise the flesshe, thoughe it be chastised with hote & drie maladies, or consumed by many yeres with trauayle, yet concupiscence abideth styll in the bones. What nede is it to blasen the vertues, & denye our naturalities? Certaynly there is not so croked a hors, but [Page 66] if he se a mare, he wyll bray ones or twise. There is no mā so yonge nor old, but let hym se yong damoysels, eyther he wyll giue a sigh or a wishe. In al voluntary thinges I de­nie not, but that one may be vertuous: but in natural thinges, I confesse euery man to be weake. Whan ye take the wood fro the fire, it leueth brennyng: Whā somer cometh, the colde wynter cessethe: whan the see is caulme, the wa­wes leaue theyr vehemente mouynge: whan the sonne is sette, it beshyneth not the worlde. I wyl say that than, and not before, the fleshe wyl cesse to peyn vs, whan it is layde in the graue. Of the fleshe we are borne, and in the flesshe we lyue, and in the fleshe we shall dye. And therby it folo­weth, that our good lyfe shall sooner ende than our fleshe. Oftentymes some holsome fleshe for meate corrupteth in an vnholsome potte: and good wyne somtyme sauoureth of the foiste. I saye, though that the werkes of our lyfe be vertuous: yet shal we fele the stenche of the weake fleshe, I say this Faustyne, sith age can not resist the hote enter­prise, howe can the tender membres of youth resist it? you being the mother, without you go the right way, she being your doughter can not go the same way. The Romayne matrones, if they wil nourishe their doughters wel, ought to kepe these rules. Whan they se, that they wolde goo a­brode, than breke theyr legges: and if they wold be gasing, than put out their eies, and if they wyl harke, stoppe theyr eares: if they wyl giue or take, cut of their handes: if they dare speke, sowe vp theyr mouthes: and if they wil entend any lyghtnes, bury them quicke. wordes ought to be gy­uen to an yll doughter: and in stede of presentes and gyf­tis at her weddyng, gyue her wormes: and for her hous, a graue. Take hede Faustine, if you wyll haue great ioy of your doughter, take fro her the occasiōs, wherby she shall be ylle. To vndersette a hous, behoueth dyuers proppes: [Page] And yf the principalles be taken awaye, hit wylle falle downe. I wyll tell you, womenne are so fraylle, that with kepers with great peyne, they can kepe them selfe: and for a small occasion they wyll lose all to gether. O howe ma­my yll hath there ben, not bycause they wolde be so, but by cause they folowed suche occasions, the which they ought to haue eschewed? It is for me to entre into this battayle, but yet it is not in me to attayne the vyctorie. It is for me to entre into the see, yet it lyeth not in my handes to escape the perylle. It is in the handes of a woman to entree into the occasion, and after that she is therin, hit is not in her handes to delyuer her from faute.

PAraduenture Faustine ye wyll saye to me, that none may speke to your doughter Lucylle, but if you here hit: nor se her, but in your syghte, nor hyde her, but you knowe where: nor make none appoyntment, with out your knowledge. And atte this houre you knowe not, that they that do hate her, & wold her yll, what dishonour theyr tongues doo speake of her. Newe loue in yonge bloudde in the springinge tyme and floury­shynge youthe, is a poyson, that forthewith spredethe in to euery vayne: It is an herbe, that by and by entreth the en­trayles: a swownyng, that incontinently mortifieth al the membres, & a pestilence, that sleeth the hartes: and finally it maketh an ende of all vertues. I wote not what I saye yet, al though I knowe what I wyll say: For I wold ne­uer blasen loue with my tonge, without I were sore hurte in myn vnderstandynge. Ouyde sayth in his boke of the [Page 65] arte of loue. Loue is I wote not what: that commeth I wote not whens: who sent it I wote not: it engendreth I wote not how: it is contented I wote not wherwith: it is felte I wote not howe ofte, nor I wote not wherfore. And fynally loue taketh rote without breakynge of the flesshe outwarde, or percinge the entrayles inwarde. I wote not what Ouide meaneth hereby: but I trowe whan he saide these wordes, he was as farre banysshed from hym selfe, as I am at this tyme from my selfe. O Faustin, they that loue togither, shewe the signes of their hartes by dyuers wayes, and in slepyng they reason and speake: and by sy­gnes they vnderstande eche other. The great voyce oute­warde is sygne of lyttell loue inwarde: and the great in­warde loue kepeth silence outwarde. The entrayles with­in imbraced in loue, cause the tonge outwarde to be muet. He that passeth his lyfe in loue, ought to haue his mouth close. And to the entente that ye shall not thynke, that I speake fables, I wyll proue this by auncient hystories. ¶We fynde aunciently, that in the yere .ii.C. and .lx. af­ter the foundation of Rome, Estrasco a yonge Romayne that was dombe, and Veronne a fayre lady of the Latins, that was dombe also. These two sawe eche other on the mount Celyoit at a feest, and there fel in loue eche with o­ther. And their hartes were as soore fixed in loue, as theyr tonges were tyed for wordes. It was a meruaylous thing to se them, and feareful to note here. The yong lady came fro Salon to Rome: and he went fro Rome to Salon, by the space of .xxx. yeres togither without the wityng of any persone, nor they two spake not. Than at the laste died the husbande of the lady Veronne, and the wyse of Estrasco, and than they discouerd their loue, and treated a mariage betwene them, of whome descended the noble lygnage of our Scipions: whiche were more lyberalle in the feates [Page] of armes, than theyr father and mother were in their ton­ges. Than Faustine marke this thynge: Lyttell aduan­tage it had ben to haue cut out the tonges of the two dōbe folkes, to haue remedied their loue, and not to haue cutte out theyr hartes.

¶Also I shall tell you of Massinissa a worthy knyght of Numedie, and Sopharise a famous ladye of Carthage, al onely by one sight, as they sawe eche other on a ladder, he declared his desire vnto her: and she knowyng his lust, breakynge the oores of feare, and lyftynge vp the ankers of shame, incontinent raised the sailes of theyr hartes, and with the shippes of their ꝑsons, they ioyned eche to other. Here may we gather, how the first sight of their eies, and knowlege of their persons, and the leage of their hartes, and the mariage of their bodies, & the pardition of theyr estates, and the infamie of their name, in one day, in one houre, in one moment, and in one steppe of a ladder were agreed. What wyll ye that I saye more to this pourpose? Do ye not knowe that Helayne the Greke, and Parys the Troyan, of two strange nations and of farre countreys, with one only sight in a temple, their wylles were so knyt togither, that he toke her as his captiue, and she aboode his prisoner. In Parys appered but smal force, and in her but lyttel resistence. So that in maner these two yonge ꝑ­sons, the one procuring to vanquishe, and the other suffe­ringe to be vanquisshed, Parys was cause of his fathers deathe: and Helayne of the infamie of her husbande, and they bothe of their owne deathes, losse to theyr realmes, and sclaunder to all the worlde. All this loue caused one onely syght.

¶Whan great kyng Alexander wold haue gyuen bataile to the Amazons, the quene capitayn of them no lesse faire than stronge and vertuous, came to a ryuer syde, and the [Page 66] space of an houre eche of them beheld other with theyr eies without speakynge of any worde, and whan they retour­ned to their tentes, the fiersnes was turned into swete wā ­ton amorous wordes.

¶Whan Pyrrhe the faythefull defender of the Tarenty­nes, and renoumed kynge of Epirotes, was in Italy, he came to Naples, and he had not ben there but one day, the same season there was a lady in the same citie named Ga­malicice of a highe lygnage, and greatly estemed in beau­tie: The very same day she was goten with chyld and sha­med through out al Italy, and was thruste out of the citie, and after she was delyuered of chylde, she was slayne, by one of her owne bretherne.

¶Also Cleopatra in the prouince of Bithinye, in the wod Sehyn, made a goodly banket or solempne feast to Mar­cus Anthonius her louer. And thoughe she was not very honest, yet had she with her right chaste women: and thus the banket enduryng a great parte of the nyghte, and the wod beinge thicke, the yonge damsels were not so wily to hyde them, but the yonge men Romayns founde them: so that of .lx. doughters of senatours .lv. were gotten with chyld among the thycke bushes: which thyng made a gret sclandre in the people, and augmented the infamy of Cle­opatre, and minished the honestie of Marc Anthony. ¶Thus as I haue shewed of a smal nombre, I coude say of many other. Al men are not men, nor all women be not women. I say it bycause I wolde it shulde be sayde: let it touche them that it toucheth, and let them that can, vnder­stand me. There is some shyppes, that are so lyghte, that they wyll sayle with a lytell wynde, and there be some mil­les that wyll grinde with a lyttell water. I saye there be some women so brittel, that as a glasse with a fyllop wyll breke, and wyl slyp with a lytel myre. Shewe me Faustin, [Page] haue you suffered your doughter to speke but with her vncles, and kept company but with her cosins? I say in this case as moche wilenesse hath the mother as the doughter to renne in peryll. Do you not knowe, that the quicke fire doth not forbere the wod be it wete or dry, but in lykewyse it consumeth the harde stones? Doo you not knowe, that the hongre excessiue causeth beastes to deuour with theyr tethe the thynge that was bredde in their entrayles? Doo you not knowe, that the goddes made a lawe ouer al thin­ges, except on louers, bycause they may not abyde it? And doubtlesse it is ryghtwysely done, that Rome condemneth not these folyshe innocentes, bycause they haue none vn­derstandyng. The goddes gyue no peyn to amorous peo­ple, bycause they are depriued fro reason. Ye knowe whan I was censure, there was a yong woman that had a child by her owne father, and an other that had a chylde by her sonne, and a niese by her propre vncle: and there was sen­tence gyuen on them, that the fathers shulde be cast to the lyons, and the chyldren buryed quycke, and the mothers were brente in the campe of Mars. The mattier was soo horrible to here, that I myght not endure to se the cursed men. And I commanded by my decrees, that none shulde be so bolde to speake in suche a case any more. And if this case were fearefull to men, than certaynely the Romayne matrones oughte to lyue chastely. Than if the fyre of the father doo chaufe the doughter, enflameth kynsfolke, and bourne theym selfe: ye maye be sicre, if he fynde after ey­ther cousyn or fayre sister, the flames of his concupiscence wyll not leaue to take holde on her for any parentage. If this riotous fleshe wyll obey reason, than it maye be, that your doughter may speake liberally with her cousins: but sith that passion repugneth so moche at reason, I councel you trust not to moche in her bretherne. you see by experi­ence: [Page 67] that the worme that is bredde in the thymbre, eateth the same tymbre: and the moothes that are bredde in the clothe, eateth the same clothe. I saye that sommetyme a man bringeth vp in his house some persone, that after ta­keth his life fro hym. Faustine take this that I haue sayd for a warnyng, and these last wordes I gyue you for coun­cell, If you wyll kepe your selfe from thoughte, and your doughter fro peryll, alway let your doughter be occupied with some good werkes. Whan the handes are occupyed with any good exercise, than the harte is voyde fro many ydell and vayn thoughtes. Euery lightnes done in youth breaketh downe a loope of the defence of our lyfe: but y­delnesse, wherby our enuye entreth, is it, whiche openeth the gate to al vyces. Faustine wyl you wite: I se dayly the parditon of the yong Romayne doughters. For as sone as they be borne, they presume to be amorous: they as vn­thoughtfull, with the rechelesnes of the father, and wan­tonnes of the mother, leaue the iust trauayle, and take vn­iust idelnes. Of ydell motion and outragious thoughtes the eies take licēce without leaue, the mynde altereth, and the wyll is hurte: and finally thynkynge to be the whyte, that amorous men shote at, they remayne as a butte ful of al vices. And in conclusion there is nothinge that more re­chaceth the balle of the thought (in this playe) thanne the hand sette a worke therwith.

THan the good emperour Marc hauynge a clere vnderstandyng, and a quiete wytte, toke righte great hede of thynges that were paste, prudent­ly wayinge thinges present, & thinges to come. [Page] Seinge that the pardition of princis, lay al in wyl, totally gyuinge them selfe eyther to strange thinges, forgettynge their owne, or els to entend to their owne, nothing regar­dinge strange thynges. His hart was so agreable to hym, that neyther the hyghe businesses of them: nor for all the affaires of his house, he wolde not leaue one of thempire vnsped. I saye this, bycause this emperour Marcus had foure doughters, whose names were Lucylle, Porsena, Matrina, and Domitia. All resembled their mother in ex­cellent beautie, but they resembled not theyr father in ho­nestie and vertuousnes. And thoughe they were in gouer­nance vnder their maystresses out of his presence, yet he had them always in memorie: and the elder they were, the more study and thought he toke for them: and whan they cam to cōplete age, he studied to fynd prouision for them. It was a laudable custome, that the doughters of the of­ficers of the Senate, shulde not marye withoute lycence, nor the emperours doughter without the aduysemente of the senate. Than it was so, that one of the sayd princesses his doughters, beynge of aege, and of wyll to be maryed, her father seinge her importunitie, to accomplyshe her de­sire, bycause he was sycke, he sente for Faustyne, that she shulde goo and commune in the senate. The whiche with all her power she withstode, bycause that secretely she had treated for an other mariage for her doughter. And open­ly she excused her selfe, sayinge, that her doughter was to yonge and tender of aege: and as the goddis had gyuen age sufficiēt to the father, so had not the doughter of yeres Whan the emperour vnderstode this, he called Faustyne to his bedde syde, where as he lay, and sayd: Dyuers thin­ges are dissimuled in particuler persons, the least of them is not to be suffred in thē that shuld ensigne all other. The prince is neuer well obeyed, but if he haue good credence [Page 68] among his people. I say this Faustin, bicause you do one thinge in secrete, and say an other openly. Here in fayleth the credence of so high a lady, and putteth inconuenience in the auctoritie of so great an empire. If ye suppose my good desires be sinister in your hart for the welth of your owne chyldren: howe shulde we hope than in any of your good workes for the children of straungers? It semeth to you better, to gyue your doughter to them that demād hir of the mother, and refuse them that the father doth chuse. Certainly bicause ye be a womā, you deserue pardon: but in that you are a mother, you augment your faut. Do you not knowe, that mariages are guyded somme by fortune, and some by vertues and wysedome? Suche as demande the doughters of the fathers, beleue me, their eyes benne moore vppon their owne propre vtilitie, than vppon the welth of an other. I knowe welle, you brynge forthe the chyldern, but the goddis wyll mary them, sithe they haue endewed them with so meruaylous beautie. Doo you not knowe, that the beautie of women setteth straungers on desire, and putteth neyghbours in suspection, to great mē it gyueth force, to meane men enuye, to the parentes infa­mie, and peryll to the person selfe? With great peyne it is kepte that is desired of many. Of trouthe I say the beau­tie of women is nothynge but a sygne for ydell folke: and an erly wakynge for them that be lyghte: where as of the strange desyres lieth the renome of them self. And I deny not, but that a light person sercheth soner a woman with a faire face than one of honest lyuyng. But I say, that a wo­man, that is maried only for her beautie, may hope in her age to haue a sorye lyfe. It is an infallible reule, that she that was maried for her fairenesse, is hated for her fowle­nes. O what trauayle he offreth him selfe vnto, that mari­eth a faire woman? It behoueth hym to suffre her pryde, [Page] for beautie and foly alway go togyther. Also he must suf­fre her expences. For folye in the heed, and beautie in the face bene two wormes, that frete the lyfe, and wasteth the goodes. Also he must suffre her ryottes, for a faire womā wyll that none but she haue her commandementes in the house: Also he must suffre her nyce mynionnesse, for euery fayre woman wyll passe her lyfe in pleasure: Also he must suffre her presumption, for euery fayre woman wyll haue preeminence before al other. Finally he that marieth with a faire woman, aparaileth him to a right great aduēture: and I shall tell you wherfore. Surely Carthage was ne­uer so enuyronned with Scipions, as the howse of a faire woman is with lyght persones. O vnhappye husbande, whan his spirite is at rest, and the body sleping, than these lyght persons wyl come about his house, drieng his body with ielousy, casting their eies to the wyndowes, scalynge the walles with ladders, or clyminge ouer, singyng swete songes, playeng on diuers instrumētes, watchinge at the gates, treting with baudes, vncoueryng the house, & wai­tynge at euery corner therof. Al these thinges, in case they shote at the pricke of the womans beautie, they leue not to shote at the butte of the sorowfull husbandes good name. And whether this be true or not, report me to my self, that maried me with your beautie: and let them wite of my re­noume that go so about the citie. I say moche, but truely I fele more. No man complayneth of the goddis for gy­uynge hym a fowle wyfe, amonge his destenies. Whyte syluer is not wroughte but in blacke pytche: and the ten­der tree is not conserued but by the harde rynde. I say the man that marieth a fowle wyfe, ledeth a sure life, lette eue­ry man chuse as he lysteth: and I say a man that marieth a faire wife, casteth his good fame at hasarde, and putteth his lyfe in peryl. Al the infamy of our predecessours stode [Page 69] in none exercysinge of dedes of armes: and nowe all the pastime of the Romayne youth is to serue ladies. Whan a woman is famed to be faire, than euery man gothe thy­ther, and taketh great peyne to serue her, and the women woll be sene. I say Faustine, you neuer sawe a yonge da­moysel Romayne, greatly renoumed in beautie, but either in dede or in suspection there folowed som yl name of her. In that lyttell that I haue redde, I haue harde of dyuers fayre women, bothe of grece, Italy, Parthe, and Rome: and they be not put in remembraunce, bycause they were fayre, but for the greatte perylles and heuy chaunces that by their beauties felle in the worlde. For in maner by rea­son of their excellente beauties they were vysited in theyr owne landes: and by their infamye shamed throughe all the worlde.

¶Whan the realme of Carthage was flourysshynge in ryches and happy in armes, they ruled the common welth by wyse philosophers, and susteyned it by discrete armies on the see. Arminius the philosopher was as greatly este­med amonge them, as Homer amonge the grekes, or Ci­cero amonge the Romaynes: he lyued in this worlde syxe score yeres and .ii. Of the whiche happy age .lxxx. yeres he ruled quietly as a baron most peasible of mynd: and was as straunge to women, as familiar with his bokes. Than the senate seinge he was so broken with the cōmon welthe, and withdrawen from all naturalle recreations, they desi­red hym with greate instaunce to be maried, bycause that memory myght be had of so perfytte a wyse man in tyme to come: and the more importunate they were the more he resisted, and sayd, I wyll not be maried: for if she be foule, I shall abhorre her: if she be ryche, I muste suffre her: if she be poore, I must maynteyn her: if she be faire, I must take hede to her: if she be a shrewe, I canne not suffre her: [Page] and the leaste pestylence of all these, is suffycient to flee a M. men. With suche wordes this wyse man excused hym selfe: and he in his aege, by reason of his great study, lost his sight. And the solytarines of his swete lyberties con­strayned hym to take company of a womā, and she had by him a doughter, of whom descended the noble Amilcares of Carthage, cōpetitours of the Scipions of Rome, the which shewed no lesse worthynesse in defēce of Carthage, than ours were fortunate to augment Rome. ¶Tell me Faustine, may not suche suspection fall vppon your doughters, though their vertue succour in the peryl, and their honestie assure their persons? I will discouer a secrete thynge to you. There is nothynge, that can be soo quyckely commytted, yf a womanne be enuyronned with chast kepers and feminine shamefastnes. Stedfastly they desire, and with great leysure they procure these thynges, that lyghtly may be atteyned. There is nothynge soo cer­tayne, but that the welth of an other is matter for the own euyll. And Faustine ye knowe, that the moost honest wo­menne, by our malyce are most desyred. Certaynely theyr shamefastnes and kepynge close, ben arowes in defence of our honestie. We rede not that bludde, ryches, nor beautie of the vnhappy matrone Lucrece was the cause, that she was desired: But the clerenes of her visage, the grauitie of her person, the purenesse of her lyfe, the kepyng of hyr selfe close in her howse, the exercytie of her tyme, the credence amonge her neyghbours, and the great renoume that she hadde amonge straungers, waked the foolyshe Tarquine to commytte with her aduoultrye by force. What thynke you? Wherof came this? I shall shewe you. We that be yll, are so yll, that as yll we vse the goodnes of them that be good. This is no faute to the ladyes of Rome, but ra­ther in the immortall goddis. Their cleane honestie accu­seth [Page 70] our cruell malice. Faustine, you say, your doughter is to yonge to be maried. Do you not knowe, that the good father ought to endoctrine his sonnes fro their yong age? and to prouide for his doughters whiles they be yonge. Of a trouthe, yf the fathers be fathers, and the mothers mothers, as sone as the goddis haue giuen them a dough­ter, forthwith they ought to fyxe in their hartes a newe re­membraunce: and not forgette it, tyll they haue prouided their doughter an husband. The fathers ought not to ta­ry for ryches, nor the moder for hygh lygnage, the better to marie them: So what with the one & the other, the tyme passeth, and the doughters waxe aeged: and than after this maner they be to olde to be maryed: and to abyde a­lone, they be maydens: and to serue, they be women, they lyue in peyne, the fathers in thought, the parentes in su­spection, least they shuld be lost. O what great ladies haue I knowen, doughters of great senatours, and not for faut of ryches, nor of vertues in their persons, but all only for slacke of tyme, and driuinge of one houre to an other, soo that at laste sodeyn dethe came to the fathers, and no pro­uidence made for the doughters: So that in maner some were couered vnder the erthe after their deathe, and some buried with forgetfulnes. Eyther I lye, or I haue redde in the lawe of the Rodiens, where as it is written, We cō ­maunde the father in marienge .x. sonnes, to trauayle but one day: but to mary oone vertuous doughter, lette hym trauayle .x. yeres, ye & suffre the water come to the mouth, sweate droppes of bloode, trauayle the stomake, disherite all his sonnes, lose his goodis, and aduenture his person. These wordes in this law were pitieful for the doughters, & not lesse greuous to the sonnes. For .x. sonnes by y^e lawe of men ar bound to discouer, & to go ouer al the world: but y^e doughter, by y^e good law ought not to go out of y^e hous. [Page] I say more ouer, that as thinges vnstable threte fallyng, so lyke wise it chaunseth to yonge damselles, whiche thin­keth all theyr tyme loste and superfluous vnto the daye of their mariage. Homere sayth, it was the custome of ladies of Grece, to count the yeres of theyr lyfe, not fro the tyme of their byrth, but from the tyme of theyr maryage. As if one demaunded of a Grecian her age, she wolde aunswere xx. yeres, if it were .xx. yeres sith she was maried: though it were .lx. yeres sith she was borne: Affirminge after they hadde a house to gouerne and to commande, that daye she begynneth to lyue. The Melon after it is rype, and aby­deth styll in the gardeyn, can nat scape, but eyther rotteth, or elles must be gathered. I say the mayden that taryethe longe, tyll she be maried, can not escape, eyther to be taken or infamed. I will saye no more. As soone as the grapes be ripe, it behouethe that they be gathered: so it is necessa­ry, that the woman that is come to perfite age, be maried and kept. And the father, that doth this, casteth perill out of his house, and bringeth him selfe out of thoughte, and contenteth well his doughter.

MArcus the Emperour beinge olde, not onely by age, but by trauaile and great peines that he had taken and suffred in warres: In the xviii. yere of his empire, and .lxii. yere of his age, and of the foundation of Rome .vi.C. and .xl. as he was in Panony, now called Hungarie, with his hoste, and Commode his sonne, at a citie called Ven­debone, situate vpon a ryuer, that had .iiii.M. fire housis, and beinge in wynter, and the waters great, & very weate [Page 71] wether, he beinge in the fieldes about the .xxx. day of De­cember: sodainly vpon a nyghte as he wente with lanter­nes about his campe, there toke hym a syckenes or palsey in one of his armes, so that he coude not weld his speare, nor yet drawe his swerde, nor put on his owne clothes. Than this good emperour charged with yeres, and with noo lesse thoughtes, and wynter increasynge with manye great snowes, and fresynge of the erthe, there felle on him an other malady called Lytarge, the whiche put the Bar­bariens in great hardines, and his hoste in greatte heuy­nes, his person in peryll, and his frendes in great suspect of his helthe. There was done to hym all the experience that coude be founde by medicins, as vnto great pryncis and lordes is accustomed. And all dyd him no profite: by reason the maladye was greuous, and themperour char­ged with yeres, and the ayre of the lande was contrarye to hym, and the tyme helped hym nothynge: and also he was not well intended. And as men of worshyppe do sette more by theyr honour than by theyr lyues, and had rather dye with honour, thanne lyue dishonoured, to assure their honour, they aduenture euery houre their lyues, and had leauer haue one houre of honour, than a. C. yeres of lyfe: So thus this sicke emperour, caused him selfe to be borne all about his campe, and went to see the scarmyshes, and wold slepe in the feldes: the which was not without great peryll of his lyfe, nor without great trauaylle of his per­son. Thus on a day the emperour, beinge in a great feuer and letten bloudde, harde a great clamour or noyse in the fielde: made by his men that had brought home great quā titie of forage, and theyr ennemies sette on theym, to res­cue it: there was medlynge on bothe parties, the one to beare away, and the other to defende: The Romaynes for hungre, dyd what they coulde, to beare it a waye: And the [Page] Hungaryens fro whense it came, made resystence: They medled so one with an other, and their debate was soo cru­ell, that there was slayne .v. capitaynes of the Romayns, the worst of them was more worthe, than all the fourage that they had won. And of the Hungariens were so many slayne, that all the fourrage that they had loste, was not so moche worth. Certainly considering the crueltie that was there done, the profyte that came therby, was very smalle to the Romayns, so that there went but a fewe away with the fourage, & of the Hungariens fewer was lefte to make resistence. The emperour seinge the yll order, and that by the reason of his bloudde lettynge and feuer, he was not present at that acte, he toke suche a heuynes at his harte, wherby he fell into suche a traunce, that it was thought he had ben deade: and so he lay .iii. nyghtes and two dayes, that he coude se no lyght of the skye, nor speake to any per­sone. The heate of his syckenes was greatte, and his pey­nes greatter, he dranke moche and eate lyttelle, he cowlde not slepe, his face was yelowe, and his mouthe blacke. Somtyme he lyfted vp his eies, & oftentymes ioyned his handes togyther: He spake nothynge, and syghed many tymes. His throte was soo drie, that he coulde not spytte: his eies were verye soore with sobbynge and wepynge. It was greatte compassion to see his deathe, and a greate plage of confusion to his howse, and also the very greate losse of his warre. There durste no manne looke vppon hym, and fewer speake to hym. Panutius his Secreta­rye, sorowynge at his harte, to see his mayster so nere his dethe, on a nyght in the presence of dyuers other that were there, he sayd to hym.

[Page 72] O Marcus mi lorde, there is no tongue that can be styll, nor any hart suffre, nor eies dissimule, nor wytte that can permytte it. My bloudde congeleth, and my sinewes dry, the stones openethe, and my sowle wolde passe forthe: the ioyntes vnioyne asonder, and mi spirites are troubled, bi­cause you take not the wyse and sage counsell, the whiche ye gaue to other that were symple. I see you my lord dye, and I oughte for to be soore displeased therwith. The so­rowe that I fele at my hart is, how you haue lyued lyke a wyse persone, and at this howre you do lyke a simple man. Tenne yere a knight gyueth meate to his hors, to thentēt that he shulde kepe him from peryll: and all that the wyse man studyeth for a longe season, oughte to be to passe his lyfe with honour, and to take his deth with great vertue. Ryght dere lorde, I demande of you, what prouffyte is it to the maryner to knowe the carde of the see, and after to peryshe in a tourment or tempeste? What prouffytte is it to a capitayne, to speake moche of warre, and after knowe not howe to gyue battayle? What profyteth it to a knyght, to haue a good horse, and to falle in the strete? What pro­fyteth it one to teache an other the playne waye, and hym selfe to wander asyde? I saye, what profyted it the force of your lyfe, that you estemed soo lyttelle, manye tymes see­kynge your deathe? And at this present howre, that you haue founde deathe, you wepe, bycause it wyll take away your lyfe? What thynges haue I written with myn owne hande, beinge your Secretarye, dyuysed by your hyghe and profounde vnderstandynge, towchynge the stroke of deathe? What thynge was it to se the letter, that you sent Claudine vpon the deathe of her husbande? what wrote you to Anthygone, whan your sonne Verissimus dyed? Wherin your vertue dydde consolate his heuynesse. What [Page] highe thinges dyd I write in the boke that you sent to the Senate, in the yere of the great pestylence: comfortynge them after the great mortalitie passed: therein you dydde shewe theym, howe lyttell men shulde sette by deth, & what profyte foloweth therby. And I haue seene and harde you blason dethe in your lyfe, and nowe you wepe, as thoughe you shulde lyue here styll. Syth that the goddis cōmande it, and your age requireth it, & your syckenes is the cause, and nature permytteth it, and fortune consenteth to it, and is the fatall destenie of vs all, than you muste nedes dye. The trauayles that come of necessitie, ought with a good courage to be abyden. For the couragious feeleth not soo sore the harde strokes, as the weake that falleth, or he be foughten with. You are but one man, and nat two: and ye ought to haue oone deathe and nat two. Therfore why wolde ye for one lyfe haue two dethes, enterrynge the bo­dy, and sleinge the spirite with syghes? After so many pe­rylles of longe lyfe to take a sure porte, wyll ye lyfte vp the sayles, and entre ageyne into the swolowe of the see, for to engloutte you? In the see you haue chased the bulle, and scaped his woodnes, and nowe ye refuse to entre into the parke, where you may surely slee hym. You make assaute with vyctorie of your life, and wyl dye atteynyng the deth. you haue foughte .lxii. yeres in the campe of myserie, and nowe you feare to entre into your sepulchre: you haue got out of the busshes and thornes, wherin you were closed: and nowe at this howre you stomble in the faire way: you haue had in certayne the domage of your death: and now ye put in double the profyte of your death: you ar entred into the campe of defyenge of the worlde: and nowe you wolde tourne your backe, whan it is tyme to putte your handes to armes .Lxii. yere you haue foughte agaynste fortune: and nowe you cloose your eies, bycause fortune [Page 73] wyl strike you. I say it, bycause that willyngly you refuse this present dethe, the whiche wyll cause vs, to haue your lyfe passed suspect. What do you, high and mighty prince? Why wepe you like a chyld? & why sigh you, as one in dy­spaire? if you wepe, bicause ye shal die, why dyd you laugh so moche in your lyfetyme? For of moche laughynge in the lyfe tyme, cometh moche wepyng at the deth. Wyl you do that you can not do? and not be content with that you may do. The grounde and pasture, that is common, you wolde ioyne to your owne, the renowme of the common welthe you applyed to your owne heritage. Of a subsidy or lone, you wolde make your perpetuall ryghte. I wylle shewe you who be deed. All be deed and shall dye. And amonge all other you wolde all onely lyue. Wyll ye haue that of the goddis, that they be goddis for? That is, by­cause you are mortall, that they make you immortall. And you to haue that by priuilege, which they haue by nature? I that am but symple, demaunde one thynge of you my lorde, that are auncient and wyse: whiche is the greattest or least welthe, to dye well or lyue yll? To lyue welle noo man can attayne certainely, for hungre, thirst, solitarines, persecution, yll fortune, sicknesses, and disfauours. This can be called no lyfe, but rather a deth. If an ancient man wolde make a shewe and booste of his lyfe, from the tyme of his birthe, to the layinge in his graue, and the bodye to shewe all that it hath suffred by dolours, and the harte to discouer all the strokes of fortune: I thynke, that the goddis wolde haue maruayle therof, and men wolde be abashed therof, that the body coude suffre soo moche, and the harte beare it. I holde the grekes wisest, whiche wepe, whan theyr children are borne, and they synge, whan an olde man dyeth: but the Romaynes synge at the byrthe of theyr chyldren, and wepe whan they dye olde. Certaynly [Page] to laughe at the deth of them, that die olde, sith they dye to laugh: and to wepe at the birth of chyldren, sithe they are borne to wepe, and that the lyfe abydeth the sentence of yl, proueth well, that the deathe is good. Wyll you, that I saye one veritie to you? I haue alwayes seene, that coū ­sell in the wysest man, sonest faileth him. Such as wolde gouerne al thinges, by theyr opiniōs, of necessitie in some, or in the moste parte, they do erre and fayle. O Marc my dere lorde, weene you, that haue caused to burye soo ma­ny, that some shulde not burye you in lykewise? As you haue seene the ende of theyr dayes, so other shal se the ende of your yeres. Therfore me semeth, it were better for you to dye, and to go your waye, to atteyne soo moche welthe, than to scape, and to lyue in so moche mysery. If you fele deathe, I haue no meruayle, sythe you be a man. But I meruayle, that you do not dissimule it, sythe you are dys­crete. They that haue clere vnderstandynge, feele many thynges at theyr harte, that putteth them to peyne, which they shewe not outwarde, for the presumption of honour. If al the poyson, that is in a heuy hart, were spred abrode in the weake flesshe by smalle greynes, noo walles shulde suffyse vs to rubbe, nor our nayles to scratche. For certainly the deathe is but a playe, wherin the player, if he be apt, aduentureth but lyttell, to wynne moche: and they that play, may se wel, that this is a wyly play, and not a strōg. And that also, as well they lese, that haue but a smal card, not fearyng dethe, as they, that with a greatte carde, loue long lyfe? What thinge is deth, but a trappe dore, wherin the tent is closed, in the whiche is solde, all the miseries of our life? This the goddis do change vs, fro an olde filthy house, into a newe. And what other thing is the sepulchre, but a castelle, wherin we be closed agaynst the assautes of the lyfe? Of trouth you ought more to couete, to take that [Page 74] you find at your deth, than the hurte of that you shal leue in your lyfe. I demand of you, what is it, that dothe you most peyne, in lesyng of the lyfe? If you peyn your self, for Helie Fabrice your wyfe, bicause you leaue her yonge, we­ry not yourself, for she is wel thought on in Rome, for any peryll of your lyfe. And as soone as she knoweth it, I am in certayne, she wyll not wepe moche, though you go your way. Thā you ought not to wepe, for leuyng of her. These yonge damoysels, maried to old men, haue euer their eyes fixed in the deth of their husbandes. And holly fasten their hartes on him, that they think, to mary with ageyn. They wepe with their eies, & laughe in their hartis. And thinke not contrary, though she be an empresse, and can not fynde an other emperour, to be her husbande, yet she wyll fynde some other man. For if they be soo determyned, they wyll change their robes of sylke, for a gowne of clothe. I dare well saye, they more desyre a yonge sheparde, than an olde emperour. If you care for your chyldren, whom ye muste leaue behind you: I can not tell, why you shuld do so. For if your deth be displeasant to them, moch more displeaseth them, y^t you liue so longe. It is great pein to the child, not to desire the deth of his father: For if he be poore, it is for feare, how they shuld be mainteined: if he be ryche, thā bi­cause he shalbe his heire. They synge, & you wepe, you fere the deth & wepe, bicause you leaue your life. Doo you not know, y^t after the night cometh the dewy mornyng: & after y^t cometh the bright son: & after y^e son comith a derk cloude, and after ageyn cometh faire wether, & after that cometh lightnyng & thonder: & than again clere aire? Also I say, that after infancy, cometh childhode, thā cometh youth, & age after that, and so at laste cometh deth, and after dethe, fearefull hope, of a sure lyfe. Sir, beleue me, in one thyng, The beginning, the meane, and the ende euery man hath. [Page] Certainly, if you had ben takē as the floure fro the herbe: if you had ben cut grene fro the tree, if you had ben graf­fed in primetyme: if you had ben eaten in the sowernes of the vyne: I meane, if in the fyrste youthe, whan lyfe was at the swetest, if dethe had come and knocked at the gate, ye shulde haue had cause to be sory: but as nowe, the wal­les are weake and redye to falle, and the flowre wythered, and the very putrified, the speare full of mosse, and canne not drawe the knyfe out of the shethe. Herein you haue de­sired the worlde, as if you had neuer knowen the worlde .Lxii. yere you haue ben prisoner in the dongeon of the bo­dy: & now whan the shakles or gyues shuld be taken from you, you complayne: you lorde wold make newe of other newes. He that thinketh it nat sufficient, to lyue .lxii. yeres in this dethe, or to dye in this lyfe, he wyll not be contente with thre score thousande.

¶Auguste the Emperour sayde, that after that men had lyued .l. yeres, they ought to dye, orels cause them selfe to be slayne, bycause that vnto that tyme, is the felycitie of man. He that lyueth beyonde that tyme, passeth his tyme in heuynesse, in greuous aches, deathe of his chylderne, and losse of his goodes, in importunities of his chyldren in lawe, buryenge of his frendes, susteynynge processe, payinge of dettis, and other infinyte trauayles: So that it were better, with his eies cloosed to abyde theym in his graue, thanne with his eyes open, to abyde theym in his lyfe dayes. Certaynly it is a fortune of all fortunes, and he is ryght priuie with the goddis, that at .l. yere, leaueth his lyfe. For al the time that he liueth after, is in decaying, and neuer vpryght, but rollyng, relynge, and redy to fall. O Marc my dere lorde, do you not know, that by the same way, that lyfe gothe, cometh dethe? It is .lxii. yere, that ye haue soughte the one from the other. And whan ye wente [Page 75] fro Rome, where as you lefte your howse, ye wente to Il­lirike, where you lefte a great pestylence: and nowe you are retourned into Hungarie. Do you not knowe, that as soone as you were borne, to gouerne the erthe, incontinent dethe issued out of his sepulchre, to fynde your lyfe? And if you haue honored ambassadours of the straunge kyn­ges, moche more ye oughte to honour deathe, that cometh fro the goddis. What lordshyp can be loste in this lyfe, but you shal fynde greatter in the death? Are you not remem­bred, whan Vulcan my sonne in lawe poisoned me, bicause he desyred my goodes more than my lyfe, howe you, my lorde, for loue that you had to me, gaue me comforte and counsell, for the deth of my sorowfull youth: and you sayd to me, the goddis were cruell, in kyllynge of them that be yonge, and pitiefull, whan they burie theym that be olde. And also you sayde to me, Comforte thy selfe Panutius: For if thou dydst lyue to dye, now than thou dyest to liue. Therfore right high and myghty prince, I saye to you, as you sayde to me: and I counsayle you, as you counsayled me, and that you gaue me, I gyue you ageyne. Fynally, of this repynge, take the best in worthe, & let the rest abide.

ANd as of the contentynge of the wylle, often­tymes procedeth helthe and ease of the body, the emperour was wel satisfied with the wor­des of Panutius, whiche he eloquently vtte­red, and with profounde counsell, hardily and familyarly, and in due tyme, as a good frende. Great cō ­passion it is, to them that wold die, whā it is shewed them, what they ought to do. For of them that be about the bed, [Page] somme robbe hym of his money, somme serue hym welle, some holde the place, to be his heire, some gape for gyftes, some wepe for losynge of hym, somme laugh for the gay­nes they haue by his death, and so in this maner the poore pacient, hauyng many, lokynge for their profyte, hath no body to counsel hym. We se dayly, that seruātes, whā they se the going out of the cādell of lyfe, care not for the clēsing of their lordes vyces. And therof cometh, that as sone as he is deed, streight way begynneth to stynke. And so I say, that the ende of his lyfe, is the begynnynge of his infamy. All they that were there, as well the olde seruantes as the newe, belongynge to themperour, capitaynes of warre, & other, were not a lyttell abashed, of the sayenge of Panu­tius, and they all allowed his sayinge, and sayde, he was worthy to haue the gouernaunce of thempire. The good emperour, all the season that Panutius spake, wept with depe sighes fro his harte. And bycause he was so sore gre­ued, he coude not forthwith giue hym an answere: At the laste he commanded Panutius, to giue him in writyng, al that he had sayd, to thentent that he myght studye theron. For he said, it was no reson, to forget thinges so well said. So all the rest of that night, the Secretarie occupied hym selfe, to put in writing the same sayinge: and the next day he delyuered it to themperour, whiche toke it, and looked theron all the day: and kept it styll in his handes, and oftē times redde theron, And the next nyght themperour sente for the Secretarie, & in open audience he said, as foloweth.

HAppy was the mylke, that thou suckedst in Dacie, & the bread, y^t thou diddest eate at Rome, & the lernyng, that thou haddest in Athenes, and thy bringyng vp in my [Page 76] hous. For in my lyfe, thou haste wel serued me, and at my dethe, thou hast well counsayled me. I commande Com­modus my sonne, to rewarde the for thy good seruice. And I pray the goddis, to recompence the for thy councel. The reward for diuers seruices a mā may make: but y^e rewarde for good coūcel, all the goddis had nede to do. The gretist reward, that one frend may do to an other, is in a great & weightie matter, to succour him with good councel. Al the trauailes of the worlde are weightie, but the trauaylle of dethe is the weightiest: all be perillous, but that is moste perillous: al ben great, but this is the grettest: al thingis haue an ende at last by deth, saufe only deth, whose ende is vnknowē. He that is hurte with deth, is as he, y^t is sicke of the sleping euill, hauing a quicke vnderstandyng, & yet he knoweth no man: & many thinges beinge offered to hym, he can determine vpon none. Yet againe I say, he is a true and faithfull frende, that in such time, wil giue good coū ­sel to his frend. All they that here this, that I say, wyl say, that it is true. But I sweare, that noo man can knowe it perfitely, but he that is in case, that I am in, redye to dye .Lxii. yere hath ben the cours of my lyfe, and nowe deathe commaundeth me, to close myn eies, & to folowe the cours of deth. Moreouer, as thou knowest not the infirmitie, so thou approchest not to the cure and helthe. The dolour is not there, as thou hast made defensiues, it is not the fistu­la, where against thou hast giuen cautere, it is not ageinst opilations, that thou hast giuen siropes, it is not in y^e vei­nes, y^t thou hast giuen me incision: Thou hast not wel he­led the wounde, that thou hast stitched me. I say, that thou must entre further in me, to knowe perfitely myne accesse. The sighes that procede fro the botom of my hert, can not be vnderstanden with heringe of them: the goddis alonly know y^e thoughtes of y^e hart. Also diuers thingis ar in me, [Page] that I knowe not of my selfe, noo more than that is with­out me. O Panutius, thou accusest me that I feare death. To feare it greatly, I deny it: but I confesse to feare it as a man. Of trouth, if I shuld say, that I feare not death, I muste deny, that I am not made of fleshe. We se, that the Olyphant feareth the lyon, and the beare feareth the oly­phant, and the wolfe fearethe the beare, and the shepe fea­rethe the wolfe, and the ratte the catte, and the catte the dogge, and the dogge the man, and all onely theyr feare is, that they drede to be slayne. Than if these brute bestes refuse deth, not fearynge the fyghtynge with furious spi­rites, nor the enioyenge with the goddes: Howe moche rather oughte we to feare the deathe? For we are in feare to be torne in pieces with the furies in theyr peynes, or to be receyued in pleasure with the goddes. Therfore I say, that the naturall feare of deathe, I haue ouer come with the bridell and lyberties of reason. Thinkeste thou Panu­tius, that I see not my grasse wasted, and my grapes ga­thered, that my house breaketh, and that I haue nothyng left, but the stocke of the grapes, the skynne of the flesshe, and but one onely blaste of all my lyfe? Thou seeste well, that by the tokens, the exercise is sene. And nettes be caste in the riuers, and in the parkes bulles bene chased. I saye that the rumour of deathe holdeth in sauetie the lyfe that is in me, at this houre redy armed agaynst dethe. I make batayle with deathe, at this houre barayne and naked of lyfe: and so redy to entre into the sepulchre: at this houre I shall entre in to the campe, where as I shall not be go­red with bulles, but shall be eaten with wormes: and fy­nally, I shal go, from whens I can not flee. Thus I hope abydyng deth. And this I say, bycause thou shalt knowe, that I knowe it, and that thou shalt fele, that I fele. And to the entent thou lyue vnbegiled, I wyll tell the a secrete. [Page 77] secrete. The nouelties, that thou hast sene in me, as in ab­horrynge of meate, bereuynge of slepe, liuynge alone, we­rynes of company, drownynge in syghes, and pastyme in wepynge: Thou mayste wel thinke, what turment ought to be in the see of my harte, whan suche tremblynges and motions of erthe and reynes are set in the erthe of my bo­dy. Shal I shew y^e, wherfore my body is in this thought, and my herte in suche trouble? The cause, why I suffre dethe soo greuousely, is that I leaue my sonne Commode in this lyfe, in a perillous age for him, and suspecious for thempire. By the floures the fruites are knowen, and the viues in burgenyng: by the colt the hors is knowen, whe­ther he shall be meke or stubborne for labour or cariage: & in the youthe the yonge man is knowen: and by the lytell that I se in my lyfe by my sonne Commode, I feare me, it wyll be lesse after my deth. Thou knowest not, why I say thus. And I say it not without cause: for my sonne Com­mode is very yonge, and yet yonger in wytte. He is of an yll inclination, but he be forced: he gouerneth hym selfe by his owne wytte and vnderstandyng, as thoughe he were a man of experince: he knoweth but lyttelle, and carethe for nothynge. Of the tyme passed he hath no knowledge: all onely he occupieth hym selfe with the tyme present. Fy­nally, by that I se with myn eies, and thynke in my harte, I feare me the personne of my sonne shall be in peryll, and the memorie of his fathers howse perysshe. Faustyne his mother hath fostred hym to delycately: and by a harde sto­ny grounde he hath a great way to go. He entreth as now alone into the pathe of youth without any guyde. I feare me he shall goo out of the ryght waye, and wander in the bushes and thornes of vices. O Panutius, harken what I say, I say it not without teares, thou seeste that my son remayneth ryche, yonge, and at libertie. Ryches youthe, [Page] solitarines, and lybertie ben .iiii. pestilences, that enpoy­sone the prince, and waste the common welthe: hit sleethe them that be a lyue, & infameth them that be deed. Beleue me one thynge, dyuers graces are requisite to susteyn di­uers vertues. With the fairest women the brothell houses are peopled, the mooste vilaynes are made ruffyens: the moste hardye are robbers in woddes: the quickeste of vn­derstandynge ofte proue fooles: and the mooste subtylle becom theues. I say, that such as are clothed with dyuers graces of nature, lacke the furres of accquired vertues. We may say, they hold in their handes a knyfe, wherwith they stryke and hurte theym selfes: fire on their shulders, wherwith they bren: and a corde about their necke, wher­with they hange: daggers at theyr stomacke, wherwith they are stayne: thornes at theyr feete, wherwith they are pricked: a stony way afore theyr eies, where they stomble, and stomblynge fall, and fallynge they lese theyr life, and wynne dethe. The great trees of whom we haue fruite in wynter, and shadowe in sommer, first be planted the rotes faste in the entrayles of the erthe, or euer theyr wauerynge boughes are aduentured in the wynd. Marke Panutius, marke well. The man that from his youth hath, set before hym the feare of the goddis, and the shame of men, is ha­bited in vertues: & he that accompanieth with them that be vertuous, mainteyneth trouth to euery mā, and liueth without preiudice of any man. Malicious fortune maye somtyme cleue the barke of the welthe of suche a tree, wy­ther the floure in his youthe, breake the leaues of his fa­uour, gather the fruite of his trauaylle, breake downe a bough of his offices, & bowe downe the height of his coū ­cell: yet for all the strokes that the wynde can strike, it can not be plucked vp by the rote. Certaynely the sonne that the father hath endued with graces, and the sonne appli­enge [Page 78] hym in vices, ought not to be borne in this worlde: & if he be borne, to be buried quicke. For the fathers sweate by day, and watche by nyght, to leue honour to their chil­dren, whiche the fathers bye of the goddis with sighes, & the mothers delyuered of them with peyne, and bring thē vp with trauayle: and the chylde proueth so, that he giueth greuous age to the father in his lyfe, & great infamy after his death. I consider wel, that the prince Comode, beinge yonge and I olde, ageynst his wyl, forbare vyces, & I fere me, that after my deth, he wyll hate vertues. I remēbre di­uers of his age, haue inherited the empire, whiche were so hardy in their lyues, that they deserued to be called tyran­tes after their dethes. Exāple of Denys, renoumed tyrant of Sycill, whiche hired theym that coude inuent vices, as our Rome rewardeth them that conquere realmes. What greatter tyranny can be in a tyrāt, than to make most pri­uie to him, thē that be vicious? Also I forget not the foure kinges, that succeded after great Alexāder, as Ptholome, Anthiocꝰ, Siluiꝰ, & Antigonus, whiche the grekes called great tirantis: all that Alexāder had gotten with renomed triūphes, they lost by their viciousnes. And in this maner the world y^t Alexāder had deuided amonge them .iiii. came to the handes of mo than foure .C. for Antigonꝰ set so litle by that had cost his lord Alexāder so moch, & was so lighte in his age, & so bolde in his realme, y^t in mockery in y^e stede of a crowne of gold, he ware a garlande of Iuie: & in stede of a scepter, he bare a thystle in his right hande: and after that maner, he wold syt amonge his men, & whan he spake to strangers. I lay shame to the yong man so to do, but I meruayle, that the sadde and wyse men of grece suffred it. ¶I remembre also Caligula the .iiii. emperour of Rome, a yonge man, in whose tyme it was harde to knowe, whi­che was the greatter, eyther the disobedience of the people [Page] to their lorde, or the hatrede, that the lorde bare to the peo­ple. And this yonge prince went so farre oute of the waye in his youthe, and was so farre wyde frome reason in his tyrannies, that euery man studyed, howe to take his lyfe from hym: & he studied to slee euery man. He wrote these wordes in a table of golde: Wolde to god, that all Rome hadde but one heed, to the entente that with one stroke, I myght stryke it of.

¶I also remembre Tyberie, sonne adoptiue of good Au­guste, called August, bycause he augmented Rome. But this good olde prince dyd not so moche augmente it in his lyfe, but this yonge successour distroyed it moche more af­ter his deathe. The hate that the Romayne people had a­gaynste Tyberie in his lyfe, was ryght welle shewed after his dethe. For the same day that he dyed, or whan he was slayne, the people made dyuers processions, and the sena­tours offred great gyftes in the temples, and the priestes offred gret sacrifices to their goddis, to thentent that they shulde not receyue the soule of the sayd Tiberie into their glorie: but to sende it to the furies of Hell.

¶Also I mynde Patrocle, the seconde kynge of Coryn­the, whiche enheryted the realme, beinge but .xvi. yere of age, and he was so vycious of his body, and so lyberall of his mouthe, that where as his father helde the realme .lx. yere, he possessed it but .xxx. dayes.

¶Also the auncient Tarquin the proude, the .vii. kynge of Rome, whiche was ryght goodly in gesture, ryght va­lyant in armes, and of a cleane bloudde, as an vnhappye prince, defyled al his vertues with noughtye lyuynge: in suche wyse, that he conuerted his beautie into lechery, his power into tyranny, for the villany that he did to Lucrece, the chaste lady of Rome, wherby he lost not onely his re­alme, but the name of Tarquine was banysshed for euer [Page 79] out of Rome.

¶I remembre cruelle Nero, whiche inheryted, and dyed yonge: & in hym ended the memorie of the noble Cesars: and by hym was renewed the memorye of Antygones the tyrantes. Whom thynkest thou this tyrant wolde suffre to lyue, whiche slewe his owne mother? Tell me I pray the, what harte is that of a chylde, to slee his owne mother, to open the brestes that he sucked, to shedde the blood of her that nouryshed hym in her armes, and to beholde the en­trayles, wherin he was fourmed? What thynkeste thou, that he wolde not haue done, sithe he commytted suche an yll dede? The day that Nero slew his mother, an oratour sayd in the senate, that Agrippyne his mother had deser­ued deth, for chyldyng suche a chylde in Rome. These thre dayes, that thou haste sene me so altered in my mynde, all these thinges came before me: and I haue drawen theym into the depenes of my harte, and disputed theym. This sonne of myn holdeth me in the gulfe of the see, betwene the wawes of feare, and the ankers of dispayre, hopynge, that he shoulde be good, bycause I haue nourysshed hym well, and fearynge, that he shulde be ylle, bycause his mo­ther Faustine hath brought hym vppe wantonly, and the yonge man is inclined to yll. And as ye se a thynge made by artyfice peryshe, and a naturall thynge laste: I am in great feare, that after my dethe, he wyl tourne that waye, that his mother hath chylded hym, and not as I haue no­rished hym. O how happy were I, if I had neuer a childe, to leue behinde me to be emperour? Then a childe myght be chosen amonge children of good fathers, and I shulde not haue ben troubled with him, that the goddis haue gy­uen me. Panutius, I demaunde one thynge of the, whe­ther thou callest moste fortunate, Vaspasian the naturalle father of Domitian, or els Nerua, the father adoptiue of [Page] Traian? Vaspasian was good, and Nerua verye good, & Domitian was of all other mooste cruelle, and Trayane the myrrour of all clemency. Thā regard, how Vaspasian in the fortune to haue chyldren was vnhappy, and Nerua in the mysfortune to haue chyldren was happy. I knowe not why these fathers desyre to haue children, sith they ben the occasion of so moche trauayle. O Panutius, I wyll say one thynge to the, as a frende to a frende (as thou kno­west wel we be in this worlde) I haue lyued .lxii. yeres, in whiche tyme I haue redde many thinges, and haue hard, sene, desired, atteyned, possessed, suffred, and rested moch, and nowe at this tyme I must dye: and of al thing I shal beare nothing away, bycause bothe it and I are nothyng. Great besines the hart hath to serche for these goodes, and great trauayle to come to them: but without comparison the greattest dolour is at the houre of the dethe, to depart and leaue them. What greatter disease can be to the body, than sodaynely to be surprised with ennemies? What pe­ryll of the see, or losse of frendes, can be egall, to se a ver­tuous man drawe to his deathe, to leaue the sweate of his face, the auctoritie of the empire, the honour of his per­sone, the company of his frendes, the remedye of his det­tours, the rewardynge of his seruantes? and to leaue it to a chylde, that hath not merited it, nor hath not the power to wyll to merite it.

¶In the .ix. table of the lawes were these wordis written: We cōmaunde and ordeyne, that euery father, who in the opinion of all men is good, shall disheryte his sonne, that is yll in euery mans opinion. Also euery chylde, what soo euer he be, that disobeyeth his father, or robbeth any tem­ple, or hurt any wydowe, so that she blede, flee fro the bat­tayle, or do any treason to a stranger, who so euer is found in any of these fyue cases, lette hym be banysshed for euer [Page 80] the habitation of Rome, and caste out fro the herytage of his father.

¶In good soth this lawe was good, and in the tyme of Quintus Cincinate, hit was ordeyned, and nowe by vs, whiche be vnhappy, it is cleane lefte and forgotten. Pa­nutius without doubte I am wery to speake, and also I haue suche an impediment in my stomacke, that I wante brethe: or elles I coulde shewe the all by order, if myne vnderstandynge fayled me not, howe manye Parthiens, Mediens, Assiriens, Caldiens, Indiens, Egypeyens, Hebrewes, Grekes, and Romaynes, haue lefte theyr chyl­dren poore, and myght haue left them ryche: and all was bycause they were vicious: and other chyldren that were very poore, were lefte ryche, bycause they were good and vertuous. I swere to the by the immortall goddes, that whan I came fro the warres betwene the Parthiens and Rome, and that the triumphe and glorye was gyuen to me, and my sonne confirmed to be emperour: I wolde the Senate hadde lefte me my sonne Commodus poore, with all his vyces, and that I hadde made the Senate heire and lorde to the empire: and to haue chastised hym to the exaumple of all the worlde. I wyll that thou knowe, I shall carie fyue thynges with me out of this worlde in­termedled, the whiche is great sorowe to my harte. The fyrste is, that I haue not determyned and iudged the ple [...] and processe of the noble wydowe Drusia, with the Se­nate, seinge that she is very poore, and hath noo bodye to doo her Iustyce: The seconde is, bycause I doo not dye in Rome, to the intente that I myghte cause to be cryed and proclaymed euery where in Rome, er I dyed, to wyte if a­ny complayned on me: the thyrde is, that where as I dyd slee .xiiii. tyrantes that vndyd the countreye, that I hadde not as well banyshed all the Pirates that kepte the sees▪ [Page] the fourth is, that I lefte my dere sonne Verissimus deed: and the .v. that I haue lefte alyue, as heire to the empire, my sonne Commodus. O Panutius, the greattest happe, that the goddis can giue to a man (not couetous but ver­tuous) is to gyue him renoume in his lyfe, & a good heire, to conserue him after his deathe. Fynally to conclude, I pray to the goddes, if I shall haue any parte with theym, that if by my sonnes offences, Rome be sclandred, and my renoume minished, and my hous lost by his life, that they wyll take a way his lyfe yet or I dye.

I Se you aunciēt fathers and noble Ro­mayns, and ryght faythful seruantes, take peyne and sorowe, for that I must yelde me to dethe, and leaue this lyfe, and treate with my sepulchre. Ye sorow for my sorowe, ye are tourmented with myn anguyshe, & peyned for my peyne: it is no meruaylle. For the clere vnderstandynge of the pure blod of true and faythfull frendes, is to double theyr trauayles, and to wepe for other: if one brute beast morne for an other, moch more ought one humayne creature to so towe for an other. And this I say, bycause I know by the teares of your eyes, the felynge of your hartes. And sythe that the greattest rewarde for any benefite, is to knowe it, and thanke the patie therof: as moche as I can, I thanke you. And if my weake thankes be not correspondente to your pitiefulle wepynge, I require the goddis, after they haue taken awaye my lyfe, to rewarde you for my duetie. It is greate pleasure for the familie to knowe their may­ster [Page 81] go with the goddis, and great peyne to hym to leaue them. For company of many yeres is loth to leaue the life. In my lyfe tyme I haue done with you as I ought to do, and as nowe I must do as I may. The goddis wyll take my sowle away, Comodus my sonne the empire, the sepul­chre my bodye, and ye my speciall frendes my harte. And sothly it is reason, that sith ye were in the lyfe my hartes, that it be yours after my deth. And in that I wyll speake more particular this nyght shall be our reasonnyng. Now my harty frendes ye se, that I am come to the ende of my laste iourney, and to the begynnynge of my firste iourney with the goddis. It is reason, that syth I haue loued you in time past, that ye beleue me nowe. For the time is come that ye can demande nothyng of me: nor I haue nothing to offre you: nor myn eares as now can not here flatteries, nor my harte suffre importunities: if ye neuer knewe me, knowe me now. I haue ben he that I am, and am he that hath ben, in tymes paste lyke vnto you, some what: nowe ye se I am but lyttell, and within a lyttell whyle I shalbe nothynge. This daye shall ende the lyfe of Marke your frende, this day shall ende the lyfe of Marc your parente, this day shal ende the fatal destenies of Marc your lorde, this day shal ende the seignory of Marke your emperour, and this day shall ende his empire. I haue vanquysshed many, and nowe I am ouercome with deth: I am he that hath caused many to dye, and I can not as now gyue my selfe one day of lyfe: I am he that hathe entred into cha­riottes of golde, and this day I shall be layde on a biere of wodde: I am he, for whome many haue songe meryly, and this day they wepe: I am he that hath had company in all exercites, and this day I shall be gyuen to hungrye wormes: I am Marcus greatly renoumed, that with fa­mous triumph mounted into the high capytolle, and this [Page] day with forgetfulnes I shall discende into the sepulchre. I see nigh with myn eies, that was farre hyd in my harte. And as the goddis be fauourable to you in this worlde, & equalle and fauourable to me in an nother worlde, as my fleshe neuer toke pleasure to passe this lyfe, but my harte was sodaynly taken with the feare of death: than take no peyne for me, for eyther I muste see the ende of you, or you of me. I yelde great thankes to the goddis, that they take away this olde persone to rest with theym, and leaue you yonge for to serue in thempire. For there is no compa­ryson for to speake of dethe to the lyfe, nor to eschewe the deathe at the houre therof. And yet I wylle not denye, but I do feare dethe, as a mortal man. Whan the lyfe passeth, there is no prudence in a prudente, nor vertue in a vertu­ous, nor lordshyp in a lorde, that can take away the feare of the spirite, nor peyne of the flesshe. Atte this tyme the sowle and the fleshe are so combyned and so conglutinate togyther, and the spirite with the bloude are soo annexed, that the separation of the one from the other is the mooste terrible, and the last terrible of all terriblenes. Certaynly it accordeth vnto good reason, that the sowle departe do­lorously, leauyng the fleshe vnto wormes, and the bodye as enuious to se the sowle go and sporte with the goddis. O what lyttell thoughte we take in this lyfe, vntylle we falle grouelynge with oure eies vppon deathe. Beleue me, Sythe I haue passed from whens ye be, and haue ex­perimented that ye doo se, that is the vanities of vs that are vayne, is so agreable to vs, that whanne we begynne to lyue, we ymagyne that our lyfe wylle endure a holle worlde: and whanne it is ended, it seemeth vs to be but a puffe or a blaste of wynde. And bycause than sensualitie peyneth for sensibilitie, and the flesshe for the flesshe, rea­son guyded with them that be mortall tellethe me, that it [Page 82] peyneth not with the departynge. If I haue lyued as a bruetbeast, it is reason that I dye as a discrete man ought to do. I dyenge, this day shal dye all my sickenes, hungre shal dye, colde shal dye, al my peynes shal die, my thought shall dye, my displeasure shall dye, and euery thynge that gyueth peyne and sorowe. This day the nyght shall be ta­ken away, and the sonne shyne bryghte in the skye: This daye the ruste shall be takem from myne eies, and I shall see the sonne clerely: This daye the waye shall be made smothe for to goo righte: this is, the daye shall ende the iourney, wherin I shall not drede the stayes of Fortune. I thanke the goddes immortall, that haue suffered me to lyue so clerely, and soo longe a tyme. This daye I shall haue an ende of al vnhappy destenes of enuyous fortune, and not they of me. Of trouthe if the goddis haue com­maunded my flesshe to be hydden in the sepulchre, and to be as mortalle: yet if they be iuste and doo well, they wyll make my renoume to be immortall, bycause I haue lyued well. Than sith I change this wery lyfe and company of menne, for the swetenes of the goddis, and the doubtes of fortune for this sure lyfe, and greate and continuall feare for perpetuall peace, and this ylle and naughty corrupte lyfe for good renoume and glorye, I thynke veryly this shuld be none yll change.

¶It is nowe thre score and two yeres sythe the erthe hath susteyned and fedde the erthe of my bodye: It is nowe tyme that the erthe knowledge me for her sonne, and I wyl also take her for my mother. Verely it is a pitiful mo­ther, that wylle nowe take me in to her entrayles for euer, sythe that I haue soo longe space troden her vnder my feete. And yet thoughe that I were as I am, for to be as she is, I am in certayne that she wolde kepe me surer a­monge her wormes, than Rome amonge the Senatours. [Page] And all though it be peynefulle to you, if it plese the god­des to haue it thus, no mā can excuse nor scape it. I shuld be right well eased, if this webbe were broken, and my possession taken in the Sepulcre. Than shulde I haue the fyrst thyng propre of myn owne, and perpetuall without any feare of lesynge therof. All thynges mortal, that mor­talle folkes haue, and the enuye of them that be enuious maye be broken, except the deth and the sepulcre, the whi­che are priuileged from enraged hongre of enuy. I se you wel, shedynge teres from your eies, and reise heuy sighes frome the depenes of your hartes. Wylle ye not that I shulde desyre deathe, sith the phisitions gyue me but thre houres of lyfe? and there are conteyned in me .iii.M. ye­res of peynes, the length wherof is a cyronisme of deathe. And all though our debilite be weake, yet for all that our honour is so sensible, that at the houre of deathe, the more that the bones dischargeth them of the fleshe, the more is the hart charged with thoughtes. In manner that whan the sinewes vntie them from the bones of the bodye, than newely they tye agayne a soore knotte to the herte. Nowe let vs leaue speakyng of that that to wchethe particularly my selfe, and speake we in generall of it that is conueny­ente to a yonge Prynce, and to you that are his tutours and maysters.

¶Ye se here my sonne Comodus only prince and heire, a­bydynge for the heritage of thempire: neyther for beynge good, that he meriteth praise, nor for being yl reprefe. For he hathe taken his naturalitie of the goddes, and his nor­ture among you. Dyuers tymes whan he was a chylde, ye toke hym in your armes, to thentente that nowe he is a man, ye shulde sette him in your hartes. Hytherto he hath taken you for his maysters: and nowe at this tyme, he muste repute you as his fathers. And whiles I lyued, ye [Page 83] helde hym for your prince in nourysshynge hym, for your emperour in seruing him, and as your parent in helpyng hym, and as your sonne in teachynge hym. Hytherto ye onely helde him charge, as father, mother, and maysters: he is nowe as a newe shyppe put this daye into the ryghte see, fletyng to the botomles swolowe, where as the sayles of prosperitie wyll make hym fall, and the rockes of vn­happynes wyll drowne hym. Than amonge so many vn­portunate wyndes and vnstable waters, there is greatte necessitie of good oores. Surely I am very sory for them­pire, and haue great compassion of this yonge prince, and suche as wolde his welthe, shall more bewaylle his lyfe than my dethe. For scapynge fro the see I se my selfe at a good sure porte, and vppon mayne lande, and leaue hym the sweatte and trauayle. For as yet he knoweth not howe to aduenture to sayle on the see: nor yet knoweth not whe­ther he shal abyde the age of my long experience, nor whe­ther he shall be a reasonable emperour or noo. But what shall sorowfull Rome do, whan it hath nouryshed a good prynce, and that fatall destenies maketh an ende of hym? or that by enuy of them that be yll he is slayne? or the cru­eltie of the goddes taketh hym away: or that the body by his owne propre handes be lyfte vp in suche wyse, that in the experiment of princes, al the life tyme parteth in be way­lynge of the youthe of yonge princes, and the grauitie of theyr aunciente princes passed. O if these princis beleued at the beginnynge of theyr empire, other kynges that are fayled in the world, howe they be taught when it is so im­portable for one man without charge to rule soo many re­almes, and he doinge nothynge but take theyr goodes, robbe him of his renoume, banishe theyr persons fro him, and he to ende his lyfe, and his subiectes augmente theyr sorowes: and sith he is but one, he can doo no more than [Page] one, though dyuers hope that he doth for all. Regarde in what mysaduenture a prince lyueth, whan the least villain in Italy thinketh, that all only for hym and on hym alone the prince setteth his eies. And sithe the worlde is so chan­geable, and the people so vnruly, the day that a prynce is crowned and exalted with a sceptre ryalle, the same daye he submitteth his goodis to the couetous, & all his estate to the semblaunce of other. Thus than in this the goddis shewe their power. For al the vnderstandinges are tacked to one free wyll. The semynge of all they codempne, and alowe but one. They giue the domination to one, and the subiection to many. To one they gyue the chastisemente of all, and not al to the chastisement of one. For the tast of many, they gyue meate but to one: the sauour wherof is swete to some, and sowre to other: to some remayneth the bone, and to some the fleshe: at the last some be drowned & other be hyndred, & at the ende al haue an ende. I wold de­mand of you that be moste familiar, what is the crowne of thempire, or the sceptre of golde, or the coler of perles or p̄ ­cious stones, or rubes of Alexāder, or vessel of Corinth, or chariottes of triūph, or what offices of Consules or dicta­tours are desired in change of their rest? for it is certaine, they can not attayn to the one, without lesing of the other. And this is the cause y^t there be yl mariners, & to hardy pi­lottes, for they fle fro the see to the lande, & fro the lande to the see. One thing I wil say, y^t is ageinst my self: euery mā hateth warre, & no man seketh for peace. Al sorowe for one that is angred, and none is cōtent to appeace: al wold cō ­mande, but none wil be commanded. This hath ben in the world passed, & now at this present tyme men be so light, y^t they rather chose to cōmand with peril, than to obey with rest. Seing that my dayes are diminished, & my sickenes augmented, suspectinge thā that I se nowe, whan I returned [Page 84] fro the warre of Sycill, I determyned to make my te­stament, the whiche ye may see here: Open and behold it, and therby ye shall se, howe I leaue you to be maysters of my son, yet in loue and fidelitie ye be to gyther all as one. Great peryll the prince is in, and the common welth in an yll aduenture, where as be many intentions amonge the gouernours. Certainly the princis are gloryous, and the people well fortunate, and the senate happy, whan all a­gree in one counsell, and that the counsaylers be auncient, and many of them, and all their intētions agree vpon one thinge. Whan this was in Rome, it was feared and dred of tyrantes, hauynge their consultations approued with iii.C. barons. And though their reasons were diuers, yet their wylles and intentis were al one for the comon welth. I desire and coniure you by the goddis, that ye be al fren­des in conuersation, and conformable in counsell. All the weake debilities in a prince may be suffred, except yl coun­sell: and al defautes of counsellours are tollerable, except enuy and yre. Whan the freting worme called a mothe, en­treth among them, it causeth peril in Iustice, dishonour to the prince, sclaunder in the cōmons, and parcialitie in the superiours. The counsaylour that hath his mynde ouer­come with ire, and his harte occupied with enuy, and his wordes outragious to a good man, it is reson that he lose the fauour of the goddis, his priuitie with the prince, and the credence of the people. For he presumeth to offende the goddis with yll intention, to serue the prince with yll coū ­sell, and to offende the common welth with his ambition. O howe ignorant are these princis, that take hede of suche herbes & venims that myghte poyson theym in their mea­tes, and care not for the poyson that they of theyr priuye counsayle do gyue them? Doubtles there is no cōparison, for the herbes and poysons can be giuen but on one daye: [Page] but the venym of yll counseyle is gyuen euery howre. Ve­nym is defended by the horne of an vnycorne, by tryacle, and otherwise by vomites: but the poyson of yll counsell hath no remedy, and lesse defensiues. And fynally I saye, that the venym gyuen by an enmy can but slee one empe­rour in Rome, but the poyson gyuen by hym that is moste priuye to euyll counsell, sleeth the emperour, and distroy­eth the common welthe. And where as euery vertuous prince setteth more by perpetual renoume than this fally­ble lyfe, ye beinge gouernours of thempire, and maysters to my sonne, they that owe hym yll wyll haue not so moche power ouer his lyfe, as ye haue vpon his renoume. Therfore if he be awaked by his enmies straungers, moche ra­ther he ought to be awaked amonge his domesticall fren­des. One thynge I commaunde as to my seruantes, and I desyre you as my frendes, that ye shewe not your selfe so priuie openly, as ye be in secrete: to thentente that some seme not as natural sonnes, and other as hired seruantes. He that is vertuous, ought to haue great regarde to the profyte of his lorde secretely, and to be meke of conuersa­tion with euery man openly, els his priuetie wyll not lōge endure, and the hate of the prince with the people wyl in­creace. Oftentymes I haue redde of our predecessours, and I haue sene it in the present Romaynes, whan many holde with one, that one holdeth but lyttell with dyuers, and lesse with many, the which kepeth their wylles as far of, as the persons be nigh. And sith the ylnes of the time, and vnstablenes of fortune neuer leauethe any thynge in one case, but all is as in maner of a dreame: the most sure purchase is to flee fro peril, for then whā the princes haue passed their pleasures entermedled in trauayles, they ser­che for many, and fynde not one. Therof cometh, that one present for feare wyll withdrawe hym, and an other out of [Page 85] fauour and absente, wyll not come. I wyll shewe you one thynge, the whiche you shal alway putte in my sonnes me­morie: They that in our trauayles haue determyned of a long season to apply them, we ought to wynne theyr good wylles. The wyly labourer in one yere laboureth to gette cornes togyther, and in an other yere he soweth and gade­reth. Be not to presumptuous, for the presumption of an auncient prince, fordoth the auctoritie of the yonge prince: yet for all this dispaire nor rebuke hym not to moche: For the lacke of maners in the state of a lorde engendreth vn­shamefastnes in hym, and boldnes to the seruant. I haue lefte in my testament the prince Comodus for your sonne, and you for his fathers. But I wyll and commande, that euery man knowlege him to be their lorde, and to be at his commaundemente. And ye my other seruantes and subie­ctes to be in his obedience, and in all his highe besynesses to be wel guyded as his frēdes and louers. Iustice ought to be sene to, by wise oratours, accordynge to the opinion of you that be his gouernours. And alway the determina­tion to be doone by the prince, whiche is lorde of all. One counsell I wyll gyue you (and if you finde it yll, blame me afore the goddis) wherby the empire of my sonne shall be stable and permanent in Rome, and your priuetie sure in his house, if your counselles be moued by reason, and his wyll ruled by your counsels. I desyre soore that ye be not couetous: and therfore I haue gyuen you dyuers gyftes and thankes in my lyfe, to take couetousnes frome you a­fore my dethe. It were a monstrous thyng and very dred­full, that suche as oughte to refrayne couetyse fro straun­gers, to haue their owne handes open for their owne pro­pre lucres. The vertuous priue men, ought not to doo all the yl that they may, nor to desire all that they may atteyn vnto, to the intente that the prince gyue theym soo moche [Page] goodis for the profite of their howses, as peyne and enuy of the people to their persones. And as in meane shyppes men scape best in a meane see, sooner than in great carrac­kes in the wawes of the rorynge and impituous sees: in lykewise suche as be in meane estate among them that be but meanly enuious, lyue more surely, than such as are set in high estate and priuitie beyng ryche, to be passioned a­monge ennemies, that disdainfully wold put them vnder. It is a notable rule amonge wyse men, and an infallible experience amonge them that be good, and I thynke that by herynge therof the yll shall knowlege it: The glorie of one amonge great men maketh stryfe, suspection in them that be egall, and enuy amonge them that be meane. One thinge, that they that gouerne well, ought to haue, is ly­beralitie. The lesse ye be couetous, the more ye shalbe libe­rall. For with the rage of couetousnes the ryght of iustice is mynished. It is longe tyme syth I determined to gyue you the gouernynge of thempire, and the nourishynge of my sonne. And to haue prouided to haue giuen you large­ly of my goodes, to put the couetynge of other mens goo­des from you. I warrant you one thinge: if couetousnes be amonge you, and be enuyed of your neyghbours, you shall lyue in peyne, and your hartes shall be peyned with other mens besynesses, and your myndes shall be euer in suspecte. Than shal ye folowe the Iustice of other, where as ye shal se your owne propre welth. One coūsel finally I wyl gyue you, which I haue taken alway my selfe, Neuer commytte your honours to the myshappes of fortune: nor neuer offre your selfe to peryll with hope of remedy. For suspecious fortune kepeth alwayes her gates wyde open for peryl, and her walles ben high, & her wyckettes narow to fynde any remedy. And bycause I fele my selfe sore tra­uayled, I pray you suffre me to rest a lyttell.

THus a great parte of the night passed, and the day began to breake, and the life of this good emperour began faste to drawe to an ende: yet for all that he left not the remembrance of such thynges as shulde be ordered after his death. There were that tyme in the warre with him diuers right excellēt men senatours of Rome: and in al thinges he she­wed him selfe right wise, & specially he wold neuer haue a­ny vicious person in his house. He hadde euer in his com­pany .l. gentilmen knyghtes, and in eche of them he might haue put trust to gouerne Rome. Oftentymes this good emperour wolde say, that princis lyued more surely with the gadryng to them men of good lyuyng & conuersation, thā with tresure of money stuffed in theyr chestes. Vnhap­py is y^t prince, that estemeth hym selfe happy to haue his coffres ful of tresure, and his councell full of men of yl ly­uyng. These malicious and yll men make princes poore: and a perfyte man suffiseth to make a holle realme ryche. Surely this emperour sayde well. For we do se daily, that what the father hath gotten in fiftye yeres, the son lesethe in halfe a yere. Than chusinge amonge many a fewe, and of fewe to take the best, this emperour appoynted out .vi. notable barons: Thre of thē to be maisters of his son, & .iii. to be gouernours of thempire. One was called Partinax, whiche after was emperour: an other was called Pompe­iano, husbād to his doughter, as sure in coūcell as he was aged in yeres: The .iii. Gneo Patrocle of the ancient stock of the Pompeies, whiche was no lesse clene in this liuing than his heares were white: The .iiii. was called Andrisco [Page] which in goodlynes of his gesture, highnes of body, ver­tue of courage, and wysedome in conscience, none was e­gall to him in Rome: The .v. was named Bononius, whi­che at that tyme was consule, and in the aunciente lawes very expert: The last was called Iuan Varius the good, and he was called the good, bycause that in .lx. yere neuer man sawe hym do any yll workes, nor harde hym speake any ydel worde, nor do any thynge but it was profytable to the common welthe. Though in case they were al egall in gouernynge: yet I say these laste thre were princypall. For Iuan Varius particularly was left to be chiefe capi­tayne of the armye, and to hym was delyueted al the trea­sure, and the testament was put into his handes: and with sore weping the emperour recommended to him the prince his sonne. Than whan the peine of his sicknes encreaced, and that he loked for the houre of his deth, he comaunded to awake his sonne Comodus, whiche without any care was faste a slepe, and whan he was brought into the pre­sence of his father, it was greatte pitie to se the eien of the olde emperour soore discoloured with wepynge, and the e­ies of the sonne allmooste closed with slepynge: the sonne was wakynge with small thoughte, and the father coulde not slepe for great thoughte and peyne. And whan he was in his presence, seing the lyttell care that the sonne toke for the deth of his father, and consideringe the great desire of the father for the good lyfe of his sonne, it moued to pitie the hartes of all the great lordes that were there, noo lesse to leaue the company of the good old man, than the annoyance of the dealynge of the yonge prince. Than the empe­rour sayde to his sonne these wordes.

[Page 87] VNto thy maisters and my gouernours I haue shewed howe they shall counsel the: and nowe my sonne at this houre I say to the, howe they (thoughe they be but a fewe) all for the alone shal gouerne: and it is not to be taken in smal estimation. The mooste easyest thynge in the worlde is to giue councel to an other: and the moste hardest and hieste thinge is a man to take it for him selfe. There is none so simple a man but he may giue good councel, though there be no nede. And there is none so wyse that wyl refuse councell in tyme of necessitie. I se one thyng that al take coun­sell for all, and at the laste take it for hym selfe. Sonne I thinke accordynge to my heuy fatall destenies, and thyne yll customes, that one thinge shall not profite the, that is, if the lyttell goodnes that thou hast done was for feare of me in my lyfe, that thou wylte doo lesse whan thou haste forgotten my dethe. I do more nowe for to satisfie my de­sire and the common welth, than for any hope that I haue of the amendement of thy lyfe. There is not a worse com­playnt, than that a man holdeth of him selfe. If thou my sonne be yl, Rome wyl complayne to the goddis, that they haue giuen the so yll inclinations: They wyll complayne of Faustine thy mother, that hath brought the vp so wan­tonly: and they wylle complayne on thy selfe, that thou doste not refrayne the from vices: and they shall not com­playne of thyne olde father, that hath gyuen the so many good counselles. I am in certayne, thou hast not so great dolour to see the ende of this nyghte, and the ende of my lyfe, as thou hast pleasure to se the day that thou shalte be emperour: and I haue no meruayle, for where as sensu­alitie reigneth, reason is put asyde. Dyuers thynges are beleued bycause they are not knowē certainly. O how ma­ny thynges of trouthe ben there, that if they were knowen [Page] truely they shulde be lefte. But we ben so doubtful in eue­ry thing, and go about our businessis so variably and in­constantly, that somtyme our spirites breake the purpose, and an other tyme they rydde vs not of trouble nor hyn­drance. I saye we be so swyfte to do yll, that sometyme we lese by a carde of the moste, and to do wel we be so dul, that we lese by a carde of the leste: and at the laste we doo no­thing but lese. Sonne I wyl aduertise the by wordes, that I haue knowen in .lxii. yeres by long experience: and syth thou arte my sonne and yonge, it is reason that thou be­leue hym that is thy olde father. As we princes are regard of all men, and regarde all men, and are regarded of al o­ther, this daye thou doste enherite thempire of the worlde and the courte of Rome. I knowe well there be inowe in the court of princis, that knowe nothyng what is to make them selfe of worthynes, and to maynteyn them self amōg so many trūperies as are treated in the houses of princis. I lette the to witte, that in the courte is auncient parciali­ties, presente discentions, feareful vnderstandynges, eui­dente wittenesses, entrayles of serpentes, tongues of scor­pions, many detractours, and fewe that seke peace: and where as all men shulde harken to the comon voyce, euery man sercheth his owne proufite. Euery manne sheweth a good pretence, and all are occupied in yll workes: In su­che wyse that some by auarice lese their good fame, and some prodigally spende and waste all theyr goodes. What shulde I say more? In the courte euery daye the lordes chaunge and after the lawes, awake stryfes, and reyse noyses, abate noblenes, exalte the vnworthy, banysshe in­nocētes, and honour theues, loue flatterers, and dispraise theym the whiche be vertuous, they embrace delites, and treade vertue vnder their fete: they wepe for them that be ylle, and laughe to scorne theym that be good, and finally [Page 87] ly they take all lyghtnes for theyr mother, and vertue for theyr stepmother. And my sonne I say more vnto the, The courte, the whiche thou shalt enherite this day, is nothing but a shoppe with waares, and a howse of va [...]aboundes, wherin somme selle vyle and corrupte thynges, and other byelyes, some haue credence, and somme haue renoume, somme haue goodes, and some haue lyuynge, and all to­gyther is but losse of tyme: and that worste of all is, they wyll not beleue the poyson therof, tyll it be at theyr hartis, they are so foolyshe and sturdy. Rome hath very hye wal­les, and the vertues is very lowe: Rome vaunteth it selfe to be very stronge in nombre of inhabitauntes, and after­warde Rome shal wepe that there is more people than vertue, and vyces are not accompted. In a monethe a manne might recken all the stones of the proude edifyces, but in a. M. yeres he myght not comprise the malyces of his yll customes. I swere to the by the immortall goddis, that in thre yeres I repaired all that was decayed in Rome, and in thirty yere I coude not refourme one quarter therof to good lyuynge. Good sonne beleue me, the great cities full of good inhabitauntes oughte to be praysed, and not the great edifices. Our predecessours haue triūphed on stran­gers as weake and feeble: and nowe they may triumphe on vs also, as menne that be more vanquysshed with vy­ces than any of the other. By the myghtynes and prowes­ses of our predecessours, we that be nowe, are greattely honoured and exalted: and by the smalle estimation of vs that be now, they that come after vs shall be greatly asha­med. Of a very trouthe it is a great shame to saye, and no lesse infamy to doo, that the goodnesse and trauayle of the auncientes shuld nowe be tourned and conuerted to folies and presumption. My sonne loke wel on thy selfe, that the reyne of thy youthe, and lybertie of the empire cause the [Page] nor to commytte vyce. He is not called onely free, that is free borne, but he that dieth within the same. O how well are the sclaues borne, that after their deth are free by their goodnes? & howe many haue died sclaues by their nough­tynes, that were borne free? There is fredome where no­blenes abydeth. The prowes of thy persone shal gyue the more hardines and libertie than thauctoritie of thempire. It is a generall rule, that euery vertuous man of necessi­tie is to be holden hardye: and euery vicious man of ne­cessitie is to be reputed a cowarde. Nowe boldely they be chastised that be noted with any vice, and coldely they be chastised that deserue chastisement. Let the prince be in a certayn, that the loue of his people, and the lybertie of his offyce, hath not wherwith to vpholde hym in armes spred abrode on the erth, without the dyuers vertues assembled in his person.

¶Certaynly Octauius Cesar subdewed mo nations by the renoume of his vertues, than dydde Gaius his vncle with his army of many men. All the worlde ioy of a ver­tuous prince: and it semeth that al the world ryseth ageinst a vicious prince. Vertue is a strong castell, and can neuer be wonne: it is a riuer where nedeth no rowing, a see that moueth not, a fire that quencheth not, a treasure that ne­uer hath ende, an army neuer ouercome, a burden that ne­uer werieth, a spie that euer retourneth, a sygne that ne­uer deceyueth, a playne waye that neuer fayleth, a syrope that healeth forthwith: and a renoume that neuer perys­sheth. O my sonne, if thou knewest what thyng it is to be good, and what a man thou shuldest be if thou were ver­tuous, thou woldest doo seruyce to the goddes, good re­noume to thy selfe, pleasure to thy frendes, and engender loue of straungers, and finally all the worlde shulde feare and loue the.

[Page 89]I remembre, that in the boke of yeres, of the battayle of Tarentyne, I founde, that the renoumed Pyrrhus, king of the Epyrothiens, bare in a rynge grauen these wordes: To a vertuous man, is but a smalle rewarde, to be lorde of all the erthe: and it is but a small chastisement to take a vicious mans lyfe fro hym.

¶Truly it was a worthy sentence of such a prince. What thinge is it, be it neuer so difficile, begonne by a vertuous man, but there is hope to haue a good ende therof. Soth­ly I haue sene in dyuers parties of myn empyre, dyuers men very darke of good fame, very lowe in goodes, and vnknowen of their kynne and bloud: vndertake so great thynges, that to my semyng, it was a feareful audacitie to begynne: And yet by the wynges of vertue all onely they haue had good renoume at the last. By the immortal god­dis, and as the god Iupiter bryng me in his mancion, and stablyshe the, in all that is myne. There were ones, a gar­dyner and a potter, dwellynge in Rome, whyche only by their vertues, caused to put tenne vycious senatours out of the senate, and the fyrste occasyon was, for makynge a hedge of thorne, and a potte, for the workemanshyp and labour whereof, the Senatours wolde not paye theym. I tell it the my sonne, bycause that vyce maketh a bolde per­sonne thoughtefulle, and vertue causeth hym, that is in thought, to take strengthe and boldenes. I was wel ware of two thinges in my lyfe, not to pleade agaynst the clere­nes of iustyce, nor to take part ageynst a vertuous person: For with vertue god susteyneth vs, and with Iustyce the people are well gouerned and ruled.

[Page] NOwe to come to thinges more particular. Se­inge sonne, that thou arte yonge, and that na­ture can not denye the: And as in all dyfficile thinges, ripe counselle is necessarie, no lesse to comfort thestate of our lyuing, we desire some recreations. For thy youth, I leue y^e with gret lordis chil­dren, with whom thou mayst passe the tyme: And to teache the, I leue olde Romains, that haue nouryshed the, & ser­ued me, of whom thou shalt take counsell. The inuention of interludes, of theatres, to fyshe in pōdes, to hunt wilde beastes, to course in the fieldes, to hauke for byrdes, and to exercise dedes of armes, are the thynges that thy youthe desyreth. And youth with youth ought to kepe companye, in doinge the same: But behold my son, that in orderyng of armies, to apply the warres, to pursue vyctories, to ac­cepte truce, to confyrme peace, to reyse tributes, to make lawes, to promote some, and dismisse other, to chastyse the yll, and recompence the good: in all these thinges, that be so chargeable, they that be of clere mynde, redy broken and trauayled of their bodies, & whyt heared, ought to be takē to coūsel the. And sith thou art yōge & lusty of body, reioyce & sport with them that be yong: & whan thou art emperor, than touching thy secrete affaires, take coūsel of them y^t be old. Beware my son of all extremities. For as yll may the prince be, vnder the colour of grauitie, to be rulyd by the ancient persones, as vnder the colour of pastyme, to kepe cōpany with yonge folkes. It is no generall rule, that all yonge persons shall alwayes be yonge and lyght, nor that all olde persons, shulde be always wyse. I am sure of one thynge, that if the yonge man be borne with foly, the olde man lyueth and dieth with couetyse. Therfore my sonne beware, be not extreme in extremities. For the yonge peo­ple wyll corrupte the with their lyghtnes, and olde folkes [Page 90] wil depriue thy mind with theyr couetousnes. What thing can be more monstrous, than a prince, that commaundeth euery man, to be commaunded of one? Sothely the go­uernyng of diuers, can not be gouerned wel by the opini­on of one alone. Than the prince, that gouernethe many, oughte to haue the intention and opinion of dyuers. ¶In the annales of the Pompeyens, I founde a lyttell boke of remembrance, the which great Pompeie bare al­way with hym: wherin were dyuers good counselles and aduertisementes, the which were gyuen in diuers parties of the worlde: Amonge the whiche, I founde these, wor­des: He that gouerneth the common welthe, and putteth the gouernance to them that are old, sheweth hym selfe vnable: and he that trusteth in youthe, is lyght: and he that gouerneth by him selfe alone, is hardy and bolde: and he that gouerneth by him selfe and other, is wise. These were notable wordes.

¶Than my sonne, determin the to take counsel, and spe­cially in high thinges and matiers of difficultie, and other wise let them not be determyned. For whan the counsaylle is taken of dyuers, than if any faute be, it shal be deuided amonge them al. Thoughe the determination myghte be done by a fewe, yet take counsel of many. Amonge all thy welthes, here the common counsel. For one wyl shewe the al the inconuenience, an nother the peryl, an other the do­mage, an other the profitte, an nother the remedye. And sette as well thyn eyes vpon the inconueniences, that they laye, as vpon the remedy, that they offre. Whan thou be­gynnest any harde mattier, esteme as wel the smal doma­ges, that may befall afore, and stoppe them, as to remedy the gret misfortunes, that come after. Of trouth the strōg and myghty shyppe ofte tymes for a smalle takynge hede of the pylotte, is sounken and drowned in a lyttell water: [Page] and an other shyppe, not so strong, with wise diligence, is saued in the gulfe of the see. Be not annoyed to take coū ­cel in smal matters euery houre. For many thinges forth­with require to be loked to, and in abydinge for councel, it endomageth. And that that thou canst dispatche by thyn owne auctoritie, without domage of the common welthe, put it not to any other person. For sith thy seruice al onely dependeth of thyn, the rewarde dependeth of the alone. ¶In the yere .vi.C.xxx. of the foundation of Rome, af­ter the cruell warres done ageinst the kynge of Numedie, the day that Marius triumphed, without puttyng of any of the riches, that he brought, into the common treasury, he deuyded it to his men of warre. And whan he was ther­fore accused, and asked, why he toke not firste the opinyon of the senate: He aunswered and sayde: Sythe they toke not the opinion of other, to do me seruice, it were no reson, that I shulde take councell of other, to rewarde and recō ­pence them.

¶Son, yet I wil aduertise of other thinges. Perad­uenture some wyll gyue the counsell, er thou demaund it: In that case kepe this general rule: neuer abide the second counsell of a man, if he haue giuen the counsell before in the preiudice of an other. For he offreth his wordes in thy seruice, to bringe the besynes to his owne profyte. O my sonne, there are many thinges to knowe a man. Xv, yere I haue ben senatour, consule, censure, capitaine, and tri­bune: and .xviii. yeres I haue ben emperour of Rome, and diuers haue spoken to me, in preiudice of other, and many mo, for their own profite, and none haue spoken clerely to me, for the profite of other, nor for my seruice. Great com­passion oughte to be taken of princis: for euery man folo­weth them for theyr owne profite, & none for loue and ser­uice. One counsell I toke for my selfe, all the whyle that [Page 91] I haue gouerned Rome: I neuer kepte man in my house, after that I knewe hym hatefull agaynste the common welthe.

¶In the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi.C.lix. of the Olympiade .C.lxviii. Lucullus Patricien, greate frende to Sylla, goynge to the warre of Methridates, It chaun­ced, that in Tygoano, a citie of Caldiens, he found a plate of coper or brasse, vpon the kinges gatis, wherin were certayne lytters, whiche they sayde were grauen there by the commandement of Alexander the great: The letters were in Caldee, conteynyng these sentences, That prince is not wyse, that wyll holde his lyfe in peryll, and wil not assure his lyfe and state with the loue of all men: That prince is not vertuous, that in giuinge moche to one person, wyl­leth all other to haue but lyttell: That prince is not iuste, that wyll satysfie more the couetise of one person, than the voices of all men: That prince is a fole, that dispyseth the councell of all other, and trusteth all onely vpon the opinion of one: And finally that prince is to bolde and hardye▪ that for the loue of one, wil be hated of all other. ¶These were wordes of eternall memorye. And in dede these princis, shulde haue this always in theyr presence. Sonne yet I shal say more to the. This Lucullus Patri­ciens brought into the Senate, al the tresure that he had, and this plate, with the sayd wordes theron, to thentente that they shulde chuse the one, and leaue the other. And the senate refused all the treasure, and toke the counselles written theron.

[Page] I Haue shewed, lyke a father, the thynge that toucheth thy welth: Nowe I wyll shew the, what thou oughtest to do after my death, for my seruice. Those thynges, that I haue lo­ued in my lyfe, if thou wilte be sonne to thy father, esteme them after my dethe. Fyrste my sonne I re­commende to the, the worshyppynge of the temples, and the reuerence of the priestes, with the honour to the god­dis. So longe shall the honour of the Romayns laste, as they perseuer in the seruice of the goddis. The realme of the Carthaginens perished not, bycause they were not soo riche, or more cowardes than the Romayns: but bycause they loued their tresors to moch, and were but yll worship­pers and louers of the temples. My sonne, I recommend to the Helia, thy stepmother, & remembre, that though she be not thyn owne mother, yet she is my wyfe: and on the peyne of my cursyng, suffre not, that she be yl intreted. For the domage that she shuld suffre by thy cōsent, shuld gyue euidence of the smal thought, that thou takest of my deth, which shulde be an iniury to thy life. I haue left to her the tributes and reuenues of Nostie, for to maynteine her de­gre: and the gardens of Vulcan, which I caused to make for her recreatiō. And if thou take it fro her, thou she weste thyne ylnesse. And to suffer her to enioy it, I commaunde the by thyne obedience, and to shewe her thy bountie and largesse. Remembre, she is a Romain, yong, and a widow, of the house of my lorde Traian, and howe she is thy mo­ther adoptife, & my naturall wyfe: wherfore I leue her vnder thy recōmendation. Also I cōmyt to the, thy breterne in law: & thy sisters, my doughters. I leue them al maried not to straunge kynges, but to the natural inhabitauntes and citesens of Rome. They dwel all within the walles of Rome, where as they may do the seruice, and thou mayst [Page 92] do thē good. Son, intrete them in suche wise, that though their good father be deade, yet let them haue fauour. And though they se their brother emperour of Rome, yet let thē not be defouled. Womē be of a ryght tender cōdition, they wyll complayne for a smalle cause, and for lesse they wylle ryse vp in pride, thou oughtest to conserue theym after my deth, as I haue done in my lyfe. For otherwise their con­uersation shulde be fekyll to the people, and importunate to the. Also I cōmit to the, Lipula thy sister, that is amōge the virgins Vestales. Thinke, that she is doughter of thy mother Faustin, whiche I haue greatly loued in my lyfe, & vnto the houre of my death, I haue lamented hers. Euery yere I gaue to thy sister .ii.M. sexters, for her necessities: she had ben as well maried as the other, yf she had not be brent in the vysage: whiche was estemed of euery man an yl aduenture, and specially of her moder, that wept alway for her. But I esteme that yll aduenture, a good fortune. For if she had not ben brent in the face with fire, she had in the worlde, as touchyng her renome, be brent with diuers tonges. Son, I swere to the, that for the seruice of the goddes, & the fame of men, she is more surer with the virgins in the temple, than though she were in the senate, with the senatours. I deme, that at the ende of the iourney, she shal finde her self better at ease, closed and locked in, than thou with all thy libertie. In the prouynce of Lucany, I haue lefte for her, the .ii.M. sexters: I wyll not, that thou take them fro her. Also I cōmytte Drusia the wyddowe to the, which hath layd a great proces against the senate, bycause y^t by motions afore passed, her husbande was banished: I haue great compassion of her: for it is thre monthes, sythe she put, in her demande, and bycause of my great warres. I coude not declare her iustyce. Sonne, thou shalte fynde it trewe, that in .xxxv. yere, that I haue gouerned Rome, [Page] there was neuer wydow, that helde her processe before me, passynge .viii. dayes. Take compassion of suche. For wo­mennes necessities are right peryllous, and at the laste, yf their besynes be longe in hande, they recouer not so moche of theyr goodes, as they lese in their renowme. Also haue compassyon of poore men, and the goddis shall rewarde the, with great ryches. Also I commytte to the, my aunci­ent seruantes, to whom my longe yeres and cruel warres, my often necessities, the displeasure of my bodye, and my longe syckenesses, hath ben right paynefull. For they, as true seruantes, to gyue me lyfe, haue taken peyn vnto the deth. It is reason, that syth I haue taken their deth, that they inherite parte of my lyfe. One thing I holde for cer­tayne, In case that my bodye abyde in the sepulchre with wormes, yet I shall alwayes, before the goddis haue re­membraunce of them. In this doinge, thou shalt do as a good chylde, to satisfie them, that haue serued thy father. Take hede my son, euery prince, doinge Iustice, acquireth ennemies in the execution therof. And this is done by thē, that are mooste nere to hym. For the more priuie they are with the prince, the more hatefull they are to the people. And though euery mā loueth Iustice in generall, yet they all hate the execution therof in particular. Whan a iuste prince is deade, the people take vengeance of the vniuste seruantes. Whan thou were a chylde, my seruantis nory­shed the, to the entent, that thou shuldest susteyne them in their age. Surely, it were great shame to the empire, an of­fence to the goddis, an iniurie to me, and an vngentylnes of the▪ that thou hast foūde them .xviii. yeres, with their ar­mes abrode to halse the, that they shulde finde one day thy gates shet ageinst them. These thinges I cōmit to the par­ticularly, kepe them alway in memory. And sith I remem­bre them at my deth, cōsider how I loued them in my life.

WHan the emperour had ended his said recom­mendations, the daye began to sprynge, and his eye stringes began to breke, and his tonge faultred, and his handes shoke. Than the said happy emperour, felynge that weakenes be­gan sore to drawe aboute his harte, he commaunded Pa­nutius to go into his study, and to brynge to hym a coffre that was there. And whan it was brought to his presence, he opened it, and toke out a table of thre fote broode, and two fote longe, it was of wood Lybanus, & rounde about garnished with vnycorne. It was closed with two leaues, subtylly wroughte of a red wood, that some sayde was of the tree that the Phenyx bredeth in: and is called Rasyn. And as there is but one byrde Phenix bredyng in Arabie: so lykewise there is no mo trees in the worlde of the same kynde. On one of the outwarde parties of the table was pyctured & grauen the god Iupiter: on the other the god­desse Venus: In the inwarde partyes of the Table that shette, was pictured god Mars, and the goddesse Ceres: In the principall of the sayd table was pyctured a Bulle subtylly wrought to the quycke, and vnder that a kynge was pyctured. The whiche payntures were sayde to be of the handy warke of the expert Appelles an ancient worke man in payntynge. Than the emperour toke the table in his hande, and with great peyne, he sayd: Thou seest my sonne Comodus, how I am al redy scaped from the trap­pes of fortune, and am enterynge into the heuy aduentu­res of dethe. I wote not why the goddis haue created vs, syth there is so great annoyance in our lyfe, & so great pe­rylle at our deathe. I vnderstande not why the goddis [Page] haue and vse so great crueltie to the creatures .Lxii. yere I haue sayled with great trauayle through the great pe­rylles of this lyfe: and at this howre I am commaunded to take lande and discharge me of my flesshe, and to take erthe in the sepulchre. Nowe vntyeth the lyuely thredes, nowe vndothe the spyndel, nowe ryueth the webbe, nowe endeth my lyfe. Nowe am I awaked from the slepynge e­uyll: remembrynge howe I haue passed my lyfe, I haue no more desyre to lyue. And in that I knowe not whyche way to go, I refuse dethe. What shall I do? I am deter­myned to put me into the handes of the goddis wyllyng­ly, sythe I muste do so of necessitie. Whome I require, yf they haue created me for any goodnes, not to depriue me fro them for my demerytes. I am nowe in the laste gate: and to this howre I haue kepte the greattest and most ex­cellent iewell that I coude fynde in all my lyfe. In the .x. yere of myn empire there arose a warre agaynst the Par­thes: wherfore I determyned in myne own person to giue theym battayle. After that warre I came by the auncient citie of Thebes, for to see somme antiquitie. Amonge the whiche in a pristes howse I founde this table, the whiche as a kynge was reysed in Egypte, incontynente it was e­uer hanged at his beddes heed, and this priest shewed me, that it was made by a kynge in Egipte named Ptholome Arsacides, that was a vertuous prince. And in the memorie of him, and example of other, the priestes kepte it dily­gently. And sonne I haue kepte it alway with me: and I beseche the goddis, that such may be thy warkes, as ther­in thou mayst fynde good counsell. As emperour I leaue the heyre of many countreys and realmes: and as thy fa­ther I doo gyue vnto the this table of counsayles. Lette this be the laste worde, that with the empyre thou shalt be feared, and by this table thou shalte be beloued. [Page 94] This sayd, and the table delyuered to his sonne, the em­perour turned his eyen, and within a quarter of an houre he yelded the spirite.

¶Nowe to retourne to the sayd table and writing. There was written betwene the bulle and the kynge a scrowe in Greke letters, in maner of heroicall verses, conteynynge in our vulgar tonge thus: I neuer chose ryche tirant, nor abhorred the poore iust man. I neuer denyed Iustice to a poore man for his pouertie, nor pardoned a ryche man for his great goodes and rychesse: I neuer dyd good deedes, nor neuer gaue hyre for affection, nor gaue correction one­ly for the peyne: I neuer left ylnes vnchastised, nor good­nes without reward: I neuer commytted an other to doo Iustice that was clere, nor darke iustice I neuer determi­ned by my selfe alone: I dydde neuer deny iustice to them that demaunded it, nor mercy vnto hym that deserued it: I neuer dydde correction for angre, nor promysed any re­warde in my myrth: I was neuer charged with though­tes in my prosperitie, nor dispayred in myne aduersitie: I neuer committed yl by malic, enor any villany for auarice: I neuer opened my gates to flatterars nor dyssemblers, nor lystened myne eares to murmurers: I haue laboured always to be loued of them that be good, and to be dread and fered of them that be yll: And fynally I haue fauou­red the poore, that myght do but lyttell, and haue be fauo­red of the goddis that may do moche.

¶Hytherto is shewed brefely the worthy and lau­dable lyfe of the emperour Marcus Au­relius, and of his deathe.

And hereafter ensueth the seconde parte of this boke.