The second booke of the Garden of wysedome wherin are conteyned wytty, pleasaunt, and nette sayenges of renowmed personages collected by Rycharde Tauerner anno. M.D.XXXIX. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. — Garden of wysdom. Book 2

The second booke of the Garden of wysedome wherin are conteyned wytty, pleasaunt, and nette sayenges of renowmed personages collected by Rycharde Tauerner anno. M.D.XXXIX. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. — Garden of wysdom. Book 2

Table of contents

Title page

¶ Rycharde Tauerner to the gentle readers.

¶ Here foloweth the seconde boke of the gardē of wysdom conteynyng wytty and pleasaūt saienges of renoumed persons, selecte by Richard Tauerner.

¶ Of Achilles.

¶ Alfonsus kynge of Aragon.

¶ Of Athanasius.

¶ Sigismund Themperour.

Plotinus.

¶ Cyrus the elder.

¶ Artoxerxes.

¶ Orontes.

¶ Duke Memnon.

¶ The Egyptians.

¶ Of Cambyses.

¶ Of Darius kynge of the Persians.

¶ Of quene Semiramis.

¶ Of kynge Xerxes.

¶ Of Kyng Artoxerxes wyth the longe hand.

¶ Cyrus the yonger.

¶ Of Cresus.

¶ Of Amyntas and Alexander hys sone.

¶ Of kynge Scilurus.

Gelo.

¶ Of Hieron.

¶ Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus.

¶ Demosthenes.

¶ Of Cato the sage.

¶ The Table of the fyrst boke of the gardeyn of wisedome.

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[Page] The secōd booke of the Garden of wysedome, wherin are conteyned wytty, pleasaunt, and nette sayenges of renowmed personages collected by Rycharde Tauerner

Anno. M. D. XXXIX. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

¶ Rycharde Tauerner to the gentle readers.

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I Confesse my selfe a debtor unto you, gentle readers, in yt I promysed in my for mer boke to adde the secōd Assuredly, although I haue marked that thys argument of wrytynge is not ingrate vnto you, as well for the varietie of the matter, as for the sharpenes of the sentencies (for whyche consideration they were called of the Grekes Apophthegmata, that is to saye, shorte and quycke speakynges) yet for my sondry occupations wher wyth I am dyuersly interrupted, I shall not be able to make my promyse good, namely, in such sorte as I may satisfye, eyther youre expectation, or myne owne. Wherfore I muste desyre you, not only to pardon myn incondite and grosse phrase, on whych [Page] ye shal happen to stomble, but also to wynke at the cōfuse order herin. For ordre in thys boke, I protest, I kepe none, but accordynge to the prouerbe that fyrst commeth to the hande that I write. And thus fare you well, and se ye fauour myne honest endeuours.

¶ Here foloweth the seconde boke of the gardē of wysdom conteynyng wytty and pleasaūt saienges of renoumed persons, selecte by Richard Tauerner.

¶ Of Achilles.

A Chilles was asked of Aiax which were ye greatest & hardest labours yt euer he toke vpō him. He aunswered, those yt he susteyned for hys frendes. Againe [Page] Aiax asked him, whych wer the most pleasaunt labours, yt euer he suffered, He answered euen those same. Meanyng herby, that a noble and worthy personage adourned in dede with heroical vertues, brenneth with a certaine wonderfull desyre and luste, to further ye comon weale, with whiche desyre beyng pricked and inwardly, tickeled he valiaūtly ventureth vpon most hyghe and ieoperdous maters, nought regardyng his owne priuate weale, but his countreys vtilitie and benefite. Whē with this noble corage wyth this ardēt zele and stomake he is thus rapte, doubtles no thynge is sweater, then vpon thynges most diffycile and weyghtye to enter pryse and to go throughe in, euen as vnto a musicien nothyng can be more pleasaunte, then the moste connynge exercises of his arte

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¶ Alfonsus kynge of Aragon.

A Certayne knyght had ryottously & prodigally wasted al his patrimony & lādes which were very greate, and moreouer had indebteh hym selfe excedyngly moche. His frendes in the courte were suters to ye kynge for hym, yt at least hys bodye myght not be imprisoned for hys debtes. Alfonsus maketh them thys aunswere. Yf he had bestowed this so great ryches eyther in ye seruice of me hys prynce or vpō the cōmune weale of hys coūtrey, or in releuynge of hys kynsfolkes, I coulde heare your sute. Now syth he hath spent so great substaūce vpon hys body, it is mete, that hys body suffre for it. Let thys be a lesson to all prodigalities chyldren to plucke backe theyr fete betymes ere all be wasted, leaste yf they do not, [Page] they happē to be serued as this wyse gentylman was.

When he herd say, that a certayne kynge in Spayne shulde saye, that learnynge was not comly for princes and noble men, he made an exclamation and sayde, thys was neuer no mans voyce but an oxes. Assuredlye althoughe perchaunche all kynde of letters be not mete for prynces: yet the studye of Gods lawes, the politicall sciences, morall letters, and the readynge of Cronicles be so necessarye vnto them, that wythout these, it shalbe very hard for them, to furnysh and dyscharge the offyces whervnto they be appoynted.

He was accustomed to saye, that wedded persons may thus passe ouer theyr lyues quietly and without complaynynges, yf the husbande become deafe, and the wyfe blynde. [Page] Signifyenge, that womankynde is much subiecte to the sycknes of gelousie, wherof vndoubtedly springeth greate variaūce & playntes. Agayne, that the husbande is very sore noyed and greuen wyth the iangelyng and vnquiet tongue of the wyfe, whyche greuaunce he shulde lacke, yf he were deafe, nether shuld she be vexed wyth the suspicion to be made Cokequen, yf she wanted her eye syghte. But to this cōmoditie may wise mē & womē wythout detrimēt & blemishe of their bodye verye well atteyne, yf the husbande will not heare that he heareth, nor the woman see that she seeth.

This kyng Alfonse was wonderful courteouse and familier with all that resorted to his court. Wherfore on a tyme certayne hys specyall frendes coūsailled him to beware, least his ouermuche familiaritie myght breade [Page] him cōtempte, & of cōtempte myght ensue great peryll, and consequently destructiō to hys person. He aunswereth. Nay, it is more to befeared, least seueritie and roughnes gette vs the enuie & grudge of our comons whervpon hangeth a greater peryll of destructiō, than vpō gentle behauiour.

When one of hys knightes was alway crauynge somwhat of hym & neuertheles forthwyth lasshed out agayn what soeuer he receyued at the kynges hande: Uerely ꝙ the kyng, yf I wold cōtinue to gyue ye such thynges as thou askest, I shuld soner beggar my selfe than enriche the. For he that gyueth ye, doth nothyng els but poure water into a botōles tubbe.

Demaunded whom of his subiectes he had moste deare vnto hym, he answered, those that feare rather for me thā me. He meant, that those only [Page] be the hartye frendes, whyche rather loue theyr prince, then feare hym.

Also when he was asked whether he was more bound to his bokes thā to hys weapōs or armes, he aunswered: Out of my bokes I haue learned bothe armes and the lawes of armes knowlegyng by thys sayenge that he myghte impute all togyther vnto learnynge.

This Kyng Alfonse delited muche in his cognisaūce, which was a Pelecane diggyng her brest with her byll and launchinge out her owne bloude to fede therwyth her yonge. To thys picture he added thys inscriptiō Pro lege & pro grege, that is to say, for the law and for the flocke. Signifyenge, that a prynce ought with a noble courage to vēture vpō al daūgers, aswel for the defence of hys people as for ye auaūcemēt of true godlines & religiō.

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¶ Of Athanasius.

AThanasius was an inuincible defendour of ye catholyke trouth, whō because ye most pestilēt secte of the Arriēs coulde not ouercome wt scriptures & argumētes, they had cōspired to laye feloniouse crymes to his charge, & so to put hym down. Wherfore throughe their maliciouse suggestiōs they had so kyndled ye emperour Constācius agaynst this most godly bysshop, yt he strayght awarded out his cōmission vnto suche as they them selues named, to sytte vpon hym. Two principall crymes were layde to hys charge, the one was, that he had rauyshed a woman, the other, that he had cut of, a deade māsarme to serue for enchauntement. For the proufe of ye first, they had hired a womā, to gyue euidence agaynst hym yt he had [Page] rauished her. For the probation of the other crime, they had gotten one Arsenius sometime Athanasius lcctour, whiche for feare of the byshops chastenynge, whom he had offended was fled away from hym. Thys fugitiue Arsenius the Arrians had hyd out of mens syghtes for a good space to the intente it myghte be the better beleued that he were deade. Neuertheles thys Arsenius when he had learned througly what they had in hande agaynst his olde maister, whether he abhorred theyr detestable cō spiracye, or whether he was desyrouse by this occasyon to come in fauour agayne wyth hys byshop, pryuily by nyght sted his way out of the secrete place where he was hydden, and arriuyng at Tyre came to Athanasius, vnto whom he opened all the matter. Here this noble prelate as he [Page] was passinge holy, so also beyng of a ryght sharpe wyt (for accordynge to the Lordes commaundement he had ioyned the simplicite of the doue with the prudence of the serpent) he gaue Arsenius in commaundement to hyd hym selfe, tyll tyme he shulde be called forthe for the purpose. To be shorte, the councell is assembled, the commissyonred, the woman appeareth, the biere of a deade man to the terrible syght of all that were present is brought in, a dead mans arme cut of beyng layd vpon the biere, is shewed forth. Mens myndes were stryken at the syght herof with indignation and hatred. For who wold haue thought that these thynges had bene fayned, namely of prestes? The womā whiche had her lessō redy taught her before, beginneth to tel, how on a time she harboured this bishop athanasius in [Page] her house, and how in ye night season when she suspected nothyng les then any such matter, she was by hym rauyshed perforce. Athanasyus was brought forth to make aunswere to this accusatiō. Here Athanasius of an excedyng pregnaūt wyt, secretly warned Timothie his preste to coūterfeyt hym & make aunswere in his stede to the womā. For he perceyued ful well yt the womā knewe hym not so much as by syght. Whē she had ended her accusatiō, thē thus beginneth Timothie in hys maisters name Sayest thou, womā, I had euer carnally to doo with the & that also by force? Yea euen thou, ꝙ the woman, thou I say yf thou remembrest in suche a place at suche a tyme didest forcybly rauyshe me. Some of them were ashamed seyng ye womans sklander thus so easely detected and auoyeded. Yet [Page] neuertheles they did not acquitte Athanasius neyther punyshe ye womā for her sklaunder, bycause the selfe same were hys iudges and hys accusers. They came thā to thother crime loo, say they, this mater is to playne, here ye se ye arme of Arsenius, which to what purpose it was by the, cutte of, declare thou Athanasius vnto vs. Here with lyke sharpnes of witte the prudent byshop asketh thē, whether they euer wel knew Arsenius. Some of them make aunswere they knewe hys face verye well. Athanasyus desyreth leaue to sende for one that he shulde haue nede offor thys mater. They graunted hym. To make short tale, Arsenius is brought forth, & his face discouered, Loo ꝙ ye bishop here is Arsenius a lyue, beholde hys right arme, beholde his left, hole & sownd, nowe howe yonder arme commeth [Page] cutte of, declare you. Let thys exemple of thys moste holye lyuer admonyshe vs to fense our selfes ayenst the wyly and crastye foxes wyth columbyne prudencie, for all hasardes and chaunces.

¶ Sigismund Themperour.

THe emperour Sigismūd had in hys court manye yeres a seruaunte, vpon whō he neuer bestowed any notable benefyte for all the seruice he dyd him. On a tyme as themperour rode through a water it chaunced hys horse to stale. At which thing his old seruaūt lawghed & said to hys companiōs riding with him before thēperour, yt thēperours horse had lyke propertie wt hys mayster. Themperour by chaūce hearing thys, asked what he meant, Mary, ꝙ [Page] the seruaunt. As your horse by hys stalyng addeth more water to the rywer where is already abundaunce of water, euen so doth youre Maiestye. For to suche as be welthy alreadye & flowe in ryches ye gyue more riches. Here thēperour perceyuynge he was closely touched of illiberatye, in that he neuer rewarded his olde seruaunt with any worthy benefyte, answered in thys wyse. Assuredly, I neuer wā ted a good wyll to further & auaunce my frendes and trustye seruauntes, but ye muste consyder that gyftes of princes happen not alwayes to them that haue deserued them, but to suche only as the fatall prouidence of God appoynteth. And this God wylling, shall I euidentlye declare vnto the, so soone as, my busynes dyspetched, I shall haue gotten any opportunitie and leyser. A whyle after, leyser to his [Page] desyre obteyned, he cōmaundeth two boxes of lyke fascion and proporcion to be brought forthe, he fylleth thone with gold, thother with leade of lyke weyght, he byddeth his said seruaūt to chose whether boxe he wold. The seruaūt peysyng now this, now that boxe, stryken wyth greate perplexitie whyche he myght beste take, at laste chase that whyche conteyned the lead which when he opened & saw yt lead, thou seest now, ꝙ Themperour, that the fault is not in me that thou were not amonges other promoted of me, but in thy owne mysfortune. Declarynge herby very prudently, that the happy successe of thynges onely chaū ceth vnto men from God aboue.

Thys Emperour beynge muche prayse worthy for other thynges, in thys one thynge was excedynglye to be commended, that lyke as hys selfe [Page] loued the knowledge of tongues and of good letters, so he alwayes studied to auaunce and promote men that excelled other in learnynge. For whyche thyng whē he was blamed of certain prynces of Almayne whyche hated good letters, that he so exalted men of lowe byrth for the commendacion of learnynge: Why, ꝙ he, shulde I not loue suche as nature wolde haue excell the rest of men? The Almaynes do attribute verye muche to nobilitie of bloude. But ye prudent Emperour obserued, that in learned personages was a thyng of much more worthynes & noblenes, then in stockes. They haue the walles of theyr houses portered with armes, with conisaunces, and wyth the ymages of theyr auncestours, lerned mē haue theyr minde furnyshed and decked wyth good disciplines. Wherfore, as by nature the [Page] minde is more excellent, then ye body, so the ornamētes of ye wytte be farre fayrer, then the badges of outwarde nobilitie. He that hath nothynge els, then the armes and ymages of hys auncestours, in opinion is noble rather thē in dede. But who so is adourned & decked wyth vertue, frō whens floweth also that vulgare nobilitie, hath the true and vnfayned nobilitie. The trouthe of thys mater declareth to al the world the moste noble kyng Henry the eyght, who to ye most royal nobilitie of stocke hath also ioyned the most true & veray nobilitie that is to saye renowme of lernynge, of prudence, of graue iugement mete for so noble & magnifycent a prince. Wolde god al other noble mē of byrth wolde take exemple of hys Maiestye to purchase vnto them thys renowne.

Plotinus.

[Page] PLotinus a philosopher was desyred by a certaine paynter named Amelius yt he wolde suffre hym to porture & draw out the forme & pycture of his body. The philosopher wold in no wyse suffre hym sayenge: Is it not ynough for men to carye aboute wyth them these ymages (pointynge to theyr bodyes) but they muste also leaue behynde them to theyr ofsprynge and posteritie the ymages of theyr ymages to be loked and gased vpon? Thys panym philosopher iuged with Pithagoras, that mans bodye is but a sheathe or case as it were of the mynde, whych after a maner it expresseth and resembleth, and that he seeth ye least part of man, whych seeth and marketh nothynge els but the bodye. Assuredlye though pyctures, as wel of the lyuynge as of the deade do offentymes sturre and [Page] moue the dulle mynde of man, yet it can not be denyed, but that pyctures or ymages of the bodye wythout recordes and monumētes of the mynd to put men in remembraunce of the noble vertues of suche as be represented by ye ymages, be much more hurtfull, then profytable. Images of sayn tes be lay mēs bokes I graūt, so that laye men be taught and instructed, what great fayth in Christe, what exemple of good lyuyng, what patience what bearing of Christes crosse, they had, that be resembled by those ymages, whyle they were conuersaunts here in earth.

¶ Cyrus the elder.

CYrus kynge of Persia was wont to say yt no man ought to take vpō him to rule other [Page] onles he were better, thē those whom he toke vpon hym to gouerne. Meanynge, that thys is the principall offyce and function of a prince, to forse for others, and to counsell for the publyke profytes and cōmodities, but thys can not be done, oneles he surmount & excell the rest of men in wyse dome, in vigilauncie, in honestye, holy nes of mynde in godlynes. Now it is not the byrth of man that bryngeth thys to passe, but ryght institution, good letters, experience of thynges.

When ye Persians, bycause theyr countrie was hylly and rough, coueted to chaunge it wyth a champyon & more gentle soyle, theyr kyng wold not suffre them, sayeng, that euen as graftes & sedes be, so be the maners of men chaūged accordyng to the nature of the coūtrey. Meanyng hereby that he wolde haue hard men, paynfull [Page] and suche as shulde be gyuen to laboure. For a delicate and fyrtyle region gendreth delicate and slouthfull persones.

Cyrus absteyned hys eyes frō beholdinge of the fayre ladye Panthea. And when Araspus sayd vnto hym, that the woman was of an excellente bewtye, and worthy for the eye syght of a prince, the kinge aūswered: Euen for thys selfe cause O Araspus we ought the rather to abstayne from lokynge vpon her. For yf now I obeyeng thy counsayle shulde resorte vnto her whyle I am as yet at leyser, perchaūce she mought so persuade me yt I shulde repare oftē vnto her yea euē when I shulde haue no leyser, and so be fayne to sytte styll by her syde, my seriouse busynes and affayres neglected. Featly he shyfted awaye the argumente that semed lasciuiouslye to [Page] entise a kyng or ruler to loue a bewtyfull woman, from louyng suche. Let Chrystiane magistrates and rulers take here an holsom document and lesson of a pamym prynce, sensualitie set a part, ernestly to remembre theyr functiō and offyce wherunto they be called of god almyghty, & vnto whō for the same they shall rendre iust accomptes, be they now neuer so hault and careles.

¶ Artoxerxes.

ARtoxerxes Kynge of Persia surnamed the mindful, when a certayne pore mā presented hym wyth a verye greate apple, he receyued it excedynge thankfully, and sayde: Nowe in faythe this felowe semeth to me to be such a person that yf a man wolde commytte a citye to hys kepynge, he [Page] coulde make it of a lytle a greate one.

At an other tyme a certayne other vplandyshe man perceyuing that diuerse men brought diuerse presentes vnto the kyng, & hauynge none other thyng to present hym wyth, he toke out of ye next ryuer bothe his handes full of water & with a cherefull countenaunce offered it vnto the Kynge. The kyng herwith being delyted, cō maunded a potte of gold to be gyuen hym & rewarded hym furthermore with a greate summe of money. Let other nacions wonder at this Artoxerxes. English men which haue kyng Henry theygt to theyr Soueraigne Lord thynke thys but a tryfle to his incomparable humanitie.

When Adides Japson had rayled all at large very despitefully vpon the kyng wyth vnfyttyng and opprobriouse wordes, ye king thus farforth [Page] reuenged hym, he pronounced by the Capitayne of his garde, that it was lefull for Japson to speake vpon the kyng what he wolde, but agayne it was lefull for the kyng vpon Japson bothe to speake and to do what he wolde. Truely we are very straytly charged by gods cōmaundemēt in no wise to rayle nor gest vpō our rulers forasmoch as they represent vnto vs the parson euen of god him self. Yea & he adourneth them wyth the honora ble title of hys own name callyng the Goddes.

Whē Artoxerxes beyng on a tyme put to flyghte, & all hys prouision of vittayles taken awey, was fayne to eate drye fygges & barley breade, O Lord, ꝙ he, frō howe great pleasure haue I hytherto been kepte backe? Here ye kyng proued it true that Socrates the wytty Philosopher was [Page] wont to saye. Optimum condimentum, fames, that is to saye, hungre is the best sawce. Assuredly nothyng better sauoureth meates & drynkes, than hungre and thrust, besyde that it is bothe moste holsom to the bodye and most profitable to the sowle. For surfette and dronkenes not onlye cast the bodye in to sundry maladyes and sickenesses, but also do distempere the mynd, make man no man, but worse then a brute beast, and (that is worst of all) bryng gods most terrible curse and displeasure vpon hym.

The same Artoxerxes beyng on a tyme very sore pressed wyth thurst & in maner lost for lacke of drynke, Peribarzenes his chamberlayne sekyng about for drynk and not fynding any other, brought at last frō a shepeherd a greasye botel of water not all of the clearest. Thys water when the kyng [Page] had dronke quyte and cleane vp, beynge asked whether that drynke lyked hym well, he called God to wytnesse, yt he neuer drancke wyne more pleasaunt, then was thys water, nor neuer water, were it neuer so pure, more swete then thys semed. And afterwarde, the kynge espyenge the sheparde in hys courte, whiche hadde gyuen hym this water, made hym of a pore sheparde a ryche gentylman. Suche a thynge it is to gyue a benefyte in tyme.

¶ Orontes.

ORontes sonne in lawe to kynge Artaxerxes, whē the kyng was greuously displeased & angry agaīst him, he was not only vtterly reiected & thrust out of ye court, but also condēned. Which [Page] excedyng vnkyndnes dyd not a lytle vexe hym. At laste consyderynge the mutabilitie and vnstablenes of mens thynges in the worlde vttered these wordes to such as stode about hym. O frendes take hede of the brykylnes and slyppery chaūge offortune, trust not the flatterye of the worlde, name ly of the courte. For lyke as the fyngers of auditours when they cast accomptes can lay otherwhyles an in fynite nombre, & otherwhyles agayn but one, euen so the frendes of kinges now can do all, and nowe nothynge. Here ye shall note that in old tyme they made theyr accomptes wt theyr fyngers, as now with counters.

¶ Duke Memnon.

WHat tyme the valyaunt capitayn Memnon held warres agaynst ye great Alexander on the behalfe [Page] of Darius kynge of Persia, it chaunced that a certayne hyred sowldiour in the armie of Memnon made very moche raylynge vpon kynge Alexander. Memnon hearynge hym, layde hym on the pate with hys speare and thus rebuketh hym. I gyue the wages, syr knaue, and meate and drynke to fyghte wyth Alexander and not to rayle vpon hym. Let Chrysten men at lest waye take example herby, to leaue theyr fowle and detestable raylynges farre vnworthye for suche as professe Chrystes doctryne, that forbyddeth vs to calle oure brother but fole. Some we call Pharisees, we beknaue, we defye as naughtye papistes wt other lyke opprobriouse wordes, vnmete for Chrysten mens eares, but as for to fyght agaynste theym, and to confounde them wyth pure doctryne and good lyuyng, that [Page] we woll not. Agayne other some, we beheretike, we call Lutheranes, and all that naught is, but to shew them charitably where they erre, & rightly to instructe them, we woll not.

¶ The Egyptians.

THe Kynges of Egypte, according to the custome of theyr countreye were wont to take an othe of suche as were made iudges, that althoughe the kynge hym self wold cōmaunde thē to iudge any thyng that shulde be agaynst right & equytie, they shulde not iudge it. So greatly they thought it expedient for the common wealthe, that the people shulde haue iuste iudges. But howe can that people haue iuste and incorrupte iuges, where (as is reported) ye prince selleth the offyce and power of [Page] iugyng for a great some of money.

In Englande thanked be God, in the iuges of the lawe there is as litle corruption as in any other regyon. And yf any default in this behalfe be, it is soner in inferiour courtes, where the iuges be appointed not by ye Kynges Maiestye, but by others, amonges whom if any corruption were found I wold wyshe, for ye terrible exemple of other they myght be serued as a certayn iuge of whome I shall nowe make relation.

¶ Of Cambyses.

CAmbyses Kynge of Persia was otherwyse a verye wycked and cruell tyraunte.

Yet there is no prynce of so disperat an hope of so naughtye a lyfe, but that at the lest waye otherwhyles doth some ho [Page] nest acte. For gods propertye is, to garnyshe & exornate the offyce of the magistrat & rulers, & he causeth, that for the cōseruatiō of ciuil gouernaūce in the common weale, sometyme excellente and profytable workes be of necessitie done of thē that beare rule. But to my purpose, Cambyses in al hystories is cōmended for this one facte, for whyche no doubte he deserueth prayse. In the former parte of Asia he had a deputie named Sisam nes, now he was credibly infourmed that thys Sisamnes beynge corrupted wyth brybes & rewardes, had falsly iudged agaynst the kynges lawes & agaynst good ryght & cōsciēce. The mater beyng examined & foūde true, sorthwyth he cōmaūded he shulde be put to death, and yt the skynne of hys body shuld be plucked of, & layd ouer the iudgemēt seat, where he gaue the [Page] false iudgemente, & in hys rowme he dyd set Dtane the sayde iudges sonne to succede hys father in office whyche was admonished by cōtemplacion of his fathers skinne, yt he shuld succede hym also in lyke kynde of punyshmēt yf he folowed his fathers steppes.

Thys exemple teacheth them yt beare offyce & rule to remēber, yt god suffereth not iniustice nor iniury vnreuenged. But for asmuche as I haue entred to speake of Cambyses, which otherwyse as I haue sayd, lyued a very tyrānouse & wycked lyfe: I thynke it here good to report certayne his notoriouse crymes and his ende, to thyntent all rulers, what so euer they be, maye take exemple at hym, to feare God, to preserue the common weale, to execute iustice and iudgemēt, to vse theyr subiectes as men and not as beastes. This Cambyses beganne to [Page] raygne, after that Cyrus hys father had made his viage agaynst the Scithians. And albeit at the begynnynge he subdued & conquered Egypte, yet anone he forgatte all goodnes and degendred quyte & cleane frō the renowmed & excellent vertues of hys father Wherfore when Prexaspes one of hys chosen counsaylours aduertysed hym very freely and sayde vnto hym, that the Persians praysed hym very much, but thys one thyng dyspleased them, that he was so subiecte to the vyce of dronkēnes, anone he cōmaunded the chyefe estates & lordes of thē pyre to be called together, and asked of thē, whether in any thyng he were worthy to be reprehēded? They espyeng how thankful & plausible a thing flattery is, aūswered, no, but yt in vertue & prowesse, he also excelleth his father Cyrus, forasmuche as vnto hys [Page] empyre and dominion he had gotten by way of conquest the kyngdome of Egypt. But contrary wyse Cresus a worthy lord, vnto whose cure and gouernaunce Cyrus had tōmytted hys sonne Cambyses to be instructed and brought vp in honestie and vertue, by cause he wolde merylye, as muche as myghte be borne, abate the kynges pryde, aunswered, & sayd, that Cambyses myght not be yet compared to hys father Cyrus, forasmuche as there is not yet begotten such a sonne of hym, as Cyrus lefte Cambyses. Thys thynge then, as featly spoken, pleased the kynge welynough. Thus the coūsayle beyng parted, whē none of the lordes had blamed any thynge in him, he cōmaūded Prexaspes to be called afore him, & bad him bryng vnto hym hys yonger son. For he wold declare, how wel he coulde seme sobre [Page] euen when he had most of al dronken for he sayd he wold euē whē he were dronkē with hys bowe shote at Prexaspes sonne, & yf he myght wyth hys arowe stryke through hys herte, thē it myght be iudged, that in the myddes of hys cuppes he wāteth not the practyse of coūsaylle, & iudgement of reason. Yf not, yt he were worthye to be called a drōkard. To be short, whē Cāhyses had throughly washed hys braynes wyth wyne, he shotte at the chyld as at an appointed marke, and strykynge hym through the herte, he cōmaūnded it shuld be cut out, and so he shewed it to ye father Prexaspes, sayenge, that the chyldes herte was well hit, wherfore he mought esteme full well herby, yt he was no drōkard. So barbarouse, so sauage, and so tyrannicall maners, doeth dronkennes brynge vpon the myndes of men, although [Page] they were before ryghtly institute and broughte vp, lyke as it is no doubt, but that kynge Cambyses was at the begynnynge in his youth brought vp in moost honest maners. And albeit this drōkarde was not ignoraūt of the feate of shotyng, yet in the meane season he could not vse the ryght coūsaylles of reason, but lacked those vertues whych be wonte to allure men vnto gentle sobriete & to the studye of honest renowne. Such maner exemples must be propowned vnto yonge men, whych for ye most part be geuē to the foule vice of dronkēnes for what ende folowed of these maners, a lytell herafter shalbe dedared. He murdered also hys owne brother smerdis, whō he priuely caused to be put to deth, lest he might at any tyme be king. Furthermore he toke to wife hys owne suster germayne, wheras [Page] nature abhorreth from such kynde of copulation. Nowe it befell so, that when kynge Cambyses sat at a feast wyth hys syster the quene, for theyr sporte and pleasure he set a yonge lyon and a very eger dogge togither by the eares, so whē the lyon in strength and fyercenes had preuayled, an other dogge no les fyerce, brastyng his bandes wherwyth he was boūd dyd helpe the dogge hys brother & vaynquyshed the lyon. The kinge was excedyngly delyted with thys syght for the faythfulnes of ye dogges betwene themselues. But by the same facte the quene beynge moued began very largelye to wepe and poure oute teares and to water her tender chekes. The kynge toke this her wepynge very heuely and demaunded of her the cause of her sorowe, she aunswered in this wyse. Certes, my dere husbande and [Page] brother, euen so great a feythfulnes might haue chaunced vnto vs of our brother as we se here betwene these two dogges that be of all one lytter. The kyng greuously taking this aunswere, cōmaūded she shuld forthwith be taken out of hys syght and put to deathe. But such maners coulde not long haue successe. For God speaketh in the scripture. Blowdy men and wylye shall not fynyshe halfe theyr dayes vpon the erthe.

Wherfore not long after, wyth a greuouse vengeaunce, God plaged him. For as he was comming out of Egypte in to Persia, when he shulde mownt on horsbacke, his swerd felle out of the skaberd and sore wounded hym in suche wyse that he dyed of it. This exēple testifyeth, that god woll not longe suffre tyrantes to reygne. For not lōge after ye deathe of Cyrus [Page] aboue ye space of one yere lyued Cambyses, neither lefte he any heyre of his kyngdome.

¶ Of Darius kynge of the Persians.

After the death of Cambyses, the chief lordes assembled togither and began to consulte, whome they might beste make theyr hed & kynge. Seuen were appointed to deliberat vpon thys moste weyghtye matter. Fyrst, stode vp Otanes, & coūsayled, that no mo kynges shulde be chosen, but that by leage and sure cōfederacie made betwene them, all the lordes myght rule alyke, so shuld libertie be maynteyned and kept one euery syde and euery mā at fredom. For before, it was wel proued by examples, that where one man is Lorde of so many, [Page] and so great thynges, he maye easyly be to proude and hawtye, and sone growe out of kynde and degendre vnto tyrannye, euen as nowe of late it was seen of Cambyses.

After hym stode vp Megabysus, whyche disalowynge thys counsayle of Otanes, affyrmed, that suche lybertie was moche more hurtfull and pestiferous to the comon weale, then tyrannye shuld be. For noble men and cities yf they lacke a lorde and hedde they can not but abuse thys libertye vnto priuate offection and lust. But to thentent no suche thynge shulde ensue, his counsayle and aduise was, not to chose some one Kynge, but to appointe certayne noble men, wyth whom mighte alwayes remayne the tytle, prerogatyue, and ryght of the Imperiall power.

The sentences of these bothe, the [Page] thyrd lord named Darius disalowed & coūsayled to chouse one kynge. For albeit in thys kynde of gouernaunce lyke as in al other humane thynges, many and greate incōmodities maye chaunce, yet no rule, no gouernaunce is so stable, so sure, as is a monarchie that is to saye, where one ruleth in whose handes is put the charge of the hole kyngdom. Uerily albeit these thre counsayles be all bothe honeste and good, yet yf they be compared togyther, sure it is, that nothynge can be founde eyther fayrer or more profytable then the gouernaunce of one person called a Monarchie, for as moche as it moste resembleth the diuine and heuenly kyngdome of God. Furthermore it can not be, that concorde can longe be kepte amonges free prynces & cities, or there, where to the administration of a moste ample [Page] and myghty empyre, be a sorte of lordes chosen in lieu of one Kynge, and that bycause of the diuersitie of moste graue and wyghtye affayres, which euer amonge, in so large a dominion shulde chaunce, vpon whych ye princes shulde not euer agree within them selfes. Besydes all thys, there shulde not want also amonges these selfe princes an inordinat studie and desyre of dignitie & dominion aboue the reste, ouer whom some one wold labour to haue power as ouer hys subiectes or iferiours. And these were in effecte the causes, whyche Darius brought forthe for the proue of hys purpose, vnto whych the other foure prynces subscribed, and so at laste it was determyned after the olde vsage to chouse a kynge. But least any dissentiō might aryse betwen ye seuē princes, they thought it best, to committe [Page] the lotte of the election vnto God. It was a greed vpon, that vpon a mornynge very erly the prynces on horsbacke shulde mete togyther at a certaine place, & that he whose horse first neyghed, shuld be forthwith proclaymed king. The princes retourned euery one to hys home. Darius shewed the counsayle and determination of the princes vnto the Stuard of hys howse, who forthwith toke the mater vpon hym, to brynge hys lordes purpose to good passe. Wherfore the euenynge before the daye appoynted, he bryngeth hys lordes horse and a mare vnto the place appoynted, and there commytted the horse and mare togyther, to thentent, that the nexte mornynge, the place knowē, the horse myghte for desyre of the mare, which then shulde be absent, neyghe accordynge to hys propertie.

[Page] The mornynge ensuynge, accordyng to thappoyntmēt, at the howre prescribed, yt sayd princes do marche forward on horsbacke vnto the sayd place. They were not soner there, but loo forthwith Darius horse begynneth to neyghe, and that they shulde not doubt, but it was the diuine prouidence of God to haue Darius to theyr kynge, incontinent in an open and clere wether without any maner tempest, it both lyghtened and thondered whyle the horse neyghed. By and by the other princes leapynge of from theyr horses exhibited vnto Darius kyngly honours, and saluted hym kynge. Thus by thys accasyon was Darius auaunced to the kyngdome and empyre of the Perssans, whyche he afterwarde wyth hyghe prayse administred.

Kyng Darius was wont in prayse [Page] of hym selfe to saye, that by warres & aduersities, he was made the wyser and more prudent. Certeynlye, though this be comōly true, for experiēce is mother of prudence, yet suche prudence & wysedom cost the comon weale moch. Warres for defence of ye coūtrey be necessary & moch to be preferred afore cowardly peax & quiete. And agayne, I graunte, suche troubles and stormes do engendre wysdome and experience of thynges. But doubtles, out of the case of necessitie farre better it were and also moche more godly, to fetche wisedom out of wyse mens bookes, then to gather wretched prudence wyth experimentes and suche hasardes as putte the hole countrey in daunger.

The same Darius, whē he had imposed layd & a tribute vpō his subiectes, he sent sodeynly for hys collectours, [Page] and asked them, whether the trybute whyche he had assesed, semed to greuouse and ouerchargeable to the commons. When they aunswered that it semed meane and indyfferent, he cō maunded they shulde demaunde but the half of yt which was assessed. The prudent kyng in dede intended at the begynning to haue had nomore. But yf he shuld haue taxed thē forthwyth at nomore, he perceyued they shulde not haue bene so wel wylling to haue payde it, as they were now, when he assesed them at the double and after released them of the one halfe.

When thys kynge had cut a very great pome granate, one asked hym, of what thynge he wolde wyshe to haue so greate a nōbre as there were graynes or kernels, he aunswered, of zopyres. Thys zopyre was the sonne of Megabyses, which was one of the [Page] sayd seuen princes, a very good man, & a ryght trusty and assured frend to kyng Darius. Signifyeng by thys, that to a kyng nothynge ought to be dearer nor more preciouse, thē good & faithful frendes. This zopire dyd cut of hys owne nose & eares, & so, not be yng aknowen whom he was, fledde away, like a fugitiue person, vnto the Babiloniās, which at yt time were at mortal warre wt kyng Darius, faynynge that he was most cruelly hand led of Darius. The Babiloniās beleuyng hym, & beyng persuaded by his colorable wordes, that hys tale was true, espyeng him a very wyse & hardye mā, made him one of theyr chiefe captaynes. He sekyng his occasion, delyuered vp ye hole cytie of Babylō vnto Darius. After which feate, Darius was accustomed oftētimes to say yt he had rather haue one zopyre hole & soūde, thē to cōquere an hūdred Babylones [Page] Babylon at that tyme was a cytie moste floryshyng, & flowynge full of all richesse, yet preferred he one frende, afore an hundred Babylones.

¶ Of quene Semiramis.

SEmiramis quene of ye Cariās which is cronicled to haue buylded Babylon, caused to be wrytten vpō her tōbe this saynge: What kynge so euer shall haue nede of money, let hym open my graue & take so moche, as he woll desyre. Darius after he had wonne the citie, gyuynge credite to the tytle, wyth moch ado at last remouyug awaye ye great stone, wherwyth the graue was couered, money he foūde none at all, but on the other syde of ye stone, he founde thys inscripciou. Onles thou haddest bene an euell man & wyth money vnsatisfyable, thou woldest neuer haue moued the graues of the deade.

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¶ Of kynge Xerxes.

BEtwene Xerxes ye sōne of Darius and Arimenes hys elder brother but borne afore Darius was chosen kynge, was great stryfe, who shulde be kyng. So whē Xerxes had knowlege, that hys brother was cō mynge from the countrey of the Bactrians, he sente vnto hym ryche presentes and to them that bare them he gaue in cōmaundement that they shuld say in hys name thus vnto hys brother. Wyth these rewardes thy brother Xerxes at this time honoreth the, but yf he may be onesproclaimed kyng, thou shalt be wt hym ye chyfest of all other. Arimenes assuaged with thys excedyng humanite, left hys cō tention, & his brother beyng now pro claimed kyng, forthwith he saluted & [Page] honored hym as kyng and moreouer dyd sette the crowne vpon hys hedde Agayne Xerxes ye kynge for hys part gaue hym the nexte place vnto hym. Ye shal rede a lyke thynge of Jacob & Esau in the boke of Genesis.

Thys kynge beynge sore agreued wt the Babiloniās, bycause they traytorously shronke frō him, & renoūced hym for theyr lord: after he ones had brought them vnder agayne, forbad them to beare any more weapēs, and further cōmaunded they shulde synge at the lute & shalmes, kepe harlottes, haunt tauernes & alehouses and vse wyde & longe garmentes, to thintent that beynge molifyed & made effeminate wyth pleasures, they moughte nomore studye to fal awaye frō theyr lord. By this prudēt facte of a panim & hethen prince we be taughte, what is the successe of delicate and voluptuouse [Page]lyuynge.

When he sawe al Hellesponte full of shyppes, and all the see coostes and playnes of Abydon, fylled wyth men, he boasted hymselfe to be blessed and fortunate, yt he had so greate power at hys commaundemente, and anone he wepte a good pace. Artabamus ye kynges vncle wōderyng at so sodayn chaunge, asked the cause. Then xerxes the kynge thus answereth.

Oh vncle, a right depe thought entreth my mynde, how short mās lyfe is, syth of so passynge greate a multitude of men that I nowe see, wtin an hundred yeares not one shalbe lefte a lyue. Undoubtedly yf mā wold thus consydre ye shortnes of hys tyme, and in what state God hath set hym here in earth, he wolde not runne so headlonge to all kyndes of myschyefes. [Page] Thys Xerxes what tyme he purposed to gyue battell to Grece, called to gether all the prynces of Asya & thus said vnto them. Lest I mough [...] seme to enterpryse this thinge of my owne priuate counsayle, I haue gathered you together, but I woll ye remēber that ye muste obeye me rather, then counsayle me. Thys oratiō of Xerxes is not here recounted, to thintente it shuld be folowed. For without doubt it is tyrannicall, and that two maner wayes, fyrste bycause he abused the assemblie of hys lordes for a coloure, to cast a myste before mens eyes, makyng them beleue that al he dyd was done by thaduyse and counsayl of his lordes, second, that he wolde venture vpon a matter so daungerouse to the hole people, beynge inforced rather of hys owne sensual lust, then induced by sage and wyse counsayle.

[Page] When thys kinge was vexed and almost put to the worse but of. iii. hū [...] Lacedemonians where as he hymselfe had wyth hym a very great multytuue of souldiours: He cōfessed himself deceyued in thys, that he toke with hym many mē, but fewe souldiours. He perceiued wel that it forceth not so much howe many there be, as howe well assayed, pyked, and tryed men there be.

When the espyes of the Grekes were taken in hys hoste, he wolde do thē no maner harme at al, but moreouer bad them marke and viewe diligētly hys hole armye, whych thyng when they had done, he licenced them to departe wythout hurte of any persone. An example of a synguler confydence and affyaunce in hym selfe and in hys power.

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¶ Of Kyng Artoxerxes wyth the longe hand.

ARtoxerxes the son of Xerxes surnamed wyth the longe hand bycause hys one hand was longer then thother, was wont to saye that it is more Kynglyke to put to, than to take awey. Regalius est addere quam adimere. Meanyng that it is more worthy for a prynce and ruler of the people, to augment the honour and riches of suche as he hath rule ouer, rather then to diminyshe the same.

When Saubarzenes hys chamberlayne begged a thing of hym, whiche was skarse lawfull, and the kyng parceyued yt he was prouoked vnto it by one that promised him. xxx. thousande coygnes of that coūtrey money for thobteyning of the sute, the Kyng [Page] cōmaūded his treasauroure to bring hym thyrtie thousande coynes called Darikes, which so sone as they were brought him, he gaue thē al to Satibarzanes, sayinge. Holde here o Satibarzanes. For while I gyue the this I shall not be the porer, but I shulde be the worser and the vnrightuouser man, yf I shulde haue graunted the thynge that thou demaundedst. The most noble and excellent kyng, had deuised, howe he mighte, neyther make sadde hys freende, nor deflecte from ryght and equytie.

¶ Cyrus the yonger.

CYrus ye yonger, what tyme he shuld pitche hisfeld ayenst hys enemyes, hys freende Clearchus coūsailled him to kepehim selfe behynd the Macedonians, & not to cast himselfe in to the daunger of ye warres. What saiest thou clearchus [Page] ꝙ the kyng? Dost thou connsaille me that where as I couette a kyngdom, I shulde shewe my self vnworthy for a kyngdome?

¶ Of Cresus.

IN ye time of Cyrus ye greate which was the fyrst kyng & monarche of ye Persians, of whom we haue hertofore sum what spoken, raigned the riche Cresus ouer the Lydians, & in ye fyrst part of Asia he warred ayenst kynge Cyrus, but Cyrus vaynquished him, conquered his land, & toke him prisoner. Nowe, when Cresus sawe the souldiours of Cyrus spoylyng, brennyng, and makynge hauocke of all that was in the citye whiche they hadde taken, he asked Cyrus what they dyde. Cyrus aunswered, marye they destroye thy citye, and spoyle thy goodes: No no, ꝙ Cresus, Nothynge here is nowe myne, it is thyne that they destroye, [Page] These wordes wyttyly spoken moued Cyrus to calle backe hys sowldiours from spoyle.

But when by the cōmaundement of Kynge Cyrus he shulde be burnt, euen when he shulde now goo to the fyer, he cryed out wyth a very lamentable and weeping voyce, O Solon, Solon. Kynge Cyrus wonderynge what these wordes shuld meane, bad one of hys seruauntes aske hym, for what cause wyth so greate sorow, he cryed thus and named Solon. Then Cresus drawyng a great syghe euen from the botome of his hart aunswered in thys wyse. Solon, sumtyme amonges the Athenians was a very wyse man, vnto whom Jones when he was wyth me did shewe and exhibite moche kyndnes and worshyp. I shewed hym all my power and treasures, which doon I asked hym whether [Page] he thought that euer any aduersitie or misfortune cowld happē vnto me, being furnyshed and fensed wyth such power and riches ayenst al chaū ces of fortune, or force of enemyes. But to this, aunswered Solon, rebukyng me for my securitie and careles mind & said: No man in the worlde o kyng Cresus is so happye and fortunate in thys lief, that he can be called throughly & in euery parte blessed, afore he dye, neither is there any mā I assure the, be he neuer so mighty, but some aduersitye may come vpō hym & ouerthrowe hym or he be aware. But at that tyme trusting alas reche lesly vpō my happy lucke & successe of thynges, I despised his wordes, neyther cowlde I fere thys so excedynge a falle, as nowe I fynde. Wherfore bycause nowe fyrst I vnderstode the sentēce of Solon, therfore now afore [Page] my deathe I named hym. And I do wysshe all mē in prosperitie not to be vnmyndful of misfortunes and calamities that maye chaunce, lest they becom ouer hawlty by reason of their present felicitie, & gready to attempte thynges headyly yt by occasyon maye be their vtter cōfusiō. These thynges whē Cyrus ye king herd, he was not a litle touched with pytie & clemencie towardes Cresus, & sayed, he wolde not herafter shew him selfe to hard vpon Cresus, whyche was sometyme a ryght mightie kyng, for he remembreth that he hymselfe also is a man, and that it mought chaunce hym to haue nede of other mens ayde and mercye. After that, he commaunded Also Cresus to be brought vnto hym whome he enterteyned lyke a noble prynce and vsed hys aduyse and coū saille in al his affayres & procedinges

[Page] Thys Cresus after he was taken prisoner of Cyrus, by this argument preferred peax before warres, that in tyme of peax, the sonnes be wont to burye the fathers, but in warres contrary wyse the fathers burye the sonnes.

¶ Of Amyntas and Alexander hys sone.

WHyle ye Persians were a lofte & had the chief empire and ye monarchie of the world they wente about also to subdue all Grece & Macedonye. But bicause god hath prefixed the certayne limites to euery kyngdome whiche can not be passed ouer, therfore ye kynges of ye Persiās could neuer subdue vnto theyr dominions neyther the Macedonyans nor the Grekes. Neuertheles on a tyme the Persyans sent theyr ambassadours vnto Amyntas then kynge of [Page] Macedony and requyred him to yeld him vnto them. Kynge Amyntas fearyng the power of the Persians, voluntarily in maner submittyng hymself, promised to do what so euer they wolde haue him, and interteyned the Ambassadours wyth al kynd of humanitie. Now, when to the ambassadours desyre a solempne feaste was ordeyned, they requyred that for the furniture of the feaste certayne noble matrones & theyr daughters myght be brought thither. Amyntas durste denye them no thing but cōmaunded they shulde be brought to the feaste. So when the Persians had well fauoredly wasshed theyr throtes wyth wine, forgettyng all honeste sobrietie they began to dally wt the Ladyes so vnshamefastsly, that Amyntas and the yonger kynge Alexander hys son were not a litle abashed and wery to [Page] se theyr shamefull demenours. Alexander desyred hys father for the reuerence of his age, that he wold depart from the banket, and go to hys reste, saynge, that he wolde kepe thembassadours companye. When he hadde thus conuayed awaye hys father, he pretended great myrth, and suffered the Persians to dallye & sporte wyth the ladyes at theyr pleasure. At laste he desyred them they wolde ryse for a whyle, and lycense the ladyes to departe a lytle, for they shulde come in agayne forthwyth much more gorgi ously arayed. The lordes of the Persians were very well cōtent herwith In the meane season the yōge kynge caused a pyked sorte of yonge men that hadde good faces, to be decked lyke ladyes, and to retourne to the banket, to whom he had gyuen in cō maundement, that euerye one shulde [Page] haue vnder hys clothes a swearde, wherwyth in the myddes of the dalyaunce they shulde kyll the Persians, whych thynge was done in dede. For of these yonge men the Persiās were slayne euery one, and by this meanes was theyr knauerye greuously punyshed. Chys Alexander is nombred amonge the auncestours of Alexander the great.

¶ Of kynge Scilurus.

SCilurus kyng of the Scythiās hauyng foure score sonnes, when he laye on hys deadebed, called them all afore hym. A [...]ended a bounche of roddes to be brought vnto hym, whych forthwyth he delyuered fyrste to one and then to an other to breake. When euery one of them refused it, bycause it semed impossyble, hymselfe toke in hys owne hande rod [Page] by rod and so easely brake them al, & monyshynge hys sonnes wyth these wordes: Yf ye shall continue together in loue & concorde, so shall ye remayne stronge and inuincible, but contrarie wyse yf ye dysseuer your selues by debate & sedition, so shall you be weake and easye to be vaynqueshed.

Gelo.

GElo kynge of Sicile at a certayne banket when accordynge to ye guyse of the countrey the lute was caryed aboute and al the rest dyd synge at the lute in order, for that was amonge [...]es counted a thyng of greate comendacion and honestye, whē it came to the Kynges course to playe vpon the lute, he commaunded hys horse to be brought into the bankettynge house and forthwith he easely and lyghtelye lepte vpon hym. [Page] Signifyenge by thys hys doynge, that chyualrye is muche more princely and mete for a kynge, then to synge at the lute, albeit in very dede lutynge is an honest pastyme and mete for gē tylmen, so that it be moderately vsed and be no impediment to thexercyses of chyualrye.

Thys kynge on a tyme exacted money of hys comons, whom when he perceyued in a hurly turly for the same, and ready to make an insurrection, he thus sodaynly appeased, he sente them worde that he wolde but borowe the money that he requyred of them, for he wold restore it them agayne wythin a certayne tyme. Thā they wyllyngly gaue theyr money. By thys gentle sufferaunce and pollecie he brought about, that he wanted not money necessarie to hys warres, and neuertheles he had hys comons [Page] hartes fast vnto him. Whych thinge brought to passe, yt he anone had the victorye ouer hys ennemyes, where as peraduenture yf in that sodeyne tumulte and rore, he had continued to exacted of hys obstinate comons vnexpedyētly the thynge yt had bene neuerthelesse leful, he myght haue chaū ced soner in yt rage & furye of the people, to haue bene destroyed of hys owne comōs, then by hys comens to haue vaynquyshed hys ennemyes. Suche a thinge it is, otherwhyles to gyue place to a multytude, & by wyse dome to compasse that thinge, which by dyrecte meanes coulde not elles be brought aboute. Albeit in dede, thys kynge, when the warres were fynysshed, consyderynge the grea [...]ueryshynge of hys subiectes [...] by contynuall warres and gre [...]e exactiōs they had susteyned, he repayed [Page] them theyr lone. Paule wylleth vs to rendre vnto all men that is due, to whome tribute, tribute, to whom custome, custome, to whome feare, feare, to whom honour, honoure. He byddeth vs be subiecte to oure prynce not onelye for feare of the prynces indignacion, but euen for conscience.

And for thys cause he sayeth we paye trybutes. Thys I wryte to thintent we shuld paye our dueties wyllyngly to our prynce and obey hym as gods ministre, for so Paule calleth hym, to the terrible damnacion of the moost cursed Anabaptystes, whych at thys daye go aboute to plucke men frome theyr allegiaunce and due obedience vnto theyr prince.

¶ Of Hieron.

HIeron which succeaded the for sayde Gelon in the kyngdome [Page] of Sicile, sayd that noman that freelye spake hys mynde vnto hym was eyther importune or greuouse. But suche as blabbed out mens secretes: those he thoughte hurted them also vnto whome they blabbed them, for asmuch as we hate not only thē that dysclose our coūsayles, but also them that haue herde suche thynges as we wolde not haue knowen.

One vbrayded hym, yt hys breath dyd stynke. He conuneth home and chydeth hys wyfe, bycause she neuer shewed hym, that his mouth sauered Uerely, ꝙ she, I thought that al men had sauered in lyke wyse. These wordes declared an exceadynge great chastitie of the woman, whyche neuer in all her lyfe, had approched so nere vnto any man that she [...]de feale the breath of hys mouthe, saue only her husbande.

[Page] Thys kynge also bycause in the quene hys wyfes presence the poete Epicharmus spake certayne rybawdouse wordes, set a fyne on the poetes head. Yf hethen princes thus punyshe knauery and wanton wordes, what ought christians do, whych be expressely by Christes mouth threate ned to yelde accomptes for euery ydle worde that procedeth forth of theyr mouthes?

¶ Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus.

KYnge demetrius was of such excedynge clemēcie, that whē he had reconquered the Athe nians whych sediciously had shrunke from hym and perceyued they were welnere famyshed for default of corn he callyng them togyther, in an open [Page] assemble graunted them frely a great quantitie of grayne. And when in hys spekyng of these thynges to the people, he chaunced to cōmit a barbarysme, pronouncyng a certayneword otherwyse, then it ought to haue ben pronounced, and one of thassemble interrupted hym in hys speakynge and shewed hym howe to pronounce that worde ryghtly: Truly, ꝙ he, for thys correction, I graunte you other fyftye thousande busihelles. I doubt in thys facte whether we maye meruayle at the greath benignitie of thys prynce towardes them which alytle tofore were hys ennemyes, or rather at hys excedynge courtesye and ciuylitie whyche not onely toke in good parte that one of hys subiectes corrected hym in hys wordes, but also estemed the same worthie of so great a rewarde.

[Page] When this kyng Demetrius had wonne the citie of Megara, and hys men of warre had dispoyled & made hauocke of all togither, accordynge to theyr maner, it was shewed hym that an excellent philosopher named Stiibon was amonges them. The kynge whyche euer had lernynge in hyghe pryce and admiracion, badde that ye philosopher shulde be brought forthe vnto hym. He came, the kynge him louingly receiued & after he had awhile wyth gentle communication interteyned him, he asked hym yf hys souldiours had taken anye of hys goodes from hym. Nomā, ꝙ the philosopher, hath takē awey our goodes For I could espye nomā that dispoyled vs of our lernyng and knowlege. Meanynge, that only the goodes of the mynd (which be the true goodes) be not subiect to ye violēce of warres.

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¶ Demosthenes.

DEmosthenes ye moste famouse and excellent Dratour amonges the Atheniās, of whō in my former boke I haue made mention, on a certayne tyme whyle he was makynge an oration in the parlyament house amonges the commons of Athens, of moste weyghtye thynges belongyng to the common welth & perceyued that the people gaue no eare vnto him, but rather murmured ayenst him to make him hold his peax he stynted of his oration and sayd he wold brefely telle thē a newe pleasaūt and pratie tale. The people nowe begynnynge to lyfte vp theyr eares attentifely vnto hym: There was, ꝙ he a certaine yong mā, which had hyred an asse, vpon whose backe he myght [Page] carye certayne stuffe from Athens to Megara. In hys iourney the heate of the daye beyng very feruent (for it was in the middes of somer) bycause he could fynd no shade vnder whyche he might defende hym selfe frome the breunynge heate of the sonne, he toke the fardelle downe of the asses backe and sittynge vnder the Asse, by thys meanes couered hymselfe wyth the shadow. Which thyng when the Hakeney man whyche did lette hym hys Asse, espyed, (for he went wyth him to brynge home hys asse agayne) he wold in no wyse suffre hym, but pusshed hym awey from vnder the shadowe, sayng he hyred not of hym hys asses shadow, but hys asse only. The other contented on the contrary syde, that forasmoche as the shadowe is a thynge so annext & knyt to the bodye that it can not be seuered frome it, he [Page] ought by hys bargayne to haue also the shadow. Thus betwen these two arose a very sharpe and bytter stryfe, in so moche that at lenght the mater came to strokes gyuing, ye one stiffely affirming that the asses shadow was not hyred, the other as styffely aunswerynge that the shadow also was hyred. At laste they go to lawe togither. When Demosthenes had spoke thys and had perceyued that the people nowe gaue good eare vnto hym, sodenly he beganne to departe out of the parliamēt house. The Athenians holdyng hym styl and desyering hym to tel vp the rest of hys tale, he smiled and maketh thē thys aunswere. And are ye so desyerouse to heare of an asses shadow, and when I speake of ernest maters ye woll gyue no eare? Cruly I wold wysihe that Christen men myghte not be lykened to these [Page] Atheniās. The tales of Robyn hode, of Beues of Hampton, of syre Guy of warwyke wyth suche other fables are gredily redde and red agayne. But the holy Byble of God, whyche treateth of ernest maters, that is to wyt, of our belief in Chryste, of true repentaunce, of the worthy frutes of the same, of the difference betwene Gods lawe, and mans tradition, and of suche other thynges touchyng our gostly helth and saluaciō, we set lytle by, yea we discouragemen and wemē from readinge of it. If we begynne a lytle to talke of scripture, anone we be heretiques. But [...]long as we cō mon De as [...]i vmbra, of Robin good felowe, or of the Fayrye we be good Chrystians.

Whē it was laied to his charge that he studied eloquēce vnmeasurably, he thus auoyded thē. In yt I study eloquence [Page] I declare yt I am vnder awe & law, & yt I wol vse no extort power Contrariwyse they yt despice ye studie of eloquēce be cōmonly suche as loke to rule ye people perforce, & which go about not to persuade mē wt wordes but to cōpelle thē with swordes. Assuredly, I am afrayed, lest amonges Christen men there be not a few whiche in Councelles & assembles seke rather to inforce wt threttes and power thā with approued reasons to parsuade other to agree vnto them.

The commons of Athens on a tyme requyred Demosthenes that he wolde accuse a certayne person, whyche thynge to do when he refused, the people beganne to crye out (as theyr custome is) ayenste hym as thoughe they wolde haue kylled hym. Then Demosthenes rysynge vp, thus began to speake vnto them. [Page] A counsailour ye shall haue of me (o ye men of Athens) whether ye woll or not, but a sklaunderour ye shall not make me, though ye wolde. Here is to be noted the excedyng great stomake & honest hart of Demosthenes whom the Commens of Athens (for in them at that tyme was the gouernaunce) could not bowe frō the path of iustice for all theyr manacies. And shall Chrysten mens mouthes then be stopped frō professyng the trouthe or be inforced to speake vntrouthes for heuy lokes?

When Kyng Alexander of Macedonye offered peax vnder thys condition vnto the Athenians, yf they wolde yeld vnto hym. viij. cititens, amonges whom was Demosthenes, Demosthenes began to tell them a fable of the wolfe, whyche vpon this condition offered peax to the shepe, [Page] yf they wold yelde vp the dogges, by the wolfe he vnderstode Alexander, by the dogges those that then hadde charge of the peoples maters, by the shepe the commons of Athens. This tale of Demosthenes very witty steyed the Athenians to delyuer vp from them theyr wisest coūsailours, which wyth theyr vigilaūcye and prudence might chase away their enemies. Let this fable monysh comonalties what so euer they be, to kepe euer amonges thē some witty & sage Counsaylours agaynst all cyaunces and stormes.

Thys moste eloquent Dratour in his youthe, when he fyrste shulde begynne to exercise the offyce of a common counsaylour, was wonte to say to hys familiares, that knowynge wythin hym selfe howe great enuye, grudge, feare, sdaunder and daūger hangeth ouer hys hedde now approchynge [Page] to the ministracion of the cō mon wealth, yf it were in his election to chuse the one of the two, he wolde rather runne to hys death, then go to speake in the parliament house or in iudiciall matters.

Demosthenes for hys hygh eloquence and wyte was I sayd, chosen of the people to be one of theyr Coū saylours, whyche offyce, consydering the nature of the people, he sayde he had leuer forbeare then beare. The respecte of God, the loue of a mannes countrey maye worke muche. But surely elles, this regard taken away, what man onles he were worse then mad, wold be a Counsaylour to a cō monaltye or chiefe ruler, yf he myght chuse? Yf he beare hym selfe a good man and vpryght in al thynges, hys counsaylle and proceadynge can not please the blynde & ignoraunt multytude, [Page] whose iudgemente is euer ouerthwart and croked. Yf he be an euell dysposed man and careth neyther for god nor man (as many be) he shalbe hated & abhorred both of god & man And truly it is very harde to please a multitude, eyther wyth godlynes or wyth worldly policie & wytte, which thynge they knowe wel ynough that haue had thexperience. I speake not thys to dyscourage Christen officers and rulers from doynge theyr mynistration, whyche is both godlye and gods owne ordinaunce, as Paule testifyeth, but rather to comforte them in theyr callynge, remembrynge, that the more troublesom a charge it is & subiecte to dyspleasures, enuyes, and grudgynges of the people, the more thanke it deserueth of hym that at length rewardeth all thynges done wyth a symple and pure eye.

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¶ Of Cato the sage.

CAto ye elder was wōt to saye, that he had leuer for a good tourne haue no rewarde: thā for an euel turne haue no punishment. Signifyenge, that nothynge is more perilouse to a cōmon wealth, then impunitie, whych alwayes allureth mē to do worse and worse.

The same Cato also sayde, that he forgaue al mē that offended saue him selfe. Nowe that man doth pardon and forgyue himselfe whych repēteth not him selfe of that he hath mysdone And agayne he taketh punyshmente of him selfe, which wyth diligence redresseth the thynge that by negligēce was commytted.

Adhortyng offycers and rulers to punysh offendours, & malefactours, [Page] he sayde, suche as myghte restrayne wycked doers and wolle not: ought to be stoned to death.

He sayde, he hated that souldyour which in walkyng moued his hādes and in fyghtynge hys fete, and which louder routed in tente, then cryed in felde. And that Capitayne or Ruler was starke naught whych could not rule hym selfe.

He sayde he loued rather those yongmen that blusshed then yt waxed pale, bycause blusshynge is token of an honest nature, but palenes not so.

He sayde that euerye man ought most to stande in awe of himselfe, bycause no man can at any tyme depart from hymselfe. So shulde it come to passe, that what so euer we durst not do in presence of other, we wolde be abashed to do the same, when we be alone.

[Page] When he sawe other Senatours and lordes of Rome set vp gorgiouse ymages in memorie of them selues: I hadde leuer, sayeth he, that men shuld aske and maruayle at me, why Cato hathe no ymage set vp for hys memorialle, then why he hath one. Sygnifyenge, that he had rather do worthy actes to thyntent in tyme cō mynge, men knowynge, that he deserued an ymage to be erected in memorie of hym, mought wonder why he hath none set vp in hys commendacion and memorie.

He admonyshed, such as be of great power to vse skantly theyr power, that they may vse it euer. Meanynge that power by clemeneye and gentylnesse is made longe, by roughnes, shorte.

Suche as defrauded vertue of her due honoure, he sayde, take away [Page] vertue from youthe. Meanynge, by rewards and promocion yonge mēs mindes be kindled vnto vertue which yf ye plucke awaye: anon vertue wol ware faynt and quale.

He sayde, a Magistrate or iudge oughte neyther to be prayed for good men, nor intreated for euell men. By thyshe meant, that it is a greate lacke in the iudges yf they muste be prayed to be indyfferente vnto good men sythe they ought of theyr owne mere mocion fauour honest persones Nowe for vnryghteous persones a man to be a suter, it is a token perchaunce of humanitie, but a iudge to be intreated for suche, surely is a part of a shrynker of iustice.

He sayde that iniurye althoughe it bryngeth no daūger to the worker of it, yet is it daungerous vniuersaily to all men. Meanynge, that thexemple [Page] of iniurye vnpunyshed threatneth iniurie to euery man. For yf it were lawfull to do hurt without punyshement there shulde be no man sure frō the violence of the wycked and deuelyshe personnes.

He sayde an angrye bodye dothe nothynge dyffer from a mad mā but in the tariaunce of tyme. Signifyeng that wrathe is (as Horace the poete sayeth) a short frensye.

Suche he sayde as moderately & soberly coulde vse the auauncemente of fortune: be nothynge at all assaulted wyth the grudge or enuye of the people. For he sayde mē enuye not vs but our godes wherwyth they se vs adourned and flowynge. Outwarde goodes be out of mā, but the vyce of vsynge them proudly, is wythin mā.

Suche as accustome them selues to be ernest in tryfles, he sayde shalbe [Page] in ernest matiers, trifelynge.

He blamed the cytizens, bycause they committed theyr offyces euer to all one personnes. For me thynke, sayde Cato, ye eyther lytle esteme the offycies of your citye, or els ye iuge few worthy to haue thē. Wherof the one was to iuge amisse of the publike power, the other to haue an euyl opinyon of the citizens.

He exhorted yong men, that those whych were come vp to dignitie and promotion by indifferencie, good demenours, prowesse & vertue: shulde not now fowly growe out of kynd & degedre vnto worse, but if they were come to worshyp by ambition and extorcions, they shulde nowe yet frame them selfes to a better kynde of lyfe. For so, sayd he, shuld it come to passe, that bothe they shulde increase theyr glorie, & these abolishe and weare out [Page] theyr blottes wt theyr well doynges.

Thys prudent Senatour Cato, the more he studyed and traueled for the weale of the citye of Rome, the more the vnthanfull Romanes hated and spyted hym. Whyche thynge when he espyed, he sayde openlye to the people, that of hys ennemyes he was therfore enuyed bycause he continually rysynge euerye nyghte, and settyng asyde hys own priuate affaires, traueled in the maters of the common weale, notyng the ingratitude and vnthankfullnes of the people. Assuredlye thys is the nature of that beast af manye heddes I meane of the people, for so the Poete Horace calleth them not without cause. England hathe at thys daye a Prynce incomparable Henry the eyght, she hath vpō his maiestye Counsailours attendant not a fewe euen the moste [Page] prudent and graue parsonagies that could be pyked out of the realme to gyue holsom counsaile, she hathe bysshops, she hathe teachers a greate manye, both lerned and godly, yet her ingrate chyldern haue not refrayned from treasons, from sedicions, from both preuie and aperte grudges and furies, frō sklaunderouse reapportes, from blowyng abrode and brutynge of moste shamefull and detestable lesynges & thynges neuer doon, spokē, nor yet ones thought vpon, as they were ymagined to haue been. O ingrate England. O eroked & paruerse generacyon. But I retourne to my purpose.

This Cato very wyttyly also said that fooles bryng more vtilitie & profette vnto wyse men, than wyse men to fooles. For the prudent and wyse personnes, whyle they sone espye the [Page] errours and misedemenors of fooles and eschue the same: they become the warer, but fooles not so, for the thynges that they se wel doon of wisemē, they haue not the witte to folowe.

A certayne person whych studyed for nothyng elles but to fare wel, coueted moch to be familiare wyth Cato. But Cato refused hym vtterlye, sayinge he could not lyue wyth hym that sauered better in hys palate thē in hys hart.

A louers mynd, he sayde, lyued in an others bodye, agreynge to the eō mō prouerbe that sayeth. Anima illie potius est, vbi amat quā vbi animat. The soule or mynd of man is rather there where it loueth, then where it lyueth.

Of thre thynges doon in all hys lyef he sayde he repented hym, fyrst, yf he committed any hys secreates to [Page] a woman, second, yf to onye place he were caryed by water, whyther he moughte haue goon by lande. The thyrd, if any day had eskaped him by negligence without frute.

Thys Cato for all he was one of the chiefest lordes of Rome, yet hys chief delite and pleasure was in husbandrye, in so moch that he wrote also bokes of husbandrye. For he sayde that of husbande men be engendred most stronge men, most hardy souldiours & parsonnes least replete wyth gyle & malice. And when he was demaūded what gaynes was most certayne & best, he aunswered, to grease or pasture wel, what next, to pasture metely wel, what thyrd, to clothe wel what fourth, tyllage. Why, ꝙ one that stode by, what is it to gayne by vsaunce or lone of money? what is it ꝙ Cato, to kyll a man?

[Page] A certayne person which rose erly in the mormynge and found his hose knawn and eaten of the rattes being troubled with this syght, thinkyng it a pronosticatiō & tokē of some misfortune: He cōmeth to Cato to aske his coūsaile & to know of hym what euyl thys thyng portended and sygnified. Cato maketh hym thys aunswere. Certes my frend, it is no mōstruouse syght to se rattes eate mēs hoses, but yf thy hose had eaten the rattes that had been a monstrucuse syght.

¶ The Table of the fyrst boke of the gardeyn of wisedome.

Agasicles | Fo. ij
Ageselaus | Fo. iij
Agis | Fo. iiij
Lycurgus | Fo. v
Socrates | Fo. ix
Aristippus | Fo. xvij
Philip kynge of Macedonie | Fo. xix
Aleaudre the greate | Fo. xxij
Antigonus | Fo. xxiij
Augustus Lesar | Fo. xxv
Phocion | Fo. xxviij
Demosthenes | Fo. xxix
Dionysius | Fo. xxx
Agathocles | Fo. xxxij
Archclaus | Fo. xxxiij
Themistocles | Fo. xxxiij
Aristides | Fo. xxxiij
Diogenes | Fo. xxxviij
Aristotle | Fo. xli
Thales | Fo. xlij
Solon | Fo. xliij
Pittacus | Fo. xliiij
Antistherres | Fo. xliiij
Anacharsis | Fo. xlv
Seno | Fo. xlvi
Cleanthes | Fo. xlvij
Isocrates | Fo. xlvij
Philoxenus. | Fo. xlviij

¶ The Table of the seconde boke.

Achilles | Fo. ij
Alphonsus kyng of Aragone | Fo. iij
Athanasius | Fo. vi
Sigismuno Temperour. | Fo. viij
Plotinus. | Fo. x
Cyrus the elder | Fo. xi
Artoxerxes | Fo. xiij
Orontes | Fo. xv
Duke Memnon | Fo. xv
The Egyptians | Fo. xvi
Cambyses | Fo. xvij
Darius Kynge of the Persians | Fo. xxi
Semiramis | Fo. xxvi
Serxes | Fo. xxvi
Artoxerxes with the long hand | Fo. xxix
Cyrus the yonger | Fo. xxix
Cresus | Fo. xxx
Amyntas & Alexander hys son | Fo. xxxij
Scilurus | Fo. xxxiij
Belo | Fo. xxxiiij
Dieron | Fo. xxxv
Demetrius the son of Antigonꝰ | Fo. xxxvi
Demosthenes | Fo. xxxviij
Cato | Fo. xlij

FINIS.

§

§

¶ Prynted at London by Richard Bankes.

¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

Information about this book

Title statement

The second booke of the Garden of wysedome wherin are conteyned wytty, pleasaunt, and nette sayenges of renowmed personages collected by Rycharde Tauerner anno. M.D.XXXIX. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.Garden of wysdom. Book 2

Taverner, Richard, 1505?-1575.

Edition statement

1542

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A13401

ID [STC]

STC 23713

ID [STC]

ESTC S111350

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99846712

ID [PROQUEST]

99846712

ID [VID]

11699

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A13401)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 11699)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 147:21)

Source

— The second booke of the Garden of wysedome wherin are conteyned wytty, pleasaunt, and nette sayenges of renowmed personages collected by Rycharde Tauerner anno. M.D.XXXIX. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum., Garden of wysdom. Book 2, Taverner, Richard, 1505?-1575., Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536. Apophthegmata..

Extent

47, [1] leaves

By [E. Whitchurch for] Richard Bankes,. [Prynted at London :: [1542?]]. (Based on: Erasmus, Desiderius. Apophthegmata.) (Actual printer's name and conjectured publication date from STC; publisher's name and place of publication from colophon.) (Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library.)

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