THe Doctrine of Wisedome (like running water) ought to be common, because, by how much any one instructeth others, by so much hee multiplieth and acquireth wisedome to himselfe, according to that, Qui alios docet, seipsum instruit, Hee that tea­cheth others, learneth himselfe. For knowledge is described to be an incompa­rable Treasure, and a noble possession of the minde, which beeing distributed by parts, taketh increase, and disdaining a couetous possessor, without distribution quickly decayeth.

I therefore considering that the Morall Distichs intituled Cato, beeing in the Latine tongue, were learned and read on­ly in Schooles by Children, and desiring to spend my vacant houres in some commendable studie for the benefit of my Countrey, (to which end especially we are born) conceiued it a work of worth to translate the same in our mother tongue, both for the Instruction of such Parents, and others, as were ignorant of the Latine, and for a generall vse for which they were intended, as hereafter in this Preface I shall declare.

But first let me search into, and expresse the foure-fold [Page] cause of this worke, that concurreth to the ordering of euery thing, to wit, the Materiall, Finall, Efficient, and Formall cause.

The Materiall cause or matter of this Booke (which is the same) are the foure Cardinall vertues, Prudence, Iustice, Forti­tude, and Temperance, which are called Cardinall, by a Meta­phor or Figure, of Cardo a hinge, because as a doore is turned on the hinges, so all other vertues are reduced to these foure, as formes to their kindes. The first introduceth or bringeth in, because a man through Wisedome is brought vnto Scien­ces and Vertues. The Second directeth, because a man is directed by Iustice to the kingdome of Heauen. The Third ouercomes for a man is said through Fortitude to ouercome his spirituall enemies, the world, the Flesh, and the Deuill. The Fourth tempereth, for it teacheth vs to liue soberly in this world, and to abstaine from carnall desires. All which vertues, with their seuerall Daughters or Branches are copiously han­dled in this Booke.

The Finall cause is profit; both priuate, as to the Authours owne sonne; and common, as to vs; for by perusing this booke like prudent Husbandmen, wee may extirpe or roote out vi­ces, and sowe the seedes of vertues in our hearts, whereby with Gods assistance we may auoid the calamities of this pre­sent life, and that to come.

The efficient cause is the Authour of this Booke, which is vnknowne, or very doubtfull, so as it may be called Apocry­phus, a word signifying greatly obscure: For the famous Philo­sopher, and Historiographer, Plutarch, setting fotth (amongst others) the liues of two vertuous and learned men, bearing the name of Cato, the one Marcus Portius Cato, called also Cen­so [...]aus of being Censor; the other likewise, M. P. Cato called al­so Vticensis, of Vtica, where he slue himselfe, whom he further distinguisheth with the Additions of maior the elder, and mi­nor the yonger, sheweth that Cato maior died before, and Cato minor in the time of Julius Caesar, and that (notwithstanding the saying of Iuuenal, Tertius è coelo cecidit Cato) Cato maior [Page] had two Sonnes, whereof the one had also a Sonne, and that Sonne the like. And the other had two Sonnes, whereof the one was Father of Cato minor. And that Cato minor had a Sonne, the whole Progenie bearing the name of Cato, who were all extinct before the time of Augustus the second Empe­rour of Rome.

But I obserue in the Preface to the second Booke of these Distichs, that the Author aduiseth the Reader, if he desire to knowe the Romane and ciuill warres, (which were those betweene Iulius Caesar and Pompey) hee should search Lucan; whereby it is euident that this booke was not before Lucan, who writ his worke after the time of Julius Caesar, and conse­quently none of the Catones could possibly be the Author ther­of. And therefore some father it on Seneca, who was Tutor to Nero the fift Roman Emperor; others on golden-mouth'd Chrysostome: And it was attributed to the Poet Ausonius, by Bap­tista Pius, (whose opinion some haue lately followed) whom Joseph Scaliger in his Ausonian Lectures sharpely reprooueth, and plainely confuteth. Whereupon may be said,

Yet some say it is thus intituled, Incipit Ethica Catonis, The Morall Science of Cato beginneth; not because Cato compo­sed it, but to the end it might be of the more authoritie. Others say the Title is thus, Incipit Tullius de praeceptis Cato­nis; and that hee composed this worke when hee first entred Rhetoricke, but called the same by the name of Cato (as his Treatise, intituled, Cato maior de Senectute) that it might bee the more willingly receiued: which Tully also (as Plutarch reciteth in the life of Caesar) writ the praise of Cato minor, and inscri­bed it Cato; and now it is intituled, Libellus elegantissimus [Page] qui inscribitur Cato, that is, a most elegant booke inscribed Cato. And the same Scaliger in the afore-mentioned place, saith, that these Distichs were inscribed with the name of Cato, because the goodnesse of Cato was knowne to all men by way of Pro­uerbe; for good men, and of most approued manners, in those dayes were called Catones. And such is the censure of the lear­ned Erasmus, exprest in an Epistle prefixed to an ancient La­tine Edition of these Distichs (wherewith the Greeke of Pla­nudes is intermixt) Catonis (saith he) ob id tantum arbitror dici, quod Sententias habeat Catone dignas. I suppose it to be called Ca­to, because it hath Sentences worthy of Cato.

And this name of Cato was first giuen to Cato maior, (as Plu­tarch affirmeth) for his skilfulnesse in affaires. For (to Ety­mologize the word) it may be deriued of Catus a Cat, because he was crafty as that creature, or rather of Catus, an old synco­pation of Cautus, interpreted, wary, subtill and skilfull. Yet Tranquillus makes mention of one Valerius Cato, a Grammarian at Rome, who taught many, and of noble stocke, in the time of Scylla, whose fame these verses record to vs;

Which may I thus translate.

Whereby it may be coniectured, and it is probable enough, that Valerius Cato, if any of the name, writ this booke, especi­ally for his Schollers instruction, and education in vertue, and generally for the benefit of the Common-wealth, as So­crates, Isocrates, and others instructed their Countrey in morall vertues, by way of Precept. To conclude, for my part, seeing [Page] the name or person is not so much to be traced out or regar­ded as his good doctrine, I wil not certainly ascribe the pen­ning of these Precepts to any one particular man, or more, more then Erasmus Maturinus Corderius, or any others haue done in their precedent Comments, or Translations, but leaue the deciding thereof, as a Schoole-question, to the deeper Schol­lership of others.

Now the Formall cause is, the manner of composing this Worke, which is two-fold, to wit, in Prose, as the Preface; in Verse, as the Execution or Treatise; for he vseth an Hexame­ter stile, distinguishing his worke into foure parts. Wee must note therefore that the Author premiseth a Preface to his worke, or the first booke thereof. In the first part of which Preface, considering that men beyond measure gaped after worldly desires, and were remote from the way of Trueth, he promiseth to giue them aide. In the Second he speakes to his Sonne, and all others in the person of him, insinuating vnto them an order of wel-liuing. In the Third, he treateth of Di­uine worship. In the Fourth, of piety towards our Parents, and Kinred. And in the Fifth and last, hee handleth vertues and Sciences, and warnes vs to beware of vices. Which Pre­face being ended, hee sets vpon the Treatise, where hee exe­cutes in Meeter, what he premised in Prose, for profit, delight and ornament, and that it may bee more firmely committed to memory, euery Distich, or two Verses, (for so the word sig­nifies) containing a Precept, and (for the most part) a Sen­tence, teaching vs our duety towards God and man; as also how to demeane our selues in all estates and conuersations. So that whosoeuer was the Author, it worthily deserues, not onely of all sorts to bee gratefully receiued, diligently peru­sed, dearely esteemed, and faithfully obserued; but to be tran­slated into the vulgar tongue of all Nations.

Neuerthelesse, let me by the way admonish and forewarne you (which Erasmus hath omitted) to beware of some fewe of these Precepts, which I haue noted with an Asteriske thus * [Page] being in part Heathenish, & contrary to Christian doctrine or not fully therewith cohering, as their seuerall Annotati­ons in the last leafe of this Booke, vnder the Title of Necessary Notes, &c. doe make manifest.

But all the rest being iust, and appertinent to our faith and good carriage (though they may not bee compared to that Booke of Bookes, the sacred Scripture) wee are not onely to credit and follow (as Saint Augustine teacheth in his Booke De Doctrina Christiana) but to challenge and retaine them euen as our owne, the rather for that the Authour is not knowne, and if hee were, being a Heathen, hee is indeed no right ow­ner thereof. For God made manifest his wonderfull power and wisedome in the hearts of the Heathen or Gentiles, chef­ly for the better instruction and confirmation of the faith of Christians to come, Graces and Gifts being not now so plen­teously bestowed by him, as in ages past.

Lastly, for my study and labour in this present worke, not onely by mine owne consideration and desire, as aforesaid, but by the aduice of diuers worthy friends, I was thereunto a­nimated▪ and am now cherished with an assured confidence, that you will not reiect nor neglect it, for the vnlearned style or rudenesse of my Pen, but rather louingly accept it, in re­spect of the excellent Counsels and Sentences it containeth, and for my good will and great paines therein expended, as may appeare, not onely in the translation of the Verse, but in the addition of a Three-fold Table at the end, by mee di­ligently and elaborately ordred and contriued, both for plea­sure and profit, and for the better vse of the originall, where­by may bee readily found any Document or Saying therein contained, either for Grammar-Schollers to insert and ap­ply in their Theames and other exercises, or for Children to bee taught and learned both within and without Booke at the Reading-schoole, or for their Copies at the Writing-schoole, or for Men and Women vnlearned not onely to reade, vnderstand, and learne, for the furnishing of their [Page] hearts and behauiours, but to adorne their Houses with good and godly Poesies, aswel for dayly obiects to their owne optike senses, lest beeing out of sight, they should be also (to vphold the Prouerbe) out of minde, as also for the instructi­on of all Commers, or friendly visitants, that haue not been so happy as to reade the whole worke, which representeth both the beauties and blemishes of the minde, and manners; as a Chrystall mirrour or looking glasse the conditions of each Countenance, for which cause I may iustly intitle it, The mirrour of the minde, and so leaue it in your hands as A handfull of honesty; not vegetatiue, like the weede so called, but ratio­nall, Philosophicall, and for the most part, Theologicall; wi­shing your eyes may neuer part from it, nor the clapper of your lips take intermission before your hearts, and such, whose eares attend you, bee edified by the discipline ensu­ing. And so, lest vnto me yee allude the saying of the Philo­sopher, when hee cryed, Hoe, Citizens, shut your gates, that the Citie runne not out, I heere conclude mine, and giue place to the Authours Preface.