That bookes are vvise and faithfull counsellours.

KIng Alphonsus of Arragon, béeing asked what counsaylours he best allowed of, and founde most profi­table, answered forthwith bokes: bycause they without feare, without flatterie, without griefe or any rewarde, tell me faith­fully all that whiche I séeke to knowe. And Cicero sayde: Oh deare bookes, O pleasaunt familie, bookes do alwayes stand thée in stede: if thou list they speake, if thou wilt, they holde their peace, they are euer ready at thy com­maundement: they be not outragious, not rash, not rauenous, not gréedie, not obstinate, as euery other familie.

That a merrie conceit stoutly and pleasantly spoken by the Captaine, giueth cou­rage to the Souldiers.

WHen a souldiour came to Leonides, and told him that the number of his enimies [Page] was so great, that for their dartes men coulde not sée the Sun, he answered him pleasantly, saying: And will it not be a great pleasure to fight in the shadowe?

That Nature vvarneth vs to shunne superfluous babbling.

ZEno seing a yong man that babbled ouer­muche, sayde thus vnto him: Marke this my sonne, that Nature hath made vs two ea­res, and one mouthe, bycause we should heare muche, and speake little. The same Zeno be­ing demaunded howe farre truthe was from falshoode? answered: As farre as it is from the eyes to the eares.

That according to the iudgement of the vvyse, mannes ignorance is exceeding greate.

SOcrates, hée whiche by the Oracle of A­pollo was iudged the wysest man alyue, helde that Ignoraunce was the mother of presumption: And therefore vsed oftenty­mes to saye: This I knowe onely, that I knowe nothyng. And Themistocles, the wyse and sage counsaylour, béeing an hun­dreth and six yeares olde, sayde at his death that hée was vnwillyng to dye when he had [Page 2] begun to knowe howe to liue.

That constant and valiant men make a iest of griefe and payne.

SOlemon the Sophist, when he was greate­ly tormented with the goute, mersly sayd: If I haue néede to goe, I haue no féete: If I haue any thing to doo, I haue no handes: but yf the goute take mée, I haue both han­des and féete.

That the chaunces of Fortune are straunge and maruellous.

ONe Marke Antonio Batistei, an Itali­an, hauyng loste fyue hundreth crounes in a drowned shippe, wente as desperate to hang himselfe. But béeing aboute to fasten the roape to a beame, hée founde there hid­den by chaunce a thousande crownes: wher­fore hée béeing excéeding ioyfull and merrie, tooke them, and exchaungyng the halter for the crownes, wente awaye. Nowe beholde, not long after, the owner came thyther to sée them, and handle them, who not fyn­ding them, but in theyr place séeyng a hal­ter, was ouercome with so greate sorrowe, that withoute any more adoe he hoong hym­selfe with it.

That vvith the constancie of the mynde, the strokes of Fortune and men are borne off.

SEneca sayth, that wheresoeuer a man dothe hide himself, Fortune and the malice of the people will finde him out: and therefore the mynd ought to drawe too his inuincible rocke of cōstancie, wher dispising al worldly things, the dartes of Fortune and men without any hurte shall fall downe to his féete. And master Levves Almanni, a very fine Italian Poet, to the like purpose sayde:

that is,

That vvise men make aunsvvere to euerie deepe demaunde.

THales Milesius one of the seuen sages of Greece, being demaunded what thing was of all other the most auncient, he aunswered, GOD bicause he hath always ben: what thing the fairest? the world (sayd he) for that it was the worke of god: what was the widest thing? place, bycause it comprehendeth euery other thing: what thing was most profitable? hope, bycause when all other welth is lost, this re­mayneth alwaies: what thing was best? ver­tue, bycause without hir no good thing can be spoken: what thing swiftest? the mind of man, bicause in a momēt he rangeth throughout the whole world: what thing strongest? necessitie or destinie, bycause it ouercōmeth euery other accident or chaunce: what thing most easie? to giue an other mā coūcel: what thing most dif­ficult? to knowe ones selfe: what thing wisest? time (said he) bycause it attaineth al things.

Hovve soone brute beastes are satisfied and hovve insatiable men are.

SEneca was wont to say: The Bull filleth himselfe in a little medowe: a wood is suffi­cient to féed many Elephants, but mā through his ambition and gréedinesse, can neither be satisfied with the whole earth, nor yet with the Sea.

That experience is gotten vvith tyme.

ARistotle sayde that yong men can not bée wyse, bicause wisedome is gotten by ex­perience, and experience by tyme. And he said moreouer, that wher wisdom hath most credit there fortune hath least to doe. And he in like maner hath written, y ^e yong men are simple, soon woon, and light of beléef, bicause thei haue not proued or known y ^e doublenesse, craft, and vnfaithfulnesse of wicked mē: therfore S Pe­ter y ^e Apost. admonishing youth hath diuinely sayd: Adolescentes subdits estote senioribus.

That craft is deceyued vvith craft.

COrax promised Sosius to teach him rheto­rike, & Sosius promised to pay him his hire when he was taught. But hauing afterward learned, he would not satisfie him, wherfore Corax sued him. Sosius trusting in his arte of Sophistrie, asked him wherin rhetorike con­sisted? Corax answered, it consisteth in per­suasion. Then sayde Sosius, if I persuade the iudges that I owe thée nothyng, I will paye thée nothing, bicause I shal ouercome in law: if I persuade them not, I will not pay thée, bicause I haue not learned to persuade: there­fore it wil be best for thée to giue ouer thy en­terprise. But Corax that knewe more than [Page 4] he, wrested his argument after this sort, and sayd: Nay rather if thou persuade the iudges thou shalt pay me, bicause thou hast lerned to persuade: if thou do not persuade them, thou shalt paye me, bicause thou shalte lose to me the matter in suite, so that euery waye thou oughtest to content me.

That by the multitude of lavves made, the abundance of vices is declared.

ARcesilans sayde, that euen as where there are many physitions, there are also many diseases, so where there are many lawes, there be also or else haue ben many vices, bi­cause vice doth grow before the lawe.

The opinion and counsels of Epicurus.

EPicure sayde, that thou shouldest rather sée wyth whome thou oughtest to eate and drynke, than that whyche thou oughtest to drinke and eate: For to lyue alone without fréendes, is the lyfe of Wolfes, and other wylde beastes. The same Epicure sayd: we are borne at one tyme, neyther is it graun­ted to bée twice borne: and also that whiche wée little estéeme, wée are euer in daunger of death. Therefore thou béeing not owner of to morowe, prolong not the time, but liue meryly to day.

That the nature of man is vvauering and troubled vvith diuers passions.

THe noble Laurence Medices being in a ve­ry good company, and deuising togither tou­ching the natural things of man, this man said one thing, and that man an other: wherfore he being requested to say his opinion, he declared it curteously without any study in this maner.

that is,

That Fooles cannot stand quiet.

WHen Solon was in companie, and helde his peace according to his woonte, there was a presumptuous fellowe that sayd to him that he spake nothing bycause he was a foole. [Page 5] To whome Solon without otherwise altring himselfe, answered wisely, saying: That ther was neuer foūd a foole that could stand quiet.

That abstinence is the defendresse of vertue.

SOcrates in Plato sayde, that he that desireth to loue vertue as muche as he ought to loue his countrie, loueth aboue al things abstinēce, and fléeth will and appetite as Mermaides.

Epictetus the Philosopher comprehendeth the whole sum of Philosophie in these two words [...] that is, beare, and forbeare: in the first he admonisheth vs, that we should endure aduersitie with a stout courage, in the seconde that we shoulde absteyne from will and appetite.

VVhat is the best and the vvorste parte in man.

ANacarsis the Philosopher béeing demaun­ded what was the best and worst parte in man, answered the tong. The same Philoso­pher was wont to saye, that it was better to slyde with the féete than with the tong.

That Princes ought to see iustice kept.

CAmbyses a moste seuere Kyng, caused a iudge, although his very frend, to be skin­ned, [Page] who iudged accordyng as hée was bry­bed, and not according as reason requyred: and causing the iudgement seate to be coue­red wyth his skynne, made afterwarde the sonne of him béeing dead to sitte vppon it in iudgement. The same prince aboue his owne royall seate, had in great letters of gold these verses written in effect:

That true Nobilitie is deryued from Vertue.

POpe Vrbane the fourthe, a Frenche man borne, was of a base linage, but very well learned and eloquente, wherefore vppon a tyme the Kyng of Spayne vpbraydyng hym wyth his fathers vnnoblenesse, hée aunswe­red hym after thys manner: It is no vertue to bée borne noble, but to doo noblye (as I haue done) is vertue and nobilitie. The same Byshop giue fréely for nothyng all offices and benefices, saying, that he that buyeth an office, muste néedes sell it.

That he is yong that is in health, and riche that is not in dette.

VIncentio Pescioni, a wyse and a pleasant Italian Gentleman, trauayled in good companie, and they chanced to reason among themselues on a tyme, of age: And he bée­ing asked howe many yeares olde hée was, he aunswered that he was in health. He be­ing asked of an other howe riche hée was: he answered that hée was not in det: declaring that hée was yong inough that is in health, and riche in déede that is not in det.

That good counsell doth ouercome an armie, and that one errour cau­seth great ruine.

EVripides spake oftentymes this sentence woorthye of remembrance, that in warre one counsell alone ouercommeth euery kinde of armie: So contrarywyse an errour brin­geth bothe thée and thyne to ruine. Socra­tes comprehended in the same sentence not onely warre, but all mannes lyfe. And the moste noble Boiardo very trimly hath writ­ten héerevpon.

That by meanes of suttle and pretie iesting, men somtimes auoyde both damage and shame.

ONe Francesco de Semiuara was put in pri­son, bicause he had playde awaye his sub­stance at dyce: for the which he beyng sorow­full, sayd: This Maior putteth me in pryson bicause I haue played myne own, what wold he doo, if I had playde his? The Maior hea­ring this pleasant saying, caused him to be ta­ken out of prison, and forgaue him.

That it is more miserable to be borne than buried.

THe people of Thrace were wont to wéepe bitterly when their children were borne: But when they were dead, they accompanied [Page 7] them to their graue singing & laughyng. The whiche custome Euripides approueth in these verses saying:

That neyther for frendship, neyther for any other thing, vve ought to do things dishonest.

PVblius Rutilius, a noble and seuere yong man, refused a certain dishonest demaunde of a frende of his, whervpon he béeing angry sayde vnto him: And what néede I thy frend­ship then, if thou do not for me that whiche I require thée? But what néede I of thine (an­swered Publius) if I should do for thée things dishonest?

That in matters of lyfe and death a man ought not to put him selfe rashly into any mans handes.

THe moste noble Alcibiades béeing cited in Sicile by the Atheniens to purge himselfe of a mortall punishement, woulde not appeare. Wherfore a Sicilian sayde to him: What bée you in doubt of your chieftayns? I wil not in [Page] this case (aunswered Alcibiades) truste to my mothers iudgement: what doo I knowe whether shée wil take the black for the white or no?

That the fashion of the nose doth suffici­ently declare the nature of a man.

THe Persians loued bending noses, whiche the Gréekes call Grypi and they loued them so, bycause Cyrus, whome they loued a­boue all other their kings, had a nose of that fashion. But there be two sortes of Grypi or bendyng noses, the one is, that descendeth from the forhead, and goth as it were streight euen to the ende, as Cariline had: the whiche sorte Aristotle holdeth for the signe of an am­bitious and shamelesse person, referring the lykenesse of that nose to the Goate, and the mynde to the nature of the Rauen. The o­ther sorte departeth from the forheade, and aboute the middle of the nose, it somewhat ryseth vp, goyng afterwarde towardes the ende, it hath a comely turning, as had that greate Captayne called Scipio Affricanus.

Thys Aristotle iudgeth to bée the sygne of a valiaunt and honest man: And that nose is lykened to the Eagles beake, and the mynde to hir noblenesse.

A most noble comparison of Ciceros.

CIcero sayde, that as men without any in­forcement, do moue the partes of the bo­die by the will and mynde: so God through his diuine power dothe moue and alter the whole worlde.

That learnyng is muche sette by of vvyse men.

ALphonsus kyng of Arragon, Naples, and Sicile, hauing vnderstoode that a certayne king of Castile had sayde, that learning was not méete for noble men and gentlemen, hée exclamed, saying: These are the woordes of an Oxe, and not of a man.

That vvee ought not to be so homely vvith Princes, that decorum, that is, semelinesse or that vvhiche becommeth the person, be ouerpassed.

AVgustus the Emperor was neuer woont to make refusall to no person almoste, when he was bidden to meate: a certain Se­natour desyring him to supper, he went, but he entertayning him very nigardly, & almost after his ordinarie, Augustus at his departing listened to his eare, and sayd aloude: I knewe not that I was so great a familiar of thyne.

That their soueraintie is short vvhich rule by violent meanes.

WHen it was reported to Dionysius, that his sonne to whome the kingdome de­scended, had rauished and defloured a noble mannes daughter, he caused hym to be sente for, and sharply reprouing him, he demanded whether he knewe that hée béeing his father, had euer vsed any such violence? You had not (answered the yong man) a kyng to your fa­ther. And thou (sayd the olde man) shalt not haue thy sonne a king, if thou committe these enormities.

That truth of all things is the mightiest.

DArius asking certain Philosophers, which of these thrée things was the strongest, ei­ther wyne, or a woman, or truth: Zorobabel answered, that truth was the strongest of all, which al the residue allowed, and therto gaue their consent. And Lodouico Martelli an ex­cellent Poet, vpon this vertue sayth:

that is,

That speedinesse to become great in a realme, doth preuent enuie.

PLutarke sayth, that we must abstaine from beanes, that is, wée oughte not to meddle with the ministration of a common weale, bi­cause it is full of perils, nor can not be with­out rebuke or damage. In olde tyme the con­sent of people was declared by beanes, which yet remaineth at Venice. Notwithstanding, whosoeuer will haue promotion in the com­mon wealthe, oughte to procure diligently to come soone in reputation and power: for by spéedynesse enuie is auoyded. And Aristotle to this purpose sayeth, that fire smoketh not, nor glorie bréedeth not enuie, if the one and the other doo quickly shyne abroade.

A merie aunsvvere to a fond demaunde, of one asking, vvhen the greatest con­fusion shall be among men.

THe moste learned and famous VVilliam Budee, being demaunded when the grea­test cōfusion that might be among men, shold be, he readily answered: at the day of the re­surrection of the dead, when euery one shall seeke the partes of his bodye. Hée spake it in mirth, bycause that then therin shall be no cō ­fusion.

VVhat the companions and daughters of pride are, and vvherin false felici­tie dothe consist.

CHristopher Landin sayth, that the compa­nions of Pride are, Curiositie, arrogan­cie, ambition, couetousnesse, superfluous ioy, fayned humilitie, and libertie to offende. And that the daughters are vnreuerence, heresie, disobedience, vaynglorie, hypocrisie, bosting, obstinacie, discorde, and enuie. And in an o­ther place to an other purpose hée sayth, that the false felicitie of the worlde consisteth in these fiue things, Lordship, riches, honor, fame and bodyly pleasure.

That clemencie shyneth in a Prince aboue other things.

THe yong Theodosius was a Prince of wonderfull gentlenesse and clemencie. He béeing demaunded how it was possible, that hée dyd not put to death none of them that offended hym, sayd: I had rather be able to rayse vp the deade, than to put to death the lyuing: for there is nothyng in men more prayse woorthie, (but specially in a Prince,) than to forgiue iniuries. And the diuine Pe­trarch sayde; And yet muste clemencie not [Page 10] refuse the societie of due punishment.

The noblest kind of reuēgement is to forgiue.

That loue causeth infinite erroures, vvith the damage and shame vvhiche folovveth it.

MAister Levves Alamanni, a very courte­ous Gentleman, séeing a fréende of hys desperately in loue to committe infinite er­rours, with the moste gréeuous losse of hys substance and honor: and fynally to be made a mocking stock to euery man, he pleasantly admonished him after this maner, saying:

That is to say,

VVhy Princes learne better to ryde than any other thing.

CArneades the Philosopher was wonte to say, that Princes sonnes do learn nothing better than to ryde: bicause that while men flatter them, they can not perceyue the truthe of things: but the horse, that passeth no more for a kyng than a kyte, will ouerthrowe him, if he ryde not well and wysely.

That in all things vve ought to choose the cunningest men.

THe counsellors of Florence deuising amōg themselues about the skilfull making of a grauen image, they called to them one Dona­tello, a famous and an excellent Grauer and paynter, who asked for his workmanship fif­tie crownes? the counsellors thinking that it came not to so muche, were displeased with him, and gaue it to doo to one of the same sci­ence called Iohn, being but a meane grauer: He did it (for the tyme he had) as well as hée coulde, and demaunded afterwarde fourescore crounes. The Counsellers maruelling at so great a summe, were sorie that they put it in­to [Page 11] his handes, shewing him that Donatello, a man so excellent, asked but fiftie to do it. Last­ly, they béeing not able to agrée among them­selues, they remitted the matter to Donatello, who by & by gaue iudgement, that the counsel­lors shuld pay Iohn thréescore & ten crounes. Then the Counsellers being moued, remem­bring that he himself would haue ben conten­ted to doe it for fiftie, Donatello courteously sayd: It is true, and I was wel contented, bi­cause I myght haue doone this image (béeyng the workeman I am) in lesse than a moneth, but this poore man (that scarsly can be my scho­ler) hath ben about it aboue six months. Here­by at one instant he wittyly reuenged himself of the iniurie receyued of the counsellors, and reproued the other for insufficiencie, and wor­thyly praysed himselfe for his vertue.

That some are sorovvfull for things that make other ioyfull.

ONe of Perugia was sorowfull and wepte miserably, bycause his wyfe hanged hir selfe on a Figtrée. To whome a neyghbor of his, whispering in his eare sayd: Frend, how is it possible, that in so great prosperitie thou fyndest teares to wéepe? Giue me I praye thée, a graffe of that Figtrée, for I wold plant [Page] him in my gardē, to sée what my wyfe can do.

That subtiltie vsed in season is some­tymes an incredible helpe.

THere was in Andwerpe an excellent ad­uocate, which had takē in hand to defende, (as the manner is) a man of a most wycked life, when he was before the Iudges, he sayde to the iusticer, who taketh parte agaynst the persons arrained, and who also was desirous to haue that fellowe hanged. Sir, be you con­tent, that I defend this honest man? I am cō ­tent sayd the Iusticer. Then the aduocate tur­ning to the Iudges sayd: Marke Sirs, this mā ought not to be hāged, for the Malgraue him­selfe (such is the title of the Iusticer) that hath accused him, and that soughte for his life, hath consented that he is an honest mā, and honest men, as you knowe, are not hanged.

VVhy fortune is blynde, foolishe, and foule.

THe Philosophers say that fortune is blind, foolishe, and soule. Blynde, bycause she séeth not where she throweth hir selfe. Foo­lishe, for that she is variable, vncertain, & vn­constant. Foule, for that she is wicked, grée­dye, and dishonest. Wherefore the moste [Page 12] learned Alciate to this purpose sayth:

That the common people doe bevvraye themselues, bothe by their dee­des and vvordes.

WHen vpon a tyme a ioyfull feaste was to bée made in Florence, for some good newes, a woollen weauer, intending to haue himselfe knowne, and to appeare honourably after his maner at the sightes and playes, ca­ryed foorth his wyues clothes, to the intent to lende them to some vse: His wyfe makyng muche a doe for this, the husbande sayd: Hold thy peace thou wayward woman, for to doe my selfe honour, Chiasso is a stinking lane in Florence. I will not onely sende out thy cloathes, but also put thée in Chiaslo.

The Bay tree hath diuers and noble ver­tues and significations.

THe Bay trée is consecrate to Apollo, by­cause hée running after Daphnis, a verye fayre damsel, of whom he was enamored, she through feare recommended hir selfe to Iupi­ter and hée for pitie tourned hir into a Baye trée. Whervppon from that tyme forwarde, [Page] Phoebus tooke some of the braunches to trim his harpe, and weareth them alwayes about his forhead: And also it is consecrate to him, for that he is the god of diuination, bicause that if one put the leaues therof vnder the head of an other that sléepeth, it maketh him to dream of true things. And the bay trée euer groweth gréen like vnto vertue, which is always gréen. And alone among all other trées, is safe from lightning, as vertue alone is safe from enuie. And it is called Laurell of laude, and so in old tyme it was called, by reason that the aunci­ent Gréekes, and afterward the Romains did with maruellous prayse trimme the temples of those conquerors, that did enriche or defend the weale publike, euen as they also trimmed those Poets, which excellently did sette foorth the vertues of other: Wherefore the famous Petrarcha, whiche was called to so greate ho­nour at Rome, sayth:

Hovv one may receyue commoditie euen of his enimies.

ANtisthenes sayd, (other attribute it to Xe­nophon) that a man oughte to marke that which his enimies say: for they be the fyrste that knowe his errours. And he added, that as the good Phisitian taketh some remedies euen of serpents, so ought the wyse man take some profite euen of his enimies.

That Fortune, for the continual turning of hir vvhele, suffreth no mā in the highest degree to rest in quiet.

PEter of Albiz [...] being in so great worship in Florence, that he surpassed all other citizens of long tyme, bothe for authoritie and prospe­ritie, it hapned that he makyng a goodly ban­ket to many of his friendes, there was sente to him a bolle of siluer full of confites, and a­mong them lay hidden a nayle. The whiche nayle laye afterwarde vncouered, and being séene of all the feasters, it was interpreted, that hée was put in remembraunce, that hée stayed the whéele of Fortune, bycause she ha­uing broughte him to the highest, it coulde not be, but that if she continued to make hir wonted compasse, she wold turne him downe to the bottom. The which interpretation was [Page] first verified by his ruine, and afterwarde by his violent death. Wherfore wisely sayth So­lon, that none can be called happie vntill he happily die.

That craftie men do couer vices vnder diuers colours.

WHen the Philosopher Aristippus was blamed bycause he lyued too sumptu­ously, he sayd pleasauntly: I beleue that it is no ill, for if it were offence, men would not do as they do, in the celebration of the feasts of the gods.

That an vniust Iudge giues sentence on his side that giueth him the greatest bribe.

ONe of Pistoia béeing called to be an arbi­toure betwene two that were at variāce, toke of the one a vessell of oyle, with promisse to gyue sentence wyth fauoure: The other knowyng of this incōtinently sent him home to his house a very fatte hogge, desiring hym that he would be fauorable. Wherupon the good iudge gaue sentence on his side that gaue the hogge. Which his aduersarie vnderstan­ding, ran foorthwith towards him, and was sorowfull for the trust he had of him, and for the reward he sent him: the iudge pulling him [Page 14] aside, sayd: Vnderstande brother, that there came into my house a hogge, whiche fynding thy vessell, brake it, and the oyle ran oute, so that I haue forgotten thée, but doubte not an other time I will restore it thée.

That in aduersitie true frendes are discerned from fayned.

CIcero sayde, that lyke as the swallowes apppeare in sommer, and in winter are not séene, so fayned fréendes in tyme of prosperitie shew themselues, and in aduersi­tie absent themselues. And Ennius sententi­ously to the same purpose sayth:

And Ouide lykewyse herevppon wrote after this sort:

And Ariosto notably sayth,

VVhat great faithfulnesse a chaste vvo­man beareth to hir husbande.

ARmenia, a noble woman, and of excellent beautie, comming from a great feast that king Cyrus made, was demaunded of hir hus­bande by the way howe she lyked the beautie of Cyrus, (which was suche as all men mar­uelled at) she answered chastly after this sort: Husbande, to tell you the truth, as long as I was there I did not once looke vp: therfore I can not tell you howe fayre or foule Cyrus, or the other be.

That controuersie in lavve, is the losse of of tyme, money, and frendes.

TWo kinsmen fell at variance for a mat­ter, in which eche of them claymed a pro­pretie: after variance they went to law, and after law to open contention, whiche is pro­prely to say, to open warre. Then one of them wyser than the other, called his fellow asyde, and in effect vsed these wordes vnto him, say­ing: Kynsman, first this I put thée in mynde of, that it is not honest that couetousnes shold separate vs when as Nature hath ioyned vs togither. Moreouer, you muste vnderstande, that al controuersies in law are no lesse dout­ful than warre: Euery man may at his plea­sure begin to striue, but when he liste, he can not ende. Our variance is for thrée hundreth crownes, if that we go to lawe, we shal spend halfe so much more vpon Notaries, proctors, aduocates, Iudges, and in making of frendes: we must needes attend, flatter, trauaile to and fro, wearie our selues, neuer be quiet: and fy­nally when I recouer my sute by iudgement, the losse wil be greater than the gayne. Is it not better kinsman that we here agrée among our selues? and that wée deuide betwéene vs the money that we shold giue to these gréedie persons? Graunt me one moytie of your cha­lenge, and I will graunte you the moytie of myne: In so dooing, we shal obey nature, we [Page] will be in hazarde, and shall auoyde infinite troubles. But where as also you wyll not yelde to any thing, I yelde to the whole: for I had rather that this money should remayn to you, than come to these théeues. Wherevpon the aduersarie béeing moued, as well for the reasons, as the curtesie of his kinsman, yéel­ded to him willingly, and wysely agréed a­mong themselues.

Philosophers make but a trifle of Fortune.

ASclepiades the philosopher fallyng blynde by chaunce, was nothyng at all sorie, but rather iesting merryly sayde: I haue made a good hande, for before I went alone, and now I goe with companie.

A mans vertue is esteemed euen of the enimie.

MEtellus surnamed for his victories Mace­donicus, when he heard that Scipio Afri­canus was dead, althoughe he were his mor­tall ennimie, he went foorth of his house sore gréeued and miscontent: and comming into the market place, many tymes hée horribly cryed, saying: Run my citizens run, for the walles of our citie are fallen downe.

That debtes ordinarily do take a mans sleepe from him.

WHen a Romaine knighte was deade, it was found that he owed more than fiue hundred thousande Ducates, the which thing in his lyfe tyme hée had with a merye chéere kept very close. Afterward his goods came to be solde: and among the rest of his housholde stuffe, Cesar Augustus cōmaunded that his bed should be bought for him, saying that it would serue to make one sléepe, seeing hée that was so farre in debt could sleepe thervpon.

That vvise men thinke it a folie to endeuor to come to highnesse and honour.

THe Erle Maria Mathevv Boiardo, a verye wyse man, reprouing a cosyn of his, that inconueniently went out of the Duke of Mi­lans wages to goe serue the kyng of Naples, who made him greate profers, & greater pro­mises, sayd vnto him:

The man that is auaunced to high de­gree, oftentimes forgetteth both his frendes and himselfe.

ONe Benedetto of the Albizi, (a familie so called) went to reioyce with his friend for the good fortune happened to him: whiche frend of his, was to the dignitie of a Cardinal promoted. But the Cardinall being swolne and puffed vp with pride for that degrée, ma­king as though he knew him not, he asked him what he was. Whervpon Benedetro a noble yong man and a stout, being displeased, chan­ged foorthwith his purpose for the whiche hée came, and sayd: And it please you my Lorde, I am come for our frendships sake to lament with you your fortune, or rather blyndnesse, that hath brought you to this degrée: for such as you be, as soon as you clymbe vp to the like honour as this is, you lose so much your sight, your hearing, and the other senses, that you doo not onely forgette youre selues, but youre frendes also.

The follie of a prince, the displeasure of a vvoman, and the vnfaythfulnesse of a frend, vvhat disorder they brede.

CAndaules king of Lydia, had a very faire wyfe, for whose beautie he thorough ioye [Page 17] waxed foolish: and it was not inough for him to prayse hir to all men, and discouer to all men the secrets that he vsed with hir in wed­locke, but also woulde haue witnesse therof: so he shewed hir on a daye thorowe a clefte bare naked, withoute hir knowledge, to his dearest fréend Ligus. Who séeing so fayre a thing, was so farre in loue with hir, that hée thought of nothing else, but howe he mighte obtayne hir, eyther by loue or force. The wo­man on the other syde, perceyuing hir hus­bands dooings by his spéeche, and that he had lastly shewed hir to Ligus in that sort, thought that shée was betrayde, and that the Kyng woulde participate with other his delightes: whervpon she tooke so great anger, that forth­with she was at the commaundement of Li­gus, and consented to the death of hir husbād, and gaue hir selfe to the murdring adulterer, togither with the kingdome.

That three thyngs chaunge the nature of man.

ARistotle sayde, that thou shalte sée thrée things, (if thou doe marke them well,) that cause the Nature and condytion of a man to chaunge, that is: Lordship, a woman, and wyne.

That the [...]uttleties and deceytes of Corti­zans, or rather vvhoores, are great, and not to seeke.

A French gentleman béeing in Rome, went on an euening to lye wyth a Cortizan, the whiche in the nyght taking occasion, vntyed a piece of a chaine of golde which he had. The next mornyng he putting it about his necke, he founde that where it was woonte to come foure tymes aboute, it would nowe come but thrée and a halfe. Then the Cortizan com­ming before hym, looked vppon hym wyth shewe and countenaunce of meruayle, and sayde thus: Sir, doo you féele any griefe as me thinkes you doo? and the woman sayde moreouer: I can not tell whether you haue taken any colde, bycause your head is waxed great, and your face swolne: and in speaking this, she put a glasse in his hand of that sorte, whiche maketh things appeare greater and larger than they are. The Frencheman loo­kyng in a glasse, and séeing so greate an alte­ration of his heade, he stedfastely beléeued that his head was swoln, and had taken some straunge disease: wherevpon being very so­rowful, and maruelling no more at his chain, wore it on that fashion, afterwarde wofully telling his fréends of that swelling of his hed.

That businesse requireth the ovvners coun­tenance and not deputiship.

CAto oftentimes said, that the countenance of the owner helpeth much more than de­putiship, meaning that euery man ought to be presente in dooing of his things, and not ab­sent to commit them to other. So a Persian béeing demaunded what was the best thyng to fatten a horsse, he aunswered the owners eye. And an Africane being demaūded what doong was the beste to fatten the grounde, he aunswered the owners footsteps, both signify­ing the presence. Likewise the Poet Ennius to this purpose sayd:

That beautie is a heauenly gift and grace of the auncients in diuers sorts prai­sed and esteemed.

SOcrates called beautie a tyrannie of shorte tyme: Plato a priuiledge of nature: Theo­phrastus a secrete decayte Theocritus: a delec­table damage: Carneades a solitarie kingdom: Domitius sayd, that there was nothing more acceptable: Aristotle affirmeth, that beautie [Page] is more woorthe than all the letters of com­mendation: Homere sayd, that it was a glo­rious gifte of nature: and Ouide alluding to him, calleth it a grace of God.

That the vvickednesse of gouernours doth oftentymes cause, that the people rebell against the prince.

BAttus of Dalmatia, béeing demaunded of Tyberius for what cause he rebelled so ma­ny tymes, and had made so great a slaughter of the Romains, he answered: You your self Cesar be the cause, for you appoynte not for your flocke shepherdes for kéepers, but raue­nous wolues. Wherfore Plato, diuinely say­eth, that we ought to be very circumspect and take great héed, how the gouernors, and com­missaries or Lieutenants of cities and coun­treyes be broughte vp, and accustomed, to the ende that lyke hungrie dogs they become not wolues, and deuoure the flocke.

A notable vvay to knovv the quali­tie of a man.

PAlingenius sayeth, that who so euer will knowe of what qualitie a man is, let him consider what maner frends he hath: for na­ture doth willingly accompanie hir lyke: the [Page 19] Florentine sayeth for a prouerbe: Jddio fa gli huomini, & s'appaiouo, that is, GOD maketh men, and they be séen. And Cicero in the per­son of Cato, sayth: Pares cum paribus facilli­mè congregantur. And in an other place he wri­teth: Mores dispares, disparia studia sequuntur.

That stoute men and true Christians dye for the faith vvith incredible constancie.

MAcedonius Theodolus, and Tatianus, bée­ing both Bishops and martyrs, were (in the tyme of Iuliane the Emperoure) rosted for the faith vppon a grediron. So they hauing fire vnderneth them that burned cruelly, Ma­cedonius turned to the iudge, & smyling sayd: Oh if thou take pleasure to eate maus fleshe, turne the other side to, to the end thou mayst finde vs well broyled and seasoned.

That in this life are tvvo states to be de­sired, the one of Princes, the other of fooles.

SEneca sayd, that in this worlde there must néedes be borne a king or a foole: A king to be able to reuenge wrongs, and to be able to correcte and chastise mens vices: A foole, for not to acknowlege offences, and not to thinke of any thing.

To breake faith and promise is a thing dete­stable and greuously to be punished.

MErcurie delighting among other things, in thefte, in strife and robberies, had stol­len Apollos kine, whiche none sawe but one man called Battus: to whome Mercurie gaue one, with condition, that he shuld conceale the thefte. Afterward to make triall of his fayth, he turning himselfe into the lykenesse of A­pollo, came vnto hym, and promysed hym a Bull, yf he coulde tell hym of his kyne.

Battus blynded with the gayne, discouered them. Whervppon Mercurie being displea­sed, turned him into a stone, which of the an­cients is called Index, lapis parius, lapis Hera­clius, lapis Lydius, and Coticula, in Englishe a touchestone.

Hovve ill fortune may be more easi­ly endured.

THales Milesius béeing asked, in what ma­ner a man might more easily abide aduer­sitie, he answered: he shall endure it, if he sée his enimies in worse estate than himself. And the noble Alamanno sayth to this purpose.

VVith vvhat suttletie greate princes ought to reigne after the opinion of Homer.

LEvves the eleuenth King of Fraunce, had (as it is very well knowne) great warre, and muche to do with the lordes and barons of his realme, among whiche the Constable was also his aduersarie, albeit secretly. But afterwarde when that the king had ouercome all these lordes, the Constable who (as I say) was not manifestly discouered, sent to excuse him selfe to the King, shewing that he had ben always loyall and trustie to him, and to haue doone his maiestie greate seruice, wherfore he desired to know if he myght with his good wil retourne fréely vnto the Courte? To whome the King, who knewe euery thing, and that woulde assure him, and correcte hym, aun­swered: That he néeded not to excuse hym­selfe vnto hym, bycause I doe verye well perceyue (sayde hée) the Constables loyal­tie, and the great seruice he hathe doone me, wherfore I yelde to his request, and I must néedes saye, that I do stande in néede of such an heade. Afterwarde, tourning him aboute to a Secretarie, sayde very softly in his eare: [Page] It is true that I néede that head, but off from his shoulders. And saide moreouer: He that knoweth not how to dissemble, knoweth not howe to raigne. This is the same King that was woonte to saye, when pryde rydeth, da­mage and shame go behynde.

That to be deceyued of friendes is to be excused, but to suffer to be beguyled of enimies is to be reproued.

AGesilaus sayde, that he blamed not them that were deceyued of their friends, but he blamed them excéedingly, that did let their enimies deceyue them: wherefore (he sayde) that I alwayes trust my fréendes, but neuer my enimies: and he added this prouerbe:

That a readie ansvvere deliuereth a man out of daunger.

PYrrhus king of the Epirotes, hauing vnder­standing that at a certain supper some had spoken amisse of him, hee caused them to bée called to him, and asked them if it were true, that they had spoken that against his honour which was reported to him? Then one of the hardiest among them séeing the matter disco­uered, [Page 21] wittyly aunswered after this manner, saying: If we had not lacked wyne Sir, wée would haue spoken muche better of you than it hath ben tolde you, but the wyne fayled to soone. The which pleasant scuse and playne cōfession, turned the kings anger to laughter.

That the fruite is gathered accordyng as the seede is sovvne.

SEruilius going about to dissuade a law, that Pinarius made before, sayd: Tell me Pina­rius, if I speake against thée, wilt thou speake amisse of me? according as thou sowest (aun­swered Pinarius) thou shalt reape.

That mans desire is kindled through things forbidden.

WHat greate force libertie hath in man, and how much things forbidden do kin­dle him, it may be considered by this example. Ther was in Arrezzo in our time an old mā which neuer was abrode out of the countrey, which the captain vnderstanding, caused him on a day in sport to be called to him, and tolde him, that he vnderstode y ^t he went oftētymes abrode out of the countrey to speake with the enimies. The olde man maruellyng, sware stoutly, that neuer in al his life he was with­oute [Page] the gates: but the Captaine making as though he beléeued him not, commanded him vnder grieuous punishmente, neuer after to go abroade: to be shorte, the olde man béeing kindled with desire vppon that forbiddyng, was the nexte day after founde withoute the countreye. The lyke storie is of Levves, the eleuenth king of Fraunce, and of an olde man that neuer went out of Paris.

That valiant men and of profound vvitte, do conquere their enimies vvith re­die and vvittie ansvveres.

THe olde Cosimo of the Medici, Duke of Florence, besides his other great qualities, was in his sayings and answers verie witt [...] and graue. To maister Renald of the Albizi, (although other write to Palla Strozzi, who being by his meanes banished from Florence, had sent him worde, that the hen keckled,) he aunswered, that she coulde ill keckle out of the neste. To other rebelles, that sente hym worde, that they slept not, he aunswered, that he beléeued it, bycause he had plucked sléepe out of their heads. To some citizens, who af­ter their returne from banishement, sayde to him, that he wasted the Citie, and did contra­ry to Gods commandement, to driue out of it [Page 22] so many honest men: he answered that it was better to haue a citie wasted than loste, and that two yardes of skarlet woulde make an honest man, and that states were not helde with Pater nosters. To women that asked him a little before his death, why he kept his eyes shut, he answered smyling, to accustome my selfe to death.

Leasing is hatefull and vnsufferable in all men, sauing in Phisitions.

PLato sayd, that lyes are to be born withall in Phisitions, in others not: bicause Phy­sitions ought to comforte the diseased, and to promise them helth, euen til they be at deaths dore, be it true or not. Dant the Italian poet, doth not only forbid lying, but also to tell any thing that is lyke a lye, warning vs wysely in this sorte:

that is,

That ryches in the iudgement of Philo­sophers doe prouoke vvicked and hurtfull desires.

ANtippus the Philosopher, hauing turned all his patrimonie into redy money, went to the sea side, and there caste it in, saying: Hence with a mischiefe you vngracious ap­petites, for I drowne you, bycause you should not drowne mée.

That vanitie and lightnesse are peculiar en­dovvmentes and qualities of vvomen.

IN a companie of gentlewomen and gentle­men of nobilitie, there befell a discourse of a noble woman of Siena, commonly accomp­ted faire and honest: and albeit she were prai­sed there in a manner of all men (as she that deserued it) there was one, who eyther for desire to speake agaynst, or for some repulse receyued of hir, reproued hir of vanitie and lightnesse. Wherfore the honorable lady the Pecci, which was present, foorthwith said: Nay if you take vanitie and lightenesse from wo­men, what shall they haue left?

That a princely magnificence ought to be measured vvith the nobilitie of the giuer, not vvith the basenesse of the receyuer.

PErillus one of the fréends of Alexander the great, desired him money for the dowrie [Page 23] of one of his daughters, wherfore Alexander appoynted that he shoulde haue fiftie talentes giuen him: but Perillus sayde, that ten were inough for him. I think wel (sayd Alexander) that ten ar inough for thée, but it is not inough for me to giue so fewe.

That loue is a monster, lyke to Chimera.

CHimera was a monster, which as Fulgen­tius writeth, is paynted with thrée heads, the first of a Lyon, the seconde of a goate, the third of a serpent: which monster he lykeneth to loue in this manner, saying that loue hath thrée heads, the beginning, the midle, and the ende. The beginning, for that it is cruell and proude as the Lion, he vnderstandeth by the first head of Chimera. The middle, bycause it commeth to the art of a goate and leacherous, as the Goate is, he vnderstandeth by the se­conde heade. The ende, bicause there remay­neth the poyson of sinne, and wounde of re­pentaunce, he vnderstandeth by the serpent, béeing the third head of Chimera.

That the deceytes of some vvomen tovvards their husbands are great and greuous.

WHen Henry the eyghte reigned, there was in London a gentlewoman, poore [Page] in goods, but riche in beautie, and very wan­ton. She had twelue sonnes, the first was hir husbands, the residue other mens. Nowe she falling grieuously sick, and waxing worse and woorse, was sodeynly in daunger of deathe: Wherefore vpon a tyme she causing hir hus­band to be called to hir, sayd vnto him: Wil­liam (so was he called) I must nowe mocke thée no longer, vnderstande that of all these sonnes there is none thine but the eldest: bi­cause I was true to thée but the first yeare.

The husbande was astonyed, and all those children, whiche by chaunce sate there aboute the fyre eatyng, were at a staye. The mo­ther followed hir purpose, and began to rec­ken vp in order their fathers. Whiche the yongest hearyng (Oh myghtie nature) not a­boue foure yeares olde, whiche had breade in one hande, and chéese in the other, layd down his meate, and holding vp bothe his handes togither, in trembling wise turned to hir, and sayd: Oh my deare mamme, giue me I praye you, a good father. The woman commyng to hys father, named a famous and a riche man: Wherefore the boy béeing very mery, and taking his meate agayne, sayde: I am in very good case, séeing that I haue suche a father.

A shrevvd and pleasant rebuke of Diogenes tovvardes a vvanton yong man.

A Yong man very wantonly attired, asked Diogenes concerning some matter, who sayde to him, I am not to answer thée, except thou first lift vp thy clothes before, to the end that I maye sée whether thou be a male or a female before I tell thée myne opinion.

That ouermuch talke is very trouble­some to the hearers.

APollonius blaming ouermuche speaking, sayde: If these lothsome babblers did re­ceyue so great griefe in their long discourses, as they giue to other, they would speake lesse.

A suttle crueltie, but tyrannous and monstrous.

CAligula the Emperoure, was a moste cruell monster, who when a sicke man lefte him some thing by his will, and after­warde dyed not of that disease, to the intent he myght be sure to haue his bequest, caused him wickedly to be slayne, saying that he had made a mocke of lyfe, séeing that hée hadde lefte an heire behinde him: Wherfore Plau­rus sayth very well: Man to man, is no man but a Wolfe.

That prosperitie and aduersitie chaungeth commonly the nature of men.

ONe Robert of Pandolfo Pandolphini, reso­ning of the prosperitie & aduersitie of mē, and how these made them much to change in nature and condition, suttlely affirmed, that it was no maruell. For the comming from one state to an other (sayd he) is euen as if one woulde goe from one countrey to an other: where of necessitie, wée muste sende an o­ther heire.

That a lyar is not beleeued vvhen he telleth the truth.

ARistotle being demaunded what lyers got in telling their vain leasings, aunswered, nothing else but that when they tel the truth, they are not beléeued.

The customes of Princes are diuers, accor­ding to the diuersities of their natures.

POpe Nicolas the third of the Orsini, a man learned and very well manered, banished out of Rome, aduocates, proctours, notaries, and that lyke generation, saying that they li­ued by poore mennes bloud. But Martin the fourth his successour, caused them to returne agayn as soone as he was made Pope, saying [Page 25] prouerbially, that they were good men to drawe water to his mill.

VVhen a man of all other liuing creatures, is the best, and vvhen the vvorste.

ARistotle sayd, that it is a priuiledge of na­ture, that the Lyon is not cruel to the Li­on: not the Leopard to the Leopard: not the Tiger to the tiger, not finally the Dragon to the dragon vse violence: but that euery kynd of brute beasts doth peaceably assemble togi­ther, and fyght against other kinde of lyuing creatures vnlike to them. Only man (sayde he moreouer) doth persecute mā, so that he alone of al other creatures in his kinde cannot lyue in safetie. Wherfore Aristotle to this purpose prudently sayd: that euen as a man when he is ruled by reason, is of all other liuing crea­tures the best, so when he is not ruled there­by, is of all the worst.

That vnreasonable demaundes de­serue foolish aunsvveres.

PLautius pleading, and crying out in a cer­tain controuersie, asked Cestius with a loud voyce, for what cause a glasse falling downe shoulde breake and not a spunge? To whome Cestius accordinglye aunsweared: and for [Page] for what cause doe thrushes flye hygher than boates?

That many persons doe foolishly, and to be mocked, that abate their age.

ONe in the pesence of Cicero sayd that hée was thirtie yeares olde. Cicero answered it is true: for it is more than twelue yeares past since I hearde him speake it. And to an other, that to the ende he might seeme yong, rehersed many follies of his age, hée sayde: When we studied logike togither, thou wast not borne.

That pouertie maketh a man safe euen amidst murtherers.

HIlation of Athens, was extremely poore, and méeting théeues in a wood, chaunged nothing at all, but laughing sayd: You are de­ceyued: wherefore they asking him why hée laughed, and wherefore he was not afrayde as other were, he answered: bicause I am na­ked, I am not afrayde.

That husbandes oughte to giue credite to theyr vviues, that their chil­dren be their ovvne.

BArnarde Amidei was sorrowfull, bycause it was reported, that his onely sonne was [Page 26] not his, but an other mans: wherefore Pe­trarche his friende pleasantly reproued hym, saying: Thou oughtest rather beléeue thy wife than an other, bicause that she knoweth it better than any other: And to this purpose I will tell you a pleasant tale. It is not long agone, since there was at Siena. a noble man whiche had a very faire wyfe, but somewhat suspected of vnchastitie. So they hauing one onely sonne, it chaunced that the mother had him one daye in hir armes, and played wyth him, wherefore the father séeing him, looked now on him, now on hir, sighing, in such sorte that the woman asked him why he sighed: I wold spend (said he) sighing afresh, the moytie of that I haue, to knowe certainly that thys chyld were myne, as thou knowest that hée is thyne. To so straunge a saying, the woman without chaunging hir countenaunce, answe­red: You néede not pay so muche, if you will giue mée the value of a thousande ducates, I will certifie you. The husbande thynking it impossible to bée certified, promised largely. Wherefore certaine of their kinsfolke being called to be iudges, and the case béeing tolde them, the wyfe tooke the chylde in hir armes, and turning vnto hir husbande, sayde: Sir, you confesse that this little infante is myne, [Page] is it not true? I do cōfesse it (sayd he) but what of this? Then she reaching hym foorth to hym, added moreouer: Holde héere, for I wil gyue him to thée. Now be you sure that he is yours. The kynsfolke béeing very wel satisfied with laughter, commended greatly the wyse wo­man, and worthyly condemned the man.

VVhat kynde of men are most noble.

DIogenes béeing demaunded who were the noblest men in the worlde? he aunswered: Those whych despise riches, glory, pleasures, and fynally lyfe: And whiche ouercome the thinges contrary to these: To wit, pouertye, infamie, grief, and death, enduring them with an vnconquerable courage. And Socrates bée­ing demaunded what Nobilitie was, he aun­swered, temperance of the mynd and body.

That it belongeth to a Princes magnani­mitie to forgiue offences recey­ued in baser Fortune.

BY reason that king Charles the eight dyed wythoute heyres males, the Croune of Fraunce came by succession to Lewes Duke of Orliens. Now when some of his fauourers had maliciously put hym in remembraunnce, that the tyme was come to reuenge the mise­ries [Page 27] that were doone him when he was duke, he answered with a valiant courage, That it belonged not to the duke of Orliens, that the king of Fraunce shoulde reuenge his wrathe and grudge.

That the diuine maiestie is a thing to men incomprehensible.

SImonides the Philosopher, béeing asked of Hiero the tyrant what maner thing GOD was? tooke one days respite to make answer, the nexte daye he tooke two days, afterwarde foure days, so doubling the tyme. In the ende Hiero asked him for what cause hée made no answere, but stil asked longer tyme. Bicause the more I thinke vpon this (sayd Simonides) the darker I finde the thing, and the more I confounde my selfe therin. And the most per­cing Dant wysely sayth:

that is,

That a mans goodnesse appeareth in euery fortune.

ONe Amerigo Zati intending to buy a slaue in Constantinople sayde to him: If I buye thee wilte thou be honest? and althoughe you buy me not, (answered he) I will be honest.

That the maliciousnesse of mans nature hath nede of matter to vvork vpon.

ONodemus Chius, hauing ouercome a cer­tain conspiracie, was counselled by them that tooke his part, to banishe all his aduersa­ries out of the Citie. But he wysely aunswe­red: I shall saue my selfe very well as I am, for if all my enimies goe awaye, and matter sayle to exercise the spitefulnesse of mans na­ture, discorde and debate woulde soone aryse among our frendes.

That some kynde of follies are plea­sant and delectable.

ONe Atheus became so madde, that he told all men, that he was the owner of all the ships that belonged to Pireus. So when they [Page 28] came home, withoute asking whether anye made a good voyage or not, with maruellous ioy he assembled them togither: lykewise whē they departed, with infinite remembraunces and lessons, he licenced them. Wherfore whē afterwarde by the diligence of his kinsfolke and frendes, he was healed of that humoure by good Physitions, he pleasantly sayd:

That it is moste profitable in the state of vvedlocke seldome to gather the frutes of matrimonie.

LIcurgus béeing demaunded for what cause he forbad by his lawes, that the husbande should not sléepe with the wife, but wold that the one and the other should spende most part of the day and night with their equals, & that they should not but now and then, and priuily come togither, he aunswered for thrée causes: first bicause they should be the lustier, not v­sing carnal copulation superfluously. Second­ly, bycause loue betwene them should be al­ways fresh and liuely. Thirdly, bicause their children shoulde be the stronger. Salomon sayeth, that there be three soueraigne goods of Matrimonie, concorde, fayth, and ofspring.

That vvisedome and experience is more to be required in a captayn, than strength and outvvarde shevve of body.

WHen a Captain was to be chosen in A­thens for some greate enterprise, the ru­lers brought to Isocrates and Timotheus, one Charetes, a strong and lustie man, but vnskil­full and rashe, saying: Suche a personage is fit to be a captaine: No by God he shall not sayd Timotheus, but he shal bear the captains cloake and harneis: bycause he oughte to bée made a captain that séeth very well that whi­che hée hathe béefore hym, and that whyche he hathe behynde hym. And Epaminondas of Thebe [...] seing a gret armie without a captain, that is, without a valiant generall, sayd: Oh what a greate beast is there here without a head? And Chabrias of Athens (after Erasmus, others attribute this to others) to lyke pur­pose sayde that sentence woorthie of remem­braunce: That an hoste of hartes is more to be feared that is ruled by a Lion, than an host of Lions ruled by an Hart.

That the victorie and luckynesse of the armie do depend of the captiaines vertue and manhood.

THe Numantines very warlike men, being discomfited & put to flighte by Scipio Emi­lianus [Page 29] their elders reprouing them for theyr cowardnesse, said: Are not these the same Ro­main shéepe, that we before this haue so ma­ny tymes ouercome & vanquished? To whom one of the yong men aunswered: It is true that they be the same shéepe, but they haue chaunged their shepherde.

That it is a detestable and a foul thing to suffer gold to beare rule in euery thyng.

PRopertius detesting the great couetousnesse that raigned in his tyme, setteth it foorthe effectually in this sort, saying:

And Alamanno describing the very same infirmitie of our tymes sayth:

That liberalitie and clemencie are the best instruments to rule.

POntanus said that they which desire to rule ought to haue two things in minde, the one to be liberall, the other to be gentle. Bicause that Prince (sayth he) which vseth liberali­tie and gentlenesse, maketh his enimies his friends, the vnfaythfull, faythfull, he purcha­seth other friends, he winneth loue and fa­uour, euen of the inhabitaunts of the farthest parts of the world: and finally he is made like to God, whose propertie is to do good to euery man, and forgiue sinners.

That vvise men leaue not a certayne gayne for an vncertayne, although it be muche greater.

WHen a fisher had taken in the sea a lit­tle fishe, he went about to persuade the fisher to giue him libertie, saying: I am nowe so little, that I shall doo thée little goo [...], but if thou do let me go I shall growe, and so thou shalte haue more profite of me. To whom the fisher sayde: I were a very foole, [Page 30] if I shoulde leaue that gayne which I haue presently in my hands, although it be little, for the hope of the gayne to come, albeit it were very great. And he added this saying of Terence: Ego spem praetio non emo.

Hovve muche Gods helpe can do in hu­mane things, and contrarivvise, hovv much Gods vvrath doth hurt.

ATlanta of the Ilande Scyros, béeing a very fayre mayden, and swiftest of foote, ba­ing wowed of many louers in way of ma­ryage, made a lawe, that he that woulde haue hir, shoulde runne with hir, and if he ouercame hir, she shoulde be his wyfe: and béeing ouercome he should suffer death. The which thing was attempted of many, but all had the foyle, and so they loste their liues. It chaunced that Hyppomenes séeing on a time suche a wonderful beautie, was kindled with the loue of hir, in suche sorte, that he was de­termined to gette hir by way of the cruell lawe. But hauing well bethought him of his enterprise, he wente afterwards (like a wise man) to aske counsell of Venus. Who courte­ously gaue vnto him thrée apples of golde out of the garden of the Hesperides, and taught him how he should vse them. So he beeing entred [Page] in his course, the mayden Atlanta ran swiftly before him. Wherefore Hippomenes, accor­ding as Venus had taught him, cast one of the thrée apples vpon the grounde, whervpon the maiden waxing very desirous for that bright­nesse, stouped downe to take it vp, but forth­with thorow hir swiftnesse she ouertooke him and ran paste him. Then Hippomenes, caste downe the second that was fairer and goodlier than the first, so that the mayden also more desirous to haue it, lost so much time to take it vp, that the louer making hast toke a little vauntage, which she being swift, soone recoue­red. Notwithstanding he séeing hir almost at the ende of the course, cast with good courage the thirde apple vppon the grounde much fai­rer than both the other, of the which the dam­sell being so muche the more desirous, with stedfast hope to ouertake and outrun hir lo­uer, stouped down to take it. But in the mean season Hippomenes running apace, ouerpas­sed hir, and was at the marke before hir. In this wyse he béeing conquerour, ioyfully ob­tained the faire Atlanta to be his wife. Wher­fore he not being able to endure the loue hée bare hir, in carying hir into his countreye, brought her into y ^e holy wood of Cibel mother of the gods, & there without reuerence of the [Page 31] place, had to do with hir. Wherwith Cibele being offended, turned them both into Lions, and sette them (as it is also séene) to drawe hir charyot.

VVhen vve must dine and suppe accor­ding to Diogenes the Cynike.

DIogenes the Cynike, béeing asked of a cer­taine frende of his what tyme was beste for a man to dyne and suppe, he aunswered: He that is riche, when he will, and he that is poore, when he may.

That vvise men make a iest of superstition.

A Citizen of Rome, rysing in a morning, founde that his shoes were gnawne with myse in the night, which thing séeming to him monstrous, & taking it to be a naughtie signe & token, wēt incontinētly sore dismayd to find Cato, & when he had founde him, with great heauinesse he asked him what so strange and maruelous a thing betokened. To whom Ca­to laughing answerd: It is no maruel brother that the myse hath gnawne thy shoes, it had ben a maruel if thy shoes had gnawne myse.

That foolishe and impertinent tauntes are soone vvrested against the taunters.

CAius Lelius being a very noble man born, it happened that a man basely borne qua­relling [Page] with him, sayd vnto him: Thou arte vnworthy of thy auncestours, and thou (sayd Lelius) art worthy of thy now liuing parēts.

That a mans counsell ought timely to be thought vpon, contrarivvise a vvomans sodayne.

DEmocritus the Philosopher sayth, that in councelles there is nothing worse than spéedinesse, for that is full of errours, wherof soone ensueth repentaunce. And Bias of the same profession of Philosophie in like maner sayde: that counsell had two great enimies, to wit, spedinesse and anger. And Ariosto to this purpose sayth:

That vaynglorie is oftentimes repu­ted for follie.

A Knight of Milan, a vayne and boasting man, came to Florence in ambassage: and when amōg other his vanities, he vsed brag­gingly to change oftentimes the chaine he did [Page 32] weare at his neck, Niccolo Niccolini, a man learned and ready, maruelling at his fashi­ons, and despising suche great boasting, sayd: One chayne is inoughe for other fooles, but this mans follie is such that he néedeth many.

That vayne ceremonies do little differ from vayne lyes.

MAster Giouanni della Casa sayd that this worde cirimonie, that is, ceremonies, is straunge in the Tuscan tong, for that the an­cient Tuscanes knewe it not, and therefore they could not giue it any name. And he sayd moreouer, that impertinent ceremonies do ordinarily little differ for their vanitie, from lyes: and that sometime they be not onely lyes & vayne flatteries, but wickednesse and treason, bicause by the meanes of them, men do not only flatter and deceiue, but oftētimes murder and betray their neighbour.

That euery man ought to speake of his ovvne, and not of an other mans profession.

HAnniball of Carthage béeing come (as a banished man to Ephesus) to king Antio­chus, was vpō a day requested of his friēds to go to heare Phormio, an excellēt Peripa [...]e [...]ike, [Page] who discoursing many houres of the office of a captain, and of the arte of warre very [...]lo­quently, contented his hearers maruellously. Wherefore Hanniball béeyng asked of them howe he liked so worthy a man, he smylyng aunswered: I haue séene in my tyme many old men dote, but I neuer saw none that do­ted more than Phormio doth.

That God hath appoynted to euery man his office, and that he doth not allovv that men should go beside it.

VEnus being beaten of Diomedes, woulde with weapon bée reuenged: but Iupiter calling hir, sayd: Daughter myne, thy office is not to be occupied in warlyke affaires, but about women, and louers. Wherfore attend about loue, kisses, embracings, and pleasures: And as for warlike affaires, Mars and Miner­ua haue the charge therof.

That it belongeth to vvyse and noble prin­ces to maynteyne the safetie and strength of the cōmonaltie.

TItus seruant to Alexander the great, went about to persuade him to enhaunce all the customes of his empire. To whom Alexander nobly answerd in this sort: I hate that gardi­ner whiche plucketh vp the rootes togyther [Page 33] with the hearbs: And loue that shephearde which sheareth the shéepe, and skinneth them not. An aunswer doutlesse ryghte woorthy of Alexander the great.

That Peace hath fiue great enimies.

PEtrarcha was woont to say, that fyue great ennimies of peace doe dwell wyth vs, to witte, couetousnesse, ambition, enuye, anger, and pryde: and that if these ennimies were banished, perpetuall peace (without doubte) should raigne among vs.

An aduised and a byting aunsvver.

THere came a yong man a Greeke to Rome, who very muche resembled Octauian the Emperour, and all the people behelde him: wherefore the Emperoure caused hym to come before him, and maruelling at so greate a likenesse, asked him whether his mother was euer in Rome. To whome the yong man stoutly answered no: and not contented here­with, said moreouer, but my father hath ben héere oftentimes Inferring hereby, that he could not be the sonne of Octauians father, but that Octauian might be his fathers son.

That a bolde and vvarie aunsvvere deli­uereth men out of great daungers.

A Man of the Countrey going home from the field, founde by channce a yong man vppon the bed with his wife, and being about furiously to giue him a greate blowe vppon the head with an Axe that he had in his hand, the woman with stedfast looke cryed out: doe it not, for he doth this for the God of loue, and I do it for thrée bushels of corne, that he hath promised me. Now peraduenture the Coun­treyman fearing the gods displeasure: or else being pleased when he heard of the thrée bu­shels of corne, tourned backe, and the louers finished their labour.

That bountie, vvithout good choise is vvorthy blame.

SOcrates (after Erasmus, other attribute it to Democritus) séeing a man so prodigall that he gaue to euery person without any choyce, sayde: I woulde thou mightest dye an euill death, séeing that thou making euery man partaker of the Graces which are virgins, doste make them harlots. And Ennius to the lyke purpose sayde.

that is ‘Pleasures ill imployed, displeasures I do deeme.’

That prouidence auoydeth the greatest daungers, and rashnesse vvor­keth the contrary.

THe swallowe falling into the company of other birds, assoone as she first sawe hemp sowen, sayd: we had néede picke vp this séede, for I sée well that we are layd in wait for: but they laughing hir to skorne, called hir foolish prophets. When the hempe was growne, the swallow told them that it stode them vppon to looke aboute, and for all thys they scorned hir. The hempe ripeneth, and the swallowe againe giueth them warning to go away. In the end séeing that they made no accompt of hir counsell, she withdrewe hir selfe from the birds companie, & drewe néere to man, where she liueth, where she singeth, and abydeth in safetie: but by the meanes of hempe, nets and snares are made for other birdes.

That rigoure and sharpnesse of may­sters maketh seruants vnprofi­table and vnapte.

ARistotle sayde, that we oughte to haue re­gard and compassion of seruantes: for if they do wéep and feare continually, although they were neuer so wittie by nature and wil­ling to do well, the force of their wit & minde is taken away.

That God alone is the absolute protec­toure of the vvhole vvorld.

THe Erle Mathevv Maria Boiardo, a lorde no doubt of great learning and iudgement comming into the companie of diuers Phi­losophers, whyche dyuerslye discoursed of Fortune, and so béeyng héerevppon asked hys opynion: Hée courteouslye spake after thys sorte:

He that doth his ovvne businesse, de­fileth not his handes.

ANtisthenes the Philosopher passing tho­rough the stréet with a péece of drye fleshe in his hande, some of his friends maruelling at him sayd that it was a shame that suche a one as he was, shoulde carie of himself such things abroade, and not giue them rather to his seruant: whome Antisthenes answeryng sayde: But why maruell you? I carrie this thyng for my selfe, and not for an other. Whervnto the Florentins alluding, saye in a prouerb: Ch [...] fa i fatti suoi, mo [...]s' imbratta le ma­ni, [Page 33] that is, Hée fouleth not his handes that doth his own businesse, meaning hereby, that it is no shame for a man to doe himselfe that which he hath to doe.

An opinion of Ciceros concerning the sharpnesse of vvitte.

IT is manifest (saith Cicero) that the wittes of men that inhabite vnder a pure and sub­til aire, are sharper and apter to vnderstande and perceyue things than they that dwell in a grosse and thicke aire: Moreouer the qualitie of the meate that is vsed (saith he) maketh much also to the sharpnesse of the wit.

That a iust Prince ought to minister Iu­stice euen against his ovvne kinsfolke.

AT Florence in the time of Duke Alexan­der there was arrested one of the Medici, an vnruly fellowe, and such a one as woulde pay no man. This séeming to him very strāge went incontinently to the Duke, sorowing excéedingly, that so small regard was had of his excellēcie, bicause he that was of the same stocke, was of suche a one, with citations by way of Iustice shamed, and in the ende atta­ched. But the duke, who was a very redy man [Page] and a wyse, sayd to him forthwith: Oh go and pay him, for he will cause thée to be put in pri­son, which wil be a far greter shame vnto vs.

That learned men do vvillingly feede themselues vvith learning.

THe Emperour Charles the fourth, taking great delite in learning, went to the schoo­les of Prague, and hauing stayde there more than foure houres to heare woorthie men di­spute, perceiued that some of his nobles sayd that supper tyme passed away: wherefore he nobly aunswered: Lette hym sup that will, as for mée, I féede me more with thys, than with a supper.

That the studie of loue letteth and tur­neth avvay euery other studie.

IErome of Padua, a man very studious and learned, red almost daye and night, to come to his desired end: but falling in loue, in such maner gouerned himselfe, that Alciate made vpon him these verses in effect:

That death is abhorred euen of them that are in most miserie.

A Rhodian for that he had spoken amisse of Dionysius the tyrant, was put in an yron cage lyke a wylde and cruell beast. But first his nose and eares were cut of an eye and al his téeth pulled out, and his forhead marked with a hot yron. Thus dayly the executioners tormentyng him in the syghte of the people, made hym liue and dye. Wherevppon cer­tayne fréendes of hys, vpon a tyme aduysed hym, that hée ceassyng to eate and drynke, shoulde giue place to so greate infirmitie, and [...]nd hys lyfe. But he not yet astonyed, answe­red. A man ought alwayes to hope well, as long as he hath lyfe, which (as the most lear­ned Erasmus sayde,) may bée an example to those, whiche through euery misfortune will furiously run to the halter.

That men of a readie vvitte, do easy­ly ridde themselues of vnrea­sonable demaundes.

SEruius Geminus going on a daye to visite Lucius Mallius, a moste excellent paynter, and séeyng hys chyldren verye deformed, coulde not refrayn, but sayd, that he maruel­ [...]ed excedingly, that he made so faire pictures, [Page] and so foule children: To whome Mallius re­dily aunswered, saying: maruell not Seruius, for I make pictures in the day, and children in the night.

That a man ought not to seeke reuenge, and ought to dispise all tempo­rall thinges.

MArsilius Ficinus sayd, that patience is so muche to be praysed, as impatience to be dispraysed: & that a wise man oughte not to be moued w ^t the voice of the people, which crieth reuēgement, reuengemēt, bycause the people is a beast with many féet without a head. He sayd moreouer that he which hath a noble sto­macke, ought to dispise things of short conti­nuance, and that all Temporall things are but for a while: of the whiche the time passed wilbe no more, the time to come is not yet, and the present time is as it were indiuisible, bycause it beginneth and endeth at one instāt.

That vvine ought to be vvatered.

PLato warneth vs that for the helth of body and mynde, we should temper Bacchus as a drunken God, with the Nimphes as sober Goddesses: the whiche Meleager confirmeth with his Epigram thus interpreted:

And Propertius trimly sayth: ‘Vino forma perit, vino corrumpitur aetas.’ That is: ‘By vvine beautie fadeth, and grace is defaced.’

That to haue many enimies, is lesse daungerous, than to haue one alone.

A Certayne man perceyuing that he had through his wickednesse hurt a thousand persons, both in good name and substaunce, was wont also boastingly to say, that there was no greater safetie than to haue infinite enimies, bicause one looketh that the other should be reuenged, and so none séeketh of them to reuenge. But take heede (sayde he) of one enimie alone.

That the loue of the people is a thing of all other most vnconstant.

MAster Francis Petrarcha touching the vn­constancie of the people, sayde thus: faire wether of the spring, the mornings swéete [Page] winde of sommer, caulms of the sea, the state of the Moone, the loue of the people, if they be compared togither, the palme and the price of mutabilitie shall be giuen to the last.

Fitte meanes to come soone to a Monarchie.

ALexander the great, béeing demaunded by what meanes he had in so short space got­ten the gouernement of so great a worlde, he answered, with counsell, with eloquence, and with warlike discipline.

That a man can not excuse his faults in ascribing them to destinie.

ZEno of Cittium finding that one of hys slaues had played the théefe, commaunded that he shoulde be hanged: wherevpon the slaue excusing him selfe, and saying that he ought to be pardoned, bicause it was not his fault, but destinie, that he was a théefe. Zeno answered, and thy destinie is to be hanged, and so he sent him to punishment.

That money letteth sleepe.

ANacreon the Philosopher, hauing recey­ued for a gifte of Policrates prince of the Samians, the value of tenne thousande Duc­kattes, [Page 38] entred into so great thoughts and fan­tasies, that he passed three daies & thrée nights without sléepe, wherefore he béeing afrayde with that sodayne change, and with so great a discommoditie, caried by and by the money to the king, saying, that he restored it agayne bicause it let him from sléepe.

The description of a man after Aristotle.

ARistotle béeing asked what man was, he aunswered, the example of weaknesse, the pray of time, the play of Fortune, the I­mage of vnconstancie, the subiecte of Enuy, the stuffe of worldly calamitie, the residue choller and flegme.

That the pollicy of a valiaunt Captayne is of great effecte and force in vvarre.

AVrelian the Emperoure going with an armie to the citie of [...]iana, found the gates shut, and the inhabitauntes in defence therof, wherfore he beeing sore displeased, sayd: If I enter into this citie, I will not leaue one dog aliue. The souldiers hering these words, and waxing very coragious by reason of the [Page] bootie, made an excéeding great inuasion, so that Heraclemeon a citizen béeing afrayde, for feare, and for money betrayed his countrey. When Aurelian was entred into the citie, he caused Heraclemeon the traytour alone to be slayne. Nowe the souldiours demaunding the sacke and spoyle of the citie (for so muche as it séemed to them that the Emperour had promised it) he, who ment not so, made them aunswere: I sayde, that I would not leaue one dogge aliue in this citie, wherefore kill, if you thinke good, all the dogs that are here.

That enuy hurteth asvvell priuately as publikely.

ANtisthenes, the Philosopher sayde, that a man oughte principally to take héede of the enuie of his friends, and of the wyles of his enimies, and added hereto, that euen as corne is purged from cockle, and an armie knaues, so ought the publike weale be pur­ged from the enuious. And the learned Pa­lingenius, agaynst this accursed plague of en­uie sayth thus:

That in euery state or degree of men vertue is necessarie and moste profitable.

SOcrates béeing demaunded which liuing creature in the worlde séemed to him fay­rest, he sayde: the man that is beautified with vertue. Alexander the great was wont to say, that he had lieffer to excell all men in vertue than in rule. Democritus sayde (some attri­bute it to Socrates) that the rootes of vertue are bitter, but the fruite very swéete and good for euery thing. Aristotle commaunded that this moste noble vertue should be embraced with more feruentnesse, than the louer em­braceth his loue or mistresse: bicause (sayth he) vertue is necessarie for yong men, dele­ctable to olde men, profitable to the poore, an ornament to the riche, a glorie to the happie, a solace to the vnhappie, she lightneth nobili­tie, and ennobleth vnnoblenesse.

That Princes of great vvorthinesse be suche as freely confesse the ver­tue of their enimie

PYrrhus did twise valiantly ouercome the Romanes in open battell, but with so great [Page] a losse and slaughter of his men, that he him­selfe crying out sayd: Oh if once more we o­uercome the Romans, we shal lose the fielde.

The Oracle of Scipio Nasica touching the Romane state.

MAruellous is the iudgemente and fore­sight of wise men: some sayde, the Ro­mane Empire is nowe in safetie, sithe that Carthage is destroyed, and the Gréekes brou­ght in subiection. To whom the wise Scipio Nasica in maner of an Oracle answered: Nay rather we are now in great perill, séeing that we haue no more aduersaries or ennimies to feare or dreade. The which foresight, howe diuine it was, the pride, the corruption, the discorde, and finally the ruine of that inuinci­ple people did soone declare it.

That vvise men ought not to giue themselues to seruice or administration.

CHrysippus béeing asked for what cause he gaue not himselfe to the administration of the weale publike, he answered: bicause if I should do yll, I should displease God: and if I should do wel, I should displease menne. But Sidonius hys scholer wittyly wrested this sentence, and sayde: Nay rather you [Page 40] ought with all endeuour to giue your selfe to suche seruice, bicause if you shoulde do well you should please please God: if you shoulde do yll you should please men.

That vve ought muche more to looke to the ending than to the beginning of great and perillous enterprises.

WHen king Francis the first of that name was determined to go into Italy with a huge armie to recouer the dukedome of Mi­lan (which was after that he was taken pri­soner at Pauia) he consulted which way be might enter into that countrey or prouince. So afterwarde when his maiestie with hys counsellours were resolued, Amaril his foole at his comming from the counsell, met him, and sayde: Sir these your wise men séeme to me fooles. Why sayde the king? Bicause they (sayde Amaril) haue taken long aduisement, which way you might beste enter into Jtaly, but they haue not yet spoken one word which way you might best come out: wherfore be­ware sir that you abide not there.

That religious and vvise Princes doe choose rather to dye, than to liue vnmete to gouerne.

THe young Augustus Emperoure of the East, béeing a hunting, and discouering a harte, shot a poysoned arrowe to him, but in the leusing of his arrowe he hurte by misfor­tune one of his hands, in suche sorte that the poyson working, the Phisitions saide, that to saue his life it was néedfulll to cut off foorth­with that hande, before the venime were spreade abroade throughout the body. Then Augustus sighing sayd: I had rather dye than do this, bicause Cesar can not with one hand alone rule the worlde vprightly, and so mi­serably he dyed.

The great efficacie and vertue of pouertie.

DIogenes was wont to say, that pouertie is the ayde of Philosophie, bycause that which Philosophie goeth about to persuade with wordes, pouertie compelleth wyth déedes. And Ariosto sayde, that pouertie is a candle that discloseth mannes miseries, although it discouer also his worthinesse and vertue, séeing that after Aristotle, in aduersi­tie chiefly vertue sheweth hir operation.

That Pallas and Bacchus agree not vvell togither, to vvit, that vertue can not dvvell vvith drunkennesse.

VErtue is transformed into diuers shapes. Sometimes she is transformed into an olyue trée that was founde out by Pallas: the vine, whiche was the inuention of Bacchus, began to fasten and twine about him, wher­fore the Olyue tree vsed to him these words, saying:

Hovve much silence is allovved, hovve profitable and sure it is.

SImonides the Philosopher, béeing blamed on a time bycause he naturally spake so little, he sayd: I speake so litle bycause I haue many times repented me, when I had spokē too muche: but I neuer repented me when I had too long held my peace. Apollonius sayde, that babbling is full of errour, and silence is safe and voyd of care. And Seneca in lyke ma­ner sayeth, that there is nothing that maketh one better in quiet than fewe words and ma­ny thoughts Bycause (saith he) the pleasant­nesse of spéeche is so swéete a meate, and so al­luring, that she by little and little enticeth a [Page] man no otherwyse than wine and loue doth, to discouer secretes, and afterward to sow oc­casions to sinne. Wherevpon it is read, that Anacarsis the philosopher wrote on his payn­ted image, this sentence: Abstaine from the tongue, from the throate, and from Venerie.

That it is of no lesse vertue to knovve hovve to keepe silence, than to learne hovv to speake.

A Certain yong man ful of words sought to speak with Isocrates the orator, to the end to be his scholer. But Isocrates required dou­ble wages. He being asked for what cause, he answered: For that I had néede to teache thée two artes: the first is to kéepe silence, and the seconde to speake.

That vve ought vtterly to forget our enimies.

PLato sayde, that not only a man ought not to speake of his enimies, but also put them out of remembraunce, as nature dothe, who putteth away hir contrarie.

That Sophistrie and boasting hath no place among vvise and lerned men.

A Certaine sophister desirous to set foorthe to Diogenes the sharpnesse of his wit, met [Page 42] him on a day, and sayd: Diogenes, that which I am, thou art not: whiche the Philosopher graunting, he added héereto: I am a man, Er­go thou art no man: No no, sayd Diogenes: begin with me, and thou shalt argue wel. To an other, that for ostentations sake, spake vaynely many thyngs of heauen, hée sayde: Howe long is it agone since thou camest from thence?

That the substaunce and vaynglorie of this vvorld is in the ende both sleepe and vvinde.

A Couetous man falling gréeuously sicke, drew néere afterward to deaths dore, and knowing in the ende that he had nothing to carie with him into an other worlde, turned him lastly to his kinsfolke & frends, that were about him, and sayd: Take now example by me my déere companions, to the ende that in heaping vp of riches, you trouble not your sel­ues more than honestie requireth: bicause I that haue spent all my lyfe tyme in scrapyng goodes and tresure together, must now leaue this life, besides whiche I haue enioyed no­thing: & of so much land, and precious apparel y ^t I haue, I shal possesse nothing else but fyue foot of grounde, and an olde shéete. The great [Page] Saladine (forsomuche as he hath bene a noble prince, I compare him not herewith the co­uetous man, but set him in thys place as an example of the vayneglory of this world) ap­poynted at his death that this Epitaph should be putte vppon his tombe. Saladine king, and owner of Egypt, of Arabia, of Soria, &c. posses­seth at this present but two yards of ground. And therfore Peter Sabinus saith well. ‘Rectè viue deo, caeterae fumus erit.’ that is, ‘To Godvvarde liue vpright, the rest is nothing else but smoke.’

And Dant saith

that is,

That vvith the counsayle of the vvise, the craft of the deceitful is ouercome.

TWo crafty fellowes came to a riche wo­mā, and gaue hir certayne money to kepe, with condition that she shoulde not restore it them againe, except they came both togither. Within a while after, one of them came clad in black, leaue to loke to, and sorowful, who affirmeth, that his companion was dead: and [Page 43] the woman beléeuing it, payd him the money that was lefte with hir, and thervpō he made hast away. Not long after the other came, and sayd that she had made wrong payment, and finally he brought an action against hir. Now the woman finding hir selfe deceyued, was almost in despaire. But [...]e [...]osthenes y ^e most excellent Oratoure, putting hir in comforte became hir aduocate and spokesmā: and whē the matter was called vppon, he aunswered him in this sort: This honest woman is redy to restore the money that was lefte with hir to kepe, wherefore bring according to youre owne request, your companion, bycause as you saye, the cannot deliuer the money to the one without the other.

Hovve lyfe fleeth avvay, and death follovveth.

SAint Ambrose saith, that our life is lyke to him that sayleth on the sea, bycause he that sayleth, whether he stand or sit, goe or lie, he is euer carried from place to place, with y ^e vi­olence of the shippe. Likewise whether a mā sléepe or wake, go, or stand still, wil he or wil he not, continually by the force of time he is caried to the ende of his way. To the whiche purpose the sage Petrarcha sayth.

that is,

That victorie ill vsed, tourneth to the losse of the conqueroure.

THe people of Volterra when they had re­belled against the Florentines, purposed afterward to reconcile themselues vpon cer­tayne conditions. Wherfore master Tho­mas Soderina a wise & experte man, gaue ad­uise with many reasons, that they shoulde in any wise agrée with them: But Laurence of y ^e Medici was of the contrary opinion, so that he made a great armie and sent them to Vol­terra, Laurence himselfe being general therof. Nowe when the Ʋolterrans sawe no remedy, they opened the gates, & yelded themselues to the discretion of the Florentins. Who entring in with the Armie, it chaunced that for some disorder the cittie was wholie sacked, and the people moreouer euill intreated. So when newes came to Florence they were receyued with excéeding great ioy. Wherefore one of Laurence dearest friends reioycing, reproued Master Thomas for his counsel saying: what saye you nowe to this that Ʋolterra is woon? [Page 44] To whom Soderna answered, me thinketh it is lost, for if you had come to agréement with them of Ʋolterra, you might haue had profite and suretie by them. Now forasmuch as you are to holde the Citie by force, in the time of warre it will bréede your anoye and weake­nesse, and in the tyme of peace bring you to damage and to great expenses.

Hovv sharply, according to Iustinian, flatterers are to be punished.

POpe Iohn the twentieth was wont to say, that he knew very wel when he was flat­tered, notwithstanding that he tooke great de­light therin. Contrarywise Iustinian the em­perour, beeing on a time foolishly flattred of a Gréeke, that lykened him to God, leapt vnto him, and al bescratched his face: Whervpon he finding himselfe yll handled, sayd: Noble Cesar, why scratch you me by the face? and the Emperor sayde to him: why bytest thou mée thou Gnato of Terence?

That it is a dishonestie for a man to set foorth himselfe vvith other mens labours.

PAlla Strozzi hauing made certain Verses, founde that a fréende of his, to whom he had frendlye shewed them, had not onely ta­ken a copie of them, and made diuers priuie [Page] to them as his owne, but also had in his owne name caused them to be printed, as thoughe they had ben of his making. Wherfore Palla béeing sore offended, and fynding his friend in certain mennes companie, sayde very wel in this sorte:

That vvise princes make small accounte of the vaine speech of the people.

FRauncis the first king of Fraunce had leuied a certain subsidie of his subiects, by reason whereof diuers weremuche gréeued: And as the menne of that countreye are rashe in [Page 45] speache, they without any respect, misused the king in language, which when it was repor­ted to the King, as crimen laesae maiestatis, as highe Treason agaynst his person, was no whit moued, but smiling sayde: let them say what they list, for they may well speake for their money.

That byting ansvveres are meete for sharpe demaundes.

IN the ciuill warres betwixte Pompei and Caesar, Cicero on a time came to the armie of Pompei, that is, of the publike weale, where by and by he was rebuked, bicause he came no sooner. I come time inough, sayde Cicero; for it is not yet ready: reprouing them, for that they were not prepared, as it was requisite for such a great warre. And to Pompei himself, who asked him to the end to pricke him, where his sonne in lawe Dola­bella was, he readily aunswered, he is with thy father in lawe, for Dolabella was with Cesar, then béeing father in lawe to Pompei. Inferring moreouer, that the kinred betwéen Cesar & Pompei was the cause (as he in that season many times had remembred) of the greatnesse of Cesar and that greatnesse decay of the common wealth.

That scoffing many tymes lighteth vpon the scoffers head.

A Florentine passing through Siena, vpon a leane horse, and of an extraordinarie length, one of Siena, to the end to mocke him sayd: Ho sirra on horsebacke, what is the Canna worth? (this is a mesure of 4.) Flemish elles) now the Florentine perceiuing himself to be pricked, lifting vp foorthwith his horse tayle, readily answered: enter in héere into the shop, and I will sell thée good cheape.

These tvvo vvords mine and thine marre the vvorlde.

POlitiane sayde that God had giuen water to euery thing liuing in the water: so all the earth without any diuision to euery earth­ly thing: but that man is the vnhappiest of all other liuing creatures: he requireth that he alone mighte beare rule ouer the whole world: and herewith are broughte into the worlde two words, to wit, mine and thine, which are the occasion of al mens strife. And therefore Pythagoras the Philosopher ordey­ned that all things shoulde be cōmon among friends. Plato enacted the same betwéene the Citizens of his new publike weale: & others haue gon about to bring this in among al mē

That vile counsels are to be despised of noble and vvorthy men.

ARistodemus was thoughte to be a cookes sonne, notwithstanding came in greate fauour with king Antigon [...], and on a time he went about to persuade him to abate his expenses, and to vse lesse liberalitie than he ordinarily vsed. But the noble king smiling sayde to him worthily: O Aristodemus these words of thine smell of the kitchin.

That the vertue of curtesie is had in price euen of murderers, and that it ma­keth them gentle and pitiful.

MAster Alexander of Siena, a liberall gen­tleman, and a benefactour to al men, ri­ding a iorney fell in the hands of murdering theeues, the which besetting him, would haue slayne him, but one of them knowing him, cryed out incontinently, alas kill him not, for he is a rare man, he dothe pleasure to all men, and hath done me a hundred good turns. For the which wordes his fellowes béeing moued with pitie, did not onely refrayne to kill him, but altogither kepte him company kill he was out of daunger: wherfore Ariosto nobly sayde:

That is,

That the ignoraunt sell their labours dearer than the learned.

THere was not many yere past a citizen in Florence, who although he was a Do­ctour of the lawe, yet he had no great lear­ning, and consequently little to do. Vpon a time when he was entertayned in a matter in lawe, asked for his counsayle and paynes xxv. Ducats. How so? sayde his client, master Mark of the A sini, an excellent good doctour, who I haue entertayned in the same matter, [Page 47] was contented with sixe Crownes, and you will haue aboue fiue and twentie. And no maruayle sayde the Doctour, that he is con­tented with so little, for he hathe dayly one matter or other in hande, but as for me, I haue nothing to doe but three or foure times a yere.

That the ignorant lavvyer is like to neces­sitie, vvhich hath no lavve.

ONe Laurence Gualterotti béeing asked of one of his friends touching the suffici­encie of the foresayde Florentine Doctour, he sayd, that he was like to néede: howe answe­red his friende? without lawe, sayde he, allu­d [...]ng pleasantly to this prouerbe, that Néede hath no Lawe.

That the honor of euery man depen­deth of his ovvne deedes, not of others vvordes.

OEdipus béeing banished out of hys coun­trey, wente to Athens, to king Theseus his friende, to the ende to saue his lyfe, which his ennimies sought for. And when he was come in Theseus presence, & hearing a daugh­ter of his speake, knewe hir by the voyce, and bicause he was blinde, stayed not to salute [Page] Theseus any otherwise, but rather as a father was mindefull onely to comfort and cherishe his childe. And by and by remembring him­selfe, went about to excuse him selfe to These­us, and to aske him pardō. Wherfore the good and wise king brake off his words, and sayde to him: be of good chéere Oedipus for I ho­nour not my life with the words of other, but with my déedes.

Many excellent meanes to keepe the minde quiet.

DIogenes admonisheth vs to set foorthe a­gaynst Fortune, the constancie of the minde: agaynst the lawes, nature: agaynst the senses, reason, saying, that by these thrée ways mens tranquilitie & quiet is preserued.

That youth had neede of good bringing vp, to the ende to bring foorth good fruite in age.

CIprian sayth, that euen as of a trée, that hath not blossomed, no fruite can be ga­thered, so of a mans age, in whose youth hath bene no good discipline, no good fruite can be receyued. And he added moreouer, that if in youth there be no obedience, there will neuer be in age any good discipline.

A singular meane to constrayne euery man vvhosoeuer he be, not to refuse a present.

WHen Alexander the greate had giuen fiftie talents to the Philosopher Xeno­crates, the Philosopher refused them, saying, that he had no néede of them. Wherefore A­lexander sayd to him: and haue you no friend that you stande in néede of? Oh all the riches of Darius are not sufficient for me to giue my friends, and knowe not you howe to bestow fiftie Talents among yours? what Philo­sophie is this?

That enuy follovveth glory.

ARistomenus saythe, that euen as a man which goeth in the sunne, is of necessitie accompanied with his shadow, so he that wal­keth in the way of glory, is likewise followed of others enuy: and sayde moreouer, that mi­serie alone did not bréede enuy.

A parable shevving that malmsey is good at all times of ones meale.

PIouano Arloto a Florentine was a plea­saunt companion and a wittie fellow, who went vpon a time to dinner to Fraunces Dini [Page] a worshipfull citizen of Florence, and when he was set at the table, Fraunces sayde vnto him: Piouano I haue malmesey shal we haue it before dinner or after? To whome Piouano answered in a parable, saying: The blessed Marie was a virgine before hir deliuerie, in hir deliuerie, and after hir deliuerie. Wher­fore Fraunces vnderstanding him, would haue nothing dronke but malmesey all dynner while.

VVhy the head vvaxeth hoare before the beard.

PIouano béeing demaunded for what cause the head came hoare before the beard, aun­swered: bycause the heares of the head were twenty yeares elder than the beard.

He is more miserable that commeth vn­der the povver of vvicked people, than he that is deliuered and scapeth their hands.

IN the time of Pope Calistus there came a iolly man to Piouano, and sayde: Sir giue me your almes for Gods sake, for I am esca­ped out of the handes of the Catelans. I hadde more néede haue an almes of thée (answered Piouano) bycause I am entred in among thē: [Page 49] for Pope Calistus was a Catelane.

That it is lesse damage to giue one thing to them that are in neede, than to lend tvvo.

WHen two of Piouano his neighbours beeing very poore men, but honest, as­ked him in time of dearthe, two bushels of corne for one in lone. Piouano answered thē: I will do better, I will giue you one bushell for one, and so he did them pleasure, and sa­ued two bushels of corne, for he should neuer haue had them agayne.

He that restoreth not, requireth in vayne to borrovve agayne.

TO an other that after the same sort would borrowe of him thrée bushelles of corne, he aunswered: I am contents, go vp aboue in such a place, and take it. He went, & founde no corne there nor any thing else: so he retur­ning to Piouano sayde vnto him, that there was no corne where he sent him, & Piouano sayde to him, then thou hast not brought thi­ther that which I lent thée the last yere: thou thy selfe arte in faulte, and mayest be sory therefore, for if thou haddest brought it thi­ther, thou shouldest haue founde it. He went [Page] his way like a foole as he came, and at har­uest he restored to P [...]ouano that which he ought him.

A profitable maner of praying.

PIouano was asked of a gossip of his, what was the best prayer he mighte say in the morning when he rose: say (sayd Piouano) a Pater noster with these words: My Lorde Iesu Chryst saue me from a banckrupt citi­zen, and from a citizen that hathe recouered him selfe: saue me from the conscience of priests, from poticarie drugs, frō the & ce­tera of Notaries, from him that heareth two Masses in the morning, and from him that sweareth by his conscience.

The principall and pleasauntest Prouerbes and sentences of the foresayde Piouano, are these follovving, vvhich bicause many of them haue a better grace in the Italian than in the Englishe tong, I thought good to put them in bothe languages.

But for so much as I am come to the pro­uerbs, I will also put in this place some of them that Boccace otherwhile vsed, bothe in speaking and writing, the which be these.

That the lavves thorovve ignorance and wickednesse are muche corrupted by the Iudges.

ALexander Alessandrini, a very excellente doctoure and aduocate, when he had loste at Rome, against all righte and reason, a matter of weighte, forsooke willingly his practise, & gaue himselfe to the study of huma­nitie, [Page 53] saying that the greatest parte of them that in these dayes sit in iudgemente, as igno­rant men doe not vnderstande the lawes, or as naughtie men do corrupt the lawes.

That the readinesse of mynde and tongue is peculiar to valiant men.

WHen newes came to Athens, although false, of a certayn victorie for their pro­fite. Stratocles, suche as they were, declared them foorth with to the people, and persuaded them to make a feast and reioyce. Afterward when the true newes of the contrarye came, and howe their armie was put to flight & dis­comfited, the people thynking thēselues moc­ked, were in a rage, and thretned to put Stra­tocles to death, who were sorie that he had ly­ned so long. Whervpō he hearing these wor­des went forth boldly to y ^e people, & sayd: And why are ye wearie of me you vnthākfull per­sons? what hurt haue I done you to kéepe you thrée days long in feasting and mirth?

That sleepe is the brother of death.

GOrgias Leontinus lying at y ^e point of death gaue himselfe by little and little to sléepe, wherefore his cousin Polidorus askyng him howe he did, he answered, wel, I féele y ^e sléep wil giue me ouer to his sister. Alluding to the [Page] opiniō of Homer, y ^e sléepe is y ^e brother of death

That a mans dealing is full of de­ceite and trouble.

PEtrarcha sayd, that hunters and fowlers vse not so much studie, and pitch not so ma­ny nets and snares for wild beasts and birds, as crafty men lay for the simple. And added moreouer, if thou wilte not then be deceyued, either dye, or deale not with men.

VVhat, and hovve many kinds there are of vvorldly or humaine goodnesse, and vvherevppon the true felicitie dependeth.

THere are thrée kinds of goods (after Aristo­tle) in man, to wit, of fortune, of the body, & of the mind. The goods of Fortune are riches, and souerainties: them of the body, health, and good complexiō: them of the mind knowledge, and vertue. But of the laste alone (sayde he moreouer) dependeth the true felicitie, for that it is the proper operation of our minde, and not of the body neither of fortune.

Notable conceits of Timon of Athens.

TImon of Athens was a very seuere cittizē, who when he was asked for what cause he so hated men, aunswered: I hate not yet them all, but the wicked for their desertes, o­thers, [Page 54] bycause they hate not the wicked. The same Timō was wont to say, that there were foure beginnings of al mischiefs, enuy, pride, couetousnesse, and ambition.

VVith vvhat lets the desires of vertue are assayled.

DAnte sayd, that such as sought the way that leadeth to y ^e soueraine good, are as it were alwayes assayled with thrée principall impe­diments, which with all endeuour they ought to breake. The first of them he sayd to be the delight of the senses, figured by the Lyonesse, faire and hote by nature, & she for luxurious­nesse accompanied with gluttonie and slouth. The second to be the glory of y ^e world, expres­sed by the proud and disdainfull Lyon, and he for ambition and pride, accompanied with an­ [...]er. The thyrd to be the getting of worldly welth, signified by the shée wolfe, malicious and hungrie: and she for couetousnesse folle­wed at the hard héeles with enuy.

That hunger & thirst are the sauce of meat.

BOccace sayd, that there is nothing that ma­keth meat and drinke better to rellishe than hunger and thirst: gyuing for example, how Darius in fléeing from Alexāder y ^e great, [Page] being very drye, had drunken very foule and stinking water, and sayd afterwarde that he neuer dranke a better drinke. And that Ptole­me King of Egypt, going a hunting, and ha­uing lost his way was hungrie and wente to a shepherds house, where finding nothing but tough brouns bread, affirmed afterward, that he neuer dyd eate better meat.

That the desires of men are diuers.

DIuers and worthye of consideration are the disires of men. Sainct Austine wished that he might sée Christe carnally, Sayncte Paule preaching, and Rome triumphing. Au­gustus desired Scipios stoutnesse of mynde, Pompeis beneuolence, and Caesars fortune. Ca­ligula a most cruell Emperoure wished, that the people of Rome had had but one heade, to the ende he mighte haue striken it off at one blowe. Philoxenus desired to haue his neck as long as a Cranes, to taste for a longer space his meate and drinke.

That presents ought to be forbidden them that are in office.

CAius Cincius a seuere and iust man, sette foorth a lawe to the people, by the whiche he forbad that y ^e Senators shold take no pre­sents: [Page 55] wherfore Caius Centus a gréedy and co­uetous man, stoutly stoode against it, and said: knowest thou what thou sayest Cincius? To whome no lesse stoutly he aunswered: I saye Caius that thou shouldest buie that whiche thou must occupie.

In vvhat great miserie vvorthy men are brought sometimes through the fault of others.

BEllisarius the Captain of Iustinian the Em­peroure, ouercame the Vandals, triumphed ouer the Persians, deliuered Italy many times of Barbarians, wherefore the Emperoure through enuie and suspition, prouiding for so great and prosperous successe, in stede of a re­ward caused his eyes vniustly to be pulled out. So the most noble man was lastly driuen to liue by begging. And he standing in a little cottage that was placed in one of the moste frequented stréetes of Rome, asked almes with these words, saying: Yée that passe by, gyue poore Bellisarius, a farthing for Gods sake, who for his vertue was renoumed, and for enuie of others is made blinde. To this myserie For­tune brought so greate a man. Wherfore Pe­trarcha sayd very well.

That humain creatures do receiue diuers qua­lities and giftes of the Planets.

DIuers philosophers disputing togither of that whiche an humain creature receiued from the influence of the Planets, grewe to this opinion, that man of Saturne had his vn­derstanding, of Iupiter strength, of Mars, the mynde, of the Sun vertue, of Venus mouing, of Mercurie sharpnesse of wit, & of the Moone the nature of generation. The Physitions say, that man in his creation receiueth of the Sunne, the Spirite, of the Moone the body, of Mars the bloud, of Mercurie the wit, of Iupi­ter desire, of Venus pleasure, and of Saturne moysture.

The riche man compared to the Peacocke.

IVno is the goddesse of riches & kingdomes, to the whiche Goddesse, the Pecocke is gi­uen, to signifie, that the conditions of ryche men are lyke the nature of the peacocke, for asmuch as he euer climbeth vppon the roofs houses, and vpō the highest buyldings, so the ryche man always séeketh for degrées of ho­nour and preeminence, and if they be not gi­uen [Page 56] him, he taketh them. The Pecock skrea­keth and cryeth, so the riche man lifteth vp his voyce, and setteth oute his loftynesse of mynde. The Peacocke is decked with fayre feathers, he taketh delight to be séene, and so is desirous to shew and behold his eyed taile, that he discouereth his filthie partes behind: so the rich man is stored with purple and ri­ches, and delyteth in flatterie, in pride, and in vaine glorie: And whilest he goeth about to shewe hys bodie well trimmed, well fedde, nice, & perfumed, he sheweth a brutish minde voyde of vertue, full of foly and all vanitie.

That a mans vvordes are the image of his mynde.

SOlon sayde, that wordes are the image of the déedes, nay rather of the life of a man, and that in a glasse the fashion of the body is not séene better set foorth, than in speach the forme of the mynde. And Socrates alluding so that opinion, when a chylde was sent him by one of his fréendes, bicause he sawe him, & examined him somwhat in that which he thought best, sayd, speake if thou wylte, that I may knowe thee.

VVhat thing the people is.

PLato sayd, that the people is a great beast lyke a huge giaunt, according to whose ap­petite things are called iust, fair and good, and contrarywise vniust, foule and naughte, and not as they are in deede.

That vvine ought to be drunk moderately.

ANacharsis the Philosopher sayde, that the vine didde beare thrée grapes, the fyrst of pleasure, the seconde of drunkennesse, and the thirde of griefe. The same philosopher being asked howe a man myght kéepe himself from drunkennesse, answered: Haue alwayes in mynde the lothsome fashions of drunkardes.

That iealousie bringeth foorth vvicked effectes.

A Certain old man of Paris, called Claude hadde to wife a very faire and wise yong woman, with whome he was maruellously in loue: but he was so iealous, that setting al other businesse aside, he suffered hir neuer to be out of his sight, and to Churche and euery where he folowed hir and watched hir, so that the woman thinking with hir selfe that she receyued great wrōg, as she did in déede, wax­ed very angrie, and was determined notwith­standing so great watch, to doe to him that he [Page 57] deserued, and that which she in my iudgemēt would neuer haue done, if he had bene a rea­sonable man. So she casting hir eye vppon a goodly yong man, appoynted him by meanes of a trustie mayde of hies, to please hir de­sire, as often as might be, for the doing wher­of the yong woman helde this maner. She v­sed from tyme to tyme to take occasion at night to fall out with hir husbande, wherfore the quarel h [...]nging still, she went to bed mur­muring and lowring, where when hir hus­bande came, they held their peace til the mor­ning. Vppon which occasion of not speaking one to an other, the wyfe afterwarde when it was time, made the mayde fayre and soft­ly to come and lye with hir husbande, and she merily went into an other chamber to take delight with hir louer. These are the fruites that ielousie bringeth foorth. Wherefore Ari­osto sayde very well.

That is,

A singuler example of continencie.

XEnocrates the scholer of Plato, was a yong man of maruellous continēcie, in so much that when Phrina a very fayre harlotte had made hir boast, and layd a wager that she was able to allure him to lye with hir, he was brought to hir bedde, but in no wise for any prouocation or arte of loue, which she plea­santly vsed, she could moue him to yeeld vnto hir flickering enticements. Wherfore these yong men that had layde the wager with hir asked hir for their gotten money, but she rea­dily answered them, saying, that she had spo­ken of a man, and not of an Image.

That loue hath no lavve, and maketh one thing seeme for an other.

MAster Levves Alamanni was in the com­pany of honest yong men, deuising togi­ther [Page 58] of loue, and one Peter of Gagliano sayde, that he greatly maruelled to sée sometimes suche diuers likings in loue, and that it sée­med to him vnpossible, that one shoulde be in loue with a foule woman, an other with an olde woman, this man with a cortesan com­mon to euery man, and that man euen with one that he hateth. To whom Alamanno tur­ning himselfe, courteously sayde:

that is,

And Ariosto sayth:

that is,

A maruellous stoutnesse of a mans minde, accompanied vvith pitie tovvardes his countrie.

WHen Lucius Scilla had ouercom by force of armes the Citie of Pren [...]ste he gaue leaue and commission to the Souldiers that they should destroye it, and kyll all the Citi­zens sauing his Host, meaning with this good turne to shewe himselfe thankfull vnto hym, for manye curtesies receiued of hym at other times in his lodging. But that valiant Citi­zen hering of this commission, went foorth in­continently out of his house disguised & prea­sing in among other of his countrimen, sayd, that he had rather die, than owe his life to the destroyer of his countrie.

Counsels of great Captains, to saue themselues, and to ouercome their ennimies.

KIng Antigonus retiring from his enimies whiche then were stronger than he was, said to him that peraduenture blamed him for fléeing away, that he fled not, but that he went thither where his profit and commoditie lay. The same king being asked in what sorte a man might vanquishe his ennimies, aunswe­red, wyth strength and wisdome, and if the [Page 59] Lions skin be not enough, take the Wolfes too. Erasmus attributeth this last saying also to Lysander Captaine of the Lacedemonians.

That Princes ought to displace the craftie and vvicked instru­ments of iustice.

ALphonsus King of Arragon, hauing in­telligence, that a frenche Phisition, who was a Sophister and verye subtile, but of a moste gréedie minde, leauing of Phisicke be­came an aduocate, and with his Sophisticall pointes encombred the whole Courte, made an Edicte (oh most iust King) that al the cau­ses which the frenche aduocate tooke in hande should be accoumpted false and vniust.

Philosophicall obseruations in mankynde.

AS often sayde Diogenes, as in mans life I thinke of the gouernours of countries, Philosophers, Phisitions, and other lyke per­sons, mée seemeth truely that there is no ly­uing creature wyser than man. Contrari­wise, when I beholde the interpretoures of Fortune, the Prognosticatours of Starres, the Diuinoures of heauenly things, and the [Page] like generatiō, me thinketh that no creature which beareth life, is more foolishe than he.

That vvise men are thankfull to God for benefites receyued.

COsimo of the Medici Duke of Florence, he, the which for his wisedome was sur­named the wise, did spende (as it is wel kno­wen and founde in stories) vppon buylding of Churches, Monasteries and Hospitalles, not onely in his countrey, but also through­out many other partes of Europe, aboue foure hundreth thousande Ducates, besides other great and small almes déedes, whiche he dyd dayly to marrie maydes, to make Nunnes, and for other workes which were thoughte holy. Wherefore euery man maruelled at so great liberalitie, and so great Religion. That most wise gentleman was went some­tyme to say to his dearest friendes, that he was neuer able to spende and giue so muche for Gods sake, as he found owing him in his bookes of account.

That the vyell framed minde endureth all trouble and displeasure.

FAuorinus the Philosopher sayde, that euen as the body well disposed endureth colde, [Page 60] heate, and other griefes, so the mynde well framed endureth displeasure, thoughte and aduersitie.

To vvhat maner perturbations or vi­ces of man, the three furies of hell are correspondent.

THe Poetes write, that the infernall fu­ries daughters of Acheron and the night, the which do vexe mans minde, are thrée, to witte, Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megera: they lyken Alecto to vnquietnesse, bicause she de­sireth pleasure: they lyken Tisiphone to an­ger, bicause she séeketh reuengement: & they lyken Megera to pride, bicause she desireth ri­ches and soueraintie.

That the minde is the guyde and the true life of man.

SAlust sayth, that the mind is the guyde and gouernoure of mans life, and that the faire face, the strong body, great riches, and other lyke thinges are transitorie, and endure but a while, but that the worthy déedes of the witte and minde are diuine and immortall. Wherefore:

In vvhat things humanitie doth chiefly consist.

PLato sayd the curtesie and nobilitie of man consisteth chiefly in thrée things, the first is in saluting people gently: the seconde in helping ones neighbour in his businesse: and the third in bidding ones friends oftentimes to a moderate feast.

That it is a very harde thing to knovve the nature of men.

PHilomenes the Philosopher sayde: when I consider that euery kind of bruite beasts haue one nature alone, as the Lions which are all strong and hardie: the Hares which are all fearefull and cowardly: the Foxes which are all craftie: the Eagles valiaunt: the Doues simple: in so muche that among a hundreth thousande of these, or suche like beastes, there is not founde one that swar­ueth out of kinde, wherefore if the kinde be knowne, the nature is by and by knowne: I am sory truely for the state of man, which haue more natures than there be persons, so that it is impossible to know them al, nay ra­ther very harde to knowe one of so many, without long time.

That death hath no more regard of yong men than of olde.

WHen there were dead at Milan in short space, of diuers diseases certayne noble and courteous yong men, Alciato made vpon that occasion in the Italian tongue these wit­tie verses:

that is

A notable discription of arte, in mans shape.

THe most famous master Daniel Barbaro, going about to transforme the knowledge of things into mans shape, did paint it out in this sorte, little of frature, the eyes of the co­loure of the skye, the nose lyke an Eagle, the eares very equall, the necke shorte, the brest large, and (as mother of all things) full of teates, the shoulders bigge, the armes, the palmes of the handes, and the fingers long, al tokens (after Aristotle) of great vnderstan­ding, capacitie, and study: & after in counte­naunce, in going and in apparell, he made hir ready, nimble, and wakefull aboute euerie thyng, but so seuere, aduised and worthie, that vneth a man dareth to loke hir ful in the face.

That mans ambition cannot abyde any fellovve in rule.

WHen Alexander the great hadde ouer­come Darius in two greate battayles, Darius, knowing the valiantnesse of his eni­mie, offered him halfe his kingdome, and one of his Daughters in mariage, with infinite [Page 62] treasure, if he woulde make peace with him. Whiche offer Parmeno (the chiefest man a­bout him) vnderstanding, sayde: If I were Alexander. I would do it: And I would doe it (aunswered Alexander) if I were Parmeno. So refusing the offer, he quickely conquered y ^e countrie, and obteyned the whole victory.

That the presence and svveete speache of the Prince is very profitable in daun­gerous and troublous times.

WHen the Emperoure Charles the fifte, in the yere of our Lorde a thousand fine hundred and foure, was entred into Fraunce through Campania with a huge armie, he marched onward apace: So lastely hauing taken Soisson, he thought good to go toward the royal Cittie of Paris. Wherfore the Parisians not­withstanding that they knewe that their King was with no lesse armie at hande, did not onelye murmur and repine, but the peo­ple also made many signes of mutinie and rebellion. Wherfore king Frauncis wente forthwith in his owne person to Paris, where setting al things in very good order for the suretie and safegard of the people, and seeing them for all thus in great feare, vsed to them [Page] among other, these notable words, saying: I cannot keepe you, men of Paris, from feare, but I will surely kéepe you from hurte, assu­ring you that I had rather to dye valiantly than to liue vilely in forsaking you.

That it belongeth to euery man but es­pecially to Princes to keepe faith and promise.

THe same king Fraunces was wont some­times to say, that when faith should fayle in all other mē, yet it should remayne amōg Princes, bycause their power is such, as they cannot be cōstrayned, neyther by iudgemēts, nor by lawes. And the wise king Alphonsus of Aragon, sayd, that the word of a Prince, ought to be so much worth, as the oth of pri­uate men. Ariosto meaning no lesse of pri­uate men, than of Princes, wrote wisely and generally vpon the kéeping of faith and pro­mise after this sorte.

That vvise men liue in suche vvise that they feare not for­ged crimes.

WHen it was told Plato, that some spake amisse of him, he aunswered I passe not, for my liuing is suche that they shall not be beléeued. And Aristotle sayde of one that had spoken amisse of him: I giue him leaue to correcte me euen in my absence. And of late yeares the Emperoure Charles the fifte token it was reported vnto him, that some did backbite him, said, let them talke, for mē will accoumpte them fooles.

That vvomen do rather obey sense than reason.

WHen the Emperoure Sigismunde was dead, a curiouse kinsman of his exhor­ [...]ed his wife to remayne a widdowe, and fol­lowe the turtle: shewing hir at large, howe that birde (when hir make is dead) liueth chast euer after. But the woman smyling, aunswered him: Sith that you counsell me to followe an vnreasonable birde, why doe not you rather sette before me the doue or the sparrowe, which haue a more pleasaunte na­ture [Page] for women?

That men ought to do good euen to the dead.

SYmonides the Philosopher sayde, that men ought to do good euē to the dead, recompting that he going a iorney found a dead man layd out to be deuoured of wilde beasts and birds, wherfore taking pittie, caused him forthwith to be buried. And when he was minded the nexte day to take shipping, there appeared to him béeing a sléepe in the night, the soule of that dead man, whiche warned hym, that he shoulde not enter into that appointed shippe: saying that the same should perrishe without doubte. Wherfore he tolde in the morning this dreame to his fellowes, willing them in no wise to enter that shippe, and to stay for an other passage: but they laughing him to scorne, lefte him, and embarked themselues in hir. So it fell out that not long after, suche a greate tempest rose, that the shippe was drowned, and his companions fainting dyd all perishe.

That the life of priuate men is more pleasaunt and quiet than that of Princes.

THe Emperoure Maximiane and Diocle­tiane béeing wearie of rule, the one and the other willingly resigned their Empire, this man to Nicomedia, and that man to Mi­lanu [...] notwithstāding Maximiane afterward repenting himselfe, and hauing intelligence that Maxentius his sonne was chosen Empe­roure, came to Rome, with desire and hope (which at the end was vaine) to take eftsoons rule in hand, and to this effecte he procured and lay instantly vpon Diocietiane. But Di­ocletiane aunswered him thus: oh brother, if you sawe the faire coleworts and goodly oni­ons that I haue planted and sowen with my owne hande, certes you woulde neuer thinke more vppon rule.

VVith vvhat gentlenesse and mildnesse va­liaunt Princes auoide the misreports of their subiects against them.

WHen King Antigonus hadde broughte his armie to winter in barraine and deserte places, hys souldiers wanted many things necessarie, wherfore some presumpte­ous fellowes, not knowing that he was thereby, blamed him, and spake very ill of him. But he hearing them, lyke a mylde and gentle prince as he was, came out of his tēt, & [Page] sayde: Oh, if you will speake amisse of the king, go further off, for if you felt the payne I doo, you could not abide it.

That the remembrance of our short life doth muche abate mans lofti­nesse of mynde.

XErxes king of Persia, gooing a warfar [...] agaynst the Gréekes, and séeing all Hel­lesponte full of his shippes and men of warre, cryed with a loude voyce, I am a happy man. A little whyle after, chaunging his counte­naunce, he beganne to wéepe: wherefore his vncle Artabanus séeing so great a chaunge, asked him the cause: To whom Xerxes alto­gither grieued, pitifully answered in this ma­ner: I doo lament bicause I call to mynde the great miserie and shortnesse of mans life, considering that in lesse than a hundreth yeres wée shall without doubte all bée dead and rotten.

He that knovveth much, speaketh little.

DEmosthenes séeing in a company a pra­ting fellowe, sayd vnto him: if thou were wise inough thou wouldest speake lesse: and adding moreouer this sentence, he that is wise doth little speake and thinketh much.

That syncere friendship is knovvne in aduersitie.

VAlerius Maximus sayth, that the sincere fayth of a friende is knowne in aduer­sitie, in the whiche all that gentlenesse and curtesye, whiche is shewed to a man, procée­deth of founde and constant good will. The friendlye déedes that are shewed in prospe­ritie (saith he) may procede of flatterie, at the least they are suspected to tend rather to get than to giue. And therefore that worthy Ci­cero sayd, that to knowe true friends from fayned, he vsed to measure his fortune with theirs.

That a vvise manne obeyeth necessitie.

DEmades a wise and sage Senatoure, whē the Athe [...]ens for the respecte they had to their religion, wolde not giue diuine ho­nors to Alexander the greate as he through his vayn glorie procure [...], sayd: take heed my countrimen, that whilest you kepe Heauen, you lose not the Earth, meaning hereby, that if they did not by reason of their superstition satisfie the desire of Alexander, they shoulde displease hym, and being displeased, woulde bring the cittie to destruction.

In what manner profitably and with prayse one may be conuersant among men.

EPictetijs sayde, that in being conuersant with men, one ought to obserue this rule: if thy fellowe be better learned than thou, heare and obey him: if he be thy equall, agrée to him: if he be thy inferioure, persuade him modestly.

That the great ryches of the Parents doth commonly let the children from the greating of vertue.

SIldome times (sayde Plato) this rule will faile, that when the fathers haue too muche goodes, the sons haue no vertue no vertue at al: bicause betwene case & superfluous ryches vices & not vertue are woont to be nourished.

That the modestie of Princes greatly shy­neth abroade in their prosperitie.

WHen the Emperour Charles the fithe, had discomfited and put to flyghte the mightie league of the Alma [...], he dyd also finally discomfite the .xxiiij. day of Aprill, in the yeare of our Lord. 1547: neare to the fa­mous ryuer of Albis, the valiant Duke Iohn Frederick of Saxonie and toke him prisoner, [Page 66] with manie of his confederates, which great difficultie when he had ouercome, he mo­destly vsed these words, saying: I may not say as Iulius Cesar. veni, [...]vi [...] but I will saye, vene, vi [...], & Dominus De [...] vicis.

The number, forme, and nature of the Graces.

THe auncient Greekes, dyd imagine that there were thrée Graces. Aglaia, Thalia, and Ephrosine; and printed them naked, to shew that benefites or good turnes, oughte to be pure and simple, without deceyte or hope of greater profite. They counterfeyted them yong, bycause the remēbraunce of a benefite ought to be fresh, and not too ware olde: they seemed to laugh, bycause one ought ioyefullye to giue, and doe good to his neighboure: They were paynted three, saying, that one reached foorth, the other receyued, and the thyrde re­stored: Two turned their faces towardes vs, and one hir face from vs, signifying hereby that for one benefite y ^t is receyued, we ought to render two. They ioyned them hande in hand, shewing that loue ought to be indisse­luble, and that one good turne should repay an other, and so to make perpetuall friend­shippe.

That readinesse of aunsvvering is muche auailable.

ESope going at the commaundement of his Master to sée if the bath were in a ready­nesse, met with the hed officer of the town, to whome asking him whether he went, Esope answered, I knowe not, & the Potestate sup­posing that he was despised of a slaue, com­maunded that he should be carried to prison. Wherfore Esope turned to him and sayd: Oh good master Maior, beholde how well to the purpose I aunswered you: for I go to pri­son, and knewe not that I sholde go thither. The Potestate maruelling at so great a rea­dinesse, caused him to be released.

That Venerie hurteth olde men, and doth no good to yong men.

SEneca sayde, that a man when he is paste fortie yeares old, and is vppon the prick of fiftie, must remember that Venus signifieth youth, and Saturne olde age, Starres after the Astronomers very contrarie one to another. Wherefore he saith, that Saturnists, to witte, olde men should shun Venus for that she doth not only hurt them but yong also: and let thē thinke for a suretie, y ^t she helpeth him more which is to be borne; than him that is borne: [Page 67] wittily adding herevnto that herbes when they haue cast their séede, waxe drie.

VVhy humane lavves are like to Spydes vvebs.

THe Philosopher Anacharsis wisely com­pared mens lawes to Spyders webs, say­ing: That euen as they holde faste the lesser flyes and wormes, and giue place to the grea­test, so the lawes do bend the poore and weke, but the rich and mightie, they let passe. Some attribute this conceit to Solon.

A very good example, how to vse victo­rie in conquered countreyes.

CRoesus béeing sore wounded in battayle, and the prisoner of Cyrus, sayd, that in time of peace, the sonnes burie the fathers: and in time of warre that fathers burye the sonnes. Afterwarde when he sawe that the souldiours of Cyrus sacked the countrie, he asked them what they did, to whome Cyrus aunswered, they sacke this thy Cittie, and these thy riches: Consider king (added Croe­sus moreouer) that they sacke not mine, by­cause all is thine. Wherfore Cyrus being moued with these words, did forthwith for­bid the souldiers to sacke.

That vvomē thorough the sufferaunce of their husbands, beare a great stroke in stares.

THemistocles his sonne argued pleasaunt­ly in this manner, saying: that whiche I will, my mother will that which my mother will, Themistocles will: that which Themi­stocles will, the Atheniens wil. Ergo that which I will, all the people of Athens will.

That flatterie sometimes costeth the flatterers deare.

WHē Marcus Antonius Triumuir was en­tred into Athens, all the Cittizens ha­uing firste prepared excéeding honours for him, went afterwarde to meete him. So they going about to flatter him, sayde vnto him, that they had in their Cittie the Goddesse Mi­nerua, whiche wanted a husbande, and that they desyred to giue hir him to wife, who was the God Bacchus. Now Marcus Antonius es­pying so great a flatterie, and being therwith displeased, that he might giue them that re­ward which they deserued sayd vnto them: I am content, and do accepte hir for my wyfe, but I will haue a thousand tallentes for hir dowrie, as it is most méete for so great a ma­riage.

A vvyse and most profitable admonition.

AVlus Gellius wysely admonished certayne of his friendes, in this manner, saying: Weygh and consider well wyth your selues, I beséeche you, that if by way of laboure you do any honest thing, that laboure departeth from you, but the thing well done, as long as you liue tarieth with you. Contrariwise, if by way of pleasure, you shall do any dishoneste thing, that pleasure vanquisheth away, and the filthynesse of the thing alwayes remay­neth with you. Alamanno to the like purpose speaketh thus:

that is

That vertue and not money maketh a man aliue.

TImotheus affirmeth, that money is the si­newes of all things, nay rather the bloud [Page] and soule of menne, saying moreouer that he whiche hath no money liueth deade among the lyuing, albeit this ought not to be sayd of money, but of vertue, without possession of which, a man doutlesse is deade although he lyue.

That he vvhich hath any notable faulte, ought to take great heed that he prouoke none that may reproue him.

WHen one Philip a gréedie person, and Caculus a wittie fellowe stroue togi­ther, they fell a chyding one with an other, so that Philip waxing very angrie, sayde: Why barkest thou dog? To whom Catulus sodeinly and bytingly answered: bycause I sée a théefe.

That false vvitnesses do hardly stand in the handes of aduised demaunders.

WHen Crassus defended Piso in a verie weightie cause, one Silo with his false witnesse was a greate hinderaunce to Pi [...]o: wherefore Crastus to the end to disproue him and dallie with him, sayd: And it may be Silo, that he, of whome thou hast heard this, speake it vppon displeasure: Silo agréed it was so. And Crallus following his purpose, sayde: It maye also be, that thou dyddest not well [Page 69] vnderstande him, and to this also Silo séemed to consent: so that Crastus sayde moreouer: And it may be that thou heardest not well that which thou saydst thou hast heard. Here­vppon there arose an vniuersall laughter, that the false witnesse stoode altogither con­founded and out of the way, to the example of others his like.

Hovve profitable and precious friendship is.

THat moste wise Socrates sayde, that there is no possession more precious than a friende, nor from whence a man may gette more profite or pleasure: and therefore mar­uelled that men setting so muche ambition and couetousnesse aside, did not continually endeuour themselues to winne friendeship. Herevpon Aristotle béeing demaunded what a friende was, answered: One soule in two bodies.

That aduisedly and not rashely vve ought to be resolued touching matters of vveight.

WHen a voyce and rumoure was spred that Alexander the greate was dead, the rulers of Athens waxed very hotte, and [Page] would followe the people in taking weapons to set themselues at libertie. But Phocion a most wise man, not finding in these newes any hold to be taken, reproued them wisely, saying: runne not madde my countrimen, stay and looke for other newes: for if Alexan­der be dead to daye, build vppon this, that he wil be dead to morrowe also.

That man ought still to be mynde­full that he is subiecte to all the strokes of fortune.

IT is a certayne common comforte, and as Cicero saith, that oughte alwayes to be had in memorie, to remember, that we are men, come into the worlde vnder this lawe, to be subiecte to al the strokes of fortune, and ther­fore oughte not to refuse to lyue vnder that state and condition, that we are borne, ney­ther lightly to moue our selues with those misfortunes whiche by counsell cannot be a­noyded. But rather calling to minde y ^t chaun­ces hapned to other, in y ^e meane season ought to consider, that there is no new thing chaun­ced vnto vs. And master Levves Alamaum to the like purpose saith:

that is,

Fitte remedies against loue, and in vvhat state they be vvhich are in loue.

CRates the Thebane being asked what was the méetest & surest remedy against leue, wittily aunswered, and sayde, hunger: and if this be not sufficient time: and also if this be not inough, hanging: meaning that if loue be not worne out with hunger, nor time, it will be destroyed by no meanes but by death. And Cato the elder (after Erasmus, other attribute it to Plato) sayde that all they whiche caste themselues headlong into loue, liue in the body of an other, and are as it were dead in their owne.

That it is a vertuous deede and vvorthy commendation, not to reueale an others secret, euen as it is a vvise mans part seldome to communicate his secrets to any m n.

THe vertue of concealing a secrete, is as harde a thing to do, as that which is har­dest. Wherefore Aristotle béeing asked what thing séemed to him hardest, he aunswered, to conceale a secret. Plato sayde, that a man can not be wyse excepte he can kéepe close a secrete: and added moreouer, that it may bée knowne howe muche secretnesse doth please God, considering that his owne maiestie ma­keth no man priuie to his. Wherefore wée knowe not that which shall be to morrowe, or that which shall be within an houre. And Iesus the sonne of Syrach sayeth: Who so discouereth secrets, léeseth his credite, and findeth no friende after his will. And Salo­mon in his Prouerbes dothe say: That it is sinne to speake ouermuche, and to discouer secrets, and he is wysest that can brydle his tongue. For he that speaketh muche (saythe he) causeth many errours. And to this pur­pose I will shew a straunge case which hap­pened at Rome, Fuluius tolde his wife a great [Page 71] secrete, the which Octauiane the Emperour had made him priuie of. And when the thing was disclosed through the womans vanitie, the Emperour did sharpely reproue Fuluius for lightnesse: So he béeing desperate, was determined to murther him selfe: but firste he lamented to his wyfe, who wondering at him, aunswered him in this maner: Certes, my Fuluius, thou haste no cause to be sorow­full for any thing that I haue done, séeyng that in all the tyme that I haue liued wyth thée, thou hadste not knowne my lightnesse, or if thou haste knowne it, thou diddest not mistruste it: But nowe althoughe that the faulte be thine, I doe intende notwithstan­ding to be the first that shall suffer punishe­ment: And so incontinently striking hir selfe with a knife which she had in hir hande, kil­led hir selfe: And by and by after, hir mise­rable husbande dyd euen the like.

The not knowing howe to keepe a secret, caused this moste grieuous misorder. Wher­fore the Poet Ouid nobly sayth:

That the duetie of a vvise man is to muse be­fore hande vpon that vvhich is to come, and aftervvarde constantly to en­dure euery accident.

ARistotle sayde, that it is a wise mans part to forethinke and giue his minde to that which may happen to a man: And that it commeth of great wisdome to foresée that no mischiefe may betide thée: but that it com­meth of no lesse corage constantly to endure that which chaūceth vnto thée, and to dissem­ble many thinges. And Boiardo with his wonted elegancie sayth:

that is,

That Vserers and false accusers are vvilde beasts, that vvander in the ciuill life.

THeocritus (and after Erasmus, Diogenes the Cinicke) béeing asked which were the cruellest beasts in the worlde, sayde, in the mountayns and woods, the Lions & Beares: in Cities and Townes, Vsurers and vniust accusers.

VVhat great vnquietnesse is in man.

SAinct Basill saith, that men are wicked and vnthankfull, neuer content with that they haue, alwayes séeking for that they haue not, sadde and sorrowfull for not obtayning, the slaue his libertie: the vnnoble man, nobili­tie: the noble, ryches: the ryche, Lordship: the Lorde a Kingdome: the King a Mo­narchie, and the Empire of all the whole worlde.

That the ioy of this vvorlde dothe not long endure.

WHen Domenico da Cigoli was gone to Rome, he had newes within few dayes [Page] after that his wife was dead, wherefore he béeing excéeding ioyfull, became foorthwith a Priest, and obteyned the cure of his parishe: but after he came home, the first person that he sawe was his wife.

That vvisedome, valiauntnesse of courage, and other vertues, are the sure and strong ankers of mans life.

PPythagoras the Philosopher sayd, that we ought to choose the beste life, and saue our selues from the blastes of Fortune, as the galley is safe from the windes of the sea, and that the riches in this mortall life are weake ankers, glory weake, and the strong body likewise weake: so offices, honours, and all suche things, sayth he, are weake, and with­out stabilitie, and that the sure and strong ankers, are wisedome, valiantnesse of cou­rage, fortitude, and vertue, the which he affir­meth, cannot be destroyed with any tempest: al other things he accoūteth follies, dreames and winds.

That pouertie doth not giue anoye, but mans insatiable greedinesse.

EPictetus the Philosopher sayd, that pouer­tie dothe not cause disquietnesse, but mans [...] [Page 73] and that riches doth not deliuer vs frō feare, but reason: and therefore (added he moreo­uer) if thou shalte vse reason thou shalte not couet superfluous ryches, nor blame tollera­ble pouertie.

That vnexpert and ignorant men are vvorthily laughed to scorne.

BArnardo a Gentleman of Venice, passing thorowe Padua, lodged in an Inne, and when he hadde well supped, he went awaye without paying any money. Wherevppon the Host asked him payment, and the Gen­tleman waxed very angrie and sayde, what payment askeste thou? is not Padua ours? yea sir, answered the Host, but the substance is ours.

That husbandes ought to beare muche vvith their vviues by reason of children.

ALcibiades asked Socra [...]es why he suffered so many quarrels, and so many brawles whiche his wife made continually with him at home? Why doste thou suffer (aunswered Socrates) so much keckling and annoy, which thy hennes make at home: bycause they, sayd Alcibiades, lay me Egges, and hatch me chic­kens: and my wife (sayde Socrates) doth bear me Children.

That the erroures caused of loue, if they be not criminall, are to be excused and pardoned.

PIsistratus the Tiranne of Athens shewed vpon a tyme a great token of humanitie: bycause that a certaine yong man béeing in loue with a daughter of his, and méeting hir in the streate, coulde not refraine but kissed hir openly: Wherevppon the mother being in a great furie incensed and prayed Pisistra­tus to put him to death. But he smiling an­swered: If we put him to deathe that loueth vs, what shal we do to him that hateth vs?

Hovve muche Prognostications and foretel­lings proceeding of iudicial Astrologie, are to be scorned, is declared by this Prognostication of Pasquine of Rome.

THis nexte yeare the blinde shall sée little or nothing: the deafe shall not heare: the Sommer shall be hote and drye: there shal be much Sunne: it shal rayne somtime, other while it shall thunder, and lighten, and also we shall haue tempest: the spring shall be cold and moyst, there shall be great wynds, it shall rayne much, and more in the nyghte [Page 74] than in the day. There shall be great warre betwene birders and byrdes: and greater be­twene Fyshers and Fishes. The water of ryuers shall runne foorthwarde, and not goe backe, and the greater shal fall into the Sea. Many Oxen, Shéepe, Hogges, Hartes, and innumerable Pulleyn shall dye: Death shal not make so great slaughter amōg Wolues, Asses, Horses, and Mules. This same yeare olde age by reason of yeares past, shall be in­curable: there shal be many néedle persons, many sicke, and some shal dye before they be olde. Ther shal be a diuers change of world­ly matters, it shall be dangerous to sayle on the west and north sea, chiefly when ther is tempest. The King and other Princes shall haue more than their part, notwithstanding they shall not be content. The people shall haue sometime good, and sometime naughtie, and other while meane fortune. The ryche shall be in better case than the poore, and the whole ordinarily shall be better than the sicke. Eating and drinking shall be verie ne­cessarie: Golde shall be more sette by than Syluer, and Leade shall be at a reasonable pryee. The Plague and other diseases shall be in some places thorowe the resolu­tion of Saturne: in other places by reason [Page] of the aspect of Mars there shall ensue mor­talitie, and murders. There shall be many yong men in loue by reason of Venus. It shall be good to eate Capons, Partriges, and Quailes, and to drinke the best wines shall be best. The Moone shall be full in March, or in Aprill, when she shal be opposite to the Sunne: but as she commeth to the heade o [...] taile of the Dragon, she shall be darkened vntill she goe out from the shaddowe of the earth. There shal be great brightnesse about the sphere of the Sunne, there shall be great told in the vttermost Zones, and vpon high Mountaines. There shall be great heat and drynesse vnder the Equinoctiall. About the Tuscane and Ionicke Sea, there shall be great plentie of moysture, and more also shal be about the Oceane Sea. So many Stars shall be séene in the skye in the cleare night, that no man, nor woman shall be able to number them.

That the vice of anger is most hurtfull.

ARistotle sayth, that anger is a perturbati­on of a cruel, violent and dishonest mind, the cause of strife, the companion of calami­tie, the losse of honour, the spoyle of ryches, and the originall of destruction. And addeth [Page 75] moreouer, that as the smoke which shadow­eth the eyes, letteth one to sée that whiche a man hath before his féete, so anger darkneth reason in the heade, and that goodnesse which the mynde with the wit shall easly obtayne, being obscured thorow anger, it can not in any wise obtayne. Chilo sayd, that one ought to ouercome anger aboue all things, for that she hurteth more than any ennimie, adding moreouer, that it is more manhoode to van­quish hir than any ennimie. Wherefore the diuine Petrarcha to this purpose sayth.

And Ariosto héere vpon sayth.

That Princes commonly vvil haue no admonition.

WHat a daungerous thing it is to admo­nishe certaine Princes of their vices, shall be declared by the example following.

Vpon a tyme Cambyses king of Scithiae & Persia asked Presaspius his Secretarie, what the Persians sayde of him: The Secretarie answered, that they gretly commended him, notwithstanding that he séemed to them to be ouermuche giuen to wine. Wherewith Cambyses béeing cruelly angrie, sayde: I wil Presaspius that we sée whether they lye or tell truth: thou séest there thy Sonne at the gate, if I hitte him in the heart with this ar­rowe, it shal appeare without doubt that the Persians do lye: if I hit him not, they may be beléeued. And he leusing the bowe that he had in his hande, did strike the yong man in the breast, and the arrowe passed ful thorow the myddle of his heart. Whiche when that cruell Prince had séene, being very ioyful, in [Page 76] iest sayde: What sayst thou now Presaspius, dost not thou thinke that these thy Persians haue made a lye? But tel me also I pray thée, who euer sawest thou better than I? To whom that poore man fore abashed, and now extremely doubting of himselfe, answered: God is not able to make one better than you.

That through crafte and vvarinesse a man is othervvhile deliuered out of danger.

A French man challenged a Geneuaise into the fielde, bycause he did beare his recog­nisaunce in his shielde. But the Geneuoise ha­uing readily bethought him of a iest, sayde: And for what cause finally dost thou cal me hyther to fight? bycause I pretend (answered the Frenche man) that this cognisaunce dis­cendeth from my auncestours, and that thou hast vsurped it.

The Geneuoise asked what his cognisance was: the French man answered that it was an Oxe head: then said the Geneuoise, we néed not fight for this, bycause that my armes is a Cowes heade.

Hovve mans life is encombred and full of trouble: and hovv pleasant and quiet.

ISocrates the Oratoure sayde, that our life entangled with fortune is like to a greate violent floude, to wit, troublous, myrie, hard to passe ouer, swift, roaring, during but for a while: Contrariwise the life giuen to ver­tue (saithe he) is like to a noble fountaine, whose water is cleare, pure and vntroubled, méete to be dronke, swéete, to folkes agréea­ble, apte for nourishment, frutefull, and void of all corruption and naughtinesse.

That the sight of friends doth chear vp them that are in heauinesse, as the sight of the Phisitions the diseased.

PHilomenes the Philosopher sayde that as the diseased séeing the Phisition come, be cheared vp and comforted, so they that are in heauinesse seing their friende come, recouer courage, and take comfort, but that the friēd is muche more for the sadnesse of his neigh­bour than the Phisition is for sicknesse: and therefore addeth moreouer, that men in ad­uersitie ought to haue recourse of their frien­des. And Ausonius worthily confirmeth it, saying.

That couetousnesse blindeth men.

HErmon was to couetous (as Lucilius testi­fieth) that when he dreamed that he had spent certaine money, he strangled himselfe through excéeding sorrowe. Dimarchus Phi­don was like wise so couetous, that being de­sperate for a certain losse receyued, he would not hang himselfe, for spending of thrée halfe pence to buy himselfe a halter, seeking death better cheap. And Hermocrates was through extreme auarice accompanied with so greate follie, that dying, lefte himself heire of al his goods. Wherefore wisely sayth Bias that co­uetousnesse is the Metropolis, that is, the mother citie, or chiefe Sea of mannes follie and wickednesse.

A vvarie ansvvere, impertinent to the demaunde.

A Iewe béeing asked, whether he woulde take vp a thousand Ducates if he founde them on the Saboth daye, aunswered: This is not the Saboth day, and the money is not heere.

That mans doings on the one side, are vvor­thy of laughter, and on the other of vveeping.

HEraclitus and Democritus were two most famous Philosophers, the one conside­ring y ^e follies of mē did euer laugh: the other cōsidering their miseries, did always wéepe. Wherevpon one in the Gréeke tong made this Epigramme.

The which that great learned man Alci­ate, desirous to shewe that mans lyfe still waxed worse and worse, hath playnely and pleasantly translated into his Italian tong, after this manner.

that is,

That a vvife to some is a very heauie burthē.

WHen there was risen a great tempest on the Sea, the master of the ship commaun­ded all men to caste the heauiest things into the water: Wherefore a maried man incon­tinently cast in his wife, saying, that he had nothing more heauie than shée.

That vvith vvittie and ready aduisement, the fastnesse or nigardshippe of an other is oftentimes ouercome.

IN the time of Octauian the Emperor, ther was at Rome a certain gréeke Poet, which frō time to time the morning that the Em­peror went to his pallace, met him, and pre­sented to him a trim Epigram in the gréeke tong. But the Emperor albeit he toke it (as suche lewde persons as he was, loked for) he gaue him nothing. But desirous vpō a time to rest w ^c him, peraduēture turned him aside, [Page] and séeing him comming towardes him to presente him, he himselfe gaue him first an Epigram likewise made by him in Gréeke, and writtē with his own hand. The Gréeke toke it gladly, and began to read it, and rea­ding it, he shewed with countenance, words and gesture, that it liked him very wel. And when he had read it, he put his hand to his purse, and drawing nearer to Octauian, gaue him a great many halfepence, saying: Cesar, take this which I giue you, not according to your calling, but according to my abilitie, for if I had more, more I woulde gyue you. Wherevpon euery man fell a laughing, and the Emperor laughing more than the reste, caused one to giue him forthwith a hundreth thousand Serstertia, whiche amounteth to 5. hundreth pound sterling.

That neyther force nor eloquence is strong inough against impossibilitie and pouertie.

WHen Themistocles was sente out of his countrie to the Iland of Andros to gather vp money, he entring into the coū ­sell, declared the cause of his comming, but finding a scarsitie, sayde: Ye men of Andros, I bring you two Goddesses, force, and per­suasion, [Page 79] take now which you lyst. To whom the men of Andros readily answered, saying: and we Themistocles haue two Goddesses, pouertie, and impossibilitie, take whiche you please.

That the mynd of man is vnquiet vntill that he turne thither from vvhence he came.

SOcrates (as it hath bene alreadie many times declared) a man so diuine, sayd, that euen the mynde is man, and that the body is nothing else but the instrument of the mind, or the mansion place, or rather to speak bet­ter, the sepulcher, from whence when he de­parteth, then finally he is in his own power and felicitie. And Plato to this purpose said: that the mynde of man is so vnquiet and in­satiable, bycause he being sent from God, is not satisfied nor at quiet, before he returne thither from whence he came.

That a man ought to content himselfe vvith that vvhich God hath giuen him, vvith­out seeking any further.

PHauorinus the Philosopher sayde, that euen as a man being bydden by his freind to a feast, taketh of that whiche is set before him and is contented, so ought we to take of [Page] that, and content our selues with that which God giueth vs. For if it be not honest (sayth he) to aske of that friende Partriges, Lam­preys, or other wine thā y ^t which he presen­teth to vs: it is lesse iustice to aske of almigh­tie God this or that thing more than that whiche he giueth vs, especially of his ma­iestie, which knoweth better what we neede than we knowe our selues.

Hovve many and vvhat abuses there be that corrupt the vvorlde.

CIpriane sayth, that there are twelue abu­ses which corrupte the worlde: to wit, a wise man without works, an old man with­out religion, a yong man without obedience, a blinde man without almes, a poore manne proude, a woman without honestie, a noble man without vertue, a Christian contenti­ous, a Byshop negligent, a King vniust, the cōmons without instruction, and the people without lawes.

Philosophicall and true opinions concer­ning mans ryches and substance.

DEmocritus being demaunded, whome he thought ryche, aunswered, he that hath little desire. And Socrates being asked tou­ching the same, after the same sorte answe­red, [Page 80] he that is content with a little. Epictetus sayd, that he was rychest which had so muche that he is content: and added moreouer, that it is better liue merrily with a little, than miserably with a great deale. Master Levves Alamanni sayth, that a man ought to be con­tent with a little and inough, with good and yll, and wyth euery thing, adding héereto these verses.

An argument vvorthie of consideration, touching the immortalitie of the soule.

ALphonsus king of Arag [...]n said, that this séemed to him the greatest argumente of euerlastingnesse of the soule, to wit, that the body in this our life (when youth is past) [Page] doth alwayes diminish in strength and lusti­nesse, hauing his endes and limits. And that the mynd contrarywise, the more it is char­ged with yeares, the more it augmenteth and groweth in vnderstanding, vertue, and wisedome.

VVhat difference after vvise mens iudge­ment, is betvveene the learned and the ignorant.

WHen Plato was asked what difference was betwéene the learned and the ig­norant, he answered: As much as is betwéen the Phisition, and the diseased. And Socrates being demaunded touching the same, ( Eras­mus attributeth it to Aristippus) answered, send the one and the other to people naked, and thou shalte sée Aristippus sayde, that the one differeth so muche from the other, as a tame horse from one not tame. Aristotle speking more surely said: so great difference is betwéene a learned man and one that is ignorante, as is betwene the lyuing and the deade. And Horace expresseth his opinion in this manner.

That euen Philosophers sometimes doe vexe and tormente themselues for the losse of their deare things.

EVphrates a Philosopher of Siria, whē his wife was dead, whō he loued excéeding­lye, said: Oh tyrannous Philosophie, thou commaundest vs to loue, and if we lose the things beloued, thou forbiddest vs to be sor­rie for them: what should I then do nowe, in this miserable state?

A very good regiment for him that is vvhole, to maintaine his health.

COrnelius Celsus an auncient and a most excellent phisition saith, that he which is in health and naturally wel disposed, oughte not to binde himselfe to any rule of phisicke, bycause he hath no néede of phisitions, nor glisters. This man (saith hé) ought diuersly to vse his life: now to go to the village, now to the Citie, and oftentimes to walke in the feeldes, to saile on the Sea, to go a hunting, somtime to rest, but most cōmonly to exer­cise the body, bicause [...]uth enféebleth it, and exercise strengthneth it, the one giueth long old age, the other long youth: It helpeth (he addeth hereto) sometime to vse bathes, other while cold water, to day to annoint himself, [Page] to morrowe not passe vppon himselfe, and finally to refuse no meate nor drinke, which the common people doth vse.

That it is follye to looke for more of things then nature doth affourde them.

A Shepharde which had a flocke of shepe, séeing that the wolfe did daily take and consume them, assembled together vppon a daye the whole flocke, and with a trim and long oration, he put them in comfort not to feare the wolues, for so muche as they were many in number, and for the most parte had hornes, which the wolues haue not: where­fore he wold haue them to be of good courage and with one assent valiauntly to giue ayde one to another, and that he would not sayle them at anye time. The shéepe taking good hart at these worde ioyned with such effec­tuall reasons, promised and sware, that they woulde no more flie from the wolfe. Not­withstanding a while after, when the ru­mour was raised, to the wolfe, to y ^e wolfe, those poore beastes were surprised with so great feare, that the words and the reasons of the shepherd were not able to holde them from flying awaye. Whereuppon he after­ward sorrowing with them, one of y ^e wisest francklye spake:

That the fruite and safetie of mony, consisteth in occuping and not in keping.

A Couetous man hauyng solde all that hée had and tourned it into ready money, bu­ried it in a place, where he went daily to see it, in suche wise, that a man of the countrey watching, what he did, went thether in the night, and digged it out, and caryed it away. And when the miser another daye came a­gaine to sée his treasure, he not finding it, was minded desperately to gyue himselfe to the Deuill. But a fréend of his being at hand and vnderstanding the cause, said vnto him, quiet thy self my felow, for thou diddest not occupy this monie at all, so that thou maiste put stones in place thereof, and perswade with thy self that it is golde: for these stones will stande thée in as good stéede as monie: and added hereto these verses of Petrarcha.

that is.

That the counsayles of youth, are rashe and vnaduised, and of age, considered and perfecte.

WHEN Paulus Emilius was generall Captaine in Greece for the Romans, a­gainst king Perseus, he had with him Scipio, being a very yong man, but famous for hys great beginnings of vertue. The which Sci­pio, when vpon some occasion he thought the time conuenient to giue battaile to the eni­mie said: Dost thou not sée Emilius? to whom y ^e old & expert captaine, perceiuing some da­mage that mighte arise thereby, whych the vnskillfull yong man knewe not of, sayde: Nasica, when I was of thy yeares, I was so minded as thou arte nowe, and when thou shalte come to my yeares, thou shalte be of that mind, which I am now of.

That the state of vvorldly things is very full of chaunge, and therefore that it is meete for vs to prepare to endure both fortunes.

THE same Emilius, when hée had ouer­come and taken prisoner the foresaide Perseus, and sawe him fall prostrate to hys féete, wéeping, and ouer cowardlye yelding himself, saide vnto him, alasse for me, stande vp, for thou shamest my victorye: I thought [Page 83] that I had ouercome some greate king, but now I finde that I haue subdued a cowardly woman: doutlesse thou arte worthy of grea­ter misfortune. And turning to his men of warre, he said to them: beholde there an ex­ample moste notable of worldly things, to you yong men chiefly I speake, to the ende that you may lerne, not to puffe your selues ouer much with pride in prosperitie, neither to truste happie fortune to much, foras­much as he is dead in the morning which is borne in the euening. And he is a man in déede that in prosperitie is not proude, and in aduersitie is not vnpacient.

A Philosophicall opinion touching the iudging of friendes causes.

BIas the Philosopher saith, that he was ne­uer willyng to be iudge betwéene hys friendes but betwene his enemies. Bycause euen as (saith he) it is to be feared that one of thy friends shall become thine enemye, so is it to be hoped that one of thyne enemies shal be made thy friende.

That none can liue in this vvorlde vvith­oute trouble.

SOcrates beyng asked of a friende of hys, how mannes life maye be passed wyth­out [Page] trouble, answered: by no meanes: for it is not possible (said he) to dwell in Cities, castles, and houses without trouble.

That loue entreth the bodye by the eyes, and ouercommeth both Gods and men.

ARaspa beyng warned of Cirus, y ^t he shuld not bée conuersaunte wyth women, say­ing, that through his eyes loue by litle wold enter into him, answered: that if he dyd al­wayes take héede of him, he should neuer be ouercome. But when he was not long after fallen into the flames of loue, and for feare and shame durst not come in the presence of his Lord, Cirus sent for him (as for one whō he loued) and smiling saide: Araspa, I knowe that thou arte greatly afeard of me, & perad­uēture more ashamed, but be of good chéere, for I maruaile not at thy errour, knowing well that euen Gods themselues haue byn deceyued manye times, and ouercome by loue.

That vvomen sometymes doe vvor­thy deedes.

IN the warre betwéene the Emperoure Curradus the third, surnamed Ghibellinus & Guelfus Duke of Berne, of whom in tyme paste the partes taking of the Ghibellines [Page 84] and the Guelfins toke name, there chāunced a déede of women (as Paulus Emilius the Historigrapher witnesseth) no lesse worthy than pleasaunt. And this it was, that when the Emperoure had ouercome by force Mo­nake, the heade Citie of Berne, and appointed for muche hatred conceyued; all the men to be cut in péeces, notwithstanding, he fauora­blie graunted the women, that they should departe safe, with all that they coulde carrie vppon their backes. Wherevppon those va­liaunte women, furthered wyth excéeding great loue and true affection, toke counsaile and strength to carrye with them the men for their burden. With whych worthy acte the Emperoure not onely accompted hym­selfe deluded, but it pleased him so muche, that throughe their loue, he receyued after­warde the Duke his aduersarye into fa­uour also.

That valiaunte and vertuous men vvill not be corrupted.

PHocion of Athens, a verye good Citizen, when Alexander the great had sent him a great summe of money, to win him vnto him, asked the messanger what he brought hym, and for what cause Alexander had sent money rather to hym than to other citizens. [Page] Because he thinketh you (aunswered he) ho­nester and better than all the residue: Lette me, sayde Phocion, be still suche a one as he thinketh mée now to be, and let him not goe about to corrupt me with money. So he re­fused that money of the king, knowing it to be full of craft and deceyte for his countrey.

That men although they be old and mise­rable, desire for all that to liue.

A Poore olde manne caryed from the wood a bundle of stickes, and beyng weary of that miserable lyfe, fell down to the ground, and as desperate called for death: who forth­with appearing, asked hym what he woulde haue: To whom the oldeman seeyng hir so horrible, by and by repented him, and sayde, I pray thée helpe mée to laye vp this bundle vpon my shoulders.

An example vvorthie of remembrance, of loue tovvardes ones countrey.

WHEN there was in Rome an excée­ding greate dearth of corne, Pompey the great, was declared purueyoure: but in effect, as lorde of the sea and lande, he went to Sicilia, to Affricke, and Sardinia, and ga­thering togither with a great borrow, great [Page 85] plentie of corne, made all the haste he coulde to retourne to Rome with the firste. But the weather béeing contrarie, and a tempeste ap­pearing, the Mariners vtterly refused to goe to sea with so great danger. Wherfore Pom­pey first taking shipping, caused the sayles to be hoyssed vp, and spreade, saying: Necessi­tie constrayneth vs to sayle, but no necessitie constrayneth vs to liue.

That giftes please God and men.

QVintus Fabius Maximus, hauyng intelli­ligence, that one Marsus, his souldior, a very worthie and skilfull man in the arte of warre, was secretely in practise to consent to his enimies, caused him to be called vnto him, & without shewe of knowing any thing, or of hauing any suspition of him, was sorie with himself, he neuer asked any thing of him, say­ing: Why askest thou not? wilte thou al­wayes hold me for thy detter? Afterward, he giuing him a very faire and couragious horse and money, and shewyng him many curte­sies in the warre, bounde him vnto him, and made him moste faithfull: Wherfore Ouide truely sayde: ‘Munera (crede mihi) placant homines (que) deos (que)’ that is, ‘Both Gods and men (beleeue me) giftes do please.’

That he vvhich hath chiefe authoritie vn­der a Prince, and is sodainly aduaun­ced to honour, most common­ly is subiect to enuie.

WHen the lord Cromwel, a man of great wisedome, was in greatest prosperitie, and exercised his authoritie (as some say) verie arrogantly and proudely, chiefly againste the nobles: there was one of them, who to shew him, that he ought not to make himself equall with them, and that he came in the tempeste of enuie, and therfore shoulde perishe, caused vpon a nyght these wittie Verses of Alciate, to be fastened to his dore.

A meete ansvvere for spitefull speche.

WHen a man of most wicked life caste Diogenes in the téeth, that he had béen in times past a forger of false money, he an­swered, saying: I knowe that the time hath béene, when I was suche a one as thou arte nowe: but suche a one as I am nowe, thou wilt neuer be.

That the arrogancie of some presumptu­ous persons is oftentimes scorned by the promptnesse of an other.

MAister Frauncis Pescioni, and a certaine Gréeke discoursed togither of dyuers things, and in processe of talke, they fell in disputation, and in disputing they pricked one an other, so that the Gréeke arrogantly sayde: With whom speake you thinke you, know you not that I am a Gréeke? and that out of Greece came all vertues? Inferryng that of the Gréekes in time past, other nati­ons had taken them. But Pescione who con­sidered the presente state of that prouince, answered wittily, saying: you say truth that al vertues came oute of Greece, for it is not séene there remaineth any one at this day.

That fathers ought to make accompt of their children, according to their desertes, not othervvyse.

THe Philosopher Aristippus, when he was reproued of some of his frends, bycause he had refused & cast off one that was his owne naturall sonne, sayd vnto them: What? know you not also that sweate and lyce are engen­dred of vs, and notwithstanding, as things filthie and vnprofitable, they are abhorred and cast away? So ought we to do with chil­dren, when they deserue it, as myne for hys wickednesse doth greatly deserue. And Mar­cus Antonius the Emperor and Philosopher, when he was asked at the poynte of death, of the standers by, to whom he would commend his sonne, sayd: First to God almightie, and afterward to you, if he be worthie. The same Emperour when he saw at that present time his fréends and seruantes wéepe, sayde: And why wéepe you, and are not rather sorowfull for death common as well to you, and to all miserable men, as to mée.

VVomens counsell sometimes is much vvorth.

WHen certaine conspirators of Forli, had slayne Earle Hierome their prince, ta­ken prisoners his sonnes, and the Countesse [Page 87] Catherine his wife, lawfull inheretrix of the state, they toke and held the Citie with force. But forasmuche as the Castle was kepte for the Prince, and the Captaine not mynded to yelde it, they thought that without it, they had nothing at all preuailed: whervpon the wor­thie Countesse quickly taking in hand a most noble exployt, promised, that if they would let hir enter in, she woulde cause if foorthwith to be giuen ouer, leauing for the performance of hir promyse, hir sonnes for hostages. Then after they were agréed, the woman went in­to the Castle, and came by and by to the wal­les, reprouing the conspiratoures with moste sharpe wordes for the death of hir husbande, and threatning them with all kindes of pu­nishment. Wherfore they taking hir sonnes and a knyfe in hande, made as thoughe they woulde kill them in hir presence, if she kept not promise with them. But the couragious Countesse, without changing hir coūtenance, immediatly taking vp hir clothes before, with fierce looke, sayd vnto them: And doe not you think that you play the fooles, bycause I haue fourmes to make other? so that they late espy­ing their faulte, lefte behynde them those hir sonnes, and in hast as it seemed best to them, sled out of the citie.

That couetousnesse is a thyng mon­strous and pestiferous.

BOiardo when he sawe a neyghbour of his a verie riche man, broughte thorough ex­treme couetousnesse to endure al pain, and to entreate more than miserably his noble fami­lie, and finally passing al measure, to be brou­ght to eate but one meale a day, and the same naught, cryed out with these wordes:

that is,

And Dante describing this plague sayth:

that is

That it is a foule and damnable thing, to bee loued vvith dishonest and vvanton loue.

A Faire yong man, but yll mannered, iniu­ried Aristotle, saying to him among other things: If I were hated of my countreymen as thou art, I would hang mée by the necke. To whome Aristotle answered: And I wold hang mée by the neck, if I were loued as thou art: meanyng, that hee for his wanton beau­tie, and not for other his merites, was loued, or rather dishonestly desired.

Of hovve many kindes, and of vvhat qualities dreames are.

DReames (after Macrobius) are of fiue kin­des, thrée true, and two false, the true hée termeth a dreame, a vision, and an Oracle: The false, Insomnium, and Phantasma. A dreame is, when we dreame the truth, but is obscure, so that it néedeth an interpretoure, [Page] as when he that was in prison with Ioseph, dreamed that he pressed out the wine of thrée Grapes into Pharaos cup, and Ioseph inter­preted it, that he within thrée dayes shoulde bée delyuered, and afterwardes shoulde be­come the Kings cupbearer, euen as it fell out. And Policrates the tyrant of Samia, drea­med, that Iupiter washed him, and that Phoe­bus anoynted him. Wherefore not long after Orontes, Darius his captain, taking him pri­soner, caused him to be crucified, and remay­ned so long vpon the crosse, til Iupiter, to wit, the ayre, did rain vpon him, and washed him, and Phoebus, that is to wit, the sunne, mel­ted him, and fryed out the greace of his body, wherby he was anointed. An oracle is, when in our sleep one séemeth to speak to vs, & that he telleth falleth out true. A vision is, when in our sléep it séemeth vs to sée something, which is afterwarde true, as wée haue séene. Insom­nium, is when wée dreame false things, and procéedeth of too muche, or to little meate, or else of thoughts, or of sicknesse. Phantasma is a false imagination, whereof man is the au­thor in effect, and cause, the sister of Insomniū.

That hope doth sometyme deceyue more than dreaming.

AMilcar Captayn of the Carthaginensians, when he had layd siege to Syracusis, drea­med vpon a night, that he supped the next day in the Citie, and herevpon awaking, tooke so great hope, as though the victorie had ben pro­mised him from aboue: for he assoon as the day appeared, prepared to giue the assaulte. But when in setting the souldiers in order, there arose a dissention and gréeuous commotion betwéene the Carthaginenses, & the Scicilians, they within taking occasion issued oute, and setting vpon the scattered camp, among other tooke hym prisoner, and hauing hym in sure hold, they caryed him into the citie. So Amil­car was more deceyued with the hope, than with the dreame.

Hovv muche vvise and pleasant vvords do preuayle vvith greate men.

LEon of Bizance, hearer of Plato, and a ve­rie famous Sophist, wente to méete king Philip of Macedonia, who with a great hoste came against his countrey, and shewing him­selfe before him, sayd: Tell king (I pray you) for what cause come you to assaulte our citie? Bycause I am in loue with hir (aunswered Philip boording) and come to obtaine hir. To [Page] whome Leon readily aunswered agayn, and sayd: Consider this, most victorious king, that louers goe not to deale with loue with instru­mentes of warre, but with instrumentes of musike. This wittie and pleasant saying so muche liked Philip, that he withdrewe him­selfe from that enterprise, and so leauing Bi­zance vntouched, went further of.

In vvhat degree Aristotle putteth fayned frendship.

ARistotle blaming greately dissimulation & counterfaiting, sayth, that he which ma­keth as though he were a frende, and is not in déede, doth worse than he which forgeth false money: bicause in taking a péece of false mo­ney for good, one may haue small losse, but in taking a fayned frende for a true, a man may receyue excéeding great damage.

A true and trimme sentence.

CAstruccio of Luce, he which was so fa­mous and notable a Captayn, when vp­pon a nighte one of his gentlemen was at his house, where many women were bidden too make merrie, hée dauncyng and reuelling more than it was thoughte agréeable to hys qualityes, was warned thereof by a deare [Page 90] frende of his. To whome Castruccio readily sayd: Holde thy peace, for he whiche is ac­compted wyse in the daye, shall neuer be ac­compted a foole in the nyght.

VVhat thing Fortune is, and hovve she tourneth about hir vvheele,

CHristopher Landine sayth, that fortune is an influence whiche procéedeth from the reuolution of the heauens, and that she as they, doth continually turne rounde a­boute hir whéele: Bycause that riches (sayeth he) causeth pryde: pride, impacience: impati­ence, warre: warre, pouertie: pouertie, humi­litie: humilitie, pacience: pacience, peace: peace riches. Dant described fortune with ler­ning and great elegancie in this wyse, saying:

that is,

A courteous and maruellous behaui­oure of a yong Prince.

CHarles the ninth, now king of France, be­gan very soone to giue manifest tokens of his vertue and liberalitie: bycause that among other things in these dayes at the beginning of the newe yeare, he asked money to giue Newe yeares guiftes to them of his house: wherevpon the Treasourer gaue him a thou­sand crownes. To whome the King, being angry, and then not eleuen yeares old, sayde, that they were to fewe, and that he shoulde giue him more. But the great Chauncelloure, who by chaunce was there presente, admo­nished him, saying: Sir, consider that they are enough, for you be at this daye, thorough the great dettes whiche you are in, a poore king. Then Charles looking him full in the face scornefully, laughed aloude: and turning af­terward incōtinently to the king of Nauarre, and other Princes, which were there aboute, tooke off his cappe, and holding it in his hand, [Page] wente curteously to euery one, saying: Giue the poore king somwhat for Gods sake.

A noble aduertisement to vvomen, for their children.

IOhn Lodouike Viues sayeth, that the mo­ther when she taketh hir son in hir armes, kissing him, is wont to say thus: God giue thée more riches than Crassus or Croesus had: more honour than had Pompey or Caesar: more fe­licitie than had Augustus or Alexander. But she should say, I pray God that thou mayst be good, iuste, continent, a despyser of Fortune, a follower of Saint Paule, more vpright than Cato, better learned than Plato or Aristotle, more eloquent than Demosthenes or Tullie.

Erasmus his iudgement of Luther.

DVke Frederike of Saxonie, called Erasmus of Roterodame to him at Coleyn, in that parliament which Charles the fyfth helde af­ter his Coronation, and besought him fréendly to tell him without feare, whether Luther er­red in those controuersies, of which chiefly he had reasoned. Then Erasmus playnly sayde, that Luther was of a good opiniō. The prince asked him further among other thyngs, say­ing: Maister Erasmus, wherin hath that my [Page 92] sillie Monk offended, bicause all be so spyteful against him, and do so persecute him? Erasmus answered: O moste gentle Prince, he hathe committed two very great sinnes, he hath ta­ken awaye the Crowne from the Pope and bishops, and the bellie from the Monks.

A very hote and hastie maynteyner of the Gospell.

POlyphemus, Erasmus his seruant (for so he was called) was wonte to dispute earnest­ly with others, touching the controuersies of the Gospell, and to maintayne the true doc­trine. At the last, when a certain troublous fe­low, did contende with him, whom he coulde not ouercome with arguments, he strake him with the booke of the new Testament, which he held in his hand. Erasmus beholding them, merily sayd: This séemeth a wonder to mée, that the Gospel should thus be defended with the Gospell.

An example meete to be remembred of all men in the agonie of death.

WHen Duke Frederike was in the ago­nie of death, he commaunded many cō ­fortable sentences to be written for him vp­pon a table in greate letters: which he often­tymes [Page] did reade: and with these he strength­ned himselfe. If one hadde put hereto the pic­ture of the triumph of Christe, he had doone well, and I beléeue that it should haue ben a pleasure to him. So godly and deuoutely hée dyed, féeling greate griefes of the stone. Hée béeing asked whether he had any other pain, answered, I haue a quiet hearte: but in my fleshe I haue excéeding greate payne whiche I suffer for Christes sake.

The godly departing of Velcurio out of this lyfe.

MAister Velcurio a greate learned man of late tyme, when he laye sicke, so muche that hée dyed also of that disease, and other Maysters and Doctours comming vnto him, did comforte hym, sodainely hée brake oute into these wordes? Pater est amator, Filius redemptor, Spiritus sanctus consolator, quo­modo ita (que) tristitia affici possim? that is, God the Father is my louer, God the sonne my redéemer, and God the holy ghost my comfor­ter, howe then can I be sorrowfull?

A comforte agaynst the temptations of the diuell.

WHen at Friburge in Misma, a certain verye Godlye and Reuerende olde man lay sicke of a grieuous disease, and drew [Page 93] neare his ende, vppon a time when he was left alone, the Deuill came attired like a by­shop, and excéedingly vexed the old man, be­ing then in the agonie of death, going about to constraine him by force, to tell him al the sinnes which in al his life he had committed. For his intent was, hauing paper and incke, to write them all. But when the godly olde man had a long time mightily resisted him with the holy scripture, and was not persua­ded, but still the Deuill vehemently vrged that narration, at length the good olde man said: For asmuch therfore, as thou wilt haue me to tell thée mine offences one after an o­ther: write first and beginne in this maner: The séede of the woman shal breake y ^e Ser­pents head. &c. The deuill hearing this, cast downe the paper and incke vpon the groūd, and leauing behinde him a great stinke, fled away. And the godly old man not long after died quietly in a good confession.

That fortune is common and mutable, novve fauouring one man, then an other and therfore in prosperitie being puffed vp vvith pride, vve ought not to forget aduersitie.

WHen Frauncis the Frenche King was kept prisoner by y ^e Emperour Charles [Page] the fifth, and sawe written vppon a wall the Emperours mark or posie, PLVS VLTRA, that is, more beyond, or further: he wrote by it, Hodie mihi, cras tibi, that is, to day for mée, to morrow for thée. Which when the Em­perour saw, he wrote vnderneath, Fateor me esse hominem, y ^t is, I confesse that I am a man.

That euerie man ought to follovve his ovvne vocation.

MArtine Durer an excellent painter (whē Maximilian the Emperour had tricked out a certaine image, which he would haue him to paint, & the cole at somtimes had bro­ken) painted the same afterward more easly and readily. Thē Maximilian asked of Du­rer how it cam to passe, y ^t his cole brake not. Durer smiling aunswered: Most mercifull Emperour, I wold not that your imperiall maiestie could painte so cunningly as I: as who should say, I haue exercised my selfe in this thing, and this is my vocation: your ma­iestie hath waightier affaires, and an other vocation, according to y ^e common prouerbe: Aliud est sceptrū, aliud plectrū: that is, y ^e scep­teris one thing, and the harp an other: plec­trum is properly an instrument wherwith men played on the harpe or dulcimers, for [Page 94] hurting of their fingers: with the former ex­ample this may agrée. Leontinus the byshop saide to Constantine the Emperoure desi­rous to reason many things of Religion, ‘ [...]:’ that is, Emperour thou being ordained for one thing, dost an other.

Of the vvell bringing vp of Children.

THere is more regard to be had of the wel bringing vp of children, than of anye ri­ches. They which do otherwise, séeme to me very like to them which prouide shooes, and passe not for the féete, whereas they are in­uented for the sauing of them. Wherefore that aunciente Crates, climbyng vppon the highest part of the citie, wisely thought good to exclame: Whither, whither runne ye my countrey men? is it méete that you shoulde thus be chieflye busied in gettyng of riches, and not to be carefull, and passe vpon them, for whom they are gotten? Beleue mée, the parents cannot leaue their children a better inheritaunce, than if they shoulde be well brought vp, and trayned in vertue euen frō their youth: this patrimonye abideth wyth them for euer, neither can it be destroyed by the stormes of fortune.

As a horse vntamed although good by nature is not apt for those commodities, which are required of him: so thou canst not get y ^e frute of vertue, of a man vnlearned, although he be wittie. The like said Durer: A man vn­learned is as it were a lookyng glasse not polished.

VVhat labours are greatest and pleasantest.

AChilles being demaunded of Aiax, which were the greatest laboures that he had sustained? aunswered: them which he toke for his friendes. And when he procéeded to aske which were the pleasantest laboures that he had sustained? Achilles answered a­gaine, the same, signifying that he whiche is noble in déede, burneth with a certain great desire to helpe his friende.

Foure things required in feastes.

BAchilides sayth, y ^t there are foure things required in a feast. 1. a measurable prepa­ration of meate and drinke. 2. pleasant com­munication. 3. true good will of the feasters. 4. good wine wherwith olde men are chiefly delighted. And an other sayth, that one ought not to drinke aboue two draughts at a feast for healthes sake.

That Christians being taken prisoners by Christians, ought to be merci­fully intreated.

THe Emperour Charles the fift, when the king of Fraunce was taken, and he Lorde ouer him, méeting him, embraced him frend­ly, saying: Mon frer, en' aye peur, car tes affai­res se portè bien, that is. Brother myne, be of good cheare, for all shal be well: and he delte brotherly with him.

VVatchfulnesse, and carefull diligence be­commeth a Magistrate.

HOmer in the seconde booke of his Iliades, hath two notable verses méete to be re­membred, not onely of Princes, but of all o­ther Magistrates, and be these.

Which verses Frederick Duke of Saxonie thought worthy to be written with his own hand, and to haue them in his chamber, be­ing by him translated into Latine, wyth these woordes:

that is,

The originall of the Electourship.

THe originall of the Electorship of y ^e prin­ces of Germanie, tooke beginnyng of the Persians. For as to their king were princes ioyned, so to the Emperours of Germanie, the Electours or Choosers are ioyned, which do make vp the head counsell for the Romaine Empire. If wée will consider aright, to the Persian king, were ioyned the Ephori: For in their handes laye the chiefest power, to choose, take, and put downe the king. So it is the chiefest power and authoritie of the E­lectours, which oftentymes haue remoued out of the Empire beasts and tyrants. This state of Electours hathe defended Germanie, and hath borne rule and kept quietnes these fiue hundreth yeares.

The tokens of a vvell framed com­mon vvealth.

WHen king Ferdinando was at Norin­berge, he asked of the chiefe Aldermen of the citie, howe they gouerned so greate a multitude? they answered. Most soueraigne King, with faire woordes, and cruell punish­mentes. [Page 96] It is a verie wise answere of a wit­tie mā. For so ought Empires to be framed, the gouernours to answere all men gently, but in punishing to vse seueritie.

A description of three chiefe vo­cations in this life.

IN the Courte Basile this verse is founde written in golden letters.

that is, ‘Praye thou vppon thy knees, defende thou, and laboure thou.’

In this verse thrée chiefe vocations of this life are set forthe. The Ecclesiasticall state, the politique state, and the state of the sub­iectes.

The picture of a good magistrate among the auncientes.

THe Emperours of Germanie, among the auncientes were painted after this sorte, holding in one hand a booke, and in the other a sword. Wherby antiquitie signified, that Emperours ought to be furnished with the skill of lawes and weapons. For the sworde without lawe is tirannie. This picture was thus set forthe for the benefite of yong Em­perours & rulers, that they mighte be admo­nished of the chiefest parts of gouernment.

The modest aunsvvere of Charles the fifth touching his prayses.

WHen the Emperour Charles y ^e fifth was very honorably receiued into Paris by the french King, and with so great a triumphe as neuer in anye place was made hym: afterward one of the kings counsailours pronounced before him a long and very graue oration, wherin he made re­hersall of many vertues and noble actes of the Emperour: to all these things he answe­red briefly and very modestly, that he lyked the oration, bycause he had put him in mind, what manner of man he ought to be.

Three things necessarye for euery Magistrate.

WHen Augustus sente Germanicus into Asia, hée wyshed hym thrée things: the vertue of Alexander, the good will of men that Pompey had: thyrdly he added: I wish thée my fortune: signifying that the exploites and victories won by him, were gouerned by God.

The order of Charles the fifth his counsell.

THe Emperour Charles the fifth, called not aboue foure or fiue to counsell, eue­ry of which he commaunded to tell his opi­nion. [Page 97] Afterwarde he considered which were the best opinions, and reasoned of euery one of them, & he did not forthwith conclude, but deferred till an other time: saying, hereafter we will speake more of this matter.

That soone pricketh vvhich vvill be a thorne.

IT is written of the Lacedemonians, that they put to death the kings sonne being a boy, when they sawe him pull out litle birds eyes. For hereby the Lacedemonians iudged that he would be tyrannous by nature: and if he should rule, that he woulde be cruell to his countrymen and subiectes.

A briefe summe of the nevve and olde testament.

MOyses in the beginning speaketh of the essence or beyng of God, secondly of the creation, thirdly of the making of man, and of the promisse set foorth, by the which man was restored and began agayne to build the Churche. Afterward there followe excellent promisses. Furthermore in Exodus the law is set out, which is the euerlasting worde of God, requiring obedience, and condemning the disobedient. In the bookes of the kyngs examples of obedience and disobedience are set forth: Dauid is receyued, afterwarde the [Page] promise is renewed: fynally, the prophetes make the same more manifest and plain. In the new testament, all the articles of christi­an doctrine are expessely declared.

VVhat things breede all mischiefe.

THese fiue things chiefly bring the cōmon wealth far out of frame, as one affirmed, to wéete: A false iudge in the consistory, a de­ceiptful marchant in the market, a couetous Prieste in the Church, a faire whoore in the stewes, and flatterie in Princes Courtes.

VVho are notable fooles.

A Faithfull louer of maides, a faire gam­ster, and a mercifull souldiour, are sayde to be too foolishe.

VVhat housholde is vnprofitable.

THis familie of all other is said to be most vnprofitable, and vnpleasaunt: a henne withoute egges, a sowe withoute pigges, a cowe withoute milke, a daughter that wan­dreth abroade in the nighte, a sonne a gam­ster, a wife priuily spending hir husbandes goods, and a maide seruant with childe.

VVhosoeuer vvanteth money is no­thing set by.

MOney can bring all things to passe, and without money the good estimation of a man is nothing worth. For except one haue [Page 98] money, neither nobilitie, nor knowledge, or anye vertue is auailable. Pallade saying is not muche vnlike this: Golde openeth all things and the gates of hell. A certaine man saide vnwisely: Although my father were a hangman, & my mother a common harlot, yet if I haue money, I am well liked of and honored. Wherfore it is said moreouer in a prouerbe: Much wisedome is lost in y ^e poore mans purse, that is: poore men are despised in whom oftentimes is much wisedome, bi­cause pouertie is not regarded, neither now a dayes is exercised in exployting of things: and except one be riche, he is neuer thought wise and of vnderstanding, neyther is vsed in weightie matters, whiche require wyse­dome. Wherevnto Iuuenall alludeth in his seuenth Satire:

That three things displease both God and men.

A Poore man proude, a riche man a lyer, and an olde man a louer.

Foure things do corrupt all iudgements.

FAtte gyftes, Hatred, Fauoure, and feare.

Foure things cannot be kept close.

Loue, the cough, fyre, and sorowe.

Foure things kill a man before his time.

A Fayre wyfe, an vnquiet housholde, vn­measurable meate and drinke, and a cor­rupte aire.

Foure deedes of a Tyranne.

THe propertie of a Tyranne is, to destroy the good, to hate the poore, to aduaunce the wicked, and to abolishe vertue.

Foure sortes of men get friends.

THE liberall, the gentle, the myghtye, or ryche, and they that are easye to bée spoken vnto.

That a man is not to be iudged by his face.

A Man oughte not to be iudged by his face, for we cannot know a man only by out­ward things and by the face, bycause we be ignorant what lieth hidden in his mind: for many hiding their wickednesse, do faynedly shew in face great honestie. The very which Iuuenal in his seconde Satyre sayeth: Fronti nulla fides, that is, Trust not the face.

That vve oughte to take heede of flat­terers as of poyson.

ALphonsus saide, that flatterers are not vnlyke Wolues: for euen as Wolues by tickling and clawing are wont to deuour [Page 99] Asses: so flatterers vse their flatterye and lyes, to the destruction of Princes.

Of Vsurers.

SAinct Bernard affirmed, that onely by this meanes vsurie mighte be exercised wyth­out sinne, if money were lent them, whych could not restore the principall.

Of Hunting.

HVnting, as Albert the Emperour sayde, is a manly exercise, and dauncing a wo­mans exercise, and that he could be wythout any other pleasure sauing Hunting.

Tvvo things necessary for him that vvill lyue quietly in matrimonie.

ANthony Panormita a very pleasant man béeyng asked what things be thoughte most necessarye to the leadyng of ones lyfe pleasantlye and merily in mariage, taking an argument of the manyfolde & great trou­bles which happened in the maried life, an­swered, that two things only were néedeful, the husbande to be deafe, and the wife blind, least that she should sée very manye things which were vntemperately done of hir hus­band, and least he should heare his wife con­tinually chatting at home.

Pollicies of VVarre.

IT is very much vsed in Jtaly, that the best Captaines haue manye volumes of polli­cies & wise counsels of warre, aswel of their auncientes as of them of latter time. The French men are saide to haue vsed in tyme paste this pollicie againste the Emperours souldioures. They sent before carters laden with Silkes, & other clothes, which the Em­perours souldiours fearing nothing, gréedily laide handes vpon. In the meane season the Frenchmē inuaded & toke them sodenly vn­awares with their host of horsmen, whilest they striued among themselues for the pray.

Cymon a most wise and valiant Captaine was indued with so greate a modestie, that when he broughte with him oute of [...]onia a Poet, which had set forth his prayses ouer large, he was nothing delighted therewith, but toke it verye grieuouslye. For he said, that of nothing y ^t euer he did, he sought anye praise, but only of one stratageme, or policy. And this was such a one as he vsed towards the Lacedemonians his countrey men, wyth­out the offence or hurt of any. For when he had ouercom the Persians in a great conflict, and had brought manye prisoners, & a huge praye from that battaile, all which togither [Page 100] were to be deuided by him among his coun­trimen, Cymon beyng not ignorant of the Lacedemonians couetousnesse, commaunded that al the Gold and Siluer should be set on one side, & the bodies of the Captiues clad in vile apparell shuld be placed on the other, and gaue afterward the choise to the Lacede­monians. But they being deceyued throughe couetousnes, gréedily chose that side, where­in the Gold and Siluer was placed, & more­ouer gaue Cymon thankes for so liberall a deuision & sufferance of choise. But Cymon got no lesse praye togither with praise. For there were among the Captiues manye moste noble and ryche men, which when he suffered to raunsome themselues, gathered also with thankes a great summe of money, by their raunsome and deliuerance, & much greater than the Lacedemonians. Further­more, I beleue, that thorow this deliuerāce of the Captiues, he won so greate fauoure among the ennimyes, that thys was the chiefest cause that Asia afterwarde fell so muche to him. So Cymon by this trimme polycie, prouided for hys owne profite, and got double thankes of the Lacedemonians for his liberalitie, and of the captiues for his clemencie.

When the Lantgraue had taken a certaine Dukes Secretarye, the Duke obiected to hym, that it was not lawfull to take Em­bassadours. The Lantgraue contrarywyse had an exception, bycause he had founde an example in Liuie, where the Romains tooke on the waye the Athenian Embassadours, and it was iudged to bée well done. The like example is in Herodotus, where the Athe­nians tooke the Embassadours of the Lacede­monians going to the king of Persia to make league, and by request to obtaine helpe a­gainst them, and by and by they slewe them.

That vertue can doe more than crueltye, and that mens mindes are more turned vvith clemencye, than vvith outrage and fiercenesse.

ALphonsus king of Neaples, liuing in the time of oure auncesters, was one of the wisest kings that euer raigned: he was very well learned, and did greate things wyth great admiration: he was expelled and bani­shed, and retourned eftsoones into his kyng­dom. When he beseiged Caieta the Caietans sent out of the Citie a great number of olde men, women, boyes and girles, that the re­sidewe mighte a longer time haue (during [Page 101] the siege) corne, and other thinges necessarye. Then certaine counsellours aduised the kyng to commaund, that this miserable multitude, or at least wyse some part of it might be slain in the sight of the citie, which the inhabitan­tes beholding, might the sooner yelde. And he that wrote the historie sayeth: God forgiue me, the same counsell I gaue the King too.

Then the king being astonied, stood musing, and at length after long silence, brake out in­to these words: The whole kingdom of Nea­ples, is not somuche worth to mee, that I shold violētly inuade this miserable companie: and he gaue forthwith a moste seuere commaun­dement, that all should be distributed safe in­to the townes and places néere adioyning.

When the inhabitantes of the citie sawe this from the walles and towers, the matter bée­ing knowen, they immediatly yelded, béeing moued by the vertue and clemencie of the king, in the victorie welnéere woonne. Scipio sayde notably: that he had líeffer saue one of hys countrymen, than vanquishe a whole le­gion of his enimies.

¶Certayne Italian Pro­uerbes and sentences, done into Englishe, by I. Sanf.

A pleasant ansvvere of Virgill.

JT is written that Augustus was once in doubt, whether he were the sonne of Octa­uius or not. When he hoped that he might learne this of Virgill, he asked him béeyng sent for & come, whether he knew who was his father, and howe great power he had to make men happie? Whom Virgill aunswe­ring, sayde: I know that thou art Augustus Cesar, and haue almost equall power with y ^e immortall Gods, that you may make happy whom you liste. Then Cesar sayde, I am of that mind, that if thou tell me true, I maye make thée happy and blessed. I wold to god said Maro I could tell you the truth of those things which you aske mee. Then Augustus said: some think that I am Octauians sonne, other saye that I haue an other man to my father. Then Maro smiling said: If you bid me to speake fréely as I thinke, I will soone tell it you. Cesar affirmed with an othe that he would not take in ill part whatsoeuer he said, nay rather that he shuld haue gifts not [...]o be misliked for his aunswere. Nowe Au­ [...]stus loked what Virgill would say, when said: As farre as I can coniecture, you are [...]kers sonne. Augustus was astonied, and [...]ght with himselfe howe that mighte be. [Page] Thē Virgill said, heare me why I coniecturs so. When of late I had spoken some things which could not be vnderstoode but of y ^e best learned, you (Prince of the worlde) did com­maund once or twise y ^e bread shuld be giuen me for a reward, which trulie was the part of a Baker, or of one that had a baker to his father. The merie iest liked the Emperour excéeding wel, who aunswered him againe, that hereafter he shuld not be rewarded of a baker but of a noble and valiaunt king: & af­ter that he made excéeding much of Maro.

A mery rest of vinum Theologicum that is, vvine of the diuines.

THey of Paris for a commō iest do call that Ʋinum Theologicum which is strongest & not alayed with water. A certaine man bée­ing asked howe this prouerbe came vp, an­swered merilie, that the lawyers had Pre­bendes, deanryes, and Archdeaconries, and that y ^e diuines had nothing left besides bene­fites. But bicause it is written of the pastors or curates: ye eate the sinnes of the people: to the digestion of such hard meate (saide he) there néeded verye strong wine. And that hereof grewe the prouerbe.