IT hath bene a very olde and published argument disputed vpon amongest excellente writers in Philoso­phie: whether it were better to liue wel, and safelye to bee gouerned by a good Prince, and to obey him rulinge in Iu­stice and equitie, or elles to liue in a free cittie and Com­munaltye established by good lawes & traditions. For vn­to some it seemeth moore meete to obeye one man rulinge iustly, & lawfully, then many & almost infinite persons, & (as for the most parte it falleth out) vnskilful in handling affaires, and matters of gouernmente. For it chaunceth I know not how, y ^t those seuerall persons, whō as it were workmē or porters we haue had in contēpt, being lincked or knit together in vnitie of mynd, the same afterwardes hardly can we in assemblies reuerence. For they confirme this Sentence by the testimony of Homer, who (in his se­cond Rhapsodie) saith.

MOreouer vnto this hapneth the imitacion of nature, Imitacion of Nature vnto Obedience of one Supe [...]io [...] for as wee see and beholde one God the creator and fashioner of all thinges, by whose rule and commaunde­ment all thinges are gouerned: So seemeth it meete and conuenient vnto vs al, to encline vnto and regard the cō ­maundemente of one most excellent Prince, and to obaye [Page] the same. We see the Sun in his nature, is as it were the onely Lorde of the day, and the Moone to be the Ladye of the nighte, whome wee beholde to rule and raigne in the skies amōg the planets & starres, & the greater that their light is, the darcker do they make the lesser Starres.

But that we may descend vnto lesse matters, are there not some brute beastes which lyue subiectes to the rule of some one kinge, they disdayne not their obedience nor to do their duties and commaundemente enioyned them, and fighte as it were vnder a Generall. Who doubte the that the Bees haue their Kinge whych Gouerneth his people, and bringeth the other Bees to doe their du­tye and to gather honye. For there can be nothinge more sweeter or better to bee wyshed vnto mortall men, then to leade a priuate lyfe vnder a good kinge or prince without iniurie or ambicion of the people. But because nature hath so ordayned, that Princes are not immortall or im­mutable persons, but some beinge brought vp verye deli­cately, geuing eare to flattering parasites do for the most parte proue worse and worse in their gouerning: There­fore I iudge, that the lyfe of a Ciuill and well instituted common weale is to be thought far more safer, then of e­uerye Prince, for that is a continuall and almoste an im­mortall state of lyfe. But this is finished in a small course by olde age and death.

Uerye seldome it hath hapned that a Prince gouerned and ruled still his common weale, in that minde as he did when he began first to take the gouernment in hande. For of so greate and almoste infinite multitude of Caesars, Hee meaneth of such as are careles for the cōmon vveale. whiche were all made worse by their continuall raignes, onlye Vespasianus of al the Princes that were there before his tyme, was chaunged better and better, as Cornelius Tacitus maketh mētion. For their beginnings were easie and gentle vntill suche time as they had gott vnto theym­selues the loue of their people, but when they had obtei­ned their purpose, they made hauocke of all thynges by [Page 2] their crueltie and lust. No feare of god, no religion could restrayn thē, neyther ceased they to rage vntill they were subdued and subuerted, yea euen by their owne subiectes.

Thales Milesius who was called the chiefeste of all the VVhat thinge most difficulte in the life of man. Sages, being asked of a certayne familier freende of hys what thinge he had seene to bee moste difficult or harde in his lyfe tyme: Sayth he, a Tyraunt, an olde man. And in good fayth, not without a cause did hee saye so, for there is no rule or gouernmente exercised more harde then vppon men, as Xenophon maketh mention.

Undoubtedlye there is no brute beast so sedicious or re­belling against his keeper or feeder, that he will not obay him, or refuse to yelde his cōmoditie vnto him. But (alas) mā is grudging alwaies at thē which seeke to haue domi­nation ouer him, deuiseth deceiptes and inuenteth newe matters or causes of disobedience. One Prince whyche The prayse of a Prynce. embraceth all vertues (or hath all good qualities in hym) is not at all to be founde lyuinge vppon the earth. Some one is commended for his Iustice, some other for his for­titude, or magnanimitie, some other for his liberality or gentlenes of nature: but when there are manye in a com­mon weale, euerye one of theim hath some parte of vertue and wisedome. Wherfore the Citizens beinge gathered together into one societye doe make as it were one man, Society of Ci­tisens. whiche with diuersitie of wytte and memorie doth excell, with many eyes seeth, with manye handes wor [...]keth, and with almoste infinite feete endeuoureth himselfe in his af­fayres. Xenophon when hee wolde prayse the ciuill soci­etie of the Persians, affirmed that euen their children amonge theym did so learne iustice, that they both attay­ned vnto good letters & also vnto the studies of good artes and sciences.

It seemeth vnto Plato a harde thing to be done, to per­swade those Cittizens to Iustice, which were not from their tender infancie, as it were trayned vp in the same. And vndoubtedlye if the iuste and perfect volumes of the [Page] lawyers were extant and abroade to bee hadde, and that they were not so broken and mangled as they bee, they woulde geeue vs moste cleare and ample lighte not onlye how to kepe and preserue this ciuill societie, but also they woulde teache vs morall wisedome, and howe to attayne vnto the vse of the greatest affayres in a common weale.

Man is a Creature farre more fellowlye and sociable, then Bees, Antes, or Cranes, and such kinde of creatures whiche are fostered and nourished by flockes and doe de­fend theym selues by troupes and companies. The firste societie is of the Male and Female for procreacion sake: which cannot be, except they bee both together: and scarce Societie hu­mane profita­ble by procre­ation. is the one withdrawen from the other except by the ordi­naunce of nature: for the pledges of the younglinges doe so greatlye cause mutuall Loue, that they are carefull to lyue together, and are affectioned towardes their fruict, as they be vnto themselues. For it hapneth not vnto man and woman as it doth almoste vnto all other liuinge crea­tures, amongeste whom the female sexe do take on theym the charge to feede and foster their younge children, and for a small tyme it is that they stande in neede of the mo­thers Example of societie in birds. helpe. For we see that birds do bring vp their yonge ones so longe as they bee vnfeathered, and not able to flye: But so sone as they perceue them able to vse their wings, straightwayes they bringe them forth of their nestes and goe before their younge ones, which flicker rounde about theym, vntill such tyme as with a stronger endeuour they be better able to shift for them selues, which when the old ones do see, they geeue those their yong ones libertie, at theyr aduenture to haunt the free scope of the ayre, neyther haue they afterwardes anye furder care ouer theym, or at any tyme thēce foorth do acknowledge them as their own, but doe take their flight to seeke after the male birde, and geue their endeuour vnto a newe encrease or breede.

But man when he seeth his chyldren borne and comen into this worlde, is affected towardes theym with suche [Page 3] loue that hee studieth or careth for nothinge more then to get lyuinge for them and suche large patrimonie & Inhe­ritance, Humaine care for his posteriti that for euer there be no lacke of any thing to thē and their posterities. Of this did procede and rise the plē ­tifulnes & frutefulnes of Cities inhabited, because when man and wife had edified for them selues a dwelling house and replenished the same with encrease of children and ne­phewes, they were dryuen to make other houses, because one house coulde not holde one lynage or ofspringe: and so they began to erect villages in the countrie and to esta­blishe societie by meanes of many houses.

And when they did playnly see what commoditie was in the societie of man and woman: and howe more easlye and better verye manye liued together, then a fewe: yea more safer from the inuasion of wilde beastes: they began to ioyne Lordshippe to Lordshippe, and laye Familye to The first reasō of Societie instituted. Familye, and also to ioyne in neighbourhoode for their owne common vtilitie. The first reasō of thē which insti­tuted ciuil societie, or established cities, was y ^t they might liue safely, & that they might be defended frō violence & as­saultes. For tranquillitie or peaceablenes was a guide of their lyfe, to finde out innumerable cōmodities. And yt is credible that mannes speache or language, wherein surelye he doth excell other liuing creatures, was not di­stinct & seuered, before humane societie was first founded.

Certainlye wee haue a common voyce, aswell as other lyuinge creatures haue, whiche doth eyther speciallye de­monstrate and shewe forth ioye or sadnes, eyther els some­tymes desire, and sometimes feare, whiche is in vs. But for to know and discerne thinges by their proper na­mes by plaine and perfecte speache, to finishe or conclude aswell our cogitations as our effectes and meaninges, that for certaine could not be but inuented by ciuill society Studies of ver­tues and disci­plines. of men. Mooreouer the studies of vertues and discipli­nes, or rudimentes of good Artes, and sciences, was not found out nor inuented by men which liued in solitarines, [Page] and of them whiche after the manner of sauage beastes led their lyues in the wooddes: but by the ciuil man, whiche was conuersant in companye of men whiche hearde many thinges, which discussed many thinges, and by whom they were inuented and first had in vse. For in such Citties as were well instructed and ordered: there were Rewardes bestowed on them which excelled in any manner of vertue and such as were also therby preferred to high promocion and adorned or made famous, with praise and commenda­tion for their excellence. For honour as Cicero sayth, doth foster and mainteyne Artes and sciences, and we all Honos alit artes. are inflamed to endeuour our selues for prefermente and prerogatiue by praise and commendatiō in our trauailes. Finally what excellent exploite so euer mortall men haue by their studie and diligence in this life put in vre, it either had firste issue and originall practize from the Citties, or elles tooke the vfe and grace thereof, in the same cytties.

Man which is brought vp or trayned in cōmon society, differeth verye muche from him that lyueth in a rude cot­tage, eyther elles in a hilly wildernesse, or wood: for this Difference of Societie hu­mane. man seemeth to be borne as it were vnto crueltie, amonge wilde and brute beastes, but the other seemeth to be borne amongest men vnto Iustice and humanitie. For it is true that Aristotle saith.

For he shunneth the companie of men because he would not be compelled to obaye the lawes and Iudgement, and to obaye him that is a rightfull Ruler: then the whyche thinge surelye there can bee nothinge more pernicious or hurtfull. For of all good ciuill order the chiefe thinge is Iustice, whiche no doubt layeth the foundacion and groūd worke of humane societie and withoute the whiche there [Page 4] can bee no ciuill congregation. For as the saide Philoso­pher sayth, as man is the best liuing creature of all others whiche liueth perfectlye. so is he worste and naughtiest of all liuinge creatures, which is sequestred from the lawe and iudgementes.

The Lawes of the Persians, (as Xenophon writeth) doe especially ordayne thobedience due to Iustice, and in such Obedience vn to Iustice. manner euen from their Childehoode, (as we haue saide) the Cittizens did learne to desire nothinge that was fyl­thye or vnlawful for man to do, whiche perswasion surely me thincketh is the best of all others. And if it might by any meanes be brought to passe, that all men mighte lyue instructed in this doctrine, wee should be exonerated and discharged of a great parte of our labour otherwise. For if euerye man woulde prescribe what were nedefull to bee done, and beinge so lincked and ioyned together were not affected or moued wythe couetousnes, nor other per­turbations of the mynde: they shoulde doe rightewell. Ambicion shoulde not catche holde vpon anye man, coue­tousnes shoulde not snare anye man, dissencion or mutine shoulde not entrappe anye man, neyther shoulde enuie circumuente anye manne, to withdrawe hym from the reason of that wherein truthe and equitie consisteth: ney­ther should hee pursue and seeke for his priuate proffyte or inordinate pleasure, rather then a publique weale, or that reason order, truthe, and equitie requireth.

Anacharsis when he had heard say that Solon had geuen himselfe to the studie of publyshynge Lawes at Athens, exceedinglye deryded and scorned his industrie and dili­gence, affirminge that those lawes shoulde in tyme to This is meant of lavvs made and not obser­ued. come be like vnto Spiders webbes, whiche did catch and keepe faste the small flyes, but were broken and burste in sonder of the greate flyes: whiche sentence also Solon hym selfe would vse and not without a cause: for oftentimes in great Citties (and wherein the studies of good artes and scienees do florishe) we se there are very manye which liue [Page] worse, then as if they had beene brought vp in the woods, and w [...]elde countries. Dion in his bookes which are in­tituled, Of the state of a Kingedome, did saye that weightie matters were farre better handled by the councel of a few persons then withe multitude and power of most stronge and lustye younge men: whiche in deede is ratified by the sentence of Homer, where as hee broughte in Agamem­non as pertinent to his purpose, affirminge that hee could farre moore easlye destroye the Troianes common weale, if he had ten such as Nestor, or Vlisses were, then if hee had so manye suche as Aiax, and Achilles were, fyghtinge stoutly and valiauntlye.

That state of a Common weale wherein fewe doe go­uerne, differeth verye little at all from the state of Ty­rannye, for by their wealthe and their riches, the magi­strates Oligarchia. are chosen, and onelye wealth beareth swaye. Neyther doth this prescribe libertie or ende of vertue, but onelye how to gette ryches, whiche Cicero affirmeth: Are the subsedies of warfare and the ornaments of peace. But the matter goes ill with the rich men, when no place is reserued for vertue, and the common people bee as it were altogether brought vnder foote & subiection. And it coms to passe now & then that in som cities, onely hādy­craftesmen & husbandmen do beare a sway, which because thei are moore in number, they doe decaye those that bee more noble of birth and callinge, yea and haue suche in de­rision and contempt which are zealous in any kind of ver­tue and learned in good artes or sciences. It maye bee brought to passe by fortune that such a Cittye which is so gouerned, may stand in safetye and quietnes for a certayn tyme, but fortune frowning on them, it is sone perceiued, how hard a matter it will be to lyue well amongest suche manner of men. For they that are broughte vp in fieldes, or in shoppes are voyde of experience in all thinges, and do beare aucthoritie with a seruile mynde, neyther are they furthered or furnished w ^t doctrine, noblenes of race [Page 5] or with thexperience of waighty affaires. And whyle they stande in feare of the nobler sort, they doe all thinges ey­ther rashlye withoute aduisemente, or cruellye withoute measure: for euery cōmunaltie eyther serues in obedience with humilitie, or ruleth with great crueltie.

Furthermore it seemeth contrary to equitie y ^e wheras the citie cannot consist of Nobles onelye, but farre grea­ter muste bee the reste of the multitude, or communaltie, that onelye the Noble men shoulde bearerule, and all the Noble men ruling, the resi due duly obeyinge cause the citty to florishe. reste obaye.

For tillage of ground & husbandrie bringeth vnto vs, natural nourishement, and marchandize doth bringe vnto vs; all other thinges necessarie for our vse: Whereby it comes to passe that neither without husbandmē nor with­out marchauntes, can ciuill societie bee amongeste men.

They therfore are not to be exempted away frō publike offices, whose seruice is seene to bee necessary in a Com­mon weale, leaste they thinkinge theymselues to bee had in contempte, shrincke awaye and withdrawe theymsel­ues from the Rulers and Gouernours. For so often as the people of Rome did seperate theymselues from the Senatours, they were neuer withoute greate peryll and daunger eftsones renued.

Surelye the meane sorte of men, which are neyther to much abiect or base, neither yet boaste theymselues in the wealth of their nobilitye, doe farre more modestlye beare rule. But if it must needes [...]ee that either the nobilitie, or communalty onelye, shoulde beare auctority, I thinke it farre more safely should the matter be handled, by go­uernment of the Nobles, then of the commons: for seel­dome againste comlynes or honestye dothe [...]ee any thing, whiche seeth that by his doings he shall hazard the prayse of his auncestors with hymselfe, but he that being of hym­selfe base and obscure hathe hys auncestors farre more obscure, seemeth to make vnto hymselfe a very smal losse if sometimes he do any thing amisse: And if ther wante no [Page] examples of rusticall persons, and men vnknowen which haue fought valiantly for their coūtry.

For wee reade, that some haue beene called from the plowe, other some from the flocke of shepe or other hear­des, which haue obtained great victories vnto y ^t Romaines. But I am one of that nōber which account that to be the best cōmon weale which is intermixt w ^t al kind of people.

That is counted the beste common weale wherein not The best common vveale. euery man that listeth or the more parte doe beare aucto­ritye, at y ^e Becke and Checke of wyll, but that Com­mon weale wherein the Lawe onelye shall beare a swaye: for equality of iustice amongest citizens maketh a stable & fyrme society, which euen then greatly florisheth when as all thinges are iudged and ordered with equall ryght and Iustice. For it chaunceth for the most parte, that affecti­ons doe trouble the iudgementes of men: some one, feare appaulleth: some others, hatred: some hope: some other, awe and dread: and some other, ambicion or couetousnes cōpelleth to iudge those thigs which are not only cōtrary to equity: but also contrary to y ^t mind of him which iudg­eth. For we see oftentymes, the Iudge moued wyth a cer­teyn affectiō, doth determin those things whych wythin a short space after he would willingly alter and chaunge.

Equality amongst Cytyzens causeth concord, without the whych, ciuyll societye is seene to be neyther firme nor Aequalitie in a Cytty causeth concorde. stable at al. For no force or strēgth can sufficiēily preuail, no sauegard, no riches, no reuen [...]es can suffice those cities which are disquieted or troubled w ^t intestine warres. And agayn also, neyther shal that [...]yty be sclender in power nor of smal cōtinuance which is enuyroned & fortified with cō ­corde of the Citizens. Therefore there muste bee great forecaste had, y ^t the Citizens may liue with equal Iustyce & that some do not alwayes beare rule, & that other some do not remain alwais as inferiours, for al society is vnsta­ble there, where all men doe not lyue in indifferencye of Iustice.

[Page 6]Man (forasmuche as he loueth and fauoureth his owne kynne, and is congregable or geeuen to companye, & soci­able or geuen to felowship more then other lyuing creatu­res: and seing no society can be firme or stable without iu­stice) appeareth to be thereunto especially born, whych he fauoreth and is affected most vnto.

And the first duty of Iustice is Piety or godly zeale towar­des God: pertaker of which vertue doubtles ther is no li­uynge creature elles seene to be, but onely man. For mā onely doth acknowledge God, and hym as the aucthour & The first dutye of Iustice creator of the worlde, & worckmaister of all thinges doth renerence & worship, by whom surely he acknowledgeth himself to be made pertaker of reason, in whom he seinge that Iustice is all in all, it behoueth that he show himself a folower of Iustice, if he would haue himselfe to be coun­ted lyke vnto himself.

It bredeth great dissētiō, wher, amōgst thē which are foūd guilty in cryme alyke, som are greuously punished, & other som escape vntouched altogether: it should bee otherwise if thoffences were not a lyke. For far more greuously is that gouernour or shypmaister to be punished, which ouer­whelmeth the same being laden with golde and siluer, thē hee whiche hathe loste or perished a Shyppe laden withe Sande [...]or Potcers claye, and yet eyther of these hathe neglected hys duty. For thyngs of more value semes iust­lye to require more diligence. For there can bee no better perswasion in ciuil societie, then y ^t which toucheth the fre­dom of the city, whereunto the mind of euery Cytizen is to be dyrected, whiche surely shalbe an easy matter to bee done if in maner all men wil hope and trust wel that som­tyme they maye supplye the function of a magistrate: for euery man laboureth for renowme, which when he shal se hymselfe preuented of, and that hee is frustrate of hope, he is neuer at quiet in hys mynde, and eyther shall he bee the more negligent in a common weale, or appeare altogether euill affected towardes the same. Hereupon do sedi­cions [Page] growe amongest Cittyzens, from hence do also rise factions and Enimities, which things surely do weaken the state of a publique weale: therfore a magistrate ought to haue a determinate & prefixed tyme apointed for y ^e go­uernment & exercise of his office. For, to beare aucthoritie continuallye in a free cittie is hatefull: it muste also bee wisely forsene y ^t the Cytyzens be found iuste amonge thē selues, directyng all their doinges vnto vertue, and y ^• be­inge contente withe their owne goodes that they doe not desire other mennes.

Let there be no place for ydle personsin a common we­ale, No place for loyterers in a comon vveale. for, surely by meanes of slowth and sluggishnes, they do commit all wickednes: wherupon true is that Oracle of Marcus Cato,

They doe alwayes enuie at the paynfull trauell of the good cityzens, vnto whom when they can not be like, they labour with hartburning and hatred how to weaken and disturbe their estate. Such therefore as lyue ydlye muste bee excluded from publique offices, because neyther can they rule worthely, & also do withdraw their duty frō obe­dience. In which matters all ciull societie is conteyned.

Their opinion is not to bee commended whiche saye that by the faulte or offence of the parents, their po­steritie shoulde bee for euer excluded oute of the publique weale, for in so doinge thei shall dispayre altogether of fe­licitie when they see that all hope of pardon is debarred: and that they cannot redeme themselelues by any vertue, or worthynes. For it oftentimes chanceth y ^t their mindes are most ready and prone, to innouation, and desperation sometime is turned into mighty courage: for they whiche are in any extremitie, do easelye take hold vppon the sen­tence [Page 7] of the most learned Poet Maro,

It is onely compted a safety vnto those which bee van­quished or conuinced, not to hope for any safetye at all.

Of al thinges, (as Cicero writeth) wherof there is a­ny Husbandry profitable- commoditie to bee gotten, nothinge can bee better or more commodious then husbandry or tillage of grounde. Then this, nothing is more plentifull, nothinge sweeter, neyther yet more worthye for the state of a fr [...]man in a cō ­mon weale: for onely husbandrye is such as vnto whome gentlemen & others ought to set to their hands, both for y ^• necessity of sustentacion vnto our lyfe, (forasmuch as with out the same we cannot lyue) and agayn because it yeldes vs a moste honest gayne wythout deceipt or syinge.

Surely yonge men are made stronge w ^t the exercise of til­lage of y ^• groūd, and be far more healthy then such as are trayned vp in Cytyes, where as they vsinge sleepe and lustes of the bodye, are enfebled and vnhealthie.

Yt is not therefore to bee meruayled, yf the Romaynes brought forth youngmen hardened in the fieldes, when they conquered the whoole worlde, not by Idlenes and slouth, but wyth stength and fortitude.

But we in thesedayes do shonne the trade of husban­dry as a fylthy lucre, yea and haue the husbandmen in de­rision, and do dispyse them as slaues or bondmen, and su­che as are borne to perpetuall drudginge, and do esteme Brokers, Pedlers, Cookes, and Coblers, more then wee doe of a good husbandman, whose industrye we then do saye excedeth the industrye of al other worckemen, when the common people ready to sterue for hunger earnestlye craueth their helpe and nourishement, and when they be­inge hungersterued and pynched wythe Famyne becom­meth vnrulye and paste all feare: For husbandrye only yeldes vnto vs nourishemente, it helpeth and furthereth buildinge, and almost findeth sufficiency also of apparell: onlye the Husbandman is a breeder of Cattle: whiche [Page] thing was of such estimation among the auncient people that Cato being demaunded, in what thing doyng a man myghte bee quickely made ryche: yf (sayth hee) a manne feede well. And beynge agayne demaunded what thynge elles? (saythe hee) yf hee feede well. By the whyche aunswere he sheweth vs, that euen a meane dyly­gence of the maister in feedinge his Cattell excede the other profytes. For in dede there is no Arte or Scyence nor any industrye of men sooner maketh a man ryche, then husbandrye.

Hesiodus and Homer, dyd more allow of the instrumen­tes, and necessaries pertayninge to husbandrye and of hus­bandmen, then of warryors or warlyke affayres: for the one promyseth vnto menne lyfe and felycicye, the other death and myserye.

Good housholders oughte to take accompte of theyr Sernauntes and Familyes Idlenes, rather then of theyr busines: and the moste learned of the aunciente fathers Good house­holders vvhat they ought to doe. iudged that there was nothinge more odyous and hate­full then slouthe and drowsiues of the mynde: wherefore before they shoulde eate theyr meate, they called the yong men and seruaunes to the table, and tooke accompt of thē what duety or what busines they had done that daye: and before theym onlye they set meate: whose dylygence they lyked & allowed, & those they thrust out of the place accu­stomed to suppe in, whyche by theyr slouthe and sluggish­nes had done nothing: & cōmaunded that they should la­bour hard in som dutiful busines to earn theyr own foode. Let those take vpon them thys charge whych (especially, in a common weale doe beare rule: to see that younge Good artes or scyences to be cared for. men do applye their myndes vnto the studie of good artes or Scyences. For in euery free Cytye there ought to bee a speciall care for the mayntenaunce of good artes & scy­ences. For Plato sayde: Blessed are those common weales which of wyse and learned men are gouerned.

[Page 8]Or at the least (sythens we all cannot proue learned) wherein Marchaundiʒe, seafaring trade, and other Scien­tes profytable vnto ciuill societye were frequented and vsed.

Euery man ought to labour asmuch as he may, to pro­fyte himselfe, his famylye, and other Cytyʒens. For a­mongeste those most streite Lawes whyche DRACO made, there was especially one, that, they whyche were condempned for Ydlenesse, shoulde bee punished withe deathe.

DIOD ORVS wrytethe that there was a Lawe a­monge A lavv amōg the Egiptians for due knovvledge in order of lyuinge. the Egiptiaus, whereby all men were compelled to declare their names vnto their rulers, and to show by what arte, or by what manner of gayne they lyued. And yf anye man lyed or lyued by vniuste Lucre or gayne, the same was adiudged to dye: and truelye not withoute a cause: for those that bee ydle and slouthful youngmen, are the poyson of the cyttye: they are apte and proue to luste and pleasure, they doe enuye those that bee good, they cauet and desire other mennes goodes, and finallye they proue sedicious and troubles me, insomuche as the grea­test troubles ryse vpon them.

Marcus Cato wrote verye well in his bookes of Man­ners, that mannes lyfe was as Iron, whyche if a man Exercise of mannes lyfe vvhat it is do exercyse and putte in vse, is in wearinge made bryghte, but beinge vnexercysed and not put in vse, is withe Ruste consumed and canckered. So men with honest exercise are in like case tryed and worne and yf they bee not exer­cysed, slouthe and drowsines doth brynge to theym more detrymente and dammage, then dylygence or paynes ta­king, doth good.

For very well doth Cato touche the same in hys Ora­tion made at Numantia to the Horsemen. sayinge: You Souldiours, consyder in youre myndes yf you shall doe anye thynge well by Laboure or Trauayle, the [Page] [...] [Page 8] [...] [Page] labour and trauail doth quickly departe but the good that you doe in the same laboure and traueil, stil doth remayn for euer: but if you take any pleasure in doinge euill, the pleasure quickly departeth, but the euill that you doe, re­mainethe for euer: whiche sentences declare that there is nothinge worse then ydlenes, neyther anye thinge more prayseworthy then industry and traueil. Merchants and handicraftesmen are to be fauored, which w ^t their labour Merchaunts & vvorkmen in a citty. and industry get their liuinge, and do make the cyties far more abundant in thinges which may profite al men: for, merchaunts are necessary which do carye awaye from vs such things as we haue superfluous or to much store of, & by exchaunge, and sales of their commodities do bringe vs those thinges whiche shalbee necessarye for vs.

The custome of the Belgians and lowe countryemen, doth seme▪ to me verye allowable, because they wyll▪ not suffer Merchauntes to come and traffyque with thē Vayne traf­fiques. whiche shall brynge vnto theym those thinges that maye cause them to be effeminately mynded. For it chaunceth in oure tymes that the prouocations of venery and lustes, as entysementes to vayne pleasures, on euerye syde are brought vs from the furthest part of the Ocean sea. Cer­taynly such manner of nauigation or trafyque cannot be necessarye, and as I iudge muste needes be lesse commen­dable, but onely that whiche makethe exchaunge with superfluous thinges for such kind of commoditie, as may bee moste for our proffyte.

A certeyn Laconian did say (as it is reported) y ^t there is an A measure & meane in mer­chants gayne. end or measure to be prescribed vnto lucre or gayne, for & in cōsideracion of the diuers chances of fortune: least y ^t in a small momente of tyme the merchaunte doe loose and let slyppe that whyche in all hys lyfe tyme he hath gay­ned and be compelled of necessitye to consume and waste, the same in expences, whych thinge vndoubtedlye, can­not come to passe withoute reproche and dishonestye, al­thoughe the partye be nothynge faultye. [Page 9] Therefore to the ende that Merchauntes maye liue with­out sutch reproche, let them prescribe vnto them selues a measure and ende in their couetous attemptes, leaste they bee compelled to suffer pouerty in their oulde age, with derision also.

And yet notwithstandinge, Socrates iudgeth them that buye of those greate Merchauntes to thintent to sell the same again, to be worthy of disprayse, except by weaknes of age or by reason of their vnhealthfulnes of bodye they cannot put in practise any other kinde of trade to liue vppon.

The lawe of Solon is praysed especially wherin hée or­dayned, that, that chylde was not bounden vnto his fa­ther, in any necessary duety of life, of whom he had recea­ued no Arte, Science or Trade, to get his liuinge withal.

Handy craftes men or worckemen which prouide those thinges that are profitable vnto vs, and without whome Certayne han dicraftesmen necessary in a commonvveal we may lesse commodiously liue, are not onely to be borne withall: but also are to be taken and reputed amongest the most honest Citizens. Smithes, Foūders, Caruers, Engrauers, Printers, Potters, Glasiers, Shoomakers, Curriours, Taylers, Weauers, Ioyners, Masons, Clo­thiers, Pargeters, roughmasōs, Ironmōgers, & verye many other such like faculties are to be admitted, partly becaus they prouid such thīgs as be necessary. Partly be­caus thei make their citie more noble w ^t diuers ornamēts.

The Lacedemonians, to the ende they might withdraw their Cittezens from all filthy gaine, and prouoke them vnto Husbandrye, Huntinge and warrefare. did caste out of their Citty as well their Golde as their Siluer: coumptinge it a pestilence or plague vnto the Cittezens. And ordained to be made a certaine coyne of Iron which was more weighty, to the ende they might be extruded & sequestred frō al company of their neighbours, and liue witheout the tradinge, to or with any forrayne Coun­tryes. They which trade in Merchaundice with modesty [Page] and do take no vsury (which thinge Marcus Cato declared was the next poinct to a murderer? for to one that demaū ­ded of him, what it seemed vnto him, to be an vserer, hee Vsury forbid­den. aunswered, what is it to kill a man▪ And they which doe not lye, neither deceaue others, with periury, orlyinge I deeme them worthy to be enryched wyth the benefittes of of a commonwealth.

Worckemen giuen to fylthye gayne and which are the ministers of pleasures, and do prouide for the prouocati­ons of gluttony, & lechery, are not only not to be admitted, into a common weale, but also to be thrust out of a Citty: for wythe their typling houses and places of ryot, they do hurt vnto many, and profyt to no man.

And those that exercise or vse light arts and faculties, whereby riseth no profite, are to bee neglected and had in contempte and rather to bee derided then esteemed or re­warded.

The fyrste respecte or regarde of geuinge our voyces is to be had of honesty, and vertue. And the seconde of ly­berall sciences which in a Citty bringe with them moste plentifull profit. The thirde consideration is to bee had of Nobilitye, for they whose auncestours haue florished fa­mous Reasons of re­garde in a common vveale. with some kinde of prayse, their children and poste­rity are not to be neglected, except by their reproch or ig­nominye, they do darken & emblemish the prayse and cō ­mendation of their auncestours. And the fourth conside­ration, ought to be had of them, which profet the Citizens by trade of Merchaundice, worckmanship and industrye, makynge the Citye therebye more wealthye and renow­med.

Uulcane who was most skilfull in the arte of Astrono­mie, & which was also the successour of Mercury in the kingdome dyd inuent the mines of siluer, gold, and iron. The Grecians holde opinion that he fyrst made and deui­sed the fier tonges of brasse or copper, & other necessaryes touchinge husbandry.

[Page 10]And they saye that in the Arte of warre he could do ve­rye muche: and that hee was, made lame, by reason of a wounde whiche he receyued in his foote: he also helde o­pinion, that the Planets and starres were fyery, and that all thinges were made and created of fyre.

It shal therfore behoue them (which beare rule in a cō ­mon weale, to be careful y ^t there want no deuisers or chief Workmaystero and deuisers of Workes. worckmaisters in a citty: for when the sacred or publique buildinges, are by euill measure & proportion framed, yt ministreth occasion to straungers to thinke, that the chief princes and rulers of that common weale are cleane voyd of elegancy: but pryuate mens houses being euil tymbred, vnhandsomely seuered withe windowes and lightes, and beautified vncomely, are for habitacion nothing handsom and expedient. Let the chiefe master of the worke therfore respect and loke wel to the forme and fashion of houses in the city, & to the cōmoditye of the buyldings & houses, in time of peace and quietnes: but in time of warres an Ar­chitecte or chiefe deuiser of workes shall stande in so good steede for engines, gonnes and other municions, that hee cannot but he worthy of great prefermēt, honour, & pub­lique offices: for we reade of some cittyes that haue bene delyuered frō the siege of their enemies, only by the skil­full dylygence of the chiefe deuiser or workemaister.

Amongst other spectacles which throughout al y ^• world Thebes aspec­tacle are praysed: the city of Thebes in Egipt was coūpted for the greatnes therof, for the walles and for building, most worthiest of admiration: for it had. C. gates by situation distinct & seuered one from another, w ^t notable and artifi­cial workmanship, wherupon it had so glorious a name, & was of such excellency, y ^t al the whole prouince there was called by the name of the Citizens of Thebes: and yet the same was subuerted before the Empyre of Rome.

The brick walles of Babylon which Semiramis builded, Babilon. contayned in compasse. 385. f [...] longs in height: betwene the towers fyfty cubites, and in bredth thirty foote.

[Page]The Art of payntyng she weth in it selfe greate [...]rudici­on & learning & much resembleth poetry: For Sextus Em­piricus (after the opiniō of Symonides the poet) said y ^t a pic­ture is a stil or silēt Poesie, & the poesie to be a talking pic­ture: And certaynlye it is an arte of great wysdome and The arte of paintinge. doth touche neare vnto deuine knowledge so to conceyue in mynd the dyuers formes oflyuing creatures and other things, so to expresse them with pencill, and dyuers coul­lours that there seemes nothinge wantinge vnto theym, but lyfe and breathe.

For wee reade that an Oxe dyd lowe at the beholding of a certayn pyctured Oxe: and that not a fewe haue ben deceyued wyth the sighte of grapes pictured. And that byrdes haue also bene styrred vp to reioyce at the paynted proportion or similitude of their kynde.

For a pycture hath not onely a grace with it, and gee­ueth wonderfull delectacion: but also reserueth the me­mory of thinges that are done and past, and showeth per­petually before our eyes, the bystorye of thinges that are done. And moreouer in reading of paynted stories wher­in notable exploytes are expressed, wee are excited vnto the studies of prayse, and to the endeuour of accomplish­inge weighty and great matters. Wherfore it shal not be feared least y ^t the hands of young men be stayned, or spot­ted wythe coullors, sythens payntinge commethe nearest vnto learninge it selfe.

Iulius Caesar being sent as Ouestor or Threasurer into Spayne, when he came to Gades, marking well and behol­dynge The noble mynde of Iuli us Caesar. the Image of Alexander the great in the Temple of Hercules, sighed, & as it were bewayled his own slouth & negligence, that as yet in those yeares of his, he had not done any thinge worthye prayse: whereas Alexander be­fore hee attayned to that age, had conquered the greateste parte of the worlde.

He required of the Senate that he might haue free ly­hertye [Page 11] to ease hymselfe of those their affayres: and beinge pricked forward w ^t memoriall of such like prayse, wythin a small tyme hee excelled and surmounted, the deedes & prowes of Alexander of Macedonie,

Cato Censorius seemed scarce quiet in mynde because there was no Image erected for hym: and vnto one that demaunded hym why he had not hys picture or ymage as­well as a greate sort of others: he aunswered, I had ra­ther that good men should muse and doubte, why I haue it not, then (whyche is worse) to mur­mure in their mynds, why I should haue it.

THE kynges of Egipte, Kinges of Ae­gipt only bent to learninge & knovvledge. farre more esteemed the prayse of good disciplines, & Sciences, then of War­fare. And therefore they all with a wō ­derfull dylygence bent theymselues to the studies of wisdome, neyther dyd any of theym thincke hymselfe able or sufficiente enoughe to beare rule, vnlesse hee surm [...]unted and excelled the resi­due in some kynde of doctryne or learninge, and employed hys whole indeuour to the furtheraunce and profitinge of many others.

Wyth thys industrye Ptolomeus beinge incited, furni­shed The Lybrarye of Ptolomeus. and made that famous Library at Alexandria, to the ende he mighte therby sow the seede of wisdome vnto his Posteritye, and profite bothe the Cyttizens, and also straungers.

Hee also instituted playes vnto the Muses and vnto A­pollo: and ordayned vnto Poetes and Dratours at theyr disputations, as vnto Champions in their Combattes, greate rewardes and hyghe dignities, that they myghte the more diligently take paynes in the studies and exerci­ses of learning.

Learninge (doubtlesse) was most auncient among the Egiptians, whose priestes whiche were conuersaunte a­bout their Kinges and rulers, were accompted the firste of all others that were notable in the Mathematicall sci­ences, and vnto them also did resort thick and threfolde, Egiptian lore. scholars out of all nacions of y ^• world to learne: neyther was any man thought sufficiētly learned, which was not skilful in the Egiptian lore or discipline, to the attayning [Page 12] whereof (as Diodorus Siculus maketh mention) Orpheus Musaeus, Melampus, Daedalus, Homerus, Lycurgus, Solon, Pythagoras, Plato, Eudoxus, Democritus, Euripides, and ma­ny others went thyther, who haue made famous al disci­plines of all other nations.

I deeme it best first & especially: that al men (if it were possible) should be learned, neyther am I of their opinion which saye that learning is the plague and destruction of wyt & memory, amongst whom was Plato, who affirmed that the vse of letters was a hinderaunce vnto memorye, because those thinges (which we haue layd vp in wryting) we (as it were) cease to kepe in memory: euen as those thinges which we haue layd vp in strong chestes, vnder locke and key we thinke to be sure ynough, & take no more care therfore: notwithstanding amongst al the deuises of mē, I doubt whether euer any thinge were deuised or vttered more excellent: for it seemeth a thing straunge and mira­culous howe in a fewe notes or Letters, so infinite speches of men, & innumerable words, & sētences should be cōprised & cōprehended: for al kynd of doctrine & lear­ning should be mortall & subiect vnto decay, yea the acts & gestes of men should be sone buried in obliuiō, if they wer not registred and reserued in monumentes of learninge: which haue bene so highely accompted of, that many both people, and moste excellente personages doe challenge to them selues, the inuention thereof.

Those letters, therefore doe I deeme not onelye to bee No Wytty Ci­tizen vvithout learninge. throughly learned: but also scarcely can I thinke any mā in a free cytty can or may deserue the name of a witty Ci­tizen withoute the knowledge of learninge: for how without learning can we attaine not only vnto the high know­ledge of liberall sciences, but also thereby learne manye small artes or faculties neither can merchandize it selfe or husbādry, be in sufficient sauety without them: for these do keepe the memory of things past, they instruct postery­tye: they annexe and compare thinges done and past, vn­to [Page] thinges yet to come, and do keepe a perpetuall recko­ninge of all our whole lyfe.

The best waye here in to bee done therefore, is to trayne yong childrē herunto before they apply any other maters: if in tyme to come wee desire to haue them proue men, or to be reputed and taken in the nomber of Cytyzens: for surelye the Greeke prouerbe is:

Gouernours therfore of common weales oughte to be Care for scholemasters carefull & diligently to foresee y ^t for euery liberall Art or good learning, ther may be assigned y ^• best scholemaisters to be mayntayned wyth a publique stipend, whyche maye teache openlye: for euery priuate person cannot maintein lyuing for their Chyldren, and recompence their Schole­maisters wyth conuenient stypende▪ and ordynary salary. And especiallye let the Scholemaisters teaching Gram­mer be excellent and notable, yea not onely in learninge but in manners also moste approued: for it is most daun­gerous as it is spoken in the Prouerbe: To betake a sheepe into the custodye of a wolfe. And to fynde hym whom thou puttest in trust as scholemaister to thy cihldren, a corrup­ter and marrer of them, For the vices wherewithe Chyl­dren at that age are polluted, do eyther remayne perpetually, or elles wyth greate diffycultie are they withdrawn from them.

The Romaynes so greatly esteemed Grammer, that by decree, they ordayned the same to be taught wyth a cō ­mon Grammer. salary, in the open streetes or high ways, by meanes whereof it was called long time the cōmon Science: ma­nye affirme that this Art was first deuised, and inuented at Memphis, a cyttye in Egipt.

Pythagoras, the Prince of Italian Philosophie (whom Plato doth in all pointes for most parte imitate) thinketh [Page 13] the scyences Mathematicall to be moste necessarye for the ciuill man: In vayne (as he iudgeth) shall a man studye Philosophy, which hath not tasted of the same▪ not as they saye superficially, but euen throughly and effectually.

Lucius Columella would haue euery day to be obserued by the rules of Astronomie, bothe for profite in husban­drye, and agayn, for the auoyding of manyfold daungers whereof we may be warned to take hede by them that be skylfull.

Anaximander Milesius forewarned the Lacedaemonians that they shoulde looke well to their Cyttye and houses: for he foresawe by this Science, that there was an earth­quake at hand, whych thynge doubtlesse came so to passe: and a greate parte of that Cytty and of the hyll Taygetus fell flatte to the grounde.

So Hyppocrates did foreshewe a plague or pestilence whiche shoulde come from the Illyrians, and dispersed his Scholars round about the Cytties of Greece, to succour Astronomie. and relieue them that should be diseased.

Pericles generall of the Athenians, when as his hoste was astonied at the Eclipse of the Sunne, and ready to yelde the victorye to their enemies, whom they thought y ^• gods more fauoured, deliured thē: from their perplexity, disclosing the cause namely that it was the natural order of the Sunne, and that it came not to passe by any displea­sure of god or anye vnnaturall euent.

In the discipline or doctrine of Astronomie, & in other sciences Mathematical, Publius Nigidius did very great­lye excel amonge the Romaines: to whome was attribu­ted for a Sirname, Potter, by reason of his excellent de­uise and inuention of that knowledge: for when it was proposed & argued, why two Twinnes both borne at one byrth shoulde haue diuersitie of destenie, seinge they were both begotten and borne vnder one Planet, and be defen­ding his Art, denied, y ^• y ^t could not be, by reason of y ^• swift mouinge of Celestiall Orbes, shewinge the same by this [Page] meanes, he styrred about the wheele, that bare about the Potters Claye, withe greate force, and vppon the same did caste two droppes of Incke, and after a pawse made Example of des [...]eny in tvvo Tvvynnes. from turning the wheele, the droppes were found a good waye a sonder, in the vttermoste partes of the Wheele: how now (saythe he) can they thincke that Twynnes be a lyke destenied, and borne vnder one planet, when as the heauens are moued and whirled with so swift mouinge & turning: seing the wheele of a Potter being turned about with a small course, doth manifest before your Eyes, the two drops of yncke at one time to be shaken and sprinkled into two seuerall places: surelye this deuise was so well lyked of the Audience, that it yelded vnto the Aucthoure the palme and vyctorye of the disputacion, and a perpetu­all Syrname.

Lycurgus dyd so allowe, and esteeme the Scyence of Musicke: that hee affirmed the same to bee geeuen vnto Musicke. men by nature, to the more easie bearing and tolleration of their laboures and trauayles: and be ordayned the vse of playinge on the shalmes in warfare, whereuppon they should playe both at theyr marchynge forwardes, and at their retyre also: and so styrre vp and encourage the myn­des of the Souldiers that euen the moste cowardly per­son beinge pricked forth with y ^• sounde therof, dyd some­tymes proue the moste valiaunte, and atchieued the vyctorye for their countrye. The people of Creta also, when they were about to assault theyr enemies, wer excyted and encouraged to fyghte, by the noyse of the Harpe. The Argiues wyth Shaulmes as the Latines wyth Trumpettes, and the Frenchemen wythe Cornet­tes, were encouraged and anymated.

Tymotheus the moste excellent Musician when he was disposed to aduaunce hymselfe any tyme before Alexander the Kynge, tuned his instrumentes so cunningly and mu­sicallye, that the Kynge hauinge mynde of none other thynge but that onelye, and beynge therewyth pearced [Page 14] and penetrated to the harte, as it were by som deuyne ad­miration would streight lay hand on his weapō and take thereby occasion to ouercome his enemies.

Musicke in a free Cytty is to be allowed, yea although it brought no other thinge ells then pleasure and delyte: for wee cannot alwayes bee busied in affayres: and thys kynd of oblectation euen in oure busines and dealings ys moste honest: for as CICERO saythe very well: It is the parte of a free manne sometymes to doe nothinge, and to wythdrawe bys wearyed mynde from long care otherwyse. Whyche thynge especially musicke bringeth to passe, ma­king vs thereby to forget our Laboures, Trauayles, and myseries.

Plato deuised three sortes of Musicke, the one he sayde was manifeste, consistinge onelye in voyce: as wee see ys vsed when men synge: the Seconde aswell wythe the voyce, as wythe the hande: as when wyth the strykinge vppon the strynges, we vse to synge to the Instrumentes: and the thirde (saythe hee) is onelye fynyshed withe the hands & fingers: as when the voyce being sylent and styl, we stryke and playe vppon an Instrument.

PYTHAGORAS thincketh that Musicke was not the inuention of men but of the fyrst worckemaister of the The inuention of musicke af­ter the opiniō of Pythagoras. vniuersall worlde, whyche made the Celestiall Orbes, to yeld and make a certayn harmonie in their distinct mo­tions, whereout procedeth the fyrst inuention of humane musicke: whiche musicke doubtlesse is profitable vnto a cyuyll person, and doth not onely delighte the mynde, but also nourishe the wytte, makynge men more promp­te and couragious, not onelye in warlyke affayres, but also to atchieue euery waightye matter.

And moreouer wee reade of PAEON and dyuers other Physytians, whose Pacientes almost dispayrynge of recouerye, haue beene healed and recouered by the delyghtes and pleasures taken in Musycke and that [Page] certayne mad men haue bene brought to their right wits agayne, by the same meane.

If wee will haue anye regarde of the health of our bo­dies and tranquillitie of lyfe (whych without prosperous Phisicke. healthe can scarcelye be had, we shall confesse y ^• Physycke is the most excellent and necessary Arte pertayninge vn­to mortall men: For as Cornelius Celsus maketh mentiō, who hath written most excellent bokes of this discipline: Husbandrye afoordeth nourishement to our bodyes when they bee healthfull, and Phisicke promiseth healthe vnto persons diseased: and therfore we ought to render thanc­kes to the lyuing god, who hath graunted vs lyfe: next of all vnto the Phisician who dothe conserue the same vnto vs, and maketh it healthfaller & of longer continuaunce. For to proue that this Arte of all other Sciences is moste auncient, y ^• best learned Greeke Authours do testifye: for the inuenter bereof was Apis the sonne of Phoroneus, and Pytho king of Egipt.

The auncient wryters deuided Phisick into three par­tes, Dyet, medicin, and manula cure. the one to consiste in dyet, another in remedies or me­dicines, and the thirde in artificall cure of the hand: and vnto this parte, did the inuentions of Alcmaeon Crotoniata scholar to Pythagoras the Phisician much helpe, who sear­chinge euery member of mannes bodye, and cuttinge vpp all and euery ioynte and inwarde article, of all the vytall partes, was the firste that deuised and inuented the dissec­tion or Anatomie of mannes body.

If medicine for the body be necessary in a good commō weale, for the sondrye kyndes of diseases, whiche chaunce dayly vnto mortall men, to thend with strong & sound bo­dies we may lyue well: how much more necessarye shall y ^• phisicke of the soule and mynde bee, without the whyche the bodies themselues cānot be in good health or lyking? For man is subiect vnto manye diseases, by reason of the dyuers kyndes of meates whereof [...]e feedeth, as Homer sayth: yet notwithstanding the diseases of the mynde are [Page 15] not fewer, then the diseases of the bodye, and wherewyth we be far more vexed and indaungered: what disease see­meth anger to be, wherwith when we bee throughlye cha­fed, lytle or nothinge do we differ from mad and furious franticke persons? What disease seemeth couetousnes to bee? wherewith when we be throughly enflamed, we can­not be gratefull vnto our owne Countrye, not to our Pa­rentes nor chyldren, neyther yet vnto oure selues: What doth feare? what doth tremblinge? what doth slouth and sluggishenes worke, and bryng to passe in vs? and other perturbations of the mynde innumerable, whyche when they seyse vpon vs, we are not onely in mynde-but also in bodye disquieted: but the Medicine or Physicke for the mind is specially Eloquence, which by the reasons and ar­guments of Philosophy represseth or keepeth vnder, such persons as wold be to much puffed vp with vyces, lyfting Eloquence. vp those that are cast downe, and makinge very dasterdes to become valiant persons: for what other force or power can there be better, then by the force of eloquence, to bry­dle the raginge and furyous common people, when their courage fayleth theim for feare, & to styrre them afreshe to valiauntnes.

Auncient wryters saye that Eloquence was the ladye and Mistris of matters, nether is it only accoumpted pro­fitable in peace and quietnes, but also in warres and tu­multes excellethe all other strengthe and force: whyche thinge to be true Pyrrhus king of the Epyrot [...]s affyrmed. For when he did make warres in Italye, hee retayned as his compaygnion of his exploites Cyneas the Thessalian an Orator and disciple of Demosthenes, vsinge his helpe and seruice, at eche pyyche most earnestlye: for vnto the cy­ties whiche he coulde not subdue by force and armour, he sent Cyneas his Orator: which Cyties for the moste parte he perswaded to surrender, euen as he desired: insomuch that Pyrrhus vsed often times to saye that m [...] citties were wonne and brought vnder his power and subiectiō by the [Page] Eloquence of Cyneas, then were by himselfe vanquished by force of armes.

The Arte of Oratorye consistethe in three Sortes of causes: Whereof the fyrste conteyneth Perswasion, and Dysswasion: for what thynges soeuer are in a common weale aduised or deliberated vppon, they haue neede of perswasion and disswasion, to the intente the truth maye be boulted oute: Wherfore an Oratoure, that is to saye a good man, skilfull and flowinge in vtteraunce, shal per­swade suche thinges as shalbe thoughte profytable, leaste the People slyde or fall awaye by a sinyster and false opi­nion, and allowe well of that which within a little space after, they shall eyther be compelled to alter and chaunge or wyth repentaunt mindes, beare and suffer the same vn­paciently [...]. The seconde is called the kynde Demon­stratiue, consistinge eyther in prayse or disprayse: And the thyrde kynde is that whiche in Iudgementes is exer­cysed, and this fallethe oute into Accusacion and de­fence.

But many cities now a days are noseled in an ill error, because eyther Lawyers are altogether ignoraunte of pleadīg causes, or rather because light disposed brab [...]ers, as the auncient wryters dyd cal them, do pleade and han­dle matters onelye for lucre sake bablingly, and therevp­pon delayinge Suites, make the same to hange in strife and varyaunce very longe, whiche thinge in Cities is ve­rye daungerous: for pryuye grudges and hatred bredeth discorde amonge Cityzens.

Amonge the Venetians, whose common wealthe is for The noble personnes among the Venetians do pleade cau­ses. Iustice, Gouernment, Wealth, and nobilitie of the Cyt­tizens, accoumpted not onelye throughout all Italye, but also throughe out all the worlde moste famous and excel­lent: the most learned persons of all others, in the arte of oratorie, & such as by come of a noble race, do pleade, & handle theyre causes: by whyche meanes throughe con­tynuall exercise, they doe attayne to that perfection [Page 16] that verye manye of theym proue cunninge and eloquente men in their common weale.

Poetes are to bee mayntayned in a Cyttye, and to bee made famous aswell wyth honour, as wyth prayse: whi­che Persons surelye oughte to bee moste cheryshed and Poetes necessarye in a comō Weale. welcomed vnto all men, aswell for the rarytye of theym, (for nothing in all ages of man can bee sounde more rare, then a good Poet) as also for the abundaunce of their wit, and theyr deuine Nature, neyther shall Poetes be exiled from a good Cyttye, whatsoeuer Plato shall saye, sithens they are well knowen to bee verye profytable vnto theyr Countrye: For, what learninge hathe Grammar in yt contayned, wythout the pertractation of Poetes? The Elegancye or Fynenesse of words, the proprietye of the Tounge, the sweete translations or Metaphors, the ly­bertye of Speache and Sentences, whyche doe beauty­fye the Oracions, as it were with certayne Starres werr they not inuented onelye by Poetes, and aptlye pla­ced and dystynguyshed by theym, in theyr ryghte places.

Socrates the Phylosopher was wont to saye, it smallie fancied or lyked hym, to beholde the secretes of Nature, and to neglecte the reason and order of mannes lyfe: for what profiteth it vs to searche oute certayne hydden Se­cretes of Nature, to measure the starres and skyes in our myndes, yf wee knowe not oure selues, and neglecte the reason or order whyche oughte to gouerne oure appetyte, and whereby wee dyffer frome bruite Bea­stes.

What maye bee more vyle or fylthye then to see a man that is well learned, to bee with Lust enflamed, furyous, or Angry, Couetous, or vnsaciable withoute Measure insomuche the more he hath, the more he seemes to lacke, surelye vnto suche a man that hapneth, whych vnto Tha­les y ^• philosppher, one of y ^• seuen sages, hapned: for he on a [Page] tyme in the night season walking abroade dyd behold the heauens very earnestly, by meanes whereof he fell into a dytche, or pytte that was in hys waye where hee went, whereat he cryed out: a certayne olde wife lookinge out at her wyndowe, and hearinge him cry, asked hym what he went about to doe, that he so fell into the pytte, where vppon he aunswered, that hys meaninge was to beholde the heauenly planets: but the old woman smyling sayde, thou seest not those thinges whych are before thyne eyes, and yet wilt thou seeke to knowe heauenly matters?

The Oracle at Delphos (whych they saye was fixed be­fore the dores of the Temple) ought to be prefixed before all mennes eyes, which desire to be right wise: whiche is Knowe thy selfe: for he knoweth not himselfe which dothe not knowe how to vse the vertue of his mynde, whiche is broken or shaken with feare, which doth aduaunce himself beyonde measure in reioysinge, who is inflamed wyth co­uetousnes, tormented with lustes: agaynst whych euylles Philosophie armeth vs, and doth not onely plucke vp the rootes, but also euerye little string or fibre of perturbati­ons. To this philosophie will euery good Cytizen ende­uour himselfe, that desireth to profite not onlye himselfe and his, but hys natiue countrye also.

Philosophy teacheth vs throughlye that Iustice is it, Philosophye. whiche contayneth and keepeth together humane society: wythout the whych there can neyther cytty, neyther yet a­ny house be rightly gouerned: For shee perswadeth vs to vse and enioy our owne right, and not to iniury any man, to lyue contente with our own goods, and to abstayn, not onelye oure handes, but also our eyes from other mennes goodes.

The knowledge of Philosophye is not onely pleasaunt vnto Cytizens, but also to Kynges, Princes, and gouer­nours, and doth much auayle in thenterprise of greate or waighty matters: for Philip of Macedonie when newes was brought hym, that his sonne Alexander was borne, [Page 17] hee dyrected hys letters vnto Aristotle sayinge: that hee gaue hartye thanckes to the Godds, not only for that hee had a Sonne borne, but because yt was his fortune to be borne in the tyme of Aristotle, of whome vndoubtedlye he hoped hee shoulde bee instructed, & that hee should proue a Sonne bothe worthye for hym, and the succession of hys Crowne: and therefore so sone as thys hys Sonne could speake, he gaue charge that hee shoulde be brought vppe at the becke or commaundement of Aristotle, committing him in his lustye greene age vnto his charge to be further trayned in disciplines, & learning: and when hys maister Aristotle by reason of sicknesse, could not well attende & followe hym in hys warres, he resigned hys rowme vnto Calysthenes hys scholar, that he might euer bee at hand & readye with the Kynge, and further him in the studyes of Philosophye.

Pericles who had done so manye famous Exploytes a­mongst the Atheniens, had for his Scholemaister Anax­agoras, whose precepts he is reported verye often to haue put in vse, not onelye in cyuill and domesticall, but also in forreyne and warlike affayres, wherein hee beinge studiouslye bent to take paynes, and hearinge that Anax­agoras beinge weary of hys longe lyfe wente about to fa­mysh hymselfe to death, wyth all expedicion came to him and as a peticioner wythe prayer and teares desired hym, that if he had no mynde or ioye to liue vnto hymselfe: that yet at least hee would liue for Pericles sake, whose confe­rence and Counsell in matters tendinge to the Common weale, hee greatly wyshed to haue.

Iulius Caesar was a man moste exquisite in all kinde of Prayse of Iuli­us Caesar his bountie to vvardes lear­ning and lear­ned men. learninge, and enriched all the best learned men in hys tyme wyth rewardes, and promotions: By whose exam­ple also, Octauius Augustus retayned Athenodorus as▪ hys Scholemaister in Philosophie, a man as learned as anye in his time.

The Frenchemen which are called Celtae affyrme that [Page] they whom they called in their mother tongue Druydes, The first inuention of philosophy amōg the Frenchmen. were the fyrst inuentors of philosophie: for these persons, inhabiting the woodes: not onelye in contemplation, but also in life shewed themselues precise philosophers, & dis­puted many things of vertue, and of the immortall God, verye godlye: and belde opinion, that death was no other thinge, then a certayne flittinge vnto a better & more last­inge lyfe: who being induced with that perswasiō, fought valiantly and without feare against their enemies, thinc­kinge that man altogether a dasterde and foole, whyche feared death: sithens euen forthwith they should by death passe into a farre better lyfe.

Wee haue alreadye tolde that firste especiallye the cy­uyll man must laboure to furnishe his mynde withe disci­plines, and studies of good Artes: for the excellencye of the mynde, dothe not onely helpe the bodye, but also ma­keth it moste readye to the atchieuinge of all and euerye greate laboure: for there can no body be strong and heal­thye enoughe, when the mynde languysheth: for in the warres wee do often see that some little men and small of stature do fight wyth a good courage, and those which are bigger, to be verye cowardes: and therfore it is better to helpe and fortifye the mynde with vertue, and wisdome, if wee desire to haue the right strength of the bodye.

The exercise of mennes bodye is altogether coumpted Corporal exercise. necessarye: for Slouthe dothe dull the bodye and maketh men geeuen to too much tendernesse, but industrye or la­boure dothe strengthen the body, and maketh men more lustye and stronge.

For the Lacedaemonians nourished their children in the country, & vsed to wrastle naked, to thend they mighte ac­custome themselues, the better to endure trauel & labors: Hard bringing vp of youth profitable. They lodged abrode vnder the open ayre, aswel in tyme of cold, as in tyme of heate, and hardened themselues in the dust, in running, shoting, wrastling, casting, and leaping. To set before valiaunt persons & stout warriours, y ^• swete [Page 18] delights of boyes and gyrles, seemes to me no other thing thē to weaken strength & to haue all vertue in contempt & derision. Let children therfore bee so exercised, that they may accustome themselues to take paynes & labour, but yet not in outragious sauagenes: for as industrye and honeste exercise doth strengthen the bodie, and make it more apt vnto labour and trauayle: so too much exercise, & con­tinuall Continual toy linge. trauell, doth breake, cut of, and shorten a mannes dayes, with vntymely olde age. Aristotle witnessethe that with such kynde of toyle, the grouth of the bodye is hyn­dered, and the members wrenched and disfashioned. Cel­sus sayth that we see many times men of greate toyle and labour, to become in the ende, most crooked and benom­med in their members.

Iulius Caesar commaunded that young warriors should not be trayned or taught neyther in the schole, nor by mai­sters The commaundement of Iulius Caesar for trayning of yonge soldiers. of defēce, but at home, in theyr dwelling houses, by y ^• horsemen and Senators, skilfull in feates of armes, in wrastlinge, runninge, casting of the balle: in whych prac­tises, he lyked wel to haue them exercised, yea, he thought it wolde doe them much good to be enured in swimminge, leapinge, skirmishing and making a shewe of a right bat­tayle in deede: for they chat accustome themselues to su­che exercises, come more chearfully, and with better cou­rage to the warres, & are both in body and mynd strōger. Epaminondas, exercised vvrasteling.

Epaminondas the most worthy captayn of the Thebanes, enured himselfe much with wrastling, not so much to get a corporal strength, as for the agilitye & nimblenes of his body: also Plato y ^t gretest of al philosophers exercised wrastling w ^t Aristo Argiuus, by reasō wherof it is sayd y ^t for y ^e notable habite of his body, hee was called Plato: for afore he was called Aristocles, after y ^t name of his graundsyre.

The Lacedaemonians cōmaunded their womē to wrastle among thē, & affied in mariage, the mā cōqueror w ^t the woman cōqueresse together: y ^t the issue afterward coming of strong and lusty parents, should be likewise stronger thē others: but this custome is altogether to be refused & re­fected: [Page] Let women therfore keepe theym selues at home and ap­plye Women by nature more ty­merous and fearefull then men. their huswifelye affayres, whome nature hath made and ordayned weake and fearfull persons, that by mea­nes of feare and awe they myght be the fitter and apter to keepe home.

Let first the wytte of a chylde be nourishte and trayned vnto wysedome▪ if it may bee: whyche of all other thin­ges is the best and chiefest: let hym be exercysed in bodye but yet so as he hynder not thereby the gyftes and dexte­ritye of hys wytte: for it is hard for a chylde to be exercy­sed in bodye and mynde together at one tyme, whereof there would be diligent consideration and reason had: for they neede bodylye exercyse but a small whyle, least they shoulde bee therewythe to muche delighted: for they are made thereby more dull of capacitie,, and scarcely knowe howe to prouide for theim selues: as wee reade of Milo Exāple of the greate strength of Mylo. Crotoniates of whome it is reported that he dyd all things beyond the strength and hability of man, & often winning the best game and victorie, was crowned: and kyllinge an oxe with one blowe of his Fyste, sacryfysed hym, but at length trustinge to muche to hys strength, he came to a most miserable death and doleful ende: for espyinge a tree where into wedges were dryuen, but not yet clouen ason­der, and laughinge at the slouth of them that had lefte the same tree, in that case so remayninge, hee went about to Miserable end of Mylo teare it asonder withe his handes, but when the wedges were lowsed and fallen out, and that the tree came toge­ther again to his proper nature, he was taken fast by y ^• ar­mes in that desert & vnable to help out himselfe, was de­uoured of wylde beastes, and fowles of the ayre.

Polydamas an other famous Champion enteringe on a tyme into a certayne Caue, and willing to sit downe, his Example of polydamas, frowarde fortune was suche, that the vpper parte of the Caue ouer theym opened wide, and fell down vpon them. Polidamas therefore goinge aboute withe his armes and shoulders, to beare vp the waight, all his companions, [Page 19] leauinge him distressed fledde away, and hee therby fond­lye enforced to make for hymselfe hys graue there not without the greate derision of all the companye.

Secundi libri.

AL gouernaunce of a cō ­mon weale, consisteth in the description and choyse of Magystrates, wythoute whose aucthoritye, wysedome, and dili­gence, a cyttye cannot flouriste nor be: For ▪amongest People that lyue in Freedome, there is nothing well done without magistrates: for euen as a ship wythout a Pylot can neuer bee brought into the hauen of tranquillity: and as an Hoast of men, without a captain, is alwayes in great daunger, & scarcely euer winneth the victory: in like maner eiuil societie semeth, to be obiected and [...]ayd open vnto Fortune: neyther can be in any parte quiet or fortunate, except (by the aucthority, and councell of the Magistrates) it be gouerned. And yet notwithstā ­dinge multitude of Magistrates troubleth and pertur­beth Hovve a com­mon vveale prospereth vvithout Ma­gistrates. the order of a Cyttye. For as in seafaring and war­like busines, regarde must be had that there bee but sewe commaunders, & many obayers: so also iudge I it meete and requisite to be obserued in the state of a cōmonweale:

Auncient wryters commend the Massilians whose common weale for order sake and equitye, they prefer before [Page 20] all others: for they had Senators, in number (as Strabo maketh mention) 600. of whome fyftene euery yeare by turnes bore greatest aucthoritye: and of those fyftene, al­so three were apointed to decide laws, & matters in cōtro­uersy, & these few only, gouerned the ciuil society very wel but in time of warres & vprores, these Massilians did chose suche Generalles and Princes as were sufficient and wel able to take some wayghtye charge of warres in hande: for verye manye Phisicians being brought vnto one sicke person, do rather stryue amonge theym selues by waye of vayne ostentation: then minister those thinges which may heale, or remedye the paciente: And dyuers counselles or opinions in greatest daūgers do rather hazard and enda­mage a matter then helpe it: these and many others, are to be considered in the ordayninge of Magistrates.

But this agayne and againe, I deeme worthye to bee Who be mete persons for to be made magi­strates in a common vveale. spoken, that very well it is, and moste meete, that the ad­ministration of the Common weale shoulde bee commyt­ted vnto olde men, whyche both by reason of their age, & experience in matters haue moste skyll: for true is that sentence of Plato, and which of Cicero is holden as it were for an oracle,

Crantor, an ordynary scholar of Xenocrates, and moste excellent Philosopher, reckoninge the state of mans lyfe, and descypheringe by most wyse deuision our actions, & Fovver special regardes to be taken in mans lyfe. cogitacions: affirmed that the fyrste part of our lyfe is to bee imployed vnto vertue: the second to good health: the thirde to honest pleasure: and the fowerth as he thoughte vnto ryches. For doubtles, nothing that good or pleasant is, can happen vnto vs without vertue: next vnto thys (as the best cōpanion of vertue) he deemed to be good health: [Page] For scarcely can it be well wyth vs in oure mynde, when it is euill with oure bodie: and scarcelye can the griefe of the bodye bee without the griefe of the mynde: Moreouer hee that is in good healthe, enioyeth fréeer mynde, and is not frustrate of the quietnes of hys wytte, and senses: next vnto these twayne, let honest pleasure come as a third cō ­paignion, which then doubtlesse is chiefe and best, when the minde enioyeth it selfe: it measureth all thinges vnto the tranquillitye and pleasures of the mynde▪ it is not de­lighted wyth the tickling of the sences, or allurementes of the bodye, but in contemplation of greate and waigh­tye matters, whyche surelye bee the foode of an honeste minde, well furnished with liberall studies: That fourth parte whyth hath society with the former three, although it be the least of all, yet when wee respect humaine neces­sitie, and when wee consider, that man hath nede of meat, drincke, apparel, & dwelling house, it cannot bee accoūp­ted otherwise then necessary: For as Callymachus saith, wythout ryches vertue aduaunceth no man: and that ver­tue without ryches, doth little or nothing adorn any mā. Theognis the true Poet, testifieth, that for feare of pouerty we goe headlong euen into the Seas: for penury nowe & then vrgeth excellent persons, and compelleth them to at­tempt very harde enterprises. Plantus the most pleasāt among comical Poetes, for want and scarsitie of victuals, placed himselfe for hyre to grynd in a Myll, and there so often as he had any vacant tyme from his worcke, hee ac­customed himselfe to write Comedies and to sell theim.

Cassius Seuerus also an excellente Oratour, hauinge cōtinued for the space of. xxv. yeares a vanished man, died in great penurie, scarcelye hauinge ragges wherewith to couer his priuities. And Valerius the compaignion in office of Brutus dyed so pore, that hee was buried at the cō mon Pinchinge pouertye put­teth men to their shiftes costes of the Cyttye: And the legittimate sonne of kinge Perseus (as Marcellinus wryteth) after his misera­ble calamity and frowning fortune, was glad to practize [Page 21] the Smythes occupation to get his lyuing withall: these cogitacions ought oftentimes to be reuolued in mynde of all theym that will rightlye constitute humane societye.

They that take vpon theym the office of a Magistrate: A Magistrate let them knowe that they beare a maiestie of the common weale, and let them forget themselues so longe to be pry­uate persons, as they execute or vse the administration of a publique office: let the magistrates euermore haue be­fore their eyes, the lawes of the common weale, wherunto in all pointes, let them know that obedience is to be geuē. For as the lawes do gouerne the magistrates: so the ma­gistrates oughte to gouerne the people. For true is that Prouer be pronounced by Tully:

For this happeneth in a good common weale, that hee whiche modestlye obeyeth, may seeme worthy, and meete somtyme to beare aucthority: and it is expedient, that he He that obey­eth vvel ruleth vvell whiche obayeth the Lawes, shoulde hope to beare rule in tyme to come: and hee that is in offyce, and hath Iurisdic­tion or gouernaunce, let him thinke that not long after, it may come to passe that he must obay others: let the first retaine vertues, as their guides, to direct and rule them: Vertues are the guydes of ciuill magistrates. without the whiche nothinge is well donne, whereof the firste and principall is Iustice, whiche layeth the founda­tion of humane societie & conteyneth in it godlines: why­che S [...]xtus Empiricus teacheth to bee the knowledge of Iustice. worshipping God aright: For this vertue especially res­pecteth the deuyne reuerence, mysteries and ceremonies: without the which nothinge orderlye, neyther any thing [...]olilye or godly can bee done in a common weale.

It is the nature of Iustice to hurt no man, nor to iniu­rye any: to geeue to euery man that whyche is hys ryght: to rewarde those that deserue well, wyth fauour, prayse, [Page] and giftes, and those that deserue euil, with losses, reproch Duties of Iu­stice. shame, punishementes, and death: but moreouer a righte excellent duetye of Iustice is in word and deede to keepe fayth & promise: for nothinge can be more filthye, in those whyche beare sway in the publique weale: then to breake promyse whiche reproche doubtlesse is neuer blotted out wyth obliuion, as wee reade of the Carthaginians, whom To kepe touch and performe promise is cō ­mendable. Ennius the Poet called faythlesse, or leaguebreakers, be­cause they started from their leagues and promises: why­che (certes) was the onely and chiefest cause, why that cit­tye which (for the Empyre of the whole worlde) conten­ded so many yeares wyth the People of Rome, (the chief Prudence vanquishers of all other Nacions) was destroyed.

Prudence the second vertue consisteth in choyse, or dis­cerninge of good and badde and is the ryngleader or chief of other vertues: insomuche that Apollophanes a worthye Philosopher said: that this onelye was the vertue vppon Temperance whome all the rest were attendaunt. Temperaunce (not­wythstandinge) helpeth very muche, and so shinech in all our doynges: that she is thought to bee the moderatrix or directresse thereof, this is shee whyche wyth so long conti­nued prayse, hath extolled that worthye sentence of Solon, warning vs to doe: Nothinge to muche.

The Chyldren of the Persians were carefully taught, & trayned to learne temperance, whych to thend they should An example of Temperance. the more diligently obserue, their rulers appointed & commaunded certayne of the discretest olde men in their cyt­ties, to bee presente at their daylye exercises: to t [...] ende they fearing the lookes and graue countenaunces of their auncient ouerséeers, might in all their doinges be gouer­ned and directed by modestye & temperance to frame thē Constancye. selues therafter in althinges, from time to tyme, accor­dingly. Constancie must also be therw ^t lyncked and an­nexed, namely that whyche is of wordes and dedes coūp­ted the moste faythfull obseruer or keeper: Shée causeth that the secretes of the publike weale be kept close and in [Page 22] silence, then the whiche there can be no better thinge: for whiche vertue the Persians especially are praysed, whyche Persians trusty in keping coū ­cell. doe vse to kepe all their secretes most faythfully: neyther feare, neither hope, nor any other fair promise, can aliure them to vtter anye secret matter, that is to bee concealed: for they haue an olde lesson or rule among them, whereby they are aduertised: that silence is kept w ^t daunger of life. Neyther are they thought able to atchieue, any great ex­ployte, which are not able to bridle their tongues, whiche member nature hath ordayned, as the easiest of al others: thereby to show that silence is no hard vertue to be kept & obserued:

Aristotle sayth y ^t there be thre things necessary in a Magi­strate: Thre things necessary in a magistrate. firste that he embrace Iustice & the other vertues, thereby to direct all those things which are profitable for 1. the common weale: Nexte, that hee doe loue the present state of his cittye, and beinge therewith content enterprise to doe nothing eyther newe fangled or straunge, but to go that waye whiche their auncestors haue instituted: and 2. whiche by the treadinge Steppes' of others, was worne playne: for desire of newe alteracions and thinges, is ra­ther wont to wearye and weaken the common weale: then to make the same better by any meanes.

Thirdly that magistrates should haue power of y ^t peo­ple, sufficient to execute those thinges, which appertayne 3. to their function, or office: whiche thinge doubtlesse cau­seth that they themselues, with greater courage bear out their office: and those agayne, shall more diligently obaye them, vnto whom obeysance is to be geeuen.

All Magistrates which haue the decidinge of lawes, & whyche do exercise any kynde of reuenge or punishment a­gainst offenders, ought as some bolde opinion to be strā ­gers: for as they themselues say: priuate grudges, enimi­ties, & hatred do arise amōgst citizens, when as one citizē punisheth another: but on the other part, felow citizens, are more tractable & prone to shewe fauour one towardes [Page] other then as if the matter were in the dealinge of a stranger: by the reason whereof many people of the Italians, haue accustomed to sende for suche Magistrates from o­ther places: but to be short, I am of opinion, that in a wel gouerned common weale, wherin all men bee obedient to the lawes and customes of their countrye: citizen Magi­strates are far better, and gouerne muche more honoura­blye then straungers: which thing doubtlesse, not onelye by the Romains, Carthaginians, Athenians, and Lacede­monians: but by diuers others, which commit all offices vnto their Citizens, may be perceyued: but especiallye it is euident by the noble common weale of the Uenetians, wherein there is no place geuen to Straungers: and yet Venetians ad­myt no no strā ­ger to beare rule amōg thē notwithstandinge, there is neyther seuerity wanting, nor by such maner of iudgements, any discordes do arise, ney­ther any sedicions, or enimities growe.

And one thinge concerninge that common weale of the Uenetians, wee may well say, which I cannot remember that euer I read or sawe elswhere: for the order of that ci­tie neuer swarued & altered from the order & state wherin by the first founders thereof it was constituted and orday­ned: but hath alwaies remayned in one state of gouern­ment Venetians alte nothing afore time ordayned by their predecessors and el­ders. immutable: for they that builded that citty deuised amongest themselues, and their Magistrates, a rewarde (as it were) for their trauayles: and this inheritance left they vnto theyr posteritye, that no Alien or denizen, born in any other coūtry shuld be admitted, to beare any office or aucthoritye amongest them: and so sithens that tyme, perpetually hath this order bene obserued, almost a thou­sand yeares, vntill this daye: wherefore the posteritye of them that first bulded the citty, haue alwayes bene rulers Seigniorye of Venice. in the same city, & were called Senators, Seigniors, fathers and nobles: and all the rest Commoners.

The chiefe and principall care for the common weale consisteth in Senators, whych ought to haue aucthority, aswell in tyme of warres, as in tyme of peace: vnto whom [Page 23] also from the other magistrates men may appeale: these Senators also (according to the institution of Lycurgus) are the keepers and reformers of the lawes, and as often as nede shall require do constitute newe, by certayn lear­ned lawyers of their Seigniorye: for it is a verye harde thinge to compasse and comprehend all thinges in wryttē lawes: for newe affayres oftentimes happen and occurre through the disorder of men, for redresse whereof new la­wes are expedient, and all thinges dayly proue, worse and worse, whych by the lawes are to bee punished.

Solon the Philosopher decreed no law against Parrici­des Manquellinge novv a commō practise in So­lon his dayes not thought that such could bee. and murtherers: being demaunded, why he had omitted the same: he aunswered, that he neuer thoughte, that any suche mischieuous and wicked act, could be commit­ted or done by any man.

All order of the Publike weale, and all Counsell, oughte in doubtfull cases and aduerse affayres, to come from the Senators, & counsellors, who be called fathers of theyr country, because euen as parentes prouyde of du­tye for their children, so ought the Senators for their ci­tizens and countrymē: let these graue Councellors (as it A good coun­cellor the fa­ther of his coū trye were grow together into one body, which seeth wyth ma­nye eyes, worketh with many handes, and standeth vpon many feete, which thinge, surely bringeth to passe that y ^e common weale is farre better gouerned, then the state of one Prince, for hee alone, forecasteth and foreseeth what he can: yet cannot hee measure, and compasse all thinges by counsell and reason: for no one mortall man hathe the knowledge of all thinges: And he is counted and reputed for the wyseste, who is ignoraunte in fewest matters: for many learned, wise, and graue wen, laying their heades and deuises together, do foresee all thinges, nothing is to theym obscure, nothing happeneth sodayn & vnlooked for, nothing new, nothing straūge, nothīg great, or wōderful.

There if the Senators theymselues doe trespasse, they seeme to offend more by their example, then by the crime [Page] it selfe: for all the inferiors, do folowe their steppes, and Example of Superiors is a president for infe­riors to folovv thincke themselues scarcely to transgresse, when as they se any Senatour guylty of the same cryme: let them ther­fore be firme and constant, not vayne and lyinge, neyther geuen to filthy lucre: let them not onely banishe away all filthy vsury, but also all gayne, wherein may bee anye sus­picion Vsury. of filthynes.

Publius Scipio Nasica vnto whom the sirname of a good man, was by the senate bestowed: who dyd so many nota­ble Vndecente ge­sture in a Senator put to re­proche. exploytes for his country, on a certayne tyme standīg in y ^e electiō for y ^• office of AEdileshippe, toke a certayn coū ­trey felowe by his hard & rough hand, & feeling the same so hard, demaunded of him in sporte, whether hee vsed to walke vpon his feete, or vpon his hands: which thing was so greuously taken of the country felow, & other standers by, that it came to the knowledge of the cōmon people, & was y ^e cause y ^t this excellēt Senator Scipio had a repulse in his sute: forasmuch as all the country people, thought thē selues hereby to be had in derisiō & made flouting stocks.

Uery litle or nothing do lawes and institucions profite God is the principall auc­thor and fau­tour of al good lavves and procedinges. except they be groūded vpon y ^t sacred scriptures, the auc­thor wherof is almighty god himselfe: for if those aunciēt people which knew not god, but were led with certain su­persticions, and false religion did nothing apertayning to the cōmon weale, without auctority of their high bishops: what behoueth vs christiās to do, whych only embrace the true religion & which haue Christ y ^t son of God for the foū der & author of our religion: surely we ought to endeuor with al care & diligēce, y ^t nothing be done, nothing thought That thing vvhich to the honour and praise of god is begon conti­nueth in force and felicity. vpon, or deuised, except god his assistance. ayd & good wyll be thereto fauourable, & that al our purposes, misteries or deuises, tend to his honor & glory, by whom we attain life euerlasting: therfore gods deuine operations ought to go before the ordinaunces of man: according to this sayinge: Imprimis venerare Deos, firste aboue al thinges worshyp God. The senators charge and duties therfore shalbe di­ligently to watch & care, that no lawes be established and [Page 24] enacted, but such as he consonant and agreeable to Gods good pleasure, for if he be ayding and well pleased w ^t oure christian rites, & ordinaunces▪ there can nothing go amisse in the common wealth, neither can ther any sinister thing or mishap chaūce herein.

At the beginning, y ^• gouernance of humane affaires was in y ^e autority of y ^e bishops: & kings beinge initiate in sacred lore, toke charge, both of deuine & humane things, neither thought they y ^• any mā could possibly rule wel, which was ignorāt in sacred matters & estraūged from god: therfore in those dayes either the prieests thēselues did gouerne, or els, the princes did attēpt nothīg w ^tout their aduise & auc­tority: for Romulus at y ^t first foundaciō & beginning of Ro­me, called the bishop whiche had charge in the temples, & Byshoppes na­med kinges by Romulus. holy ceremonies by the names of kings, & reigning as it were w ^t a mutual or associat aucthority, wold haue him to be the keper of y ^e laws & tradiciōs of their country: & not wythout cause, for the Prelates being inspired w ^t the holy ghost, do teach & instruct vs throughly in the preceptes of holynes and immortality.

There are two times to bee considered vpon: the one of peace, y ^e other of warres: & as in time of warres circūspect care for peace may not be omitted: so in time of peace such Times to be cō sidered in pea­ce and Warre. things ought to be forsene which in time of warres maye serue & be most necessary: for surely it is a point of greate wisdom, to hastē & haue in redines, in y ^e time of peace, such things: which fear of warres shuld cōpel vs spedely to ha­ue Time of peace in vse & to ocupie: both these cōsideratiōs therfore must be carefully looked to, by thē y ^• beare chief rule & auctori­ty, y ^t with warlike municions they may defēd, & mainteine y ^• swete ioyes of peace: & that y ^• municiōs of warres be not Time of War. preiudiciall or hindring to y ^e maintenance of peace: for the Romaines, y ^e most excellent of all others, vnto the chiefest office appointed two Cōsulls: y ^• one to deale in thaffayres for the cities behoofe, & the other in warlike matters: for smally should it preuaile thē to lyue at rest & quietnes w ^tin the walles of the city, if in the fields al were in hurlyburly [Page] & vprore, or if their enemies were not kept backe frō inua­ding their terretories: & on the other part to hold warres abrode, and at home to want aduise or councel, were very daungerous. Tyme doth al­ter both the ꝑ­son and his ꝓꝑtye.

That promocions, or offices should be perpetual in the common weale, I thincke it to be perrillous: for the long continuaunce thereof, doth often alter mennes maners: & now and then geueth theym occasion of tyrannous prac­tizes, as wee may well see of Iulius Caesar, who being con­tinual Dictator, inuaded the Publique weale: For yt is muche more harder in prosperity to obserue modestie, thē in aduersitie▪ and therfore, that custome is to be commen­ded and allowed, wherby two Consulles be appointed for no longer space then one yeare. The Cousull ought di­ligently to bee carefull in musteringe for the warres, that in euery precinct, the wealthe, nomber, and age be regar­ded: for those souldiers obey vnwillinglye, & are negligēt in their dutie, whiche are forced beyonde their abilitye, & power: and very ill fareth it with that armie whiche thin­kes themselues without iust occasion forced to warfare & when this Consull hath mustered souldiers, let him not suffer them to harbor or lodge in their wyntringe places, vnder Couert, but let theym lodge abroade in the open fielde, yea if it were in a peaceable tyme: and let him tea­che them, y ^• souldiers are of no more force then theyr cap­taynes and Generalle: for all men affirme that this sen­tence of Homer is true:

Speciall consideration and care must bee had for the due Ouerseers of the lavves. administring and execution of Lawes in a good Common weale, which surely causeth, that men do lyue without vi­olence or Iniurye: for it is impossible for a multitude to lyue without [...]ryfe, specially in that City where all thin­ges be common: albeit we say it is much better for euery man to haue his owne: for we see that fieldes which are in [Page 25] common amongest manye, lye vntylled, and growe full of▪ brambles & bryers: but priuate fieldes, farre more neate and trimlye husbanded: but priuate patrimonies bee they whiche make men diligent & attendant, & measure herein is to be prescribed vnto them, least richemen inioye al, and y ^• porer and weaker sort cleane thrust out and defrauded.

Varro sayth, that variaunce at the beginninge toke hys first name of contencion for lymits or boūds: which thing in deede Virgil seemeth to affirme where he sayth:

For now and then contention ariseth for debarringe or stopping y ^e course of raine water or of other matters whi­che Occasions of contentions for small mat­ters amonges Citizens to be reformed. daylye happen in Fyeldes, or elles in the Cyttyes, when men doe argue and stande in contencion, for the walles of their houses: for droppinges of their h [...]use eues and of Rafters not fastened: and oftentimes it comes to passe that amongest merchauntes, contentions may arise and speciallye when many are found vayne, & double dea­lers, with whome a man must not deale in secrete meanes, but before some arbitrators, or conuenient witnesses, and Iudges: Suche manner of stryfes whereby enimitye and hart [...]urninges may growe, ought straightwayes by cō ­position to be determined and ended, that y ^• citizens may be brought into concorde, which then is brought to passe whē euery man enioyes his own, obteyneth his due right, all variaunce or dissention set aparte.

Upon holydayes and suche dayes as are appointed ey­ther for Fayres or feastes, it shalbe good to staye prosecu­tion of causes and matters iudiciall, whych thinge also ys customablye frequented in any publique ioy or mourning.

A Praetor amōgest the Romaines was so called, because hee bare rule: and hee was called Urbanus amongest the [Page] citizens administred the lawes: It was in the power of y ^• Praetor to minister both publike & priuate aucthority, ther­fore it is nedeful y ^t the Praetors be men of vpright dealing, & A Praetor. well deseruing of the publique weale: who oughte in no parte to be ignoraunt of the lawes and customes of the cō mon state, but playnlye and absolutely to bee so skilfull in lawes both publike and priuate, that nothing appeare vn to them eyther obscure or doubtful: Let good and consci­onable lawyers pleade causes, and handle nothinge with Lavvyers. craft and maleengine: but let them speake all things tru­lye, and let them not leaue a lye vnpunished: for there ou­ght to be nothing in a comō weale so vncorrupt & syncere, as iudgement: which surely is more often corrupted with speach then w ^t mony: wherupon very wel said Cicero, y ^t hee vnderstode not why he y ^• corupteth iudgemēt with mony, should be worthy of punishmēt: & he that corrupts it with eloquēce, should haue prayse: to me (sayth he) it rather ap­peareth y ^t he offendeth more in this point, which rather w ^t speache then w ^t mony, corrupteth the iudge: because no mā with mony can corrupt a wise iudge, but with smothe and Corruption of Iudgement. dissēbling speach any man may: for how are y ^t corrupters of causes worthy to be hated, and how greuously are they to be punished? for they doe sell the patronage of Iustice & forsake the best office in the world, whiche is, defendinge right: somtime they pynch & get mony from the defendāt, sometyme agayn poule the plaintife, and in y ^e ende delude them both: and many do very il, which take on theim the patronage or office of defēding y ^e client, & do handle y ^• same so coldly, y ^t they differ smallye from forgers of causes: for true is the sentence of Cicero which sayth: perhaps men cā not be defended w ^tout dispraise, & that negligentlye to bee defended, coulde not bee without great wickednes.

Let lawyers therfore & patrones of causes pleade their clients causes, and that for dutie sake, y ^t they may deserue Vnsaiiable Lavvyers. wel of the citizens, & let their rewarde bee, to haue a good report in al mens mouthes, & let it not be lawful for them if by any meanes it may, y ^t they take any bribe or gyft, for [Page 26] handling the cause, as it was established by the law called Cincia: for a filthy thing it is and not worthy any man, to Bribcry is a fil­thye thinge. set out the tongue, for gayne or lucre in pleading causes. Surely Antipho Rhamnusius (as antiquity reporteth) was the first y ^t euer for defence of any cause toke reward, whose example long times after, the Greciās, & Latines, folowed: saying that the merchandize of the tong, was of far other sort, then any other merchandize whatsoeuer: but the Ro­maines from whom all good examples, aswel of honestie, as of vertue, are to be taken, by the law Cincia prescribed Good exāples, geuen by the Romaines. an order vnto the couetousnes of orators, and pleaders of causes, & because yonge men puffed vp with hope of gain, should not be permitted negligētly to handle matters, at the request of Appius Claudius, they suffered the lawe Cin­cia to be moderated.

Unto those Magistrates which wee aucthorize to haue Consideratiōs vpdon the tra­uels of the magistrates. thadministring of iustice, we rather ought to impart som stāding fée or publike stipēd, then priuate gain: least ther­by the iudgementes of the lawe be set to porte sale, whych thing no doubt is preiudiciall vnto al people: and for the most part the cōmon decay of the publike weale: whether the iudgement be corrupted or whether ells any thing be done by deceipt or violence, by them whych be iudges, and haue iurisdiction in executing Iustice.

Ouerséers of shamfastnes & modesty, are so necessarye in a cōmon weale, that without them, litle or nothing do other magistrates prenaile: for there cannot be a more comodi­ous Tribes or War d [...]sin a c [...]tye. thīg thē to haue people well manered, with ciuility: wherfore y ^e most grauest persons & most approued in vertu (som out of euery seueral tribe or ward) are her unto to be admitted: which may reforme & redresse the maners of the city, lest thereby there crepe in pieuesh customes, pernici­ous both to the people & to y ^t whole city: therfore great di­ligēce is to be required, y ^t the maners of y ^e people be most syncere & perfect: & then again, y ^t no pernicious custom do inuade the citizens, then the which ther can nothing in ci­ties happen worse: & lastly y ^t the religion & ceremonial or­ders, which haue bene by our elders wel established be al­so wel obserued.

[Page]The Romaines called the Censure of shamefastnes & modesty, the Lady and Maistres of discipline,: and theym whyche bore offices, in the cōmon weale, they called Cē ­sors, Censor vvas he vvhich coulde by his Wisdōe and knovvlege execute his of­fice viz. to constitute, cōmaūd & comptrolle. which tooke their name of iudging, comptrolling, cō stituting, or commaunding: of what effect it is, very wel to discharge and execute this office, euen hereby-may wee perceyue, in that this office or dignytye of Censor, dydde geeue the sirname vnto Cato Censorius, who very wel ex­ecuted this same function: The Infamy which wee call the Censors checke, was farre more greuouslye taken of y ^t Romaines, then any other punishmente, and sometimes y ^t rygour thereof stretched against the magistrates: for the Senators were cast out of the Senate house, by the Cen­sors checke, as wee reade of Lucius Antonius, because hee put away from him a yōg Uirgine whom he had maried: none of his frendes beinge called to councell: so reade we also of Lucius Flaminius, who caused certayne to be put to death, for looking lasciuiouslye at certayne women, whom Infamy of Cē sors. they loued: also Caius Fabricius the Censor, remoued out of the Senate house Publius Cornelius a noble personage, because he broughte ten poundes worthe of plate to a cer­tayne Senators dis­charged for excesse riot. banquet. Fat and corpulente Souldyers, per­fumed with oyntment, wer noted with this checke, their horses taken from theym, and they dismissed and dischar­ged out of the hoaste.

In iudgementes of lyfe and deathe, greate care & hede ought to be had: for cyuil hatreds and priuye conspiracies then burst forth vnto reuenge, whē as the magistrates ha­ue power of life and deathe: and therfore the Romaines, when they had appointed their Consulls vnto whom they committed, the speciall charge, of the common weale: yet was it not lawful for theym to execute or put to death a­nye citizen of Rome, and trulye not withoute good cause: for nothinge more procurethe the distruction of the weale publike, then the punishement by death, of those whiche specially haue but smally delt with others, or whose cry­mes [Page 27] or offences haue not so farre came to lighte as by no meanes they can or may be denayed, or elles that they bee Innocentes vvrongfully cō dempned make people repyne at magistrates. aparantly knowne vnto all men: for that worketh a per­petuall iniurye, when suspicion of innocencye remaynethe in the peoples heades, of theym whyche throughe false or rashe iudgement are sayde to be vniustly condempned, for innocencye caryeth with it great fauour, and the rumour or mutteringe of the people stryketh feare into thē which haue condempned innocentes: And moreouer the forre of conscience bringes to passe, that suche persons, as haue so ouerreached themselues, are thought neuer to lyue in se­curitye, but appoint vnto themselues, present punishmēt before their eyes: Howe notable is that sentence of Iulius Caesar, whyche with often repeticions he would vse?

And therfore, they that must geeue sentence and iudge­ment, of the lyfe and spyrite of man, whych is parte of the worlde, and hathe a mynde by the speciall gyfte of God, partakinge of reason, and filleth vp the number of the ly­uinge, ought carefully to aduise and consult wyth delibe­ration and not to do any thynge wyth rashe iudgemente, because suche a Deede once done, cannot bee called backe agayne.

Alexander kinge of Macedonie vnto his mother Olym­pias, vrginge hym greatlye, to kyll a certayne guyltlesse person, requestinge the kinges consent thereto, in conside­ration Pitty in the harte of Alexan­der tovvardes one that vvas like to haue bene put to death. of that nyne monethes space whyche shee bore hym in hyr wombe: most gently thus answered. O good mo­ther, rather request or demaund any other reward at my handes: for mannes lyfe cannot bee acquited or recompē ­sed wyth any good turne, or benefit.

Sabacus, moreouer kinge of the Egiptians (a man for godlynes and religion famous) as Diodorus Siculus ma­keth [Page] mencion did so muche abhorre sheding of bloud, that he commaunded the conuict and condempned persons, be­ing bound with chaynes, to become slaues for the city, ra­ther then that they should be put to death: doubtlesse true death redemed by thraldome. is that tragicall sentence, and in harte and mynde, euer­more to bee recited, and recorded of them, which do beare rule. viz.

There was wonte to bee amongest the Romaynes Eight speciall kindes of puni­shmentes vsed by the Roma­nes. eyght kindes of punishmēts, that is to say: amerciamēts, banishment, imprisonmēt, whipping, recōpence of asmuch for trespas made, reproche, bondage, & death: yet seldome w ^t death did the Romaines accustome to pursue, except a­gainst Parrycides, murtherers, rebels, and such like wic­ked persōs, whose lyues was not to be spared. But nowe an ill custome hathe taken place, y ^t theeues euen for small matters are executed by death, & so they take awaye that whiche can neuer be restored vnto mortall men. The great consideratiō for the comon treasure in a cōmon weale ought to be had: for treasures, & money are comp­ted the sinewes or strengthes of the citty, without y ^e why­che it can scarcely be preserued: for these thinges do beau­tifye a city, in prosperity, & bring ready succour in aduer­sity: wherfore there are to be ordained treasurers, which may haue the aucthority of receyuing, keeping, & layinge out of the common treasure: these men ought to be graue and vpright, and ought to abstayn theyr hands from pub­lique & priuate corruption: not vnhonest troublesom per­sons, but which can diligently measure the rate of fortu­ne, & of suche persons, as they shal haue to deale withal, and besides this let thē take hede that publicanes and tollers, extorte nothinge by violence or craftye collusion from theym ouer whom they haue rule: for that kynde of [Page 28] people is odious, and nowe and then, by reason of theyr vnhonest dealing, & lewd demeanour, prouoketh rnd stir­reth the common people to desire of new fanglenes.

In leuyinge of Tributes and Taxacions, treasurers Leuving of tri­butei. oughte to bee gentle and seeldome tymes to doe it: for it greueth the cittizens, to haue their proper priuate stock and substance imployde on publique affayres: excepte in great distres, or tyme of daunger, for then all good city­zens doe of their owne good accorde fall in consideration hereof, & willing be contributory to payment: but if they maye spare their priuate substaunce, they lyue better con­tented: & if there be no other remedy, but to do otherwise, then ought they to entreate all men gentlye, thereby the more easely to rayse their tributes, and winne the peoples hartes withall: for farre more is the good will of citizens to be esteemed then any masse of substance of treasures. Noble was the sayinge of Alexander the great, when on Alexanders friendes vvere his tresures. a tyme being demaunded, where he had his treasures laid vp, aunswered: he had layd them vp with his fryndes, & welwillers, and that they were wel & warely kept to hys vse there: for good wyl & good loue is the lady, both of a mannes owne substaunce, and of another mannes also: Tyberius Caesar also vnto his Lieutenauntes, receyuers, or treasurers, whiche counselled him to exacte trybute of his prouinces and countries, answered, y ^t it was the parte of a good shepeheard, to sheare his shepe: & not to flea thē.

The tyhat be aucthorised to coyn mony, ought to obay the commaundement of the treasurer, least they forge or embase the coyne: or mingle it with any other base met­tall, for it is moste daungerous to make counterfeicte Monye, of lesse value then it shoulde bee: the conside­ration Moneta à mo­nenda. wherof is most diligētly to be ouersene of the trea­surers: som do suppose y ^t the word Moneta is called so properly, Pecunia à Pe­core. because it geueth warning, y ^t no deceipte in mony, stamp or weight be made or vsed, but y ^t name of Pecunia, as Varro sayth toke his beguning of Pecus: for y ^• riches & substāce of men in tymes past consisted in Pecoribus: y ^t is to saye, in Cattel. [Page] And this thinge doth Lucius Columella testifye to bee true, and Ouid. libro 5. Fastorū, maketh mention where he saith:

Cambyses the father of Cyrus, king of Persia, beinge as­ked by what meanes citties mighte bee kepte in best saue­gar, aunswered: if they whiche keepe the same citties doe thincke they can neuer be wary enoughe of their enemye. The saying of this most wise kinge, is alwais to be reuol­ued of them, which beare aucthority in a common weale: for what auayleth armour? what municions? what are y ^e walles annd towers profiting vnto them which negligēt­lye Sauegarde of a cittye. keepe and looke to their watches and wardes? for wee see verye manye citties by negligence of their watches, and scoutes, (with the sodayn comming of their enemies) put to the spoyle and sacked: and moreouer as touchinge night watches, to whome citizens trustinge, and sleeping soundly, haue not knowen any thinge of the comminge of Night Watthe their enemie, vntil the scaling ladders haue bene set vp to their walles, and they throwne downe headlong, from the tops of their turrets.

Spargapyses the sonne of Tomyris queene of Scythia, be­inge together wyth all his hoast of men druncke with wy­ne, and slumbring or slepy, were in that estate alltogether destroyed: and doubtlesse, no Scoutes, nor watches, can Scoutes, Wat­chers and Warders. more safelye or diligentlye bee exercised, then of theym which beare the chiefest aucthority, whether the same bee in the Tents, or within the walles, certes it is scarce sa­fe enoughe for the Cytizens to sleepe soundlye when they shall perceyue the chiefe ouerseers of the watchmen to be wantinge: and a Captayne seemeth to commyt his hoast to the hazard of fortune, so long as he sleepeth. [Page 26] Alexander of Macedonie hath left vs a good lessō for this matter, who, because he wold not be deceiued by meanes of sleepe, vsed as he lay in his bed to stretch out his arme, (hauing vnder the same a brasen bolle or bason standing) & to hold in his hand a balle of siluer, to thintent that whē A Wise exam­ple of Alexan­der in vvatch­inge. slepe had weried and taken away the force of his fingers: hearinge the fall of the siluer ball into the bolle or bason hee shoulde streight way by the noyse & sounde thereof, a­wake agayn out of slepe: surely this lesson I thinck that most excellent king learned of the Cranes which do vse a nightly watch among themselues alwayes, and because they would not be deceyued or betrayde by any mishap in their sleepe: they stand vpon one leg holdinge a lytle stone in the other, which when it falleth from them by hitting the other standing leg, or making a noyse with lighting on the grounde, they are thereby awaked oute of their sleepe.

Euen so with no lesse care ought they to watch, whych beare aucthority in a common weale, that in such maner they may set in order their watches and keepe the holdes of their cittye, that the common weale susteyne no discom modity nor dishonour therby neyther in tyme of warres, neyther yet in tyme of peace: doubtles Socrates in Plato vsed great diligence & care, in y ^e choyse of such as should Who are mee­test for vvatch­chers & War­ders. kepe watch and ward: and surelye the better & more wel their citizens be, the more fitter persons are they to kepe watche and warde: which otherwise we see falleth out in rude or barbarous cityes, wherein laborers, worckemen, porters, and pore men are put to scoutes, and watch: but the richer men cocker themselues and lyue at ease within their owne houses: Sometimes watches are committed in charge vnto the Souldiers only, which nowe and then being wearied wyth their dayly trauayle, eyther watche rechleslye, or ells sleepe so soundlye, that they are not to be awaked with any noyse at all: as it chanced vnto those Romaines which kept theyr Capitol, when it was befie­ged [Page] by the Frenchemen: whiche Romaines had not they bene awaked out of their sleepe by the gagling of a goose, had bene vtterlye vndone, and the common wealth of the Gaglinge of a goose saued Rome from beinge taken. Latines, for euer extinguished.

Let there bee placed orderlye vppon the Walles in places fitte for that purpose, two warders whyche muste haue geeuen theym a Watche woorde, leaste they bee deceyued: and lett theym bee called vppon and punished whyche sleepe in their watche tyme: Let the Scoutes in the daye tyme watche before the Gates, on the towers, at loupe holes, or at other chosen places, leaste that a mul­titude of guestes vnlooked for, come as it were betweene theym and home, and take awaye booties, carrye awaye Captyues and inuade the Cittye: wyth no lesse care also let the night watches bee placed in the cyttye, then vpon the walles: for moste myschieuous deedes are rather put in practyse by Nyghte then by Daye. Theeues, Harlot­tes, Cutthroates, and robbers are no lesse to bee restray­ned, then Publique Enemies, agaynste whome doubt­lesse Night vvatch­ers charged. needefull it is that the Ouerséers of the Watche, shoulde extende Punnishmente wyth greate seueritye, yf they wyll rightlye prouyde for the good estate of theyr Cyttye: For worste of all fareth it wyth that cytye wherin Harlots and nyght Theeues, raunginge in the same bee not sufficientlye mette wythall.

It was lawfull amonge the Romaynes by the Lawe of Twelue Tables to kyll a nyght thiefe: So hathe yt also bene lawfull to do, to an Adulterer taken wyth the manner, and also to a woman committing Fornication: These notwythstandinge I iudge are not to bee permyt­ted, but in suche manner to bee handled, that for feare of punnishmente, all men keepe theymselues at home from doynge euyll abroade: For hee louethe to doe nothinge that is good or ryghte whyche shonneth daye lyghte, and hee that stealeth in lurckynge manner, is afrayde leaste [Page 30] some shoulde see hym and bewraye hym, and so thync­keth the nighte more safer for him then the day tyme.

It was not wont onely to bee the charge of theym that Night vvatch­ers preuente and vvithstand many daunge­rous chaunces in a Cyttye. had the ouersighte of the Watches amongeste the Ro­maynes to exercise watches & wardes vppon the walles, [...]ut also it was enioyned that they shoulde bee vigilant a­gaynste all nighte Traueylers: whereby the Publique quietnes of the cyttye mighte bee preserued & mayntay­ned: moreouer these and suche lyke watches doe helpe in many other matters, and especiallye in auoydyng ca­sualties of Fyer, whiche surely are seene to be most daū ­gerous in cytties: for both do they quenche casuall chaū ­ces of fyer wythin the Cyttye happeninge, and also of­ten tymes do catche in a tryppe subtyll Fyrers of houses, whose offence therein is to bee accoumpted capitall and worthye of deathe: and theym also whiche negligentlye rake vp theyr Fyers, they ought to punishe by whippinge and cudgellinge.

Dinocrates an excellente Architecte of Macedonie ha­uinge promised vnto Alexander the greate, to rayse vppe the Hyll called ATHON in THRACIA, of a mō ­strous height, vnto the similitude and resemblaunce of a man, whose lefte hande shoulde supporte the walles of a moste large Cyttye, and the righte hande shoulde holde a bowlle, whyche should receyue the flouddes descending from the Hyll, and poure theym into the Sea: Alexan­der (being delighted wyth the deuise of this figure) asked hym whether there were any fieldes neare vnto it to nou­rishe and mainteyne the Cyttye wyth Corne and victual, yea, or no? DINOCRATES aunswered: that yt must haue Succour and reliefe from beyonde the Seas: The kynge sayd that suche a deuyse was not to be allow­ed at all▪ for (sayth he) as the infant lately borne into the worlde can neyther lyue nor prosper wythoute the mylke of the Nurse: So neyther can a Cittye bee sustrayned or [Page] cherished without the fruites of the fieldes.

The example of this noble kinge ALEXANDER ought to exhort all builders of cities, to appoint the situ­acion Al princes or magistrates may here ymy tate the care of Alexander for his subiects in prouidinge corne and vic­tuels. therof in plentiful & fruiteful places, and that they whych haue charge ouer the people do especially prouide corne, and victuals for their sustētacion: for smally should the defence and sauegarde of the citty preuayle, to small purpose should the lawes, rytes, and order of a city serue, if the people shoulde sterue for honger: for what can bee more daungerous among that people, whom neyther ar­mour, magistrates, neyther Gods Iustice, nor mannes Lawes, neyther anye shame can keepe in streight order, then dearth and famine: for verye aptly hereunto saythe Lucanus the Poet.

Let therfore first and principall care be for competent prouision of victuall, namely bread corne, the vse wherof is seene to be farre more necessary, then any other thinge and let there bee made three Purueyghours, or prin­cipall victuallers, to haue the ouersighte, and surueighe of all victual, and make prouision of the same according­lye: let the corne be kept for common vse, eyther in deepe trenches, cleane fāned from the chaffe, and couered ouer, whereby for seuen yeares store, it may bee well reserued, Good order for corne to be kept. or in brode graners, wyth lyttle wyndowes, on the north ende thereof, wherein for three yeares space it may be pre­serued from the mothe, wyuell and all noysome vermin: and let them haue a speciall care that there be no corne or grayne carryed forthe of the citye, but in great store and plenty thereof, least it become mustye: but let it rather be brought in by exchaunge, and rechaunge made from y ^• countries neare adioyninge, for it were farre better to haue store enoughe at home sufficiently not only to serue them and their country: but also if nede were to helpe our [Page 28] distressed neighbours: And let theym set a rate or price of things, least they being bestowed at the wyl of them that shall sell theym, they bee rated and esteemed, as it shall seeme good vnto them at all tymes.

Regarde also must be had that not with a little care & Good order for the church diligence the temples and churches of the immortall god (which with suche great costes and charges are edefied, & whiche make the cities, specially therby farre more gor­geous) haue suche officers and ouerseers for the gouern­ment thereof, leaste otherwise by negligence and slouthe they falle to ruine or decay: wherfore AEdiles are to bee appointed, which thereupon were called by the Romai­nes, by that name AEdiles, because (as Varro sayth) they had the ouersighte of sacred and priuate houses: It was also the charge of the same Officers, amongest the Ro­maines, Good order for stretee and highvvayes. to see that the common streetes, and highwayes, should bee well leuelled and made euen, and that y ^e same, should be kept in decent order, and that therupon no buil­dinge should be erected and set, which eyther might hyn­der the commodity or comlynes of the same: also they had a charge enioyned them, to see that the water conduites, common sewers, and sinckes, should be clensed and scou­red, and that the bridges should bee repayred and amen­ded: Good order for conduites and common Sevvers. moreouer, there is nothinge in a free cyttye whyche dothe more breede enuye or hatred, then to see cer­tayne fellow citizens in a shorte tyme enry­ched with the comon mony, or treasure whereas the same coulde not suf­fice them all.

ADRIANVS Caesar was a Prynce of excellence wytte, and exquisite learninge: for often tymes he Prayse of A­drianus Caesar. both wrote, spake, heard others speake, and talked wyth hys frendes at once, & woulde do all this at one tyme: he was also greatelye geeuen to Poetrye, and a fauourer of all good Sciences: in Arithmetique, Geometrye, Musicke, and Payntynge, most skilfull: he often was wont to say that the Common weale is so to bee regarded of theym whiche beare rule in the same, that euerye one shoulde knowe how that he had to doe for the common weale and not for his owne proper and priuate estate.

Phocion the Athenian (when as abundance of treasures was sent vnto hym of gyft, from Philip king of Macedo­nie) Phocions mo­dest aunsvver in refusinge giftes and tres­sures sen [...] hym. would not take any of it at all: and to the kinges em­bassadors exhorting him that if he himselfe could easelye lacke the same treasures, yet at the least, to take it for his childrens vse: for whom (sayde they) it was verye harde beinge in such penury and distresse as they were, to main­taine their fathers dignitye: he aunswered, if my chyldren do resemble and bee lyke to me their father in condicion, this lyttle plott of grounde whych hath brought & mayn­teyned me to this dignitye, shall also suffice to bringe vp and mainteyn them: but if they doe not resemble me, sure I wyll not mayntaine their ryotte with these Treasures and ryches.

In no place at these dayes is founde that lande whiche [Page 32] of it owne frutefulnesse nourisheth the Cyclopes without tyllage and sowing: neyther is that Erithrea of Lusitania whyche men saye Gerion sometimes possessed, beinge of so rancke, and fruitefull soyle, that when once the corne is cast vpon y ^e groūd, the new sprouting seede eftsones brin­gethe forthe newe blades, and beareth Seauen or rather more haruestes one after another: neyther floweth in our Lotos, some doe suppose to be a tree. coastes that floud Nylus, whiche of it selfe bringeth forth an Herbe called Lotos, whereof men in those partes doe make bread to eate, and whereof wyth such gredynes (as Homer sayth) they doe eate, that they altogether forget y ^• ordering of their housholde affayres: wherfore men must prouyde to haue possession of Landes, that prouysion of victualles may be reserued from tyme to tyme.

Marcus Curius hath by his wysdom taught vs to haue greate store of publique landes: and that priuate menne Possession of landes in com­mon vveale. shoulde haue so much thereof, as to the meynteyninge of their lyfe and lyuinge, shoulde bee necessarye: for when as hee oute of his tryumphes had adiudged innumerable acres of Lande to the cōmon weale, to euerye manne in seuerall hee onelye alotted Fowertye, neyther▪ reser­ued he anye greater porcion thereof vnto hymselfe then the reste had: Hee was blamed of certayne persons by­cause he had geeuen himselfe the leaste parte, and had en­tytled the common weale to the moste parte: hee sayde vnto them, that no man ought to thincke that grounde to be a little or vnsufficiente whiche shoulde suffice his owne vse and his families.

As it behooueth ciuill Societye to haue fewe to beare An ouerseer to order housholde affayres. aucthoritye, and manye to obey, so in housholde affayres there ought to bee one whiche shoulde haue chiefe rule, & hee to bee auncient in yeares, and all the residue to obay. And as in a city by due obedience to lawes, the magistrate is sayde to gouerne others iustelye, so in Commaun­dynge and obayinge, wee haue accustomed to gouerne [Page] domesticall dealinges, let them whiche beare aucthoritye or office in a common weale, know that the lawes do go­uerne and are aboue them, and let them that are the chief of an houshold follow the rule of a good husband or hous­holder: There is therfore a good order in some citties, y ^t none maye bee chosen into the Senate which hath not the charge of house and family.

He that is the Gouernour of an housholde, ought al­wayes to remember that hee hath sometymes bene a ser­uaunt, that hee do rather correct offences wyth woordes, Housholders. then wyth stripes, and had rather that his family should feare his seueritye and Iustice, then tremble at his cru­eltye: for it goeth worste of all with that familye whyche rather wyth feare then wyth zeale, goeth aboute their bu­sines. And furthermore in great trauayles, and in ex­ecutinge waighty offices or duties, it behoueth the hous­holder to shewe himselfe, the first man, officious, and dily­gent: for the Inferiours wil be ashamed of slouth & slug­gishenes, Such masters such familye & seruauntes. when they shall see the elder, to be diligent and paynefull: so on the other parte, he shal beware and take heede, that hee doe nothing filthyly, whiche his houshold may haue in suspicion: for they doe farre more offende by example, whithe beare aucthority, then in committing y ^e offence.

Amongest the auncient in times past, there was suche multitude of Slaues, that they by violence thruste the freemen, out of certain cities, and now & then rebelliously receiued & w ^tstode their maisters cōming homewards by force of arms: for we reade that y ^e people of the coūtrye of Scythia were a nation almost inuincible, for they dyd not onelye wythstand Darius king of Persia from enterprising vpon their coastes & borders: but also put him to a vyle and shamefull flyghte: moreouer they ouerthrew the ho­astes of Alexander, they established the Empyre of y ^e Par­thians, and people of Bactrians, they had Asia tributarye vnto theym. 1500. yeares, from whych country, when as [Page 33] these Scythians returned wyth conquest in theyr thirde expedicion (for they had bene eyghte yeares absence from their wyues) they were at the first dryuen backe, and for­cyblie repulsed from comminge home, by theyr owne ser­uants and bondmen. For their wyues weryed wyth long loking for their husbandes, newe maried themselues to their bondslaues whiche were left at home to keepe theyr Cattle: whyche slaues not without slaughter and bloud­shed, wythstoode and woulde not suffer their maisters at their return to come home into their own coūtries & hou­ses: And althoughe in the ende the victorye fell to theyr maysters, yet notwythstandinge they bickered and skyr­mished together so doubtfully, that hard it was to discern who in the ende would get the vpper hande: but at y ^e last the bondmen beinge vtterlye vanquisht, were hanged vp­on gibbets, and the women stryken with remorse of their guylty and filthy consciences, dispatched and murthered themselues, partly by the halter and partly w ^t the sword: Amongst the notorious warres of the Romaynes, is not also the seruile warres recoumpted and reckoned, which tooke the name of Bondmen vanquished?

But sometimes slaues haue shewed forth Examples of most tryed fayth and trustines, as Caius Plotius Plancus witnesseth, for he being by the Triumuiri proscript, & ap­pointed, to haue bene executed, for feare hyd himfelfe pri­uelye, in a Ferme nere Salerne, when the Souldiers that were sent to search him out, hauinge by the sauour, of his Perfumes smelled him out, caught his seruaunts, who Remorse of the maister to­vvardes his seruants fidelity. beinge muche and longe tyme euill entreated, and tormē ­ted, woulde not disclese theyr maister. Plancus pyty­inge and hauinge compassion on the fidelitye of his owne seruaūtes, came for the, amongest the myddest of them, & offered his throate into the handes of the souldiers, there­by to delyuer his seruauntes from present tormentes.

Marcus Antonius also an excellent orator, being accu­sed of incest, had experience in the fidelity of his seruaunt [Page] who beinge brought vnto iudgement, euen he which bore the La [...]terne, to that vngracious act, beinge also tormē ­ted, scourged, rackte, withe burninge plates schorched and halfe burned to death, would neuer declare his may­sters incest, wherunto he was priuye, and of councel: So haue there bene also others in like manner approued: but the trustines of seruants to their maisters is not alwayes to be assayed.

The freeman which hath vnder him the gouernmēt of seruants, ought speciallye to thincke that they are men, & not brute beastes, and that he should not rage with cruel­tye against them, in scourging, euyll entreating, or chay­ning of them (for by scourging their hartes are made ob­durate & hardned) nether do they any thing but with euil Hovv the may ster ought to entreate his seruauntes. wyl: but the master ought to deale more gently w ^t thē, ex­acting their daily taskes, & that not without mercy: their diligence & good endeuour is to be commended, whereby they may apply themselues w ^t cherefulnes in their labors and busines: They ought also to haue suche foode and su­stenance geeuen theym whyche maye strengthen their bo­dyes wythout curyositye and costlynes: Let theyr Appa­rell bee suche as may couer their bodies decentlye in So­mer, and defend theym from colde and rayne in wynter: for Seruauntes pynched wyth colde, ouer awed with fe­are, & hongersterued, cannot performe any manner of of­fice or dutie ofseruice.

Wee muste also take heede, least throughe strayte loo­kinge to our seruaunts they become desperate: for now & then they are geeuen to bee cruell, agaynste those that be weaker then theymselues: and the blowes or strypes of the mayster are sometymes reuenged vppon their childrē and wyues.

Wee haue yet freshe in our memory a Seruaunte of a wicked wytte and cruell meaninge: this felow had a very A vvicked exā ple of a vvic­ked seruaunt. rygorous mayster, that often cudgelled and bet him cru­elly, wher at this his seruant being angry, and not know­inge [Page 34] how to be reuenged vpon hys mayster, on a tyme cau­ght two infantes (which were his sayd maisters childrē) the one of a yeares age, the other of two yeares, and with them ascendinge vp into a certayne highe Turret, called his mayster, and wylled him to take his younge babes vp into his lap: whom so sone as he had squatted to the groūd hee cast himselfe headlong after theym, because he wold not come alyue into the daunger of his mayster agayne.

Bondmen enthralled and endaungered vnto vs by the lawe, by reason they are to vs indebted, are more gently Welvsinge of hyred seruauntes. to be entreated, tyll they haue payde their dutie: for we ought to remember that so sone as they haue recompen­sed their debt with their bodily traueyle, that they are fre borne, and not of seruile condicion, as are those franchised bondmen (who although freed) yet after fredome, do owe some seruice vnto vs: wherfore we must accoumpt theim as Iournymen or laborers hyred, and we must in al thin­ges vse them as freemen with curtesye, wee must require their worcke and allow also reasonable wages, and truly pay the same to them: for to haue their good report it shal muche profite whensoeuer wee shall bee dryuen to hyre o­ther labourers.

Of al societies or felowships, there is none more agre­able vnto nature, then y ^• society of man & woman: for ther is engraffed by nature in euerye liuinge creature a loue & zeale to their like of kynd, and a reason of conseruation by coniunction of male and female: for there can be no wylde beaste so cruel, so solitary, & alone wādring, which in their time do not seke, a mate of their own kind & condicion for procreatiō sake: seing thē there is no such society or felowship more according to nature, then that of the male and female: it be houes vs to wryte of matrimoniall cōiunctiō especially when as citizens do matche theymselues wyth Citizens in mariage by a long cōtinued good wil, & so re­concile & make attonement betwene grudging enemies.

As we reade of IVLIVSC AES AR and Pompeius, [Page] whose affinitye so long as it flourished, dyd subdue and re­presse ciuyll discorde, and reduced all the ciuill warres, vnto vnitye and concorde.

For had not the rauished virgins of Sabina appeased y ^• myndes of their Parentes and husbandes by the Law of Exāple of ma­trimony. matrimonye, the common weale of the Romaynes, had bene vtterlye destroyed: very necessary therfore is it to in treate of maryage and naturall amitye: for man doth not onely marye and take a wyfe for procreation sake, but al­so, to haue a companion of lyfe, wyth whom hee may liue together, and participate ether fortune, both prosperity & aduersity: for hee that is ledde by reason, doth seeke for y ^• commodities of his lyfe, neyther seeth he that he can suf­ficientlye prouide for his owne estate, excepte hee take a wyfe: therfore man whē he hath prouided him of a dwel­linge house taketh a wyfe, that he may procreate childrē, to the ende to lyue more commodiouslye, and the better beare the chaunces of eyther fortune.

It is especiallye necessarye for a man to seeke a trade Trade of ly­uinge. whereby to lyue, that hee maye be the better prouided for in hys olde age and sickenesse: wherefore it is eyther re­quisite for him to exercise husbandrie, or seafaring, or som other kinde of honeste trades, thereby to get conueniente staye whereof to lyue.

Therfore our carefull mother, dame nature, parent of humane kynde, hath ordayned wedlocke, to the ende that not onely the most pleasaunt, but also the most profitable societye of lyfe, might thereby be put in vre: therefore as Xenophon hath left in writinge in his boke of houshold af­fayres, the deuine prouidence of God made women to bee more fearefull creatures then men, because the same fea­re and awe, in the woman should frame her the better to kepe home and to be diligente: for awe & feare help much to the diligence of keepinge, and naturall effeminacye or tendernesse hath deliuered vnto theim trades, & faculties wherein they may be exercised, and finde theimselues oc­cupied [Page 35] euen within their owne houses: furthermore foras muche as meate drincke and clothe, must needes be had, & cared for, not in euery place openlye, or in wylde woodes but at home vnder the roofe of the house, and in the inner The man to bringe in the maintenaunce of houskeping by trauayl a­broade. partes of the same, it hath bene necessarye for men to bee occupied abrode in company and assemblies of men, wher they meeting together may deuise meanes, by laboure & industrye to get suche thinges as beinge broughte home, shoulde be layde vp in store, in some conuenient place of y ^• house: the charge of dispensacion or bestowing whereof, is more conuenient for the woman then for the man.

Aristotle did verye well assigne the cares of all suche matters as are to be done abrode vnto men, and of things to be done at home vnto women: and he thincketh it very The vvoman to saue & kepe that is brou­ght and to o­uersee it at home. vncomelye & not fitting, that women should deale in mat­ters which are to bee done abroade, as also for men to ha­ue the orderinge and disposinge of thinges wythin dores, for all helpes and defences of mannes lyfe are more easily procured and gotten, by mariage, then by singlehood.

We ought to restore that vnto nature which wee haue borowed, as to geeue vnto others lyfe, whych our paren­tes haue geeuen vnto vs, by reason whereof we obtayne, that our chyldren should restore that vnto vs in our extre­me age and weakenes, whiche they haue receyued of vs, Nature in the childe oughte to be careful for cōfortinge the parentes in olde age. when they were not able to helpe theymselues: let theym I saye nourish and mainteyn vs, in oure decrepicie, when we leane vpon our staffe and be weake and feble: euen as we brought vp them in their tender age, when we sustay­ned and embraced them in our armes, when they first learned to creepe: and by these meanes, the interchaunge of nature is perpetuallie fulfilled, and that which it cannot do in the simple generalitye is cōserued and kept in spece and kynde.

Furthermore, the discommodities hapninge in our old age (which surelye are innumerable) and the manyfolde kindes of diseases which do vexe and torment barren olde [Page] age and as it were by conspiracies fall vppon olde men at once: by what other reason maye they bee suffered, or by what cōfort ells maye they be mitigated or asswaged, but by y ^• hope & helpe which we haue or ought to haue inour Comfortable to haue chyl­dien. children: for far lesse greuous do those euils seme, which happen vnto the father striken into extreme age, when he himselfe deelining toward decay, seeth his sonnes growe lustye of body, & euery day more strong: then those things which vnto a man wythout children do happen, which see leth and perceyueth the powers both of his body & mynd to decaye, and therwithall at once al hope of helpe, & po­steritye to come to an ende: but death it selfe (whiche vn­to all men is most greuous) doth bring somwhat the lesse Death. to theym that leaue children behinde them is less greuous griefe vnto them: who knowing themselues to be mortal persons, & that they can lyue no longer then humane cō ­dicion or state wyll suffer them, do behold their childrē by them begotten, resembling them, to be called by their pro­per names, wherby they are as it were reserued stil aliue in the fame and reporte of men, euen after their disceasse: For they that departe this worlde, leauing bebynde them Death of the that vvant Issue brought in obliuion. no chyldren, do carrye wyth theym the ruine of their race & offpringe, and deserue euyl of the common weale, yea of mankinde also are they wrapped in perpetuall obliuion, neyther leaue they any steppe or imitacion of their lyfe af­terwardes amongest men at any tyme.

Therfore I think best for a ciuyl man to take vnto him a wyfe, not onelye for necessities sake: but also to thende Causes necessarye vvhy the ciuill man shoulde mary a Wy [...]e. they maye lyue wyth more Pleasure and profite, wyth whome a thanckefull, pleasaunt, and atceptable societye of lyfe, must be framed, not to fulfill the lust of the fleshe, but to procreate and encrease Issue, thereby to replenish the cyuyll common weale, whyche in deede is the proper respecte and dutie of mariage.

AElius Commodus Uerus Emperoure of Rome, is sayd to haue aunswered his wife verye notablye, when as shee [Page 36] seemed to bee offended at the filthinesse of his Lyfe, and complayned of his forreyn pleasures: Suffer me, wyfe (sayth he) by other women to exercise my Luste and sen­sualitye, for a wyfe is the name of Dygnytye, and not of pleasure.

Socrates the Philosopher when hee had longe tyme and muche suffered his firste wyfe XANTIPPA to be Socrates and his curst Wyfe bothe angrye and churlishe againste him (to Alcibiades meruaylinge that he coulde beare wyth suche a shrewde, and bytter woman, and not banishe her oute of his house) made this aunswere: that in sufferinge suche a Uixen in her behauiour at home: he enured himselfe the better to putt vp those Iniuries and reproches whiche were done to him abroade by others: For Socrates had two wyues at one tyme the better thereby to perfourme throughlye the effect of pacience.

METELLVS NVMIDICVS the greate and Metellus bys oracion cōcer­ninge mariage. eloquente Oratour: whyle hee was Censor discoursinge of the Maryage of Wyues in his Oration, spake these woordes: My Lordes if wee coulde be wythout wiues we shoulde all easelye lacke and be wythout that molesta­tion? but because Nature hath so ordayned, that neyther wyth theym can wee lyue commodiouslye, and withoute theim we cannot lyue at all: I thincke it better rather to prouyde for a perpetuall sauetye, then for a shorte or mo­mentanye pleasure.

Whiche manifeste confession of the care and molesta­tion of wyuing, was mysliked of many of the Cytizens of Rome, for they sayde that METELLVS the Censor whose purpose shoulde haue beene to exhorte the common people vnto Matrymonye) could not confesse or vtter any thinge touchinge the griefes and discommodities therof leaste in so doynge hee shoulde rather seeme to disswade the People from Matrymonye, then exhorte theym thereunto: For so muche as almoste there is nothynge [Page] throughoute the whole lyfe of man, can be founde, whych in euerye parte of it selfe is absolute and perfecte, that no stable amitye coulde bee founde, nor more aboundaunt in all dutie, & godlines, then in matrimony.

Tiberius Gracchus wyllingly & of his own accord saued and redeemed his wiues lyfe wyth his owne death, for he findynge at home, two snakes, in this sorte destyned, that Example of husbande hys faythfull loue tovvardes hys Wyfe. vnlesse hee killed one of theim, hee and all his housholde shoulde perishe & dye, if he let the male escape, it shoulde then be his chaunce to escape alyue: but if the female, thē should his wyfe Cornelia escape alyue: hee so entierly loued his wife, and so much esteemed matrimony, that he rather chose to dye hymselfe, then to suruiue his wife,

The wyues of the Myniās haue lefte vs an example of admiration: for their husbandes heinge imprisonned by the Lacedemonians, and iudged to dye for conspiringe against the state, looked for present execution, according to the custome, in the night season: but their wyues ma­kinge a pretence or excuse, to goe to speake vnto their husbandes, Exāple of the Wyues fayth­ful loue tovv­ardes their husbandes. & take their last leaue, obteyned licence of the ke­pers to goe vnto them, where chaunginge their apparell and dissemblinge their sorowes, w ^t their heades couered, suffered their husbandes to departe, and gaue themselues to the death, to the end that they might deliuer and set at libertye their husbandes.

Moreouer the too much cherishing that Augustus vsed towardes his daughters, made theym more wanton and lasciuious, whereupon Iulia, when a certayne seuere and graue frende of hers, went about to perswade her to fol­lowe the example of her fathers frugalitye, she scornful­lye Exāple of tòo much cherish­ing & cock [...]ing of childrē aunswered: my father forgets that he is Caesar, but I remember that I am Caesars daughter: shee outraged so farre in dissolute lyuinge, that shee prostituted her body to all men: and when as men that knew well her filthy lyfe, meruayled how shee brought forth chyldren so lyke to A­grippa her husbande, seing shee had to doe wyth so manye [Page 37] men: shee aunswered that she could lawfullye entertayne and admitte adulterers after that shee was greate wyth A shamelesse▪ aunsvvere of a shameles strō ­pet. chylde by her husband: for seldome doth the woman ke­pe shamefastnes that hath once lost her chastity.

There are some women whiche take pleasure to talke of their filthy demeanour, and declare the blemish or dis­ease of theyr mynde and body wyth filthy speche, thereby Some Women delightinge in filthy talke declare the filthines of their poluted mynde. to appeare more pleasantly conceyted vnto the worlde: as Popilia the daughter of Marcus, to a certayn man whych meruayled what should be the cause: that all beastes doe neuer admitt the male to couer theim, but at due seasons whē they woulde be made great with yonge, and women at all tymes desire the societye of man: shee aunswered: because, they are beastes.

But let the husband loke to it, that hee geeue no occasion of filthynes or offēce, vnto his wyfe: and let her take The husbands vvordes levvdlye vttered corrupt the levvd disposition of the Wyfe. heede that shee do not speake any filthye thinge, at any ty­me in the presence of her husband, wherein some men doe much offend, which allure their wyues wyth vncleanly­nes of wordes and filthynes of speache vnto lust and con­cupiscence, and doe instructe theym in Fables, whereby they are made more readye to venerous dalliaunce, and inflamed with straunge lou [...]s: and the men nowe & then speake those thinges whyche are able ynough to enflame euen those women that be otherwise very cold affected.

Furthermore let the husbande, farre more diligentlye abstayn from hauing to doe with any other straunge per­son, if hee desire to haue a chaste wyfe: for no iniury doth more diminishe or sooner breake the holye society of ma­ryage, then for the one partye, I will not say to be onely takē in adultery, but also in any slender suspicion therof.

The Persians therefore very well dyd greuouslye pu­nishe Adultery sharpely punished by the Persians adulterye, to then tent that the societye of matrimo­nye might be made the more firme and stable.

The continency of the husbande for the moste part kee­peth his wyfe in chastitye, and maketh the man himselfe [Page] to be farre more commendable: Laelius the friende of Sci­pio, is counted the happier in this one respecte, that in all his lyfe tyme he had but the company of one onely womā that is to say, his own wyfe, whom he had and no more: for there are very fewe wyues so modeste, and so louinge to their husbands, that they can willingly and patiently suffer & beare with their husbandes harlottes.

I remember that I haue reade (not without meruay­linge) Women sto­macke much to haue their husbandes ke­pe an harlot. of one woman euen Tertia, wife of the former AE­milius mother to Cornelia, who was of suche gentlenes, and pacience, that when shee knewe her husbande (being the conqueroure of Affrica) to be hotelye enamoured of her handmayd a beautiful piece, & knew wel that he vsed her too familiarly: shee alwayes dissembled the matter, least otherwise shee should accuse her husband (that most excellent Gentleman) of Intemperancye, and that why­che is more: she was so farre frō reuenge, y ^t when AEmi­lius was dead, shee sette her handmayde at lybertye, and freely placed her in maryage (to one that serued her hus­bande) wyth no small dowrye.

Surely a man shall fynde very fewe women in all the memorye of man, of this nature, that can sufferor beare wyth their Husbandes Strumpettes: therefore that good reason or argumente vsed by the lawyers, is to bee openlye fixed in the houses of men: wherein is geeuen vs for precepte:

For what is more reprochefull then for a man to bee condempned by that law whiche hee himselfe hath made, Solon his lavv for punishinge adultery. and to reprehende that in others, wherein himselfe lyke­wyse trespasseth: to mee therfore that auncient Lawe of [Page 38] Solon, seemes altogether vniuste: wherein is sayde that if the man take his wyfe in adultery, let him kyll heri but if shee take the Husbande in adulterye, lett her not once touche hym, wyth her finger: for once that Lawe beinge recited amongest a companye of matrones one of theym (curteously smylinge vppon the rest) sayd: I see playnly that Women were excluded oute of the councell of men when those lawes were ordayned: for if there had beene any woman there, they woulde neuer haue suffered thys Lawe to haue passed being so iniurious to our sexe.

Also that Lawe was vniuste whiche was had in vse a­monge the Egiptians, as DIODORVS maketh men­tion: For it appointed the man taken in adulterye, to bee fcourged or whipped: but the woman to haue her Nose slyt and disfigured, to the entent she might in that part be An hard thing to chose a vvi­fe vvell. punished wherew ^t the face is moste comly garnished to the sighte of the worlde: notwithstandinge in matters touchinge Wyuynge: there is nothynge more harder then to make a good choise, for maidens are brought vp at home w ^tin dores, and do verye seldome goe abroade to be seene: For the whiche cause it is almoste impossible for a man to searche out their Beauty, Manners, and Conuersation, whych matter surelye maketh men doubtful what to do: for it is a thinge of no small effecte, to marye a wyfe, and wyth her to frequente perpetuall Societye of Lyfe, whyche in all poynctes is vnknowen vnto hym at the firste.

The manners and conuersacions of Maydens cannot bee better ghessed at, and perceyued by any other reason, then by the similitude or lykenesse of their parentes: for Good parents bring vp good chyldren. it is verye lyke that of good Parentes, there can no euyll children be gotten: A chaste mother bringeth vp chaste daughters, and she that in harte neuer committed shame, wyll not wyncke nor beare wyth any faulte of her daugh­ter. [Page] All young men for the most part do desire to mary a fayre wyfe: but yet it is (by the opinion of Theophrastus) lesse griefe for a man to haue a foule, thē to kepe a fayre wyfe: For hee thinkes that no thing is there safe, which al men do desire, because some one man doth entyse her by beau­tye, some by wysdome, and some through eloquence, and some by bounty and gyftes, and that whiche is assaulted in euery parte, is vanquished on some parte: This much doth Saynt Ierome discourse vpon, after the minde & opi­nion of the Philosopher Theophrastus.

Ennius the Poet sayde that wee must marrye wyues, y ^• are of a sounde chastitye, and whyche are seene to bee of a portly fauour: Aulus Gellius expoundeth this sentence, & sheweth that those women be of portly fauour, which are Choyse of a Wyfe. neyther of the fayrest, not yet of the fowleste feature, but meane betweene both: whych mediocrity surelye is in al thinges best and chiefest: for this reason is sufficient to y ^• procreation of issue: for pleasaunt beautye in the womā helpeth muche, as in the men worthynes or dignitye is most acceptable: these and many other thinges are to be thought vpon, in the choyse of a wyfe, and namely thys, that a mā choose one that in goods and feature is lyke to himselfe: for inequality breedeth contempt, and perpetuall brawlinge, but equality knytteth together the myn­des with moste firme loue and affection: It is also good for a man to take suche a wyfe as hath not beene touched Equality in choyse. nor maryed to another man before: for there is a double labour and trouble to him that marieth a wydow, first to vnteache her the maners of her former husbande, and se­condlye to enure, and acquainte her, wyth his owne fa­shions.

Aristotle thincketh the best tyme for maydes to be ma­ryed, at the age of eightene yeares, and for a man at thir­tye and sixe yeares of age: for those ages are rype and perfect The age for man and vvo­man to marye for procreation of issue: but as touching the trayning [Page 39] of theym vp in fashions, if they were a fewe lesse yeares yonger, I woulde thincke it more commodious, special­lye in this our tyme, wherin vices (as the Satyrist saith) do swarme: Lycurgus also affirmed that it was a shame­ful thing for man & woman to passe beyond those yeares vnmaried: For he ordayned that those persons should be noted wyth infami [...], and expelled the Theatres, who at y ^• age of xxxvii. yeares were found to haue lyued wythout a wyfe: The Romayns also debarred al them from bea­ringe any publike offyce, and esteemed them as vnworthy to be honoured any waye by the common weale, whyche woulde not helpe and furder the same wyth augmentati­on of Issue.

Let the husband instruct his wyfe wyth the best man­ners, neyther wyth threateninges, reproche, nor stripes: for it is a seruile thing & not mete at any hand, for famili­er Societye: and in deede wyues become obdurate wyth Orderly instruction to be ge­uen by the mā to the vvyfe. beatinge euen as naughtye seruauntes, and bondmen be­come worse and worse, and with stripes are dayly more & more geuen to folow their owne w [...]lf [...]ll wayes▪ So wo­men are lesse obedient to their husbandes, and do all thin­ges peuishlye against the grayne, when they are vngent­lye entreated of their husbandes, and getting at any tyme occasion for their purpose, run [...]e head long into al filthy­nes without eyther awe or reuerence of matrimony, thin­kinge that they make none offence at all, when they may lay for their excuse y ^t they do it in reuengemēt of their strypes before receiued: therfore with reason must wee deale w ^t them, y ^t they may vnderstand all thinges to be done, for the common profyte of their whole householde, for the honestye of theimselues, and of wedlocke: the secrets also y ^• are and ought to be betweene man and wyfe, let them be included within the walles of their chamber and no fur­ther: for that man taketh an ill way both for himselfe and his wines honesty which blabbeth out those thinges that are to be kept in silence: for we muste so cast in our min­des [Page] des to liue in Wedlocke, that wee bee not as laughinge Secretes of Wedlocke be­tvven man and Wyfe ought not to be reuealed. stockes to anye abrode, for anye matters done wythin our owne houses: therfore in matrimonye all thinges ought to be kept secrete: for what can bee more lewde and sha­mefull, then eyther the husbande amongest his friendes, or the wyfe amongest her neighbours, to chatte and bab­vle oute suche matters, as ought in all poyntes to be con­cealed.

Candaules Kynge of Lydia, had a wyfe, vppon whose beautye he greatly doted: neyther thoughte hee it suffici­ente The doting sōdnes of Cā daules, ouer [...]is fayre vvyfe hovv hee vvas for th [...] same slayne. to blaʒe abroade her Feacture and Beautye vnto all men, and to manifest vnto the worlde, suche matrimoni­all secretes as were to bee kept close: but also would ha­ue one to bee a wytnesse of hys Pleasures, and therefore broughte her foorth naked, and shewed her to his com­panion Gyges (as Herodotus saith) whom assone as Gyges had seene, hee was so inflamed wyth loue towardes her, that hee thoughte vppon, ne cared for anye other thing more then how to obtayne her to his owne wyll: and shee throughlye knowing the matter, and supposing her selfe to haue beene of her husbande thus betrayed, as one that alienated his dealinges and loue to another, deuised with the adulterer Gyges to murther her husband, and thereupon bestowed both her kingdome and herselfe vpon y ^• same Gyges: by this meanes did Candaules lose both his lyfe, & his kingdom, when he thought his pleasures to be lesse, so longe as they were kept in silence and vnknowen.

Cleobulus Lyndius (accoumpted one of the seuen sages of Greece) geeueth vs twoo good lessons touchinge wy­uinge: Tvvo precepts to be obserued by the husbād tovvardes his vvyfe. the one is that wee shoulde deale wyth theym by flatteringe. The other that in presence of strangers, wee shoulde neuer chyde theym: for the one hee sayde, was a poynte of foolishenes, the other of madnes.

Furthermore let the husband commytte in charge vn­to his wyfe, al thinges domesticall and within dores, and [Page 40] let hym suffer her to haue the dispensation of the same:

Let her perfourme her dilygence at home, and let the husbande employe his industrye abroade: let her nourish and foster their children, and let him instruct and teache The husbands charge abrode theym: let the goodman of the house▪ as neede requireth knowe to seeke after suche thinges as appertayne to the vse of the familye, and this not by vsurye, or anye filthye lucre, but eyther wyth tyllinge the grounde and fruictes of the earth, which is neuer couetous, nether dissembleth wyth her tyllers: but euermore restoreth the Seedes to her committed, wythe moste plentifull fruite and gayne: for it is meete and conueniente, that the common mother of all men, shoulde nourishe and bring vp her children as it were wyth her dugges and encrease, eyther wyth libe­rall Sciences, or Merchaundyʒe, or nauigation, in traf­fique, in Sellinge and buyinge, wythout lyinge or vani­tye, or in other honest trades, tendinge to the profite, and ornament of the cyttye.

Furthermore it behooues him to spare and saue that hee getteth: for in vayne doe they take laboure to gette Ryches, where is no regarde of sparinge: and where the expences do still runne oute, wythout anye comminge in: neyther is this prouerb of drawing vp water in a pitcher y ^t is ful of holes any other thing then first to get, and then prodigally & ryotously to lauish out: Yet would I not y ^t the housholder shoulde bee a myser and steyned wyth pin­chyng couetousnes, then the whych plague, there can be The couetous man good to none, but hur [...] ful to all. none more pernicious: neyther yet more discrepante, or further of frō al humanity: for the couetous man hur­tēth all men, is odious to all men, neyther doynge good to hymselfe or to any of his frendes: Hee neuer reioyseth at hartes ease, hee is alwayes sadde, churlishe, pensiue, and crabbed, he onelye cannot fynde in his harte to loue, and cherishe his wyfe, and children, nor departe with any thing vnto them, to liue merily w ^tall, but always is found [Page] a steruer of him selfe, an oppressor of his owne nature, is alwayes hungrye, alway thirstye, and continually vexed with an insaciable gredye desire, neyther can any thinge suffice him: Uery aptly did the riche Attalus compare a couetous man to an hungry dogge that snatcheth vp fragmentes A couetous mā compared to an hungrye dogge. of bread and meate at his maisters table, whiche slappeth vp streightwaies whole & vnchawed gubs w ^tout any taste, and streightways with open mouthe, lokes styll for more, standinge at receipt of further hope for more to come.

Let a man thanckefullye enioye his goodes, and estate present, and wyth well doinge, let him hope styll for bet­ter: for it is the parte of a faynt harted person, too muche to feare penurie, & for that cause not to dare to vse those thinges whiche are present: because (forsooth) he feareth that he shall hereafter lacke.

The charge of all dealinges within the house belon­geth vnto the wyues: and it were very hard dealing that the goodman, who trauayleth and taketh paynes abrode to seeke thrift, when he cōmeth home into his owne house as it were into the porte or hauen of tranquillitye, after a moste daungerous and harde voyage, should also be busi­ed and trobled with ordering houshold affayres at home, when he surceassinge all care, and desiringe to be at quietnesse and rest, repayreth home, for ease and succour: ther­fore let the wyfe performe her diligence, and let her take vppon her the charge of all thinges which are at home to be ordered, accordyng to the prescribed ordinaunces of y ^e husbande, vnto whome in all pointes, shee oughte to bee obedient, for it goeth very yll in that housholde where y ^e wife beareth al rule, and the husband obeyeth, and is ma­de as one of the meigniall folke.

Let the wyfe especially set in order her houshold stuffe and those necessaries that are neate, and of value, & whi­che Ordering of houshold ne­cessaries. are to be reserued to y ^e vse of a better life, whether the same belong to womāly furniture, or to mans apparell: let her [Page 41] dispose and order them wythin secrete roomes, in the house, that when soeuer occasion hapneth to occupye theym, they maye bee in a readynes, and not to seeke: for it is a Safe layde vp sone found. moste certayne pouertye, when a man lacketh that thinge which hee hath, and standeth in neede of the same, know­ing not in what place it is layde vp.

Moreouer such things as dulie concerne meate & drinck, and which are prepared for dinner & supper, let her so day ly dispend & besow, that they be neither wastfully gour­maundised, and swilled vp in glottonye and dronkennes, by the folkes of the house: neyther by reason of too much nyggardy and pinching, let them not bee hungerbytten and sterued: Therfore let her keepe a meane, and so shal shee at one and the selfe same tyme, both rightlye prouide A moderate diet and measurable apparel. for their healthe, and also for the priuate affayres of their familye, aswell at one tyme as at another: and let her w ^t great moderacyon qualesy her selfe in those thinges whi­ch appertayne to her own selfe, especiallye for apparell & ornamentes for her owne bodye, which greatlye consume her husband [...]s substaunce: For they cost deare at the first and in small space are eyther by vse cleane worne, or elles solde for a greate deale lesse then they were bought. Wyse Women feare euil [...]e­portes.

An honeste manered woman oughte to feare nothinge more, then euyll reporte: for shee that once hath an euyll name, whether it be rightlye by her deserued, or that she bee wrongfully slaundered, hardly can recouer her good name and fame agayne: for a woman suspected of vnchaft lyuing leadeth a miserable and wretched lyfe.

The true ornamentes of women are Modestye, chaste­tye, The true ornaments of a Woman. shamefastnes and prayse, whiche cannot bee purcha­sed, wyth any gold, pearles, or precious stones: but seing it is so, that all these cannot be seene in any one good wo­man, although very honest: Chastitye yet is that only or­namente, whiche may supplie whatsoeuer lacketh in the Chastitye the speciall o [...]nament in a Wo­man▪ others: for this enlargeth the dowrye, when it is not of it selfe sufficient, it not onely adorneth and maketh come [Page] lye that which is deformed, but also reduceth a woman to the similitude of beautie it selfe, it enobleth ignobilitye, & finally fulfilleth all thinges, whiche in any parte may o­therwise be wantinge.

The fiftye Uirgines of Sparta haue eternized theyr names vnto all Posteritye: for they beinge by their Pa­rents sent to do sacrifice among the Messenians, thinking Example of chastitye. to be entertayned after the maner of frendly hospitality: the Messenians with such impaciencie and concupiscence, lusted after them, that dispisinge the law of hospitalitye, they sought meanes by sollicityng their consentes to car­nail knowledge, & so to deflo wre their virginitye: whych filthy motion the virgines denyinge, & they importunate­lye vrginge to dishoneste their bodies, yet was there not one founde of all those virgines, that woulde consent vn­to their willes: but chose rather to dye then so to loose their maydēhode, whose bloud y ^t Lacedaemoniās, through the great helpe of God, reuenged afterward by a notable victorye.

The second ornament of a woman is to haue prety children, A second ornamente of vvo­men is to haue pretye and to­vvardly chil­dren. and of an excellent towardnesse: whiche ornamente how much it is to be estemed of, Cornelia the wife of Pau­lus AEmilius hath taught vs: for when a certayne womā of Campania cōminge vnto her, & shewing outin a braue­rye her pearles, golde, and pretious apparell, requested the same Cornelia in lyke maner to bring forth and shewe her ornaments, and iewels, she fooded her out wyth wor­des, vntil suche tyme as her children returned home from the schole, whome shee shewinge vnto the other woman, sayde: Beholde my delicate store and treasures, all Vertuous chyldren the righ [...]e Ievvelles of dearest estima­tion vnto parē tes. myne ornamentes, all my Iewelles and all my delights: which perswasion is the best that can bee vnto all matro­nes, that in respecte of their children they shoulde despyse al other iewelles, and ornaments, and repute their chiefe attyre in the hope and towardnes of their Children.

Besides this let the Wyfe take heede, that shee vse no [Page 42] dissymulation, nor cloaked Iuggelinge wyth her husbād in any matter: for what thing can bee more dishonest in a woman, then to shewe her selfe not to be the same whych shee was.

Pompeia the wyfe of Nero the Emperour, was not on­lye made a iestynge stocke to the worlde, so longe as shee lyued, because shee prancked herselfe too muche in cury­ous trymminge vp herselfe to the best shewe of all beau­tye, but also purchased vnto her name perpetual ignomi­nie. For not Poets onely, but Historiographers also, not Curiositie of a simpering p [...]ik medayntye. a fewe do wryte, that shee not in couert maner, and clase­lye, but apertly and manefestlye fancied this curiosity, & they affirme, that shee had alwayes in a readynes, wher. soeuer she went, whole heardes of Asses, that shee might continually cherishe her delicate face, & rynse her mouth wyth the mylke of theym daylye, thereby to appeare the fayrer and beautifuller: for there is no good hope to bee had in that woman whiche seeketh to bee praysed abrode for her beautye: It was lawfull for the Spartane virgins to goe with their face bare, tyll they were maryed, that Woman sha [...] faste. they mighte thereby the better gette theym husbandes: but after they were maryed they courred doth their head and their face, as those then that soughte after no Hus­bandes, but onelye cared to retayne such as they enioyed: But Gorgias Leontinus opinion is, that mennes wyues shoulde bee kepte at home from goinge abroade: whyche thinge surely liketh not mee: but for theim to goe abrode Womē ought to be restrayn­ed from much fi [...] kinge and gadding abro­de. verye seeldome, that truelye doe I greatlye commende: For a woman that is a walker, and a traueiler from her owne house abrode, can seeldome bee chaste: let the wyfe shewe her selfe of one mynde and concorde, wyth her hus­bande in all thinges, for there can be nothinge more pleasaunte amonge mortall menne, then when the man, and wyfe doe gouerne their Housholde wyth concorde, and mutuall good wyll together: and on the other parte no­thing Domestical discord. worse, then mutual discord, & domestical brabling.

[Page]The Athenians haue taught vs that silence in matters betweene man and wyfe, ought to bee vsed: for when as Philippe king of Maoedonie warred against the Atheni­ans, and that their scoutes had intercepted letters of O­lympias sent from her vnto kinge Philippe her husbande, they commaunded those letters to bee redeliuered whole vnopened, and vntouched, because they thoughte it was not lawful (no not for the enemie) to know and vnderstād the secretes passinge from the wyfe to her husband.

In wedlocke also let all anger and stomackinge be far absent, whiche makes loue manye tymes more slacke and slowe, and altogether diminisheth the same, disorderinge all domesticall affayres, and causing the state of wedlocke to be more vnpleasaunt.

The most auncient Romaines, did adorne that womā with a crowne of chastitye, whiche was onely contented wyth one husbande, and with continuall wydowhood, to The vvyfe no stomacker or resister. professe and shewe forthe the sinceritye of her incorrupte mynde: for she seemeth to be of an vnbrideled luste, whi­che maryeth agayne, especially if shee haue children, whi­che are the pledges of matrimonye, and expresse the lyue­lye ymage of her late deceassed husbande, both in counti­naunce and name: moreouer shee that maryeth agayne, is seene to bee curst, and wicked towards her children, be­cause Wydovves'ma [...]yinhe agayne make men iudge them to do it for luste and lecherye. they are depriued of their father, and forsaken of all men: neglectinge theym as it were in the entraunce of their lyfe, euen at that age and time when they haue most neede of their parentes helpe: which reason (vndoubted­lye) ought to perswade all wydowes to kepe their chasti­tye, together with their children, that they make no fur­ther tryall of fortune, of whom they being once deceyued may scarcely hope for better lotte or fortune afterwarde.

Annia, a woman of noble race among the Romaynes, when her neighbours and friendes p [...]rswaded her in her wydowhood to mary wyth another husband, seeinge shée was yet of alustye age, and excellente beautye: made [Page 43] aunswere that she would not any wyse so do: for sayth she if I finde a good husband as I had before, I wyll not bee Annia a vvor­thye vvydovv her aunsvvere touching mariage the second tyme. always in feare least I should forgo him: but if I should matche my selfe wyth an euil husband, what neede haue I to trye an euill man, when I haue once already had ex­perience of a verye good man: for she that is disapointed by the destenye of her first husbande, seemes to be wyse if shee no more committe her selfe vnto the Fortune of Ma­ryage.

The daughter of Demotion the Athenian, althoughe shee was a virgine, yet hearing of the death of Leosthenes her espoused husband, who was slayne at the battle of Lē ­nos, First loue is moste stedfast. killed her selfe: affirming that althoughe she neuer had any carnall or matrimonial copulation with her hus­bande, yet if shee shoulde bee compelled to take another man, shee should deceyue the second, seeinge that in hart shee was maryed to the first: notwithstanding those wo­men deale a greate deale better: who in the firste flower of their yeares do hap to marye the seconde tyme, namely if they be then w ^tout children: for al lyuing creatures de­sire to haue and begette Issue: and for procreation sake, rather then for luste to ioyne together, seemeth a thinge much more fitte & reasonable.

Hiero of Syracusa, being on a tyme chidden by a certein familier frende of his because his breath did slincke, & hee for helping thereof had vsed no remedies: sayd, y ^t hee ne­uer knewe so muche in himselfe before that tyme, & bla­med his wyfe, in that shee had neuer admonished hym thereof: to whome his wife modestly excusinge herselfe: sayde, husband be not angrye with mee, for I thought y ^t all mennes mouthes had smelled so, and therfore I kept A modest aunsvvere of a chast Ladye. silence. Armenia also comminge home from a royal feast made by kinge Cyrus, when all men for the comlynesse of his person highly praysed Cyrus, shee beinge demaunded, by her husband, what shee thought of the dignity and fea­ture of y ^t king: husband (quod she) I neuer turned myne [Page] eyes from you, and therefore what an other mannes fea­ture is, I am vtterlye ignoraunte.

In the education or bringinge vp of chyldren there are two thinges especiallye to be considered, wherof the one Consideratiōs in the educati­on of chyldrē chiefly appertayneth to the mother, the other vnto the fa­ther himselfe, the firste reason concerneth the meanes to lyue, the seconde to lyue well: the firste because it is and falleth for Home, belongeth to the dutie of the mother whiche ought to bee the gouernesse of the housholde mat­ters accordinge to the prescribed ordinaunces enioyned her by her husbande: The matrone therefore that is with childe, ought to forecast and consider that shee must bring Matrones vvith chylde. foorth a chylde, and greate dyligence must shee take that in no respecte shee hurte the chylde within her bodye, be­fore it bee broughte into the worlde, and especiallye shee muste cherishe her owne bodye, and take her meate wyth modestye, feedinge vppon suche kynde of foode, as may nourishe and strengthen her younge one, and not that whiche maye weaken it, and shee shall shunne to muche Slouthe: a moderate Walkinge for her is profitable and healthfull, and causeth farre more easie deliueraunce in childebyrthe: Shee shall also beware of all vehemente A vvicked de­maunde of a Woman in an vngodly prac­tise. laboures, especiallye daunsinge, whiche thinge by exam­ple HYPPOCRATES confirmed: For when a cer­tayne woman coulde not auoyde the receyued Seede of man, shee desired his deuise to helpe her that the Seede shoulde not prosper, whome hee counsayled euerye daye, by iumpinge, and daunsinge, to styrre the Seede, and so the seauenth day by meanes of her leapinge and daunsing she brought foorth an vnperfect conception, couered ouer Daunsinge daūgerous for Women that [...]e vvith child wyth a lyttle thinne rymme or skinne, suche as wee see is in an egge betweene the shell and the yolke: Some wo­men keepe suche Reuell rexe and coyle in daunsinge and leapinge, at banquettes and feastes, that for verye payne they eyther procure abortion before the tyme, or elles bringe the same foorthe verye weake and feeble: other to [Page 44] thende to seeme pretye and slenderer vnto their louers, do gyrd themselues so straight, that they hurt themselues, & their bellies also thereby very much: some cramme & fill Strait gyrding Tospotvvome their bellies with dayntye fare and wyne, euen tyll they surphet agayne: and very many women vse to cloye their stomackes wyth sower fruite, and vnrype apples. I let Frute eaters. passe to speake of their lustes, and certayne beastly pranc­kes, not by speache to be vttered, wherby they do not onelye trauaile before their tyme, but also do bring forth into the worlde lothesome monsters.

After that the lyttle infante shalbe borne, whiche not longe agone the mother knewe not, because it was closed in her wombe: let her wyth her Dugges, and with that Fountayne, nourishe and foster it, whiche prouident Na­ture hath wyth suche plentifulnes prepared in her breast: Worst of all (in myne opinion) do suche women deserue of their children, which put their babes out to noursing, Naturall mo­thers are natu­rall nurses. and at that tyme when they haue most neede of their mo­thers helpe, committinge theym vnto younge huswyues and countrye nourses, suche vnto whom in deede, some woulde not committe a younge kytlinge, if they had anye pleasure in it: furthermore they are not whole mothers, but rather appeare to be halfe mothers, whiche straight waye put out to nursinge, theyr owne naturall chylde, & denye to geeue it sucke, whom euen nowe in their owne wombe, wyth their owne bloud they nourished: do they perswade theimselues that theyr neepples and duggs are by nature geeuen them for an ornamente, or beautifiynge of theyr breast, and not to the nourishmente of their chyl­dren▪ But wee do knowe some women which wyth slyb­bersauces and medecines do drye vp and stoppe that most sacred Fountayne, the nourisher of Mankinde, yea not wythout greate daunger of theyre owne healthes, to the end (forsooth) they may appeare the more beautifull and in the eyes of theyr Louers more pleasaunte and accep­table. [Page] Let no good mother suffer her chylde to be infected wyth the contagion of mylcke drawen from another womans breastes, and let her in so doinge performe the poynte of a whole and entiere parent, deseruinge well of her childe: Good mother good nurse. whom shee shall thereby make more readye to requite & recōpēce her whē it shal grow to further yeares of discretion, if it shall perceyue that it hath not at any tyme bene defrauded of the mothers fosteringe, and nourishemente, in the firste beginninge of lyfe: for the benefite of the mo­thers breaste, was among the Auncientes had in such re­uerence and regarde, that what soeuer hard or difficulte, request the mothers were to craue at the handes of their childrē, their fashion was to request the same, for & by the mylcke whiche they gaue vnto theym in their Infancye, and babeshippe. For what pleasaunter delights or plea­sures can there be, then a younge sucklinge chylde whose lispinge speache, & prety endeuouringes to bring out hys wordes, his swete laughter, and the pleasaunt mothers speach agayne vsed to her sayd chylde, seemes to me farre to surpasse all other counterfeict scoffers or iesters.

Neyther nede Apes, or little dogges, to bee soughte for there, to sport themselues wythall, where little babes do creepe about the house.

The members and tender partes of younge chyldren are to be fashioned by the Nourses handes, and the lytle Orderinge and tendering the members of children, Infantes bodye to be wrapped and bounde with a swath­inge bande, from the shoulders, euen downe to the ancle, but yet somewhat looser about the breaste and bulke: for the bredth or largenes of those partes, do make very mu­che to the dignitie and strengthninge of a man, and some­what straighter about the stomacke, and about the nether partes of the bellye, the better to confirme and strengthē the same: and that the Bellye beare not out aboue com­lye proportion: Aristotle also affirmeth that cryinge is profitablie geeuen by nature vnto chyldren, for hee thin­keth that it is an indeuour or striuing vsed by the chylde, [Page 45] to his encreasinge, and that it helpeth much to stretch out the breast, and hart stringes: wherfore hee prescribeth the Nurse not to force the childe from cryinge. Women con­ceyued with child ought to haue great care of themselues least that they be deliuered before their time, or miscary in child bearing, which thing y ^t we may haue foreknowledge of, Hyppocrates teacheth: for eyther he sayth y ^e infant mo­ueth For Women to knovve the full time of goinge vvith childe, and vvhen to be deliuered. & styrreth in the mothers wombe, vpon the 70. or ells 90. daye, & it expresseth y ^• it is eyther the seuenth or nynthe moneth, wherein shee shall be delyuered of her chylde, so shal a carefull mother be skilful of her tyme of deliuerāce, before it happen.

Wee must take heede (as Celsus saythe) least in tyme of prosperous healthe we do consume and waste awaye suche thinges as shoulde be sauegardes and preseruacions vnto vs in sicknesse: wherfore a lustye healthefull man, who is at his owne disposition, will refuse no kinde of meate that the cōmon people vseth, and twyse a daye rather then once desireth to eate meate: neyther taketh he any lesse thē wil satisfy his stomacke: he vseth also diuers kindes of lyfe, as sometimes to bee in the countrye, sometimes in the cittie, but more often in the fieldes. To sayle vpon the Seas, to Hovv a lustye, and healthfull man disposeth his tyme. hauke,, and to hunte, and sometimes to take his reste, but yet most often to exercise himselfe: for certaynly Idlenes enfeebleth the bodye, but laboure strengtheneth it, y ^e one hasteneth vntimelye olde age, the other maketh a man to haue a longe and lustye younge age.

Wee muste deale with children by a lyttle and lyttle to teache theym, euen as when we would fill a vessell whych hath a narrowe mouthe: for if we poure water fast, it fyl­leth and runneth ouer: but if wee drop it in by a slender funnell, wee shall fille it toppe full. To prayse the indu­strye and diligence of children in their exercises, doth vnto Hovv to deale vvith children in teachig thē. theim much good, and to chyde them for their slouth, is vn­to theym profitable also: for, to bee preferred before their equalles, and to bee praysed for well doinge by their may­sters, [Page] doth much sharpen childrens wyttes, and quickneth their courage in all their studies and exercises.

The mothers discipline and correction, for children in their first tender yeares of Infancie is verye profitable, & maketh theym more prone, docible and apte to learne & compasse greater studies: Now when they shall come to seauen yeares of age, let the father take care of them, and instructe theym with a certayne greater diligence, whose charge is to trayne vp his children to lyue well and ver­tuouslye, Infancy of the childrē is the mothers char­ge to loke vnto then whiche discipline, none surely can be more profitable, or of greater effecte geeuen from mortal men. For Alexander who for his wisedom was surnamed the greate, was wonte to saye, that hee was no lesse bounde vnto Aristotle his Scholemaister, then vnto king Philip his father: for albeit his father had begottt him into this worlde a lyuing creature: yet Aristotle was he that tau­ghte him the waye to lyue well, whiche knowledge he in deede thought, was to be preferred before bare lyfe.

The chiefe and speciall token of witte in children sayth Fabius Quintilianus is memorye, when as the childe lear­neth Memorye in children is the best token of Wytte. easlye, and remembreth surelye: It shall therfore be best in the firste yeares of their youth, to exercise memorie for the more perfecting and throughly furdering the vigor and force of their wytt, & eyther by ambition or rewards and gyftes to allure theym, to the end they may kepe ma­nye thinges in memorye, and not be ashamed or abashed, to vtter and recite the same in any great assemblie of peo­ple. For the propounding of rewarde, & allurement, shar­peneth Cherishing of children. the witte, styrreth vp the memorye, and maketh y ^t myndes of Children more chearfull, and prompte to anye matter. There are some wryters which suppose that blu­shinge in a chylde is a very good signe of shamefastnes, & better then palenesse: for palenesse argueth to much fear­fulnes, theother pretendeth and sheweth a very good to­wardenes, Blushing in children a sign of good nature as Diogenes witnesseth: for on a tyme he seing a chyld to blush: be of good cheare my sonne (quod he) for [Page 46] suche a kynde of coloure, is the colour of vertue. If the father vnderstand, or perceiue his sonne to be doci­ble, and of excellent wytt, no couetousnes ought to let or stay him whereby he should frustrate his sonne of so great a commendacion: let him therfore so sone as hee can, be­take his chylde vnto good Scholemaisters, that he may The fathers care to prouide a good Schole maister for his children. in those liberall Artes, be taught and instructed, wher­vnto nature herselfe hath most adapted hym: for nothing oughte more to bee wished for vnto the Parentes, then to haue their children learned, of whom surelye, to bee van­quished and ouercome, in all kynde of prayse, they ought not onelye to suffer, and take in good parte, but also to esteeme the prayse and reward of victorye gotten by their Children, to appertayne vnto theymselues.

There is nothinge that causeth Children to prooue more obediente to their parentes, then when as they vn­derstande that they haue profited in studies of good Artes by the furtherance, and diligence of their Parents be­stowed vpon them: Neyther ought the Chylde so mu­che to consider of his Parentes substance, whyche trulye are but thinges transitorye, frayle, and in the handes of Fortune, and whiche do onelye garnishe and set oute the A rich man vn▪ learned. bodye, but do not increase the mynde or furnishe it wythe perpetuall goodes: wherefore verye well sayde Diogenes that a ryche man beinge vnlearned, is as a sheepe wyth a golden fleece.

Parentes ought also to commytte the custody of their children vnto their friendes to bringe vp, aswell for that they doe lesse cocker theym beinge absent, and agayn be­cause they wyl bee the lesse wanton in other mennes hou­ses, beinge nourished at an other mans table, and cheri­shed by another mans fyer, & they greatlye feare left they should be very ill thought of, & thrust out of dores by thē, vnto whom their Parents had betaken & cōmitted theym in gouernance, vpon great trust and diligence. For it hath bene seene, that euen greate Prynces, vnder Tutors, and [Page] ouerseers, haue manye times proued more excellent then vnder their owne Parentes. I thincke it profitable for the chylde to be taught and instructed in twoo kyndes of disci­pline at once, neyther is it to be feared, that the wytte of the chylde shoulde be ouercharged by two scholemaisters Tvvo kyndes of lerning not preindicial for the chylde to practise at one instante. of seuerall artes or Sciences: for he is put to no more pay nes, but his diligence is deuided, and tediousnes remoued: for when the childe is wearye of one kynde of teachinge, he goeth streight to an other, euen as it were vnto an Hauen or restinge porte of his trauailes, and the inconstancie of those young yeares which hardly perseuereth long in one and the selfe same thinge is not altogether vnprofitable: Nothinge more famous can bee geeuen from parentes to their children, then the studies of good disciplines and sci­ences whiche are therefore called Lyberall Sciences, be­cause they make mē free from al vyle & lothsome lucre, & from all voluptuousnes, and loose dishonestye: for they re­duce and bringe vs to wysdome: then the which there can bee nothinge more excellente vnto mortall men, by reason Commodities proceding of Learninge. whereof wee seeme to approche, and to be conioyned wyth the lyuinge God: the rewarde of whiche sciences, if there were none other to bee had amonge mortall men, verelye vertue onelye of it selfe is sufficient: whiche yet alwayes is accompanied withe Renoume, and Honoure, euen as the bodye is with the shadowe: If it bee so that Children be somwhat of a dull capacitie or otherwise lesse fyt or apt to receyue learninge, let them be put to learne the practize of some other trades, and occupations, especiallye such as Children of dul and meane vvytes hovve to be emploid come uearest in goodnes vnto learning, least that they re­mayne vnprofitable by meanes of Idlenesse and slouthe: for true is that sentence of Marcus Cato:

Therfore diligent and paynful cytizens, ought to dryue [Page 47] sluggishe and slouthfull people out of their citties, euen as the diligent Bees do the Drones or Dorres, which wyll Solonsla vve, for the chylde that is not nur tered and vv [...]l instructed by his father. not take paynes, for the common Honnye: and wee muste esteeme as most holye, that ordinaunce whiche Solon enac­ted, affirming that:

But if all other disciplines and Arts should be lacking, yet oughte they to foresee and regarde, that their children be not brought vp without the rule of good manners: for it is farre better for men to bee wythoute children, and to Better to be vnborne then vntaught. be for euer barreyne and berefte of all progenye or Issue, then when men haue children, to bringe them vp euill nur­tured, or of sewde behauiour. Epaminondas the Thebane a worthye man, and of greate wysedome, neuer maryed a­nye wyfe: whiche thing his friend Pelopidas reprehending Epaminondas. because hee left not the Seede or succession of his valiant­nesse, vnto his children, and therfore that in so doinge hee dyd ill prouide for the commoditye, or profite of his coun­trye: Epaminondas thereupon (smyling) aunswered: take you heede frende Pelopidas, least you doe worse prouide for the publique vtilitie of your countrye, which may happen to leaue such a sonne begotten by you, whose lyfe perhaps hereafter may be wished of some to bee better: by whiche sayinge, this most wyse Gentleman sheweth, that Parē ­tes ought to feare nothinge more, then least they haue su­che childrē, as may degenerate frō their steps & qualities.

Neocles the Athenian, a man noble, and excellente, had a sonne called Themistocles, whome in his youth he dishe­rited, because hee was mislyked and thought to lyue verye lewdely, wastinge his substance, and in euerye poynte dis­obayinge [Page] his fathers commaundemente: this seuere and harde dealinge did not discourage the sonue, but did ra­ther farre more encourage him to remēber himselfe: for hee thinkinge that suche a manifest blemish of misdemea­nour coulde not bee extinguished withoute some singuler industrye and prayse, from thence foorth wholy vent hym selfe to thexercise of vertue, and by al care and study, that in him was possible, endeuoured to traueyle for the com­moditye of his common weale: & with all dyligence that he could, protected and maynteyned the causes of his fri­ends, and priuate iudgements: and within short space so amended his faultes, and reformed the vices of hys youthe, that there was no one man in his tyme preferred before him, and verye fewe were thoughte to bee founde equalle vnto him: therefore the seueritye of a father to­wardes such a Sonne, was not to be found fault wythal, who in dede of a most naughtie & lewd person, reclaimed him to be a man in all kynde of prayse moste cōmendable.

Polemon, the Athenian lyuinge vnchaste in his youth­full yeares, was wanton and geeuen to filthy behauiour, sometimes also ouerseene with drinke, & hauing a Gar­lande Example of a ryottous persō reclaymed. (as the custome was for the stoutest drincker to ha­ue (rushed with his companions into Xenocrates schoole, onely to floute and mocke, and to playe some pageant of knauery: at that tyme as it chaunced Xenocrates was dis­coursinge amongest his scholers touching modestie, tem­peraunce, and chastitye: whiche purpose for al this, hee chaunged not, but playnly conuerted his meaning, euen vpō Polemō there present: by which oratiō made, he so re­formed himselfe, y ^t without any more ado, forsaking there his companions, and chaunginge his former old lyfe, he yeelded himselfe scholar vnto Xenocrates, and within a shorte space excelled all his scholefellowes: and besides this, so nerelye expressed his scholemaister in all matters that after his deceasse this Polemon, beinge then lefte hys successor, so learnedly behaued himselfe after thimit a ciō [Page 48] of y ^• other, that the Scholemaister was thought one styl, and not scant perceyued to be chaunged. Younge men also are to be enured wyth bodely exercises, both for their Young men must be exerci­sed. better health, for (as Celsus satih) slouth enfebleth the bo­dye, labour strengtheneth it, the one causinge vntimelye olde age, the other long and lustye youth, and also for that they might be made more proiftable members for y ^• cō ­mō weale in tyme of warres, wherin they are more prōpt and actiue, if they come thereunto wyth a bodye exercised rather then vy slouth effeminated: in which thinge the La­cedaemonians did verye muche excell: whose children, in runninge, leapinge, and castinge the dart, were day­lye exercised and practised: from whō Diogenes on a tyme returning and goinge to Athens, was asked whither he went, and from whence he came: I come (saith he) from men, and am now goinge to women.

RApine promiseth Idle­nes and rest: but vertue sheweth be­fore her, labour and sweat. Euill ma­nered persons, and suche as in their speache and gesture be grosse and vn­nurtured, be termed vnciuil: because they rather seeme to haue bene brought vp in the coūtrey then in the Cytties. From hence is deriued the worde, & Ciuilitye. phrase of speache called Ciuilitye, or Urbanitye: because it doth appertayn both to speach and manners, and is so cal­led by the name of the latine worde Vrbs, a cyttye: because through cyuil companying or meeting together of wyse & learned men, a certayn knowledge and learning is gotten, which dyrecteth and trayneth vp men in gallant curtesie, pleasaunt order, and comelye grace, the contrarye wher­of, is called Rusticitie.

If a man would in fewe woordes determine and define what a Ciuil man is, hee shall say that he is a good man, and one that is profitable to his common weale: for firste, What a ciuill man is. and speciallye hee oughte to haue before his eyes that sen­tence of Plato where he sayth:

And by good righte, humane societye is instituted and Society hu­mane vvherun to it tendeth▪ appointed to lyue together, for one to profite another: These thinges when wee shall consider vppon, wee shall well perceyue that we ought to helpe and prouide for our natiue countrye.

The little Bees, and Antes, being creatures not only the least of all others, but also dumbe and deafe, oughte to be examples vnto vs, whiche vndoubtedlye do laboure one for another: they swarme together, they keepe theim Examples of Bees. selues together, they are preserued altogether, wyth like defēces and succours, they dryue away their enemie with common daunger, and mayntayne their store, their yong ones & all their company: for who can be counted a good Citizen whiche is good for none but himselfe onelye, ga­thereth riches to serue his own turne without imparting any thing to others, and scarcely for couetousnes sufferīg his children and wife to haue somuch as may conuenient­lye serue theim meate and drinke. For we ought to estee­me the state of a common weale, as a shyppe whiche hath neede of the helpinge handes and diligence, of all theym which are within it: euerye maryner ought to endeuour Comparison of the state of a comon vveal vnto a Shippe. himselfe to the vttermost of his power, not only to saue it, from being ouer whelmed & drowned: but also that shee may arryue at some safe port, or hauē. And as in it, som holdes the rother or helme, another directeth the Sayle­yardes, another looketh to the Cables, and others about other matters as the case requireth, and they haue alone mutuall or common care for the preseruation of the ship: So ought all citizens to worke and traueile, & some with councell, some wyth diligence, some wyth ryches, & some [Page] wyth paynfulnes and industrye, to helpe the cōmon weal, that not onelye it be kept in good estate, but that it maye euery day encrease better and better: for those Cittizens that bee thus minded, are coumpted beste, and by these meanes, do they make the publike weale most wealthye, For surelye no ryches, no reuenues do more enlarge the state of a Cittye, and make it safer, then when as the Cy­tizens Concord in a r [...]a [...]me. among themselues, be at vnitie and concorde, and ioyne together for the honour of their countrye: And on the other parte no power nor ryches are stronge enoughe where as the myndes of the cytizens are factious and iar­ringe. Whiche thing Scilurus by a merueylous example taught: for hee beinge by reason of sicknes and age nowe come to decrepicie, caused his sonnes beinge fowerscore and ten in number, to be called before him, and holdinge in his handes a bundle of Speare staues, whiche hee had bound vp together, in number so many as he had sonnes, raught forth the same to euery one of his sonnes seueral­lye, commaundinge them to burst them asunder, whiche Cōmoditye by concorpe. thinge they affirminge to bee vnpossible▪ the old father drewe theym oute one by one, and burste theym asun­der al, and thereby toke occasion to admonish them that while they agreed and were at vnitye among themselues they should not be ouercome by anye force or power, but that the longer they lyued, the stronger they should be: contrarilye hee tolde them that they shoulde be weake, & of no force, if they disagreed & were at discord amōg thē ­selues, & that euery litle enemie should thē easely ynough ouercome them: for true is that auncient sentence wherin is sayed, that

The Romaynes possessed the Empyre of the whole worlde, so longe as they abstayned themselues from ciuil [Page 50] bloudshedde and intestine warres, but when the ambiciō of Cinna, the infamous table of Sylla, the bloudy slaugh­ter of Marius, and the warres of the Sonne in lawe, a­gaynste Example of ci­uill discorde. the father in lawe, enkindled & inuaded the weale publike, thē y ^e Romaynes (before) the chiefe rulers of the whole worlde became laughinge stockes vnto their Ras­call people, and vnto their barbarous enemies: wherfore in a free cittye there can bee no better perswasion, then y ^t whiche trayneth euerye one vnto concord and vnity, wherwith euen the least cities are encreased, and enioy the be­nefite of perpetuall libertie: for this is a sure and safe wall of defence: these are the Adamant towers, whyche with no force, no warlike engine, neyther wyth any thō ­derclappes of Iupiter, can be destroyed & throwne down: By this meanes shall this our cittyzen, whom we would haue accoumpted verye good bee mynded to vnitye, if hee folowinge the opinion of Pythagoras and Plato, consi­der that oure mynde doth consiste in three partes, whose principalitie, and reason they do shewe to reste in the head as in the tower or castle of the bodye, that this our mind beinge immortall, shoulde alwayes bee nourished wyth the Foode of contemplation of greatest and wayghtiest matters.

Let our cittizen frame his mynde, to execute the Ta­lente or gyfte wherewyth hee is endewed: for the offyce of the mynde is to vse reason, whiche ought alwaye to be­are Reason ought to rule our af­fections. rule, and to haue our appetite or desire so inclineable and obedient thereunto, that wee couet not any thing fil­thye or vndecent: and euen as an horse vnrulye and tram­plinge, is gouerned by the Brydle and Bytte, of a good ryder: so lett the Appetite or affection of the mynde, bee lead by reason, to whome let hym always obays, and ne­uer obstinately resiste, if he desire to be accoūpted a good & a wyse man: for true is that sentence of Marcus Fabi­us Quintilianus:

Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, and Iustice, are fower Sisters lincked together in mutuall bandes, they are neuer seperate, for surely one of them alone without y ^e others cannot be perfect, but semeth altogether maymed and vnperfect: Fortitude wythout wysedome is counted rashenes. Prudence wythoute Iustice is deemed crafti­nes, Fovver ēardi­nal vertues. and an euill kinde of mallyce: Temperance without Fortitude is reconed cowardise, & Iustice wythout Tē ­perance, is thought to be crueltie. Wherupon Ennius y ^• Poete sayth: Sūmum Ius, sūma In [...]uria▪ Extreme rygor Concord in musicke. is extreeme wronge.

Let therfore these fower vertues agree amonge them­selues in a concorde, euen as it comes to passe in musicke, and instrumentes, that they may make a perfect concord, Good reporte and fame for vvell doing. consonancie, and harmonye.

It is y ^e common profite whiche maketh men to gayne good report for their well doinge, and well deseruinge of all men, whiche the Auncientes in tyme paste so highlye esteemed, that they vouchsafed those persons of deuine honours of whom they had receiued cōmodities and profit. Worthy actes of Hercules. For Hercules (although a mortall man) yet was thought to be in the number of the Goddes, for no other reason, but because he bestowed many greate commodities vpon manye nacions: for eyther hee busled or contended withe wilde beasts destroying countries, or with his arrowes, kylled the lothlome filthye foules, or slewe the perillous pyrates and common robbers which kept the Seas, and [Page 49] befet the wayes wyth such daūgerous stales, y ^• no trauai­lers mighte passe▪ or elles did some other suche kynde of worthye exploites: doinge therein muche ease andpro­fite to mortall men, and makinge their lyfe more safe and happye.

Dyonisius also called Bacchus, was counted a God, be­cause Hovv & vvhy Bacchus vvas deified and made a God. amongest the Thebanes, he taught the vse howe to make wyne, and was reputed not onelye Noble and fa­mous in warlike affayres, [...]ut a verye good searcher out of hidden secretes, for hee first playde the Philosopher in Triptolemus. Europa, and then in Asia: So was Triptolemus honored for a God, because hee taught the vse of corne amongest y ^e Isis. Athenians: and Isis a goddesse because shee taught the or­der how to sowe corne and flaxe: Therfore doubtles they are worthye of rewardes and dignities, which do profite, men with their inuentions.

It was the poynte of a noble mynde, not to permitte in A vvise man vvil neither do yll, nor suffer any to be done by his vvyll. anye wyse, that a man shoulde deceiue himselfe, whyche thinge by a pretye example Carneades doth admonishe vs in this wyse.

A Good man is always one & the same, he neuer swar­ [...]eth from himselfe, and had rather be honest in deede thē so to be accoūted, hee is not couered w ^t any cloake of dissi­mulatiō, keping inwardly priuy hatred, & hartburning, & yet outwardly pretēding a fayre face: but hath alwayes one coūtenaūce, his eyes always after one maner, his loo­ke always one, & his speache in like maner always true.

A cittizen must alwayes beware that no notable vyce [Page] reygne in hym: hee shall exercise those artes and sciences wherewith hee may be able to lyue honestly, wyth out in­iurye and to bringe vp his familye: For hee ought to ha­ue regard of his domesticall matters, to the ende he may helpe his chyldren, kinsfolkes, and frends: but especial­lie The citizē carefull for himself and his family the common weale of his countrye, when tyme shall require: for as Cicero saythe, the priuate possessions & ryches of euery man, are the ryches and wealth of the ci­tye. Let theym gayne, but withoute iniuryinge or hur­tinge of others: for as the Poet sayth.

Architas of Tarent a noble Philosopher of Pythagoras secte, whe sent letters vnto Plato, that he shoulde beware and take heede of Dionisius the Tyraunt of Syracusa, if hee loued the sauetye of his owne lyfe: was had in admirati­on amongest all men, because hee was skylfull almost in all artes: this man was of suche dexterity of wytte, that he made & framed by a certayn wonderfull reason, & ar­tificiall worckemanshippe the proportion and Image of a Doue, which Doue as Fauorinus the philosopher reporteth did flye: it was contriued wyth such equall peyze or wayghte, and in the same was a wynde enclosed, whyche wyth a temperate spiryte, caused it to flye.

Amongest the most noble prayses of Affricanus, wher­of Prayse of Africanus for his bountie. both Polibius and other wryters made mention: Thys one was accoūpted great, that he daylye went downe into the iudgement hall, & from thence did not returne home­wardes agayne, vntyll hee had gratified and done good, to some one or other: And Titus the sonne of Uespesian Prayse of Titꝰ Vespasianus. (who after his father was Emperour of Rome three yeares) was of suche gentle, & curteous nature, that at sup­per time remembringe that hee had pleasured and done good to none that daye, sayde these woordes: Friendes [Page 52] this daye haue I lost.

It shalbe the dutie of a ciuill man to vse liberalitye, & franckenes, in gratifiyng w ^t requitall and thanckes vnto Liberality and thankfulnes. others, and neuer to forget a good turne receyued: which respecte of curtesye was so highly in the olde tyme regar­ded, y ^• not only persons lyuing, but euen the very persons already dead could not neglect it: For Simonides the Po­ete, seeinge as hee iourneyed, a certayne man (vnknowen to him) lyinge dead & rast out vnto the byrdes, and beastes of the fielde, dyd streight waye burye him, but when hee came to the place where he thought in his mynde to haue taken shippinge, hee then agayne sawe in his dreame, the same partye whom hee had buryed, warninge him not to enterprise his voyage as hee had determined: for if hee dyd, he tolde him that night he should suffer shipwracke: Gratitude. when Simonides had tolde his dreame vnto his company­ons, they laughed hym to scorne, and hee alone remained on the shoare, the rest of his other companions not credi­tinge his wordes: but assone as the Shyppe was gone a lyttle from the lande, there arose a tempest incontinente, that brake al their tackling, and al to squatted their ship, that they were drowned euerye mothers Sonne: And so Simonides, for the good turne that he dyd in buryinge the deade man, receyued thereby the benefite and sauegarde of his lyfe.

Let euerye good Cittizen take heede, that hee bee not founde a blabbe, or lyer in his talke: for to lye is the pro­pertie rather of a seruile, then of a free mynde: for Ari­stotle Periurye. verye pretelye to a certaine person, demaundinge him, what Lyers gayned by their lyinge? aunswered: that they cannot be beleeued an other tyme when they tel truth: but yet it is a far worse thinge for any man to for­sweare himselfe: which fault was so odible among the E­giptiās, y ^• all periured persōs suffered punishmēt of death as they which neyther regarded religiō towards god nor fayth towards mā: let the honest citizē moreouer bridle in [Page] himselfe a certayne braynsicke sawcinesse, and brablinge in speach: for as it is a prayse to speake lyuely and boldly if at any tyme a man haue neede to speake: so is it worthy of disprayse not to haue a staye of the tongue if silence bee necessarye: for Cato in his adolescencie studying eloquēce Rashe speache and Philosophie, vsed a certayne wonderfull silence of speach, and when on a tyme a certayne familier frende of his sayde vnto him: Cato, many men do finde faulte with thy silence, bee aunsweered sayinge, I wyll then speake when I haue throughly learned to speake suche thinges as are not worthy of silence.

Pythagoras also the most wyse prince of Italique Phi­losophie, taught his scholars to be silent before he taught theym to speake, thereby shewinge, that a mannes wor­des Cato vsed re­straint of spea­che. are first to bee premeditate or thought vpon, ere they be vttered. For to brydle, and restrayn the tongue, which nature (meaninge Scilence) hath walled aboute wyth a trenche of teethe, is a poynte of no small wysdome: there­fore Silence. the sayde Philosopher restrayned tal [...]katiue younge men, enioyning vnto ech of them fiue yeares silence.

Aristotle when he sent his scholar and kinseman Cali­sthenes [...] vnto king Alexander among many other precepts gaue him this one, that hee shoulde vse to speake verye seeldome, but yet verye pleasauntlye before him, that Aristotles ad­uise to Calist­hene▪ touch­inge silence. had both the power of lyfe and death, in the sharpenes of his tounge: such persons also as haue diligently searched the natures of lyuing creatures, doe wryte that certayne lyuing creatures lacking reason, do maintayn their saue­tye with muche silence: As geese whiche by reason of too muche heate forsakinge the easte▪ and flyinge westward, in their flyght ouer the hyll Taurus, where many Eagles breede (which rauenous foules they greatlye dreade) doe vse to fyll their beakes wyth little stones, leaste that the force of custome, or necessitie shoulde moue them to gag­gle, and there bewray themselues vnto the Eagles, to the greate hazarding of their lyues: but after they haue silēt­ly [Page 53] passed the toppe of that mountayn and hylles therea­bout: they let fall the little stones oute of their bylles, & with a more carelesse flight, holde on their course alonge the ayre with loude noyse, and farre clearer voyces: Let therefore the Cittizen learne to keepe silence and to consi­der with whom hee doth talke, and let him obserue opor­tunity in speache: for sure according to the old prouerbe: A worde once past, cannot be called backe. And therefore let them rather vse the example of the Geese, then of Ca­listhenes: for they by a little silence saued their lyues, but this man euen with a small libertie of speache loste the same, when as he would not geeue eare vnto the sayinge of his good mayster: for greater is the prayse of a season­able silence, then of talke out of due tyme vsed.

And furthermore let the good cittizen be ignoraunt in glosing and flattring: for neyther can the glosers or flatterers in any respect profite eyther kings or princes. And Flattery muste be eschevved. true is that sentence of Quintus Curtius mentioned in his most excellent bookes of the Actes of Alexander, where hee saythe.

Aristippus the Philosopher did earnestlye sue to Dyoni­sius the Tyraunt for a certayn thing in the behalfe of hys frende▪ which when he saw he could not obteyn, streight waye he humblie embraced the Tyrauntes knees, and by and by obteyned his desire: and when this thinge was laide in his dishe for a reproche (by suche persons as were present) he pleasauntly sayd these wordes: I was not the aucthor of this kynde of flatterye, but Dyonisius himselfe, Diogenes. who hath his eares in his knees: and Diogenes being de­maūded what Beast did byte cruellest, merely aūswered,

[Page]For in deede flatterers do very muche hurt not onelye amongest princes whome they do prouoke to tyranny and crueltie, but also in a free cittye oftentimes (to creepe in­to Hurt of slatte­rers. the fauour of the common people) do geeue aduise vpō thinges whiche are against a common weale, & now and than, make the foolish multitude of people starke mad.

Moreouer let not a good citizen bee hastye, or rashe to anger: let him at no tyme speake anyethinge in chydinge moode or rage: for anger procedeth of the weakenes of mannes mynde, and that by a probable argument or rea­son Rasnnes of an­ger. is shewed: because angrye persons are, to them that be in good case, fayntye and colde, vnto men they are wo­men, to youngmen olde men, and to persons in prosperi­tie, miserable: yet notwithstandinge manye things are now and than done by anger, whiche in the ende (after the parties haue paused, and come to theimselues) doe make Inconueniēce of anger. theym sorowfull and repentaunt of that whiche they ha­ue sayde and done: Alexander oftentimes shewed exam­ples of an inuineible mynde, but because hee was rashe and hasty to anger, hee emblemished and made his other Example of furious anger in Alexander. vertues in some parte more obscure: for hee kylled Clitus his frende beinge an aged man, and giltlesse: and a little while after, when hee was come to himselfe agayne, hee would haue thrust the weapō which hee toke out of Clitus his wound into his own body, had it not bene for his frien­des, that were then about him.

Dyonisius also the Tyraunte (beinge on a tyme dyspo­sed to play at y ^• Tenys) layd down his coate and sword w ^ta Dyonisius. young man to keepe, in whom he tooke great delite: here at whā as a certain familier of his (iestinglye & thincking no harme) sayd: Dyonisius, thou puttest thy lyfe into this mannes handes, and the young man laughing at the same words, the Tyraunt cōmaunded both of them out of hand to be slain: y ^e one because he had shewed a way to kyl him, and the other because he allowed and tooke pleasure with laughter at y ^e saying: for y ^e which act certainly he was af­terwardes [Page 54] so sory, that hee neuer tooke anye thing more greuouslye in all the dayes of his lyfe: For in such kynde Not good to doe any thing vvhile anger losteth. of anger when the mynd is kyndled and enraged, we must surcease from all manner of dealinges, tyll the heate of choler be asswaged, following herein the example of Ar­chitas, who being on a time some what moued with anger towardes his Seruaunt, said these woordes: with what Hovv Archi­tas qual ified his anger. mynde should I entreate the, or how would I deale with thee now if I were not angrye?

Demosthenes that most excellēt Oratour seing y ^e nature & disposition of Phocion, which was of contrary opiniō to al other citizens of Athens, sayd on a tyme to him: Phociō y ^• Athenians wil kyll the, if a madnes once take them in y ^e heads, to whō Phociō answered: nay they wil kill thee Demosthenes if they euer chāce to be wise. Furthermore a ciuil mā ought so to dispose & frame al y ^e ages of his time y ^• in eueryone of thē he may exercise hīselfe in y ^• which shal then best become him, neyther let him do any such things in his childhoode or youth, wherof he may afterwards re­pent whē he is growen to furder yeares: on y ^• other part to omit nothing which he ought to bring to passe at those yeares: For in Childehoode is praysed that towardnesse of Wyt, whiche fore sheweth hope of honeste lyfe in tyme to come: In Adolescencie Disciplines of good Artes: wherin, who so excel, do seeme presently righte excellence men: then in the reste of the Ages of man, the fruictes of workes are looked for: that is to say, some conformitie of sayinges and doinges: agayne on the other part, a chyld is commended for simplicitie, a young man for gētlenes, and an oldman for grauity: in which poynt there is mut­che amisse euē at those first yeares which are more apt for learninge, which surely many in playinge and lewdnesse, do lose: for growinge to bigger stature for shame faste­nesse they are ashamed to learne, whereas rather they ought to bee ashamed to be ignoraunte: Undoubtedlye that is true whiche was holden as a Prouerbe amongest the auncient learned men.

Yet notwithstandinge there are some whiche wyll not sticke to mocke and floute men that are geuen to studye, & learninge in that age.

Themistocles the Athenian, a most excellent gentlemā, being an hundreth and seuen yeares olde, and perceyuing that hee must then needes departe oute of this worlde, is reported to haue sayde that hee was verye sorye that hee must then dye when he first beganne to taste of learninge and wysedome: what then shall others doe, whose lyfe is farre shorter & lesse exercised in studies of good discipline? seeinge that hee whiche had runne beyonde the boūdes of nature, did thincke himselfe not to haue lyued any longe tyme, to thattayninge of perfect wysedome.

The longest space of mannes lyfe whiche by his byrthe and death is defined, some haue runne in longe race, and Manns age by the opinion of Philosophers. some in a shorte. Plato affirmeth that Lxxxi. yeares is the laufull bounde, and ende of mannes lyfe: Solon af­firmeth lxxx. yeares iumpe, many threscore & fyftene: & some the threescore & tenth yeare: for they do deuide our age, or tyme of lyfe by the number of seauen, whereunto the Pythagorians attribute a certayne perfection, and doe shewe, that in euerye seuen yeares, some chaunge and al­teracion hapneth in the bodyes of men: wherfore they af­firme that euery seuenth yeare of our life is daungerous, Manns age de­uided by seuen yeares. whiche the Grecians call [...], The Latines Iudicia­lem seu decretorium, Iudiciall or decreiorye: and this do they shewe by this meanes. First because in the fyrst sea­uen yeares childrens teeth fall out or do lowse, geuinge place to other teeth comminge vp more fitte, and readye to chawe the meate: and at that tyme the perfect pronun­ciation of their mother tongue is perfect and playne: In y ^t second seuenth yeare the soft haires or mosinesse in yong Springaldes appearethe, in the thirde the Bearde be­gynneth [Page 55] to burgein and grow, and is the full accomplish­ment of height in mannes stature: in the fowerth hee be­gynneth to spreade and enlarge in breadth and thickenes of stature: In the fyfthe the strength of man is fully per­fected and made rype & able for the procreation of Issue: In the sixte man stayeth his pleasure and voluptuousnes: and in the seauenth resteth wysedome and eloquence, yet nowe his strength doth by little and little secretely decay. And in the eight there is a certayne concinnitie or aptnes of the vertues of the mynde, which remayneth in y ^e ninth septenarie or seuen yeares: finally in the tenth by lytle & little he groweth towardes his ende.

Pythagoras sayde that fowerscore yeares was the pre­fixed tyme for the lengthe of lyfe, and deuideth it in ages Mannes life deuided into fo­vver equal nū ­bers compared to the fovver seasons of the yeare. by twentye, allottinge vnto childehoode twenty yeares, to adolescencie as many: as many to youth, to manhhode other twenty, and to old age as many, comparing māns lyfe vnto the fower seasons or quarters of the yeare: As to the springe, chyldehoode: to sommer youthe. To Au­tume manhoode, and vnto winter olde age: But Uarro a most excellent Philosopher amonge the Latines, thinc­keth Children. that chyldrens age continueth tyll they bee fyftene yeares olde, bycause so longe they are Impuberes: that is Yongmen. to saye vnhearye and not apt to generation, from thence tyll thyrtie they are counted young men or lusty youthes, because the bodye doth growe lustye large and strong tyl Manhode. y ^• age: vntill the age of xlv. they are called men, bycause at that age they are best able to defend and helpe their cō ­mon meale with armoure and weapons: Tyll threescore Oldemen. yeares they are called graue and aunciente, because then especiallye mannes bodye beginneth to drawe towardes olde age: and from thence, vntill thende of eche mannes Extreeme olde age. lyfe, hee affirmeth the fifthe degree to reache: vnto the whiche age who so doth attayn, he calleth them very old men, because then the Bodye becommeth vnwieldye, by reason of age: but Staseas the Neapolitane, an excellent [Page] Philosopher in his time and a rare Phisltiō determineth and concludeth mannes lyfe at lxxxiiii. yeares.

We ought not to desire to liue long, no not although the destinies do seeme to smyle vpon vs, or to fauour oure peticions. by reason of the sundrye chaunces of fortune, & Man may not vvish for long [...]yfe. doubtfull healthe of our bodye: for a certayne wiseman, beinge demaunded how longe a man shoulde wish to liue, made this aunswere: so long as the commodities of thys lyfe be mo then the discommodities thereof.

Theophrastus (as Cicero sayth) was w [...]nt to accuse na­ture, for that sheee had geeuen vnto Crowes and Hartes, longe lyfe, whose lyfe was altogether vnprofitable, and vnto men very short and swyfte, who both might benefite theymselnes and others, if they mighte haue tyme of lyfe fully to drincke of wysoomes Well.

Possidonius a notable Philosopher sayd, that one day of a learned mans tyme, was more worth then neuer so longe an age of the ignoraunt: let therefore our ciuill man liue Moderatiō in dyet. very moderately, & let his dyet & table fare be accordinge to frugality, and temperaunce: for intemperancye & gur­maundise enfebleth the bodye and dulleth the mynde: for as temperancie maketh a man long young, & preserueth the bodye in healthe and good lykinge, so the other dothe hasten olde age before the tyme, & maketh the body weak, taketh away coloure, and cheerefulnes of countenaunce: for it is true whiche was wont to bee in this respect, euen by the Phisicians themselues, that:

For men not able fully to digeste that whiche they re­ceiue Gourmandise surphet and belly cheare. into their stomacks, are geuē to be of vnlusty health, they are euermore sick, seldom whole, & sone com to their end: and furdermore ther is no goulfe or whirlpole whi­che doth more swallow vp & waste a mannes substaunce, then gluttonye, which the more it is filled and fed, y ^• more is it styll an hungered, and the better it hath dyned, the [Page 56] more it studieth and takes care how to suppe: There are surely no ryches so large and copious, no housholde trea­sure so notable, nor wealthe so greate, whiche in a small tyme are not swalowed vp into the bellye.

Diogenes on a tyme readinge in a paper set on the dore Ryotous per­sons. of a certayne ryotous person, that was driuen to sell hys house, merilye and pleasauntly sayde these wordes.

Glotony doth not onely waste & consume the substance, but bringeth very many Gentlemen into seruitude: do we not see y ^• smelfeastes, and ieasters, become perpetual bōd Smelfeases. slaues for their bellies sake? are there not manye whych as it were buye their dynner and supper not onelye wyth flattringe seruices, but also wyth moste vyle and absurde offices? for whom it were a great deale better to feede vp on the very mast & Acornes shaken from the tree, & to liue wyth wylde beries & apples, then at another mannes ta­ble to be fed with peacocke & the dayntie Acipencer. Surely greately are they to bee blamed, which sekee thē selues maisters for good cheare sake, forgetting the state of Lybertie.

Albidius a certayne citizen of Rome deuoured & consumed all his goodes or substance in eatinge and drinking, & Prodigality & ryot of Albidi us. finally euen y ^e very house it selfe, wherein he dwelt, which was then euen all the substāce he had left) was by casual­tie of fyre consumed & brent: this thing when Cato heard of, he sportingly sayd: that Albidius had sacrificed his rē ­naunts and fragmentes: by the which saying Cato, quip­ped the glotony of the sayde Albidius, and shewed y ^t ther­by he was become an open praye, and laughing stock vnto fortune: for y ^t thinge which he could not eate, hee burned. [Page] And that whiche he could not reuell, deuour, and swyll, y ^• had hee committed into the handes of Fortune to sporte wythall.

Exercise is called the best sauce for meate, and hunger is coumpted a delicate or daynty dishe fynely sawced, for the prouocations of glottonye and curious cates and iun­kettes, sought for both out of the ayre, the heauens, earth Exercise and la [...]ur a good s [...] for meat. and the Sea, doe not sauou [...]e or relice, better wyth an ydle slouthfull person, then bread doth wyth him that la­boureth and is an hungered: Ptolomeus the kynge wan­deringe throughe Egipt, and his souldiers hauinge not ouertaken hym wyth victuels, beynge verye hungrye, dyd eate course bread (which he gotte out of a shepehear­des cottage) greedely, & with greate appetite: swearing, that in all his lyfe time he did neuer eate any thinge more sweete and delicate then that bread was: Also Darius fly­inge from Alexander (beinge sore athirste) did with great Darius. lust and greedines drincke muddye and troubled water, taken out of the next ryuer, whiche was soylled and sten­ched wyth dead carcases throwen into it, sayinge that hee neuer tasted any thinge sweeter in all his lyfe.

A certayne swyllinge dronckarde geuen to gullinge, & quaffinge, was wont to say in sporte, that hee neuer thur­sted bycause hee did with oftentimes drin [...]kinge preuente Good vvay to procure a sto­macke. his thirst: But the ciuil man must expect and looke, that nature wyl require meat, which (by walking, labouring, & exercisinge himselfe) is to bee prouoked: by the exāple of Socrates the Philosopher, whō on a tyme walkinge, a certayne man asked why he so did, he aunswered:

The auncient Romaynes for no other cause vsed to sup in their open courtes, & vnder the open ayre: but to the entent to shew their continencie, and frugalitye, vnto the [Page 57] people whose care and studie, was not so greate to pester their table with manye dishes, as it was afterwardes to their posteritie: for the Epicure who was the auoucher, and meinteyner of pleasures, dispised fine and dayntie di­licates, and filled the barkes of trees, which hee vsed for dishes, wyth Herbes and Apples, and woulde saye that a man shoulde feede vppon homely meate, because they are the more easely to bee had: for delicate dishes and ex­quisite brothes are prepared and dressed with great care, and excessiue coste, and do make a greater griefe & trou­ble before a man can fynde theym forth, then they bringe pleasure in eatinge. Hippocrates also wryteth, that such persons as are carefull for Gluttonye and Bellycheare, Epicure. Belly gods. are neuer in sound health, neyther can be long lyued, and that their spirites are so incombred with to much bloud, and too much [...]ramminge, as if they were wallowed and soused in the myre: and therfore they haue no mynde vpō any sober or heauenly thinge, but alwayes frame theym­selues to thincke vpon their dishes, and how they may fill their bellies: It is a thing profitable so to dispose y ^t minde with somthing, that thereby at all tymes & seasons, frui­tes may be had and reaped: for fewe thinges can be wan­tinge Husbandrye purueyghour of many neces saries. for dayly expences vnto a ciuil man, if hee will ha­ue diligente care, to looke to his husbandrye, and the fee­dinge of his cattle: a very meane diligence wherein, Cato sayde did encrease, a mannes substaunce: neyther ought any man to be ashamed to fede flocks of beasts or heards of cattle, for euen most noble persons of all the aunciente people afore tyme, did vse to feede and keepe Cattle.

Let banquettinge be seeldome haunted of a good citti­zen: for it is vncertayn whether the same banquets pur­chase a mā fauour or displeasure: for although those that Banqueting are bidden guestes, bee bound to requite the same w ^t like agayn, yet there are many whiche beinge neglected and vnbidden do take disdayne thereat, and practise againste the same eyther reproche or Iniurye: for, to keepe Ban­kettes [Page] or feastes is thought to belonge vnto kinges, prin­ces, and most wealthiest personages.

Ryot and couetousnes, are two plagues which (as Ti­tus Liuius sayth) haue oftentimes subuerted, and vtterlye Ryot and couetousnes: vvo plagues. destroyed, whole citties and Empyres.

Let the good Citizen keepe a meane in his apparell, & obserue a measure in his degre & ability: for in deede, as it is a fowle thinge to weare yll fauoured and vndecente garmentes, so is it subiect to enuye, to weare that whiche is to gorgious and fine, and especially, when as a mannes substance will not stretche to mainteyn the same, or wheras hee beinge indebted to others, braues it oute vppon other menns purses: for in apparel this is to be conside­red y ^t a man weare nothing but such as he may lawfully, Manner of ap­parel. and that it doe not differ from the customable order, and vsage of his country: let it be suche as may become both the person that weareth it, his stocke, & kynred, his yea­rees and manners: for as fine braue apparell (so far forth as it becōmeth) doth adde dignity & aucthority vnto mē: so nyce, womanish, & ryotous apparell, doth not cōmend & set out the body, but discouereth the vanitie of y ^e mynde. Adrianꝰ Caesar herin purchased to himself prayse because hee ordayned y ^e the Senators, & the worshipfull persōs of Rome, should not goe abrode, but in their gownes, except when they returned home from suppers.

Al necessarie expences, are to be restrayned, as y ^e charges of funeralles, whiche bring no commodity to those y ^t are dead, & are chargeable to thē that are aliue: and yet their fame and good report which liued with prayse, & honestye is not darkned with modest funeral ceremonies: but on y ^e Vnnecessarye expences must be forborne. Funeralles. other part their funeral pōpe, shal not make the memory of them to be famous among posterity, whose life hauing bene lose, and inglorious, hath lefte nothinge behind thē worthy of memory.

Cyrus king of Persia commaunded by his last wyl and testament, y ^t there should beno other Sepulchre or tombe [Page 58] erected for him, then the earth onely which brought forthe grasse, & flowers, then which there can nothinge be foūde more noble, neyther any thing that may more beautifye y ^e graue: surely me thinkes the reason of y ^e auncient Egip­tians is to bee deryded, whereof Dyodorus maketh menti­on, because they dispisinge y ^e tyme of this present lyfe, did Costly fune­ralles of the Egiptians reproued. call their dwelling houses, by the names of Innes as the which they coumpted their harbours and lodginges. for a small tyme, but most vaynlye and fondlye they lashed out lustely, and spared no coste, in erecting of sumptuous Tō ­bes, & burialls: for they thought that the graues were y ^e perpetuall & euerlasting dwelling places of them y ^t dyed, and were therein buried.

The Scythians (as Plutarch mencioned) did burie wyth Scythians ab­surd maner of burying their kinges. their dead kings, their butlers, cookes, yea and harlotts: to that end as I thincke, y ^t their kings should want no ne­cessarie seruice after they were dead: and certayne coun­tries of India with their dead husbandes, eyther burne or burie their beloued wiues, or others whōsoeuer they best loued in their life time: Oh a matter not only horrible in Indiās sauage maner in buri­alles. sight, but also to be spokē of, to kill a lyuing man, because the dead man should not lacke a frend or seruaunte, when as in deede he can neuer want or stand in nede of any such, who hath no feeling at all.

Little differeth from this madnes of the Indians, the people called Massagetae, and those called Derbites, which do kil their kinsfolkes & friends, whē they waxe old, or by any casualtie draw nea [...]e vnto death, makīg therat great solempnitie & feasting, and there eate them together with other meate: and this they saye they doe, because they sup­pose it to be the worst fortune that may happen vnto men, to be deuoured with wormes.

Essedones philosophers of Europe, which dwelling neare to the ryuer Danow, vsed to celebrate y ^e funeralls of their Parentes, and neighbours, with mery cheare, and [...]ocund reioysing of their frendes and familiers together: y ^e dead [Page] corses being mangled & mixed with the intrayles of their slayne beasts, they doe feede vpon, & eate vp in bāqueting: but the Heades, or Skulles, of their deade Bodies, they keepe to serue theym in steede of Drinckinge Cuppes, Semiramis. garnishing theym with golde and siluer.

Semiramis a Queene of a most haughty, and excellente mynde, causing a sumptuous Sepulchre or Tombe, for Couetousnes. her to be made, wherin shee would lye after her death, cō ­maunded these wordes to be engrauen thereuppon:

These wordes Darius the king reading, and thinkinge there had bene treasures hid there in deede, commaunded the stone of the Tombe to bee taken away, whiche beinge rowlled asyde, be saw other words ingraued vnto this ef­fect and purpose:

This most excellent Ladye by a ciuil derision, did thus taunt the vyce of couetousnes.

Sertorius hauing won Thynge, a town in Maurisia where (as thinhabitants sayd) the noble Sepulchre of Antheus was being of wonderful yea incredible greatnesse, gaue cōmaundement that it should be razed and thrown to the Monument reuerently pre scrued. ground, and therin founde a bodye of lxx. cubites long (as Plutarch maketh mention) which he bebolding, meruay­led greatly thereat, and commadūed y ^t the same Tombe should be streightway reedified and restored, & greatlye enryched the fame thereof, least otherwise hee should haue emblemished his honoure, by defacinge and violating, so notable a monumente.

HIPPODAM VS Mylesius a man desirous of glorye, a worthy warriour, & excellentlye well learned in the studies of good artes, purposing to write of the good estate of a common weale, first & especially, thought it conuenient and necessarye to deuide and distinguishe the cittye and countrye in seue­ral: for it semed vnto him a thing very hard to compasse, to make a common rable and multitude of men gathered together within the walls of one citye, to lyue quietly to­gether, excepte there were aseperation made betweene theym: therefore hee distributed and deuided the people into three sortes, one to be Artificers, another husbande­men, and the thirde warriours: and he thoughte it good reason that the magistrates should be appointed and cho­sen by all these persons indifferentlye.

Cicero vnto Salust who taunted him as a newe made Cittyzen, and one come of base Degree, boastinge him­selfe Cicero and Sa lust at dissen­tion. to bee of moste noble dissente aunswered on this maner: I haue by my vertue, worthynes, and seruice to [Page] my countrye shyned before, and geeuen lighte to all myne auncestors, y ^t if they were not knowne before, they mighte yet of me receyue a beginninge of theyr memory: thou by meanes of thy lewde lyfe whiche thou hast leade filthelye, hast vnto thy auncestors, brought great cloudes of darck­nesse, so that although they of thēselues, were famous & notable citizēs, yet by meanes of the, they shalbe brought into obliuiō: wherfore do not thou obiect vnto me men of auncient race: for it is better, y ^t I do florishe in mine owne actes that I haue done, thē to leane vpon the reputacion Cicero his aū ­svvere vnto Salust. of auncestrie, & so to lyue that I may be an originall or be­ginning of nobilitye, and an example of vertue vnto al my posterity: for Cicero might wel bring profe of y ^e progenye or ofspring of his nobility, because he was lyneally descended of the Uolscian kinges.

Plato wysest of all Plilosophers, and his folowers (frō whom Aristotle doth smally differ, maketh four kindes of nobility: y ^e 1. was of thē which proceded frō noble stocke Nobility. and auncient race of honorable elders: the second was of thē, whose parēts were mē of aucthority, princs, or chief rulers: the iii. was of thē whose rulers excelled others in any kind of notable prayse or cōmendaciō, eyther at home or abrode in the warres: the iiii. kinde of nobility▪ he ma­keth that, which he sheweth to be moste excellente of all y ^e reste, when as anye man excelleth others, eyther in wor­thynes, wysoome, or magnanimitie of the mynde, & lea­neth onely to the vertue of his owne cōmendation: And this man he iudgeth worthy to bee coumpted noble, whō not other mēns worthines ennobleth, but whom his pro­per vertue and valiauntnes, doth aduaunce to honour and renowme: but vnto these fower kindes of nobilitie, Ari­stotle also added the v. y ^t is of them which famously excel­led in any notable discipline: & this did he by good right: for they ther by do not only ennoble themselues, and their lignage, but likewise ennoble the Citties, and countries wherein they were borne.

Iuba the sonne of Iuba kinge of Numidia, beinge but a [Page 60] childe, & taken prisoner by Iulius Caesar, did folow his tri­ūphe into Africa: and although he had lost both kingdom Example of Iuba. & libertie, & also despoyled of his honour & dignitye, yet hee betoke himselfe vnto learning, & within a small time, proued so well, that hee was coumpted amongest the best learned writers in Greece: and whatsoeuer nobility For­tune had taken frō him, y ^e same did the discipline of good sciences, more abundantly restore in him: wherunto also Hanniball gaue himselfe, euen in the desperate and trou­blesome broyles of the Carthaginenses, & being somwhat aged in yeares, did learne the greeke tounge and therein became so eloquent, y ^t he wrate the actes of certayn Em­perours, and certayn excellent bookes of the orderinge of warfare & martiall affayres.

It seemeth mete that they, whose parents, graūdsires, and auncestors haue afore time bene honored, and endow­ed wyth publique offices, shoulde also haue charge of the common weale, as it were by a certayne rightfull inheri­taunce: & therupon let them employ all their diligence, & care: for as a field is very well committed into the handes of country borne persons, which know, and can skil of the Succession of offices. ayre and soyle: euen so they that are come of y ^e race of Se­natours, haue learned to execute those publique offices, as it were by naturall discipline, deuised to them by their auncestrye: for al the common people wil beare and obey more willingly & patiently, their rule or aucthority, ney­ther think they it amisse, for y ^e son to beare office, whē they call to mynd that all his ancestours haue executed y ^e same offyce aforetime. They whiche beare rule in a common weale ought to haue a diligent care, that the people be not oppressed, pinched, & famished w ^t want of corne or grayne, & y ^• they mai (as far as is possiible) enioy a perfect peace & tranquillity: for surely all common people (although thei be ready, & prōpt to reuengement of wrongs, for y ^• whiche it is sene now & thē, y ^• they do enter into armes & warres: yet notw ^tstāding, they expect som euēt & ende, & if fortune [Page] fauour theym not, they fall to brablinge with their Ru­lers, by swearing, wresting, and turninge all the faulte in their neckes: and more ouer we must not rashly credit the opinion & rumour of the cōmon people, for as Maro saith:

The opinions of which common people, are slippery, wauering & mutable, & not only for a day but notso mu­che as for one hour, stedfast & firme: wherfore it may bee spokē of y ^e cōmon people which we do vse in y ^• prouerbe.

Religion, ceremonies, mysteries, and al deuine honor whereby we make the liuinge God mercifull, and at one with vs, requireth men holy and innocent: who beinge in­dowed The spiritual­tye ought to be mayntay­ned by the ly­uinges of the Churche. with the zealous studie of sacred and deuine scrip­tures, do wype away the cloudes of blyndenes and error, from the eyes of men: for these men (to the end, they may lyue modestlye and keepe in good ordre, the temples & sa­cred houses, w ^t great costes & charges, edified) haue neede of wealth, ryches, and fruites of the earthe, whiche in dee­de do neuer or seeldome fayle, neyther haue they neede to make any marchaundize, by buying and sellinge.

Without sauegardes, and defenders of the same, a cō ­mon weale cannot be. For what should the Citizens doe within the walles, if they had no other defence, but with­in Pouertie not relieued. the walles of their Cyttye? In what wealth doth that Citty stand, or how are the pore relieued there, whereun­to the husbandmen of the countrye do runne for succoure, when as in the fieldes adiacente, there is feare on euerye side? In what hope, or in what diligence, do the husband­men toyle or moyle, if they see their Sommer, or haruest corne, and fruictes to become an open pray or spoyle, for Husbandmen. the enemie: and without keepers geeue ouer all thinges in their fieldes vnto Fortune in euery place.

The corne whiche is reaped, in the cōmon fieldes, may [Page 61] bee kept and reserued, vntill such tyme as there happen a dearthe or scarsitie, or that the difficultie of Warre doe vrge, in hollow trenches couered in chaffe, and very wel fenced and made safe from all and euery kynde of vermin for seuen yeares store, as Lucius Columella maketh menti­on: which thing surely if it were diligently looked vnto, and that in his due season the olde frute were spent, and the new fruict laid vp in store, it should preserue the peo­ple from all siege and famin of the enemie. and with most safe and sure defence protecte theim from the annoyaunce of their enemies: for litle preuayleth armour or weapons of defence in fight, where the people do famishe, for want of sustentation: and a famished communaltie is euermore studious, and bent to newfanglenesse and tumulte.

Hee that wyll haue a well tylled grounde, let him sell his houses in the cittie: for hee that taketh more pleasure A good citizē a good hus­band▪ or felicitye to dwel in his house within the Cittye, then in his house in the countrie, hath no nede at al of any groūd: for he cannot well handle ciuile affayres, which taketh es­peciall pleasure in husbandrye, and countrye dealinges: for truely it cannot bee but hee muste needes neglect the one of these twayne, which coueteth to satisfie his minde with both these benefites.

Gardens planted with herbes & trees, be made for plea­sure and recreation: for in thē are borders of Roses, bed­des of violettes, Fishepondes, and suche other like com­modities of pleasure: for Graners, Barnes, and store­Houses, Gardens and Orchardes. wherein Corne is layde, whyche doe encrease bothe profite and liuinge vnto manne, doe rather serue for the maisters wealth, then for his diligence: yet not­withstanding it shall not bee impertinent for a Citizen, or ciuile person to haue pleasure, and practise in husbandry.

And as hee growethe in more wealthe, to haue manye seruauntes for the orderinge of his husbandrie, and suche as bee mere straungers, borne out of that countrye (vnto whome hee may prescribe thoffices of that which pertay­neth [Page] neth vnto husbandrye.

Straungers and foreyners beinge merchauntes, are friendly to be entertayned when they come into the citye for good and honest purposes: for the Societies, and en­tercourses Merchaunt straungers hovv they are to be entertay­ned in a cittye of traffique with straūgers, helpe the trade of merchaundise among citizens, & do make them wealthier and furnish the cittie with store of that, which it wanteth, & caryeth away from hence those things, wherof we haue superfluous store and abundaunce: yet is it expedient, that there should be but few of them denized with the freedom of the citye: for certaynly the multitude of Inhabitaunts oute of sundrie places is daungerous, in euerye nacion: for the common people, gathered together out of sundrye countries, seldom agree well, and there can scarce be vni­tye or concorde, among men of sundrye nacions: and wee may well so thincke that straungers, will but a while cō ­tinue in that zeale & good wil, or natural affection, which free borne people do, that haue receyued from their Aun­cestors as it were y ^• seede of loue towardes their coūtrey, & haue euen w ^t their mothers milke, a tender good wil & affection towards their citizēs. Of the true citizens that may bee spoken, whiche in louely speache, wyues are wōt True Citizens to complayne sayinge:

So greatly is the loue of our natural country engraf­ted in vs, euen by nature, that wee cannot want or be with out the same, for any contynuaunce of time or distaunce of places, for no reproches, neyther yet for anye iniuries. Straungers. Therefore wee must warely deale with straungers: For Aristotle affirmethe that all Nacions whiche retayned many straungers, and Inhabitantes of forrein countreis [Page 62] to be resident among thē, were disquieted with discordes.

We must especially take hede that nothing be done, in the cōmon weale by violence or fraud: for what things so euer are done by vyolence, are weake & vnstable, & not on­lye prouoketh the multitude vnto enuie, but also vnto re­uenge. Appius Claudius the Decemuir, by violēce chalen­ged Virginia to be his bondwomā, which thing her father Appius Clau­dius. not suffring, thrust his daughter through the body w ^t hys sword, & with embrewed handes returned to his hoast, ex­citing vp the cōmon people against the Senators, which thinge brought no small plague vnto y ^e common weale.

There be some that are sorye to see others surmounte, Repyners at o­thers vvel do­inge. and excell in vertue: there was sometimes amongest y ^• Ephesians a certayn excellent mā called Hermodorus, who excellīg others both in learning & honesty was neuerthe­lesse banished out of his country: and vnto certayn men y ^t meruayled thereat, & asked those people why they had ba­nished so worthy a mā, they aūswered: there was no other cause, but that in vertue, and integrity of lyfe, hee dyd to farre excell y ^• rest of his felow citizens: for vnto all good men doth euer chaunce cōmon backbyters, & euil willers: wherfore now and then we must dessemble if we desire to flye enuye: assuredly wysedome must somtime geue place vnto rashnes, for enuy doth not onely cast vnder foote ve­rye manye notable personages, but also doth subuert the state of cities, yea & vtterly destroy the cities themselues.

The Poets fables of Enuy are notable affirming, that Enuie descri­bed. it is a plague feeding vppon Serpentes: meaning there­by to shewe that enuious persons do swalow poyson, and vomite vp venime agayne: for an other mannes felicitye is poyson vnto the enuious persō: neyther can he take any ioy of himselfe, except he infect others w ^t his poyson: & cer­tes, ther can be nothīg more filthy, or more vnfitting a mā then to reioyse at an other mans euil & to bee vexed or yll apayd for other mens good fortune, both which things y ^• enuious man vseth to do.

[Page] Tymon the Atheniā dyd once make an oration at Athēs in a great assēblie of people, in the which he sayd y ^t he had one only little Orcharde wherin was a great figtree, vp­on Example of envye. which many cittizens had hanged themselues, and be­cause in that place hee purposed to buylde a wall, he sayd he must needes cut downe the same figge tree: and y ^t ther­fore he was come to tel them, that if any would hang thē ­selues, they should make haste and come quicklye, whyle the figgetree were yet standinge.

Euerye man maintayneth his priuate Substaunce al­though it bee small: Neyther doth the poore man lesse esteeme of his small pittaunce, then the rych of his great Wealthe: and if any Contencion happen to aryse, bee­tweene a poore man and a rycheman, although the ryche man (in deede) be wronged, yet because hee is mightier, & wealthyer, it will be thought that he doth y ^e wrong & in­iurye, and thereby purchaseth the enuye of many others: but yet if any man do saye that the pore mannes patrimo­nye is taken from him, by extorcion and violence, or strōg hand, euery man beginnes to feare his own case, deayseth new fangled alteracions, rayleth at his betters, fauoreth the oppressed, bendeth himselfe vnto Sedicions, and can neuer be quiet in his mynde, till hee see that he hath safe­lye, and warelye ynough prouided for his own safety.

Periander practised Tyrannye in Ambracia, and custo­mablye cōmitted buggerye with a certayne boye, whom Periander a buggerer. on a tyme as hee was Drinckinge in presence of manye others, hee merely asked whether hee was at anye tyme greate with childe by him or no: the boy was throughlye enraged with anger, and could not abyde that those filthy thinges, which hee had suffered before, shoulde haue bene once named and spoken of: and thereupon founde he mea­nes, to kyll and destroye this Tyraunte. Pausanias also Pausanias. of Macedonie a youngeman in beautye and nature moste excellent, was likewise violently and forcyblye abused in his bodye by Attalus, and by him was made dronke with [Page 63] wyne, and brought in at a banquet, and offered as a com­mon strumpet vnto the luste of the guestes there: Pausa­nias stomacking this shamefull villanye, tolde the whole matter to kinge Philip, but the kinge with sundry dela­tory woordes, seemed to haue thereof no care, but rather made thereat a laughinge game, preferring. Attalus vn­to better place and rowme in warfare then hee: whiche iniury so throughly touched Pausanias. that he conuerted his displeasure towardes the kinge, and the reuenge whiche he could not take of his aduersarye, hee extended vpon the vnrighteous Iudge: for as he sate at the maryage of Cleopatra the daughter of Attalus betwen both the Alex­anders, the sonne and the sonne in lawe, Pausanias slewe Complaintes, of pore oppressed suters must not be reiected him, fearing no such matter & by killing the king turned into sorow and heauines that day which should haue bene a daye of ioye or gladnes, playnely hereby shewinge, that the complaintes of subiectes are not to bee disdayned, nor contemptuouslye be reiected.

It goeth not wel in that common weale, where a man must lyue by prayer or intreatye, where Citizens muste liue in that case, that they dare not speake frankly or bold­lye those thinges whiche they thincke to be for their pro­fite: Philip king of Macedonie, vnder a certayn pretence of libertie inuadinge a great part of Greece, besieged A­thens, excusing himselfe by letters, and Embassadors, sēt vnto the Senate and people of Athens, that hee did not those thinges, to the ende hee would take away from thē their liberties or Franchises, or to bringe the Citty into bondage, but because he had a grudge against ten of their Citizens, which in the Senate house had alwayes bare­ked Fayre & smoth Wordes. against him, and did not ceasse to rayle vpon him with reprochfull wordes: and therefore if those fewe might be yelded vnto hym, hee sayde hee woulde reyse his siege and departe, and deliuer the people from warre, and famine. Namely and especially be required to haue that most ex­cellence oratour Demosthenes deliuered vnto him, vppon [Page] whom all the coūtenaunces, and fauours of the Grecians were at that time bent and cast, & besides him nine others of y ^• eloquentest, & notablest persons, both for talke & auc­thoritye: hereuppon the Senate was in great perplexi­tye, and many of theym agreeing vpon this poynt, cryed The Senate in d [...]bt. out, that it were much better, to saue a multitude, then a fewe persons: these fewe were shrewdely afrayde, whom the king had requested thus to bee yelded into his hands to death, & scarcely durst they speake their myndes, seeing that by their deathes all the residue, hoped for peace & ly­berty, & it had come to passe in deede, that these fewe had then bene yelded, had not Demosthenes displayde y ^• craft and dereiptful fetch of the kyng by this wittely deuised fa­ble vttred vnto them.

The wolfe on a time (sayth he) perswaded certain sheepe­heards (whose diligēce he had a desire to deceiue) to enter frendship and amity with him, condicionally y ^• the shepe­heards should deliuer vnto him (as hostages or pledges) their Dogs which were his hateful enemies, & gaue al y ^• cause of all the strife & debate: the shepeheards gaue eare vnto this tale, assēted to his request, & for better assurance of their faithful meaning, deliuered their dogges, which were the most diligent garders of y ^e shepe: thē the Wolfe when al feare was taken away, not only at his fill, but al­so at his pleasure deuoured and tare in pieces the shepe, & killed the shepeheardes themselues. Euen so (O ye Athe­nians) doth Philip y ^t king at his present mean & go about: who desireth to haue al their heads vnder his gyrdle whiche haue impugned his doings & which doe manifeste and bring to light his secret treacheries, and colourable dea­lings: because he may the more easlye inuade, & sacke the city, whē it is bereft & spoyles of the sauegarders therof: for doubtlesse y ^t cittye must nedes perish, wheras mē may not speake their mindes frely in such matters as concern Abstlnence frō ciuyl bludshed the vtility of the weale publique.

Let y ^e good citizen greatly abstain frō ciuil bloud, being euer mindful of this tragical sentence,

But if necessity constrain, & that the citty cannot other­wise be set in good state, except by sheadinge of y ^• bloud of some naughty lewd person: let them deale as good Phisi­ans vse to do, who after y ^t they do playnly see (y ^t the trou­bled & infected members of their Patientes, cānot by any maner of remedies be restored to perfection or recouery) although it be against their willes, & to the greate griefe of all the whole body: yet do they not let to cut of y ^e same Naughty mē ­bers in a com­mon vvealth must bee cut of corrupt members, least they should infect all the rest of y ^e body: for wee must not fauour or spare any person, there by to bring ruine or decay to the whole Common weale: but we must vse reuenge, that the same may be preserued insafetye.

To geue as spoyles vnto the cōmon people the goodes of such as be proscript & out of the Princes protection, is a­gainst Comunalty of Rome refray­ned from spoylinge one an other. all equitye, and therfore the Comunaltie of Rome deserued great prayse, & fauour, when Marius & Cinna, proponed the richemens houses to be spoyled by the Cyt­tizens: for there was no man found so needye and so bare whiche at that tyme spared not from despoylinge & pur­loyning of that which an other man had sore sweat and la­boured for. Neyther was there anye man amongeste theym whiche coulde fynde in his harte, to reape any commoditye vnto himselfe, in the tyme of that ciuill sorow [...],

As seuerity in a citty is somtyme wholsome, so cruelty is alwayes pestiferous: For the Seuerity of Lucius Sylla was a beginning of all euilles amongest the Romaynes: for that same most infamous table wherin were fourscore Seueritye of Iustice. thousande Persons proscribed, and of theym fower that had borne the honourable office of Consul, to wyt, Carbo, [Page] Marius, Norbanus, and Scipio, and amongest them also at that tyme Sertorius (a man in those days greately feared) wrought much mischiefe vnto the common weale: for o­ther men taking hereat example, in a small tyme, subuerted the whole Empyre.

But yet the multitude of people, yea thoughe they doe some what trespasse, must be mercifully spared: Iulius Cae­sar after that he had vanquished the hoast of Pompeius the greate, spared the Cittizens: and theym whom hee had by force of armes subdued, hee rewarded with benefites bountifully: and glorying in himselfe, wrate letters vnto his friendes at Rome, therein mentioninge that he tooke greate and moste sweete pleasure because hee had preser­ued in safety those Citizens, whō he alwayes reputed for his aduersaries and enemies, and had made theim to be­come as it were bound in tender affection, and good wyll towardes him.

The nature of crueltie doth make the prayse of victory far lesse: for greater had the prayse of Octauius beene to­wardes Antonius, if hee had not commaunded A [...]ilius, being thē but a Chyld most Innocent, & the sonne of An­tonius, Fauour and mercie of the conquerours and victors to­vvordes theym that be ouer­come. and of Fuluia, to be beheaded: and yet not with stā ­ding Octauius streightway shewed the euident tokens of repentaunce, for that whiche he had done: for he streight wayes reuenged the death of Attilius: for Theodorus the scholemaister of y ^• chylde who betrayed him vnto Octaui­us, priuily tooke from the childe when hee went vnto his death, a precious stone which he ware about his Necke, whereof Caesar hauinge intelligence, commaunded the same Theodorus to bee condempned and hanged vppon a gibet, and so reuenged the vilanye of that trayterous ver let, shewing there in playne profes of his channged mind, relenting in that whiche hee had afore done.

No man can patientlye brooke to bee flouted, contemp­ned and to be hadde in derision: for wee reade of Manlius Torquatus, the Sonne of the moste valiaunte, and noble [Page 65] Lucius Manlius, was euen from his childehoode of a dull and blunt w [...]tte▪ in somuch that he was se [...] away by his father into the countrye▪ as one that seemed neyther fitte nor profitable eyther [...] [...] for priuate offices: but hee wythin a small tyme after, as one wearye of his slouthfull lyfe, deliuered and preserued his father beinge accused from a greate and waighty matter of a iudicial controuersie: and in the Battle foughte by the Latines brought away the tryumphe and vyctory, to the great re­ioysinge of the people of Rome. Neyther may Themisto­cles bee pretermitted with silence, whose lewdenes of lyfe his mother dispayring (for thamendment or reforminge) hanged her selfe: but when he came to be of more discreti­on, hee proued to bee of such excellency, in all his doings, that Cicero the most excellent oratour, called him y ^e prince of Greece.

The age of twentye and fower yeares is lawfull & al­lowable for any man to a [...]e and attayne vnto an offyce: and let no man therfore [...] if [...]ee [...] not a magistrate At vvhat yea­res an officer may be chosen before those yeares: moreouer let no man disdayne that any more auncient person then himselfe is preferred in of­fyce before him, both because the enuye is greater amōg those that be of equal vocatien, and also because, euery mā doth hope when he cōmeth to that age, that then hee shal attayne vnto the like preferment.

It standeth with the honour of the cytty when the Ci­tizens are called by honorable and goodly names: for an vncomely maner of nomination or tearming of them see­meth Apt names for Citizens. so to take away somewhat of the dignitye of the per­son, as an honest or decent callinge of a man, seemethe to adde worshippe, honour, or dignitye: In whiche thinge, the diligence of the parentes in naming their children, is to bee praysed, and especiallye seeinge that in that poynte they bestow no coste, and yet doe not a lyttle adorne their children therewith: Wherefore some are worthie of dis­prayse: who hauinge Parentes and Auncestors yll na­med [Page] woulde neuer leaue or dygresse frō the same names, euen as if they were loath to defraud their poste­ritye of the reproche or ignominye of their Auncestors.

MArcus Cato said that in buyinge of Landes, two thinges especially are to be considered, hole­somenes of ayre, and plentifulnes of the soyle: wherof if the one were Choyse in buyinge of Lands. lacking, he iudged that that groūd was not to be areoūpted of & to bee tilled. And not without a cause, for he that buyeth barren grounde, and fruitelesse soyle, buyeth to himselfe and all his posteritye after him, pouertie and perpetuall labour. And hee that buyeth grounde scituate in a pestilent ayre, buyeth vnto himselfe and to his succession continual sick­nesse, vntimely oldeage, and hasty death. For fruitfulnes of the ground, doth not a little further and helpe toward lyuing well and pleasauntly. Whereupon the Arabians are called happye, because they a [...]ound and are enryched with corne, fruites of the earth, vynes, & sweete od [...]urs.

Good choyse must be had for the buylding of any City, that it be set and builded in a very [...]olsome pla [...]e, & that is, if it stand vpon some what highe ground [...] ▪ For cham­pane and p [...]a [...] ground, is s [...]eldome in euery [...]y [...] found Choyse of ground in building of a City. safe, and [...]al [...]eyes are subiect [...] fulsome fogges, & daū ­gerous mistes, but this high place, shal neyther [...]specte the h [...]ate regions of the ayre, nor those that bee to muche tolde and fros [...]ye, but those that [...]ee temperate, prosper­ [...]ge towardes the Easte, or towardes the Sowthe. [Page] Excepte it bee suche a countrye as is neare the Sea, for y ^• hath commonlye the Southern, and Westerne wyndes hurtfull, especially if there be [...]ennye grounde nere there unto, which haue not their course and issue into the Seas or Ryuers: for oute of the standinge water, so sone as the morning gleames of the sonne appeareth vpon the same, there ariseth cold wyndes or dampishe cloudes, infecting Discommodi [...]y of standing, vvaters. the spirites of the Cattle feeding in those fenny places: w ^t the contagion of that foggye mystinesse, they do also infect the place, and make it pestilent, especiallye in Somer and Autumne, what tyme the Southern partes of the world be far hoater thē at other seasons. A [...] it al fenny & mar­shye soyle is to bee eschewed, & shonned, because, it always venteth out a most poysonned ayre, beinge in somer darkned and dymmed with vaporous fogges, and in wynter with colde exhalacions & mystes: moreouer by reason of feruent heate it engendreth▪ gnattes and other stinging [...] and odious vermin, which doe at suche tymes flocke toge­ther in swarmes, and infect the citye, and be very [...]o [...]s [...]m both vnto man and beast.

Many wryters do agree in opinion, that Italye, of all other countryes is most temperate: and euen as the Pla­net Italye a temperate nacion. Iupiter, hauing his course, in the middest▪ betwene the most hoate and feruent planet of Mats, and the most cold planet Saturne, by reason of diuersitie in qualities, recei­ueth temperatenes: so it, stretching and lying bet [...]n the Northe and South receyueth a temperate [...]irture▪ ther­fore innumerable prayses doth this countrye deserue, as Marcus Vitruuius sayth: for it bringeth forth men of body and mē [...]ers in proportion most excellent & which in for­titude of courage, wysedome & discipline, are able to sur­passe all other nations. Let the [...]uncient Romaynes [...] witnesses herein, which with their warli [...]e forecaste, and prowesse, [...]amed and daūted the outragious fiercenes; of all the Barbarians, and which (as Cicero sayt [...]) by theyr own industry either inuēted al things better thē al other [Page 67] Nacions, orells whatsoeuer they receuied of other coun­tries, the same they made much better and perfecter. And in small tyme subdued they all Nacions, and obtey­ned the Iurisdiction and Empyre, of the whole worlde.

Naturall Philosophers, affirme that some Bodies, broughte oute of colde countreys into hoate regions, can not endure and continue, but are sone dissolued: Con­trarily, persons brought out of hoate regions into colde & northernly countryes, are not onely not hurt, endamaged or diseased, by the chaunge of the ayre, but are made more lustye, healthfull, and longer lyued. Aristotle witnesseth that those people whiche inhabite colde Countrys, doe rather abounde in courage, stomacke and strength of bo­dye, then in wysedome or knowledge, and that their Bo­dies are farre taller and fayrer: the same country people are also of a whyte complexion, of a streight flaxen hayre, graye [...]ed, and ful of bloud, grosse wytted, but very migh­tye and strōge, venturous and without feare, but in tyme of sicknes they are fearfull and fayntharted: as the Frē ­them [...] People bred vp in cold coū tryes. which because they excelled in largenes of body, deryded and scorned the hoastes of the Romayns, saying: Lo, what little fellowes be yonder, of so small stature, of whome Cesar maketh mention, in his most excellent Cō ­mentaries, where he sayth: the short and lowe stature of our countrymen was had in contempt amongst y ^t French­men in comparison of the largenesse of their own bodies: and a little after as touching their wytte he addeth thus: as the Frenchmen are ready, and couragiously mynded to take warres in hande at the firste: so is their mynde verye People of the Southpartes. tender, and nothinge able to resiste aduersities: But cō ­trary [...]wyse men borne in the Southe partes, and beinge moresubi [...] [...] vnto the heate of the Sonne, are lesse of per­ [...]age, and slendere [...] of stature, of brown or swart colour, [...]urle hayred, blacke eyed, their legges croked, and ben­dinge, weake and nothing strong: for these men, by reasō of their smal store of bloud, and subtilitie of the ayre, do ex­cell [Page] in wytte, and are notablie ingenious, wherefore they doe quicklye conceiue and attayne the knowledge of thin­ges, and are more prompt for deuises and cogitations: in sickenesse they doe shewe themselues to be of a right stout stomacke, but in battle very dasterds, & cowards.

Cato distinguisheth a good ground by nyne seueral dif­ferences, The first part he sayth is, where Uyneyardes may bring forth abundaunt store of good wynes: the Se­conde Cato his distictions of good grounde. hee appoynteth for an orcharde, that may caslye bee watred: the third for Osyers: the fourth for Oliue trees: the fyfte for medowe: the sixte is arable grounde, apte to beare Corne: The Seauenth for Wooddes, that may bee felled and lopped at their encrease: The eyghte for shrubbes and Bushes: The nynthe for woodes that bea­reth Maste: For it must needes bee a good grounde why­che hathe the more parte of all these commodities.

The Iuniper Trees doe with their Beries nourishe the winter Fowles; where wyth also Capons being fedde Iumper. and crammed, doe nowe a dayes furnishe out the Tables and make the same more elegante: and the W [...]o [...]there­of beinge burned, sendeth forth a swete smelling Smoke, and odoure moste holsome in Sommer to expell, & dryue awaye all euyll and noysome ayres.

No man can denye, but that the maste of Chestnuttes is profitable: For it is not onely good for beastes to fe [...]de vppon, but also for a mannes whole housholde. Thys Chestnutte. Nutte is so couered and harnessed as it were with a pric­kinge shelle, that it can scarce bee taken oute of the same without hurtinge of a mannes handes: and therfore the countrye people, were wonte to burye the same certayne dayes in pyttes or hoales, within the earth, tyll suchtime as the vtter moste pylle of the Nuttes opened of it selfe, and so oute of euerye Shell, there commeth [...]woor three Kernelles. This Tree groweth verye bygge, and is profitable almoste in euerye respecte for buyldinge: and of it are made verye good Tubbes, and Wyne or Oyle [Page 68] Uesselles, whiche the Carpenters of oure tyme doe call the Queene of all Trees, because it is coumpted good al­moste for all purposes and vses: wherefore not onelye for fruite and wood, but also for tymber, it is to be accoump­ted a chiefe and speciall wood.

How necessarye Fyre is, not onely to the nourishment of mans lyfe, but almost vnto al vses, euery mā may ease­lye iudge: Therfore very yll should any choyse of habita­tion be, if it eyther stande farre distaunt from Woodes, Wooddes and vvood ground necessarye. or altogether lacke the commoditye thereof. For we ha­ue reade and seene in our tyme, that citties by the enemye besieged, haue beene forced of necessitye to yelde, for de­fault and wante of wood.

Therefore that Countrye soyle is to bee chosen for ha­bitation, whiche aboundeth with fire woode, whiche is so to bee vsed and appointed, that euerye Seauenth yeare, parte of the same Trees maye be cutte downe and lopte, and that there maye bee enoughe to suffice the vse of all the whole people: for that which is cutte downe, had nede Fyrevvvod. to haue Seauen yeares growth, before it bee cut agayne, that the younge Setttes, and shrubbes therof may grow freshe agayne, to their full Syse and Skantlinge.

The Woode whiche serueth for Tymber to Buylde Houses, and Shippes wythall, muste more diligentlye bee looked vnto, preserued and kepte, and to bee clensed euerye yeare from Thornes, Bryars, & Brambles, that they hynder not the newe Gryffes, and springing plants from growynge to their full heighth, syse, and [...]ignesse.

At the Springe of the yeare Trees do burgein, and be stow all their Sappe and strength, vpon bowes and bud­des: and therefore become they weake and exhausted, as Mayne tymber trees for buyl­dinges & ships the bodies of women that are greate wyth Chylde, are feebler, weaker, and slenderer of strength then others, & when their time of laboure, or chyldebirth cōmeth, they become for a tyme vnweildy and weake, tyll they haue w ^t good Cawdels, & nourishments, recouered their former strengthe agayne. [Page] Euen so trees whyle they burgeyn and beare leaues, and afterwards while they nourishe their fruites yet vnrype, are of lesse strength and force: but whē in Autumne their fruites or beries are shaken of, and that their leaues doe fall, the rootes do take agayne vnto them all their whole sappe, and strength, and so are restored vnto their former perfect soliditie.

Thales Milesius preferred water as the principall and chiefest of al other elements: for mans nature can eas [...]yer beare w ^t the want of any thing, thē of water: for admit y ^• Water. corne fayl & be not to be had, yet y ^e profitable encrease▪ cō ­ming of young setts, and trees, may supplie & administer sufficient prouision wherwith to sustayn lyfe. We may defende lyfe with fleshe, by hauking, by fishing, with her­bes and rootes: but where water is wantinge, there can no foode neyther bee had nor preserued, fitte for mannes sustentacion: and therfore we accompte that country al­together vnhappye, whiche eyther lacketh water, or hath water vnholsome and corrupt.

Moreouer it was a manner among the Egiptians, and of thē very streitely for a long tyme obserued, that before Ceremoniall custome of the Egiptians tou­chinge vvater. all the houses and temples of their goddes, there shoulde be set a potte with water, to thende that they that wente into the Temples might therewith be sprinckled, and fal­ling down to the ground with their hands (lift vp to hea­uen) might geue thankes vnto the maiestye of God, who had boūtifully blessed & relieued them with most holsom water. And furthermore wee reade of certayn countries by meanes of waters onely ennobled and made famous, as the mountayne Thiliadus amongst the Molossians, whi­ch Theopompus extolleth, and sayth, had an hundred brid­ges. Countries fa­mous through vvaters. Magnesia is coumpted far more famous, by reason of the excellency of a Well, which the Poets do there te­stifye to be dedicated vnto the Muses, because whosoeuer dranke out of y ^• same, became therby swete breasted & clearer to singe. Neyther is it to be mernayled at forasmuch [Page 69] there be founde innumerable vertues of waters, partelye by apparaunt, & partely by secrete & obscure reason: Of the Sringe in Arcady, whiche the Inhabitauntes called Clitorius, which maketh such as taste of the Liquor ther­of, straightways to abhorre al drinking of wine, foreuer.

Uitruuius saythe that there is a Well in Paphlagonia, whiche semeth as though it were myxt w ^t wyne, insomuch that they which drinke therof are made dronke: The lyke Springes of vvonderfull qualities. Nature and qualitie the ryuer Licesius in Thracia, is re­ported to haue, on the banckes whereof manye tymes the traueylers and wayfaring persons are found dronken, & sleepinge. The citty of Ephesus also hath Springes, not farre from it, the waters wherof seeme mingled with vy­negar, and therfore are most acceptable vnto sicke persōs. And Strabo the Geographer, wryteth that there is a wa­ter at Hieropolis, so apt for dyinge of Wolle, that if y ^• roo­tes of herbs be stieped & mixed therein, it maketh as Ori­ent & gorious a colour, as if it were Scarlet, or purple.

There bee also whiche wryte that at Tharsis, a Cyttye in Cicilia, is a Ryuer called Cydnus, where persons Bathes. that are bathed, and a certayne tyme washed, are eased of the goute. Moreouer Pomponius in his Cosmographye wryteth, that one of the two Islandes called Fortunate, is notable and famous throughe y ^e singuler vertue of two seueral springs, of whom who so tasteth of the one, cānot but laughe continuallye, and the onely remedy for theym that bee in that case, is to drincke of the other. There is also another Springe at Susis, in the countrey of Persia, whiche looseth, and shaketh out the teeth of those y ^t drinke therof: but to such persōs as do washe thēselues therwith it is most holsome: And so they saye there is a Lake in Assyria, neare vnto the which groweth a slimye, glewishe, and bytuminous pytch [...] earthe, of the same quality: wher­upon if a birde light, shee is streightwaye lymed and tyed fast, from flyinge any furder. This kynde of Lyquor if it once be set on fier, can neuer be extinguished, nor quēched [Page] but onely by throwing dust therevppon.

A [...]l whot waters haue a medicinable force and vertue aboue other waters, although they be of their proper na­ture cold: but because they do flow or haue course throu­ghe Hoate vvater. the hoate and ardent vaynes of the Earth, therfore they come for the warme, which notwithstanding, cannot long remayn so, but be in short space cooled: for if by Na­ture they had heate in them, they wold not so sone become colde.

And surely vnto me it semeth a thing wonderfull, that there are waters ordayned by the prouidence of god, me­dicinable, and able to cure all diseases incident vnto mor­tall men, which do not in their curing, vexe the diseased persons with sly [...]er sauces, Receipts, druggs, and bitter dilutions, neyther torment them, with fyre or toole: but with a most sweete bathe & washing, do restore them into their pristinate health. Neyther haue y ^• Springs, whiche ryse from sulphereous or brimstony soyle, these vertues only: but those Springs also, w ^t passe & haue their course through allomye soyle, which doth cure the laske, & reso­lucion of y ^• sinewes: they are very good als for them that haue yll digestiō, and yll stomackes: Finally they do per­forme that thing which Asclepiades said, was the office of a right good phisician: y ^• is to say, to cure safely, spedely & pleasantly: & bituminous waters also haue their vertues: which rather by drincking, thē by bathing, do helpe y ^• dis­eased persōs, for they do make the belly soluble, w ^tout any payne or griefe, & do cure almost all the inward diseases of the body by purgation: & sometime the paynfull wrin­ginge of the intrayles and guttes, when they be ex [...]lcera­ted, & whē that excoriacion or bloudynes floweth frō thē, are herby restored vnto their former health. There is al­so a Nitrous kinde of colde water, the drinking whereof doth purge, & diminisheal vnnatural accesses of the body & specially the humours or swelling of the throate, or the kinges euill: such allomy, & saltish nitrous Springs yeld forth for the most part an euill smell & relish: for their ori [Page 70] ginall, being from the very lowest partes of the earth, do passe through, the boate ardent haynes of the same.

Those that haue written of husbandry, do say that eue­rye kinde of pulse, being cast into water, and set vppon the fier, doth trye the same water very well, they be quickly & speedely boyled. Certayn of the auncient Phisicians affirmed that kind of water to be best, which is lightest, or els y ^• which being set on the fyre, will soonest be boate, so that it be cleane and pure, & vnmossye. Al water that is fetchte frō the moorish or fenny groūds, is vnholsome, & so is al y ^• doth not runne, but standeth stil, or els y ^• whiche runneth through shaddowye places, and darcke canes, where the Sonne geeueth no shyne: but worst of all is snowe dryce water, as certayne auncient wrytens, haue holden opiniō. Cornelius Colsus doth thus wryte of waters: Rayn water is the lightest water y ^• is: next is Spring or Wel water, What kindes of vvaters bee best. then ryuer water, and laste of all is pytte water, then de­scribeth hee snow or yce water, and that standinge water is heauye, but the heauiest of all others (sayth hee) is that which is taken out of a moorish or fenny ground. He that throughlye considereth the nature of these thinges, wyll wyllingly prouide holesome liquor for the vse of himselfe, and his fellowe Cittizens.

The best situacion for a City is y ^• which is not farre di­stant frō the sea, or frō som great & nauigable riuer, throughe which may be transported & caryed out those things, wherof we haue to great store, and such thinges may bee brought vnto vs, wherof wee stand in neede. Surelye the mouthes or entries of ryuers, haue great oportu [...]ye [...] their flowings & pleasant tydes, do not only enere [...] pleasure, & becom most holsom for all cattle, sithēs they may goe easly, without any coursing, & vebemēt resistāce▪ [...] water, but also do make the fields & pastures therūt [...] ad­ioyning more rancke and fruictfull. There is great diuer­sitie in ryuers, & euery of thē hath not cōmodity alyke: for y ^• riuer Nilus is coūpted y ^• most fertile & fruitfullest riuer of al others, it floweth through Egipt, w ^t great fertilitye: for when it [Page] [...]o hath ouer flowe [...] the whole Lande all y ^• Somer tyme, it goeth backe agayne into his Chanell, and leaueth the fieldes fatted wit [...]m [...]dd [...] ▪ and very fruitefull for any til­lage, insoma [...]h that the inhabitauntes there haue scarce­lye any neede of the labour of Oxen, or of the helpe of anye hus [...]ā [...]men, to manure the same any further, then only to cast th [...]ir see [...]e theruppon. And this do I iudge, is to be attributed vnto Nature her selfe, the best Parente of all thinges: For sithens Egipt was destitute of [...]eawe, and rayne, Nature in supplie thereof gaue thereunto this ry­uer, whiche should bee able to geeue nourishmeutes vnto Corne and Plantes. For the deuine prouidence of God, hath appointed innumerable courses of riuers, for the vti­litye of the Lande, and Soyle, through which their course lyeth: because no countrye shoulde be altogether without the helpe and furtherance of nature. For the increase of y ^e ryuer Nilus, doth greately benefite and helpe that coun­trey, because through the great ouerflowing therof, many hurtfull beastes breeding there, are thereby dispatched & drowned, except they spedely flye for refuge vnto y ^• higher places: vnto whiche Countrye alone, these profites and commodities are incident, that it neyther hath any clou­des, nor cold windes, or any thicke exhalacions: the water thereof is very sweete, insomuche that the Inhabitantes there, can easely lyue without wyne, and can drincke the same water with great pleasure.

I suppose the vicinitie or nearenes of the Sea maketh much better for the preseruation and safe keeping of a cit­tye, Nearenes of the Sea vnto a Cittie cōmodious. both for the vse of ciuil lyfe, and also for the gathering together of ryches, wherewith citties are merueylous [...]ye en [...]eased: but those Citties are farre more harder to bee besieged, which the Sea washeth vpon, seeing that to the siege and expugnacion thereof, is required not onelye a greate power by Sea, but also a greate Armie by land. Wherof i [...] the one be wanting, the Citizens maye easelye ou [...]come the other hoaste, when as it shalbe harde for y ^• [Page 70] armie by lande to sende any succoure, vnto the Nauye by Sea: on the other parte, the multitude or companye of sea Souldiers may easely be profligated, and vanquished by horsemen. Therfore conuenient and oportune hauens, must bee carefully, and wysely chosen out, by all thē that would found and stablishe a Cittye.

Small fieldes and little Arable groundes, easely bringeth dearth of Corne, which surely is the cause that thy­ther is small recourse of people: for people pynched with penury, and famine, be afrayde to mary, neyther desireth Penurye. to haue anye chyldren, wherefore in such a coūtry they do nothing encrease: yea rather the poorer sort, hauing re­spect to their needines & famine, doe forsake their coun­trye, and seeke to plant themselues in some pleasaunt and fruitfuller soyle elswhere, especially if their own coūtry, be so streite & narow, that it be not able to feede cattle: for next vnto corne, cattle whiche greately encreaseth fleshe, Mylke, and Cheese, doe best nourishe. As for fishing mee thinckes is not greatly to bee wished for, partely because that fishes doe geeue yll nourishement to the bodye, and Fyshinge. agayne do make mennes bodyes weake and sickelye, whi­che thing I maye proue by Homers testimony, who neuer made his warriours, and Souldiers, which encamped by the Sea shore, to taste or feede vpon fishe at any tyme: and agayne because, I doe alwayes see the Fysher­man to be chillinge colde, bare and needye.

AUngells whiche from the very natiuitie and birthe are ap­poynted vnto all men, are called the messengers of truth, which do some­time forshew & tell vnto holy & inno­cent men, eyther sleeping or waking, such predictions & happes of thinges to come, as by euent after wardes are founde true.

A place that standeth high, or which hath readye wyn­dinges & turninges, or which standeth eyther vppon the Sea, or some great ryuer, needeth farre lesse laboure and cost: for where as the place is well defended by the natu­rall situatiō of it selfe, it nedeth the lesse walles: but plain countries or places not highe, muste be succoured, & hel­ped with labour, and charges otherwise for defence. Re­garde also must be had of the height, and thicknes of the walles: for when the walles be very highe, they are easly Fortifications. shaken, & battred down with engins and Gonnes: agayn where they are too low, they are easely conquered, & ska­led by the enemie with ropes, & skaling ladders. Forty or fyftye cubites high is of many cunning Architects, & skil­full fortifiers allowed: in the toppe wherof, that thicknes is sayd to be sufficient, whiche maye serue for two armed souldiers to go side by side, without hindring, one thother in meetinge,

Moreouer also there must be had very diligent consideration of the Gates of a citty, for by meanes therof it chā ­ceth sometimes, y ^• by sodeyn vprores y ^e townes be taken, & sacked, or when the townsmen, & citizens returne or flye, the enemies being mingled among thē maye surprise the Gates.

[Page 72]As Romulus at one incursion inuaded and tooke y ^e City of the Fidenatians, for hee was purposed after that he had spoyled their fieldes, to harrye the countrye, dryue awaye his pray, & so to haue discamped w ^t his hoast: but whē the Fidenatiās issued out of theyr city, there was betwene thē a skirmishe, wherin they being weaker were discomfited & put to flyght. And therupon Romulus pursuing and chasing them, rushed into the citty together with theim that fled, as if they had bene al of one company: & so wan y ^e city which he planted with Romaynes, & brought vnder hys owne subiection: Regarde therfore must be had, that the wayes of the Gates be not direct or streight & forthright, but turning & wynding many ways to deceiue y ^e enemies.

There hath bene no small disputation amongest theim which haue wryttē of ciuil society, whether any tower or Castles in cit­ties. Castle, be fitly to be placed in a free citty, in which thinge this is to be considered, whether it do more good or euill, amongst free cittizens, to haue a strong Fort cōmitted to the credite, and keeping of a fewe: And if we wyll truelye iudge of and throughly reuolue the monumentes of olde histories, wee shall fynde, that mocōmon weales, & estates haue bene subuerted, & ouerthrowne, by negligence & tre­chery of them y ^• haue bene the rulers, & captaynes therof, thē haue bene preserued: & yet notw ^titstāding, Rome was takē, & fired by the Frēchmen, but by y ^• defēce of the Ca­pitoll was in parte saued, and at length w ^t golde boughte peace. But Aristotle affirmeth, y ^t a castle is vnto a good cōmon wealth, vnprofitable & daungerous: & y ^t it geueth oportunitie vnto Tyranny, who doubteth▪ Tymotheus that notable Oratour of Corynth playnly affirmed that, y ^• citye which is kept by the garrisō of a castle, cannot light­lye be without tyranny.

Pyrrhus kinge of Epyrotes on a tyme came to Athens, & was with curteous hospitalitie of the citizens receyued: he after viewe taken of that cittye, aboūdinge wyth exce­dinge greate ryches, and whiche was the mother of all laudable Artes and Disciplines, was broughte into the [Page] castle of Pallas, & there did his solempnities with deuoute reuerence, beholding with greate admiracion the Castle how stronge & impregnable it was both by naturall sci­tuaciō, & also by artificial fortification: at length whē he was ready to depart, and was now come into the market place, hee rendred greate thankes vnto the Rulers of the Cittye, which accompanied him, for the confidence & fide­litie, which they reposed in him: & finally warned theym that they shoulde neuer thence foorthe, geeue libertye and leaue to any king to enter into their castle, least after such entraunce and view, some peraduenture vsinge that good oportunitie and holde, should take the vauntage, and ther upon inuade their cittie: This counsell was very well ly­ked of the Athenians, as they whiche well knewe, howe daungerous a thinge it was for Cittizens to suffer, stoute and valiaunt men to enter into their chiefe fortresse: and so from thence forwardes, they kepte the Gates thereof more diligently.

Priuate houses are to bee builte, if it may be along the highe streetes, on a rowe, and of lyke proportion and ma­kinge: Order of buylding priuate houses for so they beautifie and adorne the cittie. Neither let them buylde any thinge too much outward, thereby to hinder any highe wayes: for wee must so liue, that a pry­uate house must be described to serue the vse and comme­ditye of the whole familye. Neyther let any vacant or vnprofitable place be therein, and so the very view & sighte thereof, shall bringe the more ornament thereunto: for as Cicero sayth: The gorgeousnesse of a mannes house aug­menteth the dignitye of the person dwelling in y ^e same.

And I iudge the couetousnes of theym to be worthye of greate reprehension, who flowinge and aboundinge in Comely buyl­ding in a cittye greate wealth and ryches, neuer bestow any coste in buil­dinge, because they wolde spare their mony, and fill their Chestes for their posterity: wheras if our Auncestors had folowed any such order, wee should vntill this day in our Citties haue had sheperdlye cabins, & rusticall Cotages.

[Page 73]A Lybrary ought to be erected in some holsome & quy­et place, neyther ought we to suffer our Cittizens to bee Libraries. defrauded and disappointed of suche benefite: for if places of exercise which make for the health of mens bodyes, be in many citties with such carefulnesse and coste erected & appointed, how muche more ought a Lybrarye to be fur­nished and set forth, which is the foode of a wel nurtured mynde, and the exercise of a freee or well inclined nature. And if they that got the maysteries or prises in games, de­serued great honours (insomuch that standing in the companie, they were crowned with the garlande & crowne of Uictorye, and at their returne into their owne countrye, were like triumphant victers, caryed in chayres or Wa­gons, & were also demed worthy to be maynteyned wyth meat, drinke, & apparell, at the publique charges of y ^e cy­ties perpetually) howe much more are excellent learned men to bee had in estimacion, which do further and helpe the common weale aswell in discipline and manners, as also in their wrytinges, by committinge all thinges vnto memory, which in tyme to come, maye profite their poste­ritie▪

Let such a place bee chosen for a Lybrarye, whose pro­spect may be Eastwarde, for the eyesight requireth mor­ning light: for if it should eyther haue prospect southward or westwarde, the wyndes blowinge from thence, woulde with their moyste heate, and warmenesse, corrupte vo­lumes, and engender Moothes, whiche consume, and eate Bookes. Lette the walles within the same bee handsomely polished and trymmed, & let them be set oute and beautified with greene colour, for all greene thinges are good for the eyes, and make the sighte thereof sharpe, and quicke.

Ptolomeus king of Egipt is highly commended, who fi­nished The Lybrarye of Ptolomeus had 40000 volumes. and furnished a Lybrary at Alexandria, to his ine­stimable charges and industrye, in which librarye, there were forty thousād volumes: al which bookes, were de­stroyed [Page] stroyed by casualtye of fyre in the battle that Caesar had a­gaynst Achiles lieutenaunt of the kinges warres: for whē as the kinges Nauy beinge by chaunce withdrawen, was commaunded to bee fyred and burned: the flame thereof catched into a part of the cittye, and ragingly burnt all y ^• houses wherein the bookes were layde. In whiche fire good learning and disciplines doubtles had a miserable & lamentable wracke. For the wryters of all Nacions and countryes did earnestly endeuour and stryue to conueygh their bokes thither, as it had bene into a Theatre & Man­sion of wisdome and learning: of which librarye, if so mu­che as the steps were extant, they should surely ease vs of greate labours and traueyles, and with the lighte of An­tiquity, would clarifye and lighten the obscure darcknes of lettres and disciplines.

We must also with greate regarde foresee, that sacred houses or churches be edified and buylded, in [...]itte, & opor­tune Churches. places of the citty, wherin we must first and chieflye consider this, that of churches and temples, some be made for the most commodity of the citizens, some for the vse of them that forsaking the world, geue themselues onely to contemplacion, which houses would be in some out Cor­ner or solitary place, where they may not be interrupted and troubled with the busie tatlinge and ciuile tumulte, of the multitude, & therfore must be set out of y ^e cōpany & resort of men, and out of the sight of priuate houses: and either be buylt in the territories, or els without the wals of the citye. But those that are ordayned for the publique vtility of the Citizens, oughte to bee scituated in a fayre rowme & place, eyther in the harte of the Cittye, or in the places that be best inhabited and peopled, to thintente the citizens may conuenientlye thither repayre daylye wyth their wyues and children: but those churches which they Cathedrall churches. call Cathedrall churches, wherof the bishopp of the Sea hath the rule and aucthority, all Architectes thinck most expedient to be buylded vpon an high ground in the midst [Page 74] of the cittye, that out of it the greatest part of the walles of the cittye may be viewed euery where round about: for within the guarde and protection therof, the whole cittye, seemeth to consist, and thither vppon holye dayes all men flocke together as it were vnto a spectacle of deuine and speciall matters. As for places in the churches and hou­ses of prayer or preachinge, where deuine misteries are to bee celebrated, let them be ordayned, so farre as may bee, best for the ministers and congregation: and if it may cō ­ueniently, Eastwarde: but if the nature of the place wyl not so suffer it, let it be so and in such sort, that it may stād in the full fight of the greater part of the churche, wherin if they take aduise of the skilful Architectes to ouersee the workemanshippe, they shall buylde all thinges commodi­ouslye, and orderlye: neyther shall they greatlye stande in nede of any my wryting or preceptes thereto, sithens the deuise and reason of buyldinge requireth rather a liuelye instructor, then a dead directer: moreouer y ^t is true, why­che as a common prouerbe is wont to bee spoken, that an vnskilful maister or owner, cā a great deale better builde in his owne court, or vpon his owne grounde, then a most learned & skilful worckmaister in an­other. For mans diligence & long cōsi­deratiō of y ^• owner or master, surpas­seth the deuise and skill of the Artificer.

THere is nothinge vnto mannes nature better then to be wyllinge, neyther any thing greater, thē to be able to benefite and helpe many▪ But forasmuch as y ^e seueral wealth of many persons particulerly is but slēder and small, y ^• although they would neuer so gladly, yet can they not extend liberalitye and requitall towards them that well deserue: Onely kinges and princes may be liberall, bountiful & nobly mynded.

Chilo the Lacedemonian, who was one of the seauen wyse Sages of Greece was abundantly enriched, in a maner with all kindes of vertues, yet in nothing more, then in beneficence and liberality: & therfore when as he was come to extreeme olde age, oftentimes (as it were reioy­cingly) Liberalitie in Captaines and Generalles most cōmendable & expedi­ent. he was wont to say, y ^t in all his lyfe tyme, he dyd neuer any thing ingratefully: No vertue doth more cō ­mende and adorne Capitaines, Generalles, and Gouer­nours of Armies, then Liberalitie, whereby they keepe their Souldiers constant and obedient in perfourminge their dueties, and also thereby allure and winne their ve­ry enemies vnto them, throughe hope of Benignitye, and francknesse.

The first onset and clasping together of the Armies in fighte, is alwayes coumpted daungerous, and difficulte: for true is that sentence of Scipio: That there appeareth greater courage and hautines in him that inferreth peril [Page 75] and aduentureth to geeue the onset, then is in him that re­defendeth: But after that open warre be denounced, and that euery man prepareth home warde out of his fieldes, to sticke to his safety, and to stand circumspectly vpon his The first onset in battell most daungerous. garde: then they come together in their warlike order, & then they appoint their scoutes, and marshall their soul­diers, euery man taketh stomacke and courage vnto him: he beholdeth and seeth his enemie, neyther thincketh he it good and conuenient to bicker disorderly, and Skirmish­inglye, but orderlye and in good arraye: and then those matters whiche feare ymagined to be daungerous, reason doth teache to bee farre lesse, and not so muche to be doubted: then euerye man determineth withe himselfe what is nedefull to bee done, neyther bee they taken vn­prouided, nor rceiue the foyle at their enemies hands, but are euery daye more and more emboldened and encoura­ged, and by these meanes they commonly carry away the victorye, which were prouoked with iniurye afore: & thus do they many tymes reuenge themselues vpon their ene­mies, and deliuer their countrye from all thraldome and Bondage.

But the order of waging battle is farre more streite, and needeth deeper councell: Neyther is it ynough for vs Waginge bat­tell. to consider that wee goe to fight in a righteous quarell, & for iustlye demaūding our own right: & y ^t for good cau­ses warre may well be waged and proclaymed: But we must also consider what our power is, & of what power & strength, our aduersaries and enemies are, what manner of Souldiers we haue, what partakers & confederates, what tributaries we haue, and howe they bee affected to­wardes vs: to what summe our cōmon stocke or treasury amounteth to: for it is a thing odious and hatefull, to le­uie tribute vppon priuate persons, and is a thing that ve­rye soone breedeth and getteth the enuie of the citizens. Wee must also consider how strong, how well fortified, & how wel victualled the ritty is, with what garrisons the [Page] townes and Castles within our Iurisdiction, be maynteyned and kepte, and what store of municion and ordinaūce we haue in our armary: these & many such like, are before hād to be perpēded & waighed, & which are thē chiefly ac­knowledged and best knowen, when the gates of the cy­tye being shutte, the enemie is kept out, and driuen backe from the walles with slynges, arrowes, and gonshot.

Aduise, valiauntnes, and knowledge in matiall mat­ters, bee of greate force and do much good in warres: but Assured peace better then cō ­quest hoped for. fortune, chiefly excelleth al the rest, wherfore that sentēce of Hannibal vnto Scipio is true, where he saythe: that the euentes of thinges neuer lesse agree and fall oute, accor­ding to our purposes then in warre: and therfore an assu­red peace is better and safer, then a victorye, which we do but hope for: also wee must yelde somewhat vnto y ^e mul­titude and vulgar sorte, whose credence always hangeth vppon fortune, and many tymes folow the myndes of men mingled and gathered together, out of sundry countryes, whome no zealous pietye or affection towards their coū ­try, no feare of god nor religiō kepeth in awe, but are on­ly there to allured w ^t hyre, & stipendary wages.

All consultation of warres to be made vpon others, al­though it be good for many purposes, yet in a free Cittye it is daungerous: for when the matter is referred to the Senate, they do not all agree in one opinion, some follow the truth, & some frame thēselues according to thopinion of the cōmon people, & bee people pleasers, aduaūcinge & setting foreward y ^e side, which the vulgar sort best allow­eth, & therfore the most part are deceiued: for there is no­thinge amongst mortall men so vnstable & waueringe, as the mindes, willes, & opiniōs of the citizēs, which not on­ly being disalowed of (as Cicero sayth) are angry or gre­ued, but also oftentimes do repine & grudge at thinges, y ^t be wel done & by right & equity: therfore a wise man wyll aduisedly deliberate, & consider ech circūstance, before he absolutely geue his consent, to thenterprising of making [Page 76] warres, least that he lay such a burden vpon his shoulders vnder which he may fall downe.

Labienus a man fortunate, and ryche, who of his owne proper costes and charges builded out of the ground, the town called Cingulum in Pice [...], tooke part too earnestlye w ^t Pompeius, wherfore he could not hope for any fauour or pardon at y ^e victors hands, although (in deede) most mer­ciful. For whēther was an emparle & treaty of peace be­twene the Souldiers of Caesar, & the souldiers of Pompei, this Labienus with a loud voyce, exclaymed & cryed oute saying: Sirs, leaue of to make any further taulke of in­treaty for peace: for except you first haue Caesars head frō his shoulders, there can be no peace at all amongest you.

Nothing can be more daungerous in a free citty, then for a man to promise that he will be the aucthour & ryng­leader of warres, which thing surely euen they in mine o­pinion seeme to doe, which openly in the counsel chamber auerre y ^t warres are expedient to be taken in hand. Solon Aucthors of Warres. was accoumpted a very wyseman, yet be (because he wold not frely geue sentēce, y ^t it was requisite to make warres againg the Megarians, for the recouery of Salamine, sodē ­lye fayned himselfe madde, and beinge disguised in appa­rel like a fole, prouoked the Athenians to fyght. When y ^e matter fell out well, and that they had wonne Salamyne, they al cōmended & wel allowed of his coūsell, & deuise in y ^t behalfe: Now Solon al this while, vnder y ^e shield of fayned madnesse shrowded himselfe, that if the matter should not haue come to passe as he before had told them, and as hee would haue it, yet therby hee myght purchase pardon for his wordes and deedes.

It is oftentimes called in question, whether it be good Warring for enlarging Em­pyres. to make warres, for y ^• encrease & propagation of dominiō & Lordshippe, when any occasion of conquest is offered: or elles whether, it bee better to bee quiet, and to lyue in peace: many argumentes may be brought and alleadged on both partes. [Page] But we rather encline vnto peace.

Glorious truelye is Martiall dealinges, and I cannot tell whether there bee any thing more noble: and no mā can denye but all greate dominions and noble Empires Prayse of War fare. haue bene purchased and gottē by the attempt of warrs. Without all doubte the renoume and names of all moste noble and flourishing citties, should for the moste part bee buryed in darcknes, were they not made famous by mar­tiall Rome and A­thens. feates: Neyther hath the Citty of Athens attayned so great fame or renowme, which hath merited to haue y ^e name of the mother of all Artes & disciplines, as Rome hath done: which was in tymes passed, the Imperial seate of the whole vniuersall worlde, althoughe neyther of the twayne woulde seeme to lacke the others prayse and com­mendation. For Rome it selfe excelled in the studies of all good Artes and Sciences, and Athens lacked the glorye of warfare: for eyther of these Citties bare greate Reue­rence vnto the studies both of warre, and peace, and hono­red Minerua both armed and vnarmed: but we (as I said before) do rather commend peace, & do especially desire to Peace better then Warre. instruct our citizens in the same, because it leadeth more safelye and surelye vnto the tranquillity of mynde: And therfore lyuing content with the territories and coūtries which we already enioy, let vs not enter into any warres but onely such as is necessarye, or if at any tyme we do en­ter into the same, let vs as spedely as wee can, seeke some way to brydle and qualefye our desires: which thing euen armed Hanniball seemeth to ratify, when as he sayd vnto Scipio in this maner: It had bene very good if the Gods had geeuen that mynde vnto oure predecessors, that you might bee contented with thempires of Italy, and wee of Afrique.

Uayne glory and vayne desire of soueraignitie, manye tymes so enflameth men, that they be contented wyth no Vayne glorye, and ambition. territories or boundes, neyther take they any felicitye in peace.

[Page 77] Curtius wryteth that them bassadours of Scythia spake these wordes vnto king Alexander: If the Goddes had Vayne glorye and ambition noted in Alexander. geeuen vnto the a body, agreeable to the great greedines and ambition of thy myude, the whole world it selfe wold not suffice to conteyn thee, thou wouldst with the one hād touch the East, and with y ^e other, the West: and hauinge obtayned all this, thou woldst yet moreouer know where and in what place, the renoume of such a stately maiestye should be enthronized, & thus desirest thou y ^e thing, which thou canst not comprehend: From Europa thou trauey­lest into Asia, and out of Asia agayne into Europa, finally if thou get the vpper hand, and ouercome all humane cre­atures, and men lyuing, then wilt thou make warres w ^t wooddes, cloudes, ryuers, wylde beastes, and dumbe cre­atures: what thinkest thou? doest thou not know y ^t greate trees do grow long tyme, and yet in one howre space they are pluckt vp by the rootes? Hee is a foole that looketh after the fruites of them, and measureth not the height of the tree, wherof they grow: take heede least whilest thou stryuest to come to the toppe of the Tree, thou fall to the ground with the same boughes, whiche thou layest holde vpon.

Oh miserable state and condicion of man. Oh deceiue­able expectatiō, which mortal natures haue in this world Why are we seduced and caryed away with such greedye ambitiō, sythens wee euidently see that all our goodes, & whatsoeuer worldly benefites els which we possesse & en­ioy, are mutable, trāsitory & frayle, and y ^t nothing is to be desyred sauinge onely vertue.

What do the subuersions of Citties gottē by conquest, or otherwise auayle? what do whole Empyres themselues profite vs? but that onelie when wee enioy them, wee doe alwayes lyue carcking and carefull? For true is that sen­tence of Iulianus Caesar, who at the beginning of his raign being troubled with tumultuous ruflyng in France, said: That hee had gotten nothinge by being Emperoure, but [Page] onely that hee lyued thereby, euer busie and occupied.

If we take in hande any warres, wee muste firste fore­thincke whome we may auctoryze, & make the chiefe Ge­neralle Gouernours, & generalles in [...] Warres. and Capitayne: for if wee will iudge arighte in this behalfe, truly there can bee nothing found more rare or difficulte, then a good Generall & Capitayne.

Philip king of Macedony sayd that he meruayled why the Athenians did euery yeare chose new Generalles, and Captaynes of their warres, sithens he in all his lyfe time had founde but one good Capitayne, namely Parmenio.

Cicero supposeth that fower thinges oughte to bee in a Fovver speciall thinges requi­site in a chief­tayne. chieftayn or gouernour of warres: y ^• is to say, knowledge or skyll in Martiall matters: Ualiaunce: Aucthoritye: & felicitie: and vnto these he addeth further: Uertues (saith hee) appertayning vnto a Generall or chiefe Capitayne, are Trauell & Labour, Fortitude, and Courage in daun­gers, industry in his dealinges, quicke dispatche in brin­ginge things to passe, and aduisement in forecasting wyth prouidence, which way to worke his matters.

All men knowe that Fortune lyeth not in oure power but is to be craued by prayer, at the handes of God: but vertue and wysedome, ought we to haue at our selues.

Cambyses (as Xenophon reporteth) aduertised his sonne Cyrus, that Captaynes of warres ouer and aboue alother souldiers, shoulde enure thēselues to abyde heate & drou­ghte, and in wynter the stormes and cold: & to be always at one ende in all laboures and daungerous aduentures: for asmuche as the trauelles are not so greuous vnto the Captayne, as to the common souldier: for hee that is a Chiefetain or Generall, ought to measure and by due cō ­sideration to weighe in his mynde, that fame and commē ­dation in doing of exploytes, doth very much appertayne vnto him.

And it is expedienc for him that hath the Gouernmēt of an armed hoaste, to enure young men to exercise, some times to goe aboute the watches: to see his souldiers vic­tualled: [Page 78] to see the Corne tryed: to punish fraude & deceipt in y ^• measure therof, [...]o punish faultes, to be alwayes pre­sent at the beginning: to heare y ^• complaintes of his soul­diers: and to see the sicke and diseased to bee looked & pre­uided for. There are also other vertues almoste innume­rable, appertayning to a Generall, mētioned by such per­sons as haue wrytten of war like affayres.

Souldiers that transgres or make offences, are to be punished, and with feare of the lawes to be restrayned: as those which skatter and wander abroade at randon from the Campe, and so come agayne to their tentes, and such Souldiers offē dinge hovv to be punished. as gyue the slyppe and goe their wayes, raūging abroade a long while, and afterward are brought agayn: For as y ^• souldier which first fleeth is to bee executed & put to death for example of the reste: so likewise is hee to bee punished which shall do a thing in warres, that his Captayn shall prohibite, or which obserueth not y ^• charge enioyned him, yea although hee otherwise worthely behaue and acqui [...]e himselfe: in which respecte Manlius Torquatus in all ages is commended, who commaunded his owne sonne to bee beheaded, because hee presumed to fight against his com­maundement, and yet he fought stoutly and valiauntly in defence of the common weale.

Generalles and Captaynes, shall do much more good, with good example of their lyfe and conuersation, then w ^t the Censure of maners, or with anye kynde of crueltye. For Xenophon bringethe in Cyrus discoursinge by waye of oration, in maner to this effect; The chiefe worke or par [...] of a prince or gouernour is to shew himselfe a man of ho­neste conuersation, and moreouer to looke that [...]u [...]h as [...] vnder his charge, & at his cōmaūdement▪ may proue ver­tuous & good men: & it is the duty of a Souldier to obay his captayne▪ willingly to take in hande al labours al ad­uentures, & daungers, not to fight but in araye, and according to prescription, to loue his weapon, to haue [...]yll in warfare▪ and to set more by his honour, dignitye, & good fame, then by any thing vnder the Sonne.

[Page]The lawes of the Lacedemonians were verye seuere & sharpe in martiall matters, wherein (as Marcellinus de­clareth) those Souldiers were sharpely punished, whiche when the armie was rancked, & set in aray, durst be seene to shroude thēselues elswhere, vnder anye roofe or shead.

Wryters report that Scipio walkinge aboute with his friendes, vsed to eate onely cheate bread w ^tout any thinge Hardnesse of fare. ells: and so do Historiographers wryte y ^• M [...]sinissa king of Numidia vsed to dyne, who being lxxxx. yeares of age, vsed to dine stāding or walking before his tēte or pauiliō. Suche crymes speciallye haue their originall from the chiefe Gouernours, and them that bee in aucthority: for y ^e souldiers do imitate the fashiōs and natures of those that haue chiefe rule and gouernaunce ouer them: for if y ^e cap­taynes bee good, they trayne their souldiers to goodnes, but if they be yll, they then make their souldiers apte and prone to yll: for the multitude of the common souldiers, are sone infected.

Souldiers are to be taught (by the example of Marcꝰ Cato) to be fierce and couragious against their enemies, & to shewe themselues gentle towardes their friendes and Confederates, fearefull to doe iniuries, but readye and prompt to reuenge wrongs to them offered, and to desire nothinge more then prayse and glorye, whiche in deede is a verye goodlye perswasion: for those that bee desi­rous of prayse, doe not shonne nor refuse anye trauelles, neyther shrincke they or withdraw themselues from anye perilles or daungers, but being inflamed with desire of glorye, do nothing doubt to hazard thēselues in all great aduētures & daūgers. Souldiers also must be punished that haue done amisse: for too muche lenitye and fauoure Offences to be p [...]rdoned, and hovv to be pu­nished. doth make them more procliue and prone to offend: and if it fall out that very manye haue offended, yet muste wee not for feare, pardon or dispence with all, but must punish those that are in the greatest fault: for if many be punish­ed, they are to be sent and distributed to receyue their ex­ecutiō [Page 79] in diuers places.

Marcellus vpon a tyme openly perceyued and sawe Lu­cius Bantius Nolanus, a man very bold and factious, solli­citing and stirringe the townesmen there, to reuolte and turne vnto Hanniball, & yet durst he not put him to death, for feare of the Nolanes: wherfore he called him vnto him with fayre wordes, praysing him openly as a worthy soul­dier, and exhorting him, to holde on and continue his good seruice and faythful loyalty, & to be willing styl to beare out that warfare with him. And that the cittizens should y ^• better credite y ^• he was in such fauour w ^t his capitayne, Marcellus gaue him a goodly fayre Courser, by meanes of whiche curtesie and gentlenesse, he chaunged and alte­red the euyll mynde and trecherous disposition of Lucius, and thence forwarde found both him and all his retinewe and crew, trusty and faythfull.

Many holde opinion y ^• a Generall of an Army oughte not to combate and fight hande to hande with his enemy, Combat hovv it is allovvable in a captayne. except in tyme of great necessitye, and that it is sufficiente for him to performe thoffyce of a Capitayn and leader, & not of a cōmon souldier. For they say y ^• citties haue bene vtterly sacked, and whole hoastes slayn down right, or at least discomfited & put to flighte, by the rashnesse of their Capitaynes and Generalles: for whyle they pursue after euery particuler enemie, they forsake and leaue the mayn hoaste at all aduentures, and whyle they studye to take heede of one mannes blow, they pull vpon their own hea­des, the whole mayne force of their enemies, not conside­ringe howe that their owne daungers bringes with it the generall calamitye and spoyle of the whole hoast.

Scipio Africanus to certayne men which sayde that hee One politike & skilful captain more vvorthe then a great sort of commō souldiers. was no great fighter, wisely aunswered saying: My mo­ther brought me foorth into this worlde a Capitayne and a Generall, not a fighter or common Souldier: thereby meaning that victorye and conqueste, consisteth rather in thexperience and wysedome of one, then in the weapons, [Page] and strength of manye: Cyrus (as Xenophon mentioneth) asked Cambyses how a victorye might beste bee gotten, to whom hee thus aunswered: hee that would winne & haue the vpper hande and victory, must entrappe and take hys Hovv to ouer­come the ene­mie. enemies by all manner of pollicie whatsoeuer, eyther by secrete ambushes, or deceipte and fraude, yea by rapine, theft, and pylfery they must be spoyled, robbed & impoue­rished: for nothing is to be pretermitted, which may in a­nye respecttend to the subduing, & vanquishing of a mans enemies: a very lye in conuenient tyme by the chiefe cap­tayne made, hath sodenly obtayned the victorye: as that of Ualerius Leuinus, who with a loude voyce cryed oute A very. Lye sô­time auailable that he had slayne Pirrhus, and therewithall to make the matter more credible, helde vp his sword all bloudy, with the bloud of a certayne Souldier whom a little before he had killed, with which surmised lye, the Epyrotes beinge sodenly astonied, ran away as fast as they could, weping & tremblinge into their tentes.

Demosthenes the greatest oratour among the Greciās, Demosthenes vvyse excuse for his runnīg avvaye. atchieued manye warres, and was in a greate battell at Cheronea, wherein Philip of Macedonie ouercame the A­thenians, out of which conflict Demosthenes by flight and running away saued himselfe: this thing being by way of reproche afterwarde layed in his dishe, after the death of Philip, he excused himself, by reciting this notable verse.

Iulius Caefar as hee in worthye exploytes surpassed all Iulius Caefar valiaunt and learned. men, so also did he excell almost all the Romaynes in La­tine eloquence. The knowledge also of histories is com­modious and profitable for them which haue the conduc­tion and gouernaunce of armies, both because in takinge counsels and aduises, by the euent and Fortune of other mens former happes, moste firme examples are learne, [Page 80] and agayne because the vertue that is praysed in others, doth allure and moue vs to obtayne the lyke: and feare­full Cowardise beinge reproued doth make men become more valiaunt: and I cannot tel whether the knowledge of warfare may by anye other discipline be better helped, then by perusinge historicall Monumentes, by which we are taught and instructed to doe all thinges well and or­derlye, whiche may eyther be spoken or thought by man. Nothinge newe and straunge, nothinge wonderfull, no­thinge vnhearde or vncouth, can happen vnto the Chief­tayne, whiche hath verye good knoweledge and experi­ence in Hystories.

Warlike order and arraye, Discipline of Souldiers, good respecte and studye in inuadinge, and bewaringe the Sundrye good poyntes inci­dent and mete to be knovven of a good Captayne. enemie, skyll in Marshallinge the armie in righte order of arraye, knowledge when to begynne the Skirmish, when to leaue, how to plant Ambushes and stales, & how to take heede of the lyke, whiche place is fitte to bee cho­sen, whiche platte is moste commodious to bee firste pre­uented and gaygned, which agayne is to bee left vnto the enemie, howe and whiche waye to geeue the onsette and charge, and how to resiste and stande at defence, with in­numerable other poynctes, which scarce bee comprehen­ded in longe discourse, by what other meanes canne they more easely bee learned, then by perusinge ouer Monu­mentes and recordes of Hystories.

Among all sortes of men, there can be nothinge found Nothing more rare then a perfect Generall. more rare then a perfect Captayne and Generall, whiche if hee be not to be found in the Citty, he must bee sent for from other places: for it is better to fighte well and fafe­lye protected vnder a straunger Captayne, then in daun­ger and hazarde of lyfe vnder the gouernment of our na­tiue Citizen.

Hee that hath the charge and aucthoritye ouer a citty, & in the tyme of warre is also to loke to vrbane affayres & ought to employ [Page] employ very greate diligence, and to looke narowly vnto his charge, that the Cittye do not sustayne any detrimēt or damage: and as (like a capitayn in y ^e campe) he ought to perfourme his office, so like a wise gouernour oughte he to exercise and trayne his souldiers within the walles of the cittye, that with ydlenesse, nicenesse, sittinge in the shade, and other delicate and tender cockrings of the city they be not effeminated. And sōtimes it shall behoue hym­selfe in person to visite the wardes, and goe throughe the watches, and not to commit all thinges to the disposition of them whom he maketh maisters of the watches vnder him, who in deede shall kepe their watch much more dili­gently and carefully, if they stand in feare and awe of him that is chieferuler ouer them al, and see him to be watch­full and vigilant. For there be which suppose, that those persons are most sharply to be punished, which negligēt­lye looke to their watch and warde, leaste by sleepe, slouth and negligence of one man, the whole citty should perish, Punishmente for the vvatch which committeth all things to the diligence of those few persons: wherfore histories do highly commende Epami­nondas the Thebane, who in time of greate distresse & daū ­ger, viewing & surueighing in proper person the watches, thrust his sword through one of the watchmen whom hee found sleeping, saying these wordes: A deadman I found hym, a deadman I leaue him.

Neither is it to be meruayled at, that Epaminondas be­inge otherwise a capitayne gentle and mercifull, dyd vse and praccise such seuerity vpon a man sleeping, seeinge y ^t wee doe see how throughe such negligence, whole cities haue bene sackt, spoylde, & burnt. wherupon Virgil sayth:

[Page 81]By reason of this policie & diligence Alcibiades aboue others is praysed: For when the Athenians were by the Lacedemoniās be sieged, he gaue warning vnto y ^• watch­men that they shoulde well marke the light which hee in the night season out of the tower or Castle, would shewe them, and y ^t at the sight & beholding therof, they should al­so holde vp an other light: and if any were founde remiss [...] or negligent in doing accordingly, hee shoulde assuredlye suffer punishment therfore, by meanes wherof hee made the watchmen to become most diligent and warye.

Also there ought always to be scoutes & espialles to geue Scoures of a Cittye. warning in the night seasō by some becon or flame of fire whē the enemies approched, & in the day tyme by smoke. Neyther ought men to be suffered to goe out at y ^• gates, into their fields, tyl y ^t scoutes haue throughlye searched & tried, y ^t they may safely go about their husbādry. Neither let the same Scoutes continewe in their turnes, any long tyme, but dayly let fresh mē succede in their rowmes, least with too much traueyle and tediousnesse, they happen to handle their charge more negligently.

It is also very commodious and profitable that chiefe rulers, and such as be in aucthoritye, eyther at home or in warrs abrode, where som daūgerous matters do chance, shoulde goe forthe abrode in their own persons to see the state of thinges: by the example of Marcellus, who to his College or fellow in office sayd these wordes: Let vs our selues goe with a fewe horsemen to make searche how the case standeth, for the thing manifested vnto our eyes, shal more certaynly direct our aduise and counsel what is best to bee done: For Plato wylleth Princes▪ of cōmon weales to goe forth and see how thinges frame abrode, and wyth them to leade their children on horsebacke, thereby to en­ure them with lesse feare to abyde the viewe and sighte of their enemies.

The auncient custome that the Frenchmen vsed is ve­rye profitable, to learne & vnderstand of al thinges which [Page] the enemie doeth and pretendeth: whiche custome manye naciōs & princes in our tyme also do vse to put in practise, which is y ^• some witty persōs may be appointed to learn Espialles abro­de very neces­sarye. what fame and cōmon report goeth abrode, and to make wayfaring persons (wil they or nil they) to stay, and of thē to learne and sifte out what newes euery one of thē hath heard or knowen: let them enquire of them, oute of what coasts or countries they came, and whither they mean to goe, & let them compell them to declare asmuche as they know [...] of their pretence to come. But yet suche newes, flying▪ tales and reportes, they may not alwayes credite: for many do tell lyes, and do faigninglye aunswere accor­ding to the wyl and humour of him that asketh the questi­on, and so leaue the demaunders as wise (for any certain­tye) as they were before: but if the demaunders, and sif­ters out of these matters be circumspecte and wyse, they shall easely be able to boult and trye oute the truthe, and thereby their councelles and aduises, which are to be day­lye taken in hande, shal by such examinacion bee much the better furthered.

Let also the Lieutenant or Gouernour of a Cittie and Citizens, be very diligent and circumspect in the safe ke­pinge and gardinge of the Gates, the Reyes whereof let him keepe himselfe, and let him set in good order the wat­ches Gates must di­ligently be lo­ked vnto. and wardes dulye: let him also take heede, that hee be not deceyued and dissembled withall, vnder the colour of his owne souldiers, or beguiled by the counterfeicting of an other knowen speach. For Hānibal surprized many cyties in Italie by apparelling and arming his souldiers lyke Romaynes, sending before him such of his Souldi­ers as by longe continuance in the warres coulde speake the Latine tongue. Many subtile shiftes and deceipts are deuised in the entraunce of the Gates of a Cittye, whiche are to be taken heede of. For sometyme the Enemyes for the nonce and of set purpose, doe make their Beastes and Cariages to falle downe, or elles their Waynes that [Page 82] carye greate huge Stones, to breake and falle in pieces, and thereuppon the Enemies beinge sydaynlye at hande (whyle the Gates cannot well bee shutte) the townes are easelye taken. The Massilians fearing this thing, by the good Instytucions and Ordynaunces of their Common wealthe, did so keepe and warde their Citties in tyme of Peace, as if they had then beene continuallye vexed and troubled wyth warres: Wherefore vpon the holy dayes they were wonte to shutte the Gates of their Citties, to keepe their Watches, to see their Souldiers in good ar­raye standinge vppon the Walles, to muster and take a note of their Straungers, and other war like affayres beside.

Reuoltes and Runnagates, are not to bee receyued or intertayned into the Cittye: for Synon the Grecian, being gentlye interteyned, was destruction of the Troianes. And Zopirus the friende of Darius king of Persia, percey­uinge Fugit [...]ues and runneavvayes. the Kinge to waxe wearye with his long besieging of Babilon, and beinge without all hope of wynninge it, cutte of his owne nose and his owne eares, and fledde a­way thēce vnto the Babilonians, where he vttring many slaunderous and reprochefull wordes, agaynst his kyng, promised them that hee woulde deliuer into their handes the victorye, and be auenged on him. They beleeuing hys Cloaked trea­son vnder flat­tring vvoides. smothe words, made this Zopirus their Generall Capi­tayne, & deliuered vnto him theyr power, whiche when he had receyued, incontinently hee betrayed & deliuered both the Cittye and the whole hoaste vnto Darius. So also Sextus Tarquinius fayning hymselfe to haue fledde awaye from his fathers Hoaste, because hee was (as hee fayde) beaten with roddes, and comming to the Cittye of Gabij, (then besieged) perswaded theym to ioyne in lyke hatred with him against the kinge his father, and being by them appointed chiefe Capitayne, hee straight wayes betrayed the Cittye, into the handes of his sayde father.

[Page]It is also daungerous to retayne manye straungers & Aliens into the cittye: both because euerye multitude of people, that is gathered and peeced together oute of sun­drye nations, is vnquiet and oftentimes, of a small mat­ter or quarell stirreth vp [...]umults & hurlyburlies: but al­so because it is the parte of a madde man, to deuide there Daungerous to haue manie straungers in a cittye. those thinges amongst many, which he knoweth not whe­ther they wyll suffyce to the mayntenaunce of a fewe.

Unto this Sentence may bee aptly applyed that same precept of Cambises king of Persians, which hee gaue vnto Cyrus his sonne, where he sayth.

Alexander of Macedonie besieginge Leucadia, suffered all the borderers and neighbours thereaboute to flye thy­ther for refuge and succour, that they being many, might y ^e soner consume the victualls, which being spent, he ease lye obtayned the victory. Antigonus semeth to haue vsed the like deuise againste the Athenians, who hauinge destroyed their Corne fieldes, departed thence, and wente awaye in the tyme of seede sowinge, that if they had anye remaynder of Corne yet left, they might bestowe y ^e same vpon sowinge: & so makinge his returne thyther agayn y ^e nexte spring, ouer came and spoyled all the Corne beinge nowe sprouted and shotte vp: and so by famine broughte them to agree to any thing, euen at his own pleasure. Forein souldi­ers vntrustie.

The multitude also of souldiers is greately to bee fea­red, this haue the Carthaginians apparantly taught: for when they had made peace with the Romaines, the mer­cenarye souldiers, which were in number about 20000. which fought against the Romayns, conspired together, and reuolted & fled from the Carthaginians, and beside this, e [...]ueygled and seduced all Africa: and there vpon be­sieged Carthage, and coulde not be kept from scaling the [Page 83] walles, had not the greate labour and industry of Hamil­car then chiefe Captayne of Carthage bene the greater.

Let a Chiefetayne make dispatche and haste in those matters that he is bent and fullye perswaded to doe: For speedye expedition is the best compaignion in warfare: in which thinge Alexander of Macedonie is especially com­mended, because in expedicion and spedinesse, bee surpas­sed Spede and ex­pedition a nottable furthe­raunce to vva [...] like affayres. the celerity & haste of all other Capitayns: and he had so framed his footemen, that they were as swyft and nimble on foote as horses: wherfore Darius the king being by hym pursued, chased and persecuted, greuouslye complay­ned that he had no tyme of respite geeuen him to pawse & consider how to withstād the alacritie of Alexander, who oftentimes couragiously traueyled, with great Iourneys night and day to entrappe his enemies at vnwares, and to set vpon them sodenly and vnlooked for.

Let also the chiefe Capitayn of the warres do his mat­ters closely and secretly, and let him not open and disclose his secretes vnto any man, by thexample of Metellus, who Secrete hande linge of affay­res. (as Plutarch mēcioneth, thus answered a certayn frēd of his, which demaunded of him what he would doe y ^• nexte day followinge: If this my coate which I weare (saythe hee) coulde vtter foorthe and openlye declare my secretes and determinations, I woulde straighte wayes put it of, and burne it to ashes. And Iulius Caesar purposing to trās­porte and send his armie another waye, toke his Iourney secretelye, and diliuered to some one man his tables, sig­ned withe his hande, dyrectinge theym at a certaine time and place to bee readye, and in good araye of battle to doe what hee shoulde commaunde theym: and nowe and then commaunded he notes to be wrytten vpon stones ly­ing in y ^• high ways, wher his souldiers must passe, where by he gaue them by certayne watchwords, directly to vn­derstande what waye was nedeful and best to be taken.

As it is the parte of a good phisitian to leaue no hurte­full thing in the bodye of his Patient: so is it the parte of [Page] a good Generall to remoue and take awaye whatsoeuer shall hynder the prosperous estate & preseruation of thys his aucthoritye: for oftentimes it falleth oute that a small sparcke of fyre being neglected and not looked vnto, cau­seth a greate flame, as the prouerbe sayth. And that sen­tence of Marcus Cato is to be holden for an Dracle, wry­tinge thus in his Booke of Warfare: In other matters Tvvo specialle precepts in dy­ [...]ecting vva [...]e fare. (sayth hee) whatsoeuer is misdone, maye bee redressed or afterwards at more leasure, amended: but in warre, we must not admit the promise of any amēdement, for faultes committed: because present punishment ought out of hād to folowe the offence. For the reuenger of slouthe and Ignoraunce is euermore at hande ready and prest, which is neuer fauouringe or pityfull towardes the enemy that offendeth.

There are two preceptes whiche seeme to conteyne in them the whole discipline or Arte of Warfare, the one is that there bee but fewe Gouernours and Commaunders & the same able well to gouern, and thē also such as haue passed through al y ^t degrees of warfare, wherby by obei­inge aforetime theymselues, they haue the better skyll to cōmaund others. They which haue these things, it cānot be chosen, but that they shall eyther obtayne the victory, or els an honest and honourable peace: but to them whi­che fayle in these thinges, no power or Force can suffice for their defence, but they shalbe caryed headlonge with a blynde rage to their vtter ruine & destruction, euen lyke brute beastes.

Clemencie and mercifulnesse towardes their Subiec­tes and vnderlinges, both greatly set forthe the commen­dacion of Generalles and Captaynes, and maketh their Clemencye in Generalles most commendable. noble actes more famous: Cicero affirmeth that, they are to be receiued into fauour and protection which with sub­mission cast downe their weapons and betake themselues to the mercye of the Generall, yea althoughe the Ordy­nance and Engine haue shaken or battred down the wall. [Page 84] And Caesar was wont to say, y ^t nothing pleased him better then to spare the simple sorte of people, neyther is this vertue to bee omitted towardes those whiche are ouer­come and vanquished: For slaughter, Luste, Crueltye, and euerye example of outragious Pryde towardes those that bee in distresse and miserye, hath beene alwayes ac­coumpted detestable and horrible: great commendation did Marcus Marcellus wyn, who before he would gra [...] the Spoyle of the wealthy Cyttye Syracuse, vnto hys Souldiers, wept, and by an Edict commaunded that no manne shoulde hurte or Iniurye any Freeman of the Ci­tye. Liuius maketh mention that the Spoyle of that Cittye was so excedinge greate, that there woulde haue beene scarcelye the lyke in CARTHAGE, whyche was of Power and equall Strengthe alwayes to encoū ­tre wyth theim.

In myne Opinion this note or Precepte is expediente to bee geeuen, that wee shoulde farre more esteeme of a Fevv vvel trayned better thē a greate num­ber of vnskil­ful peasauntes small Number of Souldiers, beinge trayned vp and ex­ercysed in the Feates of Warre, and sooner shoulde they gayne the Uictorye, then of a greate multitude whyche are bothe vnskilfull and Ignoraunte, who doe open and as it were make a readye waye to their own destruction, who are afrayde of euerye Tryfle, and rather take care for flight, then for glorye or renowme: therefore the olde precepte willeth a man that lacketh an olde beaten soul­dier, to take a Nouise, as yet vntrayned.

For ALEXANDFR after the death of his father PHILIPPE, wythe Fourtye Thousande tall armed Souldiers, that had bene by his father notablye and skil­fullye trayned in Feates of Warres, ouercame sundrye and innumerable Hoastes of his enemies, that wythstode him, and subdued verye manye Regions and countries of the worlde vnder his Subiection, and compelled them to become vassayles vnto hym.

What shall wee saye of the Romayues, who beinge [Page] discēded frō meane beginnings yet by vertue and prowes onelye and by Martiall skill, did conquere all the whole world? Is it not a thing to be meruayled at, that a num­ber of heardmen and sheepeheardes should inuade Italy, a countrye moste mightye aboue all other Regions, and daunte and subdue the Germaynes, and all Fraunce: dis­pising the largenes of their Bodies, and the number of their hoastes, and besides this shculde also [...]ame & bringe in subiection the Spaniardes, whiche were righte fearce & cruell warrioures, and shoulde conquere and vanquy­she y ^t Africanes, which were the wyliest & wealthiest per­sons vnder the sonne: and moreouer shoulde ouerreache y ^e wysedome and cunninge of the Greekes, and finallye be­come Lordes of the whole worlde?

In the choyse and mustering of persons apt for y ^e war­res, wee must first and formost haue a respecte vnto y ^t age of the person, which ought to be younge and tender: For boyes and stripelinges, doe far more easelye learne those Yongmē most aptest to bee taught and trained invvarfare thinges whiche are expedient: and doe better frame themselues to thinges wherin is no difficulty, while their mē ­bers are not yet styffe and hardened, neyther growne to their full strengthe and perfection: for they [...]itte a horse better, & they hādle y ^t raynes nymbler then aged persōs with stowpinge bodies, whose lymmes be stiffe and har­dened. And furthermore lightsomnesse in leapinge vp & downe, swyftenesse in running, and quicknesse in casting, is more easie for the bodye, which yet is tender and gren [...], then for a body that is growne vnto ful strength.

Surely Plato prince of al Philosophers helde opinion that younge men were to be chosen for the warres, at the Age of Soul­diers. age of twentye yeares, and Seruius Tullius Kinge of the Romaynes, was of opinion to choose them at seauentene yeares olde, at which age he called them Iuuenes, because they were person [...]sable to helpe, and ayde their Country and common wealth. Some others doe wryte that the firsteyeares of Pubertie, that is when the hayres doe [Page 85] beginneth firste to grow▪ is the best tyme to choose one y ^• wee woulde haue to proue a worthy seruitour▪ But the souldiers which are taken vp being aboue the age of [...] yeares, are seldome cōmodious. And when they handle Vnfitnesse of Souldiers. their weapons, (because they doe it vnhandsomelye) they are but made laughing stockes vnto others, & oftentimes because of their vnweildynesse, they are by y ^• old [...] quipped, which saythe: that they bee as fitte for warfare as an Oxe to beare a Packesadle: therfore it were [...] to exempt suche, and remitte them to suche Artes as they haue bene brought vp in, then to presse theym to the war­res, where they will serue to small purpose, except it be in greate necessitie: for then we reade that prisoners and ma­lefactors haue bene lou [...]ed out of prison and set at liberty, & bōdmē also in this case to haue serued for y ^e presēt turn. Cornelius Celsus wryteth, that a square bodyed personage is most seruisable, & hee prayseth a mediocritie of breadth and length: because talnesse whiche in youth is comelye, Stature▪ [...]s [...] commendable for a Souldi­er. is by nature sone consumed and brought to an end by Old age. But as y ^e stature which tendeth vnto mediocritye is firmer, stronger, and of longer continuaunce [...] so on the o­ther part, a slender bodye is coumpted weake and seeble▪ and a fatte bodye is thought to bee dull and vnweildye: not withstandinge I knowe that some doe heste allowe of ta [...]nesse in a Souldier▪ wherup [...] the Romaynes a [...] their liuelye and couragious ho [...]semen [...] and in their firste Bādes & Cohortes, suffered [...]one to serue but those that were in stature sixe foote, or very neare there vnto.

Neither am I ignoraūt that Alexander and his hoaste by reason of their smal stature, were at their comming in­to Small stature of Alexanders Souldiers. that country, derided and laughed to s [...]o [...]n [...] of the Scy­thians, which were very tal persons, but win a smal tyme after, the Scythians learned, that manlinesse and courage, & not talnes & height was to be considered in the estemie. For it many tymes comes to passe that little persons, and men of small stature, proue & are found y ^• best warriours. [Page] Therfore we must not stand vpon this poynt, to consider how tall a man bee, but how strong hee is▪ yet notwith stā ­dinge the confirmation and well knitting of the mēbers together, may geeue great tokens of strength in man. Let therfore a younge man, that is to bee employed thys Best bodilye proportion & [...]eacture for a Souldier. way, be wel vi [...]aged, and streight bodied, round necked & handing some what downwarde, quicke eyed and watche­f [...]ll▪ chearely countenaūced, broade breasted and broade s [...]ouldre [...], strongly drawned in his armes, and firmly cō ­pact in the ioyntes of his fingers, long armed, strong El­bowed, slender be [...]lyed, bygge hypped, his legges rather slenderlye then ro [...]udlye Cau [...]fed, and Strongelye fo [...]ed.

Moreouer in leuyinge and musteringe Souldiers, we must consider in what country they were borne and brou­ght vp. For albeit in euerye place there bee borne as­well Dast [...]rdes as valyaun [...]e and stoute persons, yet not­withstandinge the aspect of the Heauens, furthereth mu­che The countrye must be res [...]ec­ted vvhere a souldier hathe hene bred and borne. vnto the Courage and Strength of the person: and the North coūtries are better in this respect, thethe Ea­sterlye: But euerye temperate Countrye is reputes and taken as beste.

A Souldier is better to be taken out of the Countrye then out of the Ci [...]ie▪ as all the auncient wryters which haue wrytten of Warrefare doe holde Opinion: and not without good cause [...] for the Countrye youth being har­dened, and Sunne burned, suffering and enduring duste, Rayne, and Snowe, feedinge vpon brown Breade, and wylde bearyes, can abyde farre more easely to lye abrode, City souldiers can suffer rayne, showers, and stormes, can continewe to rume, through the stippery and durtye fieldes al bare foo­ted, which no horse can passe for myre & fowlnesse, muche better then tenderly brought vp yongmen can, which ha­ue bane cockered and nycely effeminated with town deli­cacies, and pleasures of the Citty, who cannot sleepe ex­cept they may lye vpon a soft feather bed, where no noyse [Page 86] must disquiet or trouble them, and being no [...]hable to en­dure eyther heate or colde, are euer p [...]wling in their sto­macke, they neuer haue good appetite to their meate ex­cept they may haue the delicate dishes of the Citty fare, & drest after the City fashion, euer seeking for the finest bro­thes and viandes, neyther can they bee at hartes ease if they want their olde domesticall blandimentes. Furder­more nature her selfe prescribeth this vnto mankind, that bee lesse feareth wounds or death which hath least know­ledge of delyces and pleasures in this lyfe.

The Lacedemonians deserued greate prayse and com­mendation in warfare, whose lyfe if wee do [...]e holde, wee shall finde y ^• they euen tyll the age of [...] state▪ were Lacedemoniās hovve they ly­ued. occupied and busied in the fieldes and in hunting and al­wayes lyued very strictlye and hardelye.

The Auncient Romaynes esteemed the care of warre­fare and husbandrye as one: and the selfe same persons y ^• in tyme of Peace played the Husbandemen, dyd [...] tyme Romaynes esteemed vvar­fare and hus­bandry both a lyke. of Warre serue for Sauldiers: Whereuppon [...] Cincinnatus, was called from the Ploughe, [...]bee Dicta­tor, & after the victorie gotten ouer his enemies, he surrē ­dred his rowme and dignitie, & retourned to his Oxen▪ & small plotte of Lande which hee had at home. So like wyse Fabricius after hee had exp [...]ed Pirr [...] oure of the Coastes of Italy, and Marcus curius▪ S [...]named De [...] ­tatus hauinge vanquished the Sab [...]es betooke themsel­ues agayne to their fieldes. Also Curius Marcus longe tyme after, was a Capitayne chosen out of the Country, and yet was hee seuen tymes Cosull▪ and wyth manye and greac victories was his fame ennobled▪ and so hard [...] ­ned was hee in labour and paynes taking y ^• when he offe­red his legges (beinge swelled) to the Surgeon to bee cutte of and launced, he did it with no more feare, t [...]rn he would haue geuen a Carpenterr a piece of Timber to bee squared: This laste of all is to be concluded, y ^• the harder and paine fuller that the Trades bee which men doe com­monlye practise and followe, the stronger and stouter [Page] doe the same make the Souldiers: and the nycer and finer that they bee, the more doe they weaken courage and a­bate valiaūtnes. For it is not to be loked for, y ^t cur doggs which come peaking out of Tauernes and Typling hou­ses, should geue the onset vpon a Lybbard or Lyon, nay, they wyll rather streightway return to y ^• licking of their dishes agayne.

The exercise of hunting is very good, whiche differeth much from rusticall and warlike affayres: for Xenophon when hee determined to followe the warres of Cyrus, dyd Hunting a good exercise. first with greate care and diligence learne to ryde, & hunt, affirming that he was an vnprofitable Souldier, which was not in both these exercises greately enured and prac­tised. For the Romains (because their Yongmen should not geeue themselues too much to pleasure, or be marred with idlenesse and ease in corners and bynookes) made a goodly field for exercise, which they called Campus Mar­tius, wherein the Games and exercises of Armes were ce­lebrated and kept, not only for the Spectacles and sights of Fencers, and swordplayers, but also for the vse and ex­ercise of Souldiers: and thereat were present certayn y ^t instructed & trained the same souldiers, which were with the cōmon charge and prouision recōpensed withe dou­ble shares of grayne and corne: because they should y ^• bet­ter and diligentlier (being enflamed with reward) trayn and teache the same Souldiers.

It would aske a longe discourse to make rehearsall of all Martiall exercises, & orderly to discribe y ^e rules & me­thodes Trayninge of Souldiers. thereof, to sette down preceptes how young soul­diers should be trayned, howe they shoulde behaue them­selues in auoyding and declining weapons comminge to­wardes them▪ and how to deale prudentlye and manfullye in stryking agayne, howe they ought to playe the partes of Souldiers throughly in euery poynte: how they shall handle the shielde or Target: how to set and pytche theyr stakes, obserue their array in marchinge, and kepe their [Page 87] standinges, all which thinges rather seeme to appertayn vnto him that wryteth of warfare, then vnto him whiche entreateth of ciuill societye.

Plato setteth downe in order, that no man shoulde haue What age is lavvful for one to be a Gene­rall. aucthoritye in the warres, before hee were thirtie yeares of age (although there were otherwise in him, approued and tryed manhoode and valiaunce, and that hee were al­so euen at those yeares ennobled or made famous for som martial exploytes) This age did the Athenians think law­full and fitting for warlike offices, althoughe sometimes they derogate frō this law, especially in Alcibiades, who in his adolescencie, was so highly in the peoples fauour, y ^• wheresoeuer hee walked abroade, all the Cittizens caste their eyes onely vppon him, and no man so well esteemed amongst them al, as he was. For before hee was of law­ful age, hee was made Lieutenaunt generall of the war­res against the Syracusians, vnto whom notwithstandinge were adioyned two Colleges, farre elder then himselfe, that is to say Nicias and Lamachus, to thende they might more safelye prouide for the publike weale. Also Octauius Caesar at the age of xviii yeares was elected Emperoure, Octauius Cae­sar. Cicero perswading the same vnto the people of Rome, but afterwardes when he handled some matters against the mynde and lykinge of Cicero, he was sory for that whiche before hee had done, and repented his former counsell and aduise which hee had geuen for his aduauncement & elec­tion, and thereupon wrate an Epistle, wherein he exclay­meth against himselfe, that he had playd no wisemannes parte, but confessed that the common wealth was by hym and through his meanes deceyued.

Farre more safer is an armie or hoast committed vnto Olde beaten Souldiers are to bee prefer­red before youngmen. olde beaten Souldiers, then vnto youngmen, whose first aduisemēts and counsells, are more fearce and vnstayed, and who doe lesse forsee and consider the incerteintye of chaunces, because Fortune neuer at anye tyme decey­ued them: but Old men with quyet mindes do foresee ma­nye [Page] thinges, and preuent before hand h [...]lve to encounter with Fortune: and where nede is of stonte persons, they do the same, not so willingly, as dryuen there unto by ne­cessitie, & will rather choose to dyeun fight, then in flight.

Alexander Kynge of Macedonie beinge twenty & one yeares of age loste his father Philippe by Deathe, and because hee woulde seeme to bee no lesse the Heire and Successor of his kingdome, then of his worthynesse and glorye, when as hee had taken on him the Gouernmente of the armie left him by his father, he dyd not choose vnto him those compaignions, which he had bene brought vp, & conuersant w ^tal, neither youthful yonkers: but old tried & beaten souldiers: many of thē such as were alreadye dis­charged & dispenced w ^t al frō folowing the warrs any [...] ­ger, who aforetime serued his father, & had abidē many a sharpe storme vnder him: in which doing, he semed rather to haue chosen maisters & capitaines of warres thē souldiers: and he cōmitted not the orderinge & disposinge of hys Battls, but vnto thē y ^t were Lx. yeres of age, which sure lye was the cause, that he alwayes vanquished the [...], and obtayned the victory, & with a very small hand of mē ouercame sixe hundred thousand of the Persians: & if hee had not bene by death preuented, he surelye woulde haue subdued the whole worlde.

The Tribune or Marshall of the fielde, ought to bee a man most valiaunt and couragious, in prowes and Mar­tiall Cheualrye exactlye trayned: the rulers also of euery particuler Crew and Band, which haue so many men at their commaundemente, ought in their offyce to bee per­sens most graue, because that in the absence of the Gene­rall, they supplye his rowme. He also that hath the char­ge and office of pitching the Tentes & encamping, ought Encamping. of all others to bee most skilfull, & one by long experiēce and practise in warres, throughly tryed and experienced. For he ought diligently to view and surueigh the nature and condicion of the place, that hee maye chose the safest & [Page 88] most cōuenient partes for the [...] to campe in that there [...] his Souldiers might bee easely by the enemie assaulted and displaced, neyther by meanes of a Ryuer surrounded and drowned▪ or elles by the too much nearenesse of wood growing thērabout, to Choyse of ground for pit­ching of tents & encampinge bee consumed and fyred whiche thinge happened vnto Crassus in the ciuile warres, who throughe suche careles ouersight, was with all his armie almoste burned soden­lye by the fyre, that his enemies had secretely enkindled. So did Camillus also destroy & spoyle the campe & tentes of the Volsciās by fiering the wood y ^t was neere vnto thē.

Moreouer let a Generalle foresee that there bee stoare enoughe of wood, of forage & of water: let them also haue an easie egresse abroade into the fieldes round about thē, Surueighors of vvorkes. and a safe returne and egresse backe agayne to the campe. Neither ought y ^e Surueigher or chiefe ouerseer of work­men to lacke long experience, vpon whom chiefly resteth all the charge, to see y ^t nothing be wanting to y ^e hoast y ^t is nedeful, eyther for assault & battry, or for repulsing or de­fence. This man ought to haue in a readinesse Carpēters, Ioigners, Rafterers, & Masōs, for y ^e contriuing & makīg of engines, & woddē towers, battring pieces, crosbowes, Slinges, & other sorts of gunnes beside▪ and briefly to c [...] ­clude, y ^e auncient persons must be appointed rulers ouer y ^• army, & the younger sort must be honored with other dig­nities, & specially such as haue more glory & prayse when the case falleth out well & with good successe, thē daunger if it should fall out otherwise, or that Fortune shoulde de­ceiue them. Reward & punishment are to bee demed & taken as two Gods in a common wealth, and in Martiall Revvarde for vvel doinge & punishmēt for euil doing. affaires especially accoūpted most necessarye: for neyther shall it be sufficient for a Captayne to keepe his souldiers at cōmaūdemēnt, and in obedience for feare of punishe­ment: except also the hope of glory & reward do quicken & pricke forward y ^e courage & fortitude of y ^e souldier: & y ^e de­sire of renoume doth of it self particulerly prescribe such things as neither the leaders nor captaines thēselues, cā [Page] by any possible meanes directe or teache: For surely hope is a right greate affect and mocion of the mynde, whiche oftentimes stirreth vp and moueth men to do those things which seeme to excede the strength & ability of man, & which otherwise could not by any reason or meanes be perswaded.