THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE¶To the right honorable and my singuler good Lorde,my Lorde Robert Dudley, Maister of theQueenes Maiesties horse, one of her highes pri-uie Counsaile, and knight of the moste honou-rable order of the Garter: Richard Rai-nolde wisheth longe life, withincrease of honour.ARISTOTLEthe famous Phi-losopher, writing a boke to kingAlexāder, the great and migh-tie conquerour, began the Epi-stle of his Booke in these woor-des. Twoo thynges moued mechieflie, O King, to betake to thy Maiesties handes,this worke of my trauile and labour, thy nobilitie andvertue, of the whiche thy nobilitie encouraged me, thygreate and singuler vertue, indued with all humanitie,forced and draue me thereto. The same twoo in yourgood Lordshippe, Nobilitie and Vertue, as twoo migh-tie Pillers staied me, in this bolde enterprise, to makeyour good Lordshippe, beyng a Pere of honour, induedwith all nobilitie and vertue: a patrone and possessoureof this my booke. In the whiche although copious andaboundaunte eloquence wanteth, to adorne and beau-tifie thesame, yet I doubte not for the profite, that is inthis my trauaile conteined, your honour indued withall singuler humanitie, will vouchsaufe to accepte mywillyng harte, my profitable purpose herein. Many fa-mous menne and greate learned, haue in the Greketongue and otherwise trauailed, to profite all tymestheir countrie and common wealthe. This also was myende and purpose, to plante a worke profitable to all ty-mes, my countrie and common wealthe.And because your Lordshippe studieth all singula-ritie to vertue, and wholie is incensed thereto: I hauecompiled this woorke, and dedicated it to your Lorde-shippe, as vnto whō moste noble and vertuous. Wher-in are set forthe soche Oracions, as are right profitableto bee redde, for knowledge also necessarie. The duetieof a subiecte, the worthie state of nobilitie, the prehe-minent dignitie and Maiestie of a Prince, the office ofcounsailours, worthie chiefe veneracion, the office of aIudge or Magestrate are here set foorthe. In moste for-tunate state is the kyngdome and Common wealthe,where the Nobles and Peres, not onelie daiely doe stu-die to vertue, for that is the wisedome, that all thegraue and wise Philophers searched to attaine to. Forthe ende of all artes and sciences, and of all noble actesand enterprises is vertue, but also to fauour and vpholdthe studentes of learnyng, whiche also is a greate ver-tue. Whoso is adorned with nobilitie and vertue, ofnecessitie nobilitie and vertue, will moue and allure thēto fauour and support vertue in any other, yea, as Tul-lie the moste famous Oratour dooeth saie, euen to louethose whō we neuer sawe, but by good fame and brutebeutified to vs. For the encrease of vertue, Goddooeth nobilitate with honour worthiemenne, to be aboue other in dignitieand state, thereupon vertuedoeth encrease yourLordshippshonor,beyng a louer of vertueand worthie no-bilitie.Your lordshippes humble ser-uaunt Richard Rainolde.To the Reader.APHTHONIVSa famous man, wrotein Greke of soche declamacions, to en-structe the studentes thereof, with all fa-cilitée to grounde in them, a moste plenti-ous and riche vein of eloquence. No manis able to inuente a more profitable waieand order, to instructe any one in the ex-quisite and absolute perfeccion, of wisedome and eloquence,thenAphthonius QuintilianusandHermogenes. Tullie al-so as a moste excellente Orator, in the like sorte trauailed,whose Eloquence and vertue all tymes extolled, and the of-spryng of all ages worthilie aduaunceth. And because as yetthe verie grounde of Rhetorike, is not heretofore intreatedof, as concernyng these exercises, though in fewe yeres past,a learned woorke of Rhetorike is compiled and made in theEnglishe toungue, of one, who floweth in all excellencie ofarte, who in iudgement is profounde, in wisedome and elo-quence moste famous. In these therefore my diligence is em-ploied, to profite many, although not with like Eloquence,beutified and adorned, as the matter requireth. I haue cho-sen out in these Oracions soche questions, as are right ne-cessarie to be knowen and redde of all those, whose cogitaciōpondereth vertue and Godlines. I doubte not, but seyng mytrauaile toucheth vertuous preceptes, and vttereth to light,many famous Histories, the order of arte obserued also, butthat herein the matter it self, shall defende my purpose aga-inste the enuious, whiche seketh to depraue any good enter-prise, begon of any one persone. The enuious mannethough learned, readeth to depraue that, which hereadeth, the ignoraunt is no worthie Iudge,the learned and godlie pondereth vp-rightly & sincerely, that whichhe iudgeth, the order ofthese Oracionsfolloweth afterward, andthe names of thē.¶The contentes ofthis Booke.ANOracionmade, vpon the Fable of the Shepher-des and the Wolues, the Wolues requestyng theBandogges: wherein is set forthe the state of eue-ry subiecte, the dignitie of a Prince, the honoura-ble office of counsailours.AnOracionvpon the Fable of the Ante and the Gres-hopper, teachyng prouidence.AnOracionHistoricall, howe Semiramis came to beeQuéene of Babilon.AnOracionHistoricall, vpon Kyng Richard the thirdesometyme Duke of Glocester.AnOracionHistoricall, of the commyng of Iulius Ce-ser into Englande.AnOracionCiuill or Iudiciall, vpon Themistocles, ofthe walle buildyng at Athenes.AnOracionPoeticall vpon a redde Rose.A profitableOracion, shewyng the decaie of kingdomesand nobilitie.AnOracionvpon a Sentence, preferryng a Monarchie,conteinyng all other states of common wealthe.Theconfutacionof the battaile of Troie.Aconfirmacionof the noble facte of Zopyrus.AnOracioncalled a Common place against Theues.Thepraiseof Epaminundas Duke of Thebes, whereinthe grounde of nobilitée is placed.Thedispraiseof Domicius Nero Emperour of Roome.Acomparisonbetwene Demosthenes and Tullie.A lamentableOracionof Hecuba Queene of Troie.Adescripcionvpon Xerxes kyng of Persia.AnOracioncalledThesis, as concerning the goodly stateof Mariage.AnOracionconfutyng a certaine lawe of Solon.The foundacion ofRhetorike.NAture hath indued euery man, witha certain eloquence, and also subtili-Rhetorikeand Logikegiuen of na-ture.tée to reason and discusse, of any que-stion or proposicion propounded, asAristotlethe Philosopher, in hisBooke ofRhetorikedooeth shewe.These giftes of nature, singuler doeflowe and abounde in vs, accordyngto the greate and ample indumenteand plentuousnes of witte and wisedome, lodged in vs, there-fore Nature it self beyng well framed, and afterward by arteArte furthe-reth nature.and order of science, instructed and adorned, must be singular-lie furthered, helped, and aided to all excellencie, to exquisiteLogike.inuencion, and profounde knowledge, bothe inLogikeandRhetorike.Rhetorike. In the one, as a Oratour to pleate with all facili-tee, and copiouslie to dilate any matter or sentence: in the otherto grounde profunde and subtill argument, to fortifie & makestronge our assercion or sentence, to proue and defende, by theLogike.force and power of arte, thinges passyng the compasse & reachof our capacitée and witte. Nothyng can bee more excellentlyEloquence.giuen of nature then Eloquence, by the which the florishyngstate of commonweales doe consiste: kyngdomes vniuersallyare gouerned, the state of euery one priuatelie is maintained.The commonwealth also should be maimed, and debilitated,Zeno.except the other parte be associate to it.Zenothe PhilosophercomparingRhetorikeandLogike, doeth assimilate and likenLogike.them to the hand of man.Logikeis likefaith heto the fiste, foreuen as the fiste closeth and shutteth into one, the iointes andpartes of the hande, & with mightie force and strength, wrap-Similitude[.]Logike.peth and closeth in thynges apprehended: SoLogikefor thedeepe and profounde knowlege, that is reposed and buried init, in soche sort of municion and strength fortified, in few wor-des taketh soche force and might by argumente, that exceptelike equalitée in like art and knowledge doe mate it, in vainthe disputacion shalbe, and the repulse of thaduersarie readie.Rhetorikelike to thehande.Rhetorikeis like to the hand set at large, wherein euery partand ioint is manifeste, and euery vaine as braunches of tréesRhetorike.sette at scope and libertee. So of like sorte,Rhetorikein mosteample and large maner, dilateth and setteth out small thyn-ges or woordes, in soche sorte, with soche aboundaunce andplentuousnes, bothe of woordes and wittie inuencion, withsoche goodlie disposicion, in soche a infinite sorte, with sochepleasauntnes of Oracion, that the moste stonie and hard har-tes, can not but bee incensed, inflamed, and moued thereto.Logike andRhetorikeabsolute infewe.These twoo singuler giftes of nature, are absolute and perfectin fewe: for many therebe, whiche are exquisite and profoundin argument, by art to reason and discusse, of any question orproposicion propounded, who by nature are disabled, & smal-lie adorned to speake eloquently, in whom neuertheles moreaboundaunt knowlege doeth somtymes remaine then in theother, if the cause shalbe in controuersie ioined, and examinedto trie a manifeste truthe. But to whom nature hath giuensoche abilitée, and absolute excellencie, as that thei can botheThe vertueof eloquence.copiouslie dilate any matter or sentence, by pleasauntnes andswetenes of their wittie and ingenious oracion, to drawe vn-to theim the hartes of a multitude, to plucke doune and extir-pate affecciōs and perturbacions of people, to moue pitee andcompassion, to speake before Princes and rulers, and to per-swade theim in good causes and enterprises, to animate andincense them, to godlie affaires and busines, to alter the coū-saill of kynges, by their wisedome and eloquence, to a betterstate, and also to be exquisite in thother, is a thing of all mostDemosthe-nes.Tisias.Gorgias.Eschines[.]Tullie.Cato.noble and excellent. The eloquence of Demosthenes, Isocra-tes, Tisias, Gorgias, Eschines, were a great bulwarke andstaie to Athens and all Grece, Rome also by the like vertueof Eloquence, in famous and wise orators vpholded: the wiseand eloquente Oracions of Tullie againste Catiline. Thegraue and sentencious oracions of Cato in the Senate, haueThe Empe-rors of Romefamous inEloquence.been onelie the meane to vpholde the mightie state of Rome,in his strength and auncient fame and glorie. Also the Chro-nicles of auncient time doe shewe vnto vs, the state of Romecould by no meanes haue growen so meruailous mightie,but that God had indued the whole line of Cesars, with sin-guler vertues, with aboundaunt knowlege & singuler Elo-quence. Thusidides the famous Historiographer sheweth,Thusidides.how moche Eloquence auailed the citees of Grece, fallyng toCorcurians.dissenciō. How did the Corcurians saue them selues from thePelopone-sians.inuasiō and might, of thePoloponesians, their cause pleatedbefore the Athenians, so moche their eloquence in a trutheCorinthians[.]preuailed. The Ambassadours of Corinth, wanted not theircopious, wittie, and ingenious Oracions, but thei pleatedbefore mightie, wise, and graue Senators, whose cause, ac-cordyng to iudgemēt, truthe, and integritée was ended. TheLacedemo-nians.Vituleniās.Athenians.eloquēt Embassages of the Corinthiās, the Lacedemoniās,& the Vituleneans, the Athenians, who so readeth, shall sonesée that of necessitee, a common wealth or kyngdome must befortefied, with famous, graue, and wise counsailours. HowDemosthe-nes.often did Demosthenes saue the cōmon wealthes of Athens,how moche also did that large dominion prospere and florishSocrates.Cato.Crassus.Antonius.Catulus.Cesar.by Isocrates. Tullie also by his Eloquēt please, Cato, Cras-sus, Antonius, Catulus Cesar, with many other, did supportand vphold the state of that mightie kyngdō. No doubte, butthat Demosthenes made a wittie, copious, and ingeniouso-racions, when the Athenians were minded to giue and be-Philippe thekyng of theMacidoniās[.]take to the handes of Philip kyng of the Macedonians, theirpestiferous enemie moste vile and subtell, the Orators of A-thens. This Philip forseyng the discorde of Grece, as he bysubtill meanes compassed his enterprices, promised by thefaithe of a Prince, to be at league with the Athenians, if so bethei would betake to his handes, the eloquente Oratours ofThe saiyngof Philippe.Athens, for as long saith he, as your Oratours are with youdeclaryng, so longe your heddes and counsaill are moued tovariaunce and dissencion, this voice ones seased emong you,Demosthe-nes.in tranquilitée you shalbee gouerned. Demosthenes beyngeloquente and wise, foresawe the daungers and the mischie-uous intent of him, wherevpon he framed a goodly Oracionvpon a Fable, whereby he altered their counsaile, and repul-sed the enemie. This fable is afterward set forth in an Ora-cion, after the order of these exercises, profitable toRhetorike.¶ A Fable.The groundof al learning[.]FIrste it is good that the learner doe vnderstandwhat is a fable, for in all matters of learnyng,it is the firste grounde, as Tullie doeth saie, toknowe what the thing is, that we may the bet-What is afable.ter perceiue whervpō we doe intreate. A fableis a forged tale, cōtaining in it by the colour of a lie, a matterMorall.of truthe. The moralle is called that, out of the whiche somegodlie precepte, or admonicion to vertue is giuen, to frameand instruct our maners. Now that we knowe what a fableis, it is good to learne also, how manifolde or diuers thei be,Three sortesof fables.i. A fable ofreason.I doe finde three maner of fables to be. The first of theim is,wherein a man being a creature of God indued with reason,is onely intreated of, as the Fable of the father and his chil-dren, he willing thē to concorde, and this is calledRationalisfabula, whiche is asmoche to saie, as a Fable of men induedii. Morall.with reason, or women. The second is called a morall fable,but I sée no cause whie it is so called, but rather as the otheris called a fable of reasonable creatures, so this is contrarilienamed a fable of beastes, or of other thinges wanting reasonor life, wanting reason as of the Ante and the Greshopper, orof this the beame caste doun, and the Frogges chosyng theiriii. Mixt.king. The thirde is a mixt Fable so called, bicause in it botheman hauyng reason, and a beaste wantyng reason, or any o-ther thing wanting life, is ioyned with it, as for the example,of the fable of the woodes and the housebandman, of whomPoetes in-uentours offables.Oratoursvse fables.he desired a helue for his hatchet. Aucthours doe write, thatPoetes firste inuented fables, the whiche Oratours also doevse in their perswasions, and not without greate cause, bothPoetes and Oratours doe applie theim to their vse. For, fa-Good doctrinin fables.Hesiodus.bles dooe conteine goodlie admonicion, vertuous preceptesof life. Hesiodus the Poete, intreatyng of the iniurious dea-lyng of Princes and gouernours, against their subiectes, ad-monished them by the fable of the Goshauke, and the Nigh-Ouide.tyngale in his clause. Ouid also the Poete intreated of di-uers fables, wherein he giueth admonicion, and godly coun-Demosthe-nes vsed fa-bles.saile. Demosthenes the famous Oratour of Athens, vsedthe fable of the Shepeherdes, and Wolues: how the Wol-ues on a tyme, instauntlie required of the Shepeherdes theirbande dogges, and then thei would haue peace and concordewith theim, the Shepeherdes gaue ouer their Dogges, theirDogges deliuered and murdered, the shepe were immediat-ly deuoured: So saieth he, if ye shall ones deliuer to Philip,the king of the Macedonians your Oratours, by whose lear-nyng, knowlege and wisedome, the whole bodie of your do-minions is saued, for thei as Bandogges, doe repell all mis-cheuous enterprises and chaunses, no doubte, but that raue-nyng Wolfe Philip, will eate and consume your people, bythis Fable he made an Oracion, he altered their counsailesand heddes of the Athenians, from so foolishe an enterprise.Also thesame Demosthenes, seyng the people careles, sloth-full, and lothsome to heare the Oratours, and all for the flo-rishing state of the kingdome: he ascended to the place or pul-pet, where the Oracions were made, and began with this fa-The fable ofDemosthe-nes, of theAsse and theshadowe.ble. Ye men of Athens, saied he, it happened on a tyme, thata certaine man hired an Asse, and did take his iourney fromAthens to Megara, as we would saie, frō London to Yorke,the owner also of the Asse, did associate hymself in his iour-ney, to brynge backe the Asse againe, in the voyage theweather was extreame burning hotte, and the waie tediousthe place also for barenes and sterilitée of trees, wanted sha-dowe in this long broyle of heate: he that satte one the Asse,lighted and tooke shadowe vnder the bellie of the Asse, andbecause the shadowe would not suffice bothe, the Asse beyngsmall, the owner saied, he muste haue the shadowe, becausethe Asse was his, I deny that saieth the other, the shadowe ismyne, because I hired the Asse, thus thei were at greate con-tencion, the fable beyng recited, Demosthenes descended frōhis place, the whole multitude were inquisitiue, to knoweThe conten-cion vpon theshadowe andthe Asse.the ende about the shadowe, Demosthenes notyng their fol-lie, ascended to his place, and saied, O ye foolishe Athenians,whiles I and other, gaue to you counsaill and admoniciō, ofgraue and profitable matters, your eares wer deafe, and yourmindes slombred, but now I tell of a small trifeling matter,you throng to heare the reste of me. By this Fable he nippedtheir follie, and trapped them manifestlie, in their owne dol-tishenes. Herevpon I doe somwhat long, make copie of wor-Fables wellapplied beesinguler.des, to shewe the singularitee of fables well applied. In thetyme of Kyng Richard the thirde, Doctour Mourton, beyngBishop of Elie, and prisoner in the Duke of Buckynghamshouse in Wales, was often tymes moued of the Duke, tospeake his minde frelie, if king Richard wer lawfully king,and said to him of his fidelitée, to kepe close and secret his sen-tence: but the Bishop beyng a godlie man, and no lesse wise,waied the greate frendship, whiche was sometyme betwenethe Duke & King Richard, aunswered in effect nothyng, butbeyng daily troubled with his mocions & instigacions, spakea fable of Esope: My lorde saied he, I will aunswere you, byThe fable ofthe Bisshopof Elie, to theduke of Buc-kyngham.a Fable of Esope. The Lion on a tyme gaue a commaunde-ment, that all horned beastes should flie from the woode, andnone to remain there but vnhorned beastes. The Hare hea-ring of this commaundement, departed with the horned bea-stes from the woodde: The wilie Foxe metyng the Hare, de-maunded the cause of his haste, forthwith the Hare aunswe-red, a commaundemente is come from the Lion, that all hor-ned beastes should bee exiled, vpon paine of death, from thewoode: why saied the Foxe, this commaundement touchethnot any sorte of beast as ye are, for thou haste no hornes butknubbes: yea, but said the Hare, what, if thei saie I haue hor-nes, that is an other matter, my lorde I saie no more: what hement, is euident to all men.In the time of king Hēry theight (a prince of famous me-morie) at what time as the small houses of religiō, wer giuenouer to the kinges hand, by the Parliament house: the bishopof Rochester, Doctour Fisher by name stepped forthe, beynggreued with the graunt, recited before them, a fable of Esopeto shewe what discommoditee would followe in the Clergie.The fable ofthe Bisshopof Rochester,againste thegraunt of theChauntries.My lordes and maisters saieth he, Esope recited a fable: howthat on a tyme, a housebande manne desired of the woodes, asmall helue for his hatchet, all the woodes consented theretowaiyng the graunt to be small, and the thyng lesse, therevpōthe woodes consented, in fine the housbande man cut dounea small peece of woodde to make a helue, he framyng a helueto the hatchette, without leaue and graunt, he cut doune themightie Okes and Cedars, and destroyed the whole woodd,then the woodes repented them to late. So saith he, the gift ofthese small houses, ar but a small graunt into the kinges hā-des: but this small graunt, will bee a waie and meane to pulldoune the greate mightie fatte Abbees, & so it happened. Butthere is repentaūce to late: & no profite ensued of the graunte.¶ An Oracion made by a fable, to the first exer-cise to declame by, the other, bee these,{A Fable, a Narracion.Chria,}{Sentence. Confutacion,}An Oracionmade by a{Confirmacion. Common place.}{The praise. The dispraise.}{The Comparison,Ethopeia.}{A Discripcion.Thesis, Legislatio}OF euery one of these, a goodlie Oraciō maie be madethese excercises are called of the GrekesProgimnas-mata, of the Latines, profitable introduccions, or foreexercises, to attain greater arte and knowlege inRhetorike,and bicause, for the easie capacitée and facilitée of the learner,to attain greater knowledge inRhetorike, thei are right pro-fitable and necessarie: Therefore I title this booke, to bee thefoundaciō ofRhetorike, the exercises beingProgimnasmata.I haue chosen out the fable of the Shepeherdes, and theWolues, vpon the whiche fable, Demosthenes made an elo-quente, copious, and wittie Oracion before the Athenians,whiche fable was so well applied, that the citée and commonwealth of Athens was saued.The firsteexercise.¶ A fable.These notes must be obserued, to make an Oracion by aFable.¶ Praise.1.Firste, ye shall recite the fable, as the aucthour telleth it.2.There in the seconde place, you shall praise the aucthourewho made the fable, whiche praise maie sone bee gotte of anystudious scholer, if he reade the aucthours life and actes ther-in, or the Godlie preceptes in his fables, shall giue abundantpraise.3.Then thirdlie place the morall, whiche is the interpreta-cion annexed to the Fable, for the fable was inuented for themoralles sake.4.Then orderlie in the fowerth place, declare the nature ofthynges, conteined in the Fable, either of man, fishe, foule,beaste, plante, trées, stones, or whatsoeuer it be. There is noman of witte so dulle, or of so grosse capacitée, but either byhis naturall witte, or by reading, or sences, he is hable to saiesomwhat in the nature of any thyng.5.In the fifte place, sette forthe the thynges, reasonyng onewith an other, as the Ant with the Greshopper, or the Cockewith the precious stone.6.Thē in the vj. place, make a similitude of the like matter.7.Then in the seuenth place, induce an exāple for thesamematter to bée proued by.8.Laste of all make theEpilogus, whiche is called the con-clusion, and herein marke the notes folowyng, how to makean Oracion thereby.¶ An Oracion made vpon the fable of theShepeherdes and the wolues.¶ The fable.THe Wolues on a tyme perswaded the Shepeher-des, that thei would ioyne amitée, and make aleague of concord and vnitee: the demaunde plea-sed the Shepeherdes, foorthwith the Wolues re-quested to haue custodie of the bande Dogges, because elsthei would be as thei are alwaies, an occasion to breake theirleague and peace, the Dogges beyng giuen ouer, thei wereone by one murthered, and then the Shepe were wearied.¶ The praise of the aucthour.THe posteritee of tymes and ages, muste needes praisethe wisedome and industrie, of all soche as haue leftein monumentes of writyng, thynges worthie fame,Inuentoursof al excellentartes and sci-ences, com-mended to theposteritee.what can bee more excellently set foorthe: or what deseruethchiefer fame and glorie, then the knowledge of artes and sci-ences, inuented by our learned, wise, and graue aūcestours:and so moche the more thei deserue honour, and perpetuallcommendacions, because thei haue been the firste aucthours,and beginners to soche excellencies. The posteritée praisethApelles.Parthesius.Polucletus.and setteth forth the wittie and ingenious workes of Apelles,Parthesius, and Polucletus, and all soche as haue artificial-ly set forth their excellent giftes of nature. But if their praisefor fame florishe perpetuallie, and increaseth for the wor-thines of theim, yet these thynges though moste excellent, areThe ende ofall artes, is togodlie life.inferiour to vertue: for the ende of artes and sciences, is ver-tue and godlines. Neither yet these thynges dissonaunt fromvertue, and not associate, are commendable onely for vertuessake: and to the ende of vertue, the wittes of our auncestourswere incensed to inuent these thynges. But herein Polucle-tus, Apelles, andPerthesiusmaie giue place, when greaterEsope wor-thie mochecommendaciō[.]vertues come in place, then this my aucthour Esope, for hisgodly preceptes, wise counsaill and admonicion, is chiefly tobée praised: For, our life maie learne all goodnes, all vertue,Philophie infables.of his preceptes. The Philosophers did neuer so liuely setteforthe and teache in their scholes and audience, what vertueRealmesmaie learneconcorde outof Esopesfables.and godlie life were, as Esope did in his Fables, Citees, andcommon wealthes, maie learne out of his fables, godlie con-corde and vnitee, by the whiche meanes, common wealthesflorisheth, and kingdoms are saued. Herein ample matter ri-seth to Princes, and gouernours, to rule their subiectes in allPreceptes toKynges andSubiectes.Preceptes toparentes andchildren.godlie lawes, in faithfull obedience: the subiectes also to loueand serue their prince, in al his affaires and busines. The fa-ther maie learne to bring vp, and instructe his childe thereby.The child also to loue and obeie his parentes. The huge andmonsterous vices, are by his vertuous doctrine defaced andextirpated: his Fables in effect contain the mightie volumesand bookes of all Philosophers, in morall preceptes, & the in-The contentof al Lawes.finite monumētes of lawes stablished. If I should not speakeof his commendacion, the fruictes of his vertue would shewehis commendacions: but that praise surmounteth all fame ofA true praisecommēded byfame it self.glory, that commendeth by fame itself, the fruictes of famein this one Fable, riseth to my aucthour, whiche he wrote ofthe Shepeherd, and the Wolues.¶ The Morall.WHerein Esope wittely admonisheth all menne to be-ware and take heede, of cloked and fained frendship,of the wicked and vngodlie, whiche vnder a pretenceand offer of frendship or of benefite, seeke the ruin, dammage,miserie or destruccion of man, toune, citée, region, or countree.¶ The nature of the thyng.OF all beastes to the quantitée of his bodie, theThe Woluemoste raue-ning & cruell.Wolue passeth in crueltee and desire of bloode,alwaies vnsaciable of deuouryng, neuer conten-ted with his pray. The Wolfe deuoureth and ea-teth of his praie all in feare, and therefore oftentymes he ca-steth his looke, to be safe from perill and daunger. And hereinhis nature is straunge frō all beastes: the iyes of the Wolfe,tourned from his praie immediatlie, the praie prostrate vnderThe Woluesof all beastes,moste obliui-ous.his foote is forgotten, and forthwith he seeketh a newe praie,so greate obliuion and debilitée of memorie, is giuen to thatbeaste, who chieflie seketh to deuoure his praie by night. TheThe Wolueinferiour tothe bandogge[.]Wolues are moche inferior to the banddogges in strength, bi-cause nature hath framed thē in the hinder parts, moche moreweaker, and as it were maimed, and therefore the bandoggedooeth ouermatche theim, and ouercome them in fight. TheWolues are not all so mightie of bodie as the Bandogges,of diuers colours, of fight more sharpe, of lesse heddes: but inThe Doggepasseth allcreatures insmellyng.smellyng, the nature of a Dogge passeth all beastes andcreatures, whiche the historie of Plinie dooe shewe, and Ari-stotle in his booke of the historie of beastes, therein you shallknowe their excellente nature. The housholde wanteth notfaithfull and trustie watche nor resistaunce, in the cause of thePlinie.maister, the Bandogge not wantyng. Plinie sheweth out ofhis historie, how Bandogges haue saued their Maister, bytheir resistaunce. The Dogge of all beastes sheweth mosteloue, and neuer leaueth his maister: the worthines of the bā-dogge is soche, that by the lawe in a certaine case, he is coun-ted accessarie of Felonie, who stealeth a Bandogge from hismaister, a robberie immediatly folowing in thesame family.The worthi-nes of Shepe[.]As concernyng the Shepe, for their profite and wealthe,that riseth of theim, are for worthines, waiyng their smallequantitie of bodie, aboue all beastes. Their fleshe nourishethpurely, beyng swete and pleasaunt: their skinne also seruethThe wolle ofShepe, richeand commo-dious.to diuers vses, their Wolles in so large and ample maner,commmodious, seruyng all partes of common wealthes. Nostate or degrée of persone is, but that thei maie goe cladde andadorned with their wolles. So GOD in his creatures, hathMan a chiefcreature.created and made man, beyng a chief creatour, and moste ex-cellent of all other, all thinges to serue him: and therefore theStoike Phi-losophers.Stoicke Philosophers doe herein shewe thexcellencie of manto be greate, when all thinges vpon the yearth, and from theyearth, doe serue the vse of man, yet emong men there is a di-uersitee of states, and a difference of persones, in office and cō-The office ofthe shepeher-des, are pro-fitable andnecessarie.dicion of life. As concernyng the Shepherde, he is in his stateand condicion of life, thoughe meane, he is a righte profi-table and necessarie member, to serue all states in the commōwealthe, not onely to his maister whom he serueth: for by hisdiligence, and warie keping of thē, not onely from rauenyngbeastes, but otherwise he is a right profitable member, to allWealth, pro-fit, and richesriseth of theWolles ofShepe.partes of the common wealth. For, dailie wée féele the cōmo-ditie, wealth and riches, that riseth of theim, but the losse wéeféele not, except flockes perishe. In the body of man God hathcreated & made diuerse partes, to make vp a whole and abso-lute man, whiche partes in office, qualitée and worthinesse,are moche differing. The bodie of man it self, for the excellentworkemanship of God therein, & meruailous giftes of natureMan calledof the Philo-sophers, a lit-tle worlde.and vertues, lodged and bestowed in thesame bodie, is calledof the PhilosophersMicrocosmos, a little worlde. The bodyof man in all partes at cōcord, euery part executing his func-cion & office, florisheth, and in strength prospereth, otherwiseThe bodie ofman withoutconcord of thepartes, peri-sheth.The commonwealthe liketo the bodieof manne.Menenius.thesame bodie in partes disseuered, is feeble and weake, andthereby falleth to ruin, and perisheth. The singuler Fable ofEsope, of the belie and handes, manifestlie sheweth thesameand herein a florishing kingdom or common wealth, is com-pared to the body, euery part vsing his pure vertue, strēgth &operacion. Menenius Agrippa, at what time as theRomai-were at diuision against the Senate, he vsed the Fable of E-sope, wherewith thei were perswaded to a concorde, and vni-The basesteparte of thebodie mostenecessarie.tée. The vilest parte of the bodie, and baseste is so necessarie,that the whole bodie faileth and perisheth, thesame wantyngalthough nature remoueth them from our sight, and shamefastnes also hideth theim: take awaie the moste vilest parte ofthe bodie, either in substaunce, in operacion or function, andforthwith the principall faileth. So likewise in a kyngdome,or common wealth, the moste meane and basest state of mantaken awaie, the more principall thereby ceaseth: So God toThe amiableparte of thebody doe con-siste, by thebaseste andmoste defor-meste.a mutuall concorde, frendship, and perpetuall societie of life,hath framed his creatures, that the moste principall faileth,it not vnited with partes more base and inferiour, so mochethe might and force of thynges excellente, doe consiste by themoste inferiour, other partes of the bodie more amiable andpleasaunt to sight, doe remain by the force, vse and integritéeof the simpliest. The Prince and chief peres doe decaie, and althe whole multitude dooe perishe: the baseste kinde of menneThe Shepe-herdes statenecessarie.wantyng. Remoue the Shepeherdes state, what good follo-weth, yea, what lacke and famine increaseth not: to all statesThe state ofthe husbandemanne, mostenecessarie.the belie ill fedde, our backes worse clad. The toilyng house-bandman is so necessarie, that his office ceasyng vniuersalliethe whole bodie perisheth, where eche laboureth to furtherand aide one an other, this a common wealth, there is pro-sperous state of life. The wisest Prince, the richest, the migh-tiest and mostevalianntes, had nede alwaies of the foolishe,the weake, the base and simplest, to vpholde his kingdomes,not onely in the affaires of his kyngdomes, but in his dome-sticall thinges, for prouisiō of victuall, as bread, drinke, meat[,]clothyng, and in all soche other thynges. Therefore, no officeor state of life, be it neuer so méete, seruyng in any part of theNo meanestate, to becontempned.common wealthe, muste bée contemned, mocked, or skornedat, for thei are so necessarie, that the whole frame of the com-mon wealth faileth without theim: some are for their wickedbehauiour so detestable, that a common wealthe muste séekeRotten mem[-]bers of the cō[-]mon wealth.meanes to deface and extirpate theim as wéedes, and rottenmembers of the bodie. These are thefes, murtherers, and ad-ulterers, and many other mischiuous persones. These godlyLawes, vpright and sincere Magistrates, will extirpate andcutte of, soche thecommo wealthlacketh not, but rather ab-horreth as an infectiue plague and Pestilence, who in thendethrough their owne wickednesse, are brought to mischief.Plato.Read Plato in his booke, intiteled of the common wealthwho sheweth the state of the Prince, and whole Realme, tostande and consiste by the vnitee of partes, all states of the cō-A commonwealth doeconsiste byvnitie of allstates.mon wealth, in office diuers, for dignitée and worthines, bea-ring not equalitée in one consociatée and knit, doe raise a per-fite frame, and bodie of kingdome or common wealthe.Aristotle.What is a cō-mon wealth.Aristotle the Philosopher doeth saie, that a cōmon welthis a multitude gathered together in one Citée, or Region, instate and condicion of life differing, poore and riche, high andlow, wise and foolishe, in inequalitee of minde and bodies dif-feryng, for els it can not bée a common wealthe. There mustbe nobles and peres, kyng and subiect: a multitude inferiourand more populous, in office, maners, worthines alteryng.A liuely exā-ple of commōwealthe.Manne needeth no better example, or paterne of a commonwealthe, to frame hymself, to serue in his state and callyng,then to ponder his owne bodie. There is but one hedde, andmany partes, handes, feete, fingers, toes, ioyntes, veines, si-newes, belie, and so forthe: and so likewise in a cōmon welththere muste be a diuersitee of states.¶ The reasonyng of the thyngesconteined in this Fable.THus might the Wolues reason with them sel-ues, of their Embassage: The Wolues dailiemolested and wearied, with the fearce ragyngMasties, and ouercome in fight, of their powerand might: one emong the reste, more politikeand wise then the other, called an assemble and counsaill ofThe counsailof Wolues.Wolues, and thus he beganne his oracion. My felowes andcompaignions, sithe nature hath from the beginnyng, madevs vnsaciable, cruell, liuyng alwaies by praies murthered,and bloodie spoiles, yet enemies wée haue, that séeke to kepevnder, and tame our Woluishe natures, by greate mightieBandogges, and Shepeherdes Curres. But nature at thefirste, did so depely frame and set this his peruerse, cruell, andbloodie moulde in vs, that will thei, nill thei, our nature wilbruste out, and run to his owne course. I muse moche, wai-yng the line of our firste progenitour, from whence we camefirste: for of a man wee came, yet men as a pestiferous poisondoe exile vs, and abandon vs, and by Dogges and other sub-Lycaon.till meanes doe dailie destroie vs. Lycaon, as the Poetes doefaine, excedyng in all crueltées and murthers horrible, by themurther of straungers, that had accesse to his land: for he wasking and gouernor ouer the Molossians, and in this we maieworthilie glorie of our firste blood and long auncientrée, thatThe firsteprogenie ofWolues.he was not onelie a man, but a kyng, a chief pere and gouer-nour: by his chaunge and transubstanciacion of bodie, wéeloste by him the honour and dignitee due to him, but his ver-tues wée kepe, and daily practise to followe them. The fameThe inuen-cion of thePoet Ouideto compare awicked man,to a Wolue.of Lycaons horrible life, ascended before Iupiter, Iupiter themightie God, moued with so horrible a facte, left his heauen-lie palace, came doune like an other mortall man, and passeddoune by the high mountaine Minalus, by twilighte, andso to Licaons house, our firste auncestoure, to proue, if thisLycaon.thing was true. Lycaon receiued this straunger, as it semeddoubtyng whether he were a God, or a manne, forthwith hefeasted him with mannes fleshe baked, Iupiter as he can doeLycaon chaū-ged into aWolue.what he will, brought a ruine on his house, and transubstan-ciated hym, into this our shape & figure, wherein we are, andso sens that time, Wolues were firste generated, and that ofmanne, by the chaunge of Lycaon, although our shape ischaunged from the figure of other men, and men knowethWolue.Manne.vs not well, yet thesame maners that made Wolues, remai-neth vntill this daie, and perpetuallie in men: for thei robbe,thei steale, and liue by iniurious catching, we also robbe, al-so wée steale, and catche to our praie, what wee maie withmurther come to. Thei murther, and wee also murther, andso in all poinctes like vnto wicked menne, doe we imitate thelike fashion of life, and rather thei in shape of men, are Wol-ues, and wee in the shape of Wolues menne: Of all thesethynges hauyng consideracion, I haue inuented a pollicie,whereby we maie woorke a slauter, and perpetuall ruine onthe Shepe, by the murther of the Bandogges. And so wéeshall haue free accesse to our bloodie praie, thus we will doe,wee will sende a Embassage to the Shepeherdes for peace,The counsailof Wolues.saiyng, that wee minde to ceasse of all bloodie spoile, so thatthei will giue ouer to vs, the custodie of the Bandogges, forotherwise the Embassage sent, is in vaine: for their Doggesbeing in our handes, and murthered one by one, the daungerand enemie taken awaie, we maie the better obtain and en-ioye our bloodie life. This counsaill pleased well the assem-ble of the Wolues, and the pollicie moche liked theim, andwith one voice thei houled thus, thus. Immediatlie cōmuni-cacion was had with the Shepeherdes of peace, and of the gi-uyng ouer of their Bandogges, this offer pleased theim, theicōcluded the peace, and gaue ouer their Bandogges, as pled-ges of thesame. The dogges one by one murthered, thei dis-solued the peace, and wearied the Shepe, then the Shepeher-des repented them of their rashe graunt, and foly committed:The counsailof wicked mēto mischief.So of like sorte it alwaies chaunceth, tyrauntes and bloodiemenne, dooe seke alwaies a meane, and practise pollicies todestroye all soche as are godlie affected, and by wisedome andgodlie life, doe seke to subuerte and destroie, the mischeuousThe cogita-cions of wic-ked men, andtheir kyngdōbloodie.enterprise of the wicked. For, by crueltie their Woluishe na-tures are knowen, their glorie, strength, kyngdome and re-nowne, cometh of blood, of murthers, and beastlie dealyngesand by might so violent, it continueth not: for by violence andblooddie dealyng, their kyngdome at the last falleth by bloodand bloodilie perisheth. The noble, wise, graue, and goodliecounsailes, are with all fidelitée, humblenes and sincere har-The state ofcounsailoursworthie chiefhonour andveneracion.tes to be obeied, in worthines of their state and wisedome, tobe embraced in chief honour and veneracion to bee taken, bywhose industrie, knowledge and experience, the whole bodieof the common wealth and kyngdome, is supported and sa-ued. The state of euery one vniuersallie would come to par-dicion, if the inuasion of foraine Princes, by the wisedom andpollicie of counsailers, were not repelled. The horrible actesof wicked men would burste out, and a confusion ensue in alstates, if the wisedom of politike gouernors, if good lawes ifthe power and sword of the magistrate, coulduottake place.The peres and nobles, with the chief gouernour, standeth asPlato.Shepherds ouer the people: for so Plato alledgeth that namewell and properlie giuen, to Princes and Gouernours, theHomere.which Homere the Poete attributeth, to Agamemnon kingof Grece: to Menelaus, Ulisses, Nestor, Achillas, Diomedes,The Shepe-herdes namegiuē to the of-fice of kyngs.Aiax, and al other. For, bothe the name and care of that stateof office, can be titeled by no better name in all pointes, for di-ligent kepyng, for aide, succoryng, and with all equitie tem-peryng the multitude: thei are as Shepeherdes els the seliepoore multitude, would by an oppression of pestiferous men.The commonaltee or base multitude, liueth more quietlieThe stateorgood counsai-lers, trou-blous.then the state of soche as daily seke, to vpholde and maintainethe common wealthe, by counsaill and politike deliberacion,how troublous hath their state alwaies been: how vnquietefrom time to time, whose heddes in verie deede, doeth seke fora publike wealth. Therefore, though their honor bée greater,and state aboue the reste, yet what care, what pensiuenesse ofminde are thei driuen vnto, on whose heddes aucthoritée andregiment, the sauegard of innumerable people doeth depend.A comparisonfrom a lesse,to a greater.If in our domesticall businesse, of matters pertainyng to ourhousholde, euery man by nature, for hym and his, is pensiue,moche more in so vaste, and infinite a bodie of cōmon wealth,greater must the care be, and more daungerous deliberacion.We desire peace, we reioyce of a tranquilitée, and quietnesseto ensue, we wishe, to consist in a hauen of securitée: our hou-ses not to be spoiled, our wiues and children, not to bee mur-The worthiestate of Prin-ces and coun-sailours.thered. This the Prince and counsailours, by wisedome fore-sée, to kéepe of, all these calamitées, daungers, miseries, thewhole multitude, and bodie of the Common wealthe, iswithout them maimed, weake and feable, a readie confusionto the enemie. Therefore, the state of peeres and nobles, iswith all humilitée to be obaied, serued and honored, not with-out greate cause, the Athenians were drawen backe, by thewisedome of Demosthenes, when thei sawe thē selues a slau-ter and praie, to the enemie.¶ Acomparsonof thynges.WHat can bée more rashly and foolishly doen, then theShepeherdes, to giue ouer their Dogges, by whosemight and strength, the Shepe were saued: on the o-ther side, what can be more subtlie doen and craftely, then theWolues, vnder a colour of frendship and amitee, to séeke theThe amitieof wickedmenne.blood of the shepe, as all pestiferous men, vnder a fained pro-fer of amitée, profered to seeke their owne profite, commoditeeand wealthe, though it be with ruine, calamitie, miserie, de-struccion of one, or many, toune, or citée, region and countree,whiche sort of men, are moste detestable and execrable.¶ The contrarie.AS to moche simplicitie & lacke of discrecion, is a fur-theraunce to perill and daunger: so oftētimes, he ta-To beleuelightly, afur-theraunce toperill.steth of smarte and woe, who lightly beleueth: so con-trariwise, disimulaciō in mischeuous practises begon w[ith] frēd-ly wordes, in the conclusion doeth frame & ende pernisiouslie.¶ TheEpilogus.THerefore fained offers of frendship, are to bee takenheede of, and the acte of euery man to bee examined,proued, and tried, for true frendship is a rare thyng,when as Tullie doth saie: in many ages there are fewe cou-ples of friendes to be found, Aristotle also cōcludeth thesame.¶ The Fable of the Ante, and Greshopper.¶ The praise of the aucthour.The praise ofEsope.ESope who wrote these Fables, hath chief fame of alllearned aucthours, for his Philosophie, and giuyngwisedome in preceptes: his Fables dooe shewe vntoall states moste wholsome doctrine of vertuous life. He who-ly extolleth vertue, and depresseth vice: he correcteth all statesand setteth out preceptes to amende them. Although he wasdeformed and ill shaped, yet Nature wrought in hym sochevertue, that he was in minde moste beautifull: and seing thatthe giftes of the body, are not equall in dignitie, with the ver-tue of the mynde, then in that Esope chiefly excelled, ha-uyng the moste excellente vertue of the minde. The wisedomCresus.and witte of Esope semed singuler: for at what tyme as Cre-sus, the kyng of the Lidians, made warre against the Sami-ans, he with his wisedome and pollicie, so pacified the mindeof Cresus, that all warre ceased, and the daunger of the coun-Samians.tree was taken awaie, the Samiās deliuered of this destruc-cion and warre, receiued Esope at his retourne with manyhonours. After that Esope departyng from the Isle Samus,wandered to straunge regions, at the laste his wisedome be-Licerus.yng knowen: Licerus the kyng of that countrée, had hym insoche reuerence and honor, that he caused an Image of goldto be set vp in the honour of Esope. After that, he wanderyngDelphos.ouer Grece, to the citée of Delphos, of whom he beyng mur-thered, a greate plague and Pestilence fell vpon the citee, thatreuenged his death: As in all his Fables, he is moche to beecommended, so in this Fable he is moche to be praised, whichhe wrote of the Ante and the Greshopper.¶ The Fable.IN a hotte Sommer, the Grashoppers gaue them sel-ues to pleasaunt melodie, whose Musicke and melo-die, was harde from the pleasaunt Busshes: but theAnte in all this pleasaunt tyme, laboured with pain and tra-uaile, she scraped her liuyng, and with fore witte and wise-Winter.dome, preuented the barande and scarce tyme of Winter: forwhen Winter time aprocheth, the ground ceasseth frō fruict,The Ante.then the Ante by his labour, doeth take the fruicte & enioyethit: but hunger and miserie fell vpon the Greshoppers, who inthe pleasaunt tyme of Sommer, when fruictes wereaboun-dauute, ceassed by labour to put of necessitée, with the whichethe long colde and stormie tyme, killed them vp, wantyng alsustinaunce.¶ The Morall.HEre in example, all menne maie take to frame theirowne life, and also to bryng vp in godlie educaciontheir children: that while age is tender and young,thei maie learne by example of the Ante, to prouide in theirgrene and lustie youth, some meane of art and science, wher-by thei maie staie their age and necessitée of life, al soche as doflie labour, and paine in youth, and seeke no waie of Arte andscience, in age thei shall fall in extreme miserie and pouertée.¶ The nature of the thyng.NOt without a cause, the Philosophers searchyng thenature and qualitee of euery beaste, dooe moche com-The Ante.mende the Ante, for prouidence and diligence, in thatnotoneieby nature thei excell in forewisedome to thē selues,Manne.but also thei be a example, and mirrour to all menne, in thatthei iustlie followe the instincte of Nature: and moche more,where as men indued with reason, and all singulare vertuesand excellent qualitées of the minde and body. Yet thei doe somoche leaue reason, vertue, & integritée of minde, as that theihad been framed without reason, indued with no vertue, noradorned with any excellent qualitée. All creatures as naturehath wrought in them, doe applie them selues to followe na-ture their guide: the Ante is alwaies diligent in his busines,and prouident, and also fore séeth in Sommer, the sharpe sea-son of Winter: thei keepe order, and haue a kyng and a com-mon wealthe as it were, as nature hath taught them. And sohaue all other creatures, as nature hath wrought in thē theirgiftes, man onelie leaueth reason, and neclecteth the chief or-namentes of the minde: and beyng as a God aboue all crea-tures, dooeth leese the excellent giftes. A beaste will not takeexcesse in feedyng, but man often tymes is without reason,and hauyng a pure mynde and soule giuen of God, and a faceto beholde the heauens, yet he doeth abase hymself to yearth-Greshopper.lie thynges, as concernyng the Greshopper: as the Philoso-phers doe saie, is made altogether of dewe, and sone perisheth[.]The Greshopper maie well resemble, slothfull and sluggishepersones, who seke onely after a present pleasure, hauyng nofore witte and wisedom, to foresée tymes and ceasons: for it isA poincte ofwisedome.the poinct of wisedō, to iudge thinges present, by thinges pastand to take a cōiecture of thinges to come, by thinges present.¶ The reasonyng of the twoo thynges.THus might the Ante reason with her self, althoughethe seasons of the yere doe seme now very hotte, plea-A wise cogi-tacion.saunt and fruictfull: yet so I do not trust time, as thatlike pleasure should alwaies remaine, or that fruictes shouldalwaies of like sorte abounde. Nature moueth me to worke,and wisedome herein sheweth me to prouide: for what hur-teth plentie, or aboundaunce of store, though greate plentiecommeth thereon, for better it is to bee oppressed with plen-tie, and aboundaunce, then to bee vexed with lacke. For, towhom wealthe and plentie riseth, at their handes many beereleued, and helped, all soche as bee oppressed with necessi-tie and miserie, beyng caste from all helpe, reason and proui-dence maimed in theim: All arte and Science, and meane oflife cutte of, to enlarge and maintain better state of life, theirPouertie.miserie, necessitie, and pouertie, shall continuallie encrease,who hopeth at other mennes handes, to craue relief, is decei-ued. Pouertie is so odious a thing, in al places & states reiectedfor where lacke is, therefanour, frendship, and acquaintanceWisedome.decreaseth, as in all states it is wisedome: so with my self Iwaie discritlie, to take tyme while tyme is, for this tyme as aHousebandemenne.floure will sone fade awaie. The housebande manne, hath henot times diuers, to encrease his wealth, and to fill his barne,at one tyme and ceason: the housebande man doeth not botheplante, plowe, and gather the fruicte of his labour, but in onetyme and season he ploweth, an other tyme serueth to sowe,and the laste to gather the fruictes of his labour. So then, Imust forsee time and seasons, wherin I maie be able to beareof necessitie: for foolishly he hopeth, who of no wealth and noabundaunt store, trusteth to maintain his own state. For, no-Frendship.thyng soner faileth, then frendship, and the soner it faileth, asHomere.fortune is impouerished. Seyng that, as Homere doeth saie,a slothfull man, giuen to no arte or science, to helpe hymself,or an other, is an vnprofitable burdein to the yearth, and Goddooeth sore plague, punishe, and ouerthrowe Citees, kyng-domes, and common wealthes, grounded in soche vices: thatthe wisedome of man maie well iudge, hym to be vnworthieof all helpe, and sustinaunce. He is worse then a beast, that isnot able to liue to hymself & other: no man is of witte so vn-Nature.descrite, or of nature so dulle, but that in hym, nature alwa-yes coueteth some enterprise, or worke to frame relife, or helpThe cause ofour bearth.to hymself, for all wée are not borne, onelie to our selues, butmany waies to be profitable, as to our owne countrie, and allpartes thereof. Especiallie to soche as by sickenes, or infirmi-tie of bodie are oppressed, that arte and Science can not takeplace to help thē. Soche as do folowe the life of the Greshop-per, are worthie of their miserie, who haue no witte to foreséeseasons and tymes, but doe suffer tyme vndescretly to passe,Ianus.whiche fadeth as a floure, thold Romaines do picture Ianuswith two faces, a face behind, & an other before, which resem-ble a wiseman, who alwaies ought to knowe thinges paste,thynges presente, and also to be experte, by the experience ofmany ages and tymes, and knowledge of thynges to come.¶ The comparison betwenethe twoo thynges.WHat can be more descritlie doen, then the Ante to beso prouident and politike: as that all daunger of life,& necessitie is excluded, the stormie times of Winterceaseth of might, & honger battereth not his walles, hauyngProuidence.soche plentie of foode, for vnlooked bitter stormes and seasons,happeneth in life, whiche when thei happen, neither wisedōnor pollicie, is not able to kepe backe. Wisedome therefore,it is so to stande, that these thynges hurte not, the miserableende of the Greshopper sheweth vnto vs, whiche maie be anexample to all menne, of what degree, so euer thei bee, to flieslothe and idelnesse, to be wise and discrite.¶ Of contraries.Diligence.AS diligence, prouidence, and discrete life is a singu-lare gift, whiche increaseth all vertues, a pillar, staieand a foundacion of all artes and science, of commonwealthes, and kyngdomes. So contrarily sloth and sluggish-nesse, in all states and causes, defaseth, destroyeth, and pul-leth doune all vertue, all science and godlines. For, by it, themightie kyngdome of the Lidiās, was destroied, as it semethIdelnes.no small vice, when the Lawes of Draco, dooe punishe withdeath idelnesse.¶ The ende.The Ante.THerefore, the diligence of the Ante in this Fable,not onelie is moche to be commended, but also herexample is to bee followed in life. Therefore, thewiseman doeth admonishe vs, to go vnto the Antand learne prouidence: and also by the Greshopper, lette vslearne to auoide idelnes, leste the like miserie and calamitiefall vpon vs.¶ Narratio.THis place followyng, is placed of Tullie, after theexordium or beginnyng of Oracion, as the secondeparte: whiche parte ofRhetorike, is as it were thelight of all the Oracion folowing: conteining the cause, mat-ter, persone, tyme, with all breuitie, bothe of wordes, and in-uencion of matter.¶ A Narracion.ANarracion is an exposicion, or declaracion of anythyng dooen in deede, or els a settyng forthe, for-ged of any thyng, but so declaimed and declared,as though it were doen.A narracion is of three sortes, either it is a narracion hi-storicall, of any thyng contained, in any aunciente storie, ortrue Chronicle.Or Poeticall, whiche is a exposicion fained, set forthe byinuencion of Poetes, or other.Or ciuill, otherwise called Iudiciall, whiche is a matterof controuersie in iudgement, to be dooen, or not dooen wellor euill.In euery Narracion, ye must obserue sixe notes.1. Firste, the persone, or doer of the thing, whereof you intreate.2. The facte doen.3. The place wherein it was doen.4. The tyme in the whiche it was doen.5. The maner must be shewed, how it was doen.6. The cause wherevpon it was doen.There be in this Narracion, iiij. other properties belōging[.]1. First, it must be plain and euident to the hearer, not obscure,2. short and in as fewe wordes as it maie be, for soche amatter.3. Probable, as not vnlike to be true.4. In wordes fine and elegante.¶ A narracion historicall, vpon Semiramis Queene of Babilonhow and after what sort she obtained the gouernment thereof.Tyme.Persone.AFter the death of Ninus, somtime kyng of Ba-bilon, his soonne Ninus also by name, was leftto succede hym, in all the Assirian Monarchie,Semiramis wife to Ninus the firste, feared thetender age of her sonne, wherupon she thoughtThe cause.The facte.that those mightie nacions and kyngdomes, would not obaieso young and weake a Prince. Wherfore, she kept her sonnefrom the gouernmente: and moste of all she feared, that theiThe waiehow.would not obaie a woman, forthwith she fained her self, to bethe soonne of Ninus, and bicause she would not be knowento bee a woman, this Quene inuented a newe kinde of tire,the whiche all the Babilonians that were men, vsed by hercommaundement. By this straunge disguised tire and appa-rell, she not knowen to bee a woman, ruled as a man, for theThe facte.The place.space of twoo and fourtie yeres: she did marueilous actes, forshe enlarged the mightie kyngdome of Babilon, and buildedthesame citée. Many other regions subdued, and valiauntlieouerthrowen, she entered India, to the whiche neuer Princecame, sauing Alexander the greate: she passed not onely menin vertue, counsaill, and valiaunt stomacke, but also the fa-mous counsailours of Assiria, might not contende with herin Maiestie, pollicie, and roialnes. For, at what tyme as theiknewe her a woman, thei enuied not her state, but maruei-led at her wisedome, pollicie, and moderacion of life, at thelaste she desiryng the vnnaturall lust, and loue of her soonneNinus, was murthered of hym.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE
¶To the right honorable and my singuler good Lorde,my Lorde Robert Dudley, Maister of theQueenes Maiesties horse, one of her highes pri-uie Counsaile, and knight of the moste honou-rable order of the Garter: Richard Rai-nolde wisheth longe life, withincrease of honour.
ARISTOTLEthe famous Phi-losopher, writing a boke to kingAlexāder, the great and migh-tie conquerour, began the Epi-stle of his Booke in these woor-des. Twoo thynges moued mechieflie, O King, to betake to thy Maiesties handes,this worke of my trauile and labour, thy nobilitie andvertue, of the whiche thy nobilitie encouraged me, thygreate and singuler vertue, indued with all humanitie,forced and draue me thereto. The same twoo in yourgood Lordshippe, Nobilitie and Vertue, as twoo migh-tie Pillers staied me, in this bolde enterprise, to makeyour good Lordshippe, beyng a Pere of honour, induedwith all nobilitie and vertue: a patrone and possessoureof this my booke. In the whiche although copious andaboundaunte eloquence wanteth, to adorne and beau-tifie thesame, yet I doubte not for the profite, that is inthis my trauaile conteined, your honour indued withall singuler humanitie, will vouchsaufe to accepte mywillyng harte, my profitable purpose herein. Many fa-mous menne and greate learned, haue in the Greketongue and otherwise trauailed, to profite all tymestheir countrie and common wealthe. This also was myende and purpose, to plante a worke profitable to all ty-mes, my countrie and common wealthe.
And because your Lordshippe studieth all singula-ritie to vertue, and wholie is incensed thereto: I hauecompiled this woorke, and dedicated it to your Lorde-shippe, as vnto whō moste noble and vertuous. Wher-in are set forthe soche Oracions, as are right profitableto bee redde, for knowledge also necessarie. The duetieof a subiecte, the worthie state of nobilitie, the prehe-minent dignitie and Maiestie of a Prince, the office ofcounsailours, worthie chiefe veneracion, the office of aIudge or Magestrate are here set foorthe. In moste for-tunate state is the kyngdome and Common wealthe,where the Nobles and Peres, not onelie daiely doe stu-die to vertue, for that is the wisedome, that all thegraue and wise Philophers searched to attaine to. Forthe ende of all artes and sciences, and of all noble actesand enterprises is vertue, but also to fauour and vpholdthe studentes of learnyng, whiche also is a greate ver-tue. Whoso is adorned with nobilitie and vertue, ofnecessitie nobilitie and vertue, will moue and allure thēto fauour and support vertue in any other, yea, as Tul-lie the moste famous Oratour dooeth saie, euen to louethose whō we neuer sawe, but by good fame and brutebeutified to vs. For the encrease of vertue, Goddooeth nobilitate with honour worthiemenne, to be aboue other in dignitieand state, thereupon vertuedoeth encrease yourLordshippshonor,beyng a louer of vertueand worthie no-bilitie.
Your lordshippes humble ser-uaunt Richard Rainolde.
To the Reader.
APHTHONIVSa famous man, wrotein Greke of soche declamacions, to en-structe the studentes thereof, with all fa-cilitée to grounde in them, a moste plenti-ous and riche vein of eloquence. No manis able to inuente a more profitable waieand order, to instructe any one in the ex-quisite and absolute perfeccion, of wisedome and eloquence,thenAphthonius QuintilianusandHermogenes. Tullie al-so as a moste excellente Orator, in the like sorte trauailed,whose Eloquence and vertue all tymes extolled, and the of-spryng of all ages worthilie aduaunceth. And because as yetthe verie grounde of Rhetorike, is not heretofore intreatedof, as concernyng these exercises, though in fewe yeres past,a learned woorke of Rhetorike is compiled and made in theEnglishe toungue, of one, who floweth in all excellencie ofarte, who in iudgement is profounde, in wisedome and elo-quence moste famous. In these therefore my diligence is em-ploied, to profite many, although not with like Eloquence,beutified and adorned, as the matter requireth. I haue cho-sen out in these Oracions soche questions, as are right ne-cessarie to be knowen and redde of all those, whose cogitaciōpondereth vertue and Godlines. I doubte not, but seyng mytrauaile toucheth vertuous preceptes, and vttereth to light,many famous Histories, the order of arte obserued also, butthat herein the matter it self, shall defende my purpose aga-inste the enuious, whiche seketh to depraue any good enter-prise, begon of any one persone. The enuious mannethough learned, readeth to depraue that, which hereadeth, the ignoraunt is no worthie Iudge,the learned and godlie pondereth vp-rightly & sincerely, that whichhe iudgeth, the order ofthese Oracionsfolloweth afterward, andthe names of thē.
¶The contentes ofthis Booke.
ANOracionmade, vpon the Fable of the Shepher-des and the Wolues, the Wolues requestyng theBandogges: wherein is set forthe the state of eue-ry subiecte, the dignitie of a Prince, the honoura-ble office of counsailours.
AnOracionvpon the Fable of the Ante and the Gres-hopper, teachyng prouidence.
AnOracionHistoricall, howe Semiramis came to beeQuéene of Babilon.
AnOracionHistoricall, vpon Kyng Richard the thirdesometyme Duke of Glocester.
AnOracionHistoricall, of the commyng of Iulius Ce-ser into Englande.
AnOracionCiuill or Iudiciall, vpon Themistocles, ofthe walle buildyng at Athenes.
AnOracionPoeticall vpon a redde Rose.
A profitableOracion, shewyng the decaie of kingdomesand nobilitie.
AnOracionvpon a Sentence, preferryng a Monarchie,conteinyng all other states of common wealthe.
Theconfutacionof the battaile of Troie.
Aconfirmacionof the noble facte of Zopyrus.
AnOracioncalled a Common place against Theues.
Thepraiseof Epaminundas Duke of Thebes, whereinthe grounde of nobilitée is placed.
Thedispraiseof Domicius Nero Emperour of Roome.
Acomparisonbetwene Demosthenes and Tullie.
A lamentableOracionof Hecuba Queene of Troie.
Adescripcionvpon Xerxes kyng of Persia.
AnOracioncalledThesis, as concerning the goodly stateof Mariage.
AnOracionconfutyng a certaine lawe of Solon.
The foundacion ofRhetorike.
NAture hath indued euery man, witha certain eloquence, and also subtili-Rhetorikeand Logikegiuen of na-ture.tée to reason and discusse, of any que-stion or proposicion propounded, asAristotlethe Philosopher, in hisBooke ofRhetorikedooeth shewe.These giftes of nature, singuler doeflowe and abounde in vs, accordyngto the greate and ample indumenteand plentuousnes of witte and wisedome, lodged in vs, there-fore Nature it self beyng well framed, and afterward by arteArte furthe-reth nature.and order of science, instructed and adorned, must be singular-lie furthered, helped, and aided to all excellencie, to exquisiteLogike.inuencion, and profounde knowledge, bothe inLogikeandRhetorike.Rhetorike. In the one, as a Oratour to pleate with all facili-tee, and copiouslie to dilate any matter or sentence: in the otherto grounde profunde and subtill argument, to fortifie & makestronge our assercion or sentence, to proue and defende, by theLogike.force and power of arte, thinges passyng the compasse & reachof our capacitée and witte. Nothyng can bee more excellentlyEloquence.giuen of nature then Eloquence, by the which the florishyngstate of commonweales doe consiste: kyngdomes vniuersallyare gouerned, the state of euery one priuatelie is maintained.The commonwealth also should be maimed, and debilitated,Zeno.except the other parte be associate to it.Zenothe PhilosophercomparingRhetorikeandLogike, doeth assimilate and likenLogike.them to the hand of man.Logikeis likefaith heto the fiste, foreuen as the fiste closeth and shutteth into one, the iointes andpartes of the hande, & with mightie force and strength, wrap-Similitude[.]Logike.peth and closeth in thynges apprehended: SoLogikefor thedeepe and profounde knowlege, that is reposed and buried init, in soche sort of municion and strength fortified, in few wor-des taketh soche force and might by argumente, that exceptelike equalitée in like art and knowledge doe mate it, in vainthe disputacion shalbe, and the repulse of thaduersarie readie.Rhetorikelike to thehande.Rhetorikeis like to the hand set at large, wherein euery partand ioint is manifeste, and euery vaine as braunches of tréesRhetorike.sette at scope and libertee. So of like sorte,Rhetorikein mosteample and large maner, dilateth and setteth out small thyn-ges or woordes, in soche sorte, with soche aboundaunce andplentuousnes, bothe of woordes and wittie inuencion, withsoche goodlie disposicion, in soche a infinite sorte, with sochepleasauntnes of Oracion, that the moste stonie and hard har-tes, can not but bee incensed, inflamed, and moued thereto.Logike andRhetorikeabsolute infewe.These twoo singuler giftes of nature, are absolute and perfectin fewe: for many therebe, whiche are exquisite and profoundin argument, by art to reason and discusse, of any question orproposicion propounded, who by nature are disabled, & smal-lie adorned to speake eloquently, in whom neuertheles moreaboundaunt knowlege doeth somtymes remaine then in theother, if the cause shalbe in controuersie ioined, and examinedto trie a manifeste truthe. But to whom nature hath giuensoche abilitée, and absolute excellencie, as that thei can botheThe vertueof eloquence.copiouslie dilate any matter or sentence, by pleasauntnes andswetenes of their wittie and ingenious oracion, to drawe vn-to theim the hartes of a multitude, to plucke doune and extir-pate affecciōs and perturbacions of people, to moue pitee andcompassion, to speake before Princes and rulers, and to per-swade theim in good causes and enterprises, to animate andincense them, to godlie affaires and busines, to alter the coū-saill of kynges, by their wisedome and eloquence, to a betterstate, and also to be exquisite in thother, is a thing of all mostDemosthe-nes.Tisias.Gorgias.Eschines[.]Tullie.Cato.noble and excellent. The eloquence of Demosthenes, Isocra-tes, Tisias, Gorgias, Eschines, were a great bulwarke andstaie to Athens and all Grece, Rome also by the like vertueof Eloquence, in famous and wise orators vpholded: the wiseand eloquente Oracions of Tullie againste Catiline. Thegraue and sentencious oracions of Cato in the Senate, haueThe Empe-rors of Romefamous inEloquence.been onelie the meane to vpholde the mightie state of Rome,in his strength and auncient fame and glorie. Also the Chro-nicles of auncient time doe shewe vnto vs, the state of Romecould by no meanes haue growen so meruailous mightie,but that God had indued the whole line of Cesars, with sin-guler vertues, with aboundaunt knowlege & singuler Elo-quence. Thusidides the famous Historiographer sheweth,Thusidides.how moche Eloquence auailed the citees of Grece, fallyng toCorcurians.dissenciō. How did the Corcurians saue them selues from thePelopone-sians.inuasiō and might, of thePoloponesians, their cause pleatedbefore the Athenians, so moche their eloquence in a trutheCorinthians[.]preuailed. The Ambassadours of Corinth, wanted not theircopious, wittie, and ingenious Oracions, but thei pleatedbefore mightie, wise, and graue Senators, whose cause, ac-cordyng to iudgemēt, truthe, and integritée was ended. TheLacedemo-nians.Vituleniās.Athenians.eloquēt Embassages of the Corinthiās, the Lacedemoniās,& the Vituleneans, the Athenians, who so readeth, shall sonesée that of necessitee, a common wealth or kyngdome must befortefied, with famous, graue, and wise counsailours. HowDemosthe-nes.often did Demosthenes saue the cōmon wealthes of Athens,how moche also did that large dominion prospere and florishSocrates.Cato.Crassus.Antonius.Catulus.Cesar.by Isocrates. Tullie also by his Eloquēt please, Cato, Cras-sus, Antonius, Catulus Cesar, with many other, did supportand vphold the state of that mightie kyngdō. No doubte, butthat Demosthenes made a wittie, copious, and ingeniouso-racions, when the Athenians were minded to giue and be-Philippe thekyng of theMacidoniās[.]take to the handes of Philip kyng of the Macedonians, theirpestiferous enemie moste vile and subtell, the Orators of A-thens. This Philip forseyng the discorde of Grece, as he bysubtill meanes compassed his enterprices, promised by thefaithe of a Prince, to be at league with the Athenians, if so bethei would betake to his handes, the eloquente Oratours ofThe saiyngof Philippe.Athens, for as long saith he, as your Oratours are with youdeclaryng, so longe your heddes and counsaill are moued tovariaunce and dissencion, this voice ones seased emong you,Demosthe-nes.in tranquilitée you shalbee gouerned. Demosthenes beyngeloquente and wise, foresawe the daungers and the mischie-uous intent of him, wherevpon he framed a goodly Oracionvpon a Fable, whereby he altered their counsaile, and repul-sed the enemie. This fable is afterward set forth in an Ora-cion, after the order of these exercises, profitable toRhetorike.
¶ A Fable.
The groundof al learning[.]FIrste it is good that the learner doe vnderstandwhat is a fable, for in all matters of learnyng,it is the firste grounde, as Tullie doeth saie, toknowe what the thing is, that we may the bet-What is afable.ter perceiue whervpō we doe intreate. A fableis a forged tale, cōtaining in it by the colour of a lie, a matterMorall.of truthe. The moralle is called that, out of the whiche somegodlie precepte, or admonicion to vertue is giuen, to frameand instruct our maners. Now that we knowe what a fableis, it is good to learne also, how manifolde or diuers thei be,Three sortesof fables.i. A fable ofreason.I doe finde three maner of fables to be. The first of theim is,wherein a man being a creature of God indued with reason,is onely intreated of, as the Fable of the father and his chil-dren, he willing thē to concorde, and this is calledRationalisfabula, whiche is asmoche to saie, as a Fable of men induedii. Morall.with reason, or women. The second is called a morall fable,but I sée no cause whie it is so called, but rather as the otheris called a fable of reasonable creatures, so this is contrarilienamed a fable of beastes, or of other thinges wanting reasonor life, wanting reason as of the Ante and the Greshopper, orof this the beame caste doun, and the Frogges chosyng theiriii. Mixt.king. The thirde is a mixt Fable so called, bicause in it botheman hauyng reason, and a beaste wantyng reason, or any o-ther thing wanting life, is ioyned with it, as for the example,of the fable of the woodes and the housebandman, of whomPoetes in-uentours offables.Oratoursvse fables.he desired a helue for his hatchet. Aucthours doe write, thatPoetes firste inuented fables, the whiche Oratours also doevse in their perswasions, and not without greate cause, bothPoetes and Oratours doe applie theim to their vse. For, fa-Good doctrinin fables.Hesiodus.bles dooe conteine goodlie admonicion, vertuous preceptesof life. Hesiodus the Poete, intreatyng of the iniurious dea-lyng of Princes and gouernours, against their subiectes, ad-monished them by the fable of the Goshauke, and the Nigh-Ouide.tyngale in his clause. Ouid also the Poete intreated of di-uers fables, wherein he giueth admonicion, and godly coun-Demosthe-nes vsed fa-bles.saile. Demosthenes the famous Oratour of Athens, vsedthe fable of the Shepeherdes, and Wolues: how the Wol-ues on a tyme, instauntlie required of the Shepeherdes theirbande dogges, and then thei would haue peace and concordewith theim, the Shepeherdes gaue ouer their Dogges, theirDogges deliuered and murdered, the shepe were immediat-ly deuoured: So saieth he, if ye shall ones deliuer to Philip,the king of the Macedonians your Oratours, by whose lear-nyng, knowlege and wisedome, the whole bodie of your do-minions is saued, for thei as Bandogges, doe repell all mis-cheuous enterprises and chaunses, no doubte, but that raue-nyng Wolfe Philip, will eate and consume your people, bythis Fable he made an Oracion, he altered their counsailesand heddes of the Athenians, from so foolishe an enterprise.Also thesame Demosthenes, seyng the people careles, sloth-full, and lothsome to heare the Oratours, and all for the flo-rishing state of the kingdome: he ascended to the place or pul-pet, where the Oracions were made, and began with this fa-The fable ofDemosthe-nes, of theAsse and theshadowe.ble. Ye men of Athens, saied he, it happened on a tyme, thata certaine man hired an Asse, and did take his iourney fromAthens to Megara, as we would saie, frō London to Yorke,the owner also of the Asse, did associate hymself in his iour-ney, to brynge backe the Asse againe, in the voyage theweather was extreame burning hotte, and the waie tediousthe place also for barenes and sterilitée of trees, wanted sha-dowe in this long broyle of heate: he that satte one the Asse,lighted and tooke shadowe vnder the bellie of the Asse, andbecause the shadowe would not suffice bothe, the Asse beyngsmall, the owner saied, he muste haue the shadowe, becausethe Asse was his, I deny that saieth the other, the shadowe ismyne, because I hired the Asse, thus thei were at greate con-tencion, the fable beyng recited, Demosthenes descended frōhis place, the whole multitude were inquisitiue, to knoweThe conten-cion vpon theshadowe andthe Asse.the ende about the shadowe, Demosthenes notyng their fol-lie, ascended to his place, and saied, O ye foolishe Athenians,whiles I and other, gaue to you counsaill and admoniciō, ofgraue and profitable matters, your eares wer deafe, and yourmindes slombred, but now I tell of a small trifeling matter,you throng to heare the reste of me. By this Fable he nippedtheir follie, and trapped them manifestlie, in their owne dol-tishenes. Herevpon I doe somwhat long, make copie of wor-Fables wellapplied beesinguler.des, to shewe the singularitee of fables well applied. In thetyme of Kyng Richard the thirde, Doctour Mourton, beyngBishop of Elie, and prisoner in the Duke of Buckynghamshouse in Wales, was often tymes moued of the Duke, tospeake his minde frelie, if king Richard wer lawfully king,and said to him of his fidelitée, to kepe close and secret his sen-tence: but the Bishop beyng a godlie man, and no lesse wise,waied the greate frendship, whiche was sometyme betwenethe Duke & King Richard, aunswered in effect nothyng, butbeyng daily troubled with his mocions & instigacions, spakea fable of Esope: My lorde saied he, I will aunswere you, byThe fable ofthe Bisshopof Elie, to theduke of Buc-kyngham.a Fable of Esope. The Lion on a tyme gaue a commaunde-ment, that all horned beastes should flie from the woode, andnone to remain there but vnhorned beastes. The Hare hea-ring of this commaundement, departed with the horned bea-stes from the woodde: The wilie Foxe metyng the Hare, de-maunded the cause of his haste, forthwith the Hare aunswe-red, a commaundemente is come from the Lion, that all hor-ned beastes should bee exiled, vpon paine of death, from thewoode: why saied the Foxe, this commaundement touchethnot any sorte of beast as ye are, for thou haste no hornes butknubbes: yea, but said the Hare, what, if thei saie I haue hor-nes, that is an other matter, my lorde I saie no more: what hement, is euident to all men.
In the time of king Hēry theight (a prince of famous me-morie) at what time as the small houses of religiō, wer giuenouer to the kinges hand, by the Parliament house: the bishopof Rochester, Doctour Fisher by name stepped forthe, beynggreued with the graunt, recited before them, a fable of Esopeto shewe what discommoditee would followe in the Clergie.The fable ofthe Bisshopof Rochester,againste thegraunt of theChauntries.My lordes and maisters saieth he, Esope recited a fable: howthat on a tyme, a housebande manne desired of the woodes, asmall helue for his hatchet, all the woodes consented theretowaiyng the graunt to be small, and the thyng lesse, therevpōthe woodes consented, in fine the housbande man cut dounea small peece of woodde to make a helue, he framyng a helueto the hatchette, without leaue and graunt, he cut doune themightie Okes and Cedars, and destroyed the whole woodd,then the woodes repented them to late. So saith he, the gift ofthese small houses, ar but a small graunt into the kinges hā-des: but this small graunt, will bee a waie and meane to pulldoune the greate mightie fatte Abbees, & so it happened. Butthere is repentaūce to late: & no profite ensued of the graunte.
¶ An Oracion made by a fable, to the first exer-cise to declame by, the other, bee these,
OF euery one of these, a goodlie Oraciō maie be madethese excercises are called of the GrekesProgimnas-mata, of the Latines, profitable introduccions, or foreexercises, to attain greater arte and knowlege inRhetorike,and bicause, for the easie capacitée and facilitée of the learner,to attain greater knowledge inRhetorike, thei are right pro-fitable and necessarie: Therefore I title this booke, to bee thefoundaciō ofRhetorike, the exercises beingProgimnasmata.
I haue chosen out the fable of the Shepeherdes, and theWolues, vpon the whiche fable, Demosthenes made an elo-quente, copious, and wittie Oracion before the Athenians,whiche fable was so well applied, that the citée and commonwealth of Athens was saued.
The firsteexercise.
¶ A fable.
These notes must be obserued, to make an Oracion by aFable.
¶ Praise.
1.Firste, ye shall recite the fable, as the aucthour telleth it.
2.There in the seconde place, you shall praise the aucthourewho made the fable, whiche praise maie sone bee gotte of anystudious scholer, if he reade the aucthours life and actes ther-in, or the Godlie preceptes in his fables, shall giue abundantpraise.
3.Then thirdlie place the morall, whiche is the interpreta-cion annexed to the Fable, for the fable was inuented for themoralles sake.
4.Then orderlie in the fowerth place, declare the nature ofthynges, conteined in the Fable, either of man, fishe, foule,beaste, plante, trées, stones, or whatsoeuer it be. There is noman of witte so dulle, or of so grosse capacitée, but either byhis naturall witte, or by reading, or sences, he is hable to saiesomwhat in the nature of any thyng.
5.In the fifte place, sette forthe the thynges, reasonyng onewith an other, as the Ant with the Greshopper, or the Cockewith the precious stone.
6.Thē in the vj. place, make a similitude of the like matter.
7.Then in the seuenth place, induce an exāple for thesamematter to bée proued by.
8.Laste of all make theEpilogus, whiche is called the con-clusion, and herein marke the notes folowyng, how to makean Oracion thereby.
¶ An Oracion made vpon the fable of theShepeherdes and the wolues.¶ The fable.
THe Wolues on a tyme perswaded the Shepeher-des, that thei would ioyne amitée, and make aleague of concord and vnitee: the demaunde plea-sed the Shepeherdes, foorthwith the Wolues re-quested to haue custodie of the bande Dogges, because elsthei would be as thei are alwaies, an occasion to breake theirleague and peace, the Dogges beyng giuen ouer, thei wereone by one murthered, and then the Shepe were wearied.
¶ The praise of the aucthour.
THe posteritee of tymes and ages, muste needes praisethe wisedome and industrie, of all soche as haue leftein monumentes of writyng, thynges worthie fame,Inuentoursof al excellentartes and sci-ences, com-mended to theposteritee.what can bee more excellently set foorthe: or what deseruethchiefer fame and glorie, then the knowledge of artes and sci-ences, inuented by our learned, wise, and graue aūcestours:and so moche the more thei deserue honour, and perpetuallcommendacions, because thei haue been the firste aucthours,and beginners to soche excellencies. The posteritée praisethApelles.Parthesius.Polucletus.and setteth forth the wittie and ingenious workes of Apelles,Parthesius, and Polucletus, and all soche as haue artificial-ly set forth their excellent giftes of nature. But if their praisefor fame florishe perpetuallie, and increaseth for the wor-thines of theim, yet these thynges though moste excellent, areThe ende ofall artes, is togodlie life.inferiour to vertue: for the ende of artes and sciences, is ver-tue and godlines. Neither yet these thynges dissonaunt fromvertue, and not associate, are commendable onely for vertuessake: and to the ende of vertue, the wittes of our auncestourswere incensed to inuent these thynges. But herein Polucle-tus, Apelles, andPerthesiusmaie giue place, when greaterEsope wor-thie mochecommendaciō[.]vertues come in place, then this my aucthour Esope, for hisgodly preceptes, wise counsaill and admonicion, is chiefly tobée praised: For, our life maie learne all goodnes, all vertue,Philophie infables.of his preceptes. The Philosophers did neuer so liuely setteforthe and teache in their scholes and audience, what vertueRealmesmaie learneconcorde outof Esopesfables.and godlie life were, as Esope did in his Fables, Citees, andcommon wealthes, maie learne out of his fables, godlie con-corde and vnitee, by the whiche meanes, common wealthesflorisheth, and kingdoms are saued. Herein ample matter ri-seth to Princes, and gouernours, to rule their subiectes in allPreceptes toKynges andSubiectes.Preceptes toparentes andchildren.godlie lawes, in faithfull obedience: the subiectes also to loueand serue their prince, in al his affaires and busines. The fa-ther maie learne to bring vp, and instructe his childe thereby.The child also to loue and obeie his parentes. The huge andmonsterous vices, are by his vertuous doctrine defaced andextirpated: his Fables in effect contain the mightie volumesand bookes of all Philosophers, in morall preceptes, & the in-The contentof al Lawes.finite monumētes of lawes stablished. If I should not speakeof his commendacion, the fruictes of his vertue would shewehis commendacions: but that praise surmounteth all fame ofA true praisecommēded byfame it self.glory, that commendeth by fame itself, the fruictes of famein this one Fable, riseth to my aucthour, whiche he wrote ofthe Shepeherd, and the Wolues.
¶ The Morall.
WHerein Esope wittely admonisheth all menne to be-ware and take heede, of cloked and fained frendship,of the wicked and vngodlie, whiche vnder a pretenceand offer of frendship or of benefite, seeke the ruin, dammage,miserie or destruccion of man, toune, citée, region, or countree.
¶ The nature of the thyng.
OF all beastes to the quantitée of his bodie, theThe Woluemoste raue-ning & cruell.Wolue passeth in crueltee and desire of bloode,alwaies vnsaciable of deuouryng, neuer conten-ted with his pray. The Wolfe deuoureth and ea-teth of his praie all in feare, and therefore oftentymes he ca-steth his looke, to be safe from perill and daunger. And hereinhis nature is straunge frō all beastes: the iyes of the Wolfe,tourned from his praie immediatlie, the praie prostrate vnderThe Woluesof all beastes,moste obliui-ous.his foote is forgotten, and forthwith he seeketh a newe praie,so greate obliuion and debilitée of memorie, is giuen to thatbeaste, who chieflie seketh to deuoure his praie by night. TheThe Wolueinferiour tothe bandogge[.]Wolues are moche inferior to the banddogges in strength, bi-cause nature hath framed thē in the hinder parts, moche moreweaker, and as it were maimed, and therefore the bandoggedooeth ouermatche theim, and ouercome them in fight. TheWolues are not all so mightie of bodie as the Bandogges,of diuers colours, of fight more sharpe, of lesse heddes: but inThe Doggepasseth allcreatures insmellyng.smellyng, the nature of a Dogge passeth all beastes andcreatures, whiche the historie of Plinie dooe shewe, and Ari-stotle in his booke of the historie of beastes, therein you shallknowe their excellente nature. The housholde wanteth notfaithfull and trustie watche nor resistaunce, in the cause of thePlinie.maister, the Bandogge not wantyng. Plinie sheweth out ofhis historie, how Bandogges haue saued their Maister, bytheir resistaunce. The Dogge of all beastes sheweth mosteloue, and neuer leaueth his maister: the worthines of the bā-dogge is soche, that by the lawe in a certaine case, he is coun-ted accessarie of Felonie, who stealeth a Bandogge from hismaister, a robberie immediatly folowing in thesame family.
The worthi-nes of Shepe[.]As concernyng the Shepe, for their profite and wealthe,that riseth of theim, are for worthines, waiyng their smallequantitie of bodie, aboue all beastes. Their fleshe nourishethpurely, beyng swete and pleasaunt: their skinne also seruethThe wolle ofShepe, richeand commo-dious.to diuers vses, their Wolles in so large and ample maner,commmodious, seruyng all partes of common wealthes. Nostate or degrée of persone is, but that thei maie goe cladde andadorned with their wolles. So GOD in his creatures, hathMan a chiefcreature.created and made man, beyng a chief creatour, and moste ex-cellent of all other, all thinges to serue him: and therefore theStoike Phi-losophers.Stoicke Philosophers doe herein shewe thexcellencie of manto be greate, when all thinges vpon the yearth, and from theyearth, doe serue the vse of man, yet emong men there is a di-uersitee of states, and a difference of persones, in office and cō-The office ofthe shepeher-des, are pro-fitable andnecessarie.dicion of life. As concernyng the Shepherde, he is in his stateand condicion of life, thoughe meane, he is a righte profi-table and necessarie member, to serue all states in the commōwealthe, not onely to his maister whom he serueth: for by hisdiligence, and warie keping of thē, not onely from rauenyngbeastes, but otherwise he is a right profitable member, to allWealth, pro-fit, and richesriseth of theWolles ofShepe.partes of the common wealth. For, dailie wée féele the cōmo-ditie, wealth and riches, that riseth of theim, but the losse wéeféele not, except flockes perishe. In the body of man God hathcreated & made diuerse partes, to make vp a whole and abso-lute man, whiche partes in office, qualitée and worthinesse,are moche differing. The bodie of man it self, for the excellentworkemanship of God therein, & meruailous giftes of natureMan calledof the Philo-sophers, a lit-tle worlde.and vertues, lodged and bestowed in thesame bodie, is calledof the PhilosophersMicrocosmos, a little worlde. The bodyof man in all partes at cōcord, euery part executing his func-cion & office, florisheth, and in strength prospereth, otherwiseThe bodie ofman withoutconcord of thepartes, peri-sheth.The commonwealthe liketo the bodieof manne.Menenius.thesame bodie in partes disseuered, is feeble and weake, andthereby falleth to ruin, and perisheth. The singuler Fable ofEsope, of the belie and handes, manifestlie sheweth thesameand herein a florishing kingdom or common wealth, is com-pared to the body, euery part vsing his pure vertue, strēgth &operacion. Menenius Agrippa, at what time as theRomai-were at diuision against the Senate, he vsed the Fable of E-sope, wherewith thei were perswaded to a concorde, and vni-The basesteparte of thebodie mostenecessarie.tée. The vilest parte of the bodie, and baseste is so necessarie,that the whole bodie faileth and perisheth, thesame wantyngalthough nature remoueth them from our sight, and shamefastnes also hideth theim: take awaie the moste vilest parte ofthe bodie, either in substaunce, in operacion or function, andforthwith the principall faileth. So likewise in a kyngdome,or common wealth, the moste meane and basest state of mantaken awaie, the more principall thereby ceaseth: So God toThe amiableparte of thebody doe con-siste, by thebaseste andmoste defor-meste.a mutuall concorde, frendship, and perpetuall societie of life,hath framed his creatures, that the moste principall faileth,it not vnited with partes more base and inferiour, so mochethe might and force of thynges excellente, doe consiste by themoste inferiour, other partes of the bodie more amiable andpleasaunt to sight, doe remain by the force, vse and integritéeof the simpliest. The Prince and chief peres doe decaie, and althe whole multitude dooe perishe: the baseste kinde of menneThe Shepe-herdes statenecessarie.wantyng. Remoue the Shepeherdes state, what good follo-weth, yea, what lacke and famine increaseth not: to all statesThe state ofthe husbandemanne, mostenecessarie.the belie ill fedde, our backes worse clad. The toilyng house-bandman is so necessarie, that his office ceasyng vniuersalliethe whole bodie perisheth, where eche laboureth to furtherand aide one an other, this a common wealth, there is pro-sperous state of life. The wisest Prince, the richest, the migh-tiest and mostevalianntes, had nede alwaies of the foolishe,the weake, the base and simplest, to vpholde his kingdomes,not onely in the affaires of his kyngdomes, but in his dome-sticall thinges, for prouisiō of victuall, as bread, drinke, meat[,]clothyng, and in all soche other thynges. Therefore, no officeor state of life, be it neuer so méete, seruyng in any part of theNo meanestate, to becontempned.common wealthe, muste bée contemned, mocked, or skornedat, for thei are so necessarie, that the whole frame of the com-mon wealth faileth without theim: some are for their wickedbehauiour so detestable, that a common wealthe muste séekeRotten mem[-]bers of the cō[-]mon wealth.meanes to deface and extirpate theim as wéedes, and rottenmembers of the bodie. These are thefes, murtherers, and ad-ulterers, and many other mischiuous persones. These godlyLawes, vpright and sincere Magistrates, will extirpate andcutte of, soche thecommo wealthlacketh not, but rather ab-horreth as an infectiue plague and Pestilence, who in thendethrough their owne wickednesse, are brought to mischief.
Plato.Read Plato in his booke, intiteled of the common wealthwho sheweth the state of the Prince, and whole Realme, tostande and consiste by the vnitee of partes, all states of the cō-A commonwealth doeconsiste byvnitie of allstates.mon wealth, in office diuers, for dignitée and worthines, bea-ring not equalitée in one consociatée and knit, doe raise a per-fite frame, and bodie of kingdome or common wealthe.
Aristotle.What is a cō-mon wealth.Aristotle the Philosopher doeth saie, that a cōmon welthis a multitude gathered together in one Citée, or Region, instate and condicion of life differing, poore and riche, high andlow, wise and foolishe, in inequalitee of minde and bodies dif-feryng, for els it can not bée a common wealthe. There mustbe nobles and peres, kyng and subiect: a multitude inferiourand more populous, in office, maners, worthines alteryng.A liuely exā-ple of commōwealthe.Manne needeth no better example, or paterne of a commonwealthe, to frame hymself, to serue in his state and callyng,then to ponder his owne bodie. There is but one hedde, andmany partes, handes, feete, fingers, toes, ioyntes, veines, si-newes, belie, and so forthe: and so likewise in a cōmon welththere muste be a diuersitee of states.
¶ The reasonyng of the thyngesconteined in this Fable.
THus might the Wolues reason with them sel-ues, of their Embassage: The Wolues dailiemolested and wearied, with the fearce ragyngMasties, and ouercome in fight, of their powerand might: one emong the reste, more politikeand wise then the other, called an assemble and counsaill ofThe counsailof Wolues.Wolues, and thus he beganne his oracion. My felowes andcompaignions, sithe nature hath from the beginnyng, madevs vnsaciable, cruell, liuyng alwaies by praies murthered,and bloodie spoiles, yet enemies wée haue, that séeke to kepevnder, and tame our Woluishe natures, by greate mightieBandogges, and Shepeherdes Curres. But nature at thefirste, did so depely frame and set this his peruerse, cruell, andbloodie moulde in vs, that will thei, nill thei, our nature wilbruste out, and run to his owne course. I muse moche, wai-yng the line of our firste progenitour, from whence we camefirste: for of a man wee came, yet men as a pestiferous poisondoe exile vs, and abandon vs, and by Dogges and other sub-Lycaon.till meanes doe dailie destroie vs. Lycaon, as the Poetes doefaine, excedyng in all crueltées and murthers horrible, by themurther of straungers, that had accesse to his land: for he wasking and gouernor ouer the Molossians, and in this we maieworthilie glorie of our firste blood and long auncientrée, thatThe firsteprogenie ofWolues.he was not onelie a man, but a kyng, a chief pere and gouer-nour: by his chaunge and transubstanciacion of bodie, wéeloste by him the honour and dignitee due to him, but his ver-tues wée kepe, and daily practise to followe them. The fameThe inuen-cion of thePoet Ouideto compare awicked man,to a Wolue.of Lycaons horrible life, ascended before Iupiter, Iupiter themightie God, moued with so horrible a facte, left his heauen-lie palace, came doune like an other mortall man, and passeddoune by the high mountaine Minalus, by twilighte, andso to Licaons house, our firste auncestoure, to proue, if thisLycaon.thing was true. Lycaon receiued this straunger, as it semeddoubtyng whether he were a God, or a manne, forthwith hefeasted him with mannes fleshe baked, Iupiter as he can doeLycaon chaū-ged into aWolue.what he will, brought a ruine on his house, and transubstan-ciated hym, into this our shape & figure, wherein we are, andso sens that time, Wolues were firste generated, and that ofmanne, by the chaunge of Lycaon, although our shape ischaunged from the figure of other men, and men knowethWolue.Manne.vs not well, yet thesame maners that made Wolues, remai-neth vntill this daie, and perpetuallie in men: for thei robbe,thei steale, and liue by iniurious catching, we also robbe, al-so wée steale, and catche to our praie, what wee maie withmurther come to. Thei murther, and wee also murther, andso in all poinctes like vnto wicked menne, doe we imitate thelike fashion of life, and rather thei in shape of men, are Wol-ues, and wee in the shape of Wolues menne: Of all thesethynges hauyng consideracion, I haue inuented a pollicie,whereby we maie woorke a slauter, and perpetuall ruine onthe Shepe, by the murther of the Bandogges. And so wéeshall haue free accesse to our bloodie praie, thus we will doe,wee will sende a Embassage to the Shepeherdes for peace,The counsailof Wolues.saiyng, that wee minde to ceasse of all bloodie spoile, so thatthei will giue ouer to vs, the custodie of the Bandogges, forotherwise the Embassage sent, is in vaine: for their Doggesbeing in our handes, and murthered one by one, the daungerand enemie taken awaie, we maie the better obtain and en-ioye our bloodie life. This counsaill pleased well the assem-ble of the Wolues, and the pollicie moche liked theim, andwith one voice thei houled thus, thus. Immediatlie cōmuni-cacion was had with the Shepeherdes of peace, and of the gi-uyng ouer of their Bandogges, this offer pleased theim, theicōcluded the peace, and gaue ouer their Bandogges, as pled-ges of thesame. The dogges one by one murthered, thei dis-solued the peace, and wearied the Shepe, then the Shepeher-des repented them of their rashe graunt, and foly committed:The counsailof wicked mēto mischief.So of like sorte it alwaies chaunceth, tyrauntes and bloodiemenne, dooe seke alwaies a meane, and practise pollicies todestroye all soche as are godlie affected, and by wisedome andgodlie life, doe seke to subuerte and destroie, the mischeuousThe cogita-cions of wic-ked men, andtheir kyngdōbloodie.enterprise of the wicked. For, by crueltie their Woluishe na-tures are knowen, their glorie, strength, kyngdome and re-nowne, cometh of blood, of murthers, and beastlie dealyngesand by might so violent, it continueth not: for by violence andblooddie dealyng, their kyngdome at the last falleth by bloodand bloodilie perisheth. The noble, wise, graue, and goodliecounsailes, are with all fidelitée, humblenes and sincere har-The state ofcounsailoursworthie chiefhonour andveneracion.tes to be obeied, in worthines of their state and wisedome, tobe embraced in chief honour and veneracion to bee taken, bywhose industrie, knowledge and experience, the whole bodieof the common wealth and kyngdome, is supported and sa-ued. The state of euery one vniuersallie would come to par-dicion, if the inuasion of foraine Princes, by the wisedom andpollicie of counsailers, were not repelled. The horrible actesof wicked men would burste out, and a confusion ensue in alstates, if the wisedom of politike gouernors, if good lawes ifthe power and sword of the magistrate, coulduottake place.The peres and nobles, with the chief gouernour, standeth asPlato.Shepherds ouer the people: for so Plato alledgeth that namewell and properlie giuen, to Princes and Gouernours, theHomere.which Homere the Poete attributeth, to Agamemnon kingof Grece: to Menelaus, Ulisses, Nestor, Achillas, Diomedes,The Shepe-herdes namegiuē to the of-fice of kyngs.Aiax, and al other. For, bothe the name and care of that stateof office, can be titeled by no better name in all pointes, for di-ligent kepyng, for aide, succoryng, and with all equitie tem-peryng the multitude: thei are as Shepeherdes els the seliepoore multitude, would by an oppression of pestiferous men.The commonaltee or base multitude, liueth more quietlieThe stateorgood counsai-lers, trou-blous.then the state of soche as daily seke, to vpholde and maintainethe common wealthe, by counsaill and politike deliberacion,how troublous hath their state alwaies been: how vnquietefrom time to time, whose heddes in verie deede, doeth seke fora publike wealth. Therefore, though their honor bée greater,and state aboue the reste, yet what care, what pensiuenesse ofminde are thei driuen vnto, on whose heddes aucthoritée andregiment, the sauegard of innumerable people doeth depend.A comparisonfrom a lesse,to a greater.If in our domesticall businesse, of matters pertainyng to ourhousholde, euery man by nature, for hym and his, is pensiue,moche more in so vaste, and infinite a bodie of cōmon wealth,greater must the care be, and more daungerous deliberacion.We desire peace, we reioyce of a tranquilitée, and quietnesseto ensue, we wishe, to consist in a hauen of securitée: our hou-ses not to be spoiled, our wiues and children, not to bee mur-The worthiestate of Prin-ces and coun-sailours.thered. This the Prince and counsailours, by wisedome fore-sée, to kéepe of, all these calamitées, daungers, miseries, thewhole multitude, and bodie of the Common wealthe, iswithout them maimed, weake and feable, a readie confusionto the enemie. Therefore, the state of peeres and nobles, iswith all humilitée to be obaied, serued and honored, not with-out greate cause, the Athenians were drawen backe, by thewisedome of Demosthenes, when thei sawe thē selues a slau-ter and praie, to the enemie.
¶ Acomparsonof thynges.
WHat can bée more rashly and foolishly doen, then theShepeherdes, to giue ouer their Dogges, by whosemight and strength, the Shepe were saued: on the o-ther side, what can be more subtlie doen and craftely, then theWolues, vnder a colour of frendship and amitee, to séeke theThe amitieof wickedmenne.blood of the shepe, as all pestiferous men, vnder a fained pro-fer of amitée, profered to seeke their owne profite, commoditeeand wealthe, though it be with ruine, calamitie, miserie, de-struccion of one, or many, toune, or citée, region and countree,whiche sort of men, are moste detestable and execrable.
¶ The contrarie.
AS to moche simplicitie & lacke of discrecion, is a fur-theraunce to perill and daunger: so oftētimes, he ta-To beleuelightly, afur-theraunce toperill.steth of smarte and woe, who lightly beleueth: so con-trariwise, disimulaciō in mischeuous practises begon w[ith] frēd-ly wordes, in the conclusion doeth frame & ende pernisiouslie.
¶ TheEpilogus.
THerefore fained offers of frendship, are to bee takenheede of, and the acte of euery man to bee examined,proued, and tried, for true frendship is a rare thyng,when as Tullie doth saie: in many ages there are fewe cou-ples of friendes to be found, Aristotle also cōcludeth thesame.
¶ The Fable of the Ante, and Greshopper.¶ The praise of the aucthour.
The praise ofEsope.ESope who wrote these Fables, hath chief fame of alllearned aucthours, for his Philosophie, and giuyngwisedome in preceptes: his Fables dooe shewe vntoall states moste wholsome doctrine of vertuous life. He who-ly extolleth vertue, and depresseth vice: he correcteth all statesand setteth out preceptes to amende them. Although he wasdeformed and ill shaped, yet Nature wrought in hym sochevertue, that he was in minde moste beautifull: and seing thatthe giftes of the body, are not equall in dignitie, with the ver-tue of the mynde, then in that Esope chiefly excelled, ha-uyng the moste excellente vertue of the minde. The wisedomCresus.and witte of Esope semed singuler: for at what tyme as Cre-sus, the kyng of the Lidians, made warre against the Sami-ans, he with his wisedome and pollicie, so pacified the mindeof Cresus, that all warre ceased, and the daunger of the coun-Samians.tree was taken awaie, the Samiās deliuered of this destruc-cion and warre, receiued Esope at his retourne with manyhonours. After that Esope departyng from the Isle Samus,wandered to straunge regions, at the laste his wisedome be-Licerus.yng knowen: Licerus the kyng of that countrée, had hym insoche reuerence and honor, that he caused an Image of goldto be set vp in the honour of Esope. After that, he wanderyngDelphos.ouer Grece, to the citée of Delphos, of whom he beyng mur-thered, a greate plague and Pestilence fell vpon the citee, thatreuenged his death: As in all his Fables, he is moche to beecommended, so in this Fable he is moche to be praised, whichhe wrote of the Ante and the Greshopper.
¶ The Fable.
IN a hotte Sommer, the Grashoppers gaue them sel-ues to pleasaunt melodie, whose Musicke and melo-die, was harde from the pleasaunt Busshes: but theAnte in all this pleasaunt tyme, laboured with pain and tra-uaile, she scraped her liuyng, and with fore witte and wise-Winter.dome, preuented the barande and scarce tyme of Winter: forwhen Winter time aprocheth, the ground ceasseth frō fruict,The Ante.then the Ante by his labour, doeth take the fruicte & enioyethit: but hunger and miserie fell vpon the Greshoppers, who inthe pleasaunt tyme of Sommer, when fruictes wereaboun-dauute, ceassed by labour to put of necessitée, with the whichethe long colde and stormie tyme, killed them vp, wantyng alsustinaunce.
¶ The Morall.
HEre in example, all menne maie take to frame theirowne life, and also to bryng vp in godlie educaciontheir children: that while age is tender and young,thei maie learne by example of the Ante, to prouide in theirgrene and lustie youth, some meane of art and science, wher-by thei maie staie their age and necessitée of life, al soche as doflie labour, and paine in youth, and seeke no waie of Arte andscience, in age thei shall fall in extreme miserie and pouertée.
¶ The nature of the thyng.
NOt without a cause, the Philosophers searchyng thenature and qualitee of euery beaste, dooe moche com-The Ante.mende the Ante, for prouidence and diligence, in thatnotoneieby nature thei excell in forewisedome to thē selues,Manne.but also thei be a example, and mirrour to all menne, in thatthei iustlie followe the instincte of Nature: and moche more,where as men indued with reason, and all singulare vertuesand excellent qualitées of the minde and body. Yet thei doe somoche leaue reason, vertue, & integritée of minde, as that theihad been framed without reason, indued with no vertue, noradorned with any excellent qualitée. All creatures as naturehath wrought in them, doe applie them selues to followe na-ture their guide: the Ante is alwaies diligent in his busines,and prouident, and also fore séeth in Sommer, the sharpe sea-son of Winter: thei keepe order, and haue a kyng and a com-mon wealthe as it were, as nature hath taught them. And sohaue all other creatures, as nature hath wrought in thē theirgiftes, man onelie leaueth reason, and neclecteth the chief or-namentes of the minde: and beyng as a God aboue all crea-tures, dooeth leese the excellent giftes. A beaste will not takeexcesse in feedyng, but man often tymes is without reason,and hauyng a pure mynde and soule giuen of God, and a faceto beholde the heauens, yet he doeth abase hymself to yearth-Greshopper.lie thynges, as concernyng the Greshopper: as the Philoso-phers doe saie, is made altogether of dewe, and sone perisheth[.]The Greshopper maie well resemble, slothfull and sluggishepersones, who seke onely after a present pleasure, hauyng nofore witte and wisedom, to foresée tymes and ceasons: for it isA poincte ofwisedome.the poinct of wisedō, to iudge thinges present, by thinges pastand to take a cōiecture of thinges to come, by thinges present.
¶ The reasonyng of the twoo thynges.
THus might the Ante reason with her self, althoughethe seasons of the yere doe seme now very hotte, plea-A wise cogi-tacion.saunt and fruictfull: yet so I do not trust time, as thatlike pleasure should alwaies remaine, or that fruictes shouldalwaies of like sorte abounde. Nature moueth me to worke,and wisedome herein sheweth me to prouide: for what hur-teth plentie, or aboundaunce of store, though greate plentiecommeth thereon, for better it is to bee oppressed with plen-tie, and aboundaunce, then to bee vexed with lacke. For, towhom wealthe and plentie riseth, at their handes many beereleued, and helped, all soche as bee oppressed with necessi-tie and miserie, beyng caste from all helpe, reason and proui-dence maimed in theim: All arte and Science, and meane oflife cutte of, to enlarge and maintain better state of life, theirPouertie.miserie, necessitie, and pouertie, shall continuallie encrease,who hopeth at other mennes handes, to craue relief, is decei-ued. Pouertie is so odious a thing, in al places & states reiectedfor where lacke is, therefanour, frendship, and acquaintanceWisedome.decreaseth, as in all states it is wisedome: so with my self Iwaie discritlie, to take tyme while tyme is, for this tyme as aHousebandemenne.floure will sone fade awaie. The housebande manne, hath henot times diuers, to encrease his wealth, and to fill his barne,at one tyme and ceason: the housebande man doeth not botheplante, plowe, and gather the fruicte of his labour, but in onetyme and season he ploweth, an other tyme serueth to sowe,and the laste to gather the fruictes of his labour. So then, Imust forsee time and seasons, wherin I maie be able to beareof necessitie: for foolishly he hopeth, who of no wealth and noabundaunt store, trusteth to maintain his own state. For, no-Frendship.thyng soner faileth, then frendship, and the soner it faileth, asHomere.fortune is impouerished. Seyng that, as Homere doeth saie,a slothfull man, giuen to no arte or science, to helpe hymself,or an other, is an vnprofitable burdein to the yearth, and Goddooeth sore plague, punishe, and ouerthrowe Citees, kyng-domes, and common wealthes, grounded in soche vices: thatthe wisedome of man maie well iudge, hym to be vnworthieof all helpe, and sustinaunce. He is worse then a beast, that isnot able to liue to hymself & other: no man is of witte so vn-Nature.descrite, or of nature so dulle, but that in hym, nature alwa-yes coueteth some enterprise, or worke to frame relife, or helpThe cause ofour bearth.to hymself, for all wée are not borne, onelie to our selues, butmany waies to be profitable, as to our owne countrie, and allpartes thereof. Especiallie to soche as by sickenes, or infirmi-tie of bodie are oppressed, that arte and Science can not takeplace to help thē. Soche as do folowe the life of the Greshop-per, are worthie of their miserie, who haue no witte to foreséeseasons and tymes, but doe suffer tyme vndescretly to passe,Ianus.whiche fadeth as a floure, thold Romaines do picture Ianuswith two faces, a face behind, & an other before, which resem-ble a wiseman, who alwaies ought to knowe thinges paste,thynges presente, and also to be experte, by the experience ofmany ages and tymes, and knowledge of thynges to come.
¶ The comparison betwenethe twoo thynges.
WHat can be more descritlie doen, then the Ante to beso prouident and politike: as that all daunger of life,& necessitie is excluded, the stormie times of Winterceaseth of might, & honger battereth not his walles, hauyngProuidence.soche plentie of foode, for vnlooked bitter stormes and seasons,happeneth in life, whiche when thei happen, neither wisedōnor pollicie, is not able to kepe backe. Wisedome therefore,it is so to stande, that these thynges hurte not, the miserableende of the Greshopper sheweth vnto vs, whiche maie be anexample to all menne, of what degree, so euer thei bee, to flieslothe and idelnesse, to be wise and discrite.
¶ Of contraries.
Diligence.AS diligence, prouidence, and discrete life is a singu-lare gift, whiche increaseth all vertues, a pillar, staieand a foundacion of all artes and science, of commonwealthes, and kyngdomes. So contrarily sloth and sluggish-nesse, in all states and causes, defaseth, destroyeth, and pul-leth doune all vertue, all science and godlines. For, by it, themightie kyngdome of the Lidiās, was destroied, as it semethIdelnes.no small vice, when the Lawes of Draco, dooe punishe withdeath idelnesse.
¶ The ende.
The Ante.THerefore, the diligence of the Ante in this Fable,not onelie is moche to be commended, but also herexample is to bee followed in life. Therefore, thewiseman doeth admonishe vs, to go vnto the Antand learne prouidence: and also by the Greshopper, lette vslearne to auoide idelnes, leste the like miserie and calamitiefall vpon vs.
¶ Narratio.
THis place followyng, is placed of Tullie, after theexordium or beginnyng of Oracion, as the secondeparte: whiche parte ofRhetorike, is as it were thelight of all the Oracion folowing: conteining the cause, mat-ter, persone, tyme, with all breuitie, bothe of wordes, and in-uencion of matter.
¶ A Narracion.
ANarracion is an exposicion, or declaracion of anythyng dooen in deede, or els a settyng forthe, for-ged of any thyng, but so declaimed and declared,as though it were doen.
A narracion is of three sortes, either it is a narracion hi-storicall, of any thyng contained, in any aunciente storie, ortrue Chronicle.
Or Poeticall, whiche is a exposicion fained, set forthe byinuencion of Poetes, or other.
Or ciuill, otherwise called Iudiciall, whiche is a matterof controuersie in iudgement, to be dooen, or not dooen wellor euill.
In euery Narracion, ye must obserue sixe notes.
1. Firste, the persone, or doer of the thing, whereof you intreate.2. The facte doen.3. The place wherein it was doen.4. The tyme in the whiche it was doen.5. The maner must be shewed, how it was doen.6. The cause wherevpon it was doen.
There be in this Narracion, iiij. other properties belōging[.]
1. First, it must be plain and euident to the hearer, not obscure,2. short and in as fewe wordes as it maie be, for soche amatter.3. Probable, as not vnlike to be true.4. In wordes fine and elegante.
¶ A narracion historicall, vpon Semiramis Queene of Babilonhow and after what sort she obtained the gouernment thereof.
Tyme.Persone.AFter the death of Ninus, somtime kyng of Ba-bilon, his soonne Ninus also by name, was leftto succede hym, in all the Assirian Monarchie,Semiramis wife to Ninus the firste, feared thetender age of her sonne, wherupon she thoughtThe cause.The facte.that those mightie nacions and kyngdomes, would not obaieso young and weake a Prince. Wherfore, she kept her sonnefrom the gouernmente: and moste of all she feared, that theiThe waiehow.would not obaie a woman, forthwith she fained her self, to bethe soonne of Ninus, and bicause she would not be knowento bee a woman, this Quene inuented a newe kinde of tire,the whiche all the Babilonians that were men, vsed by hercommaundement. By this straunge disguised tire and appa-rell, she not knowen to bee a woman, ruled as a man, for theThe facte.The place.space of twoo and fourtie yeres: she did marueilous actes, forshe enlarged the mightie kyngdome of Babilon, and buildedthesame citée. Many other regions subdued, and valiauntlieouerthrowen, she entered India, to the whiche neuer Princecame, sauing Alexander the greate: she passed not onely menin vertue, counsaill, and valiaunt stomacke, but also the fa-mous counsailours of Assiria, might not contende with herin Maiestie, pollicie, and roialnes. For, at what tyme as theiknewe her a woman, thei enuied not her state, but maruei-led at her wisedome, pollicie, and moderacion of life, at thelaste she desiryng the vnnaturall lust, and loue of her soonneNinus, was murthered of hym.