¶ Unpossible, and not agreyng.Nature ab-horreth thewarre of theGrecians.IF wee weigh naturall affeccion, it can not bee, thatthe Grecians so moche abhorring frō nature, shouldcast of the naturall loue of their wifes, their childrenand countrie, to bryng home againe, by slaughter of infinitepeople: soche an one as had left honestie, and chaste loue ofher housbande. For, what praise can redounde to the Greci-Helena.ans by warre, to bryng home Helena, though she of all crea-tures was moste beautifull, beyng a harlotte: followyng thebridell and will of an other man. Maie shame or commenda-cion rise to the Troians, can wisedome, counsaile, or grauitie,Priamus.defende the adulterous luste of Priamus soonne, yea, couldPriamus so loue Helena, for Paris his sonnes sake, as thathe had rather venter the ruine and destruccion of his citée, andthe falle of his people, the murder and ruine of his children,and wife for the beautie of one. For what is beautie, wherehonestie and vertue lacketh, it is an vncomly matter, thoughthe Poetes so faigne it, not onely that in heauen, a contenciōshould fall emong the Goddises of their beautie, or that Iu-piter of whom thei make an ignoraunt God, to chuse Paristhe kynges sonne of Troie, chief arbitratour & Iudge of thatmatter, to whō he should giue the goldē Apell to her beautie,as chief of al other, was ascribed these thynges, are vndecentto thinke of the Goddeses, and moste of all, to thinke there ismore Goddes then one. And euen as these are vanities, andforged imaginacions of the Goddes, so of the battaile.¶ Uncomelie and vnprofitable.THE daunger of many people doeth shewe, that nosoche thyng should happen, either of the Greciansor of the Troians: for, it is a matter dissonaunt frōall truthe, that thei should so moche neclecte thequiete state, and prosperous renoume of their kyngdome, inall tymes and ages, since the firste constitucion of all Monar-chies and kyngdomes. Who euer harde soche a forged mat-ter to be Chronicled, and set forthe. Or who can giue crediteto soche warre, to be enterprised of so small a matter: to leauethe state of waightier thynges for one woman. All the wo-men of that countrie to stande in perill, the slaughter of theirdeare housbandes, the violent murder of their children to in-sue. Therefore, the wilfulnesse of people and princes, are thecause of the falle and destruccion, of many mightie kyngdo-mes, and Empires. The fall of Grece ensued, when the chiefAmbicion.Cesar fell byambicion.citées, Athenes and Lacedemonie tooke partes, and did con-federate diuers citees to them, to assiste theim, and aide theimin battaile onely: ambicion and desire of glorie, moued botheDiscorde.the Athenians and Lacedemonians, frō concorde and vnitieby whiche meanes, the power, glory, and strēgth of all king-Pompey.domes falleth. Ambicion was the cause that mightie Pom-pey fell, and died violently. Cesar likewise caught with am-bicion, not bearyng the equalitée, or superioritie of Pompei,was tourned of violentlie frō Fortunes whéele. Many prin-ces of like sorte and kingdomes. By ambicion onely, had thecause of their ruine. The glorie of the Assirian Monarchiegrewe moste mightie, by the ambicion of Ninus kyng ofBabilon: the ofspring of Ninus, whiche were kynges line-allie descendyng to the firste kyngdome of the Medes, botheinlarged their kyngdomes, and also had the decaie of theimby ambicion. Let the Medes also associate them selues to thē,from Arbactus the first kyng, vnto Astiages the laste: the be-ginnyng and falle of the Persian Monarchie. The mightieRomulus kil[-]led Remusby ambicion.state of Grece, the seate Imperiall of Rome, by ambiciō firstextolled theim selues: and also by it, their glorie, scepter, andkyngdome was translated, but the falle of Troie came not,by ambicion, that the Grecians sought. But as the Poetesdoe faigne, the beautie of one woman so wounded their har-tes, that the Grecians did hasarde, the perilles of their coun-trie. The Troians so moche estemed, the beautie of Helena,as that the state of all their kyngdome perished. It was noglorie nor honour to the Grecians, to resiste by armour, andto defende the violente takyng awaie of Helena, from herhousbande: nor it was no honour, the Grecians to pursue byarmour, the takynge awaie of Helena, beyng a harlotte. Sothat by no meanes it can followe, these thynges to bee true,of the battaile of Troie.¶ Confirmacion.The other part, contrary to destruccion or subuersion, iscalled confirmacion.Confirmacion, hath in it so greate force of argumente, tostablishe and vpholde the cause or proposicion: as destruccionhath in castyng doune the sentence or proposicion.Confirmacion is a certain oracion, whiche with a certainreprehension of the persone or facte, by order and waie of art,casteth doune, the contrary propounded.As in the other parte called destruccion, those proposici-ons are to bee subuerted, whiche are not manyfestlie true,with all other notes before specified: so in contrariwise, thisoracion by contrary notes is declaimed by, as for example.1.It shall behoue you first, for the entring of the oracion, toinduce a reprehension againste those, whiche haue confutedas a truthe, that whiche you will confirme.2.In the seconde parte, place the exposicion and meanyngof the aucthours sentence.3.Shewe the matter to be manifest.4.Credible.5.Prossible.6.Agreyng to the truthe.7.Shewe the facte comelie.8.Profitable.This exercise ofRhetotike, doeth contain in it all strēgthof arte, as who should saie, all partes ofRhetorikemaie co-piouslie bee handled in this parte, called confirmacion. Youmaie as matter riseth, ioigne twoo notes together, as thereason of the argumente cometh in place, whiche Apthoniusa Greke aucthour herein vseth. As manifest and credible, pos-sible and agreyng to truthe, comelie and profitable, but in althese, as in all the reste: the theme or proposicion by it self, isto bee placed, the reprehension of the aucthour by it self, theexposicion of the theme by it self.¶ The theme or proposicion.IT is true that is saied of Zopyrus, the noble Per-sian, who vētered his life: & did cause the deformi-tie of his bodie, for the sauegarde of this countrie.¶ The praise.Iustinus.IUstinus the Historiographer, for worthinesseof fame and wisedome, deserueth in the poste-ritie of all tymes, immortall fame, by whomthe famous actes of Princes, and other nobleChroniclesmoste neces-sary to be red.men, doe remaine Chronicled. Giuyng exam-ples of all valiauntnesse and vertue: for, bothe the actes andworthie feactes of Princes, would passe as vnknowen in allages, excepte the worthinesse of them, were in monumentesof writyng Chronicled. For, by the fame of their worthines,and vertues, cōmon wealthes and kyngdomes, doe stablisheand make Lawes, the hartes of people are incensed, and in-flamed, to the like nobilitie of actes, and famous enter-The worthi-nesse of histo-ries.prices, Histories of auncient tymes, bee vnto vs witnesses ofall tymes and ages, of kyngdomes and common wealthes, aliuely example. A light to all truthe and knowlege, a schole-What is a hi-storie.maister: of maners a memorie of life, for, by it we se the wise-dom of all ages, the forme of the beste and florishing commonwealthes. We learne by the vertues of Princes and gouer-nours, to followe like steppe of vertue: to flie and auoide vi-ces, and all soche thynges, as are to the destruccion and de-An ignorantlife, a brutishlife.caie, of realme and countrie. How brutishe wer our life, if weknewe no more then we se presently, in the state of our com-mon wealthe and kyngdome. The kyngdomes of all Prin-ces and common wealthes that now florisheth, doe stande bythe longe experience, wisedome, pollicy, counsaile, and god-lie lawes of Princes of auncient times, no smal praise andThe know-lege of Histo-ries makethvs as it wereliuyng in allages.Historiogri-phers.commendation can be attributed, to all suche as doe trauellin the serching out the veritie of auncient Histories, for bi theknoledge of them, we are as it were liuyng in all ages, thefall of all kyngdomes is manifeste to vs, the death of Prin-ces, the subuersions of kingdomes and common wealthes,who knoweth not the first risyng & ende of the Assiriane mo-narchie, the glorie of the Persians, and the ruynge of thesame, the mightie Empire of the Grekes, risyng & fallyng,the Romane state after what sorte florishyng and decaiyng,so that no state of common wealthe or kyngdome is vnkno-wen to vs, therefore Iustine, and all suche as doe leue to theposteritie, the state of al things chronicled, deserue immortalcommendacions.¶ The exposicion.The treasonof the Assy-rians.IN the time of Darius kyng of the Persians, theAssyriās who ware subiects to him, sence the timeof Cirus the firste kynge of the Persians, rebel-led, inuaded and toke the myghtie Citie of Babi-lon, whiche beyng possessed, with much difficultie, and notDarius.withoute greate daungers coulde bee attained. Darius thekynge hearyng of the treason of the Assyrians and that theBabilon ta-ken of the As-syrians.mightie Citie of Babilon was taken, was very wroth wai-ynge with him selfe, that there by, the ruyne of the Persiankyngdome mighte happen. Zopyrus one of the .vij. noblePeres of Persia, seing the daunger of the countrie, the stateof the Prince, and the welfare of the subiectes to decaie, in thesafegarde of his countrie, leuyng all priuate commoditie, forthe behoufe and felicitie of the Persian kyngdome, did ven-The fact ofZopyrus.ter his owne life, commaunded his seruauntes at home toteare and rēte his bodie with whippes, to cut of his nose, hislippes and his eares, these thinges being vnknowen to Da-rius the kynge. As sone as Darius sawe Zopyrus so torneZopyrus cau[-]sed the defor-mitie of hisbodie, for thegood state ofhis countrie.and deformed, bewailed his state being astonished, at so hor-rible a faict: but Zopyrus shewed to the kynge his hole in-tente and purpose that he mynded to go to Babylon, whichethe Assyrians dyd traitorouslie possesse, & complained as thatthese things had ben don by the tyrannie and crueltie of Da-rius, he wēt to Babilon, and there complained of the cruel-tie of his kyng, whereby purchasyng the fauor and loue ofthe Assyrians, he shewed them how Darius came to be kyngnot by worthines, not by vertue, not by the common consentof men, but by the neynge of a horse. Zopyrus therefore ad-monished them, that they should trust more to their armour,The pollicieof Zopyrus.then to their walles, he willed them to proclame opē warre,forthwith they encountred with the Persians, and for a timevictorie fel on the Babilonians side, suche was the pollice ofZopyrus. The Assyrians reioised of the successe and felicitieof their warres, the king of the Babilonians gaue to Zopy-rus, the chiefe power & office, to leede a mightie armie, of thewhiche beynge Lieutenaunt, he betraied the Babiloniansand their Citie.¶ Manifeste.Trogus Pō[-]peius.NOt onlie Trogus Pompeius the famous Historio-grapher, and Iustine which tooke the Story of him,but also the Greke writers doe sette forthe, as matterof truthe, the valiaunte enterprises of Zopyrus: so that thestraunge and mightie facte of him can not seme vncredible,Zopyrus.hauyng testimonie of it in all ages. Zopyrus hauing not re-spect to his owne life, to his owne priuate wealthe or glorie,did thereby put of the daunger that insued to the Persianekyngdome: It maie seme a greate matter, to a mynde notwell affected towarde his countrie, to destroie or deforme hisThe saiyngof Tullie.owne bodie, for the sauegarde of countrie or common welth.But if we waie the State of oure bearth, oure countrie cha-lengeth more at oure handes then frindes or parentes, soPlato.Aristotel.muche price Plato the Philosopher, and Aristotle doe attri-bute vnto our countrie, the volumes of all lawes and bokesdoe prefare oure naturall countrie before the priuate state ofThe state ofa publikewealthe, is tobee preferredbefore a pri-uate wealth.Pericles.owne manne, wealthe, glorie, honor, dignitie, and riches ofone or fewe, the Statutes of all Princes, sekyng the glorieof their countrie, doe prefare a vniuersal welthe, before a pri-uate and particulare commoditie. Pericles the noble Athe-nian in his oration made to the Athenians, sheweth that theglorie and welthe of one man or manie, cannot plante sucheglorie, and renowne to their countrie, as that in all partesthereby to be beautified and decorated, but whē glorie a hap-pie and florishyng state redoundeth to the kyngdome, thesubiectes, the nobelles and hye peres, the gouuernour stan-deth happie and fortunate. Who so hopeth in sparing costesand charges, monie or ornaments, to the behouf and imploi-ment of his countrie and not by all meanes to his power andstrength aydeth and defendeth his naturall countrie, fromA good sub-iecte is redieto liue anddie for hiscountrie.the daunger and inuasion of his enemie, what state inioyethhe, or what wealth remaineth priuatlie, when the trone andscepter of his kyng faileth, the enemie wasteth, spoileth anddestroieth all partes of his state, with the reste his life pe-risheth, so that no daunger, coste, is to bee refused, to seruethe kingdom and prince, by whose scepter, iustice, lawes, andequitie we are gouuerned, there is no subiect well affected,but that he onlie liueth to proffite his countrie, to liue & dyetherein.¶ Probabell.IF only Zopyrus had enterprised this valiaunt act,and that no memorie were remainyng in anie ageof the noble acts of other men, it may seme not true-lie chronacled, but from time to time, in all ages &cōmon wealthes, famous men for their acts & nobilitie haueben, whiche with like courrage and magnanimitie haue sa-Horacius Co[-]cles.ued their countrie, by the losse of their owne liues. HoratiusCocles is bothe a witnesse and a light to the same, by whoseaduenture the mightie and stronge Citie Rome was saued:For at what time as the Hetruscians entred on the citie, andwere on the bridge, Horatius cocles defendid the ende of thesame, baryng of the brunte, and stroke of the enemie, vntillthe Romans, for the sauegarde of the cytie, had broken dounthe bridge, as sone as Horatius Cocles sawe the Cytie thusdeliuered, and the repulse of the enemie, he lepte with his ar-mours into the flud Tibar, it semed he had not regard to hislife, that beyng burdened with the waighte and grauitie ofhis armour, durst venter his life to so main and depe a water.MarcusAttilius.Marcus Attilius in the defence of his Prince, his right handbeing cut of, the which he laide on the ship of the Massilians,forthwith he apprehended with the lefte hand, and ceased notCynegerus.vntill he hadde soouncke thesame ship. Cynegerus the Athe-nianlinethby fame and like nobilitie of actes, vēteryng hislife for his countrie. The mightie cytie of Athenes, broughtHismenias.Thrasibulus[.]vnder the dominions of the Lacedemonians. Thrasibulus,Hismenias and Lisias bi their aduenture, and noble atchiuereduced Athenes to his felicitie so moche loue, soo faithefullhartes they hadde towardes theire countreie. Leonides theKing of the Lacedemonians, defendyng the narow straightsof the cytie Thermopolie with fower thousand men againstthe mightie and huge armie of Xerxes, for Xerxes contemnedLeonideskyng of theLacedemo-nians.theire smalle number and armie: Leonides the kyng heardethat the place and hill of the battell was preuētid of .xx. thou-sande enemies, he exorted his souldiours parte of them to de-parte vntill a better time might be locked for, and onlie withthe Lacedemonians he proued the conflicte and the combate,although the campe of Xerxes was mightier & more in num-ber: yet Leonides the kyng thought it good for the sauegardeof his contrie, for saieth he, I must rather saue it, then to hauerespecte to my life, although the oracle of Delphos had fore-shewed, that euen Leonides muste die in the fielde or battellof the enemie, and therefore Leonides entred battail, & com-fortid his men for their countrie sake, as to die therein, there-fore he preuented the narrowe straightes of the countrie, andthe dangerous places, where the force of the enemie moughtbruste in, he lingered not, leste the enemie mighte compassehim in, but in the quiet season of the nighte, he set vppon hisenemie vnloked for, and they beynge but sixe hundred menLeonides.with the kyng Leonides, brust into the cāpe of their enemiesbeyng sixe hundred thousand menne, their valiauntnes wassuche, and theouerthoweof their enemies so great, and Xer-xes the kyng hauyng two woundes, retired with shame andAgesilaus.Conon.loste the honor. Agesilaus and Conon valiaunte in actes,and excellynge in all nobilitie, what great and mightie dan-gers haue thei atchiued and venterid for their countrie sake,howe moche haue thei neglectid their owne wealth, riches,life and glorie, for the aduauncement and honor of their coū-Lisander.trie. Lisander also the Lacedemonian, was indued with likenobilitie with faithfull and syncéer harte towarde his coun-Archidamus[.]Codrus.try. Archidamus also lieth not in obliuiō, whose fame deathburied not the famous aduenture of Codrus kyng of the A-thenians is maruelous and almoste incredible, but that theHistores, truelie set forth, and declare a manifest truthe ther-Epamniun-das.of, who is more famous then Epaminundas, bothe for vir-tue, nobilitie and marciall feates among the Thebans, theGrecians.mightie armie of the Grecians, at the longe sege of Troie,what valiaunte Capitains hadde thei, whiche in the defenceTroians.of their countrie hasarde their life: the Troians also wantednot for proues valiauntnes and al nobilitie, their péeres andRomans.nobles: amonge the Romans, what a greate number wasof noble peres, whose studie alwaies was to liue and dye inthe glorie, aide and defence of their countrie, for he liueth notby whose cowardlines fainted harte and courage, the contrieWho liueth inshame.or kyngdome standeth in perrill, he liueth in shame, that re-fuseth daunger, coste or charge, in the defence or procuryng,better state to his countrie. The worthie saiyng of Epami-nundas declareth, who liueth to his countrie, who diyng va-liauntlie in the felde, beyng thrust thorow with the speare ofhis enemie, asked those questions of these that stoede by himat the poincte of deathe, is my speare manfullie broken, andmy enemies chassed awaie, the whiche things his cōpanionsEpameunn-dasa most no[-]ble and vali-aunt pere.in warre affirmed, then saide he: nowe your Capitaine Epa-minundas beginneth to liue in that he dieth valiauntlie forhis countrie, and in the proffite & aduauncement of the same,a worthie man, noble and valiaunte, his sentence also wasworthie to be knowen, and followed of all suche as bee wellaffected and Godlie mynded to their countrie. Marcus Mar-cellus of like sorte, and Titus Manlius Torquatus, & Sci-pio Aemilianus, Marcus Attilius shewed in what hye priceour naturall countrée ought to bee had, by their valiaunt at-chifes, and enterprises: I might passe by in silēce Scipio Ca-to, and Publius Scipio Nasica, but that thei by like fame,honour and glorie liue immortall to their countrie, the samealso of Uibeus, Ualerius Flaccus, and Pedanius Centuriogiueth ampell and large matter to all menne, endued withnobilitie and valiaunt proues, for the defence of their coun-trie with Quintus Coccius, Marcus Sceua and Sceuola.¶ Possibilitie.THere nedeth no doute to rise of possibilitie, seingethat examples doe remain of famous men, of god-lie and well affected persones, whiche haue withlike magnanimitie putte in daunger their life, toThe order ofAthenes.saue their Prince, kyngdome, and countrie. Greate honourwas giuen of the Athenians, to soche noble and valiauntemen, whiche ventered their liues for their common wealthe,to maintaine the florishyng state thereof. The eloquente andThusidides.copious oracion of Thusidides, the true, faithfull, and elo-quente Historiographer doeth shewe: what honour and im-mortall fame was attributed, to all soche as did venter theirliues, in the florishyng state of their countrie, in supportyng,mainteinyng, and defendyng thesame. Who, although theiloste their liues, whiche by death should bee dissolued, theirfame neuer buried, liueth with the soule to immortalitie, thelosse of their Priuate wealthe, glorie, riches, substaunce, ordignitie, hath purchased and obtained fame, that witherethnot, and glorie that faileth not.¶ Agreyng and comelie.BOthe the true Histories, doe leaue in commenda-cion, the facte of Zopyrus, and the noble and wor-thie enterprises of other: whiche haue giuen thelike assaie, and their fame is celebrated and titeledwith immortall commendacion and glorie, to the posteritieThe duetieof all goodsubiectes.of all ages followyng. What harte can bee so stonie, or bru-tishly affected, that wil not venter his life, goodes, landes, orpossessions: if with the daunger of one, that is of hymself, thewhole bodie and state of his countrie, is thereby supported,and saued. What securitie and quietnesse remained, whatwealth, honour, or fame to Zopyrus: if not onely Zopyrushad perished, but the kyng & people vniuersally had been de-stroied. Therevpon Zopyrus weighing and cōsideryng, theThe cause ofour birthe.state of his birthe, that his countrie chalenged his life, ratherthen the dissolucion of the whole kyngdome, the decaie of thePrince, the takyng awaie of the scepter, the slaughter of in-finite people to ensue. He was borne to be a profitable mem-ber to his countrie, a glorie and staie to thesame: and not spa-ryng his life, or shunnyng the greate deformitie of his bo-die, to bee a ruine of thesame. Was it not better that one pe-rished, then by the securitie of one, a whole lande ouer run-ned, as partes thereby spoiled: it was the duetie of Zopirus,to take vpon hym that greate and famous enterprise. It wasalso comelie, the kyngdome standyng in perill, a sage anddescrite persone to preuente and putte of, soche a daunger atThe facte ofZopyrus.hande: The faicte altogether sheweth all vertue and greatesingularitie, and a rare moderacion of minde, to cast of all re-spectes and excuses, forsakyng presentlie honour, quietnesseand obiecting himself to perill, he sawe if he onelie died, or byieopardie saued his countrie, many thereby liued, the kyng-dome & people florished, where otherwise, he with his Princeand kyngdome might haue perished.¶ Proffitable.The fact ofZopyrus.AL the power of the Babilonians, was by his pol-icie throwen doune, the Citee taken, the enemiebrought to confusion: on the other side, the Persi-ans rose mightie, soche a mightie enemie put vn-derfoote. The fame of Zopyrus and glorie of the facte, willneuer be obliterated, or put out of memorie, if this were notprofitable to the kyngdome of Persia: if this were not a re-Zopyrus de-formed, abeautie of hiscountree.noume to the prince and people, and immortall glory toZo-pryusiudge ye. Zopyrus therfore, beautified his countrée, bythe deformitie of his bodie. Better it wer to haue many sochedeformed bodies, then the whole state of the realme destroiedor brought to naught: if we weigh the magnanimitie of thatman, and his enterprise, there is so moche honour in the fact,that his fame shall neuer cease.¶ A common place.Why it is cal-led a commonplace.ACommon place is a Oracion, dilatyng and ampli-fiyng good or euill, whiche is incidente or lodged inany man. This Oracion is called a common place,because the matter conteined in it, doeth agree vniuersally toall menne, whiche are partakers of it, and giltie of thesame[.]A Oracion framed againste a certaine Thefe, Extorcio-ner, Murderer, or Traitor, is for the matter conteined in it,metelie and aptlie compiled, against all soche as are giltie oftheft, murder, treason, or spotted with any other wickednes.This oracion of a common place, is like to the laste argu-ment orEpilogusof any oracion, whiche the Grekes doe callDeuterologian, whiche is as moche to saie, as a rehearsall ofthat whiche is spoken of before.Wherefore, a common place hath noexhordium, or be-ginnyng, yet neuerthelesse, for the profite and exercise of thelearner, you maie place soche aproemium, or beginnyng ofthe oracion, as maie be easie to induce the learner.This parte ofRhetorikeis large to intreate vpon, for theaboundaunce of matter.This part ofRhetorikeis large to intreate vpon, for theaboundaunce of matter.The common place, whiche Aphthonius intreateth of, isto be aplied against any man, for the declaimor to inuade, ei-ther against vices, or to extoll and amplifie his vertues.This oracion of a common place, serueth bothe for the ac-cuser and the defender.For the accuser, to exasperate and moue the Iudges orhearers, against the offender, or accused.For the defendour to replie, and with all force & strengthof matter, to mollifie and appease the perturbacions of theIudges and hearers, to pulle doune and deface the contrariealledged.There is greate force in this oracion, on bothe the sides.Properlie this kinde ofRhetorike, is called a commonplace, though it semeth to be made againste this man, or thatman: because the matter of thesame shall properly pertain toall, giltie of thesame matter.Pristianus.Pristianus sheweth, that this parte ofRhetorike, is as itwere a certaine exaggeracion of reason, to induce a manifestprobacion of any thyng committed.As for example, a Theife taken in a robberie, in whomneither shamefastnesse, nor sparcle of grace appereth againstsoche a one: this oracion maie be made, to exasperate the Iud-ges from all fauour or affeccion of pitie, to be shewed.¶ The order of the Oracion followethwith these notes to be made by.¶ The firste Proheme.DEmosthenes the famous Orator of Athenes inhis oraciō made against Aristogitō doeth saie,What areLawes.that Lawes wherewith a common wealthe, ci-tie or Region is gouerned, are the gifte of God,a profitable Discipline among men, a restraintto with holde and kepe backe, the wilfull, rashe, and beastilieAristotle.Plato.life of man, and therupō Aristotle and Plato doe shewe, thatthrough the wicked behauour of men, good lawes were firstordained, for, of ill maners, saie thei, rose good lawes, whereOrder.lawes doe cease, and good order faileth, there the life of manwill growe, rude, wild and beestlie: Man beyng a chiefe crea-Man borneby nature tosocietee.tureorGod, indued with manie singuler vertues, is framedof nature to a mutuall and Godlie societie of life, withoutthe whiche moste horrible wolde the life bee, for not onlie byconcorde and agremente, the life of man dothe consiste but althings on the earth haue therin their being: the heauens andlightes conteined in the same, haue a perpetuall harmonie& concente in finishyng their appointed race. The elementesAll thingesbeyng on theyearth, dooeconsiste by aharmonie orconcorde.of the worlde, where with the nature and substaunce of allthinges, doe consiste onlie by a harmonie and temperature ofeche parte, haue their abidyng increase & prosperous beyng,otherwise their substaunce, perisheth and nature in all partesdecaieth: Kyngdomes and common wealthes doe consiste ina harmonie, so long as vertue and all singularitie tempereththeir state and gouernemente, and eche member thereof obe-ieth his function, office and callynge, and as partes of the-same bodie, euerie one as nature hath ordained theim occu-piyng, their roume and place, the vse of euerie parte, all to thevse and preseruacion of the hole bodie, and as in the bodie soin the common wealthe, the like concorde of life oughte to bein euery part, the moste principall parte accordyng to his di-gnitie of office, as moste principall to gouerne thother inferi-or partes: and it thei as partes moste principal of thesame bo-die with all moderacion and equabilitie tēperyng their state,Order con-serueth com-mon wealth.office and calling. The meanest parte accordyng to his lowestate, appliyng hym selfe to obeie and serue the moste prin-cipall: wherein the perfecte and absolute, frame of commonwealthe or kyngdome is erected. And seyng that as the Phi-losophers doe saie, of ill maners came good lawes, that is tosaie, the wicked and beastlie life of man, their iniurius beha-uiour, sekyng to frame themselues from men to beastes mo-Euil manerswas the occa-sion of goodLawes.ued the wise and Godlie, elders to ordaine certaine meanes,to rote discipline, whereby the wickedlie disposed personneshould bee compelled to liue in order, to obeie Godlie lawes,to the vpholdyng of societie. Therefore, all suche as dissoluelawes, caste doune good order, and state of common wealth,out as putride and vnprofitable weedes, to be extirpated andplucked vp from Citie and Common wealthe, from societie,who by mischeuous attemptes seke, to extinguishe societie,amitie, and concord in life. Princes & gouernors with al othermagistrates ought in their gouernment to imitate the prac-tise of the Phisician, the nature of man,wekednedand madefeble with to moche abundaunce of yll humors, or ouermochwith ill bloode replenished, to purge and euacuate that, andall to the preseruacion and healthe of the whole bodie: for sowas the meanyng of the Philosopher, intreatyng of the po-litike, gouernment of kingdome and commonwealth, whenTheiues notmete to be inany societie.thei compared a kingdome to the bodie of man: the thefe androbber as a euill and vnprofitable member, and all other aswithout all right, order, lawe, equitie and iustice, doe breakesocietie of life, bothe against lawe and nature: possessing thegoodes of a other man, are to bee cutte of, as no partes, méeteto remaine in any societie.¶ The seconde Proheme.Why theiuesand wickedmen, are cutof by lawe.THe chifest cause that moued gouernours and ma-gistrates, to cutte of the race of theues, and violēterobbers, and of all other mischeuous persons, wasthat by them a confusion would ensue in al states.What Citee could stande in prosperous state, yea, or whathouse priuatlie inhabited, where lawes and aucthoritee wereexiled: where violence, will, luste, and appetite of pestiferousmen, might without terrour bee practised. If the labour andindustrie of the godlie, should be alwaie a praie to yewicked,and eche mannes violence and iniurious dealyng, his ownelawe, the beaste in his state, would bee lesse brutishe and in-iurious. Who so seketh to caste doune this societée, he is notméete to be of any societée, whiche he dissolueth. Who so rob-beth or stealeth, to liue by the gooddes of an other manne, ashis possession, is by violence and againste Nature: so by vio-A due rewar[-]des for thie-ues and mur-therers.lence and against nature, their pestiferous doinges do frametheir confusion: their execrable &destetablepurpose, do maketheim a outcaste from all good people, and as no membersthereof, cut of from all societée, their euill life rooteth perpetu-al ignomie and shame. And thus is the tragicall ende of theirenterprise.¶ The contrarie.Democratia.HErein the lose and dissolute state of gouernmentecalled of the Grekes Democratia, haue conten-ted the wilfull heddes of pestiferous men: where-in euery man must bee a ruler. Their owne willis their Lawe: there luste setteth order, no Magistrate, buteuery one to hymself a Magistrate. All thynges in common,as long as that state doeth remain emong the wicked, a mosthappie state coumpted, a wished state to idell persones, but itThe thiefe.The mur-therer.continueth not. Herein the murtherer, the thiefe were meeteto be placed. The greater thiefe, the better manne: the mosteexecrable murtherer, a moste mete persone, for soche state ofgouernemente. There is no nacion vnder the Sunne, butthat one tyme or other, this troublous state hath molestedtheim: and many haue sought to sette vp soche a monsterousstate of regiment, a plagued common wealthe, and to be de-tested. Soche was the order of men, when thei liued withoutlawes. When the whole multitude were scattered, no citee,Toune, or house builded or inhabited, but through beastliemaners, beastlie dispersed, liued wilde and beastlie. Butthe wise, sage, and politike heddes reduced by wisedome, intoHouses.Families.Tounes.Citees.a societie of life, nature leadyng thereto: Houses and habita-cions, were then for necessitie made, families multiplied, vil-lages and Tounes populouslie increased, and Citees raisedemong so infinite people. Nature by God inuented and sta-blished Lawe, and the sage and wise persones, pronouncedand gaue sentence vpon Lawes. Whereupon, by the obedi-ence of lawes, and preeminente aucthoritie of Magistrates:The state of mightie Kyngdomes and Common wealthes,haue growen to soche a roialnesse and loftie state, many fa-mous kingdomes haue been on the face of the yearth: manynoble Princes from tyme to tyme succedyng, whiche with-Obedience ofLawes didstablishe themightie mo-narchies.out a order of godlie lawes, could not haue continued. Whatwas the cause that the mightie Monarchies, continued manyhundred yeres: did the losse of dissolute life of subiectes andPrinces, cause thesame but good lawes, and obedience to or-ders. Therefore, where Magistrates, bothe in life and office,The life ofthe Magi-strate, a lawe[.]liue in the obedience of Lawes: the multitude inferiour, byexample of the Magistrates singularitie, incensed dooe placebefore them, their example of life, as a strong lawe.The EpistleofTheodosi-uusEmpe-ror of Rome[.]Theodosius Emperor of Rome, writyng to Uolusianushis chief Pretor, as concernyng his office, in these woordes,saieth:Digna vox est maiestate regnantis legibus alligatum seprincipem profiteri. Adeo de autoritate Iuris nostra pendetautoritas et reuera maius imperio est submittere legibus prin[-]cipatum & oraculo presentis edicti quod nobis licere non pa-timur alijs indicamus.It is a worthie saiyng, and meete forthe Maiestie of a Prince, to acknowledge hymself vnder hislawe. For, our aucthoritie, power, and sworde, doeth dependevpon the force, might, and aucthoritie of Lawes, and it pas-seth all power and aucthoritie, his gouernemente and kyng-dome to be tempered by lawe, as a moste inuiolable Oracleand decrée, so to doe as weprouulgateto other. Whereuponit is manifeste, what force godlie lawes gaue to the Prince,what aucthoritie. Take lawes awaie, all order of states fai-PrincesLawe.leth, the Prince by Lawe, is a terrour to the malefactour: hisMaiestie is with all humblenesse serued, feared, and obeied.By lawes, his state maketh hym as a God, emong menne, atwhose handes the preseruacion of eche one, of house, citee andcountrie is sought. Seing bothe lawes and the Prince,hanethat honour and strength, that without them, aChaosa con-fusion would followe, in the bodie of all common wealthesand kyngdomes. Let them by aucthoritie and lawe bee con-founded, that practise to subuerte aucthoritie, to neclecte thePrince, and his godlie lawes.¶ The exposicion.Theiues andall iniuriouspersones.THe theife, or any other iniurious persone, doeth seketo bée aboue all lawes, exempted from all order, vn-der no obedience, their pestiferous dealyng, dooe vt-Demosthe-nes in Ari-stogiton.ter thesame: For, as Demosthenes the famous Orator of A-thenes doeth saie. If that wicked men cease not their violēceif that good men in all quietnes and securitie, can not enioyetheir ownegoddes, while lawe and aucthoritie of the magi-strate, seuerelie and sharply vseth his aucthoritie and sword.If dailie the heddes of wicked men, cease not to subuerte la-wes, orders, and decrees godlie appoincted. Whiles that inall Citees and common wealthes, the Princes and gouer-The force oflawes.nours, are by lawes a terror to them. Lawes then ceasyng,the dreadfull sentēce of the Iudge and Magistrate wanting.The sworde vndrawen, all order confounded, what a con-fusion would followe: yea, what an open passage would beelefte open to all wickednesse. The terrour of Lawes, thesworde and aucthoritie of the Magestrate, depresseth and put[-]teth doune, the bloodie cogitacions of the wicked, and so hin-dereth and cutteth of, many horrible and bloodie enterprises.Els there would bee neither Prince, Lawe, nor subiecte, nohedde or Magistrate: but euery manne his owne hedde, hisowne lawe and Magistrate, oppression and violence shouldbee lawe, and reason, and wilfull luste would bee in place ofreason, might, force, and power, should ende the case. Where-fore, soche as no lawe, no order, nor reason, will driueloliueas members in a common wealthe, to serue in their functiō.Wicked menburdeins ofthe yearth.Thei are as Homere calleththe:m, burdeins to the yearth,for thei are of no societie linked with Nature, who throughwickednesse are disseuered, abhorryng concorde of life, socie-tie and felowship. Whom sinister and bitter stormes of for-tune, doe daiely vexe and moleste, who in the defence of theirMaimed sol-diours mustebe prouidedfor.countrie are maimed, and thereby their arte and science, for,imbecilitie not practised, all art otherwise wantyng, extremepouertee fallyng on them, reason muste moue, and induce allhartes, to pitée chieflie their state: who in defence and main-teinaunce of our Countrie, Prince, and to the vpholdyng ofour priuate wealthe at home, are become debilitated, defor-med and maimed, els their miseries will driue them to sochehedlesse aduentures, that it maie bee saied, as it was saied toThe saiyngof a souldiourto Alexanderthe greate.Alexander the Greate. Thy warres, O Prince, maketh ma-ny theues, and peace will one daie hang them vp. Whereinthe Grecians, as Thusidides noteth, had a carefull proui-dence, for all soche as in the defence of their Countrie weremaimed, yea, euen for their wiues, and children of all soche,as died in warre, to be mainteined of the commō charge andthreasure of Grece. Reade his Oracion in the seconde booke,made vpon the funerall of the dedde soldiours.¶ A comparison of vices.The drūkard[.]The proudepersone.The prodigal[.]The couei-teous.The robber.THe dronkarde in his state is beastlie, the proudeand arrogante persone odious, the riotous andprodigall persone to be contempned, the couei-tous and nigardlie manne to bee reiected. Butwho so by violence, taketh awaie the goodes ofan other man, or by any subtill meanes, iniustlie possesseththesame, is detestable, with all seueritée to be punished. TheThe adul-terer.The harlot.adulterer and the harlotte, who by brutishe behauiour, leudeaffection, not godlines leadyng thereto: who by their vnchastbehauior, and wanton life doe pollute, and cōtaminate theirbodie, in whom a pure minde ought to be reposed. Who tho-rowe beastly affeccion, are by euill maners transformed tobeastes: and as moche as in theim lieth, multipliyng a bru-The homi-cide.tishe societie. The homicide in his state more horrible, accor-dyng to his outragious and bloodie life, is to bee tormented,in like sort all other vices, accordyng to their mischiues, rea-son, Lawe and Iustice, must temper and aggrauate due re-ward, and sentence to them.¶ The sentence.Thefte horri[-]ble amōg theScitheans.NO vice was more greuous, and horrible emongthe Scithians then thefte, for this was their sai-yng:Quid saluum esse poterit si licet furari, whatcan be safe, if thefte bee lefull or tolerated. HereinA sentence a-genst thefte.the vniuersalle societée of life is caste doune, hereby a confu-sion groweth, and a subuersion in all states immediatlie fol-loweth, equitee, iustice, and all sincere dealyng is abaundo-ned, violence extirpateth vertue, and aucthoritie is cutte of.¶ The digression.THE facte in other maie be with more facilitée to-lerated, in that to theim selues, the facte and con-uersacion of life is moste pernicious, and hurtfull,but by soche kinde of menne, whole kyngdomesand common wealthes would bee ouerthrowen. And for aprosperous state and common wealthe, a common woe andHorrible vi-ces.calamitée would fall on them, tumultes and vprores main-tained, right and lawe exiled: neither in field quietnes, welthor riches, houses spoiled, families extinguished, in all placessedicion, warre for peace, violence for right, will and lust forUserers.lawe, a hedlesse order in all states. And as concernyng Usu-rers, though their gaines be neuer so ample, and plentifull,to enriche them, whereby thei growe to be lordes, ouer manythousandes of poundes: yet the wealthe gotten by it, is so in-iurious, that thei are a greate plague, to all partes of the cō-mon wealthe: so many daungers and mischiues, riseth of thē[.]Cato the noble and wise Senator of Rome, being demaun-ded diuers questions, what was firste to bee sought, in a fa-milie or housholde, the aunsweres not likyng the demaun-The sentenceof Cato a-gainst vsu-rers.Usure is mur[-]ther.der: this question was asked, O Cato, what sentēce giue youof Usurie, that is a goodlie matter to bee enriched by. ThenCato aunswered in fewe woordes.Quid hominem occidere.What saie you to be a murderer? Soche a thyng saieth he, isUsurie. A brief sentence againste Usurers, but wittely pro-nounced from the mouth of a godlie, sage, noble, and descritepersone, whiche sentence let the Usurer, ioigne to his Usuryretourned, and repeate at the retourne thereof, this sentenceThe sentenceof Cato a dis-comfort to v-surers.of Cato, I haue murthered. This one sentence will discou-rage any Usurer, knowyng hymself a murtherer. Thoughmoche more maie be spoken against it, this shalbe sufficient.The Hebrues calleth Usurie, by the name ofShecke, that isa bityng gaine, of the whiche many haue been so bitten, thatwhole families haue been deuoured, & beggerie haue beentheir gaine. And as Palingenius noteth.Debitor aufugiens portat cum fænore sortem.The debtour often tymes saieth he, runneth awaie, andcarieth with hym, the debte and gaines of the Usurie. TheGrekes calleth UsurieTokos, that is properlie the trauaileof women of their childe: soche is their Usurie, a daungerousgettyng. Demosthenes likeneth their state as thus, as if ter-restriall thynges should be aboue the starres: and the heauēsUsure a dan-gerousgaue.and celestialle bodies, gouerned by the base and lowe terre-striall matters, whiche by no meanes, can conserue the ex-cellencie of them, for, of them onely, is their matter, substaūceand nature conserued.¶ Exclusion of mercie.WHerefore, to whom regimente and gouerne-mente is committed, on whose administracion,the frame of the cōmon wealth doe staie it self:thei ought with al wisedome and moderacion,to procede in soche causes, whose office in wor-Princes andmagistratesbe as Godson the earth.thinesse of state, and dignitée, maketh thē as Goddes on theyearth, at whose mouthes for wisedome, counsaill, and for-tunate state, infinite people doe depende. It is no smal thingin that their sword & aucthoritée, doeth sette or determine allthinges, that tendereth a prosperous state, whereupon withall integritée and equitée, thei ought to temper the affeccionsof their mynde: and accordyng to the horrible facte, and mis-chiues of the wicked, to exasperate & agrauate their terribleiudgemente, and to extirpate from the yearth, soche as be ofThe homicide.The Theue.The Adulte-rer.no societie in life. The bloodie homicide, the thief, the adul-terer, for by these all vertue is rooted out, all godlie societieextinguished, citees, realmes, and countrées, prostrate & pla-gued for the toleracion of their factes, against soch frendshipin iudgemente muste cease, and accordyng to the state of thecause, equitee to retaine frendship, money muste not blinde,nor rewardes to force and temper Iudgementes: but accor-dyng to the veritee of the cause, to adde a conclusion. Wor-Whey the pi-ctures of ma-gistrates beepicturid with-oute handes.thelie the pictures of Princes, Gouernours and Magistratesin auncient tymes doe shewe this, where the antiquitée ma-keth theim without handes, therein it sheweth their office,and iudgemente to proceade with equitée, rewardes not toblind, or suppresse the sinceritée of the cause. Magistrates notto bee bounde to giftes, nor rewardes to rule their sentence.Alciatusin his boke calledEmblemata, in senatū sancti prin-cipis.Princes andmagistratesgraue & con-stante.Effigies manibus trunc[ae] ante altaria diuumHic resident, quarum lumine capta priorSigna potestatis summ[ae], sanctiq[ue] senatus,Thebanis fuerant ista reperta viris.Cur resident? Quia mente graues decet esse quietaIuridicos, animo nec variare leui.Cur sine sunt manibus? Capiant ne xenia, nec sePollicitis flecti muneribus ve sinant.Cecus est princeps quod solis auribus, absq[ue]Affectu constans iussa senatus agit.Where vertue and integritée sheweth it self, in the personeand cause, to vpholde and maintein thesame. Roote out hor-rible vices from common wealthe, that the more surer andstronge foundacion of vertue maie be laied: for, that oneliecause, the scepter of kinges, the office of magistrates was leftto the posteritée of all ages.¶ Lawfull and iuste.¶ Lawfull and iust.Lawes giueequitie to allstates.SEyng that lawes bee godlie, and vniuersally theitemper equitée to all states, and giue according toiustice, euery man his owne: he violateth vertue,that dispossesseth an other manne of his own, andWhat driuethyemagistrateto horriblesentence a-gainst wickedpersons.wholie extinguisheth Iustice. And thereupon his beastly lifeby merite forceth and driueth, lawe and Magistrate, to terri-ble iudgement. For, who so against right, without order, orlawe, violateth an other man, soche a one, lawes of iustice,muste punishe violentlie, and extirpate from societée, beynga dissoluer of societee.¶ Profitable.IF soche wicked persones be restrained, and seuereliepunished, horrible vices will be rooted out: all artes[,]sciences, and godlie occupacions mainteined, vphol-ded and kept. Then there must bée a securitée in all states, toMagistrate.Subiect.practise godlines, a mutuall concorde. The Magistrate withequitée, the subiecte with faithful and humble obedience, ac-complishyng his state, office, and callyng. Whereupon bygood Magistrates, and good subiectes, the common wealtheand kyngdom is in happie state stablished. For, in these twooPlato.poinctes, as Plato doeth saie, there is vertuous rule, and likeobedience.¶ Easie and possible.The begyn-nyng of viceis to be cutaf.AL this maie easely be doen, when wickednes is cutteof, in his firste groweth, when the magistrate driuethcontinually, by sworde and aucthoritée, all menne toobedience, bothe of lawes andgouernuurs. Then in al goodcommon wealthes, vices are neuer tolerated to take roote: be-cause the beginnyng and increase of vices, is sone pulled vp,his monsterous kyngdome thereby ouerthrowen.¶ The conclusion.SO doyng, happie shall the kyng be, happie kyngdome,and moste fortunate people.¶ The parte of Rhetorike, called praise.HisOracion, which is titeled praise, is a declamaciōof the vertuous or good qualitées, propertees belon-gyng to any thyng, whiche doeth procede by certainenotes of arte.All thynges that maie be seen, with the iye of man, tou-ched, or with any other sence apprehended: that maie be prai-sed, or dispraised.
¶ Unpossible, and not agreyng.
Nature ab-horreth thewarre of theGrecians.IF wee weigh naturall affeccion, it can not bee, thatthe Grecians so moche abhorring frō nature, shouldcast of the naturall loue of their wifes, their childrenand countrie, to bryng home againe, by slaughter of infinitepeople: soche an one as had left honestie, and chaste loue ofher housbande. For, what praise can redounde to the Greci-Helena.ans by warre, to bryng home Helena, though she of all crea-tures was moste beautifull, beyng a harlotte: followyng thebridell and will of an other man. Maie shame or commenda-cion rise to the Troians, can wisedome, counsaile, or grauitie,Priamus.defende the adulterous luste of Priamus soonne, yea, couldPriamus so loue Helena, for Paris his sonnes sake, as thathe had rather venter the ruine and destruccion of his citée, andthe falle of his people, the murder and ruine of his children,and wife for the beautie of one. For what is beautie, wherehonestie and vertue lacketh, it is an vncomly matter, thoughthe Poetes so faigne it, not onely that in heauen, a contenciōshould fall emong the Goddises of their beautie, or that Iu-piter of whom thei make an ignoraunt God, to chuse Paristhe kynges sonne of Troie, chief arbitratour & Iudge of thatmatter, to whō he should giue the goldē Apell to her beautie,as chief of al other, was ascribed these thynges, are vndecentto thinke of the Goddeses, and moste of all, to thinke there ismore Goddes then one. And euen as these are vanities, andforged imaginacions of the Goddes, so of the battaile.
¶ Uncomelie and vnprofitable.
THE daunger of many people doeth shewe, that nosoche thyng should happen, either of the Greciansor of the Troians: for, it is a matter dissonaunt frōall truthe, that thei should so moche neclecte thequiete state, and prosperous renoume of their kyngdome, inall tymes and ages, since the firste constitucion of all Monar-chies and kyngdomes. Who euer harde soche a forged mat-ter to be Chronicled, and set forthe. Or who can giue crediteto soche warre, to be enterprised of so small a matter: to leauethe state of waightier thynges for one woman. All the wo-men of that countrie to stande in perill, the slaughter of theirdeare housbandes, the violent murder of their children to in-sue. Therefore, the wilfulnesse of people and princes, are thecause of the falle and destruccion, of many mightie kyngdo-mes, and Empires. The fall of Grece ensued, when the chiefAmbicion.Cesar fell byambicion.citées, Athenes and Lacedemonie tooke partes, and did con-federate diuers citees to them, to assiste theim, and aide theimin battaile onely: ambicion and desire of glorie, moued botheDiscorde.the Athenians and Lacedemonians, frō concorde and vnitieby whiche meanes, the power, glory, and strēgth of all king-Pompey.domes falleth. Ambicion was the cause that mightie Pom-pey fell, and died violently. Cesar likewise caught with am-bicion, not bearyng the equalitée, or superioritie of Pompei,was tourned of violentlie frō Fortunes whéele. Many prin-ces of like sorte and kingdomes. By ambicion onely, had thecause of their ruine. The glorie of the Assirian Monarchiegrewe moste mightie, by the ambicion of Ninus kyng ofBabilon: the ofspring of Ninus, whiche were kynges line-allie descendyng to the firste kyngdome of the Medes, botheinlarged their kyngdomes, and also had the decaie of theimby ambicion. Let the Medes also associate them selues to thē,from Arbactus the first kyng, vnto Astiages the laste: the be-ginnyng and falle of the Persian Monarchie. The mightieRomulus kil[-]led Remusby ambicion.state of Grece, the seate Imperiall of Rome, by ambiciō firstextolled theim selues: and also by it, their glorie, scepter, andkyngdome was translated, but the falle of Troie came not,by ambicion, that the Grecians sought. But as the Poetesdoe faigne, the beautie of one woman so wounded their har-tes, that the Grecians did hasarde, the perilles of their coun-trie. The Troians so moche estemed, the beautie of Helena,as that the state of all their kyngdome perished. It was noglorie nor honour to the Grecians, to resiste by armour, andto defende the violente takyng awaie of Helena, from herhousbande: nor it was no honour, the Grecians to pursue byarmour, the takynge awaie of Helena, beyng a harlotte. Sothat by no meanes it can followe, these thynges to bee true,of the battaile of Troie.
¶ Confirmacion.
The other part, contrary to destruccion or subuersion, iscalled confirmacion.
Confirmacion, hath in it so greate force of argumente, tostablishe and vpholde the cause or proposicion: as destruccionhath in castyng doune the sentence or proposicion.
Confirmacion is a certain oracion, whiche with a certainreprehension of the persone or facte, by order and waie of art,casteth doune, the contrary propounded.
As in the other parte called destruccion, those proposici-ons are to bee subuerted, whiche are not manyfestlie true,with all other notes before specified: so in contrariwise, thisoracion by contrary notes is declaimed by, as for example.
1.It shall behoue you first, for the entring of the oracion, toinduce a reprehension againste those, whiche haue confutedas a truthe, that whiche you will confirme.
2.In the seconde parte, place the exposicion and meanyngof the aucthours sentence.
3.Shewe the matter to be manifest.
4.Credible.
5.Prossible.
6.Agreyng to the truthe.
7.Shewe the facte comelie.
8.Profitable.
This exercise ofRhetotike, doeth contain in it all strēgthof arte, as who should saie, all partes ofRhetorikemaie co-piouslie bee handled in this parte, called confirmacion. Youmaie as matter riseth, ioigne twoo notes together, as thereason of the argumente cometh in place, whiche Apthoniusa Greke aucthour herein vseth. As manifest and credible, pos-sible and agreyng to truthe, comelie and profitable, but in althese, as in all the reste: the theme or proposicion by it self, isto bee placed, the reprehension of the aucthour by it self, theexposicion of the theme by it self.
¶ The theme or proposicion.
IT is true that is saied of Zopyrus, the noble Per-sian, who vētered his life: & did cause the deformi-tie of his bodie, for the sauegarde of this countrie.
¶ The praise.
Iustinus.IUstinus the Historiographer, for worthinesseof fame and wisedome, deserueth in the poste-ritie of all tymes, immortall fame, by whomthe famous actes of Princes, and other nobleChroniclesmoste neces-sary to be red.men, doe remaine Chronicled. Giuyng exam-ples of all valiauntnesse and vertue: for, bothe the actes andworthie feactes of Princes, would passe as vnknowen in allages, excepte the worthinesse of them, were in monumentesof writyng Chronicled. For, by the fame of their worthines,and vertues, cōmon wealthes and kyngdomes, doe stablisheand make Lawes, the hartes of people are incensed, and in-flamed, to the like nobilitie of actes, and famous enter-The worthi-nesse of histo-ries.prices, Histories of auncient tymes, bee vnto vs witnesses ofall tymes and ages, of kyngdomes and common wealthes, aliuely example. A light to all truthe and knowlege, a schole-What is a hi-storie.maister: of maners a memorie of life, for, by it we se the wise-dom of all ages, the forme of the beste and florishing commonwealthes. We learne by the vertues of Princes and gouer-nours, to followe like steppe of vertue: to flie and auoide vi-ces, and all soche thynges, as are to the destruccion and de-An ignorantlife, a brutishlife.caie, of realme and countrie. How brutishe wer our life, if weknewe no more then we se presently, in the state of our com-mon wealthe and kyngdome. The kyngdomes of all Prin-ces and common wealthes that now florisheth, doe stande bythe longe experience, wisedome, pollicy, counsaile, and god-lie lawes of Princes of auncient times, no smal praise andThe know-lege of Histo-ries makethvs as it wereliuyng in allages.Historiogri-phers.commendation can be attributed, to all suche as doe trauellin the serching out the veritie of auncient Histories, for bi theknoledge of them, we are as it were liuyng in all ages, thefall of all kyngdomes is manifeste to vs, the death of Prin-ces, the subuersions of kingdomes and common wealthes,who knoweth not the first risyng & ende of the Assiriane mo-narchie, the glorie of the Persians, and the ruynge of thesame, the mightie Empire of the Grekes, risyng & fallyng,the Romane state after what sorte florishyng and decaiyng,so that no state of common wealthe or kyngdome is vnkno-wen to vs, therefore Iustine, and all suche as doe leue to theposteritie, the state of al things chronicled, deserue immortalcommendacions.
¶ The exposicion.
The treasonof the Assy-rians.IN the time of Darius kyng of the Persians, theAssyriās who ware subiects to him, sence the timeof Cirus the firste kynge of the Persians, rebel-led, inuaded and toke the myghtie Citie of Babi-lon, whiche beyng possessed, with much difficultie, and notDarius.withoute greate daungers coulde bee attained. Darius thekynge hearyng of the treason of the Assyrians and that theBabilon ta-ken of the As-syrians.mightie Citie of Babilon was taken, was very wroth wai-ynge with him selfe, that there by, the ruyne of the Persiankyngdome mighte happen. Zopyrus one of the .vij. noblePeres of Persia, seing the daunger of the countrie, the stateof the Prince, and the welfare of the subiectes to decaie, in thesafegarde of his countrie, leuyng all priuate commoditie, forthe behoufe and felicitie of the Persian kyngdome, did ven-The fact ofZopyrus.ter his owne life, commaunded his seruauntes at home toteare and rēte his bodie with whippes, to cut of his nose, hislippes and his eares, these thinges being vnknowen to Da-rius the kynge. As sone as Darius sawe Zopyrus so torneZopyrus cau[-]sed the defor-mitie of hisbodie, for thegood state ofhis countrie.and deformed, bewailed his state being astonished, at so hor-rible a faict: but Zopyrus shewed to the kynge his hole in-tente and purpose that he mynded to go to Babylon, whichethe Assyrians dyd traitorouslie possesse, & complained as thatthese things had ben don by the tyrannie and crueltie of Da-rius, he wēt to Babilon, and there complained of the cruel-tie of his kyng, whereby purchasyng the fauor and loue ofthe Assyrians, he shewed them how Darius came to be kyngnot by worthines, not by vertue, not by the common consentof men, but by the neynge of a horse. Zopyrus therefore ad-monished them, that they should trust more to their armour,The pollicieof Zopyrus.then to their walles, he willed them to proclame opē warre,forthwith they encountred with the Persians, and for a timevictorie fel on the Babilonians side, suche was the pollice ofZopyrus. The Assyrians reioised of the successe and felicitieof their warres, the king of the Babilonians gaue to Zopy-rus, the chiefe power & office, to leede a mightie armie, of thewhiche beynge Lieutenaunt, he betraied the Babiloniansand their Citie.
¶ Manifeste.
Trogus Pō[-]peius.NOt onlie Trogus Pompeius the famous Historio-grapher, and Iustine which tooke the Story of him,but also the Greke writers doe sette forthe, as matterof truthe, the valiaunte enterprises of Zopyrus: so that thestraunge and mightie facte of him can not seme vncredible,Zopyrus.hauyng testimonie of it in all ages. Zopyrus hauing not re-spect to his owne life, to his owne priuate wealthe or glorie,did thereby put of the daunger that insued to the Persianekyngdome: It maie seme a greate matter, to a mynde notwell affected towarde his countrie, to destroie or deforme hisThe saiyngof Tullie.owne bodie, for the sauegarde of countrie or common welth.But if we waie the State of oure bearth, oure countrie cha-lengeth more at oure handes then frindes or parentes, soPlato.Aristotel.muche price Plato the Philosopher, and Aristotle doe attri-bute vnto our countrie, the volumes of all lawes and bokesdoe prefare oure naturall countrie before the priuate state ofThe state ofa publikewealthe, is tobee preferredbefore a pri-uate wealth.Pericles.owne manne, wealthe, glorie, honor, dignitie, and riches ofone or fewe, the Statutes of all Princes, sekyng the glorieof their countrie, doe prefare a vniuersal welthe, before a pri-uate and particulare commoditie. Pericles the noble Athe-nian in his oration made to the Athenians, sheweth that theglorie and welthe of one man or manie, cannot plante sucheglorie, and renowne to their countrie, as that in all partesthereby to be beautified and decorated, but whē glorie a hap-pie and florishyng state redoundeth to the kyngdome, thesubiectes, the nobelles and hye peres, the gouuernour stan-deth happie and fortunate. Who so hopeth in sparing costesand charges, monie or ornaments, to the behouf and imploi-ment of his countrie and not by all meanes to his power andstrength aydeth and defendeth his naturall countrie, fromA good sub-iecte is redieto liue anddie for hiscountrie.the daunger and inuasion of his enemie, what state inioyethhe, or what wealth remaineth priuatlie, when the trone andscepter of his kyng faileth, the enemie wasteth, spoileth anddestroieth all partes of his state, with the reste his life pe-risheth, so that no daunger, coste, is to bee refused, to seruethe kingdom and prince, by whose scepter, iustice, lawes, andequitie we are gouuerned, there is no subiect well affected,but that he onlie liueth to proffite his countrie, to liue & dyetherein.
¶ Probabell.
IF only Zopyrus had enterprised this valiaunt act,and that no memorie were remainyng in anie ageof the noble acts of other men, it may seme not true-lie chronacled, but from time to time, in all ages &cōmon wealthes, famous men for their acts & nobilitie haueben, whiche with like courrage and magnanimitie haue sa-Horacius Co[-]cles.ued their countrie, by the losse of their owne liues. HoratiusCocles is bothe a witnesse and a light to the same, by whoseaduenture the mightie and stronge Citie Rome was saued:For at what time as the Hetruscians entred on the citie, andwere on the bridge, Horatius cocles defendid the ende of thesame, baryng of the brunte, and stroke of the enemie, vntillthe Romans, for the sauegarde of the cytie, had broken dounthe bridge, as sone as Horatius Cocles sawe the Cytie thusdeliuered, and the repulse of the enemie, he lepte with his ar-mours into the flud Tibar, it semed he had not regard to hislife, that beyng burdened with the waighte and grauitie ofhis armour, durst venter his life to so main and depe a water.MarcusAttilius.Marcus Attilius in the defence of his Prince, his right handbeing cut of, the which he laide on the ship of the Massilians,forthwith he apprehended with the lefte hand, and ceased notCynegerus.vntill he hadde soouncke thesame ship. Cynegerus the Athe-nianlinethby fame and like nobilitie of actes, vēteryng hislife for his countrie. The mightie cytie of Athenes, broughtHismenias.Thrasibulus[.]vnder the dominions of the Lacedemonians. Thrasibulus,Hismenias and Lisias bi their aduenture, and noble atchiuereduced Athenes to his felicitie so moche loue, soo faithefullhartes they hadde towardes theire countreie. Leonides theKing of the Lacedemonians, defendyng the narow straightsof the cytie Thermopolie with fower thousand men againstthe mightie and huge armie of Xerxes, for Xerxes contemnedLeonideskyng of theLacedemo-nians.theire smalle number and armie: Leonides the kyng heardethat the place and hill of the battell was preuētid of .xx. thou-sande enemies, he exorted his souldiours parte of them to de-parte vntill a better time might be locked for, and onlie withthe Lacedemonians he proued the conflicte and the combate,although the campe of Xerxes was mightier & more in num-ber: yet Leonides the kyng thought it good for the sauegardeof his contrie, for saieth he, I must rather saue it, then to hauerespecte to my life, although the oracle of Delphos had fore-shewed, that euen Leonides muste die in the fielde or battellof the enemie, and therefore Leonides entred battail, & com-fortid his men for their countrie sake, as to die therein, there-fore he preuented the narrowe straightes of the countrie, andthe dangerous places, where the force of the enemie moughtbruste in, he lingered not, leste the enemie mighte compassehim in, but in the quiet season of the nighte, he set vppon hisenemie vnloked for, and they beynge but sixe hundred menLeonides.with the kyng Leonides, brust into the cāpe of their enemiesbeyng sixe hundred thousand menne, their valiauntnes wassuche, and theouerthoweof their enemies so great, and Xer-xes the kyng hauyng two woundes, retired with shame andAgesilaus.Conon.loste the honor. Agesilaus and Conon valiaunte in actes,and excellynge in all nobilitie, what great and mightie dan-gers haue thei atchiued and venterid for their countrie sake,howe moche haue thei neglectid their owne wealth, riches,life and glorie, for the aduauncement and honor of their coū-Lisander.trie. Lisander also the Lacedemonian, was indued with likenobilitie with faithfull and syncéer harte towarde his coun-Archidamus[.]Codrus.try. Archidamus also lieth not in obliuiō, whose fame deathburied not the famous aduenture of Codrus kyng of the A-thenians is maruelous and almoste incredible, but that theHistores, truelie set forth, and declare a manifest truthe ther-Epamniun-das.of, who is more famous then Epaminundas, bothe for vir-tue, nobilitie and marciall feates among the Thebans, theGrecians.mightie armie of the Grecians, at the longe sege of Troie,what valiaunte Capitains hadde thei, whiche in the defenceTroians.of their countrie hasarde their life: the Troians also wantednot for proues valiauntnes and al nobilitie, their péeres andRomans.nobles: amonge the Romans, what a greate number wasof noble peres, whose studie alwaies was to liue and dye inthe glorie, aide and defence of their countrie, for he liueth notby whose cowardlines fainted harte and courage, the contrieWho liueth inshame.or kyngdome standeth in perrill, he liueth in shame, that re-fuseth daunger, coste or charge, in the defence or procuryng,better state to his countrie. The worthie saiyng of Epami-nundas declareth, who liueth to his countrie, who diyng va-liauntlie in the felde, beyng thrust thorow with the speare ofhis enemie, asked those questions of these that stoede by himat the poincte of deathe, is my speare manfullie broken, andmy enemies chassed awaie, the whiche things his cōpanionsEpameunn-dasa most no[-]ble and vali-aunt pere.in warre affirmed, then saide he: nowe your Capitaine Epa-minundas beginneth to liue in that he dieth valiauntlie forhis countrie, and in the proffite & aduauncement of the same,a worthie man, noble and valiaunte, his sentence also wasworthie to be knowen, and followed of all suche as bee wellaffected and Godlie mynded to their countrie. Marcus Mar-cellus of like sorte, and Titus Manlius Torquatus, & Sci-pio Aemilianus, Marcus Attilius shewed in what hye priceour naturall countrée ought to bee had, by their valiaunt at-chifes, and enterprises: I might passe by in silēce Scipio Ca-to, and Publius Scipio Nasica, but that thei by like fame,honour and glorie liue immortall to their countrie, the samealso of Uibeus, Ualerius Flaccus, and Pedanius Centuriogiueth ampell and large matter to all menne, endued withnobilitie and valiaunt proues, for the defence of their coun-trie with Quintus Coccius, Marcus Sceua and Sceuola.
¶ Possibilitie.
THere nedeth no doute to rise of possibilitie, seingethat examples doe remain of famous men, of god-lie and well affected persones, whiche haue withlike magnanimitie putte in daunger their life, toThe order ofAthenes.saue their Prince, kyngdome, and countrie. Greate honourwas giuen of the Athenians, to soche noble and valiauntemen, whiche ventered their liues for their common wealthe,to maintaine the florishyng state thereof. The eloquente andThusidides.copious oracion of Thusidides, the true, faithfull, and elo-quente Historiographer doeth shewe: what honour and im-mortall fame was attributed, to all soche as did venter theirliues, in the florishyng state of their countrie, in supportyng,mainteinyng, and defendyng thesame. Who, although theiloste their liues, whiche by death should bee dissolued, theirfame neuer buried, liueth with the soule to immortalitie, thelosse of their Priuate wealthe, glorie, riches, substaunce, ordignitie, hath purchased and obtained fame, that witherethnot, and glorie that faileth not.
¶ Agreyng and comelie.
BOthe the true Histories, doe leaue in commenda-cion, the facte of Zopyrus, and the noble and wor-thie enterprises of other: whiche haue giuen thelike assaie, and their fame is celebrated and titeledwith immortall commendacion and glorie, to the posteritieThe duetieof all goodsubiectes.of all ages followyng. What harte can bee so stonie, or bru-tishly affected, that wil not venter his life, goodes, landes, orpossessions: if with the daunger of one, that is of hymself, thewhole bodie and state of his countrie, is thereby supported,and saued. What securitie and quietnesse remained, whatwealth, honour, or fame to Zopyrus: if not onely Zopyrushad perished, but the kyng & people vniuersally had been de-stroied. Therevpon Zopyrus weighing and cōsideryng, theThe cause ofour birthe.state of his birthe, that his countrie chalenged his life, ratherthen the dissolucion of the whole kyngdome, the decaie of thePrince, the takyng awaie of the scepter, the slaughter of in-finite people to ensue. He was borne to be a profitable mem-ber to his countrie, a glorie and staie to thesame: and not spa-ryng his life, or shunnyng the greate deformitie of his bo-die, to bee a ruine of thesame. Was it not better that one pe-rished, then by the securitie of one, a whole lande ouer run-ned, as partes thereby spoiled: it was the duetie of Zopirus,to take vpon hym that greate and famous enterprise. It wasalso comelie, the kyngdome standyng in perill, a sage anddescrite persone to preuente and putte of, soche a daunger atThe facte ofZopyrus.hande: The faicte altogether sheweth all vertue and greatesingularitie, and a rare moderacion of minde, to cast of all re-spectes and excuses, forsakyng presentlie honour, quietnesseand obiecting himself to perill, he sawe if he onelie died, or byieopardie saued his countrie, many thereby liued, the kyng-dome & people florished, where otherwise, he with his Princeand kyngdome might haue perished.
¶ Proffitable.
The fact ofZopyrus.AL the power of the Babilonians, was by his pol-icie throwen doune, the Citee taken, the enemiebrought to confusion: on the other side, the Persi-ans rose mightie, soche a mightie enemie put vn-derfoote. The fame of Zopyrus and glorie of the facte, willneuer be obliterated, or put out of memorie, if this were notprofitable to the kyngdome of Persia: if this were not a re-Zopyrus de-formed, abeautie of hiscountree.noume to the prince and people, and immortall glory toZo-pryusiudge ye. Zopyrus therfore, beautified his countrée, bythe deformitie of his bodie. Better it wer to haue many sochedeformed bodies, then the whole state of the realme destroiedor brought to naught: if we weigh the magnanimitie of thatman, and his enterprise, there is so moche honour in the fact,that his fame shall neuer cease.
¶ A common place.
Why it is cal-led a commonplace.ACommon place is a Oracion, dilatyng and ampli-fiyng good or euill, whiche is incidente or lodged inany man. This Oracion is called a common place,because the matter conteined in it, doeth agree vniuersally toall menne, whiche are partakers of it, and giltie of thesame[.]
A Oracion framed againste a certaine Thefe, Extorcio-ner, Murderer, or Traitor, is for the matter conteined in it,metelie and aptlie compiled, against all soche as are giltie oftheft, murder, treason, or spotted with any other wickednes.
This oracion of a common place, is like to the laste argu-ment orEpilogusof any oracion, whiche the Grekes doe callDeuterologian, whiche is as moche to saie, as a rehearsall ofthat whiche is spoken of before.
Wherefore, a common place hath noexhordium, or be-ginnyng, yet neuerthelesse, for the profite and exercise of thelearner, you maie place soche aproemium, or beginnyng ofthe oracion, as maie be easie to induce the learner.
This parte ofRhetorikeis large to intreate vpon, for theaboundaunce of matter.
This part ofRhetorikeis large to intreate vpon, for theaboundaunce of matter.
The common place, whiche Aphthonius intreateth of, isto be aplied against any man, for the declaimor to inuade, ei-ther against vices, or to extoll and amplifie his vertues.
This oracion of a common place, serueth bothe for the ac-cuser and the defender.
For the accuser, to exasperate and moue the Iudges orhearers, against the offender, or accused.
For the defendour to replie, and with all force & strengthof matter, to mollifie and appease the perturbacions of theIudges and hearers, to pulle doune and deface the contrariealledged.
There is greate force in this oracion, on bothe the sides.
Properlie this kinde ofRhetorike, is called a commonplace, though it semeth to be made againste this man, or thatman: because the matter of thesame shall properly pertain toall, giltie of thesame matter.
Pristianus.Pristianus sheweth, that this parte ofRhetorike, is as itwere a certaine exaggeracion of reason, to induce a manifestprobacion of any thyng committed.
As for example, a Theife taken in a robberie, in whomneither shamefastnesse, nor sparcle of grace appereth againstsoche a one: this oracion maie be made, to exasperate the Iud-ges from all fauour or affeccion of pitie, to be shewed.
¶ The order of the Oracion followethwith these notes to be made by.¶ The firste Proheme.
DEmosthenes the famous Orator of Athenes inhis oraciō made against Aristogitō doeth saie,What areLawes.that Lawes wherewith a common wealthe, ci-tie or Region is gouerned, are the gifte of God,a profitable Discipline among men, a restraintto with holde and kepe backe, the wilfull, rashe, and beastilieAristotle.Plato.life of man, and therupō Aristotle and Plato doe shewe, thatthrough the wicked behauour of men, good lawes were firstordained, for, of ill maners, saie thei, rose good lawes, whereOrder.lawes doe cease, and good order faileth, there the life of manwill growe, rude, wild and beestlie: Man beyng a chiefe crea-Man borneby nature tosocietee.tureorGod, indued with manie singuler vertues, is framedof nature to a mutuall and Godlie societie of life, withoutthe whiche moste horrible wolde the life bee, for not onlie byconcorde and agremente, the life of man dothe consiste but althings on the earth haue therin their being: the heauens andlightes conteined in the same, haue a perpetuall harmonie& concente in finishyng their appointed race. The elementesAll thingesbeyng on theyearth, dooeconsiste by aharmonie orconcorde.of the worlde, where with the nature and substaunce of allthinges, doe consiste onlie by a harmonie and temperature ofeche parte, haue their abidyng increase & prosperous beyng,otherwise their substaunce, perisheth and nature in all partesdecaieth: Kyngdomes and common wealthes doe consiste ina harmonie, so long as vertue and all singularitie tempereththeir state and gouernemente, and eche member thereof obe-ieth his function, office and callynge, and as partes of the-same bodie, euerie one as nature hath ordained theim occu-piyng, their roume and place, the vse of euerie parte, all to thevse and preseruacion of the hole bodie, and as in the bodie soin the common wealthe, the like concorde of life oughte to bein euery part, the moste principall parte accordyng to his di-gnitie of office, as moste principall to gouerne thother inferi-or partes: and it thei as partes moste principal of thesame bo-die with all moderacion and equabilitie tēperyng their state,Order con-serueth com-mon wealth.office and calling. The meanest parte accordyng to his lowestate, appliyng hym selfe to obeie and serue the moste prin-cipall: wherein the perfecte and absolute, frame of commonwealthe or kyngdome is erected. And seyng that as the Phi-losophers doe saie, of ill maners came good lawes, that is tosaie, the wicked and beastlie life of man, their iniurius beha-uiour, sekyng to frame themselues from men to beastes mo-Euil manerswas the occa-sion of goodLawes.ued the wise and Godlie, elders to ordaine certaine meanes,to rote discipline, whereby the wickedlie disposed personneshould bee compelled to liue in order, to obeie Godlie lawes,to the vpholdyng of societie. Therefore, all suche as dissoluelawes, caste doune good order, and state of common wealth,out as putride and vnprofitable weedes, to be extirpated andplucked vp from Citie and Common wealthe, from societie,who by mischeuous attemptes seke, to extinguishe societie,amitie, and concord in life. Princes & gouernors with al othermagistrates ought in their gouernment to imitate the prac-tise of the Phisician, the nature of man,wekednedand madefeble with to moche abundaunce of yll humors, or ouermochwith ill bloode replenished, to purge and euacuate that, andall to the preseruacion and healthe of the whole bodie: for sowas the meanyng of the Philosopher, intreatyng of the po-litike, gouernment of kingdome and commonwealth, whenTheiues notmete to be inany societie.thei compared a kingdome to the bodie of man: the thefe androbber as a euill and vnprofitable member, and all other aswithout all right, order, lawe, equitie and iustice, doe breakesocietie of life, bothe against lawe and nature: possessing thegoodes of a other man, are to bee cutte of, as no partes, méeteto remaine in any societie.
¶ The seconde Proheme.
Why theiuesand wickedmen, are cutof by lawe.THe chifest cause that moued gouernours and ma-gistrates, to cutte of the race of theues, and violēterobbers, and of all other mischeuous persons, wasthat by them a confusion would ensue in al states.What Citee could stande in prosperous state, yea, or whathouse priuatlie inhabited, where lawes and aucthoritee wereexiled: where violence, will, luste, and appetite of pestiferousmen, might without terrour bee practised. If the labour andindustrie of the godlie, should be alwaie a praie to yewicked,and eche mannes violence and iniurious dealyng, his ownelawe, the beaste in his state, would bee lesse brutishe and in-iurious. Who so seketh to caste doune this societée, he is notméete to be of any societée, whiche he dissolueth. Who so rob-beth or stealeth, to liue by the gooddes of an other manne, ashis possession, is by violence and againste Nature: so by vio-A due rewar[-]des for thie-ues and mur-therers.lence and against nature, their pestiferous doinges do frametheir confusion: their execrable &destetablepurpose, do maketheim a outcaste from all good people, and as no membersthereof, cut of from all societée, their euill life rooteth perpetu-al ignomie and shame. And thus is the tragicall ende of theirenterprise.
¶ The contrarie.
Democratia.HErein the lose and dissolute state of gouernmentecalled of the Grekes Democratia, haue conten-ted the wilfull heddes of pestiferous men: where-in euery man must bee a ruler. Their owne willis their Lawe: there luste setteth order, no Magistrate, buteuery one to hymself a Magistrate. All thynges in common,as long as that state doeth remain emong the wicked, a mosthappie state coumpted, a wished state to idell persones, but itThe thiefe.The mur-therer.continueth not. Herein the murtherer, the thiefe were meeteto be placed. The greater thiefe, the better manne: the mosteexecrable murtherer, a moste mete persone, for soche state ofgouernemente. There is no nacion vnder the Sunne, butthat one tyme or other, this troublous state hath molestedtheim: and many haue sought to sette vp soche a monsterousstate of regiment, a plagued common wealthe, and to be de-tested. Soche was the order of men, when thei liued withoutlawes. When the whole multitude were scattered, no citee,Toune, or house builded or inhabited, but through beastliemaners, beastlie dispersed, liued wilde and beastlie. Butthe wise, sage, and politike heddes reduced by wisedome, intoHouses.Families.Tounes.Citees.a societie of life, nature leadyng thereto: Houses and habita-cions, were then for necessitie made, families multiplied, vil-lages and Tounes populouslie increased, and Citees raisedemong so infinite people. Nature by God inuented and sta-blished Lawe, and the sage and wise persones, pronouncedand gaue sentence vpon Lawes. Whereupon, by the obedi-ence of lawes, and preeminente aucthoritie of Magistrates:The state of mightie Kyngdomes and Common wealthes,haue growen to soche a roialnesse and loftie state, many fa-mous kingdomes haue been on the face of the yearth: manynoble Princes from tyme to tyme succedyng, whiche with-Obedience ofLawes didstablishe themightie mo-narchies.out a order of godlie lawes, could not haue continued. Whatwas the cause that the mightie Monarchies, continued manyhundred yeres: did the losse of dissolute life of subiectes andPrinces, cause thesame but good lawes, and obedience to or-ders. Therefore, where Magistrates, bothe in life and office,The life ofthe Magi-strate, a lawe[.]liue in the obedience of Lawes: the multitude inferiour, byexample of the Magistrates singularitie, incensed dooe placebefore them, their example of life, as a strong lawe.
The EpistleofTheodosi-uusEmpe-ror of Rome[.]Theodosius Emperor of Rome, writyng to Uolusianushis chief Pretor, as concernyng his office, in these woordes,saieth:Digna vox est maiestate regnantis legibus alligatum seprincipem profiteri. Adeo de autoritate Iuris nostra pendetautoritas et reuera maius imperio est submittere legibus prin[-]cipatum & oraculo presentis edicti quod nobis licere non pa-timur alijs indicamus.It is a worthie saiyng, and meete forthe Maiestie of a Prince, to acknowledge hymself vnder hislawe. For, our aucthoritie, power, and sworde, doeth dependevpon the force, might, and aucthoritie of Lawes, and it pas-seth all power and aucthoritie, his gouernemente and kyng-dome to be tempered by lawe, as a moste inuiolable Oracleand decrée, so to doe as weprouulgateto other. Whereuponit is manifeste, what force godlie lawes gaue to the Prince,what aucthoritie. Take lawes awaie, all order of states fai-PrincesLawe.leth, the Prince by Lawe, is a terrour to the malefactour: hisMaiestie is with all humblenesse serued, feared, and obeied.By lawes, his state maketh hym as a God, emong menne, atwhose handes the preseruacion of eche one, of house, citee andcountrie is sought. Seing bothe lawes and the Prince,hanethat honour and strength, that without them, aChaosa con-fusion would followe, in the bodie of all common wealthesand kyngdomes. Let them by aucthoritie and lawe bee con-founded, that practise to subuerte aucthoritie, to neclecte thePrince, and his godlie lawes.
¶ The exposicion.
Theiues andall iniuriouspersones.THe theife, or any other iniurious persone, doeth seketo bée aboue all lawes, exempted from all order, vn-der no obedience, their pestiferous dealyng, dooe vt-Demosthe-nes in Ari-stogiton.ter thesame: For, as Demosthenes the famous Orator of A-thenes doeth saie. If that wicked men cease not their violēceif that good men in all quietnes and securitie, can not enioyetheir ownegoddes, while lawe and aucthoritie of the magi-strate, seuerelie and sharply vseth his aucthoritie and sword.If dailie the heddes of wicked men, cease not to subuerte la-wes, orders, and decrees godlie appoincted. Whiles that inall Citees and common wealthes, the Princes and gouer-The force oflawes.nours, are by lawes a terror to them. Lawes then ceasyng,the dreadfull sentēce of the Iudge and Magistrate wanting.The sworde vndrawen, all order confounded, what a con-fusion would followe: yea, what an open passage would beelefte open to all wickednesse. The terrour of Lawes, thesworde and aucthoritie of the Magestrate, depresseth and put[-]teth doune, the bloodie cogitacions of the wicked, and so hin-dereth and cutteth of, many horrible and bloodie enterprises.Els there would bee neither Prince, Lawe, nor subiecte, nohedde or Magistrate: but euery manne his owne hedde, hisowne lawe and Magistrate, oppression and violence shouldbee lawe, and reason, and wilfull luste would bee in place ofreason, might, force, and power, should ende the case. Where-fore, soche as no lawe, no order, nor reason, will driueloliueas members in a common wealthe, to serue in their functiō.Wicked menburdeins ofthe yearth.Thei are as Homere calleththe:m, burdeins to the yearth,for thei are of no societie linked with Nature, who throughwickednesse are disseuered, abhorryng concorde of life, socie-tie and felowship. Whom sinister and bitter stormes of for-tune, doe daiely vexe and moleste, who in the defence of theirMaimed sol-diours mustebe prouidedfor.countrie are maimed, and thereby their arte and science, for,imbecilitie not practised, all art otherwise wantyng, extremepouertee fallyng on them, reason muste moue, and induce allhartes, to pitée chieflie their state: who in defence and main-teinaunce of our Countrie, Prince, and to the vpholdyng ofour priuate wealthe at home, are become debilitated, defor-med and maimed, els their miseries will driue them to sochehedlesse aduentures, that it maie bee saied, as it was saied toThe saiyngof a souldiourto Alexanderthe greate.Alexander the Greate. Thy warres, O Prince, maketh ma-ny theues, and peace will one daie hang them vp. Whereinthe Grecians, as Thusidides noteth, had a carefull proui-dence, for all soche as in the defence of their Countrie weremaimed, yea, euen for their wiues, and children of all soche,as died in warre, to be mainteined of the commō charge andthreasure of Grece. Reade his Oracion in the seconde booke,made vpon the funerall of the dedde soldiours.
¶ A comparison of vices.
The drūkard[.]The proudepersone.The prodigal[.]The couei-teous.The robber.THe dronkarde in his state is beastlie, the proudeand arrogante persone odious, the riotous andprodigall persone to be contempned, the couei-tous and nigardlie manne to bee reiected. Butwho so by violence, taketh awaie the goodes ofan other man, or by any subtill meanes, iniustlie possesseththesame, is detestable, with all seueritée to be punished. TheThe adul-terer.The harlot.adulterer and the harlotte, who by brutishe behauiour, leudeaffection, not godlines leadyng thereto: who by their vnchastbehauior, and wanton life doe pollute, and cōtaminate theirbodie, in whom a pure minde ought to be reposed. Who tho-rowe beastly affeccion, are by euill maners transformed tobeastes: and as moche as in theim lieth, multipliyng a bru-The homi-cide.tishe societie. The homicide in his state more horrible, accor-dyng to his outragious and bloodie life, is to bee tormented,in like sort all other vices, accordyng to their mischiues, rea-son, Lawe and Iustice, must temper and aggrauate due re-ward, and sentence to them.
¶ The sentence.
Thefte horri[-]ble amōg theScitheans.NO vice was more greuous, and horrible emongthe Scithians then thefte, for this was their sai-yng:Quid saluum esse poterit si licet furari, whatcan be safe, if thefte bee lefull or tolerated. HereinA sentence a-genst thefte.the vniuersalle societée of life is caste doune, hereby a confu-sion groweth, and a subuersion in all states immediatlie fol-loweth, equitee, iustice, and all sincere dealyng is abaundo-ned, violence extirpateth vertue, and aucthoritie is cutte of.
¶ The digression.
THE facte in other maie be with more facilitée to-lerated, in that to theim selues, the facte and con-uersacion of life is moste pernicious, and hurtfull,but by soche kinde of menne, whole kyngdomesand common wealthes would bee ouerthrowen. And for aprosperous state and common wealthe, a common woe andHorrible vi-ces.calamitée would fall on them, tumultes and vprores main-tained, right and lawe exiled: neither in field quietnes, welthor riches, houses spoiled, families extinguished, in all placessedicion, warre for peace, violence for right, will and lust forUserers.lawe, a hedlesse order in all states. And as concernyng Usu-rers, though their gaines be neuer so ample, and plentifull,to enriche them, whereby thei growe to be lordes, ouer manythousandes of poundes: yet the wealthe gotten by it, is so in-iurious, that thei are a greate plague, to all partes of the cō-mon wealthe: so many daungers and mischiues, riseth of thē[.]Cato the noble and wise Senator of Rome, being demaun-ded diuers questions, what was firste to bee sought, in a fa-milie or housholde, the aunsweres not likyng the demaun-The sentenceof Cato a-gainst vsu-rers.Usure is mur[-]ther.der: this question was asked, O Cato, what sentēce giue youof Usurie, that is a goodlie matter to bee enriched by. ThenCato aunswered in fewe woordes.Quid hominem occidere.What saie you to be a murderer? Soche a thyng saieth he, isUsurie. A brief sentence againste Usurers, but wittely pro-nounced from the mouth of a godlie, sage, noble, and descritepersone, whiche sentence let the Usurer, ioigne to his Usuryretourned, and repeate at the retourne thereof, this sentenceThe sentenceof Cato a dis-comfort to v-surers.of Cato, I haue murthered. This one sentence will discou-rage any Usurer, knowyng hymself a murtherer. Thoughmoche more maie be spoken against it, this shalbe sufficient.The Hebrues calleth Usurie, by the name ofShecke, that isa bityng gaine, of the whiche many haue been so bitten, thatwhole families haue been deuoured, & beggerie haue beentheir gaine. And as Palingenius noteth.
Debitor aufugiens portat cum fænore sortem.
The debtour often tymes saieth he, runneth awaie, andcarieth with hym, the debte and gaines of the Usurie. TheGrekes calleth UsurieTokos, that is properlie the trauaileof women of their childe: soche is their Usurie, a daungerousgettyng. Demosthenes likeneth their state as thus, as if ter-restriall thynges should be aboue the starres: and the heauēsUsure a dan-gerousgaue.and celestialle bodies, gouerned by the base and lowe terre-striall matters, whiche by no meanes, can conserue the ex-cellencie of them, for, of them onely, is their matter, substaūceand nature conserued.
¶ Exclusion of mercie.
WHerefore, to whom regimente and gouerne-mente is committed, on whose administracion,the frame of the cōmon wealth doe staie it self:thei ought with al wisedome and moderacion,to procede in soche causes, whose office in wor-Princes andmagistratesbe as Godson the earth.thinesse of state, and dignitée, maketh thē as Goddes on theyearth, at whose mouthes for wisedome, counsaill, and for-tunate state, infinite people doe depende. It is no smal thingin that their sword & aucthoritée, doeth sette or determine allthinges, that tendereth a prosperous state, whereupon withall integritée and equitée, thei ought to temper the affeccionsof their mynde: and accordyng to the horrible facte, and mis-chiues of the wicked, to exasperate & agrauate their terribleiudgemente, and to extirpate from the yearth, soche as be ofThe homicide.The Theue.The Adulte-rer.no societie in life. The bloodie homicide, the thief, the adul-terer, for by these all vertue is rooted out, all godlie societieextinguished, citees, realmes, and countrées, prostrate & pla-gued for the toleracion of their factes, against soch frendshipin iudgemente muste cease, and accordyng to the state of thecause, equitee to retaine frendship, money muste not blinde,nor rewardes to force and temper Iudgementes: but accor-dyng to the veritee of the cause, to adde a conclusion. Wor-Whey the pi-ctures of ma-gistrates beepicturid with-oute handes.thelie the pictures of Princes, Gouernours and Magistratesin auncient tymes doe shewe this, where the antiquitée ma-keth theim without handes, therein it sheweth their office,and iudgemente to proceade with equitée, rewardes not toblind, or suppresse the sinceritée of the cause. Magistrates notto bee bounde to giftes, nor rewardes to rule their sentence.Alciatusin his boke calledEmblemata, in senatū sancti prin-cipis.
Princes andmagistratesgraue & con-stante.
Effigies manibus trunc[ae] ante altaria diuumHic resident, quarum lumine capta priorSigna potestatis summ[ae], sanctiq[ue] senatus,Thebanis fuerant ista reperta viris.Cur resident? Quia mente graues decet esse quietaIuridicos, animo nec variare leui.Cur sine sunt manibus? Capiant ne xenia, nec sePollicitis flecti muneribus ve sinant.Cecus est princeps quod solis auribus, absq[ue]Affectu constans iussa senatus agit.
Where vertue and integritée sheweth it self, in the personeand cause, to vpholde and maintein thesame. Roote out hor-rible vices from common wealthe, that the more surer andstronge foundacion of vertue maie be laied: for, that oneliecause, the scepter of kinges, the office of magistrates was leftto the posteritée of all ages.
¶ Lawfull and iuste.
¶ Lawfull and iust.
Lawes giueequitie to allstates.SEyng that lawes bee godlie, and vniuersally theitemper equitée to all states, and giue according toiustice, euery man his owne: he violateth vertue,that dispossesseth an other manne of his own, andWhat driuethyemagistrateto horriblesentence a-gainst wickedpersons.wholie extinguisheth Iustice. And thereupon his beastly lifeby merite forceth and driueth, lawe and Magistrate, to terri-ble iudgement. For, who so against right, without order, orlawe, violateth an other man, soche a one, lawes of iustice,muste punishe violentlie, and extirpate from societée, beynga dissoluer of societee.
¶ Profitable.
IF soche wicked persones be restrained, and seuereliepunished, horrible vices will be rooted out: all artes[,]sciences, and godlie occupacions mainteined, vphol-ded and kept. Then there must bée a securitée in all states, toMagistrate.Subiect.practise godlines, a mutuall concorde. The Magistrate withequitée, the subiecte with faithful and humble obedience, ac-complishyng his state, office, and callyng. Whereupon bygood Magistrates, and good subiectes, the common wealtheand kyngdom is in happie state stablished. For, in these twooPlato.poinctes, as Plato doeth saie, there is vertuous rule, and likeobedience.
¶ Easie and possible.
The begyn-nyng of viceis to be cutaf.AL this maie easely be doen, when wickednes is cutteof, in his firste groweth, when the magistrate driuethcontinually, by sworde and aucthoritée, all menne toobedience, bothe of lawes andgouernuurs. Then in al goodcommon wealthes, vices are neuer tolerated to take roote: be-cause the beginnyng and increase of vices, is sone pulled vp,his monsterous kyngdome thereby ouerthrowen.
¶ The conclusion.
SO doyng, happie shall the kyng be, happie kyngdome,and moste fortunate people.
¶ The parte of Rhetorike, called praise.
HisOracion, which is titeled praise, is a declamaciōof the vertuous or good qualitées, propertees belon-gyng to any thyng, whiche doeth procede by certainenotes of arte.
All thynges that maie be seen, with the iye of man, tou-ched, or with any other sence apprehended: that maie be prai-sed, or dispraised.