{A presente tyme.}{A tyme paste.}{A tyme to come.}Eidolopœiais that part of this Oracion, whiche maketha persone knowne though dedde, and not able to speake.Eidolopœia[.]Eidolopœiais called of Priscianus, a imitacion of talkeof any one, vpon a dedde manne, it is then calledEidolopœia,when a dedde man talketh, or communicacion made vpon adedde manne.Eidolopœia, when a dedde manne talketh, is set forthe ofEuripides, vpon the persone of Polidorus dedde, whose spi-rite entereth at the Prologue of the tragedie.Hector slain, speaketh to Eneas inEidolopœia. O Eneasthou goddes sonne, flie and saue thy self, from this ruine andfire: the enemies hath taken the walles, and loftie Troie isprostrate to the grounde. I would haue thought, I had diedvaliantlie inough to my countrée, and my father Priamus,if with this my right hande, Troie had bee defended.Polidorus beyng dedde, inEidolopœiatalketh to Eneaswhiche Uirgil sheweth in his thirde booke of Eneados.Iulia the wife of Pompei beyng dedde, spake to Pompe,preparyng his arme against Cesar,Eidolopœia. Reade Lu-cane, in the beginnyng of his thirde booke.Tullie vsethEidolopœia, when he maketh talke vponHiero beyng dedde.If that kyng Hiero were reduced frō his death, who wasa aduauncer of the Romaine Empire, with what counte-naunce, either Siracusa or Rome, might be shewed to hym,whom he maie beholde with his iyes. His countree broughtto ruin, & spoiled, if that kyng Hiero should but enter Rome,euen in the firste entryng, he should beholde the spoile of hiscountree.Tullie also vseth the likeEidolopœia, as thus, vpon Lu-cius Brutus dedde.LuciusBrutus.If it so wer, that Lucius Brutus, that noble and famousmanne were on liue, and before your presence: would he notvse this oracion: I Brutus, somtyme did banishe and cast outfor crueltee, the state and office of kinges, by the horrible factof Tarquinius, againste Lucretia, and all that name bani-shed, but you haue brought in tyrauntes. I Brutus did re-duce the Romain Empire, to a fredome and libertée: but youfoolishly can not vphold and maintein, thesame giuen to you.I Brutus, with the daunger of my life, haue saued my coun[-]tree of Roome, but you without all daunger, lose it.¶Prosopopœia.AS cōcerningProsopopœia, it is as Pristianus saith,when to any one againste nature, speache is feignedto bee giuen.Tullie vseth for a like example this, when he makethRoome to talke againste Cateline.¶Prosopopœiaof Roome.Catiline.NO mischief hath been perpetrated, this many yeres,but by thee Catiline, no pestiferous acte enterprised,without thee: thou a lone, for thy horrible murtherperpetrated vpon the citee of Rome, for the spoile and robbe-ries of their gooddes art vnpunished. Thou onelie haste beenof that force and power, to caste doune all lawes and aucthori-tee. Although these thinges were not to be borne, yet I haueborne them: but now thy horrible factes are come to soche anissue, that I feare thy mischiues. Wherfore leaue of Catelineand deminishe this feare from me, that I maie be in securitée[.]Lucane the Poete, intreating of mightie and fearce war-res, againste Pompei and Cesar, maketh Roome to vse thisProsopopœiaagainste Cesar.Quo tenditis vltra quo fertis mea signa viri,Si iure venitis si aues hucusq[ue] licet.Prosopopœiais properlie, when all thinges are faignedbothe the maners, the persone, as of Roome in this place.¶ What lamentable Oracion Hecuba Quene ofTroie might make, Troie being destroied.Kyngdomes.WHat kyngdome can alwaies assure his state, orglory? What strength can alwaies last? WhatOkes.Cedars.power maie alwaies stande? The mightie O-kes are somtyme caste from roote, the Ceadarshigh by tempestes falle, so bitter stormes dooeforce their strength. Soft waters pearseth Rockes, and rustethe massie Iron doeth bryng to naught. So nothyng can bystrēgth so stande, but strength maie ones decaie: yea, mightiekingdoms in time decaie haue felt. Kingdomes weake hauerose to might, and mightie kyngdomes fallen, no counsailecan preuaile, no power, no strength, or might in lande. Goddisposeth Princes seates, their kyngdome there with stan-des. I knewe before the brickell state, how kyngdomes ruinecaught, my iye the chaunge of fortune sawe, as Priamus didaduaunce his throne, by fauour Fortune gat, on other For-tune then did froune, whose kingdom did decaie. Well, nowFortunehath no staie.I knowe the brickle state, that fortune hath no staie, all rasheher giftes, Fortune blind doeth kepe no state, her stone dothroule, as floodes now flowe, floodes also ebbe. So glory dothremaine, sometyme my state on high, was sette in Princeliethrone, my porte and traine ful roiall was, a kyng my fatheralso was, my housband scepter held. Troie and Phrigia ser-ued his becke, many kynges his power did dreade, his willetheir power did serue. The fame of Troie and Brute, hisglorie and renoume, what landes knoweth not? But nowhis falle, all toungues can speake, so greate as glorie was,though kyngdomes stronge was sette, loftie Troie in dusteprostrate doeth lye, in blood their glorie, people, kyng are fal-len, no Quene more dolefull cause hath felte. The sorowesdepe doe passe my ioyes, as Phebus light with stormes casteHector.doune. Hectors death did wounde my hart, by Hectors mightTroie stiffe did stande, my comforte Hector was, Priamusioye, of Troie all thē life, the strength, and power, his deathdid wound me for to die, but alas my dolefull and cruell fateto greater woe reserueth my life, loftie Troie before mefelle, sworde, and fire hath seate and throne doune caste. Thededde on heapes doeth lye, the tender babes as Lions praiesPriamus.are caught in bloode, before my sight, Priamus deare mur-dered was, my children also slain, who roiall were, and prin-ces mates. No Queene more ioye hath tasted, yet woe my io-yes hath quite defaced. My state alwaie in bondage thrall, toserue my enemies wille, as enemie wille, I liue or dye. Nocruell force will ridde my life, onely in graue the yearth shalclose my woes, the wormes shall gnawe my dolefull hart ingraue. My hedde shall ponder nought, when death hath sencedoune caste, in life I sought no ioye, as death I craue, noglorie was so wished as death I seeke, with death no sence.In prison depe who dolefull lieth, whom Fetters sore dooethgreue. Their dolefull state moste wisheth death, in dongiondeepe of care my harte moste pensiue is, vnhappie state thatwisheth death, with ioye long life, eche wight doeth craue, inlife who wanteth smart? Who doeth not féele, or beare som-time, a bitter storme, to doleful tune, mirth full oft chaungedis, the meaner state, more quiet rest, on high, who climes moredeper care, more dolefull harte doeth presse, moste tempesteshie trees, hilles, & moutaines beare, valleis lowe rough stor-mes doeth passe, the bendyng trees doeth giue place to mightby force of might, Okes mightie fall, and Ceders high ar rētfrom the roote. The state full meane in hauen hath Ancrecaste, in surgyng seas, full ofte in vaine to saue the maste, theshippe Ancre casteth.¶ The descripcion.THis exercise profitable toRhetorike, is an Ora-ciō that collecteth and representeth to the iye, thatwhich he sheweth, so Priscianus defineth it: someare of that opinion, that descripcion is not to beeplaced emōg these exercises, profitable toRhetorike. Becausethat bothe in euery Oracion, made vpon a Fable, all thyn-ges therein conteined, are liuely described. And also in eueryNarracion, the cause, the place, the persone, the time, the fact,the maner how, ar therin liuely described. But most famousand Eloquente men, doe place descripcion, in the nomber ofthese exercises. Descripciō serueth to these things, the person,as the Poete Lucane describeth Pompei & Cesar: the personis described, thynges or actes, tymes, places, brute beastes.Nec coiere pares, alter vergentibus annisIn senium longo que toge, tranquilior vsu.Dedidicit. &c.Homer describeth the persone of Thersites, in the secondbooke of his Ilias.Homer setteth out Helena, describing the persone of Me-nalaus and Ulisses, in the fowerth booke of Ilias.Thynges are described, as the warres attempted by seaand lande, of Xerxes.Lucan describeth the war of the Massiliās against Cesar[.]Thusidides setteth forthe in a descripcion, the warres onthe sea, betwene the Corcurians, and the Corinthians.Tymes are described, as the Spryng tyme, Sommer,Winter, Harueste, Daie, Night.Places are described, as Citees, Mountaines, Regions,Floodes, Hauens, Gardeines, Temples: whiche thyngesare sette out by their commoditees, for Thusidides often ty-mes setteth forthe Hauens and Citees.Lucane also describeth at large, the places, by the whichethe armie of Cesar and Pompei passed. The descripcion of a-ny man, in all partes is to bee described, in mynde and bodie,what he was.The acttes are to bee described, farre passed, by the pre-sente state thereof, and also by the tyme to come.As if the warre of Troie, should be set forthe in a descrip-cion, it must bée described, what happened before the Greci-ans arriued at Troie, and how, and after what sorte it wasouerthrowne, & what thing chaunced, Troie being destroid.So likewise of Carthage, destroied by the Romaines.Of Hierusalem, destroied by Titus Uespasianus, what ad-monicion thei had before: of what monsterous thynges hap-pened also in that ceason: Of a Comete or blasyng Starre,and after that what followed.Lucane also setteth forthe the warres of Pompe and Ce-sar, what straunge and marueilous thynges fell of it.¶ A descripcion vpon Xerxes.WHen Darius was dedde, Xerxes his soonne didsuccede hym, who also tooke vpon him to finishethe warres, begō by his father Darius, againstGrece. For the whiche warres, preperacionwas made, for the space of fiue yeres, after thatThe armieof Xerxes.Xerxes entered Grece, with seuen hundred thousande Persi-ans, and thrée hundred thousande of forrain power aided himthat not without cause, Chronicles of aunciente tyme dooeshewe, mightie floodes to be dried vp of his armie. The migh[-]tie dominions of Grece, was not hable to receiue his houge,and mightie power, bothe by sea and lande: he was no smallPrince, whom so many nacions, so mightie people followedhym, his Nauie of Shippes was in nomber tenne hundredXerxes acowarde.thousande, Xerxes had a mightie power, but Xerxes was acowarde, in harte a childe, all in feare the stroke of battailemoued. In so mightie an armie it was marueile, the chiefePrince and Capitaine to be a cowarde, there wanted neithermen, nor treasure, if ye haue respecte to the kyng hymself, forcowardlinesse ye will dispraise the kyng, but his threasuresbeeyng so infinite, ye will maruaile at the plentie thereof,whose armie and infinite hoste, though mightie floodes andstreames, were not able to suffice for drinke, yet his richesseXerxes lastein battaile,and first torunne awaie.semed not spente nor tasted of. Xerxes hymself would be lastein battaile to fight, and the firste to retire, and runne awaie.In daungers he was fearfull, and when daunger was paste,he was stoute, mightie, glorious, and wonderfull crakyng,The prideof Xerxes.before this hassarde of battaile attempted. He thought hymself a God ouer nature, all landes and Seas to giue place tohym, and puffed with pride, he forgatte hymself: his powerwas terrible, his harte fainte, whereupon his enteryng intoGrece was not so dreaded, as his flight frō thence was sham[-]full, mocked and scorned at, for all his power he was driuenbacke from the lande, by Leonides king of the Lacedemoni-ans, he hauing but a small nomber of men, before his secondbattaile fought on the Sea: he sente fower thousande armedmen, to spoile the riche and sumpteous temple of Apollo, atDelphos, from the whiche place, not one man escaped. Afterthat Xerxes entered Thespia, Platea, and Athenes, in thewhiche not one man remained, those he burned, woorkynghis anger vpon the houses: for these citees were admonishedto proue the maisterie in wodden walles, whiche was mentto bee Shippes, the power of Grece, brought into one placeThemi-stocles.Themistocles, fauoryng their part, although Xerxes thoughtotherwise of Themistocles, then Themistocles perswadedXerxes to assaie the Grecians. Artemisia the Quene of Hali-carnasis aided Xerxes in his battaile: Artemisia fought man[-]fullie, Xerxes cowardly shronke, so that vnnaturally therewas in the one a manlie stomacke, in the other a cowardlieharte. The men of Ionia, that fought vnder Xerxes banner,by the treason of Themistocles, shrāke from Xerxes, he wasnot so greate a terrour or dreade, by his maine hoste, as nowsmally regarded & least feared. What is power, men, or mo-ney, when God chaungeth and pulleth doune, bothe the suc-cesse, and kyngdome of a Prince. He was in all his glorie, avnmanlie, and a cowardly prince, yet for a time happie statefell on his side, now his might and power is not feared. Heflieth awaie in a Fisher boate, whom all the worlde dreadedand obaied, whom all Grece was not able to receiue, a smallboate lodgeth and harboureth. His owne people contemnedhym at home, his glorie fell, and life ingloriously ended, whōwhomGod setteth vp, neither treason nor malice, power normoney can pull doune. Worthelie it is to be pondered of allPrinces, the saiyng of Uespasianus Emperour of Rome, ata certain time a treason wrought and conspired against him,the conspiratours taken, Uespasianus satte doune betweneThe saiyngof Uespasi-anus.theim, commaunded a sworde to be giuen to either of theim,and saied to them:Nonne videtis fato potestatem dari.Dooeyou not see? Power, aucthoritée, and regimente, by the ordi-A sentencecomfortableto al princes.naunce of God, is lefte and giuen to princes: A singuler sen-tence, to comforte all good Princes in their gouernemente,not to feare the poisoned hartes of men, or the traiterous har-tes of pestiferous men. No man can pull doune, where Godexalteth, neither power can set vp and extoll, where God dis-plaseth or putteth doune: Soche is the state of Princes, andtheir kyngdomes.¶Thesis.THesis, is a certain question in consultacion had, to béedeclaimed vpon vncertaine, notyng no certaine per-sone or thyng.As for example.Whether are riches chieflie to be sought for, in this life,as of all good thynges, the chief good.Whether is vertue the moste excellente good thynge inthis life.Whether dooe the giftes of the mynde, passe and excellethe giftes and vertues of Fortune, and the bodie.Whether doeth pollicie more auaile in war, then strēgthof menne.Who so will reason of any question of these, he hath nedewith reason, and wittie consultacion to discourse, and to de-claime vpon thesame.The Greke Oratours doe call this exerciseThesis, thatis to saie, a proposicion in question, a question vncertain, in-cluded with no certaintée, to any perticuler thyng.The Latine men doeth call it a question infinite, or vni-uersall: Tullie in his booke of places called Topickes, doethcallThesis,Propositum, that is to saie, a question, in deter-minacion. Priscianus calleth itpositionem, a proposicion inquestion on ether parte to be disputed vpon.As for example.Whether is it best to marie a wife?Whether is frendship aboue all thynges to be regarded.Is warre to be moued vpon a iuste cause?Is the Greke tongue mete, and necessarie to be learned?There is an other kinde of question calledhypothesis,hy[-]pothesisis calledquestio finita, that is to saie, a question cer-taine notyng a certaine persone, or thyng, a certaine place,tyme, and so forthe.As for example.Is it mete for Cesar to moue warre against Pompei?Is not there a certain persone?Is the Greke tongue to be learned of a Diuine?Is the Greke tongue meete for a Phisicion?In this kinde of exercises, famous men of auncient timedid exercise youth, to attain bothe wisedome and Eloquencetherby, to make a discourse vpō any matter, by art of lerning[.]Aristotle the famous Philosopher, did traine vp youthe,to be perfite in the arte of eloquence, that thei might with allcopiousnes and ingenious inuencion handle any cause.Nothing doeth so moche sharpe and acuate the witte andcapacitée of any one, as this kinde of exercise.It is a goodly vertue in any one man, at a sodain, to vtterwittely and ingeniouslie, the secrete and hid wisedome of hismynde: it is a greate maime to a profounde learned man, towante abilitée, to vtter his exquisite and profounde knowe-ledge of his mynde.¶Thesis.THis questionThesis, which is a question, noting no cer-taine persone or thyng: is moche like to that Oracion,intreated of before, called a Common place.¶ A Common place.BUt a Common place, is a certaine exaggeracion ofmatter, induced against any persone, conuicted of a-ny crime, or worthie defence.¶Thesis.Thesisis a reasonyng by question, vpon a matter vncer-taine.Thesis, that is to saie, a questiō generall is in two sortes.{Ciuill.A question{{Contemplatiue.QUestions Ciuill are those, that dooe pertaine to thestate of a common wealth: and are daily practised inthe common wealthe.As for example.Is it good to marie a wife.Is Usurie lefull in a citee, or common wealthe.Is a Monarchie the beste state of gouernement.Is good educacion the grounde and roote, of a florishyngcommon wealthe.¶ A contemplatiue question.THe otherThesisis a question contemplatiue, whichthe Grekes dooe callTheoricas, because the matterof them is comprehended in the minde, and in the in[-]telligence of man.The example.Is the soule immortall?Had the worlde a beginnyng?Is the heauen greater then the yearth?A question is either{Simple.{Compounde.Is it good for a man to exercise hymself in wrastlyng, orIs it profitable to declaime.[¶] A compounde.Is vertue of more value then gold, to the coueitous man[?]Doeth wisedome more auaile, then strength in battaile?Doe olde men or young men, better gouerne a commonwealthe?Is Phisicke more honourable then the Lawe?A Oracion made vponThesis, is after this sorte made.Use aexordium, or beginnyng.Unto the whiche you maie adde a Narracion, whiche isa exposicion of the thyng doen.Then shewe it lawfull.Iuste.Profitable.And possible.Then the conclucion.To this in some parte of the Oracion, you maie putte incertaine obieccions, as thus.Upon this question: Is it good to marie a wife?In Mariage is greate care, and pensiuenesse of minde, bylosse of children, or wife, whom thou loueste. There is alsotrouble of dissolute seruauntes. There is also greate soroweif thy children proue wicked and dissolute.The aunswere to this obiection, will minister matter todeclaime vpon.¶ Is it good to Marie.SInce the tyme of all ages, and the creaciō of theworlde, GOD hath so blessed his creacion, andmeruailous workemanship in manne: as in allhis other creatures, that not onelie hisomnipo-teucie, is therby set forthe. But also from tymeto tyme, the posteritee of men, in their ofspring and procrea-Kyngdomescontinue bymariage andcōmon welth[.]cion, doe aboundantlie commonstrate thesame. The state ofall kyngdomes and common wealthes: by procreacion deri-ued, haue onelie continued on the face of the yearth, therebymany hundred yeres. How sone would the whole worlde bedissolued, and in perpetuall ruine, if that God from tymesand ages, had not by godlie procreacion, blessed this infiniteThe digniteeof man, she-weth theworthines ofmariage.issue of mankinde. The dignitée of man in his creacion, she-weth the worthie succession, maintained by procreation. Invaine were the creacion of the worlde, if there were not asmanne so excellente a creature, to beholde the creatour, andhis meruailous creacion. To what vse were the Elementesand Heauens, the Starres and Planettes, all Beastes andFoules, Fisshe, Plantes, Herbes and trees, if men wer not,for mannes vse and necessitée, all thinges in the yearth weremade and procreated. Wherein the Stoike Philosophers donote the excellencie of man to be greate: for saie thei,Que interris gignuntur omnia ad vsum hominum creari. To whatvse then were all thynges, if man were not, for whose cause,vse, & necessitée these thynges were made. If a continuaunceof Gods procreacion were not, immediatlie a ruine and endewould ensue of thinges. What age remaineth aboue a hun-dred yeres? If after a hūdred yeres, no issue wer to be, on theGodlie pro-creacion.face of the yearth, how sone wer kyngdoms dissolued, whereas procreacion rooteth, a newe generacion, issue and ofspring,and as it were a newe soule and bodie. A continuaunce of la-wes, a permanente state of common wealthe dooeth ensue.Though the life of manne be fraile, and sone cutte of, yet byMariage, man by his ofspryng, is as it were newe framed,his bodie by death dissolued, yet by issue reuiued. Euen asPlantes, by the bitter season of Winter, from their flowersfadyng and witheryng: yet the seede of them and roote, vegi-table and liuyng, dooe roote yerelie a newe ofspryng or flo-A similitude.wer in them. So Mariage by godlie procreacion blessed, dothperpetually increase a newe bodie, and therby a vaste world,and infinite nacions or people. Xerxes the mightie kyng ofPersia, vewing and beholding his maine and infinite hoste,wéeped: who beyng demaunded, why he so did.Doleo inquitpost centum annos, neminem ex hijs superesse.It is a pitée-fulle and dolefull case, that after a hundred yeres, not one ofthese noble capitaines, and valiant soldiers to be left.¶ The obieccion.But you will saie parauenture, mariage is a greate bon-dage, alwaies to liue with one.¶ The solucion.To followe pleasure, and the beastlie mocions of themynde: what libertée call you that, to liue in a godly, meane,The libertiein mariage.and Mediocritée of life, with thy spoused wife. There is nogreater ioye, libertée, or felicitée, who so practiseth a dissolutelife: whose loue and luste is kindeled, and sette on fire with aA brutishesocietie withharlottes.harlotte, he followeth a brutishe societée. What difference isthere, betwene them and beastes? The beaste as nature lea-deth, he obaieth nature. Reason wanteth in beastes, mannethen indued with reason, whiche is a guide to all excellenciehow is it that he is not ruled by reason. Whom GOD hathclothed and beautified, with all vertue and all singularitée:If a godly conuersacion of life, moueth thée to passe thy daieswithout mariage, then must the mocions of thy minde, be ta-Chastiteein mariage.med and kepte vnder. Other wise, execrable is thy purpose,and determinaciō of the life. If thou hopest of loue of a harlotthough thou enioye her otherwise, thou art deceiued. Bac-chis the harlot, whom Terence maketh mencion of, in thepersone of her self, sheweth the maners of all harlots to An-tiphila, saiyng.Quippe forma impulsi nostra nos amatores colunt:Hec vbi immutata est, illi suum animum alio conferunt.Nisi prospectū est interea aliquid nobis, deserte viuimus.For saieth she, the louer anamoured with our loue, andsette on fire therewith, it is for our beautie and fauour: butwhen beautie is ones faded, he conuerteth his loue to an o-ther, whom he better liketh. But that we prouide for our sel-ues in the meane season, wée should in the ende liue vtterlieforsaked. But your loue incensed with one, whose manersand life contenteth you: so you bothe are linked together,The loue of aharlotte.that no calamitée can separate you: who so hopeth loue of aharlotte, or profite, he maie hope as for the fructe of a withe-red tree, gaine is all their loue, vice their ioye and delite. Invertue is libertée, in vertue is felicitee, the state of mariage isvertuous, there can be no greater bōdage, then to obaie ma-ny beastly affections, to the whiche whoredome forceth hymvnto, Loue is fained, cloked amitée, a harte dissembled, ma-ny a mightie person and wise, hath been ouerthrowen by thedeceiptes of harlottes: many a Citee plagued, many a regionouerthrowen for that mischief, to obaie many affections is agreate bondage. Who so serueth the beastlie affections of hisHercules.Omphala.mynde to that purpose, he must also as Hercules to Ompha-la bee slaue, not onely to his owne will and affection: but tothe maners, will, and exspectacion of the harlotte. So seruedThraso, and Phedria Thais, that Gorgious harlot, Antonyand Iulius Cesar, Cleopatra, this is a bondage, to liue slauefrom reason and allallintegritee, to a monsterous rablemētThe harlot-tes lesson, toher louers.of vices, who so serueth a harlot, thei must learne this lesson.Da mihi & affer, giue and bryng.The women of Scithia, abhorryng the godly conuersa-cion of mariage, with their housbandes, lefte theim, who intyme ware so mightie, that thei repelled theim by force: theicalled mariage not Matrimonie, but bondage. For, the chro-nicles doe testifie, thei became conquerours ouer many kyn-ges, all Asia obaied them: thei did builde many a great citee,and for theire successe, thei might compare with many prin-The life ofthe Amazo-nes.ces. These women were called Amazones afterwarde, theorder of their life was this, ones in the yere thei would en-ioye the compainie of a man: if it so were that thei had a manchilde, the father to haue it, if a daughter, then thei possessedher, and foorthwith burned her right pappe: for thei were allArchers, and wonderfully excelled therein, but in the ende,Thalestris.thei came all to ruine. One of them, Thalestris their Quenein the tyme of Alexander the Greate, came to Alexander,thinkyng that he had been, some monstrous man of stature:The offer ofa woman toAlexander.whom, when she did beholde (for Alexander was of no migh-tie stature) did contemne hym, and offered him hand to handeThe answerof Alexanderto the offer.to fight with hym. But Alexander like a wise Prince, saiedto his men, if I should ouercome her, that were no victorie,nor manhoode againste a woman: and being ouercome, thatwere greater shame, then commendacion in all my victoriesand conquestes, but afterwarde, there was a greate familia-ritée betwene them. The adulterer and the adulteris, neuerprospereth, for many mischiues are reserued, to that wickedand beastly loue. Sincere loue is not rooted, frendship colou-red: the sober and demure countenaunce, is moche to be com-mended in a chaste woman, whose breaste pondereth a chasteThe facte ofthe matronesof Rome.life. The facte of the matrones of Rome, semeth straunge tobe tolde, of Papirius a Senators soonne, beyng taken to theSenate house, of his father: the childe beyng indued with asinguler wit, harde many causes in the assemble, talked andconsulted vpō, at his retourne home, his mother was inqui-sitiue of their consultacion, to heare somewhat. The childewas commaunded by his father, to vtter no secrete that heheard, wherevpon of a long tyme, he refused his mothers de-maunde: but at the laste subtelie, he satisfied his mothers re-Papirius.quest. Truth it is, my father willed me, to vtter no secret, youkeping my counsaill, I will shewe you, it is concluded by theSenate house, that euery man shall haue twoo wiues, thatis a straunge matter, saieth the mother: foorthwith she hadcommunicacion with all the matrones of Roome, that coulddoe somewhat in this matter, thei also full willyngly assem-bled themselues, to let this purpose, to the Senate house, theiwent to vtter, their swollen griues. The Senators were a-mased at their commyng, but in this matter bolde thei were,The Oraciōof a matrone,to the Sena-tours.to enterprise that, whiche thei wer greued at. A Dame moreeloquente then all the reste, and of stomacke more hardie, be-gan in these woordes. Otherwise then right, we are iniuri-ously handled, and that in this assemble, that now we shouldbe caste of and neclected: that whereas it is concluded in thiscounsaile, that euery manne should haue twoo wiues, moremeter it were, that one woman should haue twoo housban-des. Straunge it was in the Senators eares soche a request,whereupon a proofe made how that rumour rose, Papiriuswas found the aucthor, who tolde before the Senate, his mo-ther alwaies inquisitiue to knowe that, whiche he should nottell, and thereupon he faigned that, whiche he might bettertell. It is to be supposed the Senators mused thereat, and thematrones of Rome went home ashamed: but their secrete co-gitacion of minde was manifest, what willingly in hart theiwished. What greater felicitee can there bee, then in a vnitéeof life, the housebande to liue with his wife. The beastes intheir kinde, doe condemne mannes brutishe affections here-in: there is no facte that sheweth a man or woman, more liketo beastes, then whoredome.¶ The obieccion.But you will saie, many calamitées happeneth in mariage?¶ The solucion.Fortunne herein is to bee blamed, and not mariage, if a-ny misfortune happeneth to manne therein, the felicitée andEleccion inMariage.quiet state that any man enioieth thereby. The discrete elec-cion is therein approued, in the state it self, nothyng can beefounde worthie reprehension, if a man will impute the bit-ter stormes of life to mariage:whatseouerhappeneth, ourowne reason maie iudge contrary. Place before thy iyes allthe affaires, and occupacions of this life, bee all tymes plea-saunte to the housebande man, many a colde storme percethhis bodie, and many a mightie tempeste, dooeth molest hymand greue hym. Sommer is not the tyme, to caste his seede inthe grounde, or implowyng to occupie hymself: shall he ther-fore leaue his housebandrie, or doeth he rather neclecte it, hisdiligence therein is the more, and labour more industrious.From whence commeth the tempeste, the stormes and bitterseasons? From his house, from his wife, from his art and oc-cupacion, all those thynges by violence are expelled from theaire. No state of life is able to giue riches, healthe, or securitéeEmperours.to his state. There hath been princes and Emperours, nedie,full of infirmitées and sickenes, in daungerous state, oppres-sed with many calamitées: was their dignitie and office, thecause of their calamitées? No, God tempreth the state of eue-ry one, how, and after what sorte to possesse thesame. SomeMariage.are fulle fortunate in Mariage, if Mariage were of necessitéethe cause, then all should be onely fortunate, or onely vnfor-tunate: then in mariage is not the cause, if in marige the ma-ners doe disagrée, and loue is extinguished, blame thyn ownThe Mari-ners.maners, thy choise, and thy eleccion. The Mariner that pas-seth the daungerous Seas, and by dreadfull tempestes, andhuffyng waues is alwaies in perille, and many often tymesThe Mar-chauntes.drouned. The Marchaunt lesyng his marchaundise by ship-wrack, shall thei impute the daunger and losse, to their wifeat home? Or doe the Mariners leaue for all these tempestes,their arte of Nauigacion? Or the owner breake his shippe?Or the Marchaunt proue no aduentures, because of his losse,and many haue been of this sort drouned. No. But more ear-Warre.nestlie thei dooe assaie theim selues thereto. Because warrespoileth many a man of his life, doe Princes therefore, leaueto moue armour againste the enemie, but because, who so inthe defence of his countrée, dieth manfullie, is worthelie ad-uaunced, and in perpetuall memorie, no daunger is refused,because euill thynges happeneth in life, is the state of goodthynges to be auoided and eschued. Were it not vnsemelie,if housebande men, for no storme or tempeste, doe leaue theirstate, their laborious and rough cōdicion of life, nor the ship-man his arte of Nauigacion, because he seeth many drounedventeryng thesame, and he hymself often tymes in daunger,nor the soldiour or capitain, their perilous condicion of life,doe leaue for daunger. Should Mariage bée lesse sette by, be-cause alwaies riches and quietnes happeneth not.¶ The obieccion.The losse of a good wife and children, is a greate grefe toany man, and a cause to blame mariage.¶ The aunswere.The lawe ofNature.You your self are borne to dye, thei also by death obayelikewise Nature, this is the Lawe of Nature ones to dye,whiche you séeme to blame. Then the death of thy wife andchildrē, is not the blame in Mariage. What is the cause thatyou dye? Natures imbecillitée and weakenes, then in theim[.]Mariage is not the cause: Nature in her firste molde hath soframed all, wherefore doe you ascribe that to mariage, thatis founde faultée in Nature. Thei die that marie not, whatinfirmitie, daunger or peril happeneth to any in mariage, assharpe and perilous, doe molest and torment the other. If anymanne by death, leaseth a right honeste wife, clothed with allchastitée, demurenesse, sobrietée, and also with all singulari-tée of vertue adorned: he hath loste a rare treasure, a iewell ofA chaste wo-man.price, not in all to bee founde. Did you loue your wife, thatwas so goodlie, so honeste and vertuous: there was greatecause saie you, for her vertuous sake, God hath chosen her frōa mortall creature, to immortalitée, with her it can not béebetter. There is no cause why you should blame mariage,for the losse of her, or of thy children, or for the losse of thee,she to blame mariage. If for thy owne sake, this sorowe bee,Est seipsum amantis non amici, it is then of a self loue, to thyself, not for her cause: for I muste aunswere as Lelius did toAffricanus,Cum ea optime esseactū quis neget, quid est quodnō assecuta est immortalitatem. Who can deny saieth he, butthat with her it can not bee better? What is it that she hathnot attained. Immortalitée. She was vertuous, chaiste, so-ber, descrete, of behauiour womanlie: for her vertues belo-ued. Well, now she hath immortalitee and blesse, are you so-rie thereat, that were enuious. Did you loue her liuyng, loueher also departed, her vertuous shewed vnto vs, her immor-talitée.¶ The obieccion.There is a care for the wife and children, if the housbanddye before theim.¶ The aunswere.A wretchedexecutour.If thou leaue them riches, hope not that thy riches shalbea staie to theim, though thei bee innumerable: a wretched, amiserable executour, wasteth and destroieth oftentymes, thefruictes of thy trauaile, who reioyseth more of thy death, thenof thy life. Or thy childrens father in Lawe, shall spoile andGods pro-uidence.spende with a merie harte, that whiche thou haste longtera-uailedfor. Staie thy self and thyne vpon Gods prouidence,for it hath been seen, many a riche widowe, with infinitetreasure lefte, to her children also like porcions descendyng:afterwarde bothe wife and children, haue been brought tomiserie and beggerlie state. Otherwise, poore children com-mitted to the prouidence of God, and vertuouslie brought vp,and the wife in like state, yet thei haue so passed their daies,that thei haue rose to a goodlie state. See that thy richesse béenot iniuriouslie gotten by falshode, by liyng, by Usurie, if itso be, thenMale parta maledilabuntnr. That is this, gooddeseuill gotte, euill spente, soche riches neuer giue déepe rooteto their ofspryng. That is an euill care, by a iniurious care,to purchase thynges and gooddes wickedlie.Also mariage taketh awaie widowhed, and doeth reparewith a newe freshe mariage, the lacke and priuacion of theDeath.Mariage.other. She that was by death left a widowe, mariage againhath coupled her to a newe housbande: and doeth restore thatwhiche death tooke awaie. That that death dissolueth anddestroieth, mariage increaseth, augmēteth, and multiplieth.Bee it so, but mariage is a painfull life, it forceth euery oneto trauaile, to vpholde and maintaine his state, I commendenot the idell life, neither a life occupied to no vertuous ende.Nature moueth euery manne to loue hymself and his, so thycare and paine be to a godlie purpose. It is commendable. Itis the duetie of euery man, as his power, witte, and industrieis able, to emploie thereto his cogitacion. To laboure for thywife, whom thou loueste, and deare children, thy laboure ispleasure, the ioye easeth thy labour. To behold thy self in thychildren, thei beyng vertuouslie broughte vp, it is a goodlieThe mariageof a chastewoman.comfort, to liue with a chaste woman, sober and continente,her vertues be a continuall pleasure, a passyng ioye. In ma-riage ought to be greate deliberacion, whom thou chosest tothy continuall compainie or felowshippe, her life paste wellknowen, her parentes and kindrede how honeste and vertu-ous, her maners, her fame, how commendable, her counti-The choiseof a wife.naunce sober, a constaunt iye, and with shamefastnes beau-tified, a mouthe vttering fewe woordes discretlie. She is notto be liked, whō no vertuous qualitées in her educaciō, beu-tifieth and adorneth, the goodlie qualitees sheweth, the wellframed and nurtured mynde. These thynges maie be suffi-ciente, to shewe what excellencie is in mariage and how ne-cessarie it is, to the procreacion and preseruaciō of mankind.¶Legislacio.¶ A Oracion either in the defence ofa Lawe, or againste a Lawe.MAny learned menne are in this opinion, that vpona Lawe alledged, a Oracion maie bee made in thedefence of it: or matter maie be suppeditated, to in-uaigh by force of argument againste it.Although the lawe alleged be in maner the whole cause,bicause it doeth cōtain al the matter included in the oracion.In this Oracion, the persone is induced to be spoken vp-pon, vnknowne, vncertaine: wherefore it is to be placed, ra-ther in the state and forme of consultacion, and to bée exami-ned with iudgement.The induccion of a Lawe, is in twoo sortes.A confirmacion of any olde Lawe, or a confutacion.As for example.The Ciuill Lawe doeth well commende, bondmen to bemanumised, that is, to be made free.The lawe is herein to be praised, that willeth the coūsailof the parentes & frendes, to be knowne before the contracte.Upon a Lawe alledged, worthelie matter maie rise, waigh-yng the godlie ende, whereunto the Lawe was firste inuen-ted, decreed and stablished, what profite thereof ensueth andfoloweth. What it is to vertue a mainteiner, otherwise if itbe not profitable? What moued any one to frame and ordainsoche a Lawe, as was to a common wealthe vnprofitable, tovertue no aider, if it were a profitable Lawe and godlie, it isas Demosthenes saieth, of God inuented, though by famousLawe.wise, and godlie menne, stablished and decréed. Good Lawestempereth to all states equitee and iustice, without fauour orfrendship, no more to the one then the other.The order to make an Oracion by a lawe, is in this sort.First, make a prohemiū or beginning to enter your matter.In the seconde place, adde a contrary to that, whiche youwill entreate vpon.Then shewe it lawful.Iuste.Profitable.Possible.You maie as inThesis, whiche was the Oracion before,vse a contradiction or obiection: and to that make an answereor solucion.¶ A confutacion of that Lawe, whiche sufferedadultrie to bee punished with death, noiudgement giuen thereupon.The mosterigorous andmoste cruelllawe of Solō[.]SOlon, who was a famous Philosopher, in thetime of Cresus king of Lidia, and a lawe giuerto the Athenians: by whose Lawes and godliemeanes, the Athenians were long and prospe-rouslie gouerned. Emong many of his lawes,this Solon set forthe againste adulterers.Fas esse deprehen-denti mæchum in ipso adulterio interficere: it shalbee lawfullsaieth he, who so taketh an adulterer in his beastlie facte, tokill hym. Solon beyng a wise man, was more rigorous andcruell, in this one Lawe, then he ought to be. A meruailousmatter, and almoste vncredible, so wise, so noble and worthya Lawe giuer, to bruste out with soche a cruell and bloodielawe, that without iudgement or sentence giuen, the matterneither proued nor examined, adulterie to be death. Where-fore, reason forceth euery manne, to Iudge and ponder withAdulterie ahorrible vice.hymself, that either adulterie is a moste horrible vice, mostebeastlie & pestiferous, and not mete to tary vpon the censure,and sentence of a Iudge: or Solon was not so wise, discrete,and a politike persone, but a rashe and fonde lawe giuer, thatin soche a terrible voice, he should burste out, as adulterie sohorrible, as not worthie to be pondered, examined and boul-ted of in Iudgemente. The Athenians receiued that Lawe,thei did also obaie his other lawes. Their dominions there-by in felicitée was gouerned: there was no populous nom-ber of adulterers, to let that Lawe, thei liued moste godlie, astraunge worlde, a rare moderacion of that age and people.Plato aga-inste adultriemade a lawe.Plato the godlie Philosopher, who lefte in his woorkes, andmonumentes of learnyng, greate wisedome and also godlieLawes in his bookes: intiteled vpon Lawes, and gouerne-ment of a common wealth, did not passe by in silence, to giueand ordain a Lawe against adulterie. Who also as it semedIudged adulterie as moste horrible and detestable, in his .ix.bookede Legibus. This is the Lawe.Adulteram deprehen-sam impune occidi a viro posse.The adultrous woman saithhe, taken in the crime, her housbande maie without daungerof death, or feare of punishement slea her. A straunge mattertwoo so noble, so famous for wisedome, to make adulteriepresent death, no Iudgement or sentence of Magistrate, pro-cedyng to examine and iudge, vpon the state of the cause. Aman maie saie, O goodlie age, and tyme in vertue tempered,eche state as seemeth brideled and kepte vnder, and farre frōvoluptuousnes remoued. There was no stewes or Baudeshouses, where soche Lawes and Lawmakers were. Sobrie-tée was in maides, and chastitée harboured in matrones andwedded wiues, a harte inuiolable to honeste conuersacion.Where adulterie is cutte of, there many detestable vices,Catos sen-tence vponadulterie.and execrable purposes are remoued. Cato the sage Peere ofRome, indued with like seueritée, did fauour that lawe andhighlie extolled it. Although adulterie bee a detestable vicehorrible, yea, although it be worthie death, better it were byiudgemente, and the sentence of the Magistrate, the faute toLawe.bee determined: then at the will of euery manne, as a Laweby death to bee ended, the common wealthe shalbee in morequiet state, when the horrible factes of wicked menne, by theThe Iudge,a liuely lawe.Lawe made worthie of deathe: are neuerthelesse by a liuelieLawe, whiche is the Iudge, pronounced and condemned, ac-cordyng to the Lawe. Els many mischiues might rise in allkyngdomes and common wealthes, vnder a colour of lawe,many a honeste persone murthered: and many a murtherer,by cloke of a Lawe, from daunger saued. In Rome somtimea Lawe there was ordained againste adulterie, whiche wascalledLex Iulia, this Lawe Octauius Augustus set foorthe.The Lawe was thus,Gladio iussit animaduerti in adulteros[.]The lawe commaunded adulterers to be hedded. The chro-nicles of aunciente tymes herein doe shew, and the decrées ofauncient elders also, how horrible a thing adulterie is, whenthei punishe it with death. Who knoweth not emōg the Is-raelites, and in the olde lawe thei wer stoned to death. Wellas Magistrates are in common wealthes remoued, or as ti-mes chaunge, lawes also are chaunged and dissolued: and asthe Prouerbe is,Lex vt Regio, the Lawes are accordyng tothe Region. Afterwarde Ualerius Publicola, a man ascen-dyng to high nobilitée of honour, and fame emong, the Ro-maines gaue this Lawe.Qua neminem licebat indicta causanecare.By this lawe it was not lefull, any manne to be putA godly law.to death, their cause not examined in Iudgemente, this wasa goodlie Lawe. Then afterwarde, Lawe giuers rose in thecommon wealth, that with more facilitee tolerated that vice,then wickednesse flowed, adulterie not punished by death.And sence that, the Romaine Empire, wrapped and snaredwith soche mischiues hath decaied, in fame, nobilitée and ver-tue. Many a parte of their dominion plagued, deuoured, andThe goodmanne.destroied. The good and godlie menne, nede not to feare anyLawe godlie, their life beyng in vertue and godlines nurtu-red. The terrible sentence of a lawe, forceth the good and god-lie, to perseuere and continue in godlines. The terrible sen-Lawe.tence of a Lawe, cutteth of the wicked enterprises of pestife-rous menne. Uice where lawe is not to correcte, will inure itUice as alawe by cu-stome.Adulterie.self by custome as a Lawe, or borne and tolerated againste aLawe. Therefore as adulterie without Iudgemente, to beepunished worthie of death is vngodlie: so it ought not to beepassed ouer, or tolerated in any Region or common wealth,as no lawe seuerely to punishe thesame.¶ The contrarie.AL other lawes doe differ, from that rigorous laweof Solon and Plato herein, yea, and though theibe vices horrible, yet thei ar not determined, without the sentēce of the Magistrate and Iudge. Butthis cruell Lawe of Solon, doeth repugne all lawes, stabli-The lawe v-niuersall andequall to allmenne.shed in all Citees and common wealthes. And sithe the laweis of hymself vniuersall, with equitée, giuing and temperingto all states. Fonde muste that Lawe bee of Solon, whicherashely, without consideracion of iudgement doeth procede,no man ought in his own cause, to be his own iudge or Ma-gistrate. This is argument sufficient to confounde the laweof Solon. All Lawes are repugnaunte to that, because withIudgement thei procede against vices moste pestiferous. InThefte.common wealthes Theft is by lawe, pronounced worthie ofdeath, whereupon also the Magistrate and Iudge, determi-neth the matter, and heareth of bothe the action of the case,before he condempneth, so in all other mischiues.But you maie saie, many mischiues riseth of adulterie.Although it so be, the Iudge determineth vpon Murder,whiche is in like sort horrible, soche also as dooe séeke to casteinto perill their countrée, and by treason to destroie thesame,Iudgemente proceadeth by determinacion of the Lawe andIudge. And so in all other wicked factes, and mischiuous en-terprises, the Iudgement in euery cause procedeth, as LaweThe Iudgea liuely lawe.and right willeth, from the mouthe of the Iudge, he beyng aliuelie Lawe, to the Lawe written. The cruell Lawe of So-lon, is like to the phantasie and wille of a tyraunte, who, asphantasie and will leadeth, murdereth at his pleasure, whosewill is alwaies a sufficient Lawe to hymself, as who shouldThe will of atyraunte hisowne lawe.saie, so I wille, so I commaunde, my wille shall stande for aLawe: but godlie lawes doe iustlie, accordyng to reason andvertue, tempereth the cause of euery man. No godlie Lawe,maketh the accuser his owne Iudge.¶ Lawfull.Lawes weremade for twocauses.WHo so by Lawe is iudged, and the offence proued,there is no excuse in the malefactour, nor suspicionseing that, accordyng to lawe, the fact is punished,and as Demosthenes saieth, twoo thynges mouedthe wise Elders to make Lawes, that the wicked should beehindered, and cutte of from their purpose, and that good menseyng by a lawe, the actes of pestiferous men kepte vnder, bythe terrour of them, are afraied to commit the like facte. Thiswas euen accordyng to lawe. The terrible sentence of a lawexecuted, vpon moste wicked persones, doe kepe vnder manya mischiuous enterprise, whiche through the dolefull and la-mentable ende of the wicked, doe driue and force all other toall godlines.¶ Iuste.THe accuser by Lawe and Iudge, is able to defendehymself, whē his cause is ended accordyng to law.Uertue thereby vpholded, when by order of lawe,vice is condempned. The malifactour hath no ex-cuse, all staie and colour remoued, the accuser by iuste Lawepleateth, when the law is thereby supported and saued. Andherein a greate parte of Iustice is placed, when the fauour ofthe Iudge or frendship, is onely on the cause, the persone nec-lected, that is Iustice, to giue to euery one his owne.¶ Profitable.IT must be profitable to the whole bodie of the com-mon wealthe, when by the Iustice of godlie lawes,vertue is in high price aduaunced, vice by the opensentence, and manifeste profe conuicted, the malefa-ctour shall be knowen, the sincere and godlie deliuered, andfrom tyme to tyme maintained. Lawes as thei be vniuersallso thei openlie ought to giue sentence.¶ Possible.THen without lawe to procede, and iudgemente ofthe Magistrate, as Solon did in this lawe, it werenot possible, any common wealthe to florishe ther-by. Therefore in Iudgemente ought the cause ofeuery one to be pleated and examined, that thereby all suspi-cion, & greuous enormitées, maie be put of. Uice is not there-fore tolerated, because for a tyme, Iudgemente ceaseth, buthereupon vices are more depely rooted out, all people know-yng the determinacion of the lawe, and the manifest sentēceof the Iudge heard. A terrour ensueth to al malefactours andpestiferous men, good men are incensed to all godlines, whēvice by Lawe is condempned, cutte of, and destroied. Goodmenne by Lawe and aucthoritée, vpholded and maintained.The state ofgood lawes.This is the state of good lawes, by order to procede, thecause in Iudgemente examined, the facte proued,vertue in any persone vpholded, vice in allcaste doune and defaced, so there isgood Lawe, as Demosthenessaieth, sincere Iudge,and sentenceinuiola-ble.
{A presente tyme.}{A tyme paste.}{A tyme to come.}
Eidolopœiais that part of this Oracion, whiche maketha persone knowne though dedde, and not able to speake.
Eidolopœia[.]Eidolopœiais called of Priscianus, a imitacion of talkeof any one, vpon a dedde manne, it is then calledEidolopœia,when a dedde man talketh, or communicacion made vpon adedde manne.
Eidolopœia, when a dedde manne talketh, is set forthe ofEuripides, vpon the persone of Polidorus dedde, whose spi-rite entereth at the Prologue of the tragedie.
Hector slain, speaketh to Eneas inEidolopœia. O Eneasthou goddes sonne, flie and saue thy self, from this ruine andfire: the enemies hath taken the walles, and loftie Troie isprostrate to the grounde. I would haue thought, I had diedvaliantlie inough to my countrée, and my father Priamus,if with this my right hande, Troie had bee defended.
Polidorus beyng dedde, inEidolopœiatalketh to Eneaswhiche Uirgil sheweth in his thirde booke of Eneados.
Iulia the wife of Pompei beyng dedde, spake to Pompe,preparyng his arme against Cesar,Eidolopœia. Reade Lu-cane, in the beginnyng of his thirde booke.
Tullie vsethEidolopœia, when he maketh talke vponHiero beyng dedde.
If that kyng Hiero were reduced frō his death, who wasa aduauncer of the Romaine Empire, with what counte-naunce, either Siracusa or Rome, might be shewed to hym,whom he maie beholde with his iyes. His countree broughtto ruin, & spoiled, if that kyng Hiero should but enter Rome,euen in the firste entryng, he should beholde the spoile of hiscountree.
Tullie also vseth the likeEidolopœia, as thus, vpon Lu-cius Brutus dedde.
LuciusBrutus.If it so wer, that Lucius Brutus, that noble and famousmanne were on liue, and before your presence: would he notvse this oracion: I Brutus, somtyme did banishe and cast outfor crueltee, the state and office of kinges, by the horrible factof Tarquinius, againste Lucretia, and all that name bani-shed, but you haue brought in tyrauntes. I Brutus did re-duce the Romain Empire, to a fredome and libertée: but youfoolishly can not vphold and maintein, thesame giuen to you.I Brutus, with the daunger of my life, haue saued my coun[-]tree of Roome, but you without all daunger, lose it.
¶Prosopopœia.
AS cōcerningProsopopœia, it is as Pristianus saith,when to any one againste nature, speache is feignedto bee giuen.
Tullie vseth for a like example this, when he makethRoome to talke againste Cateline.
¶Prosopopœiaof Roome.
Catiline.NO mischief hath been perpetrated, this many yeres,but by thee Catiline, no pestiferous acte enterprised,without thee: thou a lone, for thy horrible murtherperpetrated vpon the citee of Rome, for the spoile and robbe-ries of their gooddes art vnpunished. Thou onelie haste beenof that force and power, to caste doune all lawes and aucthori-tee. Although these thinges were not to be borne, yet I haueborne them: but now thy horrible factes are come to soche anissue, that I feare thy mischiues. Wherfore leaue of Catelineand deminishe this feare from me, that I maie be in securitée[.]
Lucane the Poete, intreating of mightie and fearce war-res, againste Pompei and Cesar, maketh Roome to vse thisProsopopœiaagainste Cesar.
Quo tenditis vltra quo fertis mea signa viri,Si iure venitis si aues hucusq[ue] licet.
Prosopopœiais properlie, when all thinges are faignedbothe the maners, the persone, as of Roome in this place.
¶ What lamentable Oracion Hecuba Quene ofTroie might make, Troie being destroied.
Kyngdomes.WHat kyngdome can alwaies assure his state, orglory? What strength can alwaies last? WhatOkes.Cedars.power maie alwaies stande? The mightie O-kes are somtyme caste from roote, the Ceadarshigh by tempestes falle, so bitter stormes dooeforce their strength. Soft waters pearseth Rockes, and rustethe massie Iron doeth bryng to naught. So nothyng can bystrēgth so stande, but strength maie ones decaie: yea, mightiekingdoms in time decaie haue felt. Kingdomes weake hauerose to might, and mightie kyngdomes fallen, no counsailecan preuaile, no power, no strength, or might in lande. Goddisposeth Princes seates, their kyngdome there with stan-des. I knewe before the brickell state, how kyngdomes ruinecaught, my iye the chaunge of fortune sawe, as Priamus didaduaunce his throne, by fauour Fortune gat, on other For-tune then did froune, whose kingdom did decaie. Well, nowFortunehath no staie.I knowe the brickle state, that fortune hath no staie, all rasheher giftes, Fortune blind doeth kepe no state, her stone dothroule, as floodes now flowe, floodes also ebbe. So glory dothremaine, sometyme my state on high, was sette in Princeliethrone, my porte and traine ful roiall was, a kyng my fatheralso was, my housband scepter held. Troie and Phrigia ser-ued his becke, many kynges his power did dreade, his willetheir power did serue. The fame of Troie and Brute, hisglorie and renoume, what landes knoweth not? But nowhis falle, all toungues can speake, so greate as glorie was,though kyngdomes stronge was sette, loftie Troie in dusteprostrate doeth lye, in blood their glorie, people, kyng are fal-len, no Quene more dolefull cause hath felte. The sorowesdepe doe passe my ioyes, as Phebus light with stormes casteHector.doune. Hectors death did wounde my hart, by Hectors mightTroie stiffe did stande, my comforte Hector was, Priamusioye, of Troie all thē life, the strength, and power, his deathdid wound me for to die, but alas my dolefull and cruell fateto greater woe reserueth my life, loftie Troie before mefelle, sworde, and fire hath seate and throne doune caste. Thededde on heapes doeth lye, the tender babes as Lions praiesPriamus.are caught in bloode, before my sight, Priamus deare mur-dered was, my children also slain, who roiall were, and prin-ces mates. No Queene more ioye hath tasted, yet woe my io-yes hath quite defaced. My state alwaie in bondage thrall, toserue my enemies wille, as enemie wille, I liue or dye. Nocruell force will ridde my life, onely in graue the yearth shalclose my woes, the wormes shall gnawe my dolefull hart ingraue. My hedde shall ponder nought, when death hath sencedoune caste, in life I sought no ioye, as death I craue, noglorie was so wished as death I seeke, with death no sence.In prison depe who dolefull lieth, whom Fetters sore dooethgreue. Their dolefull state moste wisheth death, in dongiondeepe of care my harte moste pensiue is, vnhappie state thatwisheth death, with ioye long life, eche wight doeth craue, inlife who wanteth smart? Who doeth not féele, or beare som-time, a bitter storme, to doleful tune, mirth full oft chaungedis, the meaner state, more quiet rest, on high, who climes moredeper care, more dolefull harte doeth presse, moste tempesteshie trees, hilles, & moutaines beare, valleis lowe rough stor-mes doeth passe, the bendyng trees doeth giue place to mightby force of might, Okes mightie fall, and Ceders high ar rētfrom the roote. The state full meane in hauen hath Ancrecaste, in surgyng seas, full ofte in vaine to saue the maste, theshippe Ancre casteth.
¶ The descripcion.
THis exercise profitable toRhetorike, is an Ora-ciō that collecteth and representeth to the iye, thatwhich he sheweth, so Priscianus defineth it: someare of that opinion, that descripcion is not to beeplaced emōg these exercises, profitable toRhetorike. Becausethat bothe in euery Oracion, made vpon a Fable, all thyn-ges therein conteined, are liuely described. And also in eueryNarracion, the cause, the place, the persone, the time, the fact,the maner how, ar therin liuely described. But most famousand Eloquente men, doe place descripcion, in the nomber ofthese exercises. Descripciō serueth to these things, the person,as the Poete Lucane describeth Pompei & Cesar: the personis described, thynges or actes, tymes, places, brute beastes.
Nec coiere pares, alter vergentibus annisIn senium longo que toge, tranquilior vsu.Dedidicit. &c.
Homer describeth the persone of Thersites, in the secondbooke of his Ilias.
Homer setteth out Helena, describing the persone of Me-nalaus and Ulisses, in the fowerth booke of Ilias.
Thynges are described, as the warres attempted by seaand lande, of Xerxes.
Lucan describeth the war of the Massiliās against Cesar[.]
Thusidides setteth forthe in a descripcion, the warres onthe sea, betwene the Corcurians, and the Corinthians.
Tymes are described, as the Spryng tyme, Sommer,Winter, Harueste, Daie, Night.
Places are described, as Citees, Mountaines, Regions,Floodes, Hauens, Gardeines, Temples: whiche thyngesare sette out by their commoditees, for Thusidides often ty-mes setteth forthe Hauens and Citees.
Lucane also describeth at large, the places, by the whichethe armie of Cesar and Pompei passed. The descripcion of a-ny man, in all partes is to bee described, in mynde and bodie,what he was.
The acttes are to bee described, farre passed, by the pre-sente state thereof, and also by the tyme to come.
As if the warre of Troie, should be set forthe in a descrip-cion, it must bée described, what happened before the Greci-ans arriued at Troie, and how, and after what sorte it wasouerthrowne, & what thing chaunced, Troie being destroid.
So likewise of Carthage, destroied by the Romaines.Of Hierusalem, destroied by Titus Uespasianus, what ad-monicion thei had before: of what monsterous thynges hap-pened also in that ceason: Of a Comete or blasyng Starre,and after that what followed.
Lucane also setteth forthe the warres of Pompe and Ce-sar, what straunge and marueilous thynges fell of it.
¶ A descripcion vpon Xerxes.
WHen Darius was dedde, Xerxes his soonne didsuccede hym, who also tooke vpon him to finishethe warres, begō by his father Darius, againstGrece. For the whiche warres, preperacionwas made, for the space of fiue yeres, after thatThe armieof Xerxes.Xerxes entered Grece, with seuen hundred thousande Persi-ans, and thrée hundred thousande of forrain power aided himthat not without cause, Chronicles of aunciente tyme dooeshewe, mightie floodes to be dried vp of his armie. The migh[-]tie dominions of Grece, was not hable to receiue his houge,and mightie power, bothe by sea and lande: he was no smallPrince, whom so many nacions, so mightie people followedhym, his Nauie of Shippes was in nomber tenne hundredXerxes acowarde.thousande, Xerxes had a mightie power, but Xerxes was acowarde, in harte a childe, all in feare the stroke of battailemoued. In so mightie an armie it was marueile, the chiefePrince and Capitaine to be a cowarde, there wanted neithermen, nor treasure, if ye haue respecte to the kyng hymself, forcowardlinesse ye will dispraise the kyng, but his threasuresbeeyng so infinite, ye will maruaile at the plentie thereof,whose armie and infinite hoste, though mightie floodes andstreames, were not able to suffice for drinke, yet his richesseXerxes lastein battaile,and first torunne awaie.semed not spente nor tasted of. Xerxes hymself would be lastein battaile to fight, and the firste to retire, and runne awaie.In daungers he was fearfull, and when daunger was paste,he was stoute, mightie, glorious, and wonderfull crakyng,The prideof Xerxes.before this hassarde of battaile attempted. He thought hymself a God ouer nature, all landes and Seas to giue place tohym, and puffed with pride, he forgatte hymself: his powerwas terrible, his harte fainte, whereupon his enteryng intoGrece was not so dreaded, as his flight frō thence was sham[-]full, mocked and scorned at, for all his power he was driuenbacke from the lande, by Leonides king of the Lacedemoni-ans, he hauing but a small nomber of men, before his secondbattaile fought on the Sea: he sente fower thousande armedmen, to spoile the riche and sumpteous temple of Apollo, atDelphos, from the whiche place, not one man escaped. Afterthat Xerxes entered Thespia, Platea, and Athenes, in thewhiche not one man remained, those he burned, woorkynghis anger vpon the houses: for these citees were admonishedto proue the maisterie in wodden walles, whiche was mentto bee Shippes, the power of Grece, brought into one placeThemi-stocles.Themistocles, fauoryng their part, although Xerxes thoughtotherwise of Themistocles, then Themistocles perswadedXerxes to assaie the Grecians. Artemisia the Quene of Hali-carnasis aided Xerxes in his battaile: Artemisia fought man[-]fullie, Xerxes cowardly shronke, so that vnnaturally therewas in the one a manlie stomacke, in the other a cowardlieharte. The men of Ionia, that fought vnder Xerxes banner,by the treason of Themistocles, shrāke from Xerxes, he wasnot so greate a terrour or dreade, by his maine hoste, as nowsmally regarded & least feared. What is power, men, or mo-ney, when God chaungeth and pulleth doune, bothe the suc-cesse, and kyngdome of a Prince. He was in all his glorie, avnmanlie, and a cowardly prince, yet for a time happie statefell on his side, now his might and power is not feared. Heflieth awaie in a Fisher boate, whom all the worlde dreadedand obaied, whom all Grece was not able to receiue, a smallboate lodgeth and harboureth. His owne people contemnedhym at home, his glorie fell, and life ingloriously ended, whōwhomGod setteth vp, neither treason nor malice, power normoney can pull doune. Worthelie it is to be pondered of allPrinces, the saiyng of Uespasianus Emperour of Rome, ata certain time a treason wrought and conspired against him,the conspiratours taken, Uespasianus satte doune betweneThe saiyngof Uespasi-anus.theim, commaunded a sworde to be giuen to either of theim,and saied to them:Nonne videtis fato potestatem dari.Dooeyou not see? Power, aucthoritée, and regimente, by the ordi-A sentencecomfortableto al princes.naunce of God, is lefte and giuen to princes: A singuler sen-tence, to comforte all good Princes in their gouernemente,not to feare the poisoned hartes of men, or the traiterous har-tes of pestiferous men. No man can pull doune, where Godexalteth, neither power can set vp and extoll, where God dis-plaseth or putteth doune: Soche is the state of Princes, andtheir kyngdomes.
¶Thesis.
THesis, is a certain question in consultacion had, to béedeclaimed vpon vncertaine, notyng no certaine per-sone or thyng.
As for example.
Whether are riches chieflie to be sought for, in this life,as of all good thynges, the chief good.
Whether is vertue the moste excellente good thynge inthis life.
Whether dooe the giftes of the mynde, passe and excellethe giftes and vertues of Fortune, and the bodie.
Whether doeth pollicie more auaile in war, then strēgthof menne.
Who so will reason of any question of these, he hath nedewith reason, and wittie consultacion to discourse, and to de-claime vpon thesame.
The Greke Oratours doe call this exerciseThesis, thatis to saie, a proposicion in question, a question vncertain, in-cluded with no certaintée, to any perticuler thyng.
The Latine men doeth call it a question infinite, or vni-uersall: Tullie in his booke of places called Topickes, doethcallThesis,Propositum, that is to saie, a question, in deter-minacion. Priscianus calleth itpositionem, a proposicion inquestion on ether parte to be disputed vpon.
As for example.
Whether is it best to marie a wife?
Whether is frendship aboue all thynges to be regarded.
Is warre to be moued vpon a iuste cause?
Is the Greke tongue mete, and necessarie to be learned?
There is an other kinde of question calledhypothesis,hy[-]pothesisis calledquestio finita, that is to saie, a question cer-taine notyng a certaine persone, or thyng, a certaine place,tyme, and so forthe.
As for example.
Is it mete for Cesar to moue warre against Pompei?
Is not there a certain persone?
Is the Greke tongue to be learned of a Diuine?
Is the Greke tongue meete for a Phisicion?
In this kinde of exercises, famous men of auncient timedid exercise youth, to attain bothe wisedome and Eloquencetherby, to make a discourse vpō any matter, by art of lerning[.]
Aristotle the famous Philosopher, did traine vp youthe,to be perfite in the arte of eloquence, that thei might with allcopiousnes and ingenious inuencion handle any cause.
Nothing doeth so moche sharpe and acuate the witte andcapacitée of any one, as this kinde of exercise.
It is a goodly vertue in any one man, at a sodain, to vtterwittely and ingeniouslie, the secrete and hid wisedome of hismynde: it is a greate maime to a profounde learned man, towante abilitée, to vtter his exquisite and profounde knowe-ledge of his mynde.
¶Thesis.
THis questionThesis, which is a question, noting no cer-taine persone or thyng: is moche like to that Oracion,intreated of before, called a Common place.
¶ A Common place.
BUt a Common place, is a certaine exaggeracion ofmatter, induced against any persone, conuicted of a-ny crime, or worthie defence.
¶Thesis.
Thesisis a reasonyng by question, vpon a matter vncer-taine.
Thesis, that is to saie, a questiō generall is in two sortes.
{Ciuill.A question{{Contemplatiue.
QUestions Ciuill are those, that dooe pertaine to thestate of a common wealth: and are daily practised inthe common wealthe.
As for example.
Is it good to marie a wife.
Is Usurie lefull in a citee, or common wealthe.
Is a Monarchie the beste state of gouernement.
Is good educacion the grounde and roote, of a florishyngcommon wealthe.
¶ A contemplatiue question.
THe otherThesisis a question contemplatiue, whichthe Grekes dooe callTheoricas, because the matterof them is comprehended in the minde, and in the in[-]telligence of man.
The example.
Is the soule immortall?
Had the worlde a beginnyng?
Is the heauen greater then the yearth?
A question is either{Simple.{Compounde.
Is it good for a man to exercise hymself in wrastlyng, or
Is it profitable to declaime.
[¶] A compounde.
Is vertue of more value then gold, to the coueitous man[?]
Doeth wisedome more auaile, then strength in battaile?
Doe olde men or young men, better gouerne a commonwealthe?
Is Phisicke more honourable then the Lawe?
A Oracion made vponThesis, is after this sorte made.
Use aexordium, or beginnyng.
Unto the whiche you maie adde a Narracion, whiche isa exposicion of the thyng doen.
Then shewe it lawfull.
Iuste.
Profitable.
And possible.
Then the conclucion.
To this in some parte of the Oracion, you maie putte incertaine obieccions, as thus.
Upon this question: Is it good to marie a wife?
In Mariage is greate care, and pensiuenesse of minde, bylosse of children, or wife, whom thou loueste. There is alsotrouble of dissolute seruauntes. There is also greate soroweif thy children proue wicked and dissolute.
The aunswere to this obiection, will minister matter todeclaime vpon.
¶ Is it good to Marie.
SInce the tyme of all ages, and the creaciō of theworlde, GOD hath so blessed his creacion, andmeruailous workemanship in manne: as in allhis other creatures, that not onelie hisomnipo-teucie, is therby set forthe. But also from tymeto tyme, the posteritee of men, in their ofspring and procrea-Kyngdomescontinue bymariage andcōmon welth[.]cion, doe aboundantlie commonstrate thesame. The state ofall kyngdomes and common wealthes: by procreacion deri-ued, haue onelie continued on the face of the yearth, therebymany hundred yeres. How sone would the whole worlde bedissolued, and in perpetuall ruine, if that God from tymesand ages, had not by godlie procreacion, blessed this infiniteThe digniteeof man, she-weth theworthines ofmariage.issue of mankinde. The dignitée of man in his creacion, she-weth the worthie succession, maintained by procreation. Invaine were the creacion of the worlde, if there were not asmanne so excellente a creature, to beholde the creatour, andhis meruailous creacion. To what vse were the Elementesand Heauens, the Starres and Planettes, all Beastes andFoules, Fisshe, Plantes, Herbes and trees, if men wer not,for mannes vse and necessitée, all thinges in the yearth weremade and procreated. Wherein the Stoike Philosophers donote the excellencie of man to be greate: for saie thei,Que interris gignuntur omnia ad vsum hominum creari. To whatvse then were all thynges, if man were not, for whose cause,vse, & necessitée these thynges were made. If a continuaunceof Gods procreacion were not, immediatlie a ruine and endewould ensue of thinges. What age remaineth aboue a hun-dred yeres? If after a hūdred yeres, no issue wer to be, on theGodlie pro-creacion.face of the yearth, how sone wer kyngdoms dissolued, whereas procreacion rooteth, a newe generacion, issue and ofspring,and as it were a newe soule and bodie. A continuaunce of la-wes, a permanente state of common wealthe dooeth ensue.Though the life of manne be fraile, and sone cutte of, yet byMariage, man by his ofspryng, is as it were newe framed,his bodie by death dissolued, yet by issue reuiued. Euen asPlantes, by the bitter season of Winter, from their flowersfadyng and witheryng: yet the seede of them and roote, vegi-table and liuyng, dooe roote yerelie a newe ofspryng or flo-A similitude.wer in them. So Mariage by godlie procreacion blessed, dothperpetually increase a newe bodie, and therby a vaste world,and infinite nacions or people. Xerxes the mightie kyng ofPersia, vewing and beholding his maine and infinite hoste,wéeped: who beyng demaunded, why he so did.Doleo inquitpost centum annos, neminem ex hijs superesse.It is a pitée-fulle and dolefull case, that after a hundred yeres, not one ofthese noble capitaines, and valiant soldiers to be left.
¶ The obieccion.
But you will saie parauenture, mariage is a greate bon-dage, alwaies to liue with one.
¶ The solucion.
To followe pleasure, and the beastlie mocions of themynde: what libertée call you that, to liue in a godly, meane,The libertiein mariage.and Mediocritée of life, with thy spoused wife. There is nogreater ioye, libertée, or felicitée, who so practiseth a dissolutelife: whose loue and luste is kindeled, and sette on fire with aA brutishesocietie withharlottes.harlotte, he followeth a brutishe societée. What difference isthere, betwene them and beastes? The beaste as nature lea-deth, he obaieth nature. Reason wanteth in beastes, mannethen indued with reason, whiche is a guide to all excellenciehow is it that he is not ruled by reason. Whom GOD hathclothed and beautified, with all vertue and all singularitée:If a godly conuersacion of life, moueth thée to passe thy daieswithout mariage, then must the mocions of thy minde, be ta-Chastiteein mariage.med and kepte vnder. Other wise, execrable is thy purpose,and determinaciō of the life. If thou hopest of loue of a harlotthough thou enioye her otherwise, thou art deceiued. Bac-chis the harlot, whom Terence maketh mencion of, in thepersone of her self, sheweth the maners of all harlots to An-tiphila, saiyng.
Quippe forma impulsi nostra nos amatores colunt:Hec vbi immutata est, illi suum animum alio conferunt.Nisi prospectū est interea aliquid nobis, deserte viuimus.
For saieth she, the louer anamoured with our loue, andsette on fire therewith, it is for our beautie and fauour: butwhen beautie is ones faded, he conuerteth his loue to an o-ther, whom he better liketh. But that we prouide for our sel-ues in the meane season, wée should in the ende liue vtterlieforsaked. But your loue incensed with one, whose manersand life contenteth you: so you bothe are linked together,The loue of aharlotte.that no calamitée can separate you: who so hopeth loue of aharlotte, or profite, he maie hope as for the fructe of a withe-red tree, gaine is all their loue, vice their ioye and delite. Invertue is libertée, in vertue is felicitee, the state of mariage isvertuous, there can be no greater bōdage, then to obaie ma-ny beastly affections, to the whiche whoredome forceth hymvnto, Loue is fained, cloked amitée, a harte dissembled, ma-ny a mightie person and wise, hath been ouerthrowen by thedeceiptes of harlottes: many a Citee plagued, many a regionouerthrowen for that mischief, to obaie many affections is agreate bondage. Who so serueth the beastlie affections of hisHercules.Omphala.mynde to that purpose, he must also as Hercules to Ompha-la bee slaue, not onely to his owne will and affection: but tothe maners, will, and exspectacion of the harlotte. So seruedThraso, and Phedria Thais, that Gorgious harlot, Antonyand Iulius Cesar, Cleopatra, this is a bondage, to liue slauefrom reason and allallintegritee, to a monsterous rablemētThe harlot-tes lesson, toher louers.of vices, who so serueth a harlot, thei must learne this lesson.Da mihi & affer, giue and bryng.
The women of Scithia, abhorryng the godly conuersa-cion of mariage, with their housbandes, lefte theim, who intyme ware so mightie, that thei repelled theim by force: theicalled mariage not Matrimonie, but bondage. For, the chro-nicles doe testifie, thei became conquerours ouer many kyn-ges, all Asia obaied them: thei did builde many a great citee,and for theire successe, thei might compare with many prin-The life ofthe Amazo-nes.ces. These women were called Amazones afterwarde, theorder of their life was this, ones in the yere thei would en-ioye the compainie of a man: if it so were that thei had a manchilde, the father to haue it, if a daughter, then thei possessedher, and foorthwith burned her right pappe: for thei were allArchers, and wonderfully excelled therein, but in the ende,Thalestris.thei came all to ruine. One of them, Thalestris their Quenein the tyme of Alexander the Greate, came to Alexander,thinkyng that he had been, some monstrous man of stature:The offer ofa woman toAlexander.whom, when she did beholde (for Alexander was of no migh-tie stature) did contemne hym, and offered him hand to handeThe answerof Alexanderto the offer.to fight with hym. But Alexander like a wise Prince, saiedto his men, if I should ouercome her, that were no victorie,nor manhoode againste a woman: and being ouercome, thatwere greater shame, then commendacion in all my victoriesand conquestes, but afterwarde, there was a greate familia-ritée betwene them. The adulterer and the adulteris, neuerprospereth, for many mischiues are reserued, to that wickedand beastly loue. Sincere loue is not rooted, frendship colou-red: the sober and demure countenaunce, is moche to be com-mended in a chaste woman, whose breaste pondereth a chasteThe facte ofthe matronesof Rome.life. The facte of the matrones of Rome, semeth straunge tobe tolde, of Papirius a Senators soonne, beyng taken to theSenate house, of his father: the childe beyng indued with asinguler wit, harde many causes in the assemble, talked andconsulted vpō, at his retourne home, his mother was inqui-sitiue of their consultacion, to heare somewhat. The childewas commaunded by his father, to vtter no secrete that heheard, wherevpon of a long tyme, he refused his mothers de-maunde: but at the laste subtelie, he satisfied his mothers re-Papirius.quest. Truth it is, my father willed me, to vtter no secret, youkeping my counsaill, I will shewe you, it is concluded by theSenate house, that euery man shall haue twoo wiues, thatis a straunge matter, saieth the mother: foorthwith she hadcommunicacion with all the matrones of Roome, that coulddoe somewhat in this matter, thei also full willyngly assem-bled themselues, to let this purpose, to the Senate house, theiwent to vtter, their swollen griues. The Senators were a-mased at their commyng, but in this matter bolde thei were,The Oraciōof a matrone,to the Sena-tours.to enterprise that, whiche thei wer greued at. A Dame moreeloquente then all the reste, and of stomacke more hardie, be-gan in these woordes. Otherwise then right, we are iniuri-ously handled, and that in this assemble, that now we shouldbe caste of and neclected: that whereas it is concluded in thiscounsaile, that euery manne should haue twoo wiues, moremeter it were, that one woman should haue twoo housban-des. Straunge it was in the Senators eares soche a request,whereupon a proofe made how that rumour rose, Papiriuswas found the aucthor, who tolde before the Senate, his mo-ther alwaies inquisitiue to knowe that, whiche he should nottell, and thereupon he faigned that, whiche he might bettertell. It is to be supposed the Senators mused thereat, and thematrones of Rome went home ashamed: but their secrete co-gitacion of minde was manifest, what willingly in hart theiwished. What greater felicitee can there bee, then in a vnitéeof life, the housebande to liue with his wife. The beastes intheir kinde, doe condemne mannes brutishe affections here-in: there is no facte that sheweth a man or woman, more liketo beastes, then whoredome.
¶ The obieccion.
But you will saie, many calamitées happeneth in mariage?
¶ The solucion.
Fortunne herein is to bee blamed, and not mariage, if a-ny misfortune happeneth to manne therein, the felicitée andEleccion inMariage.quiet state that any man enioieth thereby. The discrete elec-cion is therein approued, in the state it self, nothyng can beefounde worthie reprehension, if a man will impute the bit-ter stormes of life to mariage:whatseouerhappeneth, ourowne reason maie iudge contrary. Place before thy iyes allthe affaires, and occupacions of this life, bee all tymes plea-saunte to the housebande man, many a colde storme percethhis bodie, and many a mightie tempeste, dooeth molest hymand greue hym. Sommer is not the tyme, to caste his seede inthe grounde, or implowyng to occupie hymself: shall he ther-fore leaue his housebandrie, or doeth he rather neclecte it, hisdiligence therein is the more, and labour more industrious.From whence commeth the tempeste, the stormes and bitterseasons? From his house, from his wife, from his art and oc-cupacion, all those thynges by violence are expelled from theaire. No state of life is able to giue riches, healthe, or securitéeEmperours.to his state. There hath been princes and Emperours, nedie,full of infirmitées and sickenes, in daungerous state, oppres-sed with many calamitées: was their dignitie and office, thecause of their calamitées? No, God tempreth the state of eue-ry one, how, and after what sorte to possesse thesame. SomeMariage.are fulle fortunate in Mariage, if Mariage were of necessitéethe cause, then all should be onely fortunate, or onely vnfor-tunate: then in mariage is not the cause, if in marige the ma-ners doe disagrée, and loue is extinguished, blame thyn ownThe Mari-ners.maners, thy choise, and thy eleccion. The Mariner that pas-seth the daungerous Seas, and by dreadfull tempestes, andhuffyng waues is alwaies in perille, and many often tymesThe Mar-chauntes.drouned. The Marchaunt lesyng his marchaundise by ship-wrack, shall thei impute the daunger and losse, to their wifeat home? Or doe the Mariners leaue for all these tempestes,their arte of Nauigacion? Or the owner breake his shippe?Or the Marchaunt proue no aduentures, because of his losse,and many haue been of this sort drouned. No. But more ear-Warre.nestlie thei dooe assaie theim selues thereto. Because warrespoileth many a man of his life, doe Princes therefore, leaueto moue armour againste the enemie, but because, who so inthe defence of his countrée, dieth manfullie, is worthelie ad-uaunced, and in perpetuall memorie, no daunger is refused,because euill thynges happeneth in life, is the state of goodthynges to be auoided and eschued. Were it not vnsemelie,if housebande men, for no storme or tempeste, doe leaue theirstate, their laborious and rough cōdicion of life, nor the ship-man his arte of Nauigacion, because he seeth many drounedventeryng thesame, and he hymself often tymes in daunger,nor the soldiour or capitain, their perilous condicion of life,doe leaue for daunger. Should Mariage bée lesse sette by, be-cause alwaies riches and quietnes happeneth not.
¶ The obieccion.
The losse of a good wife and children, is a greate grefe toany man, and a cause to blame mariage.
¶ The aunswere.
The lawe ofNature.You your self are borne to dye, thei also by death obayelikewise Nature, this is the Lawe of Nature ones to dye,whiche you séeme to blame. Then the death of thy wife andchildrē, is not the blame in Mariage. What is the cause thatyou dye? Natures imbecillitée and weakenes, then in theim[.]Mariage is not the cause: Nature in her firste molde hath soframed all, wherefore doe you ascribe that to mariage, thatis founde faultée in Nature. Thei die that marie not, whatinfirmitie, daunger or peril happeneth to any in mariage, assharpe and perilous, doe molest and torment the other. If anymanne by death, leaseth a right honeste wife, clothed with allchastitée, demurenesse, sobrietée, and also with all singulari-tée of vertue adorned: he hath loste a rare treasure, a iewell ofA chaste wo-man.price, not in all to bee founde. Did you loue your wife, thatwas so goodlie, so honeste and vertuous: there was greatecause saie you, for her vertuous sake, God hath chosen her frōa mortall creature, to immortalitée, with her it can not béebetter. There is no cause why you should blame mariage,for the losse of her, or of thy children, or for the losse of thee,she to blame mariage. If for thy owne sake, this sorowe bee,Est seipsum amantis non amici, it is then of a self loue, to thyself, not for her cause: for I muste aunswere as Lelius did toAffricanus,Cum ea optime esseactū quis neget, quid est quodnō assecuta est immortalitatem. Who can deny saieth he, butthat with her it can not bee better? What is it that she hathnot attained. Immortalitée. She was vertuous, chaiste, so-ber, descrete, of behauiour womanlie: for her vertues belo-ued. Well, now she hath immortalitee and blesse, are you so-rie thereat, that were enuious. Did you loue her liuyng, loueher also departed, her vertuous shewed vnto vs, her immor-talitée.
¶ The obieccion.
There is a care for the wife and children, if the housbanddye before theim.
¶ The aunswere.
A wretchedexecutour.If thou leaue them riches, hope not that thy riches shalbea staie to theim, though thei bee innumerable: a wretched, amiserable executour, wasteth and destroieth oftentymes, thefruictes of thy trauaile, who reioyseth more of thy death, thenof thy life. Or thy childrens father in Lawe, shall spoile andGods pro-uidence.spende with a merie harte, that whiche thou haste longtera-uailedfor. Staie thy self and thyne vpon Gods prouidence,for it hath been seen, many a riche widowe, with infinitetreasure lefte, to her children also like porcions descendyng:afterwarde bothe wife and children, haue been brought tomiserie and beggerlie state. Otherwise, poore children com-mitted to the prouidence of God, and vertuouslie brought vp,and the wife in like state, yet thei haue so passed their daies,that thei haue rose to a goodlie state. See that thy richesse béenot iniuriouslie gotten by falshode, by liyng, by Usurie, if itso be, thenMale parta maledilabuntnr. That is this, gooddeseuill gotte, euill spente, soche riches neuer giue déepe rooteto their ofspryng. That is an euill care, by a iniurious care,to purchase thynges and gooddes wickedlie.
Also mariage taketh awaie widowhed, and doeth reparewith a newe freshe mariage, the lacke and priuacion of theDeath.Mariage.other. She that was by death left a widowe, mariage againhath coupled her to a newe housbande: and doeth restore thatwhiche death tooke awaie. That that death dissolueth anddestroieth, mariage increaseth, augmēteth, and multiplieth.Bee it so, but mariage is a painfull life, it forceth euery oneto trauaile, to vpholde and maintaine his state, I commendenot the idell life, neither a life occupied to no vertuous ende.Nature moueth euery manne to loue hymself and his, so thycare and paine be to a godlie purpose. It is commendable. Itis the duetie of euery man, as his power, witte, and industrieis able, to emploie thereto his cogitacion. To laboure for thywife, whom thou loueste, and deare children, thy laboure ispleasure, the ioye easeth thy labour. To behold thy self in thychildren, thei beyng vertuouslie broughte vp, it is a goodlieThe mariageof a chastewoman.comfort, to liue with a chaste woman, sober and continente,her vertues be a continuall pleasure, a passyng ioye. In ma-riage ought to be greate deliberacion, whom thou chosest tothy continuall compainie or felowshippe, her life paste wellknowen, her parentes and kindrede how honeste and vertu-ous, her maners, her fame, how commendable, her counti-The choiseof a wife.naunce sober, a constaunt iye, and with shamefastnes beau-tified, a mouthe vttering fewe woordes discretlie. She is notto be liked, whō no vertuous qualitées in her educaciō, beu-tifieth and adorneth, the goodlie qualitees sheweth, the wellframed and nurtured mynde. These thynges maie be suffi-ciente, to shewe what excellencie is in mariage and how ne-cessarie it is, to the procreacion and preseruaciō of mankind.
¶Legislacio.¶ A Oracion either in the defence ofa Lawe, or againste a Lawe.
MAny learned menne are in this opinion, that vpona Lawe alledged, a Oracion maie bee made in thedefence of it: or matter maie be suppeditated, to in-uaigh by force of argument againste it.
Although the lawe alleged be in maner the whole cause,bicause it doeth cōtain al the matter included in the oracion.
In this Oracion, the persone is induced to be spoken vp-pon, vnknowne, vncertaine: wherefore it is to be placed, ra-ther in the state and forme of consultacion, and to bée exami-ned with iudgement.
The induccion of a Lawe, is in twoo sortes.
A confirmacion of any olde Lawe, or a confutacion.
As for example.
The Ciuill Lawe doeth well commende, bondmen to bemanumised, that is, to be made free.
The lawe is herein to be praised, that willeth the coūsailof the parentes & frendes, to be knowne before the contracte.Upon a Lawe alledged, worthelie matter maie rise, waigh-yng the godlie ende, whereunto the Lawe was firste inuen-ted, decreed and stablished, what profite thereof ensueth andfoloweth. What it is to vertue a mainteiner, otherwise if itbe not profitable? What moued any one to frame and ordainsoche a Lawe, as was to a common wealthe vnprofitable, tovertue no aider, if it were a profitable Lawe and godlie, it isas Demosthenes saieth, of God inuented, though by famousLawe.wise, and godlie menne, stablished and decréed. Good Lawestempereth to all states equitee and iustice, without fauour orfrendship, no more to the one then the other.
The order to make an Oracion by a lawe, is in this sort.First, make a prohemiū or beginning to enter your matter.
In the seconde place, adde a contrary to that, whiche youwill entreate vpon.
Then shewe it lawful.
Iuste.
Profitable.
Possible.
You maie as inThesis, whiche was the Oracion before,vse a contradiction or obiection: and to that make an answereor solucion.
¶ A confutacion of that Lawe, whiche sufferedadultrie to bee punished with death, noiudgement giuen thereupon.
The mosterigorous andmoste cruelllawe of Solō[.]SOlon, who was a famous Philosopher, in thetime of Cresus king of Lidia, and a lawe giuerto the Athenians: by whose Lawes and godliemeanes, the Athenians were long and prospe-rouslie gouerned. Emong many of his lawes,this Solon set forthe againste adulterers.Fas esse deprehen-denti mæchum in ipso adulterio interficere: it shalbee lawfullsaieth he, who so taketh an adulterer in his beastlie facte, tokill hym. Solon beyng a wise man, was more rigorous andcruell, in this one Lawe, then he ought to be. A meruailousmatter, and almoste vncredible, so wise, so noble and worthya Lawe giuer, to bruste out with soche a cruell and bloodielawe, that without iudgement or sentence giuen, the matterneither proued nor examined, adulterie to be death. Where-fore, reason forceth euery manne, to Iudge and ponder withAdulterie ahorrible vice.hymself, that either adulterie is a moste horrible vice, mostebeastlie & pestiferous, and not mete to tary vpon the censure,and sentence of a Iudge: or Solon was not so wise, discrete,and a politike persone, but a rashe and fonde lawe giuer, thatin soche a terrible voice, he should burste out, as adulterie sohorrible, as not worthie to be pondered, examined and boul-ted of in Iudgemente. The Athenians receiued that Lawe,thei did also obaie his other lawes. Their dominions there-by in felicitée was gouerned: there was no populous nom-ber of adulterers, to let that Lawe, thei liued moste godlie, astraunge worlde, a rare moderacion of that age and people.Plato aga-inste adultriemade a lawe.Plato the godlie Philosopher, who lefte in his woorkes, andmonumentes of learnyng, greate wisedome and also godlieLawes in his bookes: intiteled vpon Lawes, and gouerne-ment of a common wealth, did not passe by in silence, to giueand ordain a Lawe against adulterie. Who also as it semedIudged adulterie as moste horrible and detestable, in his .ix.bookede Legibus. This is the Lawe.Adulteram deprehen-sam impune occidi a viro posse.The adultrous woman saithhe, taken in the crime, her housbande maie without daungerof death, or feare of punishement slea her. A straunge mattertwoo so noble, so famous for wisedome, to make adulteriepresent death, no Iudgement or sentence of Magistrate, pro-cedyng to examine and iudge, vpon the state of the cause. Aman maie saie, O goodlie age, and tyme in vertue tempered,eche state as seemeth brideled and kepte vnder, and farre frōvoluptuousnes remoued. There was no stewes or Baudeshouses, where soche Lawes and Lawmakers were. Sobrie-tée was in maides, and chastitée harboured in matrones andwedded wiues, a harte inuiolable to honeste conuersacion.Where adulterie is cutte of, there many detestable vices,Catos sen-tence vponadulterie.and execrable purposes are remoued. Cato the sage Peere ofRome, indued with like seueritée, did fauour that lawe andhighlie extolled it. Although adulterie bee a detestable vicehorrible, yea, although it be worthie death, better it were byiudgemente, and the sentence of the Magistrate, the faute toLawe.bee determined: then at the will of euery manne, as a Laweby death to bee ended, the common wealthe shalbee in morequiet state, when the horrible factes of wicked menne, by theThe Iudge,a liuely lawe.Lawe made worthie of deathe: are neuerthelesse by a liuelieLawe, whiche is the Iudge, pronounced and condemned, ac-cordyng to the Lawe. Els many mischiues might rise in allkyngdomes and common wealthes, vnder a colour of lawe,many a honeste persone murthered: and many a murtherer,by cloke of a Lawe, from daunger saued. In Rome somtimea Lawe there was ordained againste adulterie, whiche wascalledLex Iulia, this Lawe Octauius Augustus set foorthe.The Lawe was thus,Gladio iussit animaduerti in adulteros[.]The lawe commaunded adulterers to be hedded. The chro-nicles of aunciente tymes herein doe shew, and the decrées ofauncient elders also, how horrible a thing adulterie is, whenthei punishe it with death. Who knoweth not emōg the Is-raelites, and in the olde lawe thei wer stoned to death. Wellas Magistrates are in common wealthes remoued, or as ti-mes chaunge, lawes also are chaunged and dissolued: and asthe Prouerbe is,Lex vt Regio, the Lawes are accordyng tothe Region. Afterwarde Ualerius Publicola, a man ascen-dyng to high nobilitée of honour, and fame emong, the Ro-maines gaue this Lawe.Qua neminem licebat indicta causanecare.By this lawe it was not lefull, any manne to be putA godly law.to death, their cause not examined in Iudgemente, this wasa goodlie Lawe. Then afterwarde, Lawe giuers rose in thecommon wealth, that with more facilitee tolerated that vice,then wickednesse flowed, adulterie not punished by death.And sence that, the Romaine Empire, wrapped and snaredwith soche mischiues hath decaied, in fame, nobilitée and ver-tue. Many a parte of their dominion plagued, deuoured, andThe goodmanne.destroied. The good and godlie menne, nede not to feare anyLawe godlie, their life beyng in vertue and godlines nurtu-red. The terrible sentence of a lawe, forceth the good and god-lie, to perseuere and continue in godlines. The terrible sen-Lawe.tence of a Lawe, cutteth of the wicked enterprises of pestife-rous menne. Uice where lawe is not to correcte, will inure itUice as alawe by cu-stome.Adulterie.self by custome as a Lawe, or borne and tolerated againste aLawe. Therefore as adulterie without Iudgemente, to beepunished worthie of death is vngodlie: so it ought not to beepassed ouer, or tolerated in any Region or common wealth,as no lawe seuerely to punishe thesame.
¶ The contrarie.
AL other lawes doe differ, from that rigorous laweof Solon and Plato herein, yea, and though theibe vices horrible, yet thei ar not determined, without the sentēce of the Magistrate and Iudge. Butthis cruell Lawe of Solon, doeth repugne all lawes, stabli-The lawe v-niuersall andequall to allmenne.shed in all Citees and common wealthes. And sithe the laweis of hymself vniuersall, with equitée, giuing and temperingto all states. Fonde muste that Lawe bee of Solon, whicherashely, without consideracion of iudgement doeth procede,no man ought in his own cause, to be his own iudge or Ma-gistrate. This is argument sufficient to confounde the laweof Solon. All Lawes are repugnaunte to that, because withIudgement thei procede against vices moste pestiferous. InThefte.common wealthes Theft is by lawe, pronounced worthie ofdeath, whereupon also the Magistrate and Iudge, determi-neth the matter, and heareth of bothe the action of the case,before he condempneth, so in all other mischiues.
But you maie saie, many mischiues riseth of adulterie.
Although it so be, the Iudge determineth vpon Murder,whiche is in like sort horrible, soche also as dooe séeke to casteinto perill their countrée, and by treason to destroie thesame,Iudgemente proceadeth by determinacion of the Lawe andIudge. And so in all other wicked factes, and mischiuous en-terprises, the Iudgement in euery cause procedeth, as LaweThe Iudgea liuely lawe.and right willeth, from the mouthe of the Iudge, he beyng aliuelie Lawe, to the Lawe written. The cruell Lawe of So-lon, is like to the phantasie and wille of a tyraunte, who, asphantasie and will leadeth, murdereth at his pleasure, whosewill is alwaies a sufficient Lawe to hymself, as who shouldThe will of atyraunte hisowne lawe.saie, so I wille, so I commaunde, my wille shall stande for aLawe: but godlie lawes doe iustlie, accordyng to reason andvertue, tempereth the cause of euery man. No godlie Lawe,maketh the accuser his owne Iudge.
¶ Lawfull.
Lawes weremade for twocauses.WHo so by Lawe is iudged, and the offence proued,there is no excuse in the malefactour, nor suspicionseing that, accordyng to lawe, the fact is punished,and as Demosthenes saieth, twoo thynges mouedthe wise Elders to make Lawes, that the wicked should beehindered, and cutte of from their purpose, and that good menseyng by a lawe, the actes of pestiferous men kepte vnder, bythe terrour of them, are afraied to commit the like facte. Thiswas euen accordyng to lawe. The terrible sentence of a lawexecuted, vpon moste wicked persones, doe kepe vnder manya mischiuous enterprise, whiche through the dolefull and la-mentable ende of the wicked, doe driue and force all other toall godlines.
¶ Iuste.
THe accuser by Lawe and Iudge, is able to defendehymself, whē his cause is ended accordyng to law.Uertue thereby vpholded, when by order of lawe,vice is condempned. The malifactour hath no ex-cuse, all staie and colour remoued, the accuser by iuste Lawepleateth, when the law is thereby supported and saued. Andherein a greate parte of Iustice is placed, when the fauour ofthe Iudge or frendship, is onely on the cause, the persone nec-lected, that is Iustice, to giue to euery one his owne.
¶ Profitable.
IT must be profitable to the whole bodie of the com-mon wealthe, when by the Iustice of godlie lawes,vertue is in high price aduaunced, vice by the opensentence, and manifeste profe conuicted, the malefa-ctour shall be knowen, the sincere and godlie deliuered, andfrom tyme to tyme maintained. Lawes as thei be vniuersallso thei openlie ought to giue sentence.
¶ Possible.
THen without lawe to procede, and iudgemente ofthe Magistrate, as Solon did in this lawe, it werenot possible, any common wealthe to florishe ther-by. Therefore in Iudgemente ought the cause ofeuery one to be pleated and examined, that thereby all suspi-cion, & greuous enormitées, maie be put of. Uice is not there-fore tolerated, because for a tyme, Iudgemente ceaseth, buthereupon vices are more depely rooted out, all people know-yng the determinacion of the lawe, and the manifest sentēceof the Iudge heard. A terrour ensueth to al malefactours andpestiferous men, good men are incensed to all godlines, whēvice by Lawe is condempned, cutte of, and destroied. Goodmenne by Lawe and aucthoritée, vpholded and maintained.
The state ofgood lawes.This is the state of good lawes, by order to procede, thecause in Iudgemente examined, the facte proued,vertue in any persone vpholded, vice in allcaste doune and defaced, so there isgood Lawe, as Demosthenessaieth, sincere Iudge,and sentenceinuiola-ble.