[Transcriber's Notes:

About this book: _A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike_ waspublished in 1563. Only five copies of the original are known toexist. This e-book was transcribed from microfiche scans of theoriginal in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. The scans canbe viewed at the Bibliothèque nationale de France website athttp://gallica. Bnf. Fr. 

Typography: The original line and paragraph breaks, hyphenation, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, inconsistent use of an acuteaccent over "ee", the use of u for v and vice versa, and the use of ifor j and vice versa, have been preserved. All apparent printer errorshave also been preserved, and are listed at the end of this document. 

The following alterations have been made:

1. Long-s has been regularized as s. 

2. The paragraph symbol, resembling a C in the original, is renderedas ¶. 

3. Missing punctuation, hyphens, and paragraph symbols have been addedin brackets, e. G. [-]. 

4. A decorative capital followed by a capital letter is representedhere as two capital letters, e. G. NAture. 

5. Except for the dedication, which is in modern italics, the majorityof the original book is in blackletter font, with some words in amodern non-italic font. All modern-font passages are marked byunderscores. 

6. Sidenotes have been placed in-line, approximately where they appearin the original. 

7. Incorrect page numbers have been corrected, but are included in thelist of printer errors at the end of this e-book. 

8. Abbreviations and contractions represented as special characters inthe original have been expanded as noted in the table below. A"macron" means a horizontal line over a letter. "Supralinear" meansdirectly over a letter; "sublinear" means directly under a letter. The"y" referred to below is an Early Modern English form of theAnglo-Saxon thorn character, representing "th, " but identical inappearance to the letter "y. "

Original Expansion

vowel with macron vowel[m] or vowel[n]y with supralinear e y^e (i. E. , the)accented q with semicolon q[ue]w with supralinear curve w[ith]e with sublinear hook [ae]

Pagination: This book was paginated using folio numbers in arecto-verso scheme. The front of each folio is the recto page (theright-hand page); the back of each folio is the verso page (theleft-hand page in a book). In the original, folio numbers (beginningafter the table of contents) are printed only on the recto side ofeach leaf. For the reader's convenience, all folio pages in thise-book, including the verso pages, have been numbered in bracketsaccording to the original format, with the addition of "r" for rectoand "v" for verso, e. G. , [Fol. X. R] is Folio 10 recto, [Fol. X. V] isFolio 10 verso. 

Sources consulted: The uneven quality of the microfiche scans, as wellas the blackletter font and some ink bleed-through in the original, made the scans difficult to read in some places. To ensure accuracy, the transcriber has consulted the facsimile reprint edited by FrancisR. Johnson (Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, New York, 1945). Thefacsimile reprint was prepared primarily from the Bodleian copy, withseveral pages reproduced from the copy in the Chapin Library atWilliams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, where the Bodleian copywas unclear. ]

¶ A booke cal-_led the Foundacion of Rhetorike, be-_cause all other partes of _Rhetorike_are grounded thereupon, euery parte setteforthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowenand redde: Made by Ri-chard RainoldeMaister ofArte, ofthe Uniuersitie ofCambridge. 1563. 

_Mens. Marcij. Vj. _

_¶ Imprinted at London, byIhon Kingston. _

THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE

¶ _To the right honorable and my singuler good Lorde, _my Lorde Robert Dudley, Maister of theQueenes Maiesties horse, one of her highes pri-uie Counsaile, and knight of the moste honou-rable order of the Garter: Richard Rai-nolde wisheth longe life, withincrease of honour. 

_ARISTOTLE the famous Phi-losopher, writing a boke to kingAlexa[n]der, the great and migh-tie conquerour, began the Epi-stle of his Booke in these woor-des. Twoo thynges moued mechieflie, O King, to betake to thy Maiesties handes, this worke of my trauile and labour, thy nobilitie andvertue, of the whiche thy nobilitie encouraged me, thygreate and singuler vertue, indued with all humanitie, forced and draue me thereto. The same twoo in yourgood Lordshippe, Nobilitie and Vertue, as twoo migh-tie Pillers staied me, in this bolde enterprise, to makeyour good Lordshippe, beyng a Pere of honour, induedwith all nobilitie and vertue: a patrone and possessoureof this my booke. In the whiche although copious andaboundaunte eloquence wanteth, to adorne and beau-tifie thesame, yet I doubte not for the profite, that is inthis my trauaile conteined, your honour indued withall singuler humanitie, will vouchsaufe to accepte mywillyng harte, my profitable purpose herein. Many fa-mous menne and greate learned, haue in the Greketongue and otherwise trauailed, to profite all tymestheir countrie and common wealthe. This also was myende and purpose, to plante a worke profitable to all ty-mes, my countrie and common wealthe. _

_And because your Lordshippe studieth all singula-ritie to vertue, and wholie is incensed thereto: I hauecompiled this woorke, and dedicated it to your Lorde-shippe, as vnto who[m] moste noble and vertuous. Wher-in are set forthe soche Oracions, as are right profitableto bee redde, for knowledge also necessarie. The duetieof a subiecte, the worthie state of nobilitie, the prehe-minent dignitie and Maiestie of a Prince, the office ofcounsailours, worthie chiefe veneracion, the office of aIudge or Magestrate are here set foorthe. In moste for-tunate state is the kyngdome and Common wealthe, where the Nobles and Peres, not onelie daiely doe stu-die to vertue, for that is the wisedome, that all thegraue and wise Philophers searched to attaine to. Forthe ende of all artes and sciences, and of all noble actesand enterprises is vertue, but also to fauour and vpholdthe studentes of learnyng, whiche also is a greate ver-tue. Whoso is adorned with nobilitie and vertue, ofnecessitie nobilitie and vertue, will moue and allure the[m]to fauour and support vertue in any other, yea, as Tul-lie the moste famous Oratour dooeth saie, euen to louethose who[m] we neuer sawe, but by good fame and brutebeutified to vs. For the encrease of vertue, Goddooeth nobilitate with honour worthiemenne, to be aboue other in dignitieand state, thereupon vertuedoeth encrease yourLordshippshonor, beyng a louer of vertueand worthie no-bilitie. _

Your lordshippes humble ser-uaunt Richard Rainolde. 

_To the Reader. _

APHTHONIVS a famous man, wrotein Greke of soche declamacions, to en-structe the studentes thereof, with all fa-cilitée to grounde in them, a moste plenti-ous and riche vein of eloquence. No manis able to inuente a more profitable waieand order, to instructe any one in the ex-quisite and absolute perfeccion, of wisedome and eloquence, then _Aphthonius Quintilianus_ and _Hermogenes_. Tullie al-so as a moste excellente Orator, in the like sorte trauailed, whose Eloquence and vertue all tymes extolled, and the of-spryng of all ages worthilie aduaunceth. And because as yetthe verie grounde of Rhetorike, is not heretofore intreatedof, as concernyng these exercises, though in fewe yeres past, a learned woorke of Rhetorike is compiled and made in theEnglishe toungue, of one, who floweth in all excellencie ofarte, who in iudgement is profounde, in wisedome and elo-quence moste famous. In these therefore my diligence is em-ploied, to profite many, although not with like Eloquence, beutified and adorned, as the matter requireth. I haue cho-sen out in these Oracions soche questions, as are right ne-cessarie to be knowen and redde of all those, whose cogitacio[n]pondereth vertue and Godlines. I doubte not, but seyng mytrauaile toucheth vertuous preceptes, and vttereth to light, many famous Histories, the order of arte obserued also, butthat herein the matter it self, shall defende my purpose aga-inste the enuious, whiche seketh to depraue any good enter-prise, begon of any one persone. The enuious mannethough learned, readeth to depraue that, which hereadeth, the ignoraunt is no worthie Iudge, the learned and godlie pondereth vp-rightly & sincerely, that whichhe iudgeth, the order ofthese Oracionsfolloweth afterward, andthe names of the[m]. 

¶ _The contentes of_this Booke. 

AN Oracion made, vpon the Fable of the Shepher-des and the Wolues, the Wolues requestyng theBandogges: wherein is set forthe the state of eue-ry subiecte, the dignitie of a Prince, the honoura-ble office of counsailours. 

An Oracion vpon the Fable of the Ante and the Gres-hopper, teachyng prouidence. 

An Oracion Historicall, howe Semiramis came to beeQuéene of Babilon. 

An Oracion Historicall, vpon Kyng Richard the thirdesometyme Duke of Glocester. 

An Oracion Historicall, of the commyng of Iulius Ce-ser into Englande. 

An Oracion Ciuill or Iudiciall, vpon Themistocles, ofthe walle buildyng at Athenes. 

An Oracion Poeticall vpon a redde Rose. 

A profitable Oracion, shewyng the decaie of kingdomesand nobilitie. 

An Oracion vpon a Sentence, preferryng a Monarchie, conteinyng all other states of common wealthe. 

The confutacion of the battaile of Troie. 

A confirmacion of the noble facte of Zopyrus. 

An Oracion called a Common place against Theues. 

The praise of Epaminundas Duke of Thebes, whereinthe grounde of nobilitée is placed. 

The dispraise of Domicius Nero Emperour of Roome. 

A comparison betwene Demosthenes and Tullie. 

A lamentable Oracion of Hecuba Queene of Troie. 

A descripcion vpon Xerxes kyng of Persia. 

An Oracion called _Thesis_, as concerning the goodly stateof Mariage. 

An Oracion confutyng a certaine lawe of Solon. 

[Fol. J. R]

_The foundacion of_Rhetorike. 

NAture hath indued euery man, witha certain eloquence, and also subtili-[Sidenote: Rhetorikeand Logikegiuen of na-ture. ]tée to reason and discusse, of any que-stion or proposicion propounded, as_Aristotle_ the Philosopher, in hisBooke of _Rhetorike_ dooeth shewe. These giftes of nature, singuler doeflowe and abounde in vs, accordyngto the greate and ample indumenteand plentuousnes of witte and wisedome, lodged in vs, there-fore Nature it self beyng well framed, and afterward by arte[Sidenote: Arte furthe-reth nature. ]and order of science, instructed and adorned, must be singular-lie furthered, helped, and aided to all excellencie, to exquisite[Sidenote: Logike. ]inuencion, and profounde knowledge, bothe in _Logike_ and[Sidenote: Rhetorike. ]_Rhetorike_. In the one, as a Oratour to pleate with all facili-tee, and copiouslie to dilate any matter or sentence: in the otherto grounde profunde and subtill argument, to fortifie & makestronge our assercion or sentence, to proue and defende, by the[Sidenote: Logike. ]force and power of arte, thinges passyng the compasse & reachof our capacitée and witte. Nothyng can bee more excellently[Sidenote: Eloquence. ]giuen of nature then Eloquence, by the which the florishyngstate of commonweales doe consiste: kyngdomes vniuersallyare gouerned, the state of euery one priuatelie is maintained. The commonwealth also should be maimed, and debilitated, [Sidenote: Zeno. ]except the other parte be associate to it. _Zeno_ the Philosophercomparing _Rhetorike_ and _Logike_, doeth assimilate and liken[Sidenote: Logike. ]them to the hand of man. _Logike_ is like faith he to the fiste, foreuen as the fiste closeth and shutteth into one, the iointes andpartes of the hande, & with mightie force and strength, wrap-[Sidenote: Similitude[. ]Logike. ]peth and closeth in thynges apprehended: So _Logike_ for thedeepe and profounde knowlege, that is reposed and buried init, in soche sort of municion and strength fortified, in few wor-des taketh soche force and might by argumente, that excepte[Fol. J. V]like equalitée in like art and knowledge doe mate it, in vainthe disputacion shalbe, and the repulse of thaduersarie readie. [Sidenote: Rhetorikelike to thehande. ]_Rhetorike_ is like to the hand set at large, wherein euery partand ioint is manifeste, and euery vaine as braunches of trées[Sidenote: Rhetorike. ]sette at scope and libertee. So of like sorte, _Rhetorike_ in mosteample and large maner, dilateth and setteth out small thyn-ges or woordes, in soche sorte, with soche aboundaunce andplentuousnes, bothe of woordes and wittie inuencion, withsoche goodlie disposicion, in soche a infinite sorte, with sochepleasauntnes of Oracion, that the moste stonie and hard har-tes, can not but bee incensed, inflamed, and moued thereto. [Sidenote: Logike andRhetorikeabsolute infewe. ]These twoo singuler giftes of nature, are absolute and perfectin fewe: for many therebe, whiche are exquisite and profoundin argument, by art to reason and discusse, of any question orproposicion propounded, who by nature are disabled, & smal-lie adorned to speake eloquently, in whom neuertheles moreaboundaunt knowlege doeth somtymes remaine then in theother, if the cause shalbe in controuersie ioined, and examinedto trie a manifeste truthe. But to whom nature hath giuensoche abilitée, and absolute excellencie, as that thei can bothe[Sidenote: The vertueof eloquence. ]copiouslie dilate any matter or sentence, by pleasauntnes andswetenes of their wittie and ingenious oracion, to drawe vn-to theim the hartes of a multitude, to plucke doune and extir-pate affeccio[n]s and perturbacions of people, to moue pitee andcompassion, to speake before Princes and rulers, and to per-swade theim in good causes and enterprises, to animate andincense them, to godlie affaires and busines, to alter the cou[n]-saill of kynges, by their wisedome and eloquence, to a betterstate, and also to be exquisite in thother, is a thing of all most[Sidenote: Demosthe-nes. Tisias. Gorgias. Eschines[. ]Tullie. Cato. ]noble and excellent. The eloquence of Demosthenes, Isocra-tes, Tisias, Gorgias, Eschines, were a great bulwarke andstaie to Athens and all Grece, Rome also by the like vertueof Eloquence, in famous and wise orators vpholded: the wiseand eloquente Oracions of Tullie againste Catiline. Thegraue and sentencious oracions of Cato in the Senate, haue[Fol. Ij. R][Sidenote: The Empe-rors of Romefamous inEloquence. ]been onelie the meane to vpholde the mightie state of Rome, in his strength and auncient fame and glorie. Also the Chro-nicles of auncient time doe shewe vnto vs, the state of Romecould by no meanes haue growen so meruailous mightie, but that God had indued the whole line of Cesars, with sin-guler vertues, with aboundaunt knowlege & singuler Elo-quence. Thusidides the famous Historiographer sheweth, [Sidenote: Thusidides. ]how moche Eloquence auailed the citees of Grece, fallyng to[Sidenote: Corcurians. ]dissencio[n]. How did the Corcurians saue them selues from the[Sidenote: Pelopone-sians. ]inuasio[n] and might, of the Poloponesians, their cause pleatedbefore the Athenians, so moche their eloquence in a truthe[Sidenote: Corinthians[. ]]preuailed. The Ambassadours of Corinth, wanted not theircopious, wittie, and ingenious Oracions, but thei pleatedbefore mightie, wise, and graue Senators, whose cause, ac-cordyng to iudgeme[n]t, truthe, and integritée was ended. The[Sidenote: Lacedemo-nians. Vitulenia[n]s. Athenians. ]eloque[n]t Embassages of the Corinthia[n]s, the Lacedemonia[n]s, & the Vituleneans, the Athenians, who so readeth, shall sonesée that of necessitee, a common wealth or kyngdome must befortefied, with famous, graue, and wise counsailours. How[Sidenote: Demosthe-nes. ]often did Demosthenes saue the co[m]mon wealthes of Athens, how moche also did that large dominion prospere and florish[Sidenote: Socrates. Cato. Crassus. Antonius. Catulus. Cesar. ]by Isocrates. Tullie also by his Eloque[n]t please, Cato, Cras-sus, Antonius, Catulus Cesar, with many other, did supportand vphold the state of that mightie kyngdo[m]. No doubte, butthat Demosthenes made a wittie, copious, and ingenious o-racions, when the Athenians were minded to giue and be-[Sidenote: Philippe thekyng of theMacidonia[n]s[. ]]take to the handes of Philip kyng of the Macedonians, theirpestiferous enemie moste vile and subtell, the Orators of A-thens. This Philip forseyng the discorde of Grece, as he bysubtill meanes compassed his enterprices, promised by thefaithe of a Prince, to be at league with the Athenians, if so bethei would betake to his handes, the eloquente Oratours of[Sidenote: The saiyngof Philippe. ]Athens, for as long saith he, as your Oratours are with youdeclaryng, so longe your heddes and counsaill are moued tovariaunce and dissencion, this voice ones seased emong you, [Fol. Ij. V][Sidenote: Demosthe-nes. ]in tranquilitée you shalbee gouerned. Demosthenes beyngeloquente and wise, foresawe the daungers and the mischie-uous intent of him, wherevpon he framed a goodly Oracionvpon a Fable, whereby he altered their counsaile, and repul-sed the enemie. This fable is afterward set forth in an Ora-cion, after the order of these exercises, profitable to _Rhetorike_. 

¶ A Fable. 

[Sidenote: The groundof al learning[. ]]

FIrste it is good that the learner doe vnderstandwhat is a fable, for in all matters of learnyng, it is the firste grounde, as Tullie doeth saie, toknowe what the thing is, that we may the bet-[Sidenote: What is afable. ]ter perceiue whervpo[n] we doe intreate. A fableis a forged tale, co[n]taining in it by the colour of a lie, a matter[Sidenote: Morall. ]of truthe. The moralle is called that, out of the whiche somegodlie precepte, or admonicion to vertue is giuen, to frameand instruct our maners. Now that we knowe what a fableis, it is good to learne also, how manifolde or diuers thei be, [Sidenote: Three sortesof fables. I. A fable ofreason. ]I doe finde three maner of fables to be. The first of theim is, wherein a man being a creature of God indued with reason, is onely intreated of, as the Fable of the father and his chil-dren, he willing the[m] to concorde, and this is called _Rationalisfabula_, whiche is asmoche to saie, as a Fable of men indued[Sidenote: ii. Morall. ]with reason, or women. The second is called a morall fable, but I sée no cause whie it is so called, but rather as the otheris called a fable of reasonable creatures, so this is contrarilienamed a fable of beastes, or of other thinges wanting reasonor life, wanting reason as of the Ante and the Greshopper, orof this the beame caste doun, and the Frogges chosyng their[Sidenote: iii. Mixt. ]king. The thirde is a mixt Fable so called, bicause in it botheman hauyng reason, and a beaste wantyng reason, or any o-ther thing wanting life, is ioyned with it, as for the example, of the fable of the woodes and the housebandman, of whom[Sidenote: Poetes in-uentours offables. ]he desired a helue for his hatchet. Aucthours doe write, thatPoetes firste inuented fables, the whiche Oratours also doe[Fol. Iij. R]vse in their perswasions, and not without greate cause, both[Sidenote: Oratoursvse fables. ]Poetes and Oratours doe applie theim to their vse. For, fa-[Sidenote: Good doctrinin fables. ]bles dooe conteine goodlie admonicion, vertuous preceptes[Sidenote: Hesiodus. ]of life. Hesiodus the Poete, intreatyng of the iniurious dea-lyng of Princes and gouernours, against their subiectes, ad-monished them by the fable of the Goshauke, and the Nigh-[Sidenote: Ouide. ]tyngale in his clause. Ouid also the Poete intreated of di-uers fables, wherein he giueth admonicion, and godly coun-[Sidenote: Demosthe-nes vsed fa-bles. ]saile. Demosthenes the famous Oratour of Athens, vsedthe fable of the Shepeherdes, and Wolues: how the Wol-ues on a tyme, instauntlie required of the Shepeherdes theirbande dogges, and then thei would haue peace and concordewith theim, the Shepeherdes gaue ouer their Dogges, theirDogges deliuered and murdered, the shepe were immediat-ly deuoured: So saieth he, if ye shall ones deliuer to Philip, the king of the Macedonians your Oratours, by whose lear-nyng, knowlege and wisedome, the whole bodie of your do-minions is saued, for thei as Bandogges, doe repell all mis-cheuous enterprises and chaunses, no doubte, but that raue-nyng Wolfe Philip, will eate and consume your people, bythis Fable he made an Oracion, he altered their counsailesand heddes of the Athenians, from so foolishe an enterprise. Also thesame Demosthenes, seyng the people careles, sloth-full, and lothsome to heare the Oratours, and all for the flo-rishing state of the kingdome: he ascended to the place or pul-pet, where the Oracions were made, and began with this fa-[Sidenote: The fable ofDemosthe-nes, of theAsse and theshadowe. ]ble. Ye men of Athens, saied he, it happened on a tyme, thata certaine man hired an Asse, and did take his iourney fromAthens to Megara, as we would saie, fro[m] London to Yorke, the owner also of the Asse, did associate hymself in his iour-ney, to brynge backe the Asse againe, in the voyage theweather was extreame burning hotte, and the waie tediousthe place also for barenes and sterilitée of trees, wanted sha-dowe in this long broyle of heate: he that satte one the Asse, lighted and tooke shadowe vnder the bellie of the Asse, and[Fol. Iij. V]because the shadowe would not suffice bothe, the Asse beyngsmall, the owner saied, he muste haue the shadowe, becausethe Asse was his, I deny that saieth the other, the shadowe ismyne, because I hired the Asse, thus thei were at greate con-tencion, the fable beyng recited, Demosthenes descended fro[m]his place, the whole multitude were inquisitiue, to knowe[Sidenote: The conten-cion vpon theshadowe andthe Asse. ]the ende about the shadowe, Demosthenes notyng their fol-lie, ascended to his place, and saied, O ye foolishe Athenians, whiles I and other, gaue to you counsaill and admonicio[n], ofgraue and profitable matters, your eares wer deafe, and yourmindes slombred, but now I tell of a small trifeling matter, you throng to heare the reste of me. By this Fable he nippedtheir follie, and trapped them manifestlie, in their owne dol-tishenes. Herevpon I doe somwhat long, make copie of wor-[Sidenote: Fables wellapplied beesinguler. ]des, to shewe the singularitee of fables well applied. In thetyme of Kyng Richard the thirde, Doctour Mourton, beyngBishop of Elie, and prisoner in the Duke of Buckynghamshouse in Wales, was often tymes moued of the Duke, tospeake his minde frelie, if king Richard wer lawfully king, and said to him of his fidelitée, to kepe close and secret his sen-tence: but the Bishop beyng a godlie man, and no lesse wise, waied the greate frendship, whiche was sometyme betwenethe Duke & King Richard, aunswered in effect nothyng, butbeyng daily troubled with his mocions & instigacions, spakea fable of Esope: My lorde saied he, I will aunswere you, by[Sidenote: The fable ofthe Bisshopof Elie, to theduke of Buc-kyngham. ]a Fable of Esope. The Lion on a tyme gaue a commaunde-ment, that all horned beastes should flie from the woode, andnone to remain there but vnhorned beastes. The Hare hea-ring of this commaundement, departed with the horned bea-stes from the woodde: The wilie Foxe metyng the Hare, de-maunded the cause of his haste, forthwith the Hare aunswe-red, a commaundemente is come from the Lion, that all hor-ned beastes should bee exiled, vpon paine of death, from thewoode: why saied the Foxe, this commaundement touchethnot any sorte of beast as ye are, for thou haste no hornes but[Fol. Iiij. R]knubbes: yea, but said the Hare, what, if thei saie I haue hor-nes, that is an other matter, my lorde I saie no more: what hement, is euident to all men. 

In the time of king He[n]ry theight (a prince of famous me-morie) at what time as the small houses of religio[n], wer giuenouer to the kinges hand, by the Parliament house: the bishopof Rochester, Doctour Fisher by name stepped forthe, beynggreued with the graunt, recited before them, a fable of Esopeto shewe what discommoditee would followe in the Clergie. [Sidenote: The fable ofthe Bisshopof Rochester, againste thegraunt of theChauntries. ]My lordes and maisters saieth he, Esope recited a fable: howthat on a tyme, a housebande manne desired of the woodes, asmall helue for his hatchet, all the woodes consented theretowaiyng the graunt to be small, and the thyng lesse, therevpo[n]the woodes consented, in fine the housbande man cut dounea small peece of woodde to make a helue, he framyng a helueto the hatchette, without leaue and graunt, he cut doune themightie Okes and Cedars, and destroyed the whole woodd, then the woodes repented them to late. So saith he, the gift ofthese small houses, ar but a small graunt into the kinges ha[n]-des: but this small graunt, will bee a waie and meane to pulldoune the greate mightie fatte Abbees, & so it happened. Butthere is repentau[n]ce to late: & no profite ensued of the graunte. 

¶ An Oracion made by a fable, to the first exer-cise to declame by, the other, bee these, { A Fable, a Narracion. _Chria_, } { Sentence. Confutacion, }An Oracion { Confirmacion. Common place. }made by a { The praise. The dispraise. } { The Comparison, _Ethopeia_. } { A Discripcion. _Thesis, Legislatio_ }

OF euery one of these, a goodlie Oracio[n] maie be madethese excercises are called of the Grekes _Progimnas-mata_, of the Latines, profitable introduccions, or foreexercises, to attain greater arte and knowlege in _Rhetorike_, [Fol. Iiij. V]and bicause, for the easie capacitée and facilitée of the learner, to attain greater knowledge in _Rhetorike_, thei are right pro-fitable and necessarie: Therefore I title this booke, to bee thefoundacio[n] of _Rhetorike_, the exercises being _Progimnasmata_. 

I haue chosen out the fable of the Shepeherdes, and theWolues, vpon the whiche fable, Demosthenes made an elo-quente, copious, and wittie Oracion before the Athenians, whiche fable was so well applied, that the citée and commonwealth of Athens was saued. 

[Sidenote: The firsteexercise. ]

¶ A fable. 

These notes must be obserued, to make an Oracion by aFable. 

¶ Praise. 

1. Firste, ye shall recite the fable, as the aucthour telleth it. 

2. There in the seconde place, you shall praise the aucthourewho made the fable, whiche praise maie sone bee gotte of anystudious scholer, if he reade the aucthours life and actes ther-in, or the Godlie preceptes in his fables, shall giue abundantpraise. 

3. Then thirdlie place the morall, whiche is the interpreta-cion annexed to the Fable, for the fable was inuented for themoralles sake. 

4. Then orderlie in the fowerth place, declare the nature ofthynges, conteined in the Fable, either of man, fishe, foule, beaste, plante, trées, stones, or whatsoeuer it be. There is noman of witte so dulle, or of so grosse capacitée, but either byhis naturall witte, or by reading, or sences, he is hable to saiesomwhat in the nature of any thyng. 

5. In the fifte place, sette forthe the thynges, reasonyng onewith an other, as the Ant with the Greshopper, or the Cockewith the precious stone. 

6. The[n] in the vj. Place, make a similitude of the like matter. 

7. Then in the seuenth place, induce an exa[m]ple for thesamematter to bée proued by. 

8. Laste of all make the _Epilogus_, whiche is called the con-clusion, and herein marke the notes folowyng, how to make[Fol. V. R]an Oracion thereby. 

¶ An Oracion made vpon the fable of theShepeherdes and the wolues. 

¶ The fable. 

THe Wolues on a tyme perswaded the Shepeher-des, that thei would ioyne amitée, and make aleague of concord and vnitee: the demaunde plea-sed the Shepeherdes, foorthwith the Wolues re-quested to haue custodie of the bande Dogges, because elsthei would be as thei are alwaies, an occasion to breake theirleague and peace, the Dogges beyng giuen ouer, thei wereone by one murthered, and then the Shepe were wearied. 

¶ The praise of the aucthour. 

THe posteritee of tymes and ages, muste needes praisethe wisedome and industrie, of all soche as haue leftein monumentes of writyng, thynges worthie fame, [Sidenote: Inuentoursof al excellentartes and sci-ences, com-mended to theposteritee. ]what can bee more excellently set foorthe: or what deseruethchiefer fame and glorie, then the knowledge of artes and sci-ences, inuented by our learned, wise, and graue au[n]cestours:and so moche the more thei deserue honour, and perpetuallcommendacions, because thei haue been the firste aucthours, and beginners to soche excellencies. The posteritée praiseth[Sidenote: Apelles. Parthesius. Polucletus. ]and setteth forth the wittie and ingenious workes of Apelles, Parthesius, and Polucletus, and all soche as haue artificial-ly set forth their excellent giftes of nature. But if their praisefor fame florishe perpetuallie, and increaseth for the wor-thines of theim, yet these thynges though moste excellent, are[Sidenote: The ende ofall artes, is togodlie life. ]inferiour to vertue: for the ende of artes and sciences, is ver-tue and godlines. Neither yet these thynges dissonaunt fromvertue, and not associate, are commendable onely for vertuessake: and to the ende of vertue, the wittes of our auncestourswere incensed to inuent these thynges. But herein Polucle-tus, Apelles, and Perthesius maie giue place, when greater[Sidenote: Esope wor-thie mochecommendacio[n][. ]]vertues come in place, then this my aucthour Esope, for hisgodly preceptes, wise counsaill and admonicion, is chiefly to[Fol. V. V]bée praised: For, our life maie learne all goodnes, all vertue, [Sidenote: Philophie infables. ]of his preceptes. The Philosophers did neuer so liuely setteforthe and teache in their scholes and audience, what vertue[Sidenote: Realmesmaie learneconcorde outof Esopesfables. ]and godlie life were, as Esope did in his Fables, Citees, andcommon wealthes, maie learne out of his fables, godlie con-corde and vnitee, by the whiche meanes, common wealthesflorisheth, and kingdoms are saued. Herein ample matter ri-seth to Princes, and gouernours, to rule their subiectes in all[Sidenote: Preceptes toKynges andSubiectes. Preceptes toparentes andchildren. ]godlie lawes, in faithfull obedience: the subiectes also to loueand serue their prince, in al his affaires and busines. The fa-ther maie learne to bring vp, and instructe his childe thereby. The child also to loue and obeie his parentes. The huge andmonsterous vices, are by his vertuous doctrine defaced andextirpated: his Fables in effect contain the mightie volumesand bookes of all Philosophers, in morall preceptes, & the in-[Sidenote: The contentof al Lawes. ]finite monume[n]tes of lawes stablished. If I should not speakeof his commendacion, the fruictes of his vertue would shewehis commendacions: but that praise surmounteth all fame of[Sidenote: A true praisecomme[n]ded byfame it self. ]glory, that commendeth by fame itself, the fruictes of famein this one Fable, riseth to my aucthour, whiche he wrote ofthe Shepeherd, and the Wolues. 

¶ The Morall. 

WHerein Esope wittely admonisheth all menne to be-ware and take heede, of cloked and fained frendship, of the wicked and vngodlie, whiche vnder a pretenceand offer of frendship or of benefite, seeke the ruin, dammage, miserie or destruccion of man, toune, citée, region, or countree. 

¶ The nature of the thyng. 

OF all beastes to the quantitée of his bodie, the[Sidenote: The Woluemoste raue-ning & cruell. ]Wolue passeth in crueltee and desire of bloode, alwaies vnsaciable of deuouryng, neuer conten-ted with his pray. The Wolfe deuoureth and ea-teth of his praie all in feare, and therefore oftentymes he ca-steth his looke, to be safe from perill and daunger. And herein[Fol. Vj. R]his nature is straunge fro[m] all beastes: the iyes of the Wolfe, tourned from his praie immediatlie, the praie prostrate vnder[Sidenote: The Woluesof all beastes, moste obliui-ous. ]his foote is forgotten, and forthwith he seeketh a newe praie, so greate obliuion and debilitée of memorie, is giuen to thatbeaste, who chieflie seketh to deuoure his praie by night. The[Sidenote: The Wolueinferiour tothe bandogge[. ]]Wolues are moche inferior to the banddogges in strength, bi-cause nature hath framed the[m] in the hinder parts, moche moreweaker, and as it were maimed, and therefore the bandoggedooeth ouermatche theim, and ouercome them in fight. TheWolues are not all so mightie of bodie as the Bandogges, of diuers colours, of fight more sharpe, of lesse heddes: but in[Sidenote: The Doggepasseth allcreatures insmellyng. ]smellyng, the nature of a Dogge passeth all beastes andcreatures, whiche the historie of Plinie dooe shewe, and Ari-stotle in his booke of the historie of beastes, therein you shallknowe their excellente nature. The housholde wanteth notfaithfull and trustie watche nor resistaunce, in the cause of the[Sidenote: Plinie. ]maister, the Bandogge not wantyng. Plinie sheweth out ofhis historie, how Bandogges haue saued their Maister, bytheir resistaunce. The Dogge of all beastes sheweth mosteloue, and neuer leaueth his maister: the worthines of the ba[n]-dogge is soche, that by the lawe in a certaine case, he is coun-ted accessarie of Felonie, who stealeth a Bandogge from hismaister, a robberie immediatly folowing in thesame family. 

[Sidenote: The worthi-nes of Shepe[. ]]As concernyng the Shepe, for their profite and wealthe, that riseth of theim, are for worthines, waiyng their smallequantitie of bodie, aboue all beastes. Their fleshe nourishethpurely, beyng swete and pleasaunt: their skinne also serueth[Sidenote: The wolle ofShepe, richeand commo-dious. ]to diuers vses, their Wolles in so large and ample maner, commmodious, seruyng all partes of common wealthes. Nostate or degrée of persone is, but that thei maie goe cladde andadorned with their wolles. So GOD in his creatures, hath[Sidenote: Man a chiefcreature. ]created and made man, beyng a chief creatour, and moste ex-cellent of all other, all thinges to serue him: and therefore the[Sidenote: Stoike Phi-losophers. ]Stoicke Philosophers doe herein shewe thexcellencie of manto be greate, when all thinges vpon the yearth, and from the[Fol. Vj. V]yearth, doe serue the vse of man, yet emong men there is a di-uersitee of states, and a difference of persones, in office and co[n]-[Sidenote: The office ofthe shepeher-des, are pro-fitable andnecessarie. ]dicion of life. As concernyng the Shepherde, he is in his stateand condicion of life, thoughe meane, he is a righte profi-table and necessarie member, to serue all states in the commo[n]wealthe, not onely to his maister whom he serueth: for by hisdiligence, and warie keping of the[m], not onely from rauenyngbeastes, but otherwise he is a right profitable member, to all[Sidenote: Wealth, pro-fit, and richesriseth of theWolles ofShepe. ]partes of the common wealth. For, dailie wée féele the co[m]mo-ditie, wealth and riches, that riseth of theim, but the losse wéeféele not, except flockes perishe. In the body of man God hathcreated & made diuerse partes, to make vp a whole and abso-lute man, whiche partes in office, qualitée and worthinesse, are moche differing. The bodie of man it self, for the excellentworkemanship of God therein, & meruailous giftes of nature[Sidenote: Man calledof the Philo-sophers, a lit-tle worlde. ]and vertues, lodged and bestowed in thesame bodie, is calledof the Philosophers _Microcosmos_, a little worlde. The bodyof man in all partes at co[n]cord, euery part executing his func-cion & office, florisheth, and in strength prospereth, otherwise[Sidenote: The bodie ofman withoutconcord of thepartes, peri-sheth. ]thesame bodie in partes disseuered, is feeble and weake, andthereby falleth to ruin, and perisheth. The singuler Fable ofEsope, of the belie and handes, manifestlie sheweth thesame[Sidenote: The commonwealthe liketo the bodieof manne. ]and herein a florishing kingdom or common wealth, is com-pared to the body, euery part vsing his pure vertue, stre[n]gth &[Sidenote: Menenius. ]operacion. Menenius Agrippa, at what time as the Romai-were at diuision against the Senate, he vsed the Fable of E-sope, wherewith thei were perswaded to a concorde, and vni-[Sidenote: The basesteparte of thebodie mostenecessarie. ]tée. The vilest parte of the bodie, and baseste is so necessarie, that the whole bodie faileth and perisheth, thesame wantyngalthough nature remoueth them from our sight, and shamefastnes also hideth theim: take awaie the moste vilest parte ofthe bodie, either in substaunce, in operacion or function, andforthwith the principall faileth. So likewise in a kyngdome, or common wealth, the moste meane and basest state of mantaken awaie, the more principall thereby ceaseth: So God to[Fol. Vij. R][Sidenote: The amiableparte of thebody doe con-siste, by thebaseste andmoste defor-meste. ]a mutuall concorde, frendship, and perpetuall societie of life, hath framed his creatures, that the moste principall faileth, it not vnited with partes more base and inferiour, so mochethe might and force of thynges excellente, doe consiste by themoste inferiour, other partes of the bodie more amiable andpleasaunt to sight, doe remain by the force, vse and integritéeof the simpliest. The Prince and chief peres doe decaie, and althe whole multitude dooe perishe: the baseste kinde of menne[Sidenote: The Shepe-herdes statenecessarie. ]wantyng. Remoue the Shepeherdes state, what good follo-weth, yea, what lacke and famine increaseth not: to all states[Sidenote: The state ofthe husbandemanne, mostenecessarie. ]the belie ill fedde, our backes worse clad. The toilyng house-bandman is so necessarie, that his office ceasyng vniuersalliethe whole bodie perisheth, where eche laboureth to furtherand aide one an other, this a common wealth, there is pro-sperous state of life. The wisest Prince, the richest, the migh-tiest and moste valianntes, had nede alwaies of the foolishe, the weake, the base and simplest, to vpholde his kingdomes, not onely in the affaires of his kyngdomes, but in his dome-sticall thinges, for prouisio[n] of victuall, as bread, drinke, meat[, ]clothyng, and in all soche other thynges. Therefore, no officeor state of life, be it neuer so méete, seruyng in any part of the[Sidenote: No meanestate, to becontempned. ]common wealthe, muste bée contemned, mocked, or skornedat, for thei are so necessarie, that the whole frame of the com-mon wealth faileth without theim: some are for their wickedbehauiour so detestable, that a common wealthe muste séeke[Sidenote: Rotten mem[-]bers of the co[m][-]mon wealth. ]meanes to deface and extirpate theim as wéedes, and rottenmembers of the bodie. These are thefes, murtherers, and ad-ulterers, and many other mischiuous persones. These godlyLawes, vpright and sincere Magistrates, will extirpate andcutte of, soche the commo wealth lacketh not, but rather ab-horreth as an infectiue plague and Pestilence, who in thendethrough their owne wickednesse, are brought to mischief. 

[Sidenote: Plato. ]Read Plato in his booke, intiteled of the common wealthwho sheweth the state of the Prince, and whole Realme, tostande and consiste by the vnitee of partes, all states of the co[m]-[Fol. Vij. V][Sidenote: A commonwealth doeconsiste byvnitie of allstates. ]mon wealth, in office diuers, for dignitée and worthines, bea-ring not equalitée in one consociatée and knit, doe raise a per-fite frame, and bodie of kingdome or common wealthe. 

[Sidenote: Aristotle. What is a co[m]-mon wealth. ]Aristotle the Philosopher doeth saie, that a co[m]mon welthis a multitude gathered together in one Citée, or Region, instate and condicion of life differing, poore and riche, high andlow, wise and foolishe, in inequalitee of minde and bodies dif-feryng, for els it can not bée a common wealthe. There mustbe nobles and peres, kyng and subiect: a multitude inferiourand more populous, in office, maners, worthines alteryng. [Sidenote: A liuely exa[m]-ple of commo[n]wealthe. ]Manne needeth no better example, or paterne of a commonwealthe, to frame hymself, to serue in his state and callyng, then to ponder his owne bodie. There is but one hedde, andmany partes, handes, feete, fingers, toes, ioyntes, veines, si-newes, belie, and so forthe: and so likewise in a co[m]mon welththere muste be a diuersitee of states. 

¶ The reasonyng of the thyngesconteined in this Fable. 

THus might the Wolues reason with them sel-ues, of their Embassage: The Wolues dailiemolested and wearied, with the fearce ragyngMasties, and ouercome in fight, of their powerand might: one emong the reste, more politikeand wise then the other, called an assemble and counsaill of[Sidenote: The counsailof Wolues. ]Wolues, and thus he beganne his oracion. My felowes andcompaignions, sithe nature hath from the beginnyng, madevs vnsaciable, cruell, liuyng alwaies by praies murthered, and bloodie spoiles, yet enemies wée haue, that séeke to kepevnder, and tame our Woluishe natures, by greate mightieBandogges, and Shepeherdes Curres. But nature at thefirste, did so depely frame and set this his peruerse, cruell, andbloodie moulde in vs, that will thei, nill thei, our nature wilbruste out, and run to his owne course. I muse moche, wai-yng the line of our firste progenitour, from whence we came[Fol. Viij. R]firste: for of a man wee came, yet men as a pestiferous poisondoe exile vs, and abandon vs, and by Dogges and other sub-[Sidenote: Lycaon. ]till meanes doe dailie destroie vs. Lycaon, as the Poetes doefaine, excedyng in all crueltées and murthers horrible, by themurther of straungers, that had accesse to his land: for he wasking and gouernor ouer the Molossians, and in this we maieworthilie glorie of our firste blood and long auncientrée, that[Sidenote: The firsteprogenie ofWolues. ]he was not onelie a man, but a kyng, a chief pere and gouer-nour: by his chaunge and transubstanciacion of bodie, wéeloste by him the honour and dignitee due to him, but his ver-tues wée kepe, and daily practise to followe them. The fame[Sidenote: The inuen-cion of thePoet Ouideto compare awicked man, to a Wolue. ]of Lycaons horrible life, ascended before Iupiter, Iupiter themightie God, moued with so horrible a facte, left his heauen-lie palace, came doune like an other mortall man, and passeddoune by the high mountaine Minalus, by twilighte, andso to Licaons house, our firste auncestoure, to proue, if this[Sidenote: Lycaon. ]thing was true. Lycaon receiued this straunger, as it semeddoubtyng whether he were a God, or a manne, forthwith hefeasted him with mannes fleshe baked, Iupiter as he can doe[Sidenote: Lycaon chau[n]-ged into aWolue. ]what he will, brought a ruine on his house, and transubstan-ciated hym, into this our shape & figure, wherein we are, andso sens that time, Wolues were firste generated, and that ofmanne, by the chaunge of Lycaon, although our shape ischaunged from the figure of other men, and men knoweth[Sidenote: Wolue. Manne. ]vs not well, yet thesame maners that made Wolues, remai-neth vntill this daie, and perpetuallie in men: for thei robbe, thei steale, and liue by iniurious catching, we also robbe, al-so wée steale, and catche to our praie, what wee maie withmurther come to. Thei murther, and wee also murther, andso in all poinctes like vnto wicked menne, doe we imitate thelike fashion of life, and rather thei in shape of men, are Wol-ues, and wee in the shape of Wolues menne: Of all thesethynges hauyng consideracion, I haue inuented a pollicie, whereby we maie woorke a slauter, and perpetuall ruine onthe Shepe, by the murther of the Bandogges. And so wée[Fol. Viij. V]shall haue free accesse to our bloodie praie, thus we will doe, wee will sende a Embassage to the Shepeherdes for peace, [Sidenote: The counsailof Wolues. ]saiyng, that wee minde to ceasse of all bloodie spoile, so thatthei will giue ouer to vs, the custodie of the Bandogges, forotherwise the Embassage sent, is in vaine: for their Doggesbeing in our handes, and murthered one by one, the daungerand enemie taken awaie, we maie the better obtain and en-ioye our bloodie life. This counsaill pleased well the assem-ble of the Wolues, and the pollicie moche liked theim, andwith one voice thei houled thus, thus. Immediatlie co[m]muni-cacion was had with the Shepeherdes of peace, and of the gi-uyng ouer of their Bandogges, this offer pleased theim, theico[n]cluded the peace, and gaue ouer their Bandogges, as pled-ges of thesame. The dogges one by one murthered, thei dis-solued the peace, and wearied the Shepe, then the Shepeher-des repented them of their rashe graunt, and foly committed:[Sidenote: The counsailof wicked me[n]to mischief. ]So of like sorte it alwaies chaunceth, tyrauntes and bloodiemenne, dooe seke alwaies a meane, and practise pollicies todestroye all soche as are godlie affected, and by wisedome andgodlie life, doe seke to subuerte and destroie, the mischeuous[Sidenote: The cogita-cions of wic-ked men, andtheir kyngdo[m]bloodie. ]enterprise of the wicked. For, by crueltie their Woluishe na-tures are knowen, their glorie, strength, kyngdome and re-nowne, cometh of blood, of murthers, and beastlie dealyngesand by might so violent, it continueth not: for by violence andblooddie dealyng, their kyngdome at the last falleth by bloodand bloodilie perisheth. The noble, wise, graue, and goodliecounsailes, are with all fidelitée, humblenes and sincere har-[Sidenote: The state ofcounsailoursworthie chiefhonour andveneracion. ]tes to be obeied, in worthines of their state and wisedome, tobe embraced in chief honour and veneracion to bee taken, bywhose industrie, knowledge and experience, the whole bodieof the common wealth and kyngdome, is supported and sa-ued. The state of euery one vniuersallie would come to par-dicion, if the inuasion of foraine Princes, by the wisedom andpollicie of counsailers, were not repelled. The horrible actesof wicked men would burste out, and a confusion ensue in al[Fol. Ix. R]states, if the wisedom of politike gouernors, if good lawes ifthe power and sword of the magistrate, could uot take place. The peres and nobles, with the chief gouernour, standeth as[Sidenote: Plato. ]Shepherds ouer the people: for so Plato alledgeth that namewell and properlie giuen, to Princes and Gouernours, the[Sidenote: Homere. ]which Homere the Poete attributeth, to Agamemnon kingof Grece: to Menelaus, Ulisses, Nestor, Achillas, Diomedes, [Sidenote: The Shepe-herdes namegiue[n] to the of-fice of kyngs. ]Aiax, and al other. For, bothe the name and care of that stateof office, can be titeled by no better name in all pointes, for di-ligent kepyng, for aide, succoryng, and with all equitie tem-peryng the multitude: thei are as Shepeherdes els the seliepoore multitude, would by an oppression of pestiferous men. The commonaltee or base multitude, liueth more quietlie[Sidenote: The state orgood counsai-lers, trou-blous. ]then the state of soche as daily seke, to vpholde and maintainethe common wealthe, by counsaill and politike deliberacion, how troublous hath their state alwaies been: how vnquietefrom time to time, whose heddes in verie deede, doeth seke fora publike wealth. Therefore, though their honor bée greater, and state aboue the reste, yet what care, what pensiuenesse ofminde are thei driuen vnto, on whose heddes aucthoritée andregiment, the sauegard of innumerable people doeth depend. [Sidenote: A comparisonfrom a lesse, to a greater. ]If in our domesticall businesse, of matters pertainyng to ourhousholde, euery man by nature, for hym and his, is pensiue, moche more in so vaste, and infinite a bodie of co[m]mon wealth, greater must the care be, and more daungerous deliberacion. We desire peace, we reioyce of a tranquilitée, and quietnesseto ensue, we wishe, to consist in a hauen of securitée: our hou-ses not to be spoiled, our wiues and children, not to bee mur-[Sidenote: The worthiestate of Prin-ces and coun-sailours. ]thered. This the Prince and counsailours, by wisedome fore-sée, to kéepe of, all these calamitées, daungers, miseries, thewhole multitude, and bodie of the Common wealthe, iswithout them maimed, weake and feable, a readie confusionto the enemie. Therefore, the state of peeres and nobles, iswith all humilitée to be obaied, serued and honored, not with-out greate cause, the Athenians were drawen backe, by the[Fol. Ix. V]wisedome of Demosthenes, when thei sawe the[m] selues a slau-ter and praie, to the enemie. 

¶ A comparson of thynges. 

WHat can bée more rashly and foolishly doen, then theShepeherdes, to giue ouer their Dogges, by whosemight and strength, the Shepe were saued: on the o-ther side, what can be more subtlie doen and craftely, then theWolues, vnder a colour of frendship and amitee, to séeke the[Sidenote: The amitieof wickedmenne. ]blood of the shepe, as all pestiferous men, vnder a fained pro-fer of amitée, profered to seeke their owne profite, commoditeeand wealthe, though it be with ruine, calamitie, miserie, de-struccion of one, or many, toune, or citée, region and countree, whiche sort of men, are moste detestable and execrable. 

¶ The contrarie. 

AS to moche simplicitie & lacke of discrecion, is a fur-theraunce to perill and daunger: so ofte[n]times, he ta-[Sidenote: To beleuelightly, afur-theraunce toperill. ]steth of smarte and woe, who lightly beleueth: so con-trariwise, disimulacio[n] in mischeuous practises begon w[ith] fre[n]d-ly wordes, in the conclusion doeth frame & ende pernisiouslie. 

¶ The _Epilogus_. 

THerefore fained offers of frendship, are to bee takenheede of, and the acte of euery man to bee examined, proued, and tried, for true frendship is a rare thyng, when as Tullie doth saie: in many ages there are fewe cou-ples of friendes to be found, Aristotle also co[n]cludeth thesame. 

¶ The Fable of the Ante, and Greshopper. 

¶ The praise of the aucthour. 

[Sidenote: The praise ofEsope. ]ESope who wrote these Fables, hath chief fame of alllearned aucthours, for his Philosophie, and giuyngwisedome in preceptes: his Fables dooe shewe vntoall states moste wholsome doctrine of vertuous life. He who-ly extolleth vertue, and depresseth vice: he correcteth all statesand setteth out preceptes to amende them. Although he wasdeformed and ill shaped, yet Nature wrought in hym soche[Fol. X. R]vertue, that he was in minde moste beautifull: and seing thatthe giftes of the body, are not equall in dignitie, with the ver-tue of the mynde, then in that Esope chiefly excelled, ha-uyng the moste excellente vertue of the minde. The wisedom[Sidenote: Cresus. ]and witte of Esope semed singuler: for at what tyme as Cre-sus, the kyng of the Lidians, made warre against the Sami-ans, he with his wisedome and pollicie, so pacified the mindeof Cresus, that all warre ceased, and the daunger of the coun-[Sidenote: Samians. ]tree was taken awaie, the Samia[n]s deliuered of this destruc-cion and warre, receiued Esope at his retourne with manyhonours. After that Esope departyng from the Isle Samus, wandered to straunge regions, at the laste his wisedome be-[Sidenote: Licerus. ]yng knowen: Licerus the kyng of that countrée, had hym insoche reuerence and honor, that he caused an Image of goldto be set vp in the honour of Esope. After that, he wanderyng[Sidenote: Delphos. ]ouer Grece, to the citée of Delphos, of whom he beyng mur-thered, a greate plague and Pestilence fell vpon the citee, thatreuenged his death: As in all his Fables, he is moche to beecommended, so in this Fable he is moche to be praised, whichhe wrote of the Ante and the Greshopper. 

¶ The Fable. 

IN a hotte Sommer, the Grashoppers gaue them sel-ues to pleasaunt melodie, whose Musicke and melo-die, was harde from the pleasaunt Busshes: but theAnte in all this pleasaunt tyme, laboured with pain and tra-uaile, she scraped her liuyng, and with fore witte and wise-[Sidenote: Winter. ]dome, preuented the barande and scarce tyme of Winter: forwhen Winter time aprocheth, the ground ceasseth fro[m] fruict, [Sidenote: The Ante. ]then the Ante by his labour, doeth take the fruicte & enioyethit: but hunger and miserie fell vpon the Greshoppers, who inthe pleasaunt tyme of Sommer, when fruictes were aboun-dauute, ceassed by labour to put of necessitée, with the whichethe long colde and stormie tyme, killed them vp, wantyng alsustinaunce. 

[Fol. X. V]

¶ The Morall. 

HEre in example, all menne maie take to frame theirowne life, and also to bryng vp in godlie educaciontheir children: that while age is tender and young, thei maie learne by example of the Ante, to prouide in theirgrene and lustie youth, some meane of art and science, wher-by thei maie staie their age and necessitée of life, al soche as doflie labour, and paine in youth, and seeke no waie of Arte andscience, in age thei shall fall in extreme miserie and pouertée. 

¶ The nature of the thyng. 

NOt without a cause, the Philosophers searchyng thenature and qualitee of euery beaste, dooe moche com-[Sidenote: The Ante. ]mende the Ante, for prouidence and diligence, in thatnot oneie by nature thei excell in forewisedome to the[m] selues, [Sidenote: Manne. ]but also thei be a example, and mirrour to all menne, in thatthei iustlie followe the instincte of Nature: and moche more, where as men indued with reason, and all singulare vertuesand excellent qualitées of the minde and body. Yet thei doe somoche leaue reason, vertue, & integritée of minde, as that theihad been framed without reason, indued with no vertue, noradorned with any excellent qualitée. All creatures as naturehath wrought in them, doe applie them selues to followe na-ture their guide: the Ante is alwaies diligent in his busines, and prouident, and also fore séeth in Sommer, the sharpe sea-son of Winter: thei keepe order, and haue a kyng and a com-mon wealthe as it were, as nature hath taught them. And sohaue all other creatures, as nature hath wrought in the[m] theirgiftes, man onelie leaueth reason, and neclecteth the chief or-namentes of the minde: and beyng as a God aboue all crea-tures, dooeth leese the excellent giftes. A beaste will not takeexcesse in feedyng, but man often tymes is without reason, and hauyng a pure mynde and soule giuen of God, and a faceto beholde the heauens, yet he doeth abase hymself to yearth-[Sidenote: Greshopper. ]lie thynges, as concernyng the Greshopper: as the Philoso-phers doe saie, is made altogether of dewe, and sone perisheth[. ][Fol. Xj. R]The Greshopper maie well resemble, slothfull and sluggishepersones, who seke onely after a present pleasure, hauyng nofore witte and wisedom, to foresée tymes and ceasons: for it is[Sidenote: A poincte ofwisedome. ]the poinct of wisedo[m], to iudge thinges present, by thinges pastand to take a co[n]iecture of thinges to come, by thinges present. 

¶ The reasonyng of the twoo thynges. 

THus might the Ante reason with her self, althoughethe seasons of the yere doe seme now very hotte, plea-[Sidenote: A wise cogi-tacion. ]saunt and fruictfull: yet so I do not trust time, as thatlike pleasure should alwaies remaine, or that fruictes shouldalwaies of like sorte abounde. Nature moueth me to worke, and wisedome herein sheweth me to prouide: for what hur-teth plentie, or aboundaunce of store, though greate plentiecommeth thereon, for better it is to bee oppressed with plen-tie, and aboundaunce, then to bee vexed with lacke. For, towhom wealthe and plentie riseth, at their handes many beereleued, and helped, all soche as bee oppressed with necessi-tie and miserie, beyng caste from all helpe, reason and proui-dence maimed in theim: All arte and Science, and meane oflife cutte of, to enlarge and maintain better state of life, their[Sidenote: Pouertie. ]miserie, necessitie, and pouertie, shall continuallie encrease, who hopeth at other mennes handes, to craue relief, is decei-ued. Pouertie is so odious a thing, in al places & states reiectedfor where lacke is, there fanour, frendship, and acquaintance[Sidenote: Wisedome. ]decreaseth, as in all states it is wisedome: so with my self Iwaie discritlie, to take tyme while tyme is, for this tyme as a[Sidenote: Housebandemenne. ]floure will sone fade awaie. The housebande manne, hath henot times diuers, to encrease his wealth, and to fill his barne, at one tyme and ceason: the housebande man doeth not botheplante, plowe, and gather the fruicte of his labour, but in onetyme and season he ploweth, an other tyme serueth to sowe, and the laste to gather the fruictes of his labour. So then, Imust forsee time and seasons, wherin I maie be able to beareof necessitie: for foolishly he hopeth, who of no wealth and noabundaunt store, trusteth to maintain his own state. For, no-[Fol. Xj. V][Sidenote: Frendship. ]thyng soner faileth, then frendship, and the soner it faileth, as[Sidenote: Homere. ]fortune is impouerished. Seyng that, as Homere doeth saie, a slothfull man, giuen to no arte or science, to helpe hymself, or an other, is an vnprofitable burdein to the yearth, and Goddooeth sore plague, punishe, and ouerthrowe Citees, kyng-domes, and common wealthes, grounded in soche vices: thatthe wisedome of man maie well iudge, hym to be vnworthieof all helpe, and sustinaunce. He is worse then a beast, that isnot able to liue to hymself & other: no man is of witte so vn-[Sidenote: Nature. ]descrite, or of nature so dulle, but that in hym, nature alwa-yes coueteth some enterprise, or worke to frame relife, or help[Sidenote: The cause ofour bearth. ]to hymself, for all wée are not borne, onelie to our selues, butmany waies to be profitable, as to our owne countrie, and allpartes thereof. Especiallie to soche as by sickenes, or infirmi-tie of bodie are oppressed, that arte and Science can not takeplace to help the[m]. Soche as do folowe the life of the Greshop-per, are worthie of their miserie, who haue no witte to foreséeseasons and tymes, but doe suffer tyme vndescretly to passe, [Sidenote: Ianus. ]whiche fadeth as a floure, thold Romaines do picture Ianuswith two faces, a face behind, & an other before, which resem-ble a wiseman, who alwaies ought to knowe thinges paste, thynges presente, and also to be experte, by the experience ofmany ages and tymes, and knowledge of thynges to come. 

¶ The comparison betwenethe twoo thynges. 

WHat can be more descritlie doen, then the Ante to beso prouident and politike: as that all daunger of life, & necessitie is excluded, the stormie times of Winterceaseth of might, & honger battereth not his walles, hauyng[Sidenote: Prouidence. ]soche plentie of foode, for vnlooked bitter stormes and seasons, happeneth in life, whiche when thei happen, neither wisedo[m]nor pollicie, is not able to kepe backe. Wisedome therefore, it is so to stande, that these thynges hurte not, the miserableende of the Greshopper sheweth vnto vs, whiche maie be anexample to all menne, of what degree, so euer thei bee, to flie[Fol. Xij. R]slothe and idelnesse, to be wise and discrite. 

¶ Of contraries. 

[Sidenote: Diligence. ]AS diligence, prouidence, and discrete life is a singu-lare gift, whiche increaseth all vertues, a pillar, staieand a foundacion of all artes and science, of commonwealthes, and kyngdomes. So contrarily sloth and sluggish-nesse, in all states and causes, defaseth, destroyeth, and pul-leth doune all vertue, all science and godlines. For, by it, themightie kyngdome of the Lidia[n]s, was destroied, as it semeth[Sidenote: Idelnes. ]no small vice, when the Lawes of Draco, dooe punishe withdeath idelnesse. 

¶ The ende. 

[Sidenote: The Ante. ]THerefore, the diligence of the Ante in this Fable, not onelie is moche to be commended, but also herexample is to bee followed in life. Therefore, thewiseman doeth admonishe vs, to go vnto the Antand learne prouidence: and also by the Greshopper, lette vslearne to auoide idelnes, leste the like miserie and calamitiefall vpon vs. 

¶ Narratio. 

THis place followyng, is placed of Tullie, after theexordium or beginnyng of Oracion, as the secondeparte: whiche parte of _Rhetorike_, is as it were thelight of all the Oracion folowing: conteining the cause, mat-ter, persone, tyme, with all breuitie, bothe of wordes, and in-uencion of matter. 

¶ A Narracion. 

A Narracion is an exposicion, or declaracion of anythyng dooen in deede, or els a settyng forthe, for-ged of any thyng, but so declaimed and declared, as though it were doen. 

A narracion is of three sortes, either it is a narracion hi-storicall, of any thyng contained, in any aunciente storie, ortrue Chronicle. 

[Fol. Xij. V]

Or Poeticall, whiche is a exposicion fained, set forthe byinuencion of Poetes, or other. 

Or ciuill, otherwise called Iudiciall, whiche is a matterof controuersie in iudgement, to be dooen, or not dooen wellor euill. 

In euery Narracion, ye must obserue sixe notes. 

1. Firste, the persone, or doer of the thing, whereof you intreate. 2. The facte doen. 3. The place wherein it was doen. 4. The tyme in the whiche it was doen. 5. The maner must be shewed, how it was doen. 6. The cause wherevpon it was doen. 

There be in this Narracion, iiij. Other properties belo[n]ging[. ]

1. First, it must be plain and euident to the hearer, not obscure, 2. Short and in as fewe wordes as it maie be, for soche amatter. 3. Probable, as not vnlike to be true. 4. In wordes fine and elegante. 

¶ A narracion historicall, vpon Semiramis Queene of Babilonhow and after what sort she obtained the gouernment thereof. 

[Sidenote: Tyme. Persone. ]AFter the death of Ninus, somtime kyng of Ba-bilon, his soonne Ninus also by name, was leftto succede hym, in all the Assirian Monarchie, Semiramis wife to Ninus the firste, feared thetender age of her sonne, wherupon she thought[Sidenote: The cause. The facte. ]that those mightie nacions and kyngdomes, would not obaieso young and weake a Prince. Wherfore, she kept her sonnefrom the gouernmente: and moste of all she feared, that thei[Sidenote: The waiehow. ]would not obaie a woman, forthwith she fained her self, to bethe soonne of Ninus, and bicause she would not be knowento bee a woman, this Quene inuented a newe kinde of tire, the whiche all the Babilonians that were men, vsed by hercommaundement. By this straunge disguised tire and appa-rell, she not knowen to bee a woman, ruled as a man, for the[Sidenote: The facte. The place. ]space of twoo and fourtie yeres: she did marueilous actes, forshe enlarged the mightie kyngdome of Babilon, and builded[Fol. Xiij. R]thesame citée. Many other regions subdued, and valiauntlieouerthrowen, she entered India, to the whiche neuer Princecame, sauing Alexander the greate: she passed not onely menin vertue, counsaill, and valiaunt stomacke, but also the fa-mous counsailours of Assiria, might not contende with herin Maiestie, pollicie, and roialnes. For, at what tyme as theiknewe her a woman, thei enuied not her state, but maruei-led at her wisedome, pollicie, and moderacion of life, at thelaste she desiryng the vnnaturall lust, and loue of her soonneNinus, was murthered of hym. 

¶ A narracion historicall vpon kyng Ri-chard the third, the cruell tiraunt[. ]

[Sidenote: The persone[. ]]RIchard duke of Glocester, after the death of Ed-ward the fowerth his brother king of England, vsurped the croune, moste traiterouslie and wic-kedlie: this kyng Richard was small of stature, deformed, and ill shaped, his shoulders bearednot equalitee, a pulyng face, yet of countenaunce and lookecruell, malicious, deceiptfull, bityng and chawing his netherlippe: of minde vnquiet, pregnaunt of witte, quicke and liue-ly, a worde and a blowe, wilie, deceiptfull, proude, arrogant[Sidenote: The tyme. The place. ]in life and cogitacion bloodie. The fowerth daie of Iulie, heentered the tower of London, with Anne his wife, doughterto Richard Erle of Warwick: and there in created Edwardhis onely soonne, a child of ten yeres of age, Prince of Wa-les. At thesame tyme, in thesame place, he created many no-ble peres, to high prefermente of honour and estate, and im-mediatly with feare and faint harte, bothe in himself, and his[Sidenote: The horriblemurther ofking Richard[. ]]nobles and commons, was created king, alwaies a vnfortu-nate and vnluckie creacion, the harts of the nobles and com-mons thereto lackyng or faintyng, and no maruaile, he wasa cruell murtherer, a wretched caitiffe, a moste tragicall ty-raunt, and blood succour, bothe of his nephewes, and brotherGeorge Duke of Clarence, whom he caused to bee drounedin a Butte of Malmsie, the staires sodainlie remoued, wher-[Fol. Xiij. V][Sidenote: The facte. ]on he stepped, the death of the lorde Riuers, with many othernobles, compassed and wrought at the young Princes com-myng out of Wales, the . Xix. Daie of Iuly, in the yere of ourlorde . 1483. Openly he toke vpon him to be king, who sekynghastely to clime, fell according to his desart, sodainly and in-gloriously, whose Embassage for peace, Lewes the Frencheking, for his mischeuous & bloodie slaughter, so moche abhor-red, that he would neither sée the Embassador, nor heare theEmbassage: for he murthered his . Ij. Nephues, by the handes[Sidenote: The tyme. The manerhow. ]of one Iames Tirrell, & . Ij. Vilaines more associate with himthe Lieutenaunt refusyng so horrible a fact. This was doenhe takyng his waie & progresse to Glocester, whereof he wasbefore tymes Duke: the murther perpetrated, he doubed thegood squire knight. Yet to kepe close this horrible murther, he caused a fame and rumour to be spread abrode, in all par-tes of the realme, that these twoo childre[n] died sodainly, there-[Sidenote: The cause. ]by thinkyng the hartes of all people, to bee quietlie setteled, no heire male lefte a liue of kyng Edwardes children. Hismischief was soche, that God shortened his vsurped raigne:he was al together in feare and dread, for he being feared anddreaded of other, did also feare & dread, neuer quiete of mindefaint harted, his bloodie conscience by outward signes, conde[m]-pned hym: his iyes in euery place whirlyng and caste about, [Sidenote: The state ofa wicked ma[n]. ]his hand moche on his Dagger, the infernall furies tormen-ted him by night, visions and horrible dreames, drawed himfrom his bedde, his vnquiet life shewed the state of his consci-ence, his close murther was vttered, fro[m] the hartes of the sub-iectes: thei called hym openlie, with horrible titles and na-mes, a horrible murtherer, and excecrable tiraunt. The peo-[Sidenote: A dolefullstate of aquene. ]ple sorowed the death of these twoo babes, the Queene, kyngEdwardes wife, beeyng in Sanctuarie, was bestraught ofwitte and sences, sounyng and falling doune to the groundeas dedde, the Quéene after reuiued, knéeled doune, and cal-led on God, to take vengaunce on this murtherer. The con-science of the people was so wounded, of the tolleracion of the[Fol. Xiiij. R][Sidenote: The wickedfacte of kyngRichard, ahorror anddread to thecommons. ]facte, that when any blustryng winde, or perilous thonder, ordreadfull tempest happened: with one voice thei cried out andquaked, least God would take vengauce of them, for it is al-waies séen the horrible life of wicked gouernors, bringeth toruin their kyngdom and people, & also wicked people, the likedaungers to the kyngdome and Prince: well he and his sup-porters with the Duke of Buckyngham, died shamefullie. [Sidenote: God permitmeanes, topull dounetyrauntes. ]The knotte of mariage promised, betwene Henrie Erle ofRichemonde, and Elizabeth doughter to kyng Edward thefowerth: caused diuerse nobles to aide and associate this erle, fledde out of this lande with all power, to the attainmente ofthe kyngdome by his wife. At Nottyngham newes came tokyng Richard, that the Erle of Richmonde, with a small co[m]-paignie of nobles and other, was arriued in Wales, forthe-with exploratours and spies were sent, who shewed the Erle[Sidenote: Lichefelde. Leicester. ]to be encamped, at the toune of Litchfield, forthwith all pre-paracion of warre, was set forthe to Leicester on euery side, the Nobles and commons shranke from kyng Richarde, his[Sidenote: Bosworthe[. ]]power more and more weakened. By a village called Bos-worthe, in a greate plaine, méete for twoo battailes: by Lei-cester this field was pitched, wherin king Richard manfullyfightyng hande to hande, with the Erle of Richmonde, was[Sidenote: Kyng Ri-chard killedin Bosworthfielde. ]slaine, his bodie caried shamefullie, to the toune of Leicesternaked, without honor, as he deserued, trussed on a horse, be-hinde a Purseuaunte of Armes, like a hogge or a Calfe, hishedde and his armes hangyng on the one side, and his leggeson the other side: caried through mire and durte, to the graieFriers churche, to all men a spectacle, and oprobrie of tiran-nie this was the cruell tirauntes ende. 

¶ A narracion historicall, of the commyngof Iulius Cesar into Britaine. 

[Sidenote: The tyme. The persone. ]WHen Iulius Cesar had ended his mightie and hugebattailes, about the flood Rhene, he marched into theregio[n] of Fraunce: at thesame time repairing with afreshe multitude, his Legio[n]s, but the chief cause of his warre[Fol. Xiiij. V]in Fraunce was, that of long time, he was moued in minde, [Sidenote: The cause. The fameand glorie ofBritaine. ]to see this noble Islande of Britain, whose fame for nobilitéewas knowen and bruted, not onelie in Rome, but also in thevttermoste la[n]des. Iulius Cesar was wroth with the[m], becausein his warre sturred in Fraunce, the fearce Britaines aidedthe Fenche men, and did mightilie encounter battaill withthe Romaines: whose prowes and valiaunt fight, slaked theproude and loftie stomackes of the Romaines, and droue the[m][Sidenote: The prowesof IuliusCesar. ]to diuerse hasardes of battaill. But Cesar as a noble warrierpreferryng nobilitee, and worthinesse of fame, before moneyor cowardly quietnes: ceased not to enter on y^e fearce Britai-nes, and thereto prepared his Shippes, the Winter tyme fo-lowyng, that assone as oportunitee of the yere serued, to passe[Sidenote: The manerhow. Cesars com-municacionwith the mar[-]chauntes, asconcernyngthe lande ofBritaine. ]with all power against them. In the meane tyme, Cesar in-quired of the Marchauntes, who with marchaundise had ac-cesse to the Islande: as concernyng the qua[n]titée and bignes ofit, the fashion and maner of the people, their lawes, their or-der, and kinde of gouernmente. As these thynges were in allpoinctes, vnknowen to Cesar, so also the Marchau[n]tes knewe[Sidenote: The ware &politike go-uernement ofy^e Britaines. Aliaunce intyme traite-rous. ]no more tha[n] the places bordring on the sea side. For, the Bri-taines fearing the traiterous and dissembled hartes of aliau[n]-ces, politikelie repelled them: for, no straunger was sufferedto enter from his Shippe, on the lande, but their marchaun-dice were sold at the sea side. All nacions sought to this land, the felicitee of it was so greate, whereupon the Grekes kno-wyng and tastyng the commoditée of this Islande, called it by[Sidenote: Britain som-tyme called ofthe GrekesOlbion, notAlbion. ]a Greke name _Olbion_, whiche signifieth a happie and fortu-nate countrie, though of some called _Albion_, tyme chaungedthe firste letter, as at this daie, London is called for the touneof kyng Lud. Cesar thereupon before he would marche with[Sidenote: Caius Uo-lusenus, Em[-]bassadour toBritaine. ]his armie, to the people of Britain, he sent Caius Uolusenusa noble man of Rome, a valiaunte and hardie Capitaine, asEmbassadour to the Britaines, who as he thoughte by hisEmbassage, should knowe the fashion of the Island, the ma-ner of the people, their gouernemente. But as it seemeth, the[Fol. Xv. R]Embassadour was not welcome. For, he durste not enter fro[m]his Ship, to dooe his maisters Embassage, Cesar knewe no-[Sidenote: Comas A-trebas, seco[n]deEmbassadorfrom Cesar. ]thing by him. Yet Cesar was not so contented, but sent an o-ther Embassadour, a man of more power, stomack, and morehardie, Comas Atrebas by name, who would enter as anEmbassadour, to accomplish the will & expectacion of Cesar, Comas Atrebas was so welcome, that the Britains cast himin prison: Embassages was not common emong theim, northe curteous vsage of Embassadours knowen. Al these thin-ges, made Cesar more wrothe, to assaie the vncourtous Bris[-][Sidenote: Cassibelaneking of Lon-don, at the a-riue of Cesar[. ]Cassibelanea worthiePrince. ]taines. In those daies Cassibelan was kyng of London, thisCassibelan was a prince of high wisedom, of manly stomackeand valiaunt in fight: and for power and valiauntnesse, waschosen of the Britaines, chief gouernour and kyng. Dissen-cion and cruell warre was emong the[m], through the diuersitieof diuers kinges in the lande. The Troinouau[n]tes enuied the[Sidenote: Imanue[n]cius[. ]]state of Cassibelan, bicause Immanuencius, who was kyngof London, before Cassibelan, was put to death, by the coun-sail of Cassibelan. The sonne of Immanuencius, hearing ofthe commyng of Cesar, did flie traiterouslie to Cesar: TheTroinouauntes fauoured Immanue[n]cius part, & thereupon[Sidenote: The Troy-nouauntes bytreason let inCesar. ]promised, as moste vile traitours to their countrie, an ente-ryng to Cesar, seruice and homage, who through a self will, and priuate fauour of one, sought the ruine of their countrie, and in the ende, their own destruccion. But Cassibelan gauemany ouerthrowes to Cesar, and so mightelie encountredwith hym, so inuincible was the parte of Cassibelane: but bytreason of the Troinouauntes, not by manhod of Cesars po-wer, enteryng was giuen. What house can stande, where-[Sidenote: Treason aconfusion tothe mightiestdominions. ]in discord broile? What small power, is not able to enter themightiest dominions or regions: to ouercome the strongestefortresse, treason open the gate, treason giuyng passage. Al-though Cesar by treason entered, so Cesar writeth. Yet thefame of Cesar was more commended, for his enterprise intoBritain, and victorie: then of all his Conquest, either against[Fol. Xv. V][Sidenote: A sente[n]ce gra[-]uen of Bri-taine, in thecommendaci-on of Cesar. ]Pompey, or with any other nacion. For in a Piller at Romethis sentence was engrauen: Of all the dominions, Citees, and Regions, subdued by Cesar, his warre atte[m]pted againstthe fearce Britaines, passeth all other. After this sort Cesarentred our Islande of Britaine by treason. 

¶ A narracion iudiciall, out of Theusidides, vpon the facte of Themistocles. 

THe Athenians brought vnder the thraldome ofthe Lacedemonians, soughte meanes to growemightie, and to pull them from the yoke, vnderthe Lacedemonians. Lacedemonia was a citeeenuironed with walles. Athenes at thesametyme without walles: whereby their state was more feeble, and power weakened. Themistocles a noble Sage, and aworthie pere of Athens: gaue the Athenia[n]s counsaile to walltheir citée stro[n]gly, and so forthwith to be lordes and rulers bythem selues, after their owne facion gouerning. In finishingthis enterprise, in all poinctes, policie, and wittie conuei-aunce wanted not. The Lacedemonians harde of the pur-pose of the Athenians, & sent Embassadours, to knowe theirdoynges, and so to hinder them. Themistocles gaue counsaillto the Athenians, to kepe in safe custodie, the Embassadoursof Lacedemonia, vntill soche tyme, as he from the Embas-sage was retourned fro[m] Lacedemonia. The Lacedemonianshearyng of the commyng of Themistocles, thought little ofthe walle buildyng at Athens. Themistocles was long loo-ked for of the[m], because Themistocles lingered in his Embas-sage, that or the matter were throughly knowen: the walleof Athens should be builded. The slowe commyng of The-mistocles, was blamed of the Lacedemonians: but Themi-stocles excused hymself, partly infirmitie of bodie, lettynghis commyng, and the expectacion of other, accompaigniedwith hym in this Embassage. The walle ended, necessitienot artificiall workemanship finishing it, with al hast it wasended: then Themistocles entered the Senate of Lacedemo-[Fol. Xvj. R]nia, and saied: the walle whom ye sought to let, is builded atAthens, ye Lacedemonians, that wee maie be more strong. Then the Lacedemonians could saie nothyng to it, thoughthei enuied the Athenians state, the walle was builded, andleste thei should shewe violence or crueltie on Themistocles, their Embassabours were at Athens in custodie, wherebyThemistocles came safe from his Embassage, and the Athe-nians made strong by their walle: this was politikely dooenof Themistocles. 

¶ A narracion Poeticall vpon a Rose. 

WHo so doeth maruaile at the beautée and good-ly colour of the redde Rose, he must consider theblood, that came out of Uenus the Goddes foot. The Goddes Uenus, as foolishe Poetes dooefeigne, beyng the aucthour of Loue: loued Ado-nis the soonne of Cynara kyng of Cypres. But Mars calledthe God of battaile, loued Uenus, beyng nothyng loued ofUenus: but Mars loued Uenus as feruently, as Uenus lo-ued Adonis. Mars beyng a God, loued Uenus a goddes, butUenus onely was inflamed with the loue of Adonis, a mor-tall man. Their loue was feruent, and exremely set on firein bothe, but their kinde and nature were contrary, wherev-pon Mars beyng in gelousie, sought meanes to destroie, faireamiable, and beautifull Adonis, thinkyng by his death, theloue of Uenus to be slaked: Adonis and Mars fell to fightingUenus as a louer, ranne to helpe Adonis her louer, and bychaunce she fell into a Rose bushe, and pricked with it herfoote, the blood then ran out of her tender foote, did colour theRose redde: wherevpon the Rose beyng white before, is v-pon that cause chaunged into redde. 

[¶] _Chria. _

_CHria_, this profitable exercise of _Rhetorike_, is for theporfite of it so called: it is a rehersall in fewe wordes, of any ones fact, or of the saiyng of any man, vpo[n] the[Fol. Xvj. V]whiche an oracion maie be made. As for example, Isocratesdid say, that the roote of learnng was bitter, but the fruictespleasaunt: and vpon this one sentence, you maie dilate a am-ple and great oracion, obseruyng these notes folowyng. Thesaiyng dooeth containe so greate matter, and minister socheplentie of argumente. 

Aucthors intreatyng of this exercise, doe note three sortesto bee of theim, one of theim a _Chria verball_, that is to saie, aprofitable exercise, vpon the saiyng of any man, onely con-teinyng the wordes of the aucthour, as the sentence before. 

The seconde is, conteinyng the facte or deede of the per-sone: As Diogines beyng asked of Alexander the Greate, ifhe lacked any thyng, that he was able to giue hym, thinkynghis demau[n]de vnder his power, for Diogenes was at thesametyme warmyng hymself in the beames of the Sunne: Dio-genes aunswered, ye take awaie that, that ye are not able togiue, meanyng that Alexander by his bodie, shadowed hym, and tooke awaie that, whiche was not in his power to giue, Alexander tourned hymself to his men, and saied, if I werenot Alexander, I would be Diogenes. 

The thirde is a _Chria_ mixt, bothe _verball_ and notyng thefacte, as Diogenes seyng a boie wanton & dissolute, did strikehis teacher with a staffe, vtteryng these woordes: why dooestthou teache thy scholer so dissolutlie. 

You shall learne to make this exercise, obseruyng thesenotes. 

Firste, you shall praise the aucthour, who wrote the sen-tence, waighing his life, if his life be vnknowen, and not easieto finde his sentence or sentences: for godlie preceptes willminister matter of praise, as if these saiynges bee recited, theiare sufficient of them selues, to praise the aucthour. 

Then in the seconde place, expounde the meanyng of theaucthour in that saiyng. 

Then shewe the cause, why he spake this sentence. 

Then compare the matter, by a contrary. 

[Fol. Xvij. R]

Then frame a similitude of thesame. 

Shewe the like example of some, that spake the like, ordid the like. 

Then gather the testimonies of more writers of thesame[. ]

Then knit the conclusion. 

¶ An Oracion. 

ISocrates did saie, that the roote of learnyng is was bit-ter, but the fruictes were pleasaunt. 

¶ The praise. 

THis Oratour Isocrates, was an Athenian borne, [Sidenote: Lusimachus[. ]]who florished in the time of Lusimachus the chiefgouernor of Athens: this Isocrates was broughtvp in all excelle[n]cie of learning, with the moste fa-[Sidenote: Prodicus. Gorgias Le-ontinus. ]mous and excellent Oratour Prodicus, Gorgias Leontinusindued him with all singularitie of learnyng and eloquence. The eloque[n]ce of Isocrates was so famous, that Aristotle the[Sidenote: Demosthe-nes learnedeloquence ofIsocrates. ]chief Pholosopher, enuied his vertue & praise therin: Demo-sthenes also, who emong the Grecians chieflie excelled, lear-ned his eloquence, of the Oracions whiche Isocrates wrote, to many mightie and puisaunt princes and kinges, do shewehis wisedome, & copious eloque[n]ce, as to Demonicus the kingto Nicocles, Euagoras, against Philip the king of the Mace-donia[n]s, by his wisedome and counsaill, the Senate and vni-uersal state of Athens was ruled, & the commons and multi-tude thereby in euery part florished: chieflie what counsaill, what wisedome, what learnyng might bee required, in anyman of high fame and excellencie: that fame was aboundant[-]ly in Isocrates, as in all his Oratio[n]s he is to be praised, so inthis sentence, his fame importeth like commendacion. 

¶ The exposicion. 

IN that he saieth, the roote of learnyng is bitter, andthe fruictes pleasaunt: he signifieth no excellent qua-[Sidenote: All excellen-cie with laboris attained. ]litie or gift, vertue, arte or science can bee attained, except paine, labour, diligence, doe plant and sette thesame:[Fol. Xvij. V]but when that noble gift, either learnyng, or any excellentequalitee, is lodged and reposed in vs, then we gather by pain-full labours, greate profite, comforte, delectable pleasures, wealth, glorie, riches, whiche be the fruictes of it. 

¶ The cause. 

AND seyng that of our owne nature, all men are en-clined from their tender yeres and infancie, to the ex-tirpacion of vertue, folowyng with all earnest studieand gréedie, the free passage to vice, and specially children, whose iudgementes and reason, are not of that strengthe, torule their weake mindes and bodies, therefore, in them chief-lie, the roote of learning is bitter, because not onely many ye-res thei runne their race, in studie of arte and science. Withcare and paine also, with greuous chastisment and correccio[n], thei are compelled by their teachers and Maisters, to appre-hende thesame: the parentes no lesse dreaded, in the educacio[n]of their children, in chastisement and correction, so that by all[Sidenote: The roote oflearnyng bit-ter. ]meanes, the foundacion and roote of all learnyng, in whatsort so euer it is, is at the firste vnpleasaunte, sower, and vn-sauerie. To folowe the times and seasons, appoincted for thesame, is moste painfull, and in these painfull yeres: othergreate pleasures, as the frailtie of youth, and the imbecilitieof nature iudgeth, dooeth passe by, but in miserable state is[Sidenote: Who is a vn-fortunatechilde. ]that childe, and vnfortunate, that passeth the flower of hisyouth and tender yeres, instructed with no arte or Science, whiche in tyme to come, shalbe the onelie staie, helpe, the pil-ler to beare of the sore brent, necessitie, and calamities of life. [Sidenote: Good educa-cion the foun-dacion of theRomaineEmpire. ]Herein the noble Romaines, laied the sure foundacion oftheir mightie dominion, in the descrite prouidente, and poli-tike educacion of children: to whom the Grecians gaue, thatnecessarie bulwarke and faundacion, to set vp all vertue, allarte and science. In Grece no man was knowen, to liue inthat common wealth, but that his arte and science, gaue ma-nifest probacion and testimonie, how and after what sorte heliued. The Romaines in like sorte, the sworde and aucthori-[Fol. Xviij. R]tie of the Magistrate, executyng thesame, did put forthe, anddraw to the attainment of learnyng, art or science, all youthhauyng maturitie and ripenesse to it, and why, because thatin a common wealth, where the parentes are vndescrete andfoolishe, as in all common wealthes, there are not a fewe, but many, thei not ponderyng the state of the tyme to come, bringing vp their children without all ciuilitie, vnframed tovertue, ignoraunt of all arte and science: the children of theirowne nature, vnbrideled, vntaught, wilfull, and heddie, doerun with free passage to all wickednes, thei fall into al kindeof follie, oppressed with all kinde of calamitie, miserie, and[Sidenote: Euill educa-cion bringethto ruine migh[-]tie kingdoms[. ]]vnfortunate chaunces, whiche happen in this life. Nothyngdoeth soner pulle doune a kyngdome, or common wealthe, then the euill and leude educacion of youth, to whom neithersubstaunce, wealth, riches, nor possessions doe descende, fromtheir auncestours and parentes, who also of them selues wa[n]tall art, science and meanes, to maintain them to liue, who ofthem selues are not able to get relief, for onely by this mea-nes, life is maintained, wealth and riches ar possessed to ma-ny greate siegniories, landes, and ample possessions, left bytheir parentes, and line of auncetours, haue by lacke of ver-tuous educacion, been brought to naught, thei fell into ex-treme miserie, pouertie, and wantyng learnyng, or wealth, to maintaine their state and delicate life, thei haue robbed, spoiled, murthered, to liue at their owne will. But then asrotten, dedde, and putride members fro[m] the common wealththei are cutte of by the sworde, and aucthoritie of the Magi-strate. What kyngdome was more mightie and strong, then[Sidenote: Lydia. ]the kyngdome of Lidia, whiche by no other meanes wasbrought to ruine and destruccion, but by idlenes: in that theiwere kepte from all vertuous exercise, from the studie of ar-tes and sciences, so longe as thei meditated and liued in theschoole of vertuous life: no nacion was hable to ouerthrowethem, of them selues thei were prone and readie, to practise all[Sidenote: Cyrus. ]excellencie. But Cyrus the kyng of Persians, by no other[Fol. Xviij. V]meanes was able to bring them weaker. He toke from the[m] alfurtherance to artes, destroied all occupacio[n]s of vertue wher-vpon by commaundeme[n]t aud terrour, wer driuen to practise[Sidenote: The decay ofa kyngdome. ]the vaine and pestiferous practise, of Cardes and Dice. Har-lottes then schooled them, and all vnhoneste pastyme nurte-red them, Tauernes an quaffyng houses, was their accusto-med and moste frequented vse of occupacion: by this meanestheir nobilitie and strengthe was decaied, and kyngdomemade thrall. Ill educacion or idlenes, is no small vice or euillwhen so mightie a prince, hauyng so large dominions, who[m]all the Easte serued and obaied. Whose regimente and go-uernemente was so infinite, that as Zenophon saieth, tyme[Sidenote: The mightiedominions ofCyrus. ]would rather want, then matter to speake of his mightie andlarge gouernement, how many nacions, how diuerse peopleand valiaunte nacions were in subieccion to hym. If thismightie Prince, with all his power and populous nacions, was not hable to giue the ouerthrowe, to the kyngdome of[Sidenote: Euill educa-cion. ]Lidia, but by ill educacion, not by marciall atte[m]ptes, swordeor battaill: but by giuyng them scope and libertie, to dooe ashe would. No doubt but that Cyrus sawe, by the like exam-ple of other kyngdomes, this onelie pollicie to bee a ruine[Sidenote: Pithagoras. ]of that kyngdome. Pythagoras the famous and godlie Phi-losopher, saued the kyngdome and people of Crotona, theileauyng all studie of arte, vertue and science. This people of[Sidenote: Catona. ]Crotona, was ouercome of the people of Locrus, thei left allexercise of vertue, neclectyng the feates of chiualrie, whervpo[n]Pythagoras hauyng the profitable and godlie lawes of Ly-curgus, which he brought from Lacedemonia: and the lawesof Minos kyng of Creta, came to the people of Crotona, andby his godlie teachyng and Philosophie, reuoked & broughtbacke the people, giuen ouer to the neglectyng of all vertue, declaryng to them the nobilitie and excellencie thereof, he li-uely set foorthe the beastlinesse of vice. Pithagoras recited tothem, the fall and ruine of many regions, and mightie king-domes, whiche tooke after those vices. Idlenes beyng forsa-[Fol. Xix. R]ken, vertue embrased, and good occupacions practised, thekyngdome and people grewe mightie. 

[Sidenote: Lycurgus. ]Emong the godlie lawes of Lycurgus, Lycurgus omit-ted not to ordaine Lawes, for the educacion of youthe: in thewhiche he cutte of all pamperyng of them, because in tenderyeres, in whose bodies pleasure harboreth, their vertue, sci-ence, cunnyng rooteth not: labour, diligence, and industrie[Sidenote: Uertue. Uice. ]onelie rooteth vertue, and excellencie. Uices as vnprofitableweedes, without labour, diligence and industrie growe vp, and thereby infecteth the minde and bodie, poisoneth all themocions, incensed to vertue and singularitie. Who euer at-tained cunnyng, in any excellent arte or science, where idle-nes or pleasure helde the swaie. Philosophie sheweth, plea-[Sidenote: Pleasure. Idlenes. Ignoraunce. ]sure to bée vnmete for any man of singularitie, for pleasure, idlenes, and ignoraunce, are so linked together, that the pos-session of the one, induceth the other. So many godlie monu-me[n]tes of learning, had not remained to this posteritie of oursand of all ages: if famous men in those ages and tymes, hadhu[n]ted after immoderate pleasure. Thindustrie of soche, wholeft to the posteritie of all ages, the knowlege of Astronomieis knowen: the monumentes of all learnyng of lawes, andof all other woorkes of antiquitie, by vertue, noble, by indu-strie, labour, and moderacion of life in studie, not by plea-sure and wantones, was celebraied to all ages. The migh-tie volumes of Philosophers, bothe in morall preceptes, andin naturall causes, knewe not the delicate and dissolute lifeof these our daies. Palingenius enueighyng against the pa[m]-pered, and lasciuious life of man, vttereth a singulare sente[n]ce

 _Qui facere et qui nosce, cupit quam plurima et altum, In terris virtute aliqua sibi querere nomen: Hunc vigilare opus est, nam non preclara geruntur, Stertendo, et molles detrectat gloria plumas. _

Who so coueteth to purchase fame by actes, or whoseminde hunteth for aboundaunte knowledge, or by vertue inthis life, to purchause good fame. He had not nede to slugge[Fol. Xix. V]and slepe in his doynges: for good fame is not vpholded bygaie Pecockes feathers. Of this, Demosthenes the famousOratour of Athens, vttereth a worthie saiyng to the Athe-nians in his Epistle: if any will iudge Alexander the greate, to be famous and happie, in that he had successe in all his do-[Sidenote: Alexanderthe great, co[m]-mended fordiligence. ]ynges, let this be his cogitacion, that Alexander the greate, alwaies did inure hymself to doe thynges, and manfullie toassaie that he enterprised. The felicitie of his successe cameto hym not slepyng, or not cogitatyng thereof: Alexander thegreate now dedde, Fortune seketh with whom she maie ac-companie, and associate her self. 

Thusidides comparyng the Lacedemonians, and the A-thenians together, shewed a rare moderacion, and tempera-ture of life, to be in the Athenians: wherupon thei are mostecommended, and celebrated to the posteritie. 

¶ The contrarie. 

EUen as idlenes and a sluggishe life, is moste pleasantto all soche, as neglecte vertuous exercises, and god-lie life. So paine, labour, and studie, bestowed andemploied, in the sekyng out of vertue, arte, or science is mostepleasaunt to well affected mindes: for no godlie thyng can beattained to, without diligence and labour. 

¶ The similitude. 

EUen as housbandmen, with labour and trauaile, dooe labour in plantyng and tillyng the grounde, before thei receiue any fruicte of thesame. Euen sono vertue, arte, or science, or any other thyng of ex-cellencie is attained, without diligence and labour bestowedthereto. 

¶ The example. 

LEt Demosthenes, the famous Oratour of Athenes, bee an example of diligence to vs, who to auoide alllet from studie, vsed a meanes to kepe hymself ther-to: preuentyng also the industrie of artificers. Thesame De-[Fol. Xx. R]mosthenes, wrote seuen tymes out the storie of Thusidides, to learne thereby his eloquence and wisedome. 

¶ The testimonie. 

PLinie, Plato, and Aristotle, with many other mo, arelike examples for diligence to vs: who wrote vponvertue and learnyng like sentences. 

¶ The conclusion. 

THerefore, Isocrates dooeth pronounce worthelie, theroote of learning and vertue to be bitter, and the fru-tes pleasaunte. 

¶ A Sentence. 

THe Oracion, whiche must be made by a sente[n]ceis in al partes like to _Chria_, the profitable exer-cise, onelie that the Oracion made vpon a sen-tence, as aucthours do saie: hath not alwaie thename of the aucthour prefixed in the praise, asmall matter of difference, who so can make the one, is ex-pert and exquisite in the other, aucthours doe define a sente[n]cein this maner. A sentence is an Oracion, in fewe woordes, shewyng a godlie precept of life, exhorting or diswadyng: the[Sidenote: _Gnome. _]Grekes dooe call godly preceptes, by the name of _Gnome_, or_Gnomon_, whiche is asmoche to saie, a rule or square, to directany thyng by, for by them, the life of manne is framed to allsingularitie. Thei are diuers sortes of sentences, one exhor-teth, an other diswadeth, some onely sheweth: there is a sen-tence simple, compounde, profitable, true, & soche like. Frameyour Oracion vpon a sentence, as in the Oracion before. 

 { 1. The praise of the aucthour. { 2. The exposicion of the sentence. { 3. A confirmacion in the strength of the cause. { 4. A conference, of the contrarie. { 5. A similitude. { 6. The example. { 7. The testimonie of aucthors, shewing y^e like. { 8. Then adde the conclusion. 

[Fol. Xx. V]

¶ An Oracion vpon a sentence. 

¶ The sentence. 

In a common wealthe or kyngdome, many kynges tobeare rule, is verie euill, let there be but one kyng. 

¶ The praise of the aucthour. 

HOmere, who of all the Poetes chiefly excelled, spakethis sentence in the persone of Ulisses, vpon the kingAgamemnon, kyng of Grece. This Homere intrea-ting of all princely affaires, and greate enterprices of theGrecians: and of the mightie warre againste the Troians, emong whom soche discorde rose, that not onely the warre, for lacke of vnitie and concorde, continued the space of tenneyeres. But also moche blood shed, hauocke, and destruccion, came vpon the Grecians, vttered this sente[n]ce. This Homerefor his learnyng and wisedome remaineth, intteled in manymonumentes of learnyng: with greate fame and commen-[Sidenote: The praise ofHomere. ]dacion to all ages. What Region, Isle, or nacion is not, byhis inuencion set foorthe: who although he were blinde, hisminde sawe all wisedome, the states of all good kyngdomes[Sidenote: The contentof Homersbookes. ]and common wealthes. The verie liuely Image of a Princeor gouernour, the faithfull and humble obedie[n]ce of a subiect, toward the prince, the state of a capitaine, the vertue and no-ble qualities, that are requisite, in soche a personage, be thereset forthe. The perfite state of a wiseman, and politike, is in-treated of by hym. The Iustice, and equitie of a Prince, thestrength of the bodie, all heroicall vertues: also are set forthehis eloquence and verse, floweth in soche sorte, with sochepleasauntnes: so copious, so aboundaunt, so graue and sen-tencious, that his singularitie therein excelleth, and passeth. 

[Sidenote: Alexander. ]The mightie prince Alexander, in all his marciall enter-prices, and great conquestes, did continually night by night, [Sidenote: The Iliasof Homere, mete for prin-ces to lookevpon. ]reade somewhat of the Ilias of the Poete Homere, before heslepte, and askyng for the booke, saied: giue me my pillowe. Alexander as it semeth, learned many heroical vertues, poli-cie, wisedome, & counsaill thereof, els he occupied in so migh-[Fol. Xxj. R]tie and greate warres, would not emploied studie therein. 

Iulius Cesar the Emperour, commendeth this Poete, for his singularitie, his commendacion giueth, ample argu-ment, in this singulare sentence, whiche preferreth a Monar-chie aboue all states of common wealthes or kyngdome. 

¶ The exposicion. 

HOmere the Poete, signified by this one sentence, nokyngdome or common wealthe can prospere, or flo-rishe to continue, where many holde gouernementas kynges. For, the mindes of many rulers and princes, doemoste affecte a priuate wealthe, commoditie and glorie: andwhere, many doe beare soche swaie and dominion, the com-mon wealth can not be good. For, thei priuatly to theim sel-ues, doe beare that regiment, and alwaie with the slaughterof many, do seke to attain and clime, to the whole gouerme[n]t[. ]

¶ The cause. 

[Sidenote: The state ofmany kingesin one lande. ]MAny occasions dooe rise, whereby many princes, andgouernours in a common wealth, be diuerslie affec-ted, so that the gouernme[n]t of many, can not prosper. For, bothe in quiete state, their counsailes must bee diuerse, and vncertaine: and where thei so differ, the kyngdome stan-deth in great ieopardy and daunger. Isocrates intreatyng of[Sidenote: Athenes. ]a Monarchie, sheweth that the common wealth of Athenes, whiche detested and refused, that forme and state, after theruine and fall of their citee: beyng vnder the thraldome of theLacedemonia[n]s, bothe in their externall chiualrie and feates, bothe by sea and by lande, and also in regimente otherwise, their citee grewe mightie, and state stedfast. 

[Sidenote: Carthage ina monarchie. ]The Carthagineans also, gouerned by one, had their go-uernment stedfaste, and kyngdome roiall: who in puisaunteactes, might compare with the noble Romaines. As the obe-dience to one ruler and chief gouernour, sekyng a commonwealth, is in the hartes of the subiectes: feruent and maruei-lous with loue embraced, so the Maiestie of hym is dreade, [Fol. Xxj. V]with loue serued, and with sincere harte, and fidelitie obeied, [Sidenote: The state ofmany kingesin one lande. ]his maners folowed, his lawes imitated. Many gouernoursbearyng regiment, as their maners be diuers, and fashion oflife: euen so the people bee like affected, to the diuersitie of di-uers princes. And if we weigh the reuolucion of the heauensand the marueiles of God therein, the maker of thesame, who[Sidenote: A monarchiein heauen. ]beyng one God, ruleth heauen and yearth, and all thyngesco[n]tained in thesame. The heauen also adorned with many a[Sidenote: One Sunne[. ]]starre, and cleare light, haue but one Sunne to gouerne the[m]:who being of a singulare vertue aboue the rest, by his vertueand power, giueth vertue to the reste. Also in small thynges[Sidenote: The Ante. The Bee. ]the Ante and the Bee, who for prouidence and wisedome, armoche commended: haue as it were a common wealth, and aking to gouerne the[m], so in all thinges as a confusion, the stateof many kings is abhorred in gouernme[n]t. After the death of[Sidenote: Constancius[. ]Licinius[. ]Marabodius[. ]]Constantinus the greate, Constancius his sonne was madeEmperour, and Licinius with him, partaker in felowship ofthe Empire. But forthwith, what blood was shed in Italie, with all crueltie, vntill Constancius had slaine Licinius, partaker of the Empire, and Marabodius was slaine also, whom Licinius did associate with hym in the gouernment. So moche princes and chief gouernours, doe hate equalitie, [Sidenote: Pompey. Cesar. Marius. Silla. ]or felowship in kingdomes. After thesame sort, in this migh-tie Monarchie of Rome, diuerse haue attempted at one andsondrie tymes, to beare the scepter and regiment therein, butthat mightie Monarchie, could not suffer but one gouernor. The kyngdome of Thebes, was in miserable state, the twoosonnes of Oedipus, Eteocles, and Polunices: striuing bothe[Sidenote: Assiria thefirst monar-chie. ]to be Monarche, and onely kyng. The kyngdome of Assiria, whiche was the golden kyngdome, and the first Monarchie:hauyng . 36. Kynges by succession, continued . 1239. Yeres, thiskyngdome for all nobilitie and roialnes excelled, and all ina Monarchie. The kyngdome of the Medes, in a Monarchieflorished in wealthe and glorie and all felicitie: who in domi-nion had gouernmente . 300. Lackyng . 8. Yeres. After that, the[Fol. Xxij. R][Sidenote: The monar-chie of theMedes. The Persia[n]. Macedonia. ]monarchie of the Medes ceased, the Persia[n] people rose migh-tie, bothe in people and Princes, and continued in that state236 and 7 monethes. Macedonia rose from a base and meanepeople, to beare the whole regiment, and power ouer all king[-]domes. So God disposeth the state and seate of princes, ouer-throwyng often tymes mightier kyngdomes at his will: thecontinuaunce of this Monarchie was . 157. And eight mone-[Sidenote: Asia[. ]Siria[. ]]thes, ten kynges linealie descendyng. Asia and Siria, wasgouerned by one succedyng in a sole gouernement. Nicanorgouerned Siria . 32. Yeres. In the other Antigonus raigned, Demetrius Poliorchetes one yere, Antiochus Soter also, thescepter of gouernment, left to the succession of an other, thenAntiochus Soter, ruled all Asia and Siria, hauyng . 16. Kin-[Sidenote: Egipte in aMonarchie[. ]]ges whiche in a monarchie, co[n]tinued 189 yeres. The Egipci-ans, had famous, wise, and noble princes, whose kyngdomeand large dominion, in all felicitée prospered: whiche was inthe tyme of Ninus, the first king of the Assiria[n]s, who hauing10. Princes, one by one succedyng, Cleopatra their Quéene, gouerning, stoode in a monarchie . 288. This one thyng she-weth, that kinde of gouernmente to bee roiall, and moste fa-mous, not onely for the felicitée and glory therof: but also forthe permanent and stedfast state thereof. Aristotle and Platosetteth forthe, thother formes of gouernme[n]t. But in all those, no long co[n]tinuaunce of felicitee, nor of happy state can appere[Sidenote: Tirannis[. ]Nero[. ]Domicianus[. ]Caligula. ]in them, as for the contrarie to a Monarchie, is tirannis, pe-stiferous, and to be detested, where one man gouerneth to hispriuate gaine, pillyng and polyng his subiectes, murderyngwith all crueltie, neither Lawe nor reason, leadyng thereto:but will bearyng regiment ouer lawe, Iustice and equitee, whiche princes often tymes see not. How the wilfull rashe-nes, or tirannicall minde doeth abase them, and make them, though in vtter porte thesame princes, yet in verie déede, thei[Sidenote: What doethbeautifie thethrone of aPrince[. ]]bee thrall and slaue to beastlie affeccion. Nothyng dooeth somoche adorne and beautifie, the seate and throne of a prince, as not onely to beare dominion, ouer mightie people and re-[Fol. Xxij. V][Sidenote: Aristocratia. ]gions, then to be lorde ouer hymself. The state of a fewe pée-res or nobles, to holde the chief and whole gouernment, whobothe in vertue, learnyng, and experience dooe excelle, is agoodlie state of common wealth. But the profe of that com-mon wealthe and ende sheweth, and the maner of Princes:who, although thei be, of life godlie, wise, graue, expert andpolitike. For, these vertues or ornamentes, ought to be repo-sed in soche noble personages, thei doe marueilously chaungeand alter: So honour and preeminente state, puffeth theimvp, and blindeth theim, that euery one in the ende, seeketh toclimbe ouer all, as hed and gouernour. Shewe me one kindeof this state, and forme of gouernmente, whiche either longeprospered, or without bloodshed, and destruccion of the rest ofthe nobles and peres, haue not caught the whole regimente. Seyng that in all common wealthes and kingdomes, equa-litée or felowshippe, will not be suffred in gouernmente: for, it can not bee, that this forme of common wealthe maie bée[Sidenote: The ende ofAristocratia. ]good, as Aristotle and Plato sheweth: The ende of this go-uernemente, fell euer to one, with a ruine of the kingdome[Sidenote: Politcia. ]and people. The multitude to beare dominion, and though apublike wealth bée sought for a tyme, moche lesse thei conti-nue in any good state: for in the ende, their rule and gouerne-ment, will be without rule, order, reason, modestie, and theirlawe must bee will. The other three states, are the refuse ofgood common wealthes, not to bée tollerated in any region. [Sidenote: Tirannis. ]The one of them is a tyraunte, to bée gouernour onely to hisowne glorie, with crueltie tormented his subiectes, onelie to[Sidenote: Oligarthia. ]haue his will and lust, ouer all lawe, order, and reason. Thenobilitée rulyng to them selues, euery one for his owne time[. ][Sidenote: Democratia. ]The third, the base and rude multitude, euery one for hym-self, and at his will. This troublous state, all Regions andcommon wealthes, haue felte in open sedicions and tumul-tes, raised by theim, it is a plagued and pestiferous kinde ofgouernemente. The example of a good Monarchie, is ofgreate force, to confounde the state of al other common weal-[Fol. Xxiij. R]thes, and formes of Regimente. 

[Sidenote: A monarchiepreferred ofthe Persians[. ]]The nobilitée of Persia hauyng no kyng, linially des-cendyng, to rule that mightie dominion of Persia, Cambisesbeyng dedde, the vsurper murthered, thei tooke counsaill intheir assemble, what state of gouernment was beste, thei ha-uyng the profe of a Monarchie: in their longe counsaill, theiknewe the felicitie of that state, thei knewe as it seemed, theperilous state of the other gouernmentes. If these noble andperes had been ambicious, and that eche of them would hauehad felowshippe, or participacion in kyngdomes: thei wouldnot haue preferred a Monarchie aboue the reste. The anti-quitie of that tyme sheweth, their personages, wisedome, grauitie, and maiestie was soche, that eche one of theim wasmete for his vertues, to haue a whole kyngdome. If Aristo-cratia would haue contented them, then was tyme and occa-sion offered, no kyng remainyng to haue preferred that state. [Sidenote: The duetie ofal noble peres[. ]]But thei as vpright nobles, sincere and faithfull, hauyng al-together respecte to a publique wealthe: to a permanent stateand felicitie of kingdome, sought no participacion by priuatewealthe, to dissolue this Monarchie. But thei beyng mostegodlie, eche were content to proue, whose chaunce might be, to set vp againe that Monarchie. The kyngdome at the laste[Sidenote: Darius. ]came to the handes of Darius, who was after kyng of thePersians. This is a goodly example, to shewe the worthinesof a Monarchie, the Persian kingdome after many yeres de-clinyng, from his power and state, not for any faulte of go-[Sidenote: Kyngdomesrise and fall. ]uernment, but God as he seeth tyme, raiseth vp kyngdomesand plucketh them doune. Afterward Darius the kyng, notable to make his parte good with Alexander the Greate: of-fered to hym the greatest parte of his kyngdome, euen to theflood of Euphrates, and offred his daughter to wife: Alexan-der was content to take the offer of Darius, so that he wouldbee seconde to hym, and not equall with hym in kyngdome. [Sidenote: The answerof Alexanderto Darius, as co[n]cernynga monarchie. ]For, Alexander saied, that as the worlde can not bee gouer-ned with twoo Sunnes, neither the worlde can suffer twoo[Fol. Xxiij. V]mightie kingdomes: wherupon it is manifest, that no king-dome will suffer equalitie or felowship, but that if the will &minde of Princes might brust out, the state of all the worlde, would bee in one mightie gouernours handes. For, alwaies[Sidenote: Alexa[n]der thegreat prefar-red a Mo-narchie. ]Princes dooe seke to a sole regimente. Alexander the greateco[n]querour also, preferring for worthines a Monarchie, at thetyme of his death, demaunded who[m] he would haue to succedehim in his mightie dominio[n]s, he by one signifiyng a Monar-chie, saiyng: _Dignissimus_, that is to saie, the worthiest. After[Sidenote: Alexandersmonarchie felby many kin-ges. Antipater. Crates. Meliagrus. Perdiccas. Ptolomeus. Learcus. Cassander. Menander. Leonatus. Lusimacus. Eumenes[. ]Seleucus. ]the death of Alexander, Antipater caught the gouernmenteof Macedonia and Grece, and Crates was Treasurer. Me-leagrus and Perdiccas caught other of his dominions, thenPtolemeus possessed Egipte, Africa and a parte of Arabia, Learcus, Cassander, Mena[n]der, Leonatus, Lusimachus, Eu-menes, Seleucus and manie other, who were for their wor-thines in honor and estimacion with Alexander, caught in-to their handes other partes of his dominions, euerie one se-kyng for his time, his owne priuate glorie, dignitie, and ad-uauncemente, but not a publike wealthe, and so in fine, am-bicion broiled in their loftie stomackes, eche to attaine to o-thers honor. Whereupon bloodshed, destruction of the peo-ple and countries, the fall of these Princes ensued. So mochekingdomes hate equalitie or felowship: let vs laie before our[Sidenote: Fraunce. Spaine. Germanie. Britaine. ]iyes, the kyngdomes nere at hand. Fraunce, from the tymesof Faramundus vntill this daie haue stoode, and did florishein a Monarchie. The state of Spaine, from the tyme of thefirste kyng, vntill this daie, hath florished continually in aMonarchie. The great seigniories of Germanie, by one suc-cedyng in gouernment, haue been permanent in that good-lie state. Our noble Isle of Britain from Brutus, hath stoodeby a Monarchie: onely in those daies, the state of gouernme[n]tchaunged, at the commyng of Iulius Cesar, Emperour ofRome. The lande beyng at diuision, and discorde, throughthe diuersitie of diuerse kynges: so moche the state of diuersekynges in one lande, is to be expelled, or the gouernment of[Fol. Xxiiij. R]the base multitude, to haue vniuersally power of dominion, or the state of peres, to bee chief in regiment, no kyng lefte tocommaunde ouer the people, and nobles, or els there can notbe but discorde in thende, whiche pulleth doune moste migh-tie Regions and dominions, so that the beste state, the mostestedfaste and fortunate, is in all tymes, in all ages, in all la-wes, and common wealthes, where one king sekyng the ad-uauncement, wealthe, glorie, of hym and his people. 

¶ The contrarie. 

THat housholde or familie, can not be well gouerned, where many and diuerse beareth gouernment, nec-lectyng the state prosperous vniuersallie: for whereobedience is drawen to diuers and many, there can not beegood gouernment, nor faithfull obedience. And so in a king-dome where one chiefly gouerneth, and to a common wealththere the hartes of the subiectes, be moste knitte to obaie. 

¶ The similitude. 

EUen as thei, whiche serue one maister, shall sonestewith labour please, and with fidelitie, accomplishehis will and pleasure. For, the maners of many me[n]be diuerse, and variable, so in a Monarchie, the state of one issone obaied, the minde and lawe of one Prince sone folowed, his Maiestie dreaded and loued. 

¶ The example. 

LET the fower chief Monarchies of the Assirian, thePersian, Grecian, and the Romaine, whiche hauecontinued from the beginnyng mightie, moste hap-pie, bee an example herein. If that state of gouernement, hadnot been chiefe of all other, those mightie kyngdomes wouldnot haue preferred, that kinde of gouernment. 

¶ The testimonie of auncient writers. 

THerefore, Aristotle, Plato, and all the chief Philoso-phers, intreatyng of the administracion of a commonwealthe: doe preferre before all states of gouernment[Fol. Xxiiij. V]a Monarchie, bothe for the felicitie of it, and stedfaste state. 

¶ The conclusion. 

HOmere therefore deserueth greate commendacion, for this one sentence, whiche preferreth a Monarchiebefore all states. 

¶ The destruccion. 

THis exercise of _Rhetotike_, is called destruccion, orsubuersion, because it is in a oracion, a certain re-prehension of any thyng declaimed, or dilated, inthe whiche by order of art, the declaimer shall pro-cede to caste doune by force, and strengthe of reason, the con-trarie induced. 

In this exercise of _Rhetorike_, those proposicions are to besubuerted, whiche are not manifeste true, neither it so repu-gnaunt from reason, as that there can appere no holde, to in-duce a probable reason to confounde thesame. But soche pro-posicions are meete for this parte, as are probable in both si-des, to induce probabilitie of argument, to reason therupon. 

1. It shall behoue you firste, for the entryng of this matter, to adde a reprehension there against those, whiche haue con-firmed as a truthe, that, whiche you will confute. 

2. In thesame place, adde the exposion, and meanyng of hissentence. 

3. Thirdly, shew the matter to be obsure, that is vncertain[. ]

4. Incrediblie. 

5. Impossible. 

6. Not agreyng to any likelihode of truthe. 

7. Uncomlie to be talked of. 

8. Unprofitable. 

This exercise of _Rhetorike_ doeth contain in it al strengthof arte, as who should saie, all partes of _Rhetorike_, maie co-piouslie be handled in this parte, called confutacion, so am-ple a matter Tullie doeth note this parte to be. 

¶ The theme or proposicion of this Oracion. 

[Fol. Xxv. R]

It is not like to be true, that is said of the battaill of Troie. 

¶ The reprehension of the auc-thor, and of all Poetes. 

NOt without a cause, the vanities of Poetes areto bee reproued, and their forged inuencions tobee reiected: in whose writynges, so manifestlieare set forthe as a truthe, and Chronicled to theposteritie of ages and times, soche forged mat-[Sidenote: The vanitiesof Poetes. ]ters of their Poeticall and vain wittes. Who hath not heardof their monsterous lies against God, thei inuentyng a gene-alogie of many Goddes procreated, where as there is butone God. This vanitie also thei haue set forthe, in their mo-numentes and woorkes. How a conspiracie was sometymeemong the Goddes and Goddes, to binde the great God Iu-piter. How impudentlie doe thei set forthe the Goddes, to beelouers of women, and their adulterous luste: and how theihaue transformed theim selues, into diuers shapes of beastesand foules, to followe after beastly luste. The malice and en-uie of the Goddes, one to an other: The feigne also the heaue[n]to haue one God, the sea an other, helle an other, whiche aremere vanities, and false imaginacio[n]s of their Poeticall wit-tes. The like forged inuencion haue thei wrote, of the migh-[Sidenote: The battaillof Troie . X. Yeres for aherlotte. ]tie and terrible battaill bruted of Troie, for a beautifull har-lot susteined ten yeres. In the whiche, not onely men and no-ble péeres, gaue the combate of battaile, but the Goddes tokepartes against Goddes, and men wounded Goddes: as their[Sidenote: The vain in-uention ofPoetes. ]lies exceade all nomber, because thei bee infinite, so also theipasse all truthe, reason, and iudgemente. These fewe exam-ples of their vanities and lies, doe shewe the feigned groundand aucthoritie of the reste. Accordyng to the folie and super-sticiousnes of those tymes, thei inuented and forged folie vp-pon folie, lye vpon lye, as in the battaill of Troie, thei aggra-uate the dolour of the battaill, by pitifull and lamentable in-[Sidenote: Plato reie-cteth Poetesfrom the com[-]mon wealth. ]uencion. As for the Poetes them selues, Plato in his booke, made vpon the administracion of a common wealth, maketh[Fol. Xxv. V]theim in the nomber of those, whiche are to bee banished outof all common wealthes. 

¶ The exposicion. 

HOmere dooeth saie, and many other Poetes, thatthe warres of the Grecians against the Troians, was for beautifull Helena, and continued tenneyeres. The Goddes and Goddis toke partes, andall the people of Grece, aided Menelaus, and the kyng Aga-memnon, to bryng home again Helena, neclecting their owncountrie, their wife and chidre[n], for one woma[n]. The Grekesinuentyng a huge and mightie horse made of Firre trée, andcouered with brasse, as huge as a mou[n]tain, out of the whichethe Grecians by treason issuyng, brought Troie to ruine. 

¶ The obscuritie of the matter. 

IT semeth a matter of folie, that so many people, somightie nacions should bee bewitched, to raise somightie a armie, hassardyng their liues, leauyngtheir countrie, their wiues, their children, for one[Sidenote: Helena. ]woman: Be it so, that Helena passed all creatures, and thatNature with beautie had indued her with all vertue, and sin-gularitie: yet the Grecians would not be so foolishe, that vni-uersallie thei would seke to caste doune their owne wealthe, and moche more the common wealthe of Grece, and kyng-dome to stande in perill. Neither is it to be thought, the Gre-cians, sekyng to aduau[n]ce the beautie of Helena: would leaue[Sidenote: The cause ofthe forged in-uencion. ]their owne state. But it is like, the wittes of Poetes did im-magine so forged a Chronicle, that the posteritie of ages fol-lowyng, should rather wounder at their forged inuencion, then to beleue any soche warre truly mencioned. There wasno soche cause, seyng that the kyngdome of Grece, fell by notitle of succession to Helena, for them to moue warre, for, thebringyng backe of that beutifull harlotte Helena. Neither inHelena was there vertue, or honestie of life, to moue and ex-asperate the Grecians, to spende so greate treasures, to raise[Fol. Xxvj. R][Sidenote: No commen-dacion in vp-holdyng andmaintainyngof harlottes. ]so mightie an armie on euery side. What comme[n]dacion hadthe Troians to aduaunce Helena, and with all roialnesse toentreate her, she beyng a harlotte: the folie of the Greciansand the Troians, is so on euery side so greate, that it can notbe thought, soche a warre truely chronicled. If violence andpower, had taken Helena from her housebande, and not her[Sidenote: Helena follo-wed Paris. ]owne will and luste, caught with the adulterous loue of Pa-ris, beyng a straunger. If her moderacion of life had been sorare, as that the like facte for her chastitie, had not been in a-ny age or common wealthe, her vertues would haue giuenoccasion: The Princes and nobles of Grece to stomacke thematter. The example of the facte, would with all praise and[Sidenote: Uertuouslife, worthiecommendaci-on in al ages. Lucrecia. Tarquiniusthe kyng ba-nished for ra-uishyng Lu-crecia, and allof his namebanished. ]commendacion be mencioned, and celebrated to al ages. Lu-cretia for her chastite, is perpetuallie to be aduanunced, wher-vpon the Romaines banished Tarquinius their kyng, hisstocke and name from Rome. The rare chastite of Penelope, is remainyng as a example herein: So many snares laied tocaste doune her vertuous loue towarde her housebande U-lisses. But Ulisses made hauocke by murder, on these gaieand gallante Ruffins, who in his absence sought to alienate[Sidenote: Penelopeschastitie. ]and withdrawe, the chaste harte of Penelope, consumynghis substance. A greater example remaineth in no age, of thelike chastite. As for the battaile of Troie, raised for Helena, could wise men, and the moste famous nobles of Grece: Sooccupie their heddes, and in thesame, bothe to hasarde theirliues for a beautifull strumpet or harlot. The sage and wise[Sidenote: Nestor. Ulisses. ]Nestor, whom Agamemnon for wisedome preferred, beforethe moste of the péeres of Grece, neither it Ulisses wanted atthesame tyme, hauyng a politike and subtill hedde, to with-drawe theim from so leude and foolishe a enterprise. Grece[Sidenote: Grece thelande of fairewomen. ]wanted not beautifull creatures, Nature in other had besto-wed amiable faces, personage, and comelie behauiour. For, at those daies, Grece thei called _Achaida calligunaica_, that is, Grece the lande of faire women. The dolorous lamentacionof the Ladies and Matrons in Grece, would haue hindered[Fol. Xxvj. V]soche a foolishe enterprise, seyng their owne beautie neclec-ted, their honestie of life caste vp to perilles, one harlot of in-[Sidenote: Uncomelie. ]numerable people followed and hunted after, in whom neitherhonestie, vertue, nor chastite was harbored. 

¶ Uncredible. 

ALthough the folie of men is greate, and the will ofprinces and gouernours beastlie and rashe, yet byno meanes it can be so many yeres, so greate folieto take roote in their hartes, and that the wisedom[Sidenote: Beautiewithout ver-tue, nothyngof valour. ]of the Grecia[n]s, should not rather caste of as naught, the beau-tie of Helena: rather then the whole multitude, the state ofthe Prince, the welfare of the subiecte, to stande in perill for[Sidenote: Beautie apoison, in aadulterousmynde. ]the beautie of one. What is beautie, when a beastlie and ad-ulterous minde is possessed: Beautie without chastitie, har-boreth a monsterous rabelmente of vices, a snare and baite, [Sidenote: Beautie sonefadeth. ]to poison other. Beautie in fewe yeres, is not onely blemi-shed, but decaied, and wholie extinguished: it is vncredible, that the Grecians would seeke to bryng home Helena, whohad loste the chaste loue toward her housband, beyng caught[Sidenote: Paris Hele-nas louer. Phrigia. ]with the adulterous loue of Paris, soonne to Priamus kyngof Troie. The lande of Phrigia was a mightie Region, thepeople noble, puissaunte in warre: the kyng for nobilitie ofactes famous. The Citee of Troie, wherein the kyng heldehis Scepter of gouernement, was riche, mightie, and popu-lous: ruled and gouerned, by the wisedome and policie of fa-mous counsailours, so that by all meanes it is vncredible, [Sidenote: Uncomelie. ]without any possibilitie. Thei neclectyng their owne stateand kyngdo[m], so to preferre the beautie of one, that the wholemultitude of Grece thereby to perishe. It is a matter vncre-[Sidenote: Grece thefountain of allearnyng. ]dible in all Grece, whiche for the fame of wisedome, is mostecelebrated emong all nacions, not one wiseman at thesametyme to be therein: whose cou[n]saile and politike heddes, mightponder a better purpose. Grece, whiche was the mother andfountaine of all artes and sciences, all Eloquence, Philoso-phie, wisedome flowyng from theim, and yet wisedome to[Fol. Xxvij. R]want in their breastes. Reason can not make any perswasionthat any probabilitie can rise, of any soche matter enterpri-sed, what could the intent be of the Grecians, as concerning[Sidenote: Menelaushousbande toHelena. ]Menelaus. In Menelaus there was no wisedom, to seke andhunte after Helena, or by any meanes to possesse her, she be-yng a harlotte, her loue alienated, her hart possessed with theloue of an other manne: foolishlie he hopeth to possesse loue, [Sidenote: Harlottesloue dissem-bled. ]that seeketh to enioye the cloked, poisoned, and dissembledharte of a harlotte, Grece was well ridde of a harlotte, Troie[Sidenote: Troians. ]harbouryng Helena. In the Troians it is not to be thought, that either the kyng, or nobles, for a harlotte, would see thethe people murthered, their owne state, the king to be in dan-[Sidenote: Grecians. ]ger of ruine. In the Grecians there was neither wisedome, neither commendacion, to pursue with a maine hoste, with agreate Nauie of Shippes, to bryng backe againe a harlotte, whose enterprise rather might better bee borne, to banishe &exile soche a beastlie disposed persone. The Troians mighte[Sidenote: Absurditie. ]well scorne the Grecians, if that the possession of a beautifullmoste amiable, and minsyng harlotte, was of soche valour, estimacion, and price with theim, not onely the beautie of allother to bee reiected. But moste of all the vertuous life, andchastitie of all their matrons and honourable Ladies, to beecaste of as naught. Grece that had the name of all wisedome, [Sidenote: The defenceof Helena. ]of all learnyng and singularitie, might rather worthelie beecalled, a harbouryng place of harlottes: a Stewe and vphol-der of whoredome, and all vncleanes. Wherefore, these ab-surdities ought to bee remoued, from the minde and cogita-cion of all menne, that should worthelie ponder the state of[Sidenote: Troie a king[-]dome of whor[-]dome. ]Grece. Troie of like sorte to bee a kyngdome and commonwealthe of all vice: whoredome in soche price with the kyng, and people, that moste fortunate should the harlotte bee, andthe adulterour in soche a common wealthe, that for adulte-rous loue, putteth rather all their state to hasarde and perill, for the maintenaunce of beastlie loue, brutishe societie mostein price with soche a nacion, chastitie, and moderaciou of life, [Fol. Xxvij. V]abandoned and caste of. 

¶ Unpossible, and not agreyng. 

[Sidenote: Nature ab-horreth thewarre of theGrecians. ]IF wee weigh naturall affeccion, it can not bee, thatthe Grecians so moche abhorring fro[m] nature, shouldcast of the naturall loue of their wifes, their childrenand countrie, to bryng home againe, by slaughter of infinitepeople: soche an one as had left honestie, and chaste loue ofher housbande. For, what praise can redounde to the Greci-[Sidenote: Helena. ]ans by warre, to bryng home Helena, though she of all crea-tures was moste beautifull, beyng a harlotte: followyng thebridell and will of an other man. Maie shame or commenda-cion rise to the Troians, can wisedome, counsaile, or grauitie, [Sidenote: Priamus. ]defende the adulterous luste of Priamus soonne, yea, couldPriamus so loue Helena, for Paris his sonnes sake, as thathe had rather venter the ruine and destruccion of his citée, andthe falle of his people, the murder and ruine of his children, and wife for the beautie of one. For what is beautie, wherehonestie and vertue lacketh, it is an vncomly matter, thoughthe Poetes so faigne it, not onely that in heauen, a contencio[n]should fall emong the Goddises of their beautie, or that Iu-piter of whom thei make an ignoraunt God, to chuse Paristhe kynges sonne of Troie, chief arbitratour & Iudge of thatmatter, to who[m] he should giue the golde[n] Apell to her beautie, as chief of al other, was ascribed these thynges, are vndecentto thinke of the Goddeses, and moste of all, to thinke there ismore Goddes then one. And euen as these are vanities, andforged imaginacions of the Goddes, so of the battaile. 

¶ Uncomelie and vnprofitable. 

THE daunger of many people doeth shewe, that nosoche thyng should happen, either of the Greciansor of the Troians: for, it is a matter dissonaunt fro[m]all truthe, that thei should so moche neclecte thequiete state, and prosperous renoume of their kyngdome, inall tymes and ages, since the firste constitucion of all Monar-[Fol. Xxviij. R]chies and kyngdomes. Who euer harde soche a forged mat-ter to be Chronicled, and set forthe. Or who can giue crediteto soche warre, to be enterprised of so small a matter: to leauethe state of waightier thynges for one woman. All the wo-men of that countrie to stande in perill, the slaughter of theirdeare housbandes, the violent murder of their children to in-sue. Therefore, the wilfulnesse of people and princes, are thecause of the falle and destruccion, of many mightie kyngdo-mes, and Empires. The fall of Grece ensued, when the chief[Sidenote: Ambicion. Cesar fell byambicion. ]citées, Athenes and Lacedemonie tooke partes, and did con-federate diuers citees to them, to assiste theim, and aide theimin battaile onely: ambicion and desire of glorie, moued bothe[Sidenote: Discorde. ]the Athenians and Lacedemonians, fro[m] concorde and vnitieby whiche meanes, the power, glory, and stre[n]gth of all king-[Sidenote: Pompey. ]domes falleth. Ambicion was the cause that mightie Pom-pey fell, and died violently. Cesar likewise caught with am-bicion, not bearyng the equalitée, or superioritie of Pompei, was tourned of violentlie fro[m] Fortunes whéele. Many prin-ces of like sorte and kingdomes. By ambicion onely, had thecause of their ruine. The glorie of the Assirian Monarchiegrewe moste mightie, by the ambicion of Ninus kyng ofBabilon: the ofspring of Ninus, whiche were kynges line-allie descendyng to the firste kyngdome of the Medes, botheinlarged their kyngdomes, and also had the decaie of theimby ambicion. Let the Medes also associate them selues to the[m], from Arbactus the first kyng, vnto Astiages the laste: the be-ginnyng and falle of the Persian Monarchie. The mightie[Sidenote: Romulus kil[-]led Remusby ambicion. ]state of Grece, the seate Imperiall of Rome, by ambicio[n] firstextolled theim selues: and also by it, their glorie, scepter, andkyngdome was translated, but the falle of Troie came not, by ambicion, that the Grecians sought. But as the Poetesdoe faigne, the beautie of one woman so wounded their har-tes, that the Grecians did hasarde, the perilles of their coun-trie. The Troians so moche estemed, the beautie of Helena, as that the state of all their kyngdome perished. It was no[Fol. Xxviij. V]glorie nor honour to the Grecians, to resiste by armour, andto defende the violente takyng awaie of Helena, from herhousbande: nor it was no honour, the Grecians to pursue byarmour, the takynge awaie of Helena, beyng a harlotte. Sothat by no meanes it can followe, these thynges to bee true, of the battaile of Troie. 

¶ Confirmacion. 

The other part, contrary to destruccion or subuersion, iscalled confirmacion. 

Confirmacion, hath in it so greate force of argumente, tostablishe and vpholde the cause or proposicion: as destruccionhath in castyng doune the sentence or proposicion. 

Confirmacion is a certain oracion, whiche with a certainreprehension of the persone or facte, by order and waie of art, casteth doune, the contrary propounded. 

As in the other parte called destruccion, those proposici-ons are to bee subuerted, whiche are not manyfestlie true, with all other notes before specified: so in contrariwise, thisoracion by contrary notes is declaimed by, as for example. 

1. It shall behoue you first, for the entring of the oracion, toinduce a reprehension againste those, whiche haue confutedas a truthe, that whiche you will confirme. 

2. In the seconde parte, place the exposicion and meanyngof the aucthours sentence. 

3. Shewe the matter to be manifest. 

4. Credible. 

5. Prossible. 

6. Agreyng to the truthe. 

7. Shewe the facte comelie. 

8. Profitable. 

This exercise of _Rhetotike_, doeth contain in it all stre[n]gthof arte, as who should saie, all partes of _Rhetorike_ maie co-piouslie bee handled in this parte, called confirmacion. Youmaie as matter riseth, ioigne twoo notes together, as thereason of the argumente cometh in place, whiche Apthonius[Fol. Xxix. R]a Greke aucthour herein vseth. As manifest and credible, pos-sible and agreyng to truthe, comelie and profitable, but in althese, as in all the reste: the theme or proposicion by it self, isto bee placed, the reprehension of the aucthour by it self, theexposicion of the theme by it self. 

¶ The theme or proposicion. 

IT is true that is saied of Zopyrus, the noble Per-sian, who ve[n]tered his life: & did cause the deformi-tie of his bodie, for the sauegarde of this countrie. 

¶ The praise. 

[Sidenote: Iustinus. ]IUstinus the Historiographer, for worthinesseof fame and wisedome, deserueth in the poste-ritie of all tymes, immortall fame, by whomthe famous actes of Princes, and other noble[Sidenote: Chroniclesmoste neces-sary to be red. ]men, doe remaine Chronicled. Giuyng exam-ples of all valiauntnesse and vertue: for, bothe the actes andworthie feactes of Princes, would passe as vnknowen in allages, excepte the worthinesse of them, were in monumentesof writyng Chronicled. For, by the fame of their worthines, and vertues, co[m]mon wealthes and kyngdomes, doe stablisheand make Lawes, the hartes of people are incensed, and in-flamed, to the like nobilitie of actes, and famous enter-[Sidenote: The worthi-nesse of histo-ries. ]prices, Histories of auncient tymes, bee vnto vs witnesses ofall tymes and ages, of kyngdomes and common wealthes, aliuely example. A light to all truthe and knowlege, a schole-[Sidenote: What is a hi-storie. ]maister: of maners a memorie of life, for, by it we se the wise-dom of all ages, the forme of the beste and florishing commonwealthes. We learne by the vertues of Princes and gouer-nours, to followe like steppe of vertue: to flie and auoide vi-ces, and all soche thynges, as are to the destruccion and de-[Sidenote: An ignorantlife, a brutishlife. ]caie, of realme and countrie. How brutishe wer our life, if weknewe no more then we se presently, in the state of our com-mon wealthe and kyngdome. The kyngdomes of all Prin-ces and common wealthes that now florisheth, doe stande by[Fol. Xxix. V]the longe experience, wisedome, pollicy, counsaile, and god-lie lawes of Princes of auncient times, no smal praise and[Sidenote: The know-lege of Histo-ries makethvs as it wereliuyng in allages. Historiogri-phers. ]commendation can be attributed, to all suche as doe trauellin the serching out the veritie of auncient Histories, for bi theknoledge of them, we are as it were liuyng in all ages, thefall of all kyngdomes is manifeste to vs, the death of Prin-ces, the subuersions of kingdomes and common wealthes, who knoweth not the first risyng & ende of the Assiriane mo-narchie, the glorie of the Persians, and the ruynge of thesame, the mightie Empire of the Grekes, risyng & fallyng, the Romane state after what sorte florishyng and decaiyng, so that no state of common wealthe or kyngdome is vnkno-wen to vs, therefore Iustine, and all suche as doe leue to theposteritie, the state of al things chronicled, deserue immortalcommendacions. 

¶ The exposicion. 

[Sidenote: The treasonof the Assy-rians. ]IN the time of Darius kyng of the Persians, theAssyria[n]s who ware subiects to him, sence the timeof Cirus the firste kynge of the Persians, rebel-led, inuaded and toke the myghtie Citie of Babi-lon, whiche beyng possessed, with much difficultie, and not[Sidenote: Darius. ]withoute greate daungers coulde bee attained. Darius thekynge hearyng of the treason of the Assyrians and that the[Sidenote: Babilon ta-ken of the As-syrians. ]mightie Citie of Babilon was taken, was very wroth wai-ynge with him selfe, that there by, the ruyne of the Persiankyngdome mighte happen. Zopyrus one of the . Vij. NoblePeres of Persia, seing the daunger of the countrie, the stateof the Prince, and the welfare of the subiectes to decaie, in thesafegarde of his countrie, leuyng all priuate commoditie, forthe behoufe and felicitie of the Persian kyngdome, did ven-[Sidenote: The fact ofZopyrus. ]ter his owne life, commaunded his seruauntes at home toteare and re[n]te his bodie with whippes, to cut of his nose, hislippes and his eares, these thinges being vnknowen to Da-rius the kynge. As sone as Darius sawe Zopyrus so torne[Fol. Xxx. R][Sidenote: Zopyrus cau[-]sed the defor-mitie of hisbodie, for thegood state ofhis countrie. ]and deformed, bewailed his state being astonished, at so hor-rible a faict: but Zopyrus shewed to the kynge his hole in-tente and purpose that he mynded to go to Babylon, whichethe Assyrians dyd traitorouslie possesse, & complained as thatthese things had ben don by the tyrannie and crueltie of Da-rius, he we[n]t to Babilon, and there complained of the cruel-tie of his kyng, whereby purchasyng the fauor and loue ofthe Assyrians, he shewed them how Darius came to be kyngnot by worthines, not by vertue, not by the common consentof men, but by the neynge of a horse. Zopyrus therefore ad-monished them, that they should trust more to their armour, [Sidenote: The pollicieof Zopyrus. ]then to their walles, he willed them to proclame ope[n] warre, forthwith they encountred with the Persians, and for a timevictorie fel on the Babilonians side, suche was the pollice ofZopyrus. The Assyrians reioised of the successe and felicitieof their warres, the king of the Babilonians gaue to Zopy-rus, the chiefe power & office, to leede a mightie armie, of thewhiche beynge Lieutenaunt, he betraied the Babiloniansand their Citie. 

¶ Manifeste. 

[Sidenote: Trogus Po[m][-]peius. ]NOt onlie Trogus Pompeius the famous Historio-grapher, and Iustine which tooke the Story of him, but also the Greke writers doe sette forthe, as matterof truthe, the valiaunte enterprises of Zopyrus: so that thestraunge and mightie facte of him can not seme vncredible, [Sidenote: Zopyrus. ]hauyng testimonie of it in all ages. Zopyrus hauing not re-spect to his owne life, to his owne priuate wealthe or glorie, did thereby put of the daunger that insued to the Persianekyngdome: It maie seme a greate matter, to a mynde notwell affected towarde his countrie, to destroie or deforme his[Sidenote: The saiyngof Tullie. ]owne bodie, for the sauegarde of countrie or common welth. But if we waie the State of oure bearth, oure countrie cha-lengeth more at oure handes then frindes or parentes, so[Sidenote: Plato. Aristotel. ]muche price Plato the Philosopher, and Aristotle doe attri-bute vnto our countrie, the volumes of all lawes and bokes[Fol. Xxx. V]doe prefare oure naturall countrie before the priuate state of[Sidenote: The state ofa publikewealthe, is tobee preferredbefore a pri-uate wealth. Pericles. ]owne manne, wealthe, glorie, honor, dignitie, and riches ofone or fewe, the Statutes of all Princes, sekyng the glorieof their countrie, doe prefare a vniuersal welthe, before a pri-uate and particulare commoditie. Pericles the noble Athe-nian in his oration made to the Athenians, sheweth that theglorie and welthe of one man or manie, cannot plante sucheglorie, and renowne to their countrie, as that in all partesthereby to be beautified and decorated, but whe[n] glorie a hap-pie and florishyng state redoundeth to the kyngdome, thesubiectes, the nobelles and hye peres, the gouuernour stan-deth happie and fortunate. Who so hopeth in sparing costesand charges, monie or ornaments, to the behouf and imploi-ment of his countrie and not by all meanes to his power andstrength aydeth and defendeth his naturall countrie, from[Sidenote: A good sub-iecte is redieto liue anddie for hiscountrie. ]the daunger and inuasion of his enemie, what state inioyethhe, or what wealth remaineth priuatlie, when the trone andscepter of his kyng faileth, the enemie wasteth, spoileth anddestroieth all partes of his state, with the reste his life pe-risheth, so that no daunger, coste, is to bee refused, to seruethe kingdom and prince, by whose scepter, iustice, lawes, andequitie we are gouuerned, there is no subiect well affected, but that he onlie liueth to proffite his countrie, to liue & dyetherein. 

¶ Probabell. 

IF only Zopyrus had enterprised this valiaunt act, and that no memorie were remainyng in anie ageof the noble acts of other men, it may seme not true-lie chronacled, but from time to time, in all ages &co[m]mon wealthes, famous men for their acts & nobilitie haueben, whiche with like courrage and magnanimitie haue sa-[Sidenote: Horacius Co[-]cles. ]ued their countrie, by the losse of their owne liues. HoratiusCocles is bothe a witnesse and a light to the same, by whoseaduenture the mightie and stronge Citie Rome was saued:For at what time as the Hetruscians entred on the citie, and[Fol. Xxxj. R]were on the bridge, Horatius cocles defendid the ende of thesame, baryng of the brunte, and stroke of the enemie, vntillthe Romans, for the sauegarde of the cytie, had broken dounthe bridge, as sone as Horatius Cocles sawe the Cytie thusdeliuered, and the repulse of the enemie, he lepte with his ar-mours into the flud Tibar, it semed he had not regard to hislife, that beyng burdened with the waighte and grauitie ofhis armour, durst venter his life to so main and depe a water. [Sidenote: MarcusAttilius. ]Marcus Attilius in the defence of his Prince, his right handbeing cut of, the which he laide on the ship of the Massilians, forthwith he apprehended with the lefte hand, and ceased not[Sidenote: Cynegerus. ]vntill he hadde soouncke thesame ship. Cynegerus the Athe-nian lineth by fame and like nobilitie of actes, ve[n]teryng hislife for his countrie. The mightie cytie of Athenes, brought[Sidenote: Hismenias. Thrasibulus[. ]]vnder the dominions of the Lacedemonians. Thrasibulus, Hismenias and Lisias bi their aduenture, and noble atchiuereduced Athenes to his felicitie so moche loue, soo faithefullhartes they hadde towardes theire countreie. Leonides theKing of the Lacedemonians, defendyng the narow straightsof the cytie Thermopolie with fower thousand men againstthe mightie and huge armie of Xerxes, for Xerxes contemned[Sidenote: Leonideskyng of theLacedemo-nians. ]theire smalle number and armie: Leonides the kyng heardethat the place and hill of the battell was preue[n]tid of . Xx. Thou-sande enemies, he exorted his souldiours parte of them to de-parte vntill a better time might be locked for, and onlie withthe Lacedemonians he proued the conflicte and the combate, although the campe of Xerxes was mightier & more in num-ber: yet Leonides the kyng thought it good for the sauegardeof his contrie, for saieth he, I must rather saue it, then to hauerespecte to my life, although the oracle of Delphos had fore-shewed, that euen Leonides muste die in the fielde or battellof the enemie, and therefore Leonides entred battail, & com-fortid his men for their countrie sake, as to die therein, there-fore he preuented the narrowe straightes of the countrie, andthe dangerous places, where the force of the enemie mought[Fol. Xxxj. V]bruste in, he lingered not, leste the enemie mighte compassehim in, but in the quiet season of the nighte, he set vppon hisenemie vnloked for, and they beynge but sixe hundred men[Sidenote: Leonides. ]with the kyng Leonides, brust into the ca[m]pe of their enemiesbeyng sixe hundred thousand menne, their valiauntnes wassuche, and the ouerthowe of their enemies so great, and Xer-xes the kyng hauyng two woundes, retired with shame and[Sidenote: Agesilaus. Conon. ]loste the honor. Agesilaus and Conon valiaunte in actes, and excellynge in all nobilitie, what great and mightie dan-gers haue thei atchiued and venterid for their countrie sake, howe moche haue thei neglectid their owne wealth, riches, life and glorie, for the aduauncement and honor of their cou[n]-[Sidenote: Lisander. ]trie. Lisander also the Lacedemonian, was indued with likenobilitie with faithfull and syncéer harte towarde his coun-[Sidenote: Archidamus[. ]Codrus. ]try. Archidamus also lieth not in obliuio[n], whose fame deathburied not the famous aduenture of Codrus kyng of the A-thenians is maruelous and almoste incredible, but that theHistores, truelie set forth, and declare a manifest truthe ther-[Sidenote: Epamniun-das. ]of, who is more famous then Epaminundas, bothe for vir-tue, nobilitie and marciall feates among the Thebans, the[Sidenote: Grecians. ]mightie armie of the Grecians, at the longe sege of Troie, what valiaunte Capitains hadde thei, whiche in the defence[Sidenote: Troians. ]of their countrie hasarde their life: the Troians also wantednot for proues valiauntnes and al nobilitie, their péeres and[Sidenote: Romans. ]nobles: amonge the Romans, what a greate number wasof noble peres, whose studie alwaies was to liue and dye inthe glorie, aide and defence of their countrie, for he liueth notby whose cowardlines fainted harte and courage, the contrie[Sidenote: Who liueth inshame. ]or kyngdome standeth in perrill, he liueth in shame, that re-fuseth daunger, coste or charge, in the defence or procuryng, better state to his countrie. The worthie saiyng of Epami-nundas declareth, who liueth to his countrie, who diyng va-liauntlie in the felde, beyng thrust thorow with the speare ofhis enemie, asked those questions of these that stoede by himat the poincte of deathe, is my speare manfullie broken, and[Fol. Xxxij. R]my enemies chassed awaie, the whiche things his co[m]panions[Sidenote: Epameunn-das a most no[-]ble and vali-aunt pere. ]in warre affirmed, then saide he: nowe your Capitaine Epa-minundas beginneth to liue in that he dieth valiauntlie forhis countrie, and in the proffite & aduauncement of the same, a worthie man, noble and valiaunte, his sentence also wasworthie to be knowen, and followed of all suche as bee wellaffected and Godlie mynded to their countrie. Marcus Mar-cellus of like sorte, and Titus Manlius Torquatus, & Sci-pio Aemilianus, Marcus Attilius shewed in what hye priceour naturall countrée ought to bee had, by their valiaunt at-chifes, and enterprises: I might passe by in sile[n]ce Scipio Ca-to, and Publius Scipio Nasica, but that thei by like fame, honour and glorie liue immortall to their countrie, the samealso of Uibeus, Ualerius Flaccus, and Pedanius Centuriogiueth ampell and large matter to all menne, endued withnobilitie and valiaunt proues, for the defence of their coun-trie with Quintus Coccius, Marcus Sceua and Sceuola. 

¶ Possibilitie. 

THere nedeth no doute to rise of possibilitie, seingethat examples doe remain of famous men, of god-lie and well affected persones, whiche haue withlike magnanimitie putte in daunger their life, to[Sidenote: The order ofAthenes. ]saue their Prince, kyngdome, and countrie. Greate honourwas giuen of the Athenians, to soche noble and valiauntemen, whiche ventered their liues for their common wealthe, to maintaine the florishyng state thereof. The eloquente and[Sidenote: Thusidides. ]copious oracion of Thusidides, the true, faithfull, and elo-quente Historiographer doeth shewe: what honour and im-mortall fame was attributed, to all soche as did venter theirliues, in the florishyng state of their countrie, in supportyng, mainteinyng, and defendyng thesame. Who, although theiloste their liues, whiche by death should bee dissolued, theirfame neuer buried, liueth with the soule to immortalitie, thelosse of their Priuate wealthe, glorie, riches, substaunce, ordignitie, hath purchased and obtained fame, that withereth[Fol. Xxxij. V]not, and glorie that faileth not. 

¶ Agreyng and comelie. 

BOthe the true Histories, doe leaue in commenda-cion, the facte of Zopyrus, and the noble and wor-thie enterprises of other: whiche haue giuen thelike assaie, and their fame is celebrated and titeledwith immortall commendacion and glorie, to the posteritie[Sidenote: The duetieof all goodsubiectes. ]of all ages followyng. What harte can bee so stonie, or bru-tishly affected, that wil not venter his life, goodes, landes, orpossessions: if with the daunger of one, that is of hymself, thewhole bodie and state of his countrie, is thereby supported, and saued. What securitie and quietnesse remained, whatwealth, honour, or fame to Zopyrus: if not onely Zopyrushad perished, but the kyng & people vniuersally had been de-stroied. Therevpon Zopyrus weighing and co[n]sideryng, the[Sidenote: The cause ofour birthe. ]state of his birthe, that his countrie chalenged his life, ratherthen the dissolucion of the whole kyngdome, the decaie of thePrince, the takyng awaie of the scepter, the slaughter of in-finite people to ensue. He was borne to be a profitable mem-ber to his countrie, a glorie and staie to thesame: and not spa-ryng his life, or shunnyng the greate deformitie of his bo-die, to bee a ruine of thesame. Was it not better that one pe-rished, then by the securitie of one, a whole lande ouer run-ned, as partes thereby spoiled: it was the duetie of Zopirus, to take vpon hym that greate and famous enterprise. It wasalso comelie, the kyngdome standyng in perill, a sage anddescrite persone to preuente and putte of, soche a daunger at[Sidenote: The facte ofZopyrus. ]hande: The faicte altogether sheweth all vertue and greatesingularitie, and a rare moderacion of minde, to cast of all re-spectes and excuses, forsakyng presentlie honour, quietnesseand obiecting himself to perill, he sawe if he onelie died, or byieopardie saued his countrie, many thereby liued, the kyng-dome & people florished, where otherwise, he with his Princeand kyngdome might haue perished. 

¶ Proffitable. 

[Fol. Xxxiij. R]

[Sidenote: The fact ofZopyrus. ]AL the power of the Babilonians, was by his pol-icie throwen doune, the Citee taken, the enemiebrought to confusion: on the other side, the Persi-ans rose mightie, soche a mightie enemie put vn-derfoote. The fame of Zopyrus and glorie of the facte, willneuer be obliterated, or put out of memorie, if this were notprofitable to the kyngdome of Persia: if this were not a re-noume to the prince and people, and immortall glory to Zo-[Sidenote: Zopyrus de-formed, abeautie of hiscountree. ]pryus iudge ye. Zopyrus therfore, beautified his countrée, bythe deformitie of his bodie. Better it wer to haue many sochedeformed bodies, then the whole state of the realme destroiedor brought to naught: if we weigh the magnanimitie of thatman, and his enterprise, there is so moche honour in the fact, that his fame shall neuer cease. 

¶ A common place. 

[Sidenote: Why it is cal-led a commonplace. ]A Common place is a Oracion, dilatyng and ampli-fiyng good or euill, whiche is incidente or lodged inany man. This Oracion is called a common place, because the matter conteined in it, doeth agree vniuersally toall menne, whiche are partakers of it, and giltie of thesame[. ]

A Oracion framed againste a certaine Thefe, Extorcio-ner, Murderer, or Traitor, is for the matter conteined in it, metelie and aptlie compiled, against all soche as are giltie oftheft, murder, treason, or spotted with any other wickednes. 

This oracion of a common place, is like to the laste argu-ment or _Epilogus_ of any oracion, whiche the Grekes doe call_Deuterologian_, whiche is as moche to saie, as a rehearsall ofthat whiche is spoken of before. 

Wherefore, a common place hath no _exhordium_, or be-ginnyng, yet neuerthelesse, for the profite and exercise of thelearner, you maie place soche a _proemium_, or beginnyng ofthe oracion, as maie be easie to induce the learner. 

This parte of _Rhetorike_ is large to intreate vpon, for theaboundaunce of matter. 

This part of _Rhetorike_ is large to intreate vpon, for the[Fol. Xxxiij. V]aboundaunce of matter. 

The common place, whiche Aphthonius intreateth of, isto be aplied against any man, for the declaimor to inuade, ei-ther against vices, or to extoll and amplifie his vertues. 

This oracion of a common place, serueth bothe for the ac-cuser and the defender. 

For the accuser, to exasperate and moue the Iudges orhearers, against the offender, or accused. 

For the defendour to replie, and with all force & strengthof matter, to mollifie and appease the perturbacions of theIudges and hearers, to pulle doune and deface the contrariealledged. 

There is greate force in this oracion, on bothe the sides. 

Properlie this kinde of _Rhetorike_, is called a commonplace, though it semeth to be made againste this man, or thatman: because the matter of thesame shall properly pertain toall, giltie of thesame matter. 

[Sidenote: Pristianus. ]Pristianus sheweth, that this parte of _Rhetorike_, is as itwere a certaine exaggeracion of reason, to induce a manifestprobacion of any thyng committed. 

As for example, a Theife taken in a robberie, in whomneither shamefastnesse, nor sparcle of grace appereth againstsoche a one: this oracion maie be made, to exasperate the Iud-ges from all fauour or affeccion of pitie, to be shewed. 

¶ The order of the Oracion followethwith these notes to be made by. 

¶ The firste Proheme. 

DEmosthenes the famous Orator of Athenes inhis oracio[n] made against Aristogito[n] doeth saie, [Sidenote: What areLawes. ]that Lawes wherewith a common wealthe, ci-tie or Region is gouerned, are the gifte of God, a profitable Discipline among men, a restraintto with holde and kepe backe, the wilfull, rashe, and beastilie[Sidenote: Aristotle. Plato. ]life of man, and therupo[n] Aristotle and Plato doe shewe, thatthrough the wicked behauour of men, good lawes were first[Fol. Xxxiiij. R]ordained, for, of ill maners, saie thei, rose good lawes, where[Sidenote: Order. ]lawes doe cease, and good order faileth, there the life of manwill growe, rude, wild and beestlie: Man beyng a chiefe crea-[Sidenote: Man borneby nature tosocietee. ]ture or God, indued with manie singuler vertues, is framedof nature to a mutuall and Godlie societie of life, withoutthe whiche moste horrible wolde the life bee, for not onlie byconcorde and agremente, the life of man dothe consiste but althings on the earth haue therin their being: the heauens andlightes conteined in the same, haue a perpetuall harmonie& concente in finishyng their appointed race. The elementes[Sidenote: All thingesbeyng on theyearth, dooeconsiste by aharmonie orconcorde. ]of the worlde, where with the nature and substaunce of allthinges, doe consiste onlie by a harmonie and temperature ofeche parte, haue their abidyng increase & prosperous beyng, otherwise their substaunce, perisheth and nature in all partesdecaieth: Kyngdomes and common wealthes doe consiste ina harmonie, so long as vertue and all singularitie tempereththeir state and gouernemente, and eche member thereof obe-ieth his function, office and callynge, and as partes of the-same bodie, euerie one as nature hath ordained theim occu-piyng, their roume and place, the vse of euerie parte, all to thevse and preseruacion of the hole bodie, and as in the bodie soin the common wealthe, the like concorde of life oughte to bein euery part, the moste principall parte accordyng to his di-gnitie of office, as moste principall to gouerne thother inferi-or partes: and it thei as partes moste principal of thesame bo-die with all moderacion and equabilitie te[m]peryng their state, [Sidenote: Order con-serueth com-mon wealth. ]office and calling. The meanest parte accordyng to his lowestate, appliyng hym selfe to obeie and serue the moste prin-cipall: wherein the perfecte and absolute, frame of commonwealthe or kyngdome is erected. And seyng that as the Phi-losophers doe saie, of ill maners came good lawes, that is tosaie, the wicked and beastlie life of man, their iniurius beha-uiour, sekyng to frame themselues from men to beastes mo-[Sidenote: Euil manerswas the occa-sion of goodLawes. ]ued the wise and Godlie, elders to ordaine certaine meanes, to rote discipline, whereby the wickedlie disposed personne[Fol. Xxxiiij. V]should bee compelled to liue in order, to obeie Godlie lawes, to the vpholdyng of societie. Therefore, all suche as dissoluelawes, caste doune good order, and state of common wealth, out as putride and vnprofitable weedes, to be extirpated andplucked vp from Citie and Common wealthe, from societie, who by mischeuous attemptes seke, to extinguishe societie, amitie, and concord in life. Princes & gouernors with al othermagistrates ought in their gouernment to imitate the prac-tise of the Phisician, the nature of man, wekedned and madefeble with to moche abundaunce of yll humors, or ouermochwith ill bloode replenished, to purge and euacuate that, andall to the preseruacion and healthe of the whole bodie: for sowas the meanyng of the Philosopher, intreatyng of the po-litike, gouernment of kingdome and commonwealth, when[Sidenote: Theiues notmete to be inany societie. ]thei compared a kingdome to the bodie of man: the thefe androbber as a euill and vnprofitable member, and all other aswithout all right, order, lawe, equitie and iustice, doe breakesocietie of life, bothe against lawe and nature: possessing thegoodes of a other man, are to bee cutte of, as no partes, méeteto remaine in any societie. 

¶ The seconde Proheme. 

[Sidenote: Why theiuesand wickedmen, are cutof by lawe. ]THe chifest cause that moued gouernours and ma-gistrates, to cutte of the race of theues, and viole[n]terobbers, and of all other mischeuous persons, wasthat by them a confusion would ensue in al states. What Citee could stande in prosperous state, yea, or whathouse priuatlie inhabited, where lawes and aucthoritee wereexiled: where violence, will, luste, and appetite of pestiferousmen, might without terrour bee practised. If the labour andindustrie of the godlie, should be alwaie a praie to y^e wicked, and eche mannes violence and iniurious dealyng, his ownelawe, the beaste in his state, would bee lesse brutishe and in-iurious. Who so seketh to caste doune this societée, he is notméete to be of any societée, whiche he dissolueth. Who so rob-beth or stealeth, to liue by the gooddes of an other manne, as[Fol. Xxxv. R]his possession, is by violence and againste Nature: so by vio-[Sidenote: A due rewar[-]des for thie-ues and mur-therers. ]lence and against nature, their pestiferous doinges do frametheir confusion: their execrable & destetable purpose, do maketheim a outcaste from all good people, and as no membersthereof, cut of from all societée, their euill life rooteth perpetu-al ignomie and shame. And thus is the tragicall ende of theirenterprise. 

¶ The contrarie. 

[Sidenote: Democratia. ]HErein the lose and dissolute state of gouernmentecalled of the Grekes Democratia, haue conten-ted the wilfull heddes of pestiferous men: where-in euery man must bee a ruler. Their owne willis their Lawe: there luste setteth order, no Magistrate, buteuery one to hymself a Magistrate. All thynges in common, as long as that state doeth remain emong the wicked, a mosthappie state coumpted, a wished state to idell persones, but it[Sidenote: The thiefe. The mur-therer. ]continueth not. Herein the murtherer, the thiefe were meeteto be placed. The greater thiefe, the better manne: the mosteexecrable murtherer, a moste mete persone, for soche state ofgouernemente. There is no nacion vnder the Sunne, butthat one tyme or other, this troublous state hath molestedtheim: and many haue sought to sette vp soche a monsterousstate of regiment, a plagued common wealthe, and to be de-tested. Soche was the order of men, when thei liued withoutlawes. When the whole multitude were scattered, no citee, Toune, or house builded or inhabited, but through beastliemaners, beastlie dispersed, liued wilde and beastlie. Butthe wise, sage, and politike heddes reduced by wisedome, into[Sidenote: Houses. Families. Tounes. Citees. ]a societie of life, nature leadyng thereto: Houses and habita-cions, were then for necessitie made, families multiplied, vil-lages and Tounes populouslie increased, and Citees raisedemong so infinite people. Nature by God inuented and sta-blished Lawe, and the sage and wise persones, pronouncedand gaue sentence vpon Lawes. Whereupon, by the obedi-ence of lawes, and preeminente aucthoritie of Magistrates:[Fol. Xxxv. V]The state of mightie Kyngdomes and Common wealthes, haue growen to soche a roialnesse and loftie state, many fa-mous kingdomes haue been on the face of the yearth: manynoble Princes from tyme to tyme succedyng, whiche with-[Sidenote: Obedience ofLawes didstablishe themightie mo-narchies. ]out a order of godlie lawes, could not haue continued. Whatwas the cause that the mightie Monarchies, continued manyhundred yeres: did the losse of dissolute life of subiectes andPrinces, cause thesame but good lawes, and obedience to or-ders. Therefore, where Magistrates, bothe in life and office, [Sidenote: The life ofthe Magi-strate, a lawe[. ]]liue in the obedience of Lawes: the multitude inferiour, byexample of the Magistrates singularitie, incensed dooe placebefore them, their example of life, as a strong lawe. 

[Sidenote: The Epistleof Theodosi-uus Empe-ror of Rome[. ]]Theodosius Emperor of Rome, writyng to Uolusianushis chief Pretor, as concernyng his office, in these woordes, saieth: _Digna vox est maiestate regnantis legibus alligatum seprincipem profiteri. Adeo de autoritate Iuris nostra pendetautoritas et reuera maius imperio est submittere legibus prin[-]cipatum & oraculo presentis edicti quod nobis licere non pa-timur alijs indicamus. _ It is a worthie saiyng, and meete forthe Maiestie of a Prince, to acknowledge hymself vnder hislawe. For, our aucthoritie, power, and sworde, doeth dependevpon the force, might, and aucthoritie of Lawes, and it pas-seth all power and aucthoritie, his gouernemente and kyng-dome to be tempered by lawe, as a moste inuiolable Oracleand decrée, so to doe as we prouulgate to other. Whereuponit is manifeste, what force godlie lawes gaue to the Prince, what aucthoritie. Take lawes awaie, all order of states fai-[Sidenote: PrincesLawe. ]leth, the Prince by Lawe, is a terrour to the malefactour: hisMaiestie is with all humblenesse serued, feared, and obeied. By lawes, his state maketh hym as a God, emong menne, atwhose handes the preseruacion of eche one, of house, citee andcountrie is sought. Seing bothe lawes and the Prince, hanethat honour and strength, that without them, a _Chaos_ a con-fusion would followe, in the bodie of all common wealthesand kyngdomes. Let them by aucthoritie and lawe bee con-[Fol. Xxxvj. R]founded, that practise to subuerte aucthoritie, to neclecte thePrince, and his godlie lawes. 

¶ The exposicion. 

[Sidenote: Theiues andall iniuriouspersones. ]THe theife, or any other iniurious persone, doeth seketo bée aboue all lawes, exempted from all order, vn-der no obedience, their pestiferous dealyng, dooe vt-[Sidenote: Demosthe-nes in Ari-stogiton. ]ter thesame: For, as Demosthenes the famous Orator of A-thenes doeth saie. If that wicked men cease not their viole[n]ceif that good men in all quietnes and securitie, can not enioyetheir owne goddes, while lawe and aucthoritie of the magi-strate, seuerelie and sharply vseth his aucthoritie and sword. If dailie the heddes of wicked men, cease not to subuerte la-wes, orders, and decrees godlie appoincted. Whiles that inall Citees and common wealthes, the Princes and gouer-[Sidenote: The force oflawes. ]nours, are by lawes a terror to them. Lawes then ceasyng, the dreadfull sente[n]ce of the Iudge and Magistrate wanting. The sworde vndrawen, all order confounded, what a con-fusion would followe: yea, what an open passage would beelefte open to all wickednesse. The terrour of Lawes, thesworde and aucthoritie of the Magestrate, depresseth and put[-]teth doune, the bloodie cogitacions of the wicked, and so hin-dereth and cutteth of, many horrible and bloodie enterprises. Els there would bee neither Prince, Lawe, nor subiecte, nohedde or Magistrate: but euery manne his owne hedde, hisowne lawe and Magistrate, oppression and violence shouldbee lawe, and reason, and wilfull luste would bee in place ofreason, might, force, and power, should ende the case. Where-fore, soche as no lawe, no order, nor reason, will driue lo liueas members in a common wealthe, to serue in their functio[n]. [Sidenote: Wicked menburdeins ofthe yearth. ]Thei are as Homere calleth the:m, burdeins to the yearth, for thei are of no societie linked with Nature, who throughwickednesse are disseuered, abhorryng concorde of life, socie-tie and felowship. Whom sinister and bitter stormes of for-tune, doe daiely vexe and moleste, who in the defence of their[Fol. Xxxvj. V][Sidenote: Maimed sol-diours mustebe prouidedfor. ]countrie are maimed, and thereby their arte and science, for, imbecilitie not practised, all art otherwise wantyng, extremepouertee fallyng on them, reason muste moue, and induce allhartes, to pitée chieflie their state: who in defence and main-teinaunce of our Countrie, Prince, and to the vpholdyng ofour priuate wealthe at home, are become debilitated, defor-med and maimed, els their miseries will driue them to sochehedlesse aduentures, that it maie bee saied, as it was saied to[Sidenote: The saiyngof a souldiourto Alexanderthe greate. ]Alexander the Greate. Thy warres, O Prince, maketh ma-ny theues, and peace will one daie hang them vp. Whereinthe Grecians, as Thusidides noteth, had a carefull proui-dence, for all soche as in the defence of their Countrie weremaimed, yea, euen for their wiues, and children of all soche, as died in warre, to be mainteined of the commo[n] charge andthreasure of Grece. Reade his Oracion in the seconde booke, made vpon the funerall of the dedde soldiours. 

¶ A comparison of vices. 

[Sidenote: The dru[n]kard[. ]The proudepersone. The prodigal[. ]The couei-teous. The robber. ]THe dronkarde in his state is beastlie, the proudeand arrogante persone odious, the riotous andprodigall persone to be contempned, the couei-tous and nigardlie manne to bee reiected. Butwho so by violence, taketh awaie the goodes ofan other man, or by any subtill meanes, iniustlie possesseththesame, is detestable, with all seueritée to be punished. The[Sidenote: The adul-terer. The harlot. ]adulterer and the harlotte, who by brutishe behauiour, leudeaffection, not godlines leadyng thereto: who by their vnchastbehauior, and wanton life doe pollute, and co[n]taminate theirbodie, in whom a pure minde ought to be reposed. Who tho-rowe beastly affeccion, are by euill maners transformed tobeastes: and as moche as in theim lieth, multipliyng a bru-[Sidenote: The homi-cide. ]tishe societie. The homicide in his state more horrible, accor-dyng to his outragious and bloodie life, is to bee tormented, in like sort all other vices, accordyng to their mischiues, rea-son, Lawe and Iustice, must temper and aggrauate due re-[Fol. Xxxvij. R]ward, and sentence to them. 

¶ The sentence. 

[Sidenote: Thefte horri[-]ble amo[n]g theScitheans. ]NO vice was more greuous, and horrible emongthe Scithians then thefte, for this was their sai-yng: _Quid saluum esse poterit si licet furari_, whatcan be safe, if thefte bee lefull or tolerated. Herein[Sidenote: A sentence a-genst thefte. ]the vniuersalle societée of life is caste doune, hereby a confu-sion groweth, and a subuersion in all states immediatlie fol-loweth, equitee, iustice, and all sincere dealyng is abaundo-ned, violence extirpateth vertue, and aucthoritie is cutte of. 

¶ The digression. 

THE facte in other maie be with more facilitée to-lerated, in that to theim selues, the facte and con-uersacion of life is moste pernicious, and hurtfull, but by soche kinde of menne, whole kyngdomesand common wealthes would bee ouerthrowen. And for aprosperous state and common wealthe, a common woe and[Sidenote: Horrible vi-ces. ]calamitée would fall on them, tumultes and vprores main-tained, right and lawe exiled: neither in field quietnes, welthor riches, houses spoiled, families extinguished, in all placessedicion, warre for peace, violence for right, will and lust for[Sidenote: Userers. ]lawe, a hedlesse order in all states. And as concernyng Usu-rers, though their gaines be neuer so ample, and plentifull, to enriche them, whereby thei growe to be lordes, ouer manythousandes of poundes: yet the wealthe gotten by it, is so in-iurious, that thei are a greate plague, to all partes of the co[m]-mon wealthe: so many daungers and mischiues, riseth of the[m][. ]Cato the noble and wise Senator of Rome, being demaun-ded diuers questions, what was firste to bee sought, in a fa-milie or housholde, the aunsweres not likyng the demaun-[Sidenote: The sentenceof Cato a-gainst vsu-rers. Usure is mur[-]ther. ]der: this question was asked, O Cato, what sente[n]ce giue youof Usurie, that is a goodlie matter to bee enriched by. ThenCato aunswered in fewe woordes. _Quid hominem occidere. _What saie you to be a murderer? Soche a thyng saieth he, is[Fol. Xxxvij. V]Usurie. A brief sentence againste Usurers, but wittely pro-nounced from the mouth of a godlie, sage, noble, and descritepersone, whiche sentence let the Usurer, ioigne to his Usuryretourned, and repeate at the retourne thereof, this sentence[Sidenote: The sentenceof Cato a dis-comfort to v-surers. ]of Cato, I haue murthered. This one sentence will discou-rage any Usurer, knowyng hymself a murtherer. Thoughmoche more maie be spoken against it, this shalbe sufficient. The Hebrues calleth Usurie, by the name of _Shecke_, that isa bityng gaine, of the whiche many haue been so bitten, thatwhole families haue been deuoured, & beggerie haue beentheir gaine. And as Palingenius noteth. 

 _Debitor aufugiens portat cum fænore sortem. _

The debtour often tymes saieth he, runneth awaie, andcarieth with hym, the debte and gaines of the Usurie. TheGrekes calleth Usurie _Tokos_, that is properlie the trauaileof women of their childe: soche is their Usurie, a daungerousgettyng. Demosthenes likeneth their state as thus, as if ter-restriall thynges should be aboue the starres: and the heaue[n]s[Sidenote: Usure a dan-gerous gaue. ]and celestialle bodies, gouerned by the base and lowe terre-striall matters, whiche by no meanes, can conserue the ex-cellencie of them, for, of them onely, is their matter, substau[n]ceand nature conserued. 

¶ Exclusion of mercie. 

WHerefore, to whom regimente and gouerne-mente is committed, on whose administracion, the frame of the co[m]mon wealth doe staie it self:thei ought with al wisedome and moderacion, to procede in soche causes, whose office in wor-[Sidenote: Princes andmagistratesbe as Godson the earth. ]thinesse of state, and dignitée, maketh the[m] as Goddes on theyearth, at whose mouthes for wisedome, counsaill, and for-tunate state, infinite people doe depende. It is no smal thingin that their sword & aucthoritée, doeth sette or determine allthinges, that tendereth a prosperous state, whereupon withall integritée and equitée, thei ought to temper the affeccionsof their mynde: and accordyng to the horrible facte, and mis-[Fol. Xxxviij. R]chiues of the wicked, to exasperate & agrauate their terribleiudgemente, and to extirpate from the yearth, soche as be of[Sidenote: The homicide. The Theue. The Adulte-rer. ]no societie in life. The bloodie homicide, the thief, the adul-terer, for by these all vertue is rooted out, all godlie societieextinguished, citees, realmes, and countrées, prostrate & pla-gued for the toleracion of their factes, against soch frendshipin iudgemente muste cease, and accordyng to the state of thecause, equitee to retaine frendship, money muste not blinde, nor rewardes to force and temper Iudgementes: but accor-dyng to the veritee of the cause, to adde a conclusion. Wor-[Sidenote: Whey the pi-ctures of ma-gistrates beepicturid with-oute handes. ]thelie the pictures of Princes, Gouernours and Magistratesin auncient tymes doe shewe this, where the antiquitée ma-keth theim without handes, therein it sheweth their office, and iudgemente to proceade with equitée, rewardes not toblind, or suppresse the sinceritée of the cause. Magistrates notto bee bounde to giftes, nor rewardes to rule their sentence. _Alciatus_ in his boke called _Emblemata, in senatu[m] sancti prin-cipis_. 

[Sidenote: Princes andmagistratesgraue & con-stante. ]

 _Effigies manibus trunc[ae] ante altaria diuum Hic resident, quarum lumine capta prior Signa potestatis summ[ae], sanctiq[ue] senatus, Thebanis fuerant ista reperta viris. Cur resident? Quia mente graues decet esse quieta Iuridicos, animo nec variare leui. Cur sine sunt manibus? Capiant ne xenia, nec se Pollicitis flecti muneribus ve sinant. Cecus est princeps quod solis auribus, absq[ue] Affectu constans iussa senatus agit. _

Where vertue and integritée sheweth it self, in the personeand cause, to vpholde and maintein thesame. Roote out hor-rible vices from common wealthe, that the more surer andstronge foundacion of vertue maie be laied: for, that oneliecause, the scepter of kinges, the office of magistrates was leftto the posteritée of all ages. 

¶ Lawfull and iuste. 

[Fol. Xxxviij. V]

¶ Lawfull and iust. 

[Sidenote: Lawes giueequitie to allstates. ]SEyng that lawes bee godlie, and vniuersally theitemper equitée to all states, and giue according toiustice, euery man his owne: he violateth vertue, that dispossesseth an other manne of his own, and[Sidenote: What driuethy^e magistrateto horriblesentence a-gainst wickedpersons. ]wholie extinguisheth Iustice. And thereupon his beastly lifeby merite forceth and driueth, lawe and Magistrate, to terri-ble iudgement. For, who so against right, without order, orlawe, violateth an other man, soche a one, lawes of iustice, muste punishe violentlie, and extirpate from societée, beynga dissoluer of societee. 

¶ Profitable. 

IF soche wicked persones be restrained, and seuereliepunished, horrible vices will be rooted out: all artes[, ]sciences, and godlie occupacions mainteined, vphol-ded and kept. Then there must bée a securitée in all states, to[Sidenote: Magistrate. Subiect. ]practise godlines, a mutuall concorde. The Magistrate withequitée, the subiecte with faithful and humble obedience, ac-complishyng his state, office, and callyng. Whereupon bygood Magistrates, and good subiectes, the common wealtheand kyngdom is in happie state stablished. For, in these twoo[Sidenote: Plato. ]poinctes, as Plato doeth saie, there is vertuous rule, and likeobedience. 

¶ Easie and possible. 

[Sidenote: The begyn-nyng of viceis to be cut af. ]AL this maie easely be doen, when wickednes is cutteof, in his firste groweth, when the magistrate driuethcontinually, by sworde and aucthoritée, all menne toobedience, bothe of lawes and gouernuurs. Then in al goodcommon wealthes, vices are neuer tolerated to take roote: be-cause the beginnyng and increase of vices, is sone pulled vp, his monsterous kyngdome thereby ouerthrowen. 

¶ The conclusion. 

SO doyng, happie shall the kyng be, happie kyngdome, and moste fortunate people. 

[Fol. Xxxix. R]

¶ The parte of Rhetorike, called praise. 

His Oracion, which is titeled praise, is a declamacio[n]of the vertuous or good qualitées, propertees belon-gyng to any thyng, whiche doeth procede by certainenotes of arte. 

All thynges that maie be seen, with the iye of man, tou-ched, or with any other sence apprehended: that maie be prai-sed, or dispraised. 

 { Manne. Citees. } { Fisshe. Floodes. } { Foule. Castles. } { Beaste. Toures. } As { Orchardes. Gardeins. } { Stones. Stones. } { Trees. Artes. } { Plantes. Sciences. } { Mettals. }

Any vertue maie be praised, as wisedome, rightuousnes[, ]fortitude, magnanimitée, temperaunce, liberalitée, with allother. 

These are to be celebrated with praise. 

The persone, as Iulius Cesar, Octauius Augustus, Hieremie, Tullie, Cato, Demosthenes. 

Thynges, as rightuousnes, temperaunce. 

Tymes, as the Spryng tyme of the yere, Sommer, Har-uest, Winter. 

Places, as Hauens, Orchardes, Gardeins, Toures, Castles, Temples, Islandes. 

Beastes wantyng reason, as Horse, Shepe, Oxen[, ] Pla[n]-ntes, as Uines, Oliues. 

In the praise of vertue, this maie be saied. 

THe excellencies of it, the antiquitee and originalle be-ginnyng thereof, the profite that riseth to any regionby it, as no kyngdome can consiste without vertue, [Fol. Xxxix. V]and to extoll the same, in makyng a comparison, with othergiftes of nature, or with other giftes of fortune, more infe-riour or base. 

[Sidenote: Wherein thepraise of a ci-tie consisteth[. ]]Upon a citée, praise maie be recited, consideryng the good-lie situacion of it, as of Paris, Uenice, London, Yorke: con-sideryng the fertilitie of the lande, the wealthe and aboun-daunce, the noble and famous goueruours, whiche haue go-uerned thesame. The first aucthors and builders of thesame, the politike lawes, and godlie statutes therein mainteined:The felicitée of the people, their maners, their valeaunt pro-wes and hardines. The buildyng and ornatures of thesame, with Castles, Toures, Hauens, Floodes, Temples: as if amanne would celebrate with praise. The olde, famous, and[Sidenote: The praise ofLondon. Brutus buil[-]ded Londo[n] inthe . X. Yeare ofhis raine. ]aunciente Citée of London, shewyng the auncient buildyngof thesame: the commyng of Brutus, who was the firste au-cthor and erector of thesame. As Romulus was of the migh-tie Citée Rome, what kyngs haue fro[m] tyme to tyme, lineal-ly descended, and succeded, bearing croune and scepter there-in: the valiauntnes of the people, what terror thei haue beento all forraine nacions. What victories thei haue in battaileobteined, how diuers nacions haue sought their amitée and[Sidenote: Fraunce andScotlandevpholded byy^e gouernorsof this lande. ]league. The false Scottes, and Frenche menne truce brea-kers: many and sonderie tymes, losyng their honour in thefield, and yet thei, through the puissaunt harte of the kyngesof this lande, vpholdyd and saued, from the mighte and force[Sidenote: Cambridge. Oxforde. ]of other enemies inuadyng theim. The twoo famous Uni-uersitées of this lande, from the whiche, no small nomber ofgreate learned men and famous, haue in the co[m]mon wealthesprong, with all other thynges to it. 

The praise of a Kyng, Prince, Duke, Erle, Lorde, Ba-ron, Squire, or of any other man be maie declaimed of obser[-]uing the order of this parte of _Rhetorike_. 

This parte of _Rhetorike_ called praise, is either a particu-ler praise of one, as of kyng Henry the fifte, Plato, Tullie, Demosthenes, Cyrus, Darius, Alexander the greate. 

[Fol. Xl. R]

Or a generalle and vniuersalle praise, as the praise of allthe Britaines: or of all the citezeins of London. 

¶ The order to make this Oracion, is thus declared. 

Firste, for the enteryng of the matter, you shall place a_exordium_, or beginnyng. 

The seconde place, you shall bryng to his praise, _Genuseius_, that is to saie: Of what kinde he came of, whiche dooethconsiste in fower poinctes. 

 { Of what nacion. } { Of what countrée. } { Of what auncetours. } { Of what parentes. }

After that you shall declare, his educacion: the educacionis conteined in thrée poinctes. 

 { Institucion. } In { Arte. } { Lawes. }

Then put there to that, whiche is the chief grounde of alpraise: his actes doen, whiche doe procede out of the giftes, and excellencies of the minde, as the fortitude of the mynde, wisedome, and magnanimitée. 

Of the bodie, as a beautifull face, amiable countenaunce[, ]swiftnesse, the might and strength of thesame. 

The excellencies of fortune, as his dignitée, power, au-cthoritee, riches, substaunce, frendes. 

In the fifte place vse a comparison, wherein that whicheyou praise, maie be aduaunced to the vttermoste. 

Laste of all, vse the _Epilogus_, or conclusion. 

¶ The example of the Oracion. 

¶ The praise of Epaminundas. 

IN whom nature hath powred singuler giftes, in whom vertue, & singularitée, in famous en-terprises aboundeth: whose glorie & renoume, rooteth to the posteritée, immortall commen-dacion. In the graue, their vertues and godlie[Fol. Xl. V][Sidenote: Obliuion. ]life, tasteth not of Obliuion, whiche at the length ouerthro-weth all creatures, Citées, and regions. Thei liue onelie inall ages, whose vertues spreadeth fame and noble enterpri-[Sidenote: Who liue inall ages. ]ses, by vertue rooteth immortalitée. Who so liueth, as thathis good fame after death ceaseth not, nor death with the bo-die cutteth of their memorie of life: Soche not onely in life, but also in death are moste fortunate. In death all honor, di-[Sidenote: Good famechieflie rou-teth afterdeath. ]gnitée, glorie, wealthe, riches, are taken from vs: The fameand glorie of singulare life is then, chieflie takyng his holdeand roote, wise men and godlie, in life, knowen famous, af-ter death, remain moste worthie & glorious. Who knoweth[Sidenote: Tullie. Demosthe-nes. Iulius Ce-sar. OctauiusAugustus. Uespasianus[. ]Theodosius. Traianns. Adrianus. ]not of Tullie, the famous Oratour of Rome. Doeth De-mosthenes lieth hidden, that noble Oratour of Athenes. Isnot y^e fame of Iulius Cesar, Octauius Augustus remainyngof Uespasianus: of Theodosius, of Traianus, of Adrianus, who by praise minded, be left to the ende of al ages. Soche aone was this Epaminundas, the famous Duke of Thebe, whose vertues gaue hym honour in life, and famous enter-prises, immortalitée of fame after death. What can bee saiedmore, in the praise and commendacion, of any peere of estate, then was saied in the praise of Epaminundas, for his ver-tues were so singulare, that it was doubted, he beyng so gooda manne, and so good a Magistrate, whether he were bettermanne, or better Magistrate: whose vertues were so vnited, that vertue alwaies tempered his enterprises, his loftie stateas fortune oftentymes blindeth, did not make hym vnmind-full of his state. No doubt, but that in all common wealthes, famous gouernours haue been, but in all those, the mosteparte haue not been soche, that all so good men, and so goodmagistrates: that it is doubted, whether thei were better me[n], [Sidenote: Good man, good magi-strate, boothea good manand a goodmagistrate. ]or better magistrates. It is a rare thyng to be a good manne, but a more difficult matter, to bee a good Magistrate: andmoste of all, to be bothe a good man, and a good Magistrate. Honour and preeminent state, doeth sometyme induce obli-uion, whereupon thei ought the more vigilantlie to wade:[Fol. Xlj. R]in all causes, and with all moderacion, to temper their pree-[Sidenote: The saiyngeof the Philo-sophers. ]minent state. The Philosophers ponderyng the brickle andslippere state of fortune, did pronounce this sentence: _Diffici-lius est res aduersas pati, quam fortunam eflantem ferre_, it ismore easie to beare sharpe and extreme pouertie, then to ruleand moderate fortune, because that the wisest menne of all[Sidenote: Obliuion. ]haue as Chronicles doe shewe, felte this obliuion, that theirmaners haue been so chaunged, as that natures molde in the[m]had ben altered or nuelie framed, in the life of Epaminu[n]dasmoderacion and vertue, so gouerned his state, that he was ahonor and renowne to his state, nothing can be more amplein his praise, then that which is lefte Chronicled of him. 

[¶] Of his countrie. 

EPaminundas was borne in Thebe a famous citie in[Sidenote: Cadmus. Amphion. Hercules. ]Beotia, the which Cadmus the sone of Agenor buil-ded, whiche Amphion did close & enuiron with wal-les, in the whiche the mightie and valiaunt Hercules wasborne, & manie noble Princes helde therin scepter, the whichCitie is tituled famous to the posterity by the noble gouern-ment of Epaminundas. 

¶ Of his auncetours. 

EPaminundas came not of anie highe nobilitie orblood, but his parentes were honeste and verteouswho as it semed were verie well affected to vertue, instructyng their soonne in all singulare and goodqualities, for by good and vertuous life and famous enter-prises from a meane state, manie haue bene extolled to bearescepter, or to attaine greate honour, for as there is a begyn-[Sidenote: Nobility roseby vertue. ]nyng of nobilitie, so there is an ende, by vertue and famousactes towarde the common wealthe, nobilite first rose. The[Sidenote: Cesar. Scipio. ]stock of Cesar and Cesars was exalted from a meaner state, by vertue onelie to nobilitie. Scipios stocke was not alwaisnoble, but his vertues graffed nobilitie to the posteritie ofhis line and ofspryng followynge. And euen so as their fa-[Fol. Xlj. V]mous enterprices excelled, nobilite in theim also increased. [Sidenote: Catilina. ]Catilina wicked, was of a noble house, but he degeneratedfrom the nobilitie of his auncestours, the vertues that graf-fed nobilitie in his auncestors, were first extinguished in Ca-[Sidenote: MarcusAntonius. ]iline. Marcus Antonius was a noble Emperour, a Princeindued with all wisedome and Godlie gouernme[n]t, who wasof a noble pare[n]tage, it what a wicked sonne succeded him, the[Sidenote: Commodus. ]father was not so godlie, wise, and vertuous, as Commo-dus was wickedlie disposed and pestiferous. There was novertue or excellence, méete for suche a personage, but thatMarcus attained to. Who for wisedome was called MarcusPhilosophus, in his sonne what vice was the[m] that he practi-sed not, belie chier, druncknes and harlottes, was his delite, his crueltie and bluddie life was suche that he murthered allthe godlie and wise Senatours, had in price with Marcus[Sidenote: Seuerus. ]his father. Seuerus in like maner, was a noble and famousEmperor, in the Senate moste graue, politike, and in his[Sidenote: MarcusAntoniusCaracalla. ]warres moste fortunate, but in his sonne Marcus Antoni-nus Caracalla, what wickednes wanted, whose beastlie lifeis rather to be put in silence, then spoken of. In the assembleof the Grecians, gathered to consulte vpon the contencion of[Sidenote: Aiax. Ulisses. ]Achilles armour, Aiax gloriouslie aduaunceth hymself of hisauncestrie, from many kinges descended, whom Ulisses hisaduersarie aunswered: makyng a long and eloquente Ora-cion, before the noble péeres of Grece, concernyng Aiax hisauncetours. These are his woordes. 

 _Nam genus et proauos et que non fecimus ipsi, Vix ea nostra voco, sed enim quia retulit Aiax, esse Iouis pronepos. _

As for our parentage, and line of auncetours, long beforevs, and noble actes of theirs: as we our selues haue not doenthe like, how can we call, and title their actes to be ours. Letthem therefore, whiche haue descended from noble blood, andfamous auncetours: bee like affected to all nobilitée of theirauncetours, what can thei glory in the nobilitée of their aun-[Fol. Xlij. R]cetours. Well, their auncetours haue laied the foundacion, [Sidenote: Nobilitee. ]and renoume of nobilitee to their ofspryng. What nobiliteeis founde in them, when thei builde nothyng, to their aunce-tours woorke of nobilitée. Euen as their auncetours, noblieendeuoured them selues, to purchase and obtain, by famousactes their nobilitée) for, nobilitée and vertue, descendeth al-waies to the like) so thei contrary retire and giue backe, fro[m]all the nobiliée of their auncestours, where as thei ought, [Sidenote: A beginnyngof nobilitee. ]with like nobilitée to imitate them. Many haue been, whichethrough their wisedome, and famous enterprises, in the af-faires of their Prince, worthelie to honour haue been extol-led and aduaunced: who also were the firste aucthours andfounders of nobiliée, to their name and ofspring. Whose of-spring indued with like nobilitée of vertues, and noble acteshaue increased their auncestors glorie: the childre[n] or ofspringlineally descendyng, hauyng no part of the auncestours glo-rie, how can thei vaunte them selues of nobiliée, whiche theilacke, and dooe nothyng possesse thereof, Euen from lowe[Sidenote: Galerius aShepherdssonne Empe-ror of Rome. Probus aGardeinerssonne, Em-perour. ]birthe and degrée. Galerius Armentarius was aduaunced, euen from a Shepherdes sonne, to sit in the Imperiall seat ofRoome. Galerius Maximinus whom all the Easte obaied, his vertues and noble acts huffed hym to beare scepter in theEmpire of Roome. Probus a Gardiners soonne, to the likethrone and glorie asce[n]ded, so God disposeth the state of eueryman, placyng and bestowing dignitée, where it pleaseth himas he setteth vp, so he pulleth doune, his prouidence & mightis bounde to no state, stocke, or kindred. 

¶ Of his educacion. 

EPaminu[n]das beyng borne of soche parentes, wasbrought vp in all excellente learnyng, for, vnderhym Philippe the kyng of the Macedonians, thesoonne of Amintas, was brought vp. This Epa-minundas, the Histories note hym to be a chief Philosopher, and a capitaine moste valiaunte. In Musike, in plaiyng, and[Fol. Xlij. V]singyng finelie to his Instrumente, notable and famous, nokinde of learnyng, arte, or science, wanted in his breaste: Sogreate and aboundante were his vertues, that aboue all go-uernours, whiche haue been in Thebe, his name and fameis chieflie aduaunced. 

¶ The praise of his actes. 

[Sidenote: The dutie ofgood gouer-nors. ]EPaminundas beyng moste valiaunte and no-ble, leauing all priuate commoditée, glory, andriches a side: sought the renoume of his coun-tree, as all rulers and gouernours ought to do. [Sidenote: Howe a king[-]dome riseth toall felicitie. ]For, a kyngdome or common wealth, can notrise to any high nobilitée or Roialnesse, where gouernours, rulers, and magistrates, neclecting the vniuersall, and wholebody of the common wealthe, doe cogitate and vigilantly en-deuour them selues, to stablish to them and theirs, a priuate, peculiar, and domesticall profite, glorie, or renoume. Couei-teousnes, whiche is in all ambicious Magistrates the poison, plague, destruccion, and ruine of the beste and florishing co[m]-mon wealthes, of al wickednes and mischief the roote: a vice, [Sidenote: Couetousnesa great euill. ]whereupon all vice is grounded, from whom all mischiefefloweth, all execrable purposes issueth. That wanted inEpaminundas, for in the ende of his life, his coffers were sothin and poore, that euen to his Funerall, money wanted tosolempnise thesame. Priuate glorie nor excesse, was huntedafter of hym, yet his vertues were of soche excellencie, thathonour, dignitée, and preeminent state, was offered and gi-uen to hym vnwillinglie. This Epaminundas was in go-uernement so famous, and so vertuouslie and politikelie ru-led thesame, that he was a glorie, renoume, honour, and fe-licitée to his kingdome, by his state. Before the time of Epa-[Sidenote: Beotia. Thebes. ]minundas, the countree of Beotia was nothyng so famousin their enterprises: neither the citee of Thebe so roiall, puis-saunt or noble, the antiquitee of that tyme sheweth, that E-paminundas wantyng the power of Thebes, their glorie, strength, and felicitee fell and decaied. The learning of Epa-[Fol. Xliij. R]minundas and knowlege, was so aboundant and profoundebothe in Philosophie, and in all other artes and sciences, thatit was wounderfull. In chiualrie and in feates of warre, nopéere was more couragious and bolde, or hardie, neither inthat, whiche he enterprised, any could be of greater counsailein hedde more pollitike, of minde more sage and wittie: hisgouernement so good, that beyng so good a Magistrate, it isdoubted, whether he be better man, or better Magistrate, E-paminundas died in the defence of his countrée. The Athe-nians were enemies to the Thebanes, and many greate bat-tailes were assaied of theim and foughten: and often tymesthe Athenians felt many bitter stormes, and fortune louredof them, he beyng so valiaunt a capitain. Epaminundas be-yng dedde, the Athenians ceased to practise, any one parte ofchiualrie, their prowesse and dexteritée decaied: thei hauyngno aliaunte, and forraine enemie to moleste theim, or whom[Sidenote: A valiant ca-pitain, to hiscountrie a pil[-]lar[, ] to his ene[-]mie, a occasio[n]to dexteritie. ]thei feared. So that a famous, wise, pollitike, and valiauntecapitaine, is not onely a staie, a pillar and strong bulwarketo his countrée. But also forraine nacions, hauyng one, who[m]for his valiauntnes thei dreade, doe practise and inure themselues, to all dexteritee, counsaile, wisedome, and pollicie:soche a one was Epaminundas, to his enemies and cou[n]trée. 

¶ The comparison. 

[Sidenote: Hector. Achilles. Numa Pom[-]peius. Adrianus. ]NEither Hector of Troie, nor Achilles of Grece, mightbee compared with Epaminundas, Numa Pompili-us was not more godlie, Adriane the Emperour ofRoome, no better learned, nor Galba the Emperour morevaliaunte, Nerua no more temperate, nor Traianus morenoble, neither Cocles nor Decius, Scipio nor Marcus Regu[-]lus, did more valianntly in the defence of their countrie, sochea one was this Epaminundas. 

¶ The conclusion. 

OF many thynges, these fewe are recited, but if hiswhole life and vertues, wer worthely handeled: fewewould beleue, soche a rare gouernour, so vertuous a[Fol. Xliij. V]Prince, so hardie and valiaunte a capitaine, to haue remai-ned in no age. 

¶ The parte of Rhetorike, called dispraise. 

THis parte of _Rhetorike_, which is called dispraise, is a in-uectiue Oracion, made againste the life of any man. 

This part of _Rhetorike_, is contrary to that, whiche is be-fore set, called _laus_, that is to saie, praise: and by contrary no-tes procedeth, for the Oratour or declaimer to entreate vpo[n]. 

This parte of _Rhetorike_, is called of the Grekes _Psogos_. 

In praise, we extoll the persone: First by his countrée. 

Then by his auncestours and parentes. 

In the third place, by his educacion and institucion. 

Then in the fowerth place, of his actes in life. 

In the fifte place vse a comparison, comparyng the per-sone with other, whiche are more inferiour. 

Then the conclusion. 

Now in dispraise, contrarily we doe procede. 

Firste, in the dispraise of his countrée. 

Of his auncetours and parentes. 

His educacion is dispraised. 

Then his actes and deedes of life. 

Also in your comparison with other, dispraise hym. 

Then in the laste place, adde the conclusion. 

All thynges that maie be praised, maie be dispraised. 

¶ The dispraise of Nero. 

[Sidenote: Uertue. ]AS vertue meriteth commendacion and immor-tall renoume, for the nobilitée and excellenciereposed in it: so ougle vices for the deformitée ofthem, are in mynd to be abhorred and detested, and with all diligence, counsaile, and wisedome[Sidenote: Uice. ]auoided. As pestiferous poison extinguisheth with his cor-rupcion and nautinesse, the good and absolute nature of allthinges: so vice for his pestiferous nature putteth out vertueand rooteth out with his force all singularitée. For, vice and[Fol. Xliiij. R]vertue are so of nature contrary, as fire and water, the vio-lence of the one expelleth the other: for, in the mansion of ver-tue, vice at one tyme harboreth not, neither vertue with vice[Sidenote: What is ver-tue. ]can be consociate or vnited, for, vertue is a singuler meane, or Mediocrite in any good enterprise or facte, with order andreason finished. Whose acte in life, doeth repugne order andreason, disseuered from all Mediocrite, soche do leaue iustice, equitée, wisedome, temperaunce, fortitude, magnanimitée, and al other vertues, bothe of minde and body: onely by ver-tues life men shewe theim selues, as chief creatures of God, with reason, as a moste principall gifte, beautified and deco-rated: In other giftes, man is farre inferiour to beastes, bothin strength of bodie, in celeritée and swiftnesse of foote, in la-bour, in industrie, in sense, nothyng to bee compared to bea-stes, with beastes as a peculier and proper thyng, wee haueour bodie of the yearth: but our minde, whiche for his diuini-tée, passeth all thynges immortall, maketh vs as gods emo[n]gother creatures. The bodie therefore, as a aliaunt and forainenemie, beyng made of a moste base, moste vile and corrup-tible nature, repugneth the mynde. This is the cause, thatwickednesse taketh soche a hedde, and that the horrible facteand enterprise of the wicked burste out, in that, reason exiledand remoued from the minde, the ougle perturbacions of theminde, haue their regiment, power, and dominio[n]: and wheresoche state of gouernemente is in any one bodie, in priuateand domesticalle causes, in forraine and publike affaires, inkyngdome and co[m]mon wealthe. Uertue fadeth and decaieth, and vice onely beareth the swaie. Lawe is ordered by luste, and their order is will, soche was the tyme and gouernmentof this wicked Nero. 

¶ Of his countree. 

NEro was a Romaine borne, though in gouerne-ment he was wicked, yet his cou[n]trée was famous, and noble: for, the Romaines wer lordes and hed-des ouer all the worlde. The vttermoste Indians, [Fol. Xliiij. V]the Ethiopes, the Persians, feared the maiestie and auctho-[Sidenote: Rome. ]ritée of the Romaines. From Romulus, who was the firstefounder, and builder of that Citee: the Romaines bothe hadtheir name of hym, and grew afterward to marueilous pui-saunt roialnes. There was no nacion vnder the Sunne, butit dreaded their Maiestie, or felte their inuincible handes:there hath been many mightie kyngdomes, on the face of theyearth, but no kyngdome was able, with like successe and fe-licitée in their enterprise, or for like famous gouernors, andcontinuance of their state, to compare with them. This was, and is, the laste mightée Monarchie in the worlde. Roome aolde aunciente citée, inhabited firste of the Aborigines, which[Sidenote: Carthage. ]came from Troie. The prouidence of God, so disposeth thetymes and ages of the world, the state of kyngdomes, by thefall of mightier kyngdomes, meaner grewe to power andglorie. The Carthagineans, contended by prowes, and ma-gnanimitee, to be lordes ouer the Romaines. Carthage wasa greate, mightie, olde, auncient & famous citée, in the whichevaliaunte, wise, and pollitike gouernours, helde therein re-giment, long warres was susteined betwene the Romainesand Carthagineans, emong whom infinite people, and ma-ny noble péeres fell in the duste. Fortune and happie successefell to the Romaines: the people of Carthage va[n]quished, andprostrate to the grounde. Scipio the noble Consull, beyng atthe destruccion of it, seeyng with his iye, Carthage by firebrunte to ashes, saied: _Talis exitus aliquando erit Rome_: eue[n][Sidenote: Destructionof Rome toashes in time. ]as of Carthage, like shall the destruccion of Rome bee, as forcontinuaunce of the Romaine state, of their glorie, power, and worthie successe, no nacion vnder the Sunne, can com-pare with theim: soche was the state of Rome, wherein wic-ked Nero raigned. 

¶ Of his anncestours. 

DOmitianus Nero, the sonne of Domitius Enobar-bus, Agrippina was his mothers name: this Agrip-pina, was Empresse of Rome, wife to Claudius Ti-[Fol. Xlv. R][Sidenote: Agrippina. ]berius, the daughter of his brother Germanicus. This A-grippina, the Chronicle noteth her, to be indued with al mis-chief and crueltée: For, Tiberius her housbande, hauyng byhis firste wife children, thei were murthered by her, becauseshe might, thei beyng murthered, with more facilitée, fur-ther the Empire, to her soonnes handes, many treasons con-spired against them oftentimes, Agrippina poisoned her hus-bande, then Nero succeded. 

¶ Of his educacion. 

[Sidenote: Seneca scholmaister toNero. ]SEneca the famous Poete & Philosopher, was schole-maister to Nero, who brought hym vp in all nobili-tie of learnyng, mete for his state: though that Nerowas wickedlie of nature disposed, as his beastlie gouerne-ment sheweth, yet wickednes in him, was by the seueritie ofSeneca, and his castigacion depressed: for Traianus Empe-rour of Rome, would saie, as concernyng Nero, for the spaceof fiue yeres, no Prince was like to hym, for good gouerne-ment, after fiue yeres, losely and dissolutly he gouerned. 

¶ Of his actes. 

[Sidenote: The dreameof Agrippinamother toNero, in hisconcepcion. ]THis Nero, at what tyme as his mother was con-ceiued of him, she dreamed that she was conceiuedof a Uiper: for, the young Uiper alwaies killethhis dame. He was not onely a Uiper to his mo-ther whom he killed, but also to his kyngdome and commonwealthe a destroier, whiche afterward shalbe shewed, what[Sidenote: Nero a viper[. ]]a tyraunte and bloodie gouernour he was. This Nero madein the Citee of Rome, the rounde seates and scaffoldes, to be-holde spectacles and sightes, and also the bathes. He subdued[Sidenote: Pontus. Colchis. Cappadocia. Armenia. ]Pontus a greate countrée, whiche ioineth to the sea Pontus:whiche countrée containeth these realmes, Colchis, Cappa-docia, Armenia, and many other countrées, and made it as aProuince, by the suffraunce of Polemon Regulus, by whosename it was called Pontus Polemoniacus. He ouer camethe Alpes, of the king Cotteius, Cottius the king being dedde[. ][Fol. Xlv. V][Sidenote: Nero vnwor[-]thie to be chron[-]icled. Seneca. ]The life followyng of Nero was so abhominable, that theshame of his life, will make any man a fraied, to leaue anymemorie of hym. This Domitius Nero, caused his Schole-maister Seneca to be put to death, Seneca chosing his ownedeath, his veines beyng cutte in a hotte bathe died, bicause hecorrected wicked Nero, to traine hym to vertue. He was out-ragious wicked, that he had co[n]sideracion, neither to his ownhonestie, nor to other, but in continuaunce, he tired hymselfas virgines doe when thei marie, callyng a Senate, the dou-rie assigned, and as the maner of that solemnitée is, many re-sortyng and frequentyng, in maidens tire and apparell. He[Sidenote: The shamfullife of Nero. ]went beyng a man, to be maried as a woman: beside this, atother tymes he cladde hymself with the skin of a wilde beast, and beastlie did handle that, whiche Nature remoueth fromthe sight. He defiled hymself with his owne mother, whomhe killed immediatlie. He maried twoo wiues, Octauia, andSabina, otherwise called Poppea, firste murtheryng their[Sidenote: Galba. Caius Iu-lius. ]housbandes. In that tyme Galba vsurped the Empire, andCaius Iulius: as sone as Nero heard that Galba came neretowardes Rome, euen then the Senate of Rome had deter-mined, that Nero should bee whipped to death with roddes, accordyng to the old vsage of their auncestours, his necke yo-ked with a forke. This wicked Nero, seyng himself forsakenof all his friendes, at midnight he departed out of the Citée, Ephaon, and Epaphroditus waityng on hym, Neophitusand Sporus his Eunuche: whiche Sporus before tyme, had[Sidenote: The death ofNero. ]Nero assaied to frame and fashion out of kinde. In the ende, Nero thruste himself through, with the poinct of his sworde, his wicked man Sporus, thrustyng foreward his tremblinghande: this wicked Nero before that, hauyng none to mur-ther hym, he made a exclamacion, in these woordes. Is thereneither friende nor enemie to kill me, shamefullie haue I li-ued, and with more shame shall I die, in the . Xxxij. Yere of hisage he died. The Persians so entirely loued hym, that afterhis death thei sente Ambassadours, desiryng licence to erecte[Fol. Xlvj. R]to hym a monumente, all countrées and Prouinces, and thewhole Citée of Rome, did so moche reioyce of his death, thatthei all wearyng the Toppintant hattes, whiche bonde mendoe vse to ware, when thei bée sette at libertie, and so thei tri-umphed of his death, deliuered from so cruell a tyraunte. 

¶ A comparison. 

[Sidenote: Nero. Caligula. Domitianus[. ]Antoninus. ]AS for wicked gouernement, Nero doeth make Ca-ligula like to Comodus, Domitianus, AntoninusCaracalla, thei were all so wicked, that the Senateof Rome thought it méete, to obliterate their name, from allmemorie and Chronicle, because of their wickednesse. 

¶ The conclusion. 

MOche more the life and gouernement of wicked Ne-ro, might be intreated of, but this shall be sufficient:to shewe how tyrannically and beastly, he gouernedvnmete of that throne. 

¶ A comparison. 

A Comparison, is a certain Oracion, shewyng by acollacion the worthines, or excelle[n]cie of any thing:or the naughtines of thesame, compared with anyother thyng or thynges, either equalle, or more in-feriour. 

In a comparison good thynges, are compared with goodas one vertue with an other: as wisedome & strength, whicheof them moste auaileth in peace and warre. 

Euill thynges maie bee compared with good, as Iustice, with iniustice, wisedome with foolishnes. 

Euill thynges maie be compared, with euill thynges, aswicked Nero, compared to Domitianus, or Caligula to Co[m]-modus, theft to homicide, drunkenes with adulterie. 

Small thynges maie be compared with greate: the kingwith his subiect, the Elephant or Camell to the Flie, a Cro-codile to the Scarabe. 

In a comparison, where argumente is supputated on[Fol. Xlvj. V]bothe the sides, worthelie to praise, or dispraise. 

Where a comparison is made, betwene a thyng excel-lente, and a thyng more inferiour: the comparison shall pro-cede with like facilitee. 

All thynges that maie bee celebrated with praise, or thatmeriteth dispraise: al soche thynges maie be in a comparison. 

The persone, as Cato being a wise man, maie be compa-red with Nestor, the sage péere of Grece: Pompei with Ce-sar, as Lucane compareth them, and so of all other men. 

Thynges maie bee compared, as golde with siluer: onemettall with an other. 

Tymes maie be compared, as the Spryng with Som-mer: Harueste with Winter. 

Places maie be compared, as London with Yorke, Ox-forde with Cambridge. 

Beastes without reason, as the Bée with the Ante, theOxe with the Shepe. 

Plantes, as the Uine, and the Oliue. 

First, make a _proemium_ or beginnyng to your co[m]parison[. ]

Then compare them of their countrée. 

Of their parentes. 

Of their auncestours. 

Of their educacion. 

Of their actes. 

Of their death. 

Then adde the conclusion. 

¶ A comparison betwene De-mosthenes and Tullie. 

TO speake moche in the praise of famous men, no argument can wante, nor plentie of matterto make of them, a copious and excellent Ora-cion. Their actes in life through nobilitée, will craue worthelie more, then the witte andpenne of the learned, can by Eloquence expresse. Who canworthelie expresse and sette foorthe, the noble Philosopher[Fol. Xlvij. R][Sidenote: Plato. Aristotle. ]Plato, or Aristotle, as matter worthelie forceth to commend, when as of them, all learnyng, and singularitée of artes hathflowen. All ages hath by their monuments of learning, par-ticipated of their wisedome. Grece hath fostered many noblewittes, from whom all light of knowlege, hath been deriuedby whose excellencie Rome in tyme florishyng, did seeke bynobilitée of learnyng, to mate the noble Grecians. So mocheItalie was adorned, and beautified with the cunnyng of theGrecians. Emong the Romaines many famous Oratoursand other noble men hath spronge vp, who for their worthi-nesse, might haue contended with any nacion: either for their[Sidenote: Tullie. ]glorie of learnyng, or noble regiment. Emong whom Tul-lie by learning, aboue the rest, rose to high fame, that he wasa renoume to his countree: to learnyng a light, of all singulerEloquence a fountaine. Whom Demosthenes the famousOratour of Athenes, as a worthie mate is compared with, whom not onely the nobilitée, and renoume of their Coun-trée shall decorate, but the[m] selues their owne worthines & no-bilitée of fame. No age hath had twoo more famous for lear-nyng, no common wealthe hath tasted, twoo more profitableto their countrée, and common wealthe: for grauitée and cou[n]-saile, nor the posteritée of ages, twoo more worthie celebra-[Sidenote: Thusidides. ]cion. Thusidides speakyng, in the commendacion of famousmen sheweth: as concernyng the fame of noble men, whose[Sidenote: The enuiousmanne. ]vertue farre surmounteth the[m], and passeth al other. Thenui-ous man seketh to depraue, the worthinesse of fame in other, [Sidenote: The igno-raunte. ]his bragging nature with fame of praise, not decorated. Theignoraunte and simple nature, accordyng to his knowlege, iudgeth all singularitée, and tempereth by his owne actes thepraise of other. But the fame of these twoo Oratours, nei-ther the enuious nature can diminishe their praise, nor theignoraunt be of them a arbitrator or iudge, so worthely hathall ages raised fame, and commendacion of their vertues. 

¶ Of their countree. 

[Fol. Xlvij. V]

IN Grece Demosthenes, the famous Oratour of A-thenes was borne, whose Countrée or Citee, lackethno co[m]mendacion: either for the nobilitée of the lande, or glorie of the people. What nacion vnder the Sunne, hathnot heard of that mightie Monarchie of Grece: of their migh-tie citees, and pollitike gouernaunce. What famous Poeteshow many noble Philosophers and Oratours, hath Grecebrede. What science and arte, hath not flowne from Grece, so that for the worthinesse of it, it maie bee called the motherof all learnyng. Roome also, in whom Tullie was broughtvp, maie contende in all nobilitée, whose power and puisantglorie, by nobilitée of actes, rose to that mightie hed. In bothesoche excellencie is founde, as that no nacion might bettercontende, of their singularitée and honour of countrée, thenGrece and Rome: yet first from the Grekes, the light of Phi-losophie, and the aboundant knowledge of all artes, sprangeto the Romaines, from the Grecians. The Godlie Lawes, wherewith the Romaine Empire was decorated and gouer-ned, was brought from the Grecians. If the citee maie bee ahonour and glorie, to these twoo Oratours, or their Citees asinguler commendacion, there wanteth in bothe, neither ho-nour, or nobilitée. 

¶ Of their auncestours, and parentes. 

BOthe Demosthenes and Tullie were borne, of ve-rie meane parentes and auncestours: yet thei tho-rowe their learnyng and vertues, became famous, ascendyng to all nobilitée. Of their vertues andlearnyng, not of their auncestours, nobilitée rose to them. 

¶ Of the educacion. 

THE singuler vertues of theim bothe, appered euenin their tender youth: wherupon thei being broughtvp, in all godlie learnyng and noble Sciences, theibecame moste noble Oratours, and by their copious Elo-quence, counsaile, and wisedom, aspired to nobilitée & honor. 

¶ Of their scholyng. 

[Fol. Xlviij. R]

BOthe were taught of the mouthe of the best learned, Demosthenes of Iseus, a man moste Eloquent: Ci-cero of Philo and Milo, famous in wisedome andEloquence. 

¶ Of their exercise. 

CIcero did exercise hymself verie moche, to declaime, bothe in Greke and Latine, with Marcus Piso, andwith Quintus Pampeius. Demosthenes wantednot industrie and labour, to attain to that singularitée, whi-che he had, bothe in Eloquence, and pronounciacion. 

¶ Of the giftes of their minde. 

IN bothe, integritee, humanitee, magnanimitee, and all vertue flowed: at what time as Demosthe-nes was commaunded of the Athenians, to framea accusacion, againste a certaine man, Demosthe-nes refused the acte. But when the people, and the wholemultitude, were wrothe with hym, and made a exclamacionagainst hym, as their maner was. Then Demosthenes rose, and saied: O ye men of Athenes, againste my will, you haueme a counsailer, or pleater of causes before you: but as for aaccuser, & calumniator, no, not although ye would. Of thissorte Tullie was affected, excepte it were onely in the saue-gard of his conutrée: as against Catiline, bothe were of god-lie, and of vpright conuersacion, altogether in Mediocrite, and a newe leadyng their life. 

¶ Of their actes. 

DEmosthenes and Tullie bothe, gaue them seluesto trauail, in the causes and affaires of their com-mon wealthe, to the preseruacion of it. How ve-hemently did Demosthenes pleate, and ingeni-ouslie handle the cause of all his countrée, against Philip, forthe defence of their libertee: whereupon he gatte fame, andgreate glory. Whereby not onely, he was coumpted a greatwise counsailour: but one of a valiaunte stomacke, at whose[Fol. Xlviij. V][Sidenote: Darius. Philip. Demosthe-nes. ]wisedome, all Grece stode in admiracion. The kyng of Per-sia, laboured to enter fauour with him. Philip the king of theMacedonians, would saie often tymes, he had to doe againsta famous man, notyng Demosthenes. Tullie also by his E-loquence and wisedome, saued Roome and all partes of thatdominion, from greate daungers. 

¶ Of their aucthoritee. 

THeir aucthoritee and dignitee was equalle, in thecommon wealthe: For, at their twoo mouthes, Roome and Athenes was vpholed. Demostheneswas chief in fauour with Caretes, Diophetes, Le[-]ostines, Cicero with Pompei: Iulius Cesar, ascending to thechief seate and dignitée of the Consulship. 

¶ Of a like fall that happened tothem, before their death. 

YOu can not finde soche twoo Orators, who borneof meane & poore parentes, that attained so greatehonour, who also did obiecte themselues to tyran-tes a like, thei had losse of their children a like, bothe were out of their countree banished men, their returnewas with honour, bothe also fliyng, happened into the han-des of their enemies. 

¶ Of their death. 

[Sidenote: Antipater. Demosthe-nes. Archias. MarcusAntonius. Tullie. ]BOthe a like, Demosthenes and Tully wer put todeath, Demosthenes died, Antipater gouernyngby the handes of Archias. Cicero died by the com-maundement of Marcus Antonius: by Hereniushis hedde was cutte of, and sette in Marcus Antonius halle. His handes also were cutte of, with the whiche he wrote thevehement Oracions against Marcus Antonius. 

¶ The conclusion. 

TO speake as moche as maie bee saied, in the praise oftheim: their praise would rise to a mightie volume, but this is sufficiente. 

[Fol. Xlix. R]

¶ _Ethopoeia. _

_Ethopoeia_ is a certaine Oracion made by voice, and la-mentable imitacion, vpon the state of any one. 

 This imitacion is in { _Eidolopoeia. _ } iij. Sortes, either it is. { _Prosopopoeia. _ } { _Ethopoeia. _ }

That parte, whiche is called _Ethopoeia_ is that, whichehath the persone knowne: but onely it doeth faigne the ma-ners of thesame, and imitate in a Oracion thesame. 

_Ethopoeia_ is called of Priscianus, a certaine talkyng toof any one, or a imitacio[n] of talke referred to the maners, apt-ly of any certaine knowen persone. 

Quintilianus saieth, that _Ethopoeia_ is a imitacion of o-ther meane maners: whom the Grekes dooe calle, not onelie_Ethopoeia_, but _mimesis_, & this is in the maners, and the fact. 

This parte is as it were, a liuely expression of the manerand affeccion of any thyng, whereupon it hath his name. 

The _Ethopoeia_ is in three sortes. 

The firste, a imitacion passiue, whiche expresseth the af-fection, to whom it parteineth: whiche altogether expresseththe mocion of the mynde, as what patheticall and dolefull o-racion, Hecuba the quene made, the citee of Troie destroied, her housbande, her children slaine. 

The second is called a morall imitacio[n], the whiche doethset forthe onely, the maners of any one. 

The thirde is a mixt, the whiche setteth forthe, bothe themaners and the affection, as how, and after what sorte, A-chilles spake vpon Patroclus, he beyng dedde, when for hissake, he determined to fight: the determinacion of hym she-weth the maner. The frende slaine, the affection. 

In the makyng of _Ethopoeia_, lette it be plaine, and with-out any large circumstaunce. 

[Fol. Xlix. V]

In the makyng of it, ye shall diuide it thus, to make theOracion more plaine, into three tymes. 

 { A presente tyme. } { A tyme paste. } { A tyme to come. }

_Eidolopoeia_ is that part of this Oracion, whiche maketha persone knowne though dedde, and not able to speake. 

[Sidenote: _Eidolopoeia_[. ]]_Eidolopoeia_ is called of Priscianus, a imitacion of talkeof any one, vpon a dedde manne, it is then called _Eidolopoeia_, when a dedde man talketh, or communicacion made vpon adedde manne. 

_Eidolopoeia_, 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 in _Eidolopoeia_. 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, in _Eidolopoeia_ talketh 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, _Eidolopoeia_. Reade Lu-cane, in the beginnyng of his thirde booke. 

Tullie vseth _Eidolopoeia_, when he maketh talke vponHiero beyng dedde. 

If that kyng Hiero were reduced fro[m] 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 like _Eidolopoeia_, as thus, vpon Lu-[Fol. L. R]cius Brutus dedde. 

[Sidenote: 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. 

¶ _Prosopopoeia. _

AS co[n]cerning _Prosopopoeia_, 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. 

¶ _Prosopopoeia_ of Roome. 

[Sidenote: 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 this_Prosopopoeia_ againste Cesar. 

 _Quo tenditis vltra quo fertis mea signa viri, Si iure venitis si aues hucusq[ue] licet. _

_Prosopopoeia_ is properlie, when all thinges are faignedbothe the maners, the persone, as of Roome in this place. 

[Fol. L. V]

¶ What lamentable Oracion Hecuba Quene ofTroie might make, Troie being destroied. 

[Sidenote: Kyngdomes. ]WHat kyngdome can alwaies assure his state, orglory? What strength can alwaies last? What[Sidenote: Okes. 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 bystre[n]gth 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, now[Sidenote: Fortunehath 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 caste[Sidenote: Hector. ]doune. Hectors death did wounde my hart, by Hectors mightTroie stiffe did stande, my comforte Hector was, Priamusioye, of Troie all the[m] life, the strength, and power, his death[Fol. Lj. R]did 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 praies[Sidenote: Priamus. ]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 re[n]tfrom 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 to _Rhetorike_, is an Ora-cio[n] that collecteth and representeth to the iye, thatwhich he sheweth, so Priscianus defineth it: someare of that opinion, that descripcion is not to beeplaced emo[n]g these exercises, profitable to _Rhetorike_. Because[Fol. Lj. V]that 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. Descripcio[n] 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 annis In 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 Massilia[n]s 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 was[Fol. Lij. R]ouerthrowne, & 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, bego[n] by his father Darius, againstGrece. For the whiche warres, preperacionwas made, for the space of fiue yeres, after that[Sidenote: The 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 hundred[Sidenote: Xerxes 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 richesse[Sidenote: Xerxes 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, [Fol. Lij. V]he was stoute, mightie, glorious, and wonderfull crakyng, [Sidenote: 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 fro[m] 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 place[Sidenote: Themi-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, shra[n]ke 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, who[m][Fol. Liij. R]whom God 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 betwene[Sidenote: The 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-[Sidenote: 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 stre[n]gthof 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 exercise _Thesis_, thatis to saie, a proposicion in question, a question vncertain, in-cluded with no certaintée, to any perticuler thyng. 

[Fol. Liij. V]

The Latine men doeth call it a question infinite, or vni-uersall: Tullie in his booke of places called Topickes, doethcall _Thesis_, _Propositum_, that is to saie, a question, in deter-minacion. Priscianus calleth it _positionem_, 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 called _hypothesis_, _hy[-]pothesis_ is called _questio 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 vpo[n] 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 question _Thesis_, which is a question, noting no cer-taine persone or thyng: is moche like to that Oracion, [Fol. Liiij. R]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. _

_Thesis_ is a reasonyng by question, vpon a matter vncer-taine. 

_Thesis_, that is to saie, a questio[n] 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 other _Thesis_ is a question contemplatiue, whichthe Grekes dooe call _Theoricas_, 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?

 { Simple. A question is either { { Compounde. 

Is it good for a man to exercise hymself in wrastlyng, or[Fol. Liiij. V]

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 vpon _Thesis_, is after this sorte made. 

Use a _exordium_, 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 creacio[n] of theworlde, GOD hath so blessed his creacion, andmeruailous workemanship in manne: as in allhis other creatures, that not onelie his omnipo-teucie, is therby set forthe. But also from tymeto tyme, the posteritee of men, in their ofspring and procrea-[Sidenote: Kyngdomescontinue bymariage andco[m]mon 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, thereby[Fol. Lv. R]many 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 infinite[Sidenote: The 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 hu[n]dred yeres, no issue wer to be, on the[Sidenote: Godlie 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-[Sidenote: 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-[Fol. Lv. V]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, [Sidenote: 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 a[Sidenote: A 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-[Sidenote: Chastiteein mariage. ]med and kepte vnder. Other wise, execrable is thy purpose, and determinacio[n] 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 prospectu[m] 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, [Fol. Lvj. R][Sidenote: 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 bo[n]dage, 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 his[Sidenote: Hercules. 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 all all integritee, to a monsterous rableme[n]t[Sidenote: The 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-[Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: 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:[Fol. Lvj. V][Sidenote: 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 hande[Sidenote: The 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 chaste[Sidenote: The 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 vpo[n], 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-[Sidenote: 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, [Sidenote: The Oracio[n]of 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 this[Fol. Lvij. R]counsaile, 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 and[Sidenote: Eleccion 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: whatseouer happeneth, 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 the[Fol. Lvij. V]aire. No state of life is able to giue riches, healthe, or securitée[Sidenote: Emperours. ]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. Some[Sidenote: Mariage. ]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 own[Sidenote: The 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 tymes[Sidenote: The 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-[Sidenote: 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 co[n]dicion 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 to[Fol. Lviij. R]any man, and a cause to blame mariage. 

¶ The aunswere. 

[Sidenote: 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 andchildre[n], 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 of[Sidenote: A 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 fro[m]a 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 esseactu[m] quis neget, quid est quodno[n] 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 housband[Fol. Lviij. V]dye before theim. 

¶ The aunswere. 

[Sidenote: 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 andspende with a merie harte, that whiche thou haste long tera-[Sidenote: Gods pro-uidence. ]uailed for. 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, then _Male parta male dilabuntnr_. 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 the[Sidenote: Death. 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, augme[n]teth, 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 is[Fol. Lix. R]pleasure, the ioye easeth thy labour. To behold thy self in thychildren, thei beyng vertuouslie broughte vp, it is a goodlie[Sidenote: The 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-[Sidenote: 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, who[m] no vertuous qualitées in her educacio[n], 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 preseruacio[n] 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 co[n]tain 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 cou[n]sailof the parentes & frendes, to be knowne before the contracte. [Fol. Lix. V]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 famous[Sidenote: Lawe. ]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 prohemiu[m] 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 in _Thesis_, 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. 

[Sidenote: The mosterigorous andmoste cruelllawe of Solo[n][. ]]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 meruailous[Fol. Lx. R]matter, 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 with[Sidenote: Adulterie 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. [Sidenote: 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. Booke _de 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 fro[m]voluptuousnes 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. [Fol. Lx. V]Where adulterie is cutte of, there many detestable vices, [Sidenote: 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 to[Sidenote: Lawe. ]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 the[Sidenote: The 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 wascalled _Lex 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 emo[n]g 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 put[Sidenote: A 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 snared[Fol. Lxj. R]with soche mischiues hath decaied, in fame, nobilitée and ver-tue. Many a parte of their dominion plagued, deuoured, and[Sidenote: The 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-[Sidenote: Lawe. ]tence of a Lawe, cutteth of the wicked enterprises of pestife-rous menne. Uice where lawe is not to correcte, will inure it[Sidenote: Uice as alawe by cu-stome. ]self by custome as a Lawe, or borne and tolerated againste a[Sidenote: Adulterie. ]Lawe. 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 sente[n]ce of the Magistrate and Iudge. Butthis cruell Lawe of Solon, doeth repugne all lawes, stabli-[Sidenote: 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. In[Sidenote: Thefte. ]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, [Fol. Lxj. V]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 Lawe[Sidenote: The 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 should[Sidenote: The 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. 

[Sidenote: 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, whe[n] 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-[Fol. Lxij. R]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 sente[n]ceof the Iudge heard. A terrour ensueth to al malefactours andpestiferous men, good men are incensed to all godlines, whe[n]vice by Lawe is condempned, cutte of, and destroied. Goodmenne by Lawe and aucthoritée, vpholded and maintained. 

[Sidenote: 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. 

 * * * * *

[Transcriber's Note: The following is a list of printer errors inthe original. ]

Page Original Correct

Fol. J. R faith he faith beFol. Ij. R Poloponesians PeloponesiansFol. Ij. R oracions, when oracion, whenFol. V. R Perthesius ParthesiusFol. Vj. V Romai- Romains [or Romaines]Fol. Vij. R valianntes valiauntesFol. Vij. R commo wealth commo[n] wealthFol. Ix. R uot notFol. Ix. R state or state ofFol. Ix. V comparson comparisonFol. X. R aboundauute aboundaunteFol. X. V oneie onelieFol. Xj. R fanour fauourFol. Xiiij. R vengauce vengau[n]ceFol. Xiiij. V Fenche FrencheFol. Xv. R Bristaines BritainesFol. Xvj. R porfite profiteFol. Xvj. V learnng learning [or learnyng]Fol. Xvij. R is was wasFol. Xvij. R Pholosopher PhilosopherFol. Xvij. V faundacion foundacionFol. Xviij. V aud andFol. Xviij. V Catona CrotonaFol. Xix. R celebraied celebratedFol. Xx. V intteled intiteledFol. Xxj. R gouerme[n]t gouernme[n]tFol. Xxij. V Politcia PolitiaFol. Xxiiij. V Rhetotike RhetorikeFol. Xxiiij. V exposion exposicionFol. Xxiiij. V Incrediblie IncredibleFol. Xxv. R The feigne Thei feigneFol. Xxvij. R the the theFol. Xxvij. R moderaciou moderacionFol. Xxviij. V Prossible PossibleFol. Xxviij. V Rhetotike RhetorikeFol. Xxix. R Fol. Xxxj. Fol. Xxix. Fol. Xxix. V Historiogriphers HistoriographersFol. Xxxj. R Fol. Xxxiij. Fol. Xxxj. Fol. Xxxj. R lineth liuethFol. Xxxj. V ouerthowe ouerthroweFol. Xxxj. V Epamniundas EpaminundasFol. Xxxij. R Epameunndas EpaminundasFol. Xxxiij. R Zopryus ZopyrusFol. Xxxiiij. R or God of GodFol. Xxxiiij. R wekedned wekenedFol. Xxxv. R destetable detestableFol. Xxxv. V Theodosiuus TheodosiusFol. Xxxv. V prouulgate promulgateFol. Xxxv. V hane haueFol. Xxxvj. R goddes goodes [or gooddes]Fol. Xxxvj. R lo liue to liueFol. Xxxvj. R the:m theimFol. Xxxvij. R Fol. Xxxix. Fol. Xxxvij. Fol. Xxxvij. V dangerous gaue dangerous gameFol. Xxxviij. V cut af cut ofFol. Xxxviij. V gouernuurs gouernoursFol. Xxxix. R Fol. Xxxvij. Fol. Xxxix. Fol. Xxxix. R His Oracion THis OracionFol. Xxxix. V goueruours gouernoursFol. Xl. V Traianns TraianusFol. Xlij. R nobilitée) for nobilitée (forFol. Xliij. R valianntly valiauntlyFol. Xliiij. V anncestours auncestoursFol. Xlviij. R conutrée countréeFol. Liiij. V omnipoteucie omnipotencieFol. Lvj. R all all allFol. Lvij. R whatseouer whatsoeuerFol. Lviij. V terauailed trauailedFol. Lviij. V dilabuntnr dilabuntur

The original contains the following additional printer errors:

Fol. J. R Decorative capital "N" reversedFol. Xxxiij. R Last sentence repeatedFol. Xxxviij. V Section heading repeatedFol. Liij. R First word repeats last word on previous pageFol. Liiij. R Remainder of last sentence missing?

The following do not appear to be printer errors, as they areconsistently used in the original: "thesame" for "the same"; "shalbe"for "shall be"; the use of "a" instead of "an" before a nounbeginning with a vowel; the combination of "the" and a word beginningwith "e" into a single word, as in "theight" for "the eight. "