rashly and unadvisedly, to make away themselves and multitudes of others. Alexander was sorry, because there were no more worlds for him to conquer, he is admired by some for it, animosa vox videtur, & regia, twas spoken like a Prince; but as wise Seneca censures him, twas vor inquissima & stultissima, twas spoken like a bedlam fool; and that sentence which the same Seneca appropriates to his father Philip and him, I apply to them all, Non minores fuére pestes mortalium quàm inundatio, quàm conflagratio, quibus, &c. they did as much mischief to mortall men as fire and water, those mercilesse elements when they rage. Which is yet more to be lamented, they perswade them this hellish course of life is holy, they promise heaven to such as venture their lives bello sacro, and that by these bloody wars, as Persians, Greeks, and Romans of old, as modern Turks do now their Commons, to encourage them to fight, ut cadant infeliciter, "If they dy in the field, they go directly to heaven, and shall be canonized for saints," (O diabolical invention) put in the Chronicles, in perpetuam rei memoriam, to their eternal memorie: when as in truth, as some hold, it were much better (since wars are the scourge of God for sin, by which he punisheth mortal men's peevishness and folly) such brutish stories were suppressed, because ad morum institutionem nihil habent, they conduce not at all to manners, or good life. But they will have it thus neverthelesse, and so they put note of "divinity upon the most cruel and pernicious plague of humane kinde," adore such men with grand titles, degrees, statues, images, honor, applaud and highly reward them for their good service, no greater glory then to die in the field. So Africanus is extolled by Ennius: Mars, and Hercules, & I know not how many besides of old were deified; went this way to heaven, that were indeed bloody butchers, wicked destroyers, and troublers of the world, prodigious monsters, hel-hounds, feral plagues, devourers, common executioners of human kinde, as Lactantius truely proves, and Cyprian to

Nulli beatiores habiti, quàm qui in præliis cecidissent. Brisonius de rep. Persarum. 1. 3. fol. 3. 44. Idem Lactantius de Romanis & Græcis. idem Ammianus lib. 23. de Parthis. Judicatur is solus beatus apud eos, qui in proelio fuderit animam. De Benef. lib. 2. c. 1. Nat. quæst. lib. 3. Boterus Amphitridion. Busbequius Turc. hist. Per cædes & sanguinem parare hominibus ascensum、 in cœlum putant, Lactan. de falsa relig. 1. 1. cap. 8. Quoniam bella acerbissima dei flagella sunt quibus hominum pertinaciam punit, ea perpetua oblivione sepelienda potius quam memoriæ mandanda plerique judicant. Rich. Dinoth. præf. hist. Gall. divinitatis notâ insigniunt. sum viri tales.

Cruentam humani generis pestem, & perniciem Et quod dolendum, applausum habent & occurHerculi eadem porta ad coelum paruit, qui magnam generis

humani partem perdidit.

Donat,

2

Donat, such as were desperate in wars, and precipitately made away themselves (like those Celtes in Damascen, with ridiculous valour, ut dedecorosum putarent muro ruenti se subducere, a disgrace to run away for a rotten wall, now ready to fall on their heads) such as will not rush on a sword's point, or seek to shun a canon's shot, are base cowards, and no valiant men. By which means, Madet orbis mutuo sanguine, the earth wallows in her own blood, Sævit amor ferri & scelerati insania belli; and for that, which if it be done in private, a man shall be rigorously executed, "band which is no less thani urder itself; if the same fact be done in publike in wars, it is called manhood, and the party is honored for it." Prosperum & fælix scelus, virtus vocatur.

a

We measure all as Turks do, by the event, and most part, as Cyprian notes, in all ages, countreys, places, sævitiæ magnitudo impunitatem sceleris acquirit, the foulnesse of the fact vindicates the offender. d One is crowned for that which another is tormented:

e

"Ille crucem sceleris precium tulit, hic diadema ;" made a Knight, a Lord, an Earl, a great Duke, (as Agrippa notes) for which another should have hung in gibbets, as a terror to the rest,

f & tamen alter,

Si fecisset idem, caderet sub judice morum."

༣

A poor sheep-stealer is hanged for stealing of victuals, compelled peradventure by necessity of that intollerable cold, hunger, and thirst, to save himself from starving: but a great man in office, may securely rob whole provinces, undo thousands, pill and pole, oppresse ad libitum, flea, grinde, tyrannize, enrich himself by spoils of the Commons, be uncontroleable in his actions, and after all, be recompensed with turgent titles, honored for his good service, and no man dare *finde fault, or mutter at it.

How would our Democritus have been affected to see a wicked caitiffe, or "fool, a very idiot, a funge, a golden ass, a monster of men, to have many good men, wise men,

f

d

Virg. Æneid. 7. Homicidium quum committunt singuli, crimen est, quum publice geritur, virtus vocatur. Cyprianus. Seneca. Juven. De vanit. scient. de princip. nobilitatis. Juven. Sat. 4. 8 Pausa rapit, quod Natta reliquit. Tu pessimus omnium latro es, as Demetrius the Pirat told Alexander in Curtius. Non ausi mutire, &c. Æsop. Improbum & stultum,

i divitem multos bonos viros in servitutem habentem, ob id duntaxat quod ei contingat aureorum numismatum cumulus, ut appendices, & additamenta numismatum. Morus Utopia.

learned

learned men to attend upon him with all submission, as an appendix to his riches, for that respect alone, because he hath more wealth and money, and to honour him with divine titles, and bumbast epithets," to smother him with fumes and eulogies, whom they know to be a dizard, a fool, a covetous wretch, a beast, &c. " because he is rich?" To see sub exuviis leonis onagrum, a filthy lothsome carcasse, a Gorgon's head puffed up by parasites, assume this unto himself, glorious titles, in worth an infant, a Cuman asse, a painted sepulchre, an Egyptian temple? To see a withered face, a diseased, deformed, canckred complexion, a rotten carcass, a viperous minde, and Epicurean soul set out with orient pearls, jewels, diadems, perfumes, curious elaborate works, as proud of his clothes as a child of his new coats; and a goodly person, of an angelike divine countenance, a saint, an humble minde, a meek spirit clothed in rags, beg, and now ready to be starved? To see a silly contemptible sloven in apparel, ragged in his coat, polite in speech, of a divine spirit, wise? another neat in clothes, spruce, full of curtesie, empty of grace, wit, talk non-sense?

To see so many lawyers, advocates, so many tribunals, so little Justice; so many Magistrates, so little care of common good; so many Laws, yet never more disorders; Tribunal litium segetem, the Tribunal a Labyrinth, so many thousand suits in one court sometimes, so violently followed? To see injustissimum sæpè juri præsidentem, impium religioni, imperitissimum eruditioni, otiosissimum labori, monstrosum humanitati? to see a lamb 'executed, a woolf pronounce sentence, latro arraigned, and fur sit on the bench, the Judge severely punish others, and do worse himself, "eundem furtum facere & punire, rapinam plectere, quum sit ipse raptor? Laws altered, misconstrued, interpreted pro and con, as the Judge is made by friends, bribed, or otherwise affected as a nose of wax, good to day, none to morrow; or firm in his opinion, cast in his? Sentence prolonged, changed, ad arbitrium judicis, still the same case, P one thrust out of his inheritance, another falsly put in by favor, false forged deeds or wils." Incise leges negliguntur, laws are made and not kept; or if put in execution, they be some silly ones that are

n

Eorumq; detestantur Utopienses insaniam, qui divinos honores iis impendunt, quos sordidos & avaros agnoscunt; non alio respectu honorantes, quam quod dites sint. Idem. lib. 2. I Cyp. 2. ad Donat. ep. Ut reus innocens pereat, sit nocens. Judex damnat foras, quod intus operatur. m Sidonius Apo. "Salvianus 1. 3. de providen. Ergo judicium nihil est nisi publica merces. Petronius. Quid faciant leges ubi sola pecunia regnat? Idem. hæreditatibus liberi, hic donatur bonis alienis, falsum consulit, Cum corrumpit, &c. Idem. Vexat censura columbas,

P Hic arcentur alter testamen

punished.

punished. As put case it be fornication, the father will dis-inherit or abdicate his child, quite casheer him (out villain, be gone, come no more in my sight); a poor man is miserably tormented with losse of his estate perhaps, goods, fortunes, good name, for ever disgraced, forsaken, and must do penance to the utmost; a mortal sin, and yet make the worst of it, nunquid aliud fecit, saith Tranio in the 'poet, nisi quod faciunt summis nati generibus? he hath done no more then what Gentlemen usually do.

"Neque novum, neque mirum, neque secus quam alii solent.” For in a great person, right worshipful Sir, a right honorable Grandy, tis not a venial sin, no not a peccadillo, tis no offence at all, a common and ordinary thing, no man takes notice of it; he justifies it in publike, and peradventure brags of it,

"Nam quod turpe bonis, Titio, Seioque, decebat

Crispinum"

"Many poor men, yonger brothers, &c. by reason of bad policie and idle education (for they are likely brought up in no calling), are compelled to beg or steal, and then hanged for theft; then which, what can be more ignominious, non minus enim turpe principi multa supplicia, quàm medico multa funera, tis the governour's fault. Libentiùs verberant quàm docent, as School-masters do rather correct their pupils, then teach them when they do amisse. "They had more need provide there should be no more theeves and beggers, as they ought with good policy, and take away the occasions, then let them run on, as they do to their own destruction: root out likewise those causes of wrangling, a multitude of lawyers, and compose controversies, lites lustrales & seculares, by some more compendious means. Whereas now for every toy and trifle they go to law, Mugit litibus insanum forum, & sævit invicem discordantium rabies, they are ready to pull out one another's throats; and for commodity to squieze blood," saith Hierom, "out of their brother's heart," defame, lie, disgrace, backbite, rail, bear false witnesse, swear, forswear, fight and wrangle, spend their goods, lives, fortunes, friends, undo one another, to enrich an Harpy advocate, that preys upon them both, and cryes Eia Socrates, Eia Xantippe; or some

Plaut. mostel. * Idem. Juven. Sat. 4. "Quod tot sint fures & mendici, magistratuum culpa fit, qui malos imitantur præceptores, qui discipulos libentius verberant quam docent. Morus Utop. lib. 1. * Decernuntur furi gravia & horrenda suppiicia, quum potius providendum multò foret ne fures sint, ne cuiqua tam dira furandi aut percundi sit necessitas. Idem. Boterus de augment. urb. lib. 3. cap. 3. 2 E fraterno corde sanguinem eli

ciunt.

corrupt

b

corrupt Judg, that like the Kite in Esop, while the mouse and frog fought, carried both away. Generally they prey one upon another as so many ravenous birds, brute beasts, devouring fishes, no medium, omnes hic aut captantur aut captant; aut cadavera que lacerantur, aut corvi qui lacerant, either deceive or be deceived; tear others, or be torn in pieces themselves; like so many buckets in a Well, as one riseth another falleth, one's emptie, another's full; his ruine is a ladder to the third; such are our ordinary proceedings. What's the market? A place, according to Anacharsis, wherein they cozen one another, a trap; nay, what's the world itself? A vast chaos, a confusion of maners, as fickle as the air, domicilium insanorum, a turbulent troop full of impurities, a mart of walking spirits, goblins, the theatre of hypocrisie, a shop of knavery, flattery, a nursery of villanie, the scene of babling, the school of giddinesse, the academie of vice; a warfare, ubi velis nolis pugnandum, aut vincas aut succumbas, in which kill or be killed; wherein every man is for himself, his private ends, and stands upon his own guard. No charity, love, friendship, fear of God, alliance, affinitie, consanguinitie, Christianitie can contain them, but if they be any ways offended, or that string of commodity be touched, they fall foul. Old friends become bitter enemies on a suddain for toyes and small offences, and they that erst were willing to do all mutual offices of love and kindness, now revile and persecute one another to death, with more then Vatinian hatred, and will not be reconciled. So long as they are behoveful, they love, or may bestead each other, but when there is no more good to be expected, as they do by an old dog, hang him up or casheer him: which Cato counts a great indecorum, to use men like old shoes or broken glasses, which are flung to the dunghil; he could not finde in his heart to sell an old Ox, much lesse to turn away an old servant: but they instead of recompense, revile him, and when they have made him an instrument of their villany, as Bajazet the second Emperor of the Turks, did by Acomethes Bassa, make him away, or in stead of reward, hate him to death, as Silius was served by Tiberius. In a word, every man for his own ends. Our summũ bonum is

h

Plutarch.

Milvus rapit ac deglubit. b Petronius de Crotone civit. Quid forum? locus quo alius alium circumvenit. d Vastum chaos, larvarum emporium, theatrum hypocrisios, &c. Nemo cœlum, nemo jusjurandum, nemo Jovem pluris facit, sed omnes apertis oculis bona sua computant Petron. vit. ejus. Indecorú aniimatis ut calceis uti aut vitris, quæ ubi fracta abj cmus, nam ut de meipso dicam, nec bovem senem vendideram, nedum hominem natu grandem laboris socium. Jovius. Cum innumera illius beneficia rependere non posset aliter, interfici jussit. Beneficia eo usque lata sunt dum videntur solvi posse, ubi multum antevenere pro gratia odium redditur. Tac. commodity,

E 2