Euphues his censure to Philautus wherein is presented a philosophicall combat betweene Hector and Achylles, discouering in foure discourses, interlaced with diuerse delightfull tragedies, the vertues necessary to be incident in euery gentleman: had in question at the siege of Troy betwixt sondry Grecian and Troian lords: especially debated to discouer the perfection of a souldier. ... Robertus Greene, in artibus magister.

Helenus his discourse of Wysedome.

THe fall that Phaeton had, was because hee would Al∣tum sapere, stretcht his stringes to high, & being mor∣tall would intermeddle wyth diuine attempts. The Shoo∣maker had not this check from Apelles (Ne sutor vltra Cre∣pidam) because he found fault with the Latchet, but that he medled with the legg. Euery one that gazeth at the stars is not fit to discourse of Astrologie, neyther can fishermen fell the Phusicall reasons of the motions of the Sea. Al∣though their liues are spent, and their lyuings got, from the boosome of Neptune. And noble Gentlemen, it may bee that report, who is oft a false Heralte of humaine Actions, hath blabbed that shee hath seene some Philosophers works in my hands, & you hereof suppose that I haue their princi∣ples in my heade: but many handled Orpheus Harp that knew not the secrets of Musicke, and dyuerse may gase into Philosophers conclusions that cannot Analuze theyr reasons. Yet howsoeuer it be, séeing I am enioyned I will rather be counted too forward then too froward, & therefore bri••fly, this is my bare censure.

The Philosopher whom Apollos Oracle long since graced with the title of a wise man, being demaunded what wysedome was, made answere: A diuine influence infused into the myndes of men, which being metaphysicall•• kéepeth them from comm••••••••g that wherevnto they are forced by sensuall appetyte. Epictetus calleth it the touchstone of mortallity, meaning, that as reason is the difference that distinguisheth a man from a brut•• beast, so wysdome is that perfect ••nder, that sheweth how farre one man excelleth an other in the pretious constitution of his mynde. Therefore did our Poets rightly fayne Mynerua to spring from the

••rayne of Iupiter, and that hee durst doo nothing without her consent but his loues and amorous, meaning by this E∣••••gmaticall allegory, that shee being the godd••ss•• of wyse∣dome, was the Loadstone for Iupiter to dyrect his actions, and where hee digressed, there shee sealed his thoughts with a frowne.

The Phenicians were reported to haue their begin∣ning from the gods•• in that they were the first that found out C••racters, whereby to expresse openly the hidden secretes of wysdome. The inhabytants of Egypt, as fame telleth vs, were honored of all men, sith they were the first that founded Schooles of Phylosophy. And the Caldees were companions to kings: so highly hath wysedome beene estee∣med in all ages. But to leaue antiquities, and to come to our present tyme, what auayleth royall Parentage, and the possession of many Territories: what profiteth a Crowne and stately Diadem to the maiesty of a king: if to these forenamed fauours of Fortune hee haue not adioyned wise∣dome and learning, the cyuill pollycie is not mayntained in his prime: martiall discipline wanteth hir chiefest collou••: courage is counted rashnesse, not fortitude: liberality know∣eth not the circumstances how to giue, if wisdome bend not their course by a right compasse: so that I remember a cer∣taine Philosopher of yours, wishing ill fortune might befall on the inhabitants of Samos, hee prayed onely their king might bee vnlettered, and a foole, thinking no greater preiu∣dice could happen to a common wealth, then to bee gouer∣ned by an vnwyse prynce. But omitting this generall di∣scourse of wisedome, sith there is none so obstynate or oppo∣site to hir honor: but will and must confesse that no humaine action whatsoeuer can rightly bee counted perfect or vertu∣ous: if not bounded within the lymits of wysedome. To a more particuler proofe, and to the intent of our purpose•• that it is especially requisite in a Souldier.

A Gretian being demaunded how it happened that his countrey florished in such happy estate, made answere, for that our Captaynes and Generalls are Philosophers, and

our Philosophers made our Captaynes in warre: proouing by this reason, that where the martiall man was instructed in philosophy, there prowesse was strengthned with pollicy, and valour ••••doubled by wisedome: the Senate of Sparta neuer choose any to goe foorth with their army, but such as had spent many yeares in their academy, as well in natu∣rall contemplation as in morall conuersation, and were as eloquent an Orator, as a hardy warriour, counting in∣couragement giuen by wysedome, of as great force as a pre∣sident manifested by prow••sse. When Esthemius the Ma∣cedonian Monarche, successour to the offspring of migh∣ty Nymroth had thought to make a conquest of the south∣east parte of the Worlde: by chaunce hee made warre with a Barbarous people, so fierce and strong as his forces coulde not subdue: Delyghted with the sweetenesse of the soyle, and s••eing prowesse was in vayne, hee sent an Orator clad in riche and sumptuous attyre, who so tickled their eares with the pleasauntnesse of his spéech, that he re∣duced the Barbarians, not onely to submit as vanquished, but to become ciuill as ashamed of their former lyfe: How necessary the knowledge of the lyberall Sciences is for a Souldier, let experience manifest: for what captayne shall bee able to make choice of his ground to fight with his ene∣my to intrench to imbattayle, to leguer, to pitch his Pauili∣ons at aduantage, vnlesse skilfull in Geography, to know the Nature and plott of the Countrey so lately discouered•• How shall he order his men, or deuide them in companyes: how shall hee bring them into square, rounde, triangle, cor∣ner or any other forme, vnlesse instructed in Arithmetike and Geometry. The necessity of Astronomy may bee proo∣ued by a manifest instance: for Penthesilea the famous Queene of the Amazons, was resident in the city of Troy, making warre against Orythius hir bordering enemy: as the battayles were ready to ioyne, there chaunced in their fight to happen an Eclipse of the Sunne most fearefull and terrible, which greatly daunted both armies: but Penthesi∣le•• nothing amazed, as a good Philosopher discoursed to hir

Ladies the naturall cause of the Eclypse, that it happened by the shadowing of the Earth; and the Moone, which so lightly accounted of, by their Generall they incouraged, set vpon Orythius, who ignorant of so strang a sight, and not knowing the cause of so prodigious an apparance, fled•• and was vanquished: Sapiens dominabitur astris•• a wise man m••y gouerne the starres, meaning hereby (as I coniecture) that if Fate and Fortune, should oppose them selues to wis∣dome, yet their attempt were in vayne: therefore wisely did the Poets decipher Pallas to haue a Helmet on hir head, and a Booke in hir hande, and drewe hir Speares alwayes wreathed with Lawrell, signifying by this Embleme, that Mars and Mercurie were of one broode, that a ••alyaunt mynde, vnlesse guyded by wysedome, rometh into many in∣considered actions, which is so perilous in the state of a soul∣dier, that one foolish thought that beareth in the foreheade, (Had I wist) maketh an ouerthrow of a whole Legion of men. Wee finde written in our Annalles of Troy, that Danaus the Graundfather of Pryamus making warre a∣gainst the king of Hetruria when both the armyes were incamped, and the battayles ready to Ioyne his men, seeing so great a multitude were afraide, although their prince for∣most in the field, sought to incourage them by the example of his valour, his forwardnesse nor threats no whit preuai∣ling, but they still ready to flée: Apias a lame and impotent Poet stepping vppe amongst them, through certayne elo∣quent verses, that hee vttered in euery rancke so animated the Souldiers, that ashamed at their cowardis••, they furi∣ou••ly ran vppon the enemy, and like valiant men obtayned the victory, so much doth learning and wisedome preuaile in martiall discipline.

I remember in deede (quoth Nestor) that I haue heard in the auntient Recordes of Greece, kept in the temple of A∣pollo at Delphos: that y^e God being demaunded the reason why Iupiter should bée Gouernor aboue the rest, sith Mars was the best warriour: his answere was, that as Mars was valiant, so Iupiter was wise, concluding by this oracle, that

wisedome is of more force to subdue, then valour. And by your leaue sir (quoth Helenus) t'is a question, what prow∣esse doth auayle without wisedome: for suppose the captaine hath courage enough to braue the enemy in the face, yet if hee know not by a wise and deepe i••••••••ht into his enemies thoughts, how with aduantage to pr••••••••t such ambushes as may be layed to preiudice his army, had hee as great cou∣rage as the stowtest champion in the worlde, yet might the defect of wisedome in the preuention of such perills, ruinate both him selfe, his honour, and his Souldiers, in so much as your great Phylosopher Hermes Tresmegistus, was woont to say that wise men did therein resemble the Gods, in that they were wyse, and that many things imperfect by nature, were made perfect by wisdome, to cōfirme their force, where of may it please the Gretian Lordes to fauour mee with pa∣tience, I will rehearse a pleasant tragedy. The noble men delighted with the swéetnes of his discourse, by setling them selues to silence, gaue a proofe how they ment to bee atten∣tiue, which Helenus noting, began his tale in this fourme.