CHAP. LVII. The good Marcus Aurelius Emperour of Rome, endeth his purpose and life: And of the last words which he spake to his sonne Commodus, and of the table of Counsels which he gaue him.
WHen the Emperor had ended his par∣ticular recommen∣dations * vnto his sonne Commodus, as the dawning of the day beganne to ap∣peare: so his eyes beganne to close, his tongue to faulter, and his handes to tremble, as it doth accustome to those, which are at the point of death. The Prince perceyuing then little life to remaine, commaunded his Secre∣tary Panutius to goe to the coffers of his bookes, and to bring one of the coffers before his presence: out of the which hee tooke a table of 3. foote of bredth, and 2. of length, the which was of Eban, bordered all about, with Vnicorne. And it was closed with 2. lids very fine, of red wood, which they call rasing, of a tree where the Phe∣nix (as they say) breedeth, which did grow in Arabia. And as there is but one onely Phenix, so in the world is there but one onely tree of that sort. On the vttermost part of the Table, was grauen the god Iupiter, and on the other the goddesse Venus: and in the other was drawne the god Mars, and the goddesse Diana. In the vp∣permost part of the table, was carued a Bull, and in the nethermost part was drawne a King. And they sayde the painter of so famous and renowmed Page 558 a worke, was called Apelles.
The Emperour taking the Table in his handes, casting his eyes vnto his Sonne, said these words: Thou seest my sonne, how from the turmoyles of Fortune I haue escaped, and how I in∣to miserable destinies of death do en∣ter, where by experience I shall know what shall be after this life.
I meane not now to blaspheme the Gods, but to repent my sinnes. But I would willinglie declare why the Gods haue created vs: since there is such trouble in life, and paine in death. Not vnderstanding why the Gods haue vsed so great crueltie with creatures. I see it now, in that after lxij. yeares, I haue sayled in the daun∣ger and perill of this life: now they commaund mee to land, and harbour in the graue of death.
Now approcheth the houre where∣in the band of Matrimonie is loosed, the threede of Life vntwined, the key * doth locke, the sleepe is wakened, my life doth ende, and I goe out of this troublesome paine.
Remembring mee of that I haue done in my life, I desire no more to liue: but for that I knowe not whe∣ther I am carryed by death. I feare and refuse his darts. Alas what shall I doe, since the Gods tell mee not what I shall do? What counsell shall I take of any man, since no man will accompanie mee in this iourney?
Oh what great disceipt? Oh what manifest blindnes is this, to loue one thing all the dayes of our life, and to cary nothing with vs after our death?
Because I desired to be rich, they let me dye poore: Because I desired to liue with companie, they let me die alone. For such shortnes of life, I know not what hee is, that will haue a house: since the narrow graue is our certaine mansion place? Belieue mee my sonne, that manie things past doe grieue mee sore: but with nothing so much I am troubled, as to come so late to the knowledge of this life: For if I could perfectly belieue this, ney∣ther should men haue cause to re∣proue me, neyther yet I now such oc∣casion to lament me
Oh how certaine a thing is it, that men when they come to the point of death, doe promise the Gods, that if they prerogue their death, they will a∣mend their life? but notwithstanding: I am sorry that we see them deliuered from death, without any manner of a∣mendment of life.
They haue obtained that, which of the Gods they haue desired: and haue not performed that which they haue prornised. They ought assuredly to thinke, that in the sweetest time of their life, they shall be constrained to * accept death. For, admit that the pu∣nishment of ingrate persons be defer∣red: yet therefore the fault is not par∣doned.
Be thou assured (my Sonne) that I haue seene ynough, hearde, selte, tasted, desired, possessed, eaten, slept, spoken, and also liued ynough. For, vices giue as great troubles to those which follow them much: as they do great desire to those which neuer pro∣ued them. I confesse to the immor∣tall Gods, that I haue no desire to liue: yet I ensure thee, I would not die. For, life is so troublesome that it wearyeth vs: and Death is so doubt∣full, that it feareth vs. If the Gods de∣ferred my death, I doubt whether I should reforme my life? And if I do not amend my life, nor serue the gods better, nor profit the commonwealth more: and if that euery time I am sick, it should grieue mee to dye: I say it is much better for mee now to accept death, then to wish the lengthening of my life. I say the life is so troublesom, so fickle, so suspicious, so vucertaine, and so importunate. Finally I say, it is a life without life: that hee is an ob∣stinate Page 559 foole, which so much desireth it. Come that that may come: for finally, notwithstanding that I haue spoken, I willingly commit selfe in∣to the hands of the gods, since of necessitie I am therunto constrained: For it proceedeth not of a little wise∣dome, to receiue that willingly, which to doe wee are constrained of neces∣sitie.
I will not recommend my selfe to the Priests, nor cause the Oracles to be visited, nor promise any thing to the temples, nor offer sacrifices to the gods, to the end they should war∣rant me from death, and restore mee to life: but I will demaund and re∣quire them, that if they haue created * mee for any good thing, I may not lose it for my euill life. So wise and sage are the gods in that they say, so iust & true in that they promise, that if they giue vs not that which wee o∣thers would: it is not for that they will not, but because wee deserue it not: for wee are so euill, and worth so little, and we may doe so little, that for many good works wee deserue no merite, and yet with and euill worke wee be made vnworthy of all: Since therefore I haue put my selfe into the hands of the gods, let them doe with me what they will for their seruice for in the end, the worst that they will do, is much better then the world wil do: For all that the world hath giuen me, hath beene but mockery and deceite: but that which the gods haue giuen mee, I haue gouerned and possessed without snspition: For this last houre (my sonne) I haue kept the best, the most noble, and richest iewell that I haue possessed in my life time, and I doe protest vnto the immortall gods, that if as they doe commaund mee to die, they would giue me lieence to reade in the graue, I would command it to be buried with me.
Thou shalt know my sonne, that in in the tenth yeare of my Empire, a great warre arose against the vnrulie people of Persia, where by euill lucke it was appointed for mee, in person to giue the battell: the which wonne, and all their Countrey destroyed, I returned by the olde City of Thebes in Egypt, to see if I could finde any an∣tiquitie of those in times past. In the house of an Egyptian Priest, I found a little table which they hanged at the gate of the Kinges pallace the day of his Coronation.
And this poore Priest tolde mee, that that which was in his table, was written by a king of Egypt, named Ptholomeus Arasides. I beseech the im∣mortall god, my sonne, that such bee thy works, as the words of this table require. As Emperour, I leaue thee heyre of many Realmes: and as a fa∣ther I giue thee this Table of Coun∣sels.
The words which the Fathers do teach vnto the children at the last houre, the children ought to keepe continually in their memory. Let this therefore be my last word, with the Empire thou shalt be feared through out all the World: and with the counsels of this Table thou shalt bee loued of all Nations.
This talke being ended, and the table giuen, the Emperour turned his eyes, lost his sences, and for the space of a quarter of an houre, lay langui∣shing in extreame paine, and within a while after yeelded vp the Ghost. In this table were certaine Greeke Let∣ters which weere in meeter, and in our tongue signifie thus.
