Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 18·

ARtaxerses the sonne of darius & of {per}a••itides had a surna∣me· Menuon and the hebrewes callyd hym Assuerus / He was the xj kyng of pers and regned fourty yere from Inde to

ethiopia· ouer an honderd prouynces and xxvij / his trone was in the Cyte Susis / The Cyte that here was called susis was cal¦led Egbatanis in the boke of Iudith and was chyef cyte of the elemytes / Iosephus sayth that danyel made there a wonder buryel for kynges· So wonderful that it semede made the same day that is to say the kynges of media of perses and of Perche∣a were wonte to be buryed in that buryel. This Artaxerses otherwyse callyd Assuerus in the thyrd yere of his kyngdome made grete reuel and feste to his prynces that dured an honderd dayes thre score and ten in that wonderful palais that me redeth of in thistory of Alysaundre The pyllers of that palays we∣re of siluer the keueryng lyke to the firmament chambred and hauyng precious stones of dyuerse colours to the lykenesse of the sterres ¶After he lay with his peple seuen dayes in the Or¦chard of lykynge / there was a vyne yerde with vynes of seluer with braunches of gold and clustres of precious stones The pauilons were pighte vpon pilers of siluer of marble and of I∣uory with roopes of whyte sylk and of reed / ¶There vasty the quene was rebell and wold not come to the kyng / therfor hester was chosen quene in her stede Democritus the philosopher dy¦ed that tyme Agellus speketh of hym and sayth that he putt out his owne eyen. and that for thre skylles ¶ The first for his sight lette hym of his holy thoughtes· the second for hee myghte not see women withoute grete temptacion the thirdde for that he sawe shrewes ofte mysdo and deden euyl dedes & that myght he not suffre but it greued hein soore Tullius ep / 95 Democri∣tus was wonte to say that the hestes of shrewes & the noyes of the wombe ben in one place / what haue I to do therwith sayd he whether this noyse sowne vpward or downward ¶ Pol̄ libro septimo ¶Socrates the philosopher four score yere old and xix. dranke poyson with stydfast semblaunt and dyed ¶ R Leste erroure befall in the name of Socrates take hede for there were thre Socrates One was Auctour of doyng and of dedes Cassiodorus in thistory callyd tripertita preyseth well this So∣crates ¶ Selencus theodoricus and Socrates made that story Another Socrates was of grece a grete philosopher and lawer

¶Of hym libro primo Saturnalium is rehersed that noble sawe Whan he was prayed of his felawes to putte forth somwhat of his noble spekyng. he saide as this place axeth I spareno spech & the spech that I spare is not couenable / for this place nouther

for this tyme▪ ¶ Suche a tale is told of Ipocras the philo∣sofre / the thyrd Socrates was platoes maystrer of hym is our speche at this tyme Pol libro quarto capitulo sexto Socra∣tes was reputed the wysest by answer of Appolyn & withoute ony withsayenge he passed the seuen wysemen / that were holden wysemen among the grekes and was acompted bifore hem with out comparison not only in wytte and connynge but also in ma∣ner of good lyuing· therfor tullius libro primo de tuscul̄ qō seith that Socrates was Prynce of philosophye / and that he called philosophie from heuen vnto erth and stuffed cytees with philoso¦phie. Augustinus de ciuitate dei libro octauo capitulo 14 ¶ A spyryte folowed Socrates and taught hym thynges / ¶Apuli{us} libro suo 1 de di / Socrates saith & reherseth. that this spiryte / vsed to warne Socrates to leue of his doyng whan the doyng shold haue no good ende R Therfor calcidius super librum thimei Me sayth that a spyryte folewed and / taught Socrates from his first childhode not to compelle him to do ought but to forbede him to doo thynge not spedeful· and as in adremes It semeth a man that he herith many thynges not by veray voys / but by somme token that folowed thoffyce of mannes vois / So socrates thought while he was waking was comforted and taught by warning of clere token of the spyryte Tullius de diō•• libro primo / We haue lerned of Socrates that was alway tendaunt to a spyryt that was cleped demon but he neuer moeued hym to doo dedes. but withdrewe hym ofte fro doyng of dedes / And therfor whan he sholde be dampned to deth he chees to deye in moost rightful ma¦ner· but tho had he no token yeuen hym of his god ¶ Valerius libro primo capitulo septimo ¶ Socrates in his old age vsed harpyng & armonye of strenges & sayd that it was better to vse that crafte late than lerne it neuer. he wold also take hede to the Arte of musik that art is right nedeful sayd he / ¶And soo he hield hym self euer poure to lerne and ryche to teche· ¶ And though he was wyse and wytty euer he sayde that he coude noo good / Therof came the comune sawe of Socrates I can not but that I can not / As Ieronimus reherseth epistola 35 / Valeri{us} li / 8 Socrates shamed not to take a rehed bytwene his thyes· and playe with his smal childer Pol̄ libro octauo ¶It is home¦ly and necessary a wyseman other while to pleye / not to putte away the vse of vertues / but to refresshe hym self and make him moore stronge to doo vertues of vertues ¶Also Socrates was

profytable in vertues that maketh men lyke god / For he was a man of good temprure as Agell sayth libro secundo / So that wele nygh al his lyues tyme he lyued in helth withoute seke∣nesse / & also in that moreyne tyme / that destroyed the Cyte Athe¦ne Therfor Valerius libro secundo Seyth that Socrates saide that many men wold lyue for to ete and. drynke / and that he wold ete and drynke for to lyue Also he was of grete suffraū∣ce / therfore Seneca libro tercio de Ira sayth that Socrates wal∣ked in the Cyte and was euyl smyten vpon the heed. and he answerd and sayde nought ellys but he sayde It is euyl for men that they wytte not ¶whan they shold goo oute with salettes on her heedes and whan withoute Also whan a yong man spyt∣te in his face whyle he disputed of wrath / he answerd and sayde I am not wroth but I doute whether I shold be wroth or noo

Also he was somtyme wroth with a shrewed seruaunt / that he had and sayde I wold bete the and I were not wroth ¶Also he had a wyf lyght of hir body as who sayth comyne and childer that were rebell and horelinges / & moore lyke to the moder than to the fader And a seruaunt that was alway a shrewe alwaye wroth and grutchyng ¶Netheles Socrates suffred alway and was paciente ¶Therfor Seneca epistola 197 Seyth that So∣crates was wel nygh alway in bataylle owther in Tyrannyse· owther in fredome harder than bataylle owther tyrannyse / Therfore Ieronimus contra Ionium and also Epistola 33 seith that socrates had twey shrewde wyues that wolden alway chi∣de / and stryue / And hadden ofte stryf for hym bitwene hem / the wynes were callyd Zantippa and Altipias / And on a tyme he blamed hem by cause they stryuē for hym that was but a fowle thynge / and sayde ye stryue for a man with snatted nose with a balled fort••p with ••••ery shulders and with croked thyes.

And atte laste both the wyues torned ayenst hym / and chidden him alto scarthes by one assente· and after grete chidynge and dispytous wordes they threwe on his heede theyr pisse of foure nyghtes pissynge oute of a soler. And he answerd nought ellys but wypte his heede and sayde I wyste wele that it shold rayne of thondryng of wordes Agellus libro secundo et Pol libro / 5 One axed of socrates why he chastysed not his wyf· Zantippa that was so ful of chidynge and of anger or els why he pute h••r not away from hyme And he sayde I suffre suche one at ho∣me to haue vse and customme that I maye the moore paciently

suffre wronges of other men Seneca de Ira capitulo tercio Token of wrath in Socrates was lowe speche and fewe wordes He was true and trusty in counseylle as Valerius libro octauo seyth that a yong man axed counseyll of Socrates whether he shold wedde a wyf or no. whether so thou do of thes tweyn seith he. thou shalt forthynke ful soore / For yf thou wedde no wyf. thou shalt haue this disauauntages· thou shalt be allone / thou shalt haue no child a straunge man shal be / thyne heyr / And if thou wedde a wyf thou shalt haue grete besynesse alwaye / many maner playntes plee of doyng despysyng chidyng and stryf / of thy wyues dame and vnsekernesse and drede of thy childers ende ¶And Seneca epistola. 30 and Pol libro septimo ¶ One axed of Socrates why pilgrimagis stode hym to noo prouffyte what wonder sayth Socrates / while thou berist thy self alwaye aboute with the / The same cause that greueth the maketh the goo from hoome· what profyteth newe lande there the flyghte fleeth not the. the disease of thought must be putte awaye els shal no place the plese Also Poli libro quinto capitulo sexto ¶ One axed of hym who sholde gete hym best fame / ¶ Who that doth beste sayd he and speketh lytel Also poli libro septimo Pla¦wes scolers hadden enuye to plato in Socrates scole. And pla∣to axed of Socrates how he myght escape the enuye of enuyous men / Be moost wretche sayd he / and than no man shal enuye the No thyng is withoute enuye but wrechednesse allone Ysidor{us} eth libro secundo capitulo decimo quarto ¶This Socrates ordey¦ned first morall philosophie for rulyng of good lyuyng of right wysenesse and temprure vertues and redynesse ¶Augustinus de ciuitate dei libro octauo This Socrates turned first al ma¦ner of philosophie to helpe of good lyuynge and of good ma∣ners but I know not whether he dyde that for he was ouerco∣me of greef of hardnesse of derk and of vncertayne thynges / to fynde som̄e certein man of doing by the which lif of man myght be the better / Owther for mannes soule sholde be the better and discharged of vnskylful lykynge· and be borne vp by kynde strengthe to knowe thynges that euer shall laste / for the sowle may· not knowe chief causes of thynges· but whan it is pured & made al cleene This Socrates whan ••e deyde / lefte many dis∣ciples a lyue that disputed in many wyse of our last ende & of hym that is the best. but of alle his scolers plato was chyef Seneca epistola 107 Speketh of the cause & maner of socrates

deth / For socrates sayd he was more lyef to swere by creatures / than by goddes ¶ It was leyde ayenst him he did ayenst the lawe· and that he appeyred childer / and therfore he was damp∣ned to prisonne· where he shold ete venym called fermacum Augustinus de vera religione capitulo primo / Socrates •• was hardyer than other in sweryng / for me sayth that he wold swe∣re by handes and stones and all that he wold swere by. he had redy in mynde / I trowe that he vnderstode that al the werkes of kynde that god ordeyned to be wrought by worchynge of god / be wele better than ony crafty mannes werkes / And therfore it is more worthy to take worshipes that longeth to god· than mawmettes that were worshipped in temples R ¶ Ther¦fore an expositour vpon boece de disciplina capitulo quarto / seyth / that one of Socrates dtsciples accused hym for he had made a book of one god and not of many goddes / ¶ Therfore he was compellyd to drynke a venemous herbe in that goddes name / & drank and deyde not. And efte he was compellyd to drynke in name of many goddes and drank and deyde ¶Therfor Tullius wryteth that after that he was dampned the men of Athene we¦re sory and punysshed hem soore: that hadde accused hym / and maden an ymage of gold resemblyng and remembraunce of so¦crates and· sette it in theyr temple ¶Also the commentor eth 5 seyth that Socrates whan he was accused seyde· Men of Athene maye dampne socrates but they maye not make hym vnright∣ful Than the Athenes began to vse four and twenty lettres / & vsed bifore sixtene Eutr and Eaufr