The prouerbes of the noble and woorthy souldier Sir Iames Lopez de Mendoza Marques of Santillana with the paraphrase of D. Peter Diaz of Toledo: wherin is contained whatsoeuer is necessarie to the leading of an honest and vertuous life. Translated out of Spanishe by Barnabe Googe.

The Paraphrase.

ACcording to the true opinion of both the Astronomers and the Catholike diuines, we are not in such sort constrained by the starres to doe any thing, as we bee thereby depriued of our owne will, to doe of necessitie that which they foreshowe, but by inclining vs to doe certaine actions, they moue al our bodyly forces to do such things as they signifie. Which doth not so farre inforce vs, but that as Ptolomy saith in his Centiloquium, A wise and a vertuous man, may rule & reigne ouer the starres. That is, though the starres doe stirre and moue a man to doe euill, yet the partie him selfe hath sufficient power, if he will, to doe wel. But the olde people, beeing ignorant of this vertue, and seeing the Planet Mars did mooue men to be venterers and souldi∣ers, held opinion, that he was the onely god of battailes, and that hee aduaunced and re∣warded all such as were valiant and vente∣rous: which olde maner of speaking, is here by the Marques at this time followed. And most certaine it is, that such as make much of them selues, doe shunne as much as they

may, the comming into any perill or daun∣ger. Of which sort of people Seneca in his first tragidie speaketh, where he saith, That great yeeres and gray heares, happeneth to faintharted, and such as loue to sleepe in a whole skin. For such manner of per∣sons will be sure to commit themselues to no hasard nor danger, wherby they are vn∣capable of any vertue or honor. For Honor as Aristotle in the fourth of his Ethicks saith, is a reuerence, that is giuen to men in rewarde and recompence of their ver∣tues. And therefore the Marques saith, That whosoeuer is so valiant, as not to regarde his life in any vertuous attempt, shal be sure to receiue the crowne of Mars: that is, the renowme & rewarde of a vertuous minde, which he shall quickly attaine vnto if he represse feare. And where as there are in the vertue of Fortitude two extreames or vices, the one in ventering to farre, the other in fearing to much: the Marques hath not here said, If thou restrainest bold∣nesse, as hee sayeth, If thou abandonest feare: because as Aristotle in the thirde of his Ethicks affirmeth, and as dayly ex∣perience

teacheth, the nature of man is more inclined to fearfulnesse then to bolde∣nesse, and therefore those that seeke to bee valiaunt and vertuous, ought more to trauel in the repressing and abandoning of feare, then in the restraint or temperaunce of boldenesse. And therefore to good purpose sayeth the Marques in this Prouerbe, If thou abandonest or forcest feare, and not corrage, and because as it is sayde abooue, it is in euery mans power and will to bee vertuous, it is heere well saide of the Pro∣uerb, Thou shalt not want the honour, nor the state thou seekest to beare.