The philosophie, commonlie called, the morals vvritten by the learned philosopher Plutarch of Chæronea. Translated out of Greeke into English, and conferred with the Latine translations and the French, by Philemon Holland of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke. VVhereunto are annexed the summaries necessary to be read before every treatise

THAT A MAN CANNOT LIVE PLEASANTLY ACCOR∣DING [ 10] TO THE DOCTRINE OF EPICURUS.

The Summarie.

GReat disputations there have beene holden among the Philosophers and Sages of the world, as touching the sovereigne good of man, as it may appeere even at this day by the books that are extant among us; and yet neither one nor other, have hit the true marke whereat they shot, to wit: The right knowledge of God: Howbeit, some of [ 20] them are a great deale farther out of the way than others; and namely the Epicureans, whom our author doth perstringe in many places, as holding a doctrine cleane contrary unto theirs, according as his writings doe testifie. And forasmuch as Epicurus and his disciples placed and esta∣blished this sovereigne good, in pleasure of the bodie: this their opinion is heere examined and confu∣ted at large: for in forme of a dialogue Plutarch rehearseth the communication or conference which he had with Aristodemus, Zeuxippus, and Theon, as they walked together immediately after one lecture of his upon this matter, who having shewed in generall tearmes the absurdities of this Epicu∣rian doctrine, maint eineth in one word: That it is no life at all for to live according to the same. Then he explaneth and sheweth what the Epicureans meane by this word To live: and from thence procee∣deth forward to refute their imagination, and whatsoever dependeth thereupon, and that by sound [ 30] and weighty arguments, intermingling many pretie conceits and pleasant jests, together with certeine proper similitudes for the purpose: After he had prooved that they were deceived themselves, and se∣duced their disciples; he holdeth moreover this point: That even they deprive themselves of the true good, which consisteth in the repose and contentment of the mind, rejecting (as they doe) all Histories, Mathematicall arts and liberall sciences, and among the rest, Poëtrie and Musicke; shewing through∣out all this discourse, that such persons are deprived of common sense. Passing forward, he holdeth and mainteineth that the soule taketh joyin a contentment proper to it selfe: and afterwards in discoursing of the pleasure that active life doth bring; he refuteth more and more his adversarie, addressing to this purpose, a certeine conference and comparison betweene the pleasures of bodie and soule; whereby a man may see the miserie of the one, and the excellencie of the other. This point he enricheth with divers ex∣amples; [ 40] the end whereof sheweth: That there is nothing at all to be counted great or profitable in the schoole of Epicurus, whose scholars never durst approove his opinion, especially in death: also: That vertuous men have without all comparison much more pleasure in this world, than the Epicu∣reans, who in their afflictions know not how to receive any joy or comfort by remembrance of their plea∣sures past. And this is the very summe of the dialogue during the time that the above named persons did walke; who after they were set, began the disputation a fresh, and spake in the first place, of Gods providence, condemning by diversreasons the atheisme of the Epicureans, who are altogether inex∣cusable, even in comparison of the common sort given to superstition: continuing and holding on this discourse, he depainteth very lively the nature of the Epicureans, and commeth to represent and set down the contentment that men of honor have in their religion; where also he holdeth this point: That [ 50] God is not the author of evill; and that the Epicureans are sufficiently punished for their impietie, in depriving themselves of that pleasure which commeth unto us by meditation of the divine wisedome, in the conduct and management of all things. Consequently he sheweth that this their prophane phi∣losophie overthroweth and confoundeth all persons, as well in their death, as during their life: Where∣upon he proceedeth to treat of the immortality of the soule, and of the life to come; describing at large the misery of the Epicureans: and for a finall conclusion, he compriseth in fower or five lines the summa∣ry of all their error, and so shutteth up and concludeth the whole disputation.

THAT A MAN CANNOT live pleasantly according to the do∣ctrine of Epicurus.

COlotes one of the disciples, and familiar followers of Epicurus, wrote and published a booke, wherein he endevoured to proove and de∣clare: That there was no life at all to speake of, according to the [ 10] opinions and sentences of other Philosophers. Now as touching that which readily came into my minde for the answere of his chal∣lenge and the discourse against his reasons in the defence of other Philosophers, I have before-time put downe in writing: but foras∣much as after the lecture and disputation of this matter ended, there passed many speeches in our walke against that sect; I thought it good to collect and gather the same, yea, and to reduce them into a written treatise; if for nothing els, yet for this cause, to give them at leastwise to understand who are so ready to note, censure and correct others, that a man ought to have heard and read with great heed and diligence (and not superficially) the works and writings of those whom he [ 20] taketh upon him to reprove and refute, and not to picke out one word here & another there, or to take hold of his words delivered by way of talke & conference, and not couched and set down precisely in writing, thereby to repell and drive away the ignorant and such as have no know∣ledge of those things. For when as we walked forth, after the lecture (as our maner was) out of the schoole into the common place of exercise, Zeuxippus mooving speech, began in this wise: Me thinks (quoth he) that this discourse hath beene delivered much more mildly and gently, than becommeth franknesse and libertie of speech beseeming the schooles; which is the reason that Heraclides and his followers be departed from us, as discontented and displeased, yea, and much more bitterly nipping and checking us (without any cause given on our part) than either Epicurus or Metrodorus. Then Theon: Why said 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 (quoth he) that Colotes (in compari∣son [ 30] of them) is the most modest and fairest spoken man in the world? For the most foule and reprochfull tearmes that can be devised for to raile and slander withall, to wit, of sacrileges, scur∣rilities, vanities of speech, talkative, babbling, glorious and vanting arrogancie, whoremonging, murders, counterfeit hypocrites, cousiners, cursed creatures, heavie headed, brainsicke, tedious and making their braines ake who reade them: these (I say) they have raked up together, and dis∣charged as it were haile-shot upon Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Protagoras, The∣raclides, Hipparchus, and whom not of all the most renowmed and principall Philosophers? in such sort, that how well and wisely soever they have carried themselves otherwise, yet in regard of their foule mouthes, slanderous speeches, and beastly backbitings, they deserve to be seque∣stred farre off, and put out of the range and number of wise men and Philosophers: for envie, [ 40] emulation and jealousie ought not to enter into this divine dance and heavenly quire, being so weake and impotent, that they can not dissemble and hide their griefe and discontent. Heereat Aristodemus: Heraclides (quoth hee) who by profession is a Grammarian, in the behalfe of all the poeticall rabble (for so it pleaseth the Epicureans to blason them) and for all the foolish and fabulous vanities of Homer, hath well requited Epicurus; or because Metrodorus in so many pla∣ces of his writings hath reviled and abused that prince of poets: but as for them (ô Zeuxippus) let them goe as they are: and whereas it was objected in the beginning of the speech against those men: That there was no living at all after their precepts and rules, why doe not we our selves, alone by our selves, taking unto us Theon for our associat (because this man here is wea∣rie) go in hand to prosecute the same thorowly? Then Theon made him this answere: [ 50]

This combat hath before us, beene Perform'd by others, well I weene.

And therefore propounding to our selves (if it please you) another marke and scope to aime at, let us (for to be revenged of the injurie done unto other philosophers) proceed after this forme of processe, and assay to proove and shew (if it be possible) that according to the doctrine even of these Epicureans, men can not live in joy and pleasure. Say you so? (quoth I then, and laughed heartily withall) now surely, me thinks you are leapt upon their bellies, and be readie to

trample then with both your feet: certes, you will enforce these men to fight for their verie owne flesh if you bereave them of pleasure, who doe nothing els but crie out and sing this note:

We are in deed no champions brave, In fight with fists no grace we have,

neither are we eloquent oratours, wise magistrates or prudent governours and rulers of cities or States,

But for to feast and make good cheere, To eat and drinke, we have no peere.

We love (I say) to banquet alwaies and make merie, to give our selves contentment and all the [ 10] delightfull motions and pricks of the flesh, if haply any pleasure and joy thereby may be trans∣mitted and sent into the soule: so as you seeme to me not to deprive these men of joy and solace onely, but also of their very life, in case you doe not leave them a pleasant and jocund life. How then? (quoth Theon) if you thinke so well of this subject matter, why do not you set in hand to it at this present. For mine owne part (said he again) content I will be to heare you, and answer againe, if you request so much; but begin you first to set us in the traine thereof, for I will yeeld unto you the superioritie and presidence of this disputation. Now when Theon seemed to pre∣tend some small excuse; Aristodemus: O what a compendious, ready, faire & plaine way (quoth he) have you cut us of, for to come unto this point, in not permitting us first to make inquisiti∣on unto this Epicurean sect, and to put them to their triall as touching vertue and honestie! [ 20] for it no easie matter, nay it is impossible to drive these men from a pleasant and voluptuous life, so long as they suppose and set downe this: That the supreame end of all humane felicitie lieth in pleasure; wheras, if we could once have brought this about: That they lived not honest∣ly; presently and withall, they had bene put by their pleasant life; for they themselves confesse, and say: That a man can not live in joy, unlesse he be honest; for that the one may not stand without the other. As touching that point (quoth Theon) we will not sticke in the progresse of our discourse, to handle it, but for the present, we will take that which they grant, and make our use of it; this therefore they holde: That the sovereigne good whereof we speake, consisteth in the bellie and the parts thereabout, as also in those other passages and conduits of the bodie, thorow which, pleasure entreth into it; & no pain at all: and they are of opinion that all the fine [ 30] devices, subtill and wittie inventions in the world were put in triall and practised, for to please and content the bellie, or at leastwise, for the good hope that she should enjoy contentment, ac∣cording as the wise Philosopher Metrodorus hath said and written. And verily, by this their first supposition, without going any farther, it is easie to be knowen and seene (my good friend) what a slender, poore, rotten and unsteadie foundation they have laied, to ground upon it their sovereigne good; considering that even those pores & conduits abovesaid (by which they bring in their pleasures) lie aswell open to admit grievous paines; or to say more truely, there be very few waies in the bodie of man, by which, pleasure entreth; whereas there is no part or member thereof, but receiveth dolor and paine. For be it granted, that all pleasures have their seat in the naturall parts, about joints, sinewes, feet and hands; why, even in these very places are bedded [ 40] and seated also the most cruell and grievous passions that be; to wit, of goutie fluxes and rhew∣maticke ulcers, of gangrenes, tettars, wolves, cancerous sores, which corrode, eat, mortifie and putrifie the parts that they possesse. If you present unto the bodie the sweetest odours and the most pleasant savours that be, you shall finde but few places therein (and seeke thorowout) affe∣cted therewith mildly and gently to their contentment; whereas all the rest often times are grieved and offended thereby: nay there is no part at all of the body, but subject it is to feele and suffer the smart dolors inflicted by fire, by sword, by sting, biting, scourging and whipping; the ardour of heat, the rigor of colde entereth and pierceth into all parts, like also as doth the fever: but pleasures verily are much like unto pretie puffes and gentle gales of winde, blowing after a smiling maner, some upon one extremitie that beareth out of the bodie, and some upon other, [ 50] as if it were upon the rocks lying forth in the sea, they passe away, blow over and vanish incon∣tinently, their time and continuance is so short: much like unto those meteors or fire-lights in the night, which represent the shooting of starrs as if they fell from heaven, or traversed the skie from one side to the other; soone are the pleasures on a light fire, and as soone againe gone out and quenched at one instant in our flesh; but contrariwise, how long paines and dolors do en∣dure, we cannot alledge a better testimony than that of Philoctetes in Aeschylus, who speaking of the paine of his ulcer, saith thus:

That dragon fell, doth never leave his holde, By day or night, since first my foot he caught: The stinging smart goes to my heartfull colde, By poisoned tooth which from his mouth it raught.

Neither doth the anguish of paine lightly runne over and gilde, after a tickling maner, upon o∣ther superficiall parts and externities of the bodie; but contrariwise, like as the graine or seed of the Sea-claver or Trefoile Medica, is writhen and full of points and angles, whereby it taketh hold of the earth and sticketh fast, and there (by reason of those points so rough and rugged) continueth a long time; even so dolor and paine, having many crotchets and hooked spurnes of roots, which it putteth foorth and spreadeth here and there, inserteth and interlaceth it selfe [ 10] within the flesh, and there abideth, not onely for a night and a day, but also for certeine seasons of whose yeeres, yea, and some revolutions of Olympiades, so that hardly and with much adoe at the last departeth, being thrust out by other paines, like as one naile is driven forth by another stronger than it. For what man was ever knowen to have drunke or eaten so long a time, as they endure thirst who are sicke of an ague, or abide hunger who are besieged? and where is that so∣lace and pleasure in the companie and conversation of friends, that lasteth so long as tyrants cause them to abide torture and punishment, who fall into their hands? and all this proceedeth from nought els but the inability and untowardnesse of the body, to leade a voluptuous life; for that in trueth, made it is more apt to abide paine and travell, than to joy in delights and plea∣sures; to endure laborious dolors, it hath strength and power sufficient; whereas to enjoy plea∣sures [ 20] and delights, it sheweth presently how feeble and impotent it is, in that so soone it hath e∣nough and is wearie thereof: by occasion whereof, when they see that wee are minded to dis∣course much as touching a voluptuous life, they interrupt and breake incontinently our pur∣pose, confessing themselves; that bodily and fleshly pleasure is very small and feeble, or (to say a trueth) transitorie, and such as passeth away in a moment; unlesse haply they are disposed to lie and speake otherwise than they thinke; like as Metrodorus did, when he said: That often times we spit against the pleasures of the bodie; and Epicurus, when he writeth: That a wise man be∣ing sicke and diseased, laugheth and rejoiceth in the middes of the greatest and most excessive paines of his corporall malady. How is it possible then, that they who so lightly and easily beare the anguish of bodily paines, should make any account of pleasures? for admit that they give [ 30] no place to paines, either in greatnesse or continuance of time, yet they have at leastwise some reference and correspondence unto them, in that Epicurus hath given this generall limitation and common definition to them all; to wit, Indolence or a subtraction of all that which might cause and move paine; as if nature extended joy to the easement onely of dolor, and suffered it not to proceed further in augmentation of pleasure; but when it came once to this point, name∣ly, to feele no more paine, it admitted onely certeine needlesse varieties. But the way to come with an appetite and desire to this estate, being indeed the full measure of joy and pleasure, is ex∣ceeding briefe and short; whereupon these Epicureans perceiving well, that this place is verie leane and hard, do translate and remove their sovereigne good, which is the pleasure of the bo∣die, as it were out of a barren soile, into a more fruitfull and fertill ground, and namely, to the [ 40] soule, as if therein we should have alwaies orchards, gardens and meddowes covered over with pleasures and delights, whereas according to the saying of Telemachus in Homer:

In Ithaca there is no spacious place, Affourding plaines at large to runne a race.

And even so in this poore fleshly body of ours, there is no fruition of pleasure united, plaine and smooth, but altogether rugged and rough, intermingled and delaied for the most part, with many agitations that be feverous and contrary to nature. Hereat Zeuxippus taking occasion to speake: Thinke you not then (quoth he) that these men doe very wel in this, that they begin with the body; wherein it seemeth that pleasure engendreth first, & afterwards end in the soule, as in that which is more constant & firme, reposing therein all absolute perfection? Yes I wis (quoth [ 50] I) and my thinks I assure you that they doe passing well, and according to the direction of na∣ture, in case they still search after and find that which is more perfect, and accomplished like as those persons do, who give themselves to contemplation and politicke life; but if afterwards you heare them protest and crie with open mouth, that the soule joieth in no worldly thing, nor fin∣deth content and repose, but onely in corporall pleasure, either present and actuall, or els in meere expectation thereof, and that therein alone consisteth their sovereigne good: thinke you not that they use the soule as a receptorie for the bodie, and in thus translating the pleasure

of the body into it, they doe as those who powre and fill wine out of one vessell that leaketh and is naught, unto another that is more compact and will hold better, for to preserve and keepe it longer, as supposing thereby, to make the thing farre better, and more honourable; and ve∣rily time doth keepe well and mend the wine that is thus powred out of one vessell into another: But of pleasure, the soule receiving the remembrance onely, as the odour and smell thereof, re∣teineth nothing else; for that so soone as pleasure hath wrought or boiled as it were one walme in the flesh, it is soone quenched and extinguished, and that remembrance remaining thereof passeth soone away as a shadow, smoke, or fuming vapour; much like as if a man should gather and heape together a number of fansies and cogitations of whatsoever he had eat or drunke be∣fore time, and so make his repast and food thereof, for default of other wines and viands fresh [ 10] and present in place: yet see how much more modestly the Cyrenaick philosophers are affec∣ted, although they have drunke out of the same bottle with Epicurus; for they are of opinion, that the wanton sports of Venus should not be exercised openly, and in the day light, but would have the same to be hidden and covered with the darknesse of the night; for feare lest our cogi∣tation receiving cleerely by the eie-sight the representations of this said act, might estsoones in∣flame and stirre up the lust and appetite thereto: whereas these men contrariwise doe hold, that heerin consisteth the perfection of a wise mans selicitie, for that he remembreth certeinly, and reteineth surely all the evident figures, gestures, and motions of pleasures past. Now whether such precepts and rules as these, be unwoorthy the name of those who make profession of wise∣dome, namely thus to suffer such scourings and filthy ordures of their pleasures to remain in the [ 20] soule, as it were in the sinke and draught of the bodie, I purpose not to discourse at this time. But surely that unpossible it is for such matters to make a man happie, or to live a joious life, may heereby appeere most evidently: For the pleasure of remembring delights past, cannot be very great unto those, who had but a small fruition thereof when they were present; and unto those likewise, who find it expedient for them, to have the same presented in a measure, & soone to retire & withdraw themselves from them, it cannot be profitable to think therupon long after, cōsidering that even with those persons who of al other be most sensual & given to fleshly plea∣sures, the joy & contentment abideth not at al after they have once performed the action; only there remaineth with them a certeine shadow, and the illusion (as it were in a dreame) of the pleasure that is slowen away, continueth a while in their minde, for to mainteine and kindle still [ 30] the fire of their concupiscence: much like unto those who in their sleepe dreame that they are drinking, or enjoying their loves; and verily such imperfect pleasures and imaginarie joies doe nothing els but more egerly whet and provoke lascivious life: neither (I assure you) is the re∣membrance of those pleasure which these men have enjoied in times past, delectable; but only out of the small reliques remaining of their pleasure, which are but weake, slender and feeble, the same remembrance doth renew and stirre up againe a furious appetite, which pricketh and provoketh them evidently, and giveth them no rest. Againe, no likelihood there is, that even those who otherwise be sober, honest, and continently given, doe amuse themselves and busie their heads in calling to minde such matters, and to reade and count them out of a journall re∣gister or day-booke and Kalender, according as the ridiculous jeast goes of one Carneades who [ 40] was wont to do so, namely: How often have I lien with Hedia or with Leontum? In what and how many places have I drunke Thasian wine? At how many set feasts at three weeks or twentie daies end, have I bene merie and made, great and sumptuous cheere? For this passionate affecti∣on of the minde, and disordinate forwardnesse, thus to call to remembrance and represent de∣lights past, doth argue and bewray most evidently an outragious appetite and beastly furious heat after pleasures either present, or expected and looked for: and therefore my concet is this: That even these men themselves perceiving what absurdities doe follow hereupon, have had re∣course to indolencie and the good state and disposition of the body; as if to live in joy and hap∣pinesse, were to thinke and imagine upon such a complexion, that either shall be or hath beene in some persons. For this firme habit and compact constitution of the flesh (say they) and the [ 50] assured hope that it will continue, bringeth an exceeding contentment, and a most sound per∣manent joy unto as many as can discourse and thinke thereupon in in their minds: For the better proofe hereof, consider first and formost their behaviour, and what they do, namely, how they remove, tosse and transport up and downe this pleasure, indolency, or firme disposition of the flesh, (call it what you will) transferring it out of the bodie into the soule, and againe from the soule to the bodie, for that they cannot holde and stay it, being apt to slide and run from them; whereupon they are forced to tie and fasten it to some chiefe head and principle; and thus they

do stay and susteine the pleasure of the bodie with the joy of the minde, and reciprocally deter∣mine and accomplish the joy of the minde in the hope and expectation of bodily pleasure. But how is it possible, that the foundation being thus moveable and inconstant, the rest of the buil∣ding upon it, should not likewise be unstedfast? or how can the hope be fast, and the joy assured, being founded upon a ground-worke exposed so much unto wavering and to so many mutati∣ons as these be, which compasse and environ ordinarily the bodie, subject to a number of neces∣sarie injuries, hurts and wounds from without, and having within the very bowels thereof, the sources and springs of many evils and maladies, which the discourse of reason is not able to a∣vert and turne away? For otherwise it could not be, that these men (prudent and wise as they are) should have bene afflicted and tormented with the diseases of painfull strangurie or pissing [ 10] drop-meale, the suppression and difficultie of urine, bloudy-flixes, dysenteries and dolourous wrings in the guts, phthisicks, and consumptions of the lungs or dropsies; of which maladies Epicurus himselfe was plagued with some, Polyenus with others, Nicocles also and Agathobulus had their part and were much troubled therewith, which I speake not by way of reproch unto them; for I know very well, that Pherecides and Heraclitus, two singular personages, were likewise incumbred with grievous maladies: but wee would gladly require and request of them (if they will acknowledge their owne passions and accidents which they endure, and not, upon a vaine bravery of words, to win a popular favour and applause of the people, incurre the crime of inso∣lent arrogance, and be convict of leasing) either not to admit the firme and strong constituti∣on of the flesh, for the element and principle of all joy; or els not to beare us in hand and affirm, [ 20] that those who be fallen into painfull anguish and dolourous disease, doe laugh, disport, and be wantonly merie: for well it may be, that the body and flesh may be many times in good plight and in firme disposition; but that the hope should be assured and certeine that the same will so continue, never yet could enter into a man of staied minde and sound judgement. But like as in the sea, according to the Poet Aeschylus,

The night alwaies, even to a pilot wise, Breeds woe, for feare lest tempests should arise. So doth a calme —

For why? who knowes what will ensue? and future time is ever uncertaine. Impossible it is there∣fore, that a soule which placeth and reposeth her fovereigne good in the sound disposition of [ 30] the bodie, and in the hope of continuance therein, should hold long without feare and trouble; for that the bodie is not onely subject to stormes and tempests without, as the sea is; but the greatest part of troublesome passions, and those which are most violent, she breedeth in herselfe; and more reason there is for a man to hope for faire weather in Winter, than to promise him∣selfe a constitution of bodie exempt from paine and harme, to persever and remaine so, long: for what els hath given Poets occasion and induced them to call the life of man a day-flower, unstable, unconstant and uncerteine; or to compare it unto the leaves of trees, which put out in the Spring season, fade and fall againe in Autumne; but the imbecillitie and seeblenesse of the flesh, subject to infinit infirmities, casualties, hurts and dangers? the best plight whereof, and highest point of perfection, physicians themselves are wont to admonish us for to suspect, feare, [ 40] diminish, and take downe. For according to the Aphorisme of Hippocrates: The good consti∣tution of a body when it is at the height, is dangerous and slipperie: and as Euripides the poet said verie well:

Whose body strong, whose fast and brawny flesh, Did shew erewhile a colour gate and fresh, Soone gone he was, and extinct so dainly, As starre that seemes to shoot and fall from sky.

Nay, that which more is; a common received opinion it is, that those persons who are most faire and in the flowre of their beautie, if they be eie-bitten, or looked wistly upon by a witch∣ing or envious eie, sustaine much hurt and damage thereby; because the perfection and highest [ 50] degree of vigour in the bodie, is most subject to a sudden alteration, by reason of very weake∣nesse and frailtie; and that there is small or no assurance at all that a man should leade his life without paine and sorrow, may evidently appeere by that which they themselves doe saie unto others; for they affirme: That whosoever commit wickednesse and transgresse the lawes, live all their daies in miserie and feare; for howsoever they may perhaps live undetected, yet impossi∣ble it is that they should promise themselves assured securitie, never to be discovered; insomuch as the doubt and feare of future punishment, will not give them leave to take joy, or assuredly to

use the benefit of present impunitie; in delivering these speeches to other, they perceive not how they speake against themselves: For semblably well it may be, that oftentimes they may have their health, and carrie able bodies about them; but to be assured that they shall continue so alwaies, or a long time, is a thing that cannot be performed; for needs they must evermore stand in doubt and distrust of their bodie for the time to come; like as women great with child, are ever gruntling and groning against the time of their travell: otherwise, let them say, why they attend still a sure and confident hope of that which hetherto they never could attaine unto. Moreover, it is not sufficient to worke assured confidence, for a man to forbeare sinne and wrong-doing, or not at all to offend the lawes, considering that to be afflicted justly, and for de∣sert, is not the thing to be feared, but simply to endure paine, is fearefull and terrible. For if it [ 10] be a griefe and trouble to be touched and vexed with a mans owne sinnes and trespasses; he can∣not chuse but be molested and disquieted also with the enormities and transgressions of others: And verily if the outragious violence and crueltie of Lachares was not more offensive and trou∣blesome to the Athenians; and likewise the tyrannie of Dionysius to the Syracusanes; yet I am sure at leastwise it was full as much as to their owne selves; for whiles they vexed them, tormen∣ted they were and molested themselves, and they looked to suffer punishment one time or other for their wrongs and outrages, for that they offered the same before unto their citizens and subjects who fell into their hands. What should a man alledge to this purpose, the furious rage of the multitude, the horrible and bloudie crueltie of theeves and rovers, the mischievous pranks of proud and presumptuous inheritors, plague and pestilence by contagion and corrup∣tion [ 20] of the aire, as also the fell outrage of the angry sea, in a ghust whereof Epicurus himselfe writeth, he had like to have beene swallowed up as he sailed to the citie Lampsacus? It may suf∣fice to relate in this place the nature onely of our body and fraile flesh, which hath within it selfe the matter of all maladies, cutting (as we say merrily in the common proverb) out of the verie ox, leather thongs; that is to say, taking paines and torments from it selfe, thereby to make life full of anguish, fearefull, and dangerous, as well to good persons as to bad; in case they have learned to rejoice, and to found the confidence and surety of their joy upon nothing else but the flesh and the hope thereof, according as Epicurus himselfe hath left written, as in many other of his books, so in those especially which hee entituled, Of the sovereigne end of all good things. We may therefore directly conclude, that these men doe hold for the foundation of a [ 30] joyfull & pleasant life, not a principle that is not onely unsteadie, tottering, and not to be trusted upon, but also base, vile, and every way contemptible; if so be that to avoid evils, be their onely joy and the soveraigne felicitie that they seeke for; and in case they say: That they respect and regard naught else; and in one word: That nature hereselfe knoweth not where else to lodge and bestow the said happinesse, but onely there, from whence is chased and driven away, that which might annoy and offend her; and thus hath Metrodorus written in his treatise against sophisters: so that according to their doctrine, we are to make this definition of sovereigne good, even the avoidance of evill; for how can one lodge any joy, or place the said good, but onely there, from whence paine and evil hath beene dislodged & remooved: To the same effect writeth Epi∣curus also, to wit: That the nature of a good thing is ingendred and ariseth from the eschuing & [ 40] shunning of evill; as also that it proceedeth from the remembrance, cogitation, and joy which one conceiveth, in that such a thing hapned unto him. For surely it is an inestimable and in∣comparable pleasure (by his saying) to wit, the knowledge alone that one hath escaped some notable hurt or great danger: And this (quoth he) is certainly the nature and essence of the so∣veraigne good, if thou wilt directly apply thy selfe thereto, as it is meet, and then anon rest and stay therein, without wandering to and fro, heere and there, prating and babling I wot not what concerning the definition of the said sovereigne good. O the great felicitie and goodly pleasure which these men enjoy, rejoicing as they doe in this, that they endure none evill, feele no paine, nor suffer sorow! Have they not (thinke you) great cause to glorifie, & to say as they doe, calling themselves immortal, and gods fellowes? Have they not reason for these their grandeurs, and [ 50] exceeding sublimites of their blessings, to cry out with open mouth, & as if they were possessed with the frantike furie of Bacchus priests, to breake foorth into lowd exclamation for joy, that surpassing all other men in wisedome and quicknesse of wit, they onely have found out the so∣vereigne, celestiall, and divine good, and that which hath no mixture at all of evill? So that now their beatitude and felicitie is nothing inferior to that of swine and sheepe, in that they repose true happinesse in the good and sufficient estate of the flesh principally, and of the soule like∣wise in regard of the flesh; of hogges I say and sheepe; for to speake of other beasts which are

of a more civill, gentle, and gallant nature; the height and perfection of their good, standeth not upon the avoiding of evil, considering that when they are full, and have stored their crawes, some fall to singing and crowing, others to swimming; some give themselves to flie, others to counterfeit all kinds of notes and sounds, disporting for joy of heart and the pleasure that they take; they use to plaie together, they make pastime, they hoppe, leape, skippe, and daunce one with another, she wing thereby, that after they have escaped some evill, nature inciteth and stir∣reth them to seeke forward, and looke after that which is good, or rather indeed that they reject and cast from them, all that which is dolorous and contrary to their nature, as if it stood in their way, and hindred them in the pursute of that which is better, more proper & natural unto them: for that which is necessarie is not straight waies simplie good; but surely the thing that in truth [ 10] is desirable and woorthie to be chosen above the rest, is situate farther, and reacheth beyond the avoidance of evill; I meane that which is indeed pleasant, and familiar to nature, as Plato said; who forbad expresly to call or once to esteeme the deliverance of paine and sorrow, either plea∣sure or joy, but to take them as it were for the rude Sciographie or first draught of a painter, or a mixture of that which is proper and strange, familiar and unnaturall, like as of blacke and white. But some there be, who mounting from the bottom to the mids, for want of knowledge, what is the lowest and the middle take the middle for the top and the highest pitch, as Epicurus & Metrodorus have done, who defined the essential nature and substance of the soveraigne good, to be the deliverance and riddance from evill, contenting themselves with the joy of slaves and captives, who are enlarged and delivered out of prison, or eased of their irons, who take it to [ 20] be a great pleasure done unto them in case they be gently washed, bathed, and annointed after their whipping-cheere, and when their flesh hath beene torne with scourges; meane-while they have no taste at all or knowledge of pure, true, and liberal joyes indeed, such as be sincere, cleane and not blemished with any scarres or cicatrices, for those they never saw, nor came where they grew; for say that the scurfe, scabbe, and manginesse of the flesh, say that the blee∣rednesse or gummy watering of rheumatike eies, be troublesome infirmities, and such as na∣ture cannot away withall, it followeth not heereupon that the scraping and scratching of the skinne, or the rubbing and clensing of the eies should bee such woonderfull matters, as to bee counted felicities: neither if we admit, that the superstitious feare of the gods, and the grievous anguish and trouble arising from that which is reported of the divels in hell be evill; we are not [ 30] to inferre by and by that to be exempt and delivered there fro, is happinesse, felicitie, and that which is to be so greatly wished and desired: certes, the assigne a very straight roome and nar∣row place for their joy, wherein to turne, to walke, too rome and tumble at ease, so farre foorth onely, as not to be terrified or dismaied with the apprehension of the paines and tor∣ments described in hell, the onely thing that they desire. Lo, how their opinion which so farre passeth the common sort of people, setteth downe for the finall end of theri singular wisedome, a thing, which it seemeth the very brute beasts hate even of thēselves: for as touching that firme constitution and indolence of the body, it makes no matter, whether of it selfe or by nature, it be void of paine and sicknesse; no more in the tranquillitie and repose of the soule, skilleth it much, where by the owne industrie or benefit of nature, it be delivered from feare and terror: [ 40] and yet verily a man may well say, and with great reason, that the disposition is more firme and strong, which naturally admitteth nothing to trouble and torment it; than that which with judgement and by the light and guidance of learning doth avoid it: But set the case, that the one were as effectuall and powerfull as the other; then verily it will appeere at leastwise, that in this behalfe, they have no advantage and preeminence above brute beasts; to wit, in that they feele no anguish nor trouble of spirit, for those things which are reported either of the divels in hel, or the gods in heaven; nor feare at all paines and torments, expecting when they shall have an end. That this is true, Epicurus verily himselfe hath put downe in writing: If (quoth he) the suspicious and imaginations of the meteores and impressions which both are and doe appeare in the aire and skie above, did not trouble us; nor yet those of death and the pangs thereof; we [ 50] should have no need at all to have recourse unto the naturall causes of all those things, no more than those dumbe beasts who enterteine no evill suspicions or surmises of the gods, nor any opinions to torment them, as touching that which shall befall unto them after death: for they neither beleeve and know, not so much as once think of any harme at all in such things. Furthermore, if in the opinion that they holde of the gods, they had reserved and left a place for divine providence, beleeving that thereby the world was governed, they might have beene

thought wise men as they are, to have gone beyond brute beasts for the atteinting of a pleasant and joifull life, in regard of their good hopes; but seeing all their doctrine as touching the gods tendeth to this end, namely, to feare no god, and otherwise to be fearelesse and carelesse altoge∣ther, I am perswaded verily, that this is more firmely setled in those, having no sense and know∣ledge at all of God, than in these who say they know God, but have not learned to acknowledge him for a punishing God, and one that can punish and doe harme: for those are not delivered from superstition; and why? they never fell into it, neither have they laied away that fearefull conceit and opinion of the gods; and no marvell, for they never had any such: the same may be said as touching hell and the infernall spirits; for neither the one nor the other have any hope to receive good from thence; marie, suspect, feare and doubt what shall betide them after death [ 10] those must needs, lesse, who have no fore-conceit at all of death, than they in whom this perswa∣sion is imprinted beforehand, that death concerneth us not: and yet thus farre forth it toucheth them, in that they discourse, dispute, and consider thereupon; whereas brute beasts are altoge∣ther freed from the thought and care of such things as doe nothing perteine unto them: true it is, that they shunne stroaks, wounds and slaughter; and thus much (I say) of death they feare, which also even to these men is dreadfull and terrible. Thus you see what good things wisdome (by their owne saying) hath furnished them withall: but let us now take a sight and survey of those which they exclude themselves sro and are deprived of. As touching those diffusions of the soule, when it dilateth and spreadeth it selfe over the flesh, and for the pleasure that the flesh feeleth, if the same be small or meane, there is no great matter therein, nor that which is of any [ 20] consequence to speake of; but if they passe mediocritie, then (besides that they be vaine, deceit∣full and uncerteine) they are found to be combersome and odious, such as a man ought rather to tearme, not spiritual joies and delights of the soule, but rather sensuall and grosse pleasures of the bodie, fawning, flattering and smiling upon the soule, to draw and entice her to the partici∣pation of such vanities: as for such contentments of the minde which deserve indeed and are woorthy to be called joies and delights, they be purified cleane from the contrarie, they have no mixture at all of troublesome motions, no sting that pricketh them, nor repentance that follow∣eth them, but their pleasure is spirituall, proper and naturall to the soule; neither is the good therein borowed abroad, and brought in from without, nor absurd and void of reason, but most agreeable and sorting thereto, proceeding from that part of the mind which is given unto con∣templation [ 30] of the trueth, and desirous of knowledge, or at leastwise from that, which applieth it selfe to doe and execute great and honourable things: now the delights and joies aswell of the one as the other, hee that went about to number, and would straine and force himselfe to dis∣course how great and excellent they be, he were never able to make an end: but in briefe and few words, to helpe our memorie a little as touching this point: Histories minister an infinit number of goodly and notable examples, which yeeld unto us a singular delight and recreation to passe the time away, never breeding in us a tedious satietie, but leaving alwaies the appetite that our soule hath to the trueth, insatiable and desirous still of more pleasure and contentment; in regard whereof, untrueths and very lies therein delivered, are not without their grace; for even in fables and sictions poeticall, although we give no credit unto them, there is some effe∣ctuall [ 40] force to delight and perswade: for thinke (I pray you) with your selfe, with what heat of delight and affection we reade the booke of Plato entituled Atlanticus, or the last books of Ho∣mers Ilias? consider also with what griefe of heart wee misse and want the residue of the tale be∣hinde, as if we were kept out of some beautifull temples, or faire theaters, shut fast against us? for surely the knowledge of trueth in all things, is so lovely and amiable, that it seemeth, our life and very being, dependeth most upon knowledge and learning; whereas the most unpleasant, odious and horrible things in death, be oblivion, ignorance and darknesse; which is the reason (I assure you) that all men in a maner sight and warre against those who would bereave the dead of all sense, giving us thereby to understand, that they do measure the whole life, the being also, and joy of man, by the sense onely and knowledge of his minde; in such sort, that even those ve∣ry [ 50] things that are odious and offensive otherwise, we heare other whiles with pleasure; and often times it falleth out, that though men be troubled with the thing they heare, so as the water stan∣deth in their eies, and they be readie to weepe and crie out for griefe, yet they desire those that relate the same to say on and speake all: as for example, Oedipus in Sophocles.

THE MESSENGER.

Alas, my lord, I see that now I shall

Relate the thing which is the worst of all.

OEDIPUS.

Woe is me likewise: to heare it I am prest, There is no helpe; say on, and tell the rest.

But peradventure this may be a current and streame of intemperat pleasure and delight, procee∣ding from a curiositie of the minde and will, too forward to heare and know all things, yea, and to offer violence unto the judgement and discourse of reason: howbeit, when as a narration or historie conteining in it no hurtfull and offensive matter, besides the subject argument, which consisteth of brave adventures and worthy exploits, is penned and couched in a sweet stile, with a grace and powerfull force of eloquence; such as is the historie of Herodotus as touching the [ 10] Greeke affaires, or of Xenophon concerning the Persian acts, as also that which Homer with an heavenly spirit hath endited and delivered in his verses, or Eudoxus in his peregrinations and de∣scription of the world, or Aristotle in his treatise of the founding of cities and governments of State, or Aristoxenus who hath left in writing, the lives of famous and renowmed persons; in such (I say) there is not onely much delight and contentment, but also there ensueth thereupon no displeasure nor repentance. And what man is he, who being hungry, would more willing∣ly eat the good and delicat meats? or athirst, desire and chuse to drinke the daintie and pleasant wines of the Phoeacians, rather than reade that fiction and discourse of the voiage and pilgri∣mage of Ulysses? and who would take more pleasure to lie with a most faire and beautifull wo∣man, than to sit up all night, reading either that which Xenophon hath written of ladie Panthea, [ 20] or Aristobulus of dame Timoclea, or Theopompus of faire Thisbe? These be the pleasures and joies indeed of the minde: but our Epicureans reject likewise, all those delights which proceed from the fine inventions of the Mathematicall sciences: and to say a trueth, a historie runneth plaine, even, simple and uniforme; whereas the delectation that we have in Geometrie, Astro∣nomie and Musicke, have besides (I wot not what) forcible bait of varietie so attractive, that it seemeth men are charmed and enchanted by them; so forcibly they allure, and so mightily they holde men with their delineations and descriptions, as if they were so many sorceries, spels and incantations: so that whosoever hath once tasted thereof, so he be practised and exercised there∣in, he may go all about well enough, chanting these verses of Sophocles:

The furious love of Muses mine [ 30] Hath heart and minde possessed mine: Thus ravished, fast I me hie To crest and cape of mountaine hie: Melodious songs, and sound withall Of pleasant harpe, me forth doth call.

Certes, Thamyras exercised his poeticall head about nothing els; no more verily did Eudoxus, Aristarchus and Archimides. For seeing that studious and industrious painters tooke so great pleasure in the excellency of their works, that Nicias when he was painting Homers Necyia (that is to say, the calling foorth and raising the ghosts of folke departed) being so affectionate to it, forgat himselfe and asked his servitours eftsoones about him, whether he had dined or no: and [ 40] when Ptolomeus king of Aegypt sent unto him threescore talents for the said picture after it was finished, he refused the same, and would never sell, or part with his handy-worke. What plea∣sure reaped (thinke you) and how great delight tooke Euclides in Geometrie and Astrologie, when he wrote the propositions of Perspective; and Philip when he composed the demonstra∣tions of the divers formes and shapes appearing in the Moone? Archimedes also, when by the angle called Gonia, he found out, that the Diameter of the Sun is just so bigge a part of the grea∣test circle, as the angle is of foure right lines; Apollonius likewise and Aristarchus, who were the inventours of the like propositions: the contemplation and knowledge whereof, even at this day, bringeth exceeding pleasure and woonderfull generositie & magnanimity unto those who can intend to study upon them. And verily those base and abject pleasures of the kitchin and [ 50] brothell-house, we ought not so much as to compare with these, and thereby to contaminate and disgrace the sacred Muses and their mountaine Helicon,

Where shepheard none durst tend his flocke, On hill above or vale below: Nor edged toole was knowen to shocke Or cut one tree that there did grow.

But these pleasures are indeed the intemperate & undefiled pastures of the gentle bees; whereas

those other resemble properly, the itching lusts of swine and goats, which over and besides the bodie, fill with their filthie ordure the sensuall part of the soule, subject to all passions and per∣turbations. True it is, that lust and desire to enjoy pleasures, is a passion adventurous and hardie enough to enterprise many and sundrie matters; yet was there never any man found so amo∣rous, who for joy that he had embraced his paramour, sacrificed a beefe; nor ever was there knowen so notorious a glutton, who wished in his heart and desired, so he might first fill his bel∣lie with delicate viands and princely banketting dishes, to die presently: and yet Eudoxus made this praier, that he might stand nere unto the sunne, for to learne the forme, the magnitude and the beauty of that planet, upon condition to be burnt presently, as Phaëton was, with the beames thereof. Pythagoras for the proofe of one proposition or figure which he had invented, sacrifi∣ced [ 10] an ox, as Apollodorus hath recorded in this Dysticon:

No sooner had Pythagoras this noble figure found, But solemnly he sacrific'd an ox, even in that stound.

Whether it were that slope line in Geometrie, called Hypotinusa, which answering directly to the right angle of a triangle, is as much in effect as the other two that comprehend and make the said angle; or rather that linearie demonstration or proposition, whereby he measured the plot in a parabolicke section of a Cone or round pyramidall figure. As for Archimedes, he was so intentive and busie in drawing his Geometricall figures, that his servants were faine by force to pull him away to be washed and anointed; and even then he would with the strigill or bath∣combe (which served to currie and rub his skin) draw figures even upon his very bellie: and one [ 20] day above the rest, having found out whiles he was a bathing, the way to know, how much golde the gold-smith had robbed in the fashion of that crowne which king Hiero had put forth to ma∣king, he ran foorth suddenly out of the baine, as if he had beene frantike, or inspired with some fanaticall spirit, crying out; Heureca, Heureca, that is to say, I have found it, I have found it, itera∣ting the same many times all the way as he went. But we never heard of any glutton so given to gourmandise & belly cheere, who went up and downe crying Bebroca, that is to say, I have eaten, I have eaten; nor of a wanton & amorous person, who having enjoied his love, would set up this note, Ephilesa, that is to say, I have kist, I have kist. Notwithstanding there have beene & are at this day, a thousand millions, even an infinit number of lascivious & loose persons: But contra∣riwise, we detest and abhorre those, who upon an affection, braverie and pride, make rehearsall [ 30] what feasts they have beene at, as persons who highly account of so base and unworthy plea∣sures, which men ought indeed to have in contempt. Whereas in reading the works of Eudox∣us, Archimtdes, and Hipparchus, we are ravished and transported as it were with some heaven∣ly and divine delight; beleeving that saying of Plato to be true, who writeth: That the Mathe∣maticall arts, howsoever they be contemned, by those that be ignorant, and for default of know∣ledge and understanding neglected; yet for the grace and delight that they yeeld, be more and more in request, even in despight of those blind and blockish persons: All which pleasures so great and so many in number, running alwaies as a river; these men heere doe turne and derive another way, for to empeach and hinder those who approch unto them, and give eare unto their doctrine, that they should not once taste thereof, but command them to set up and spred [ 40] all their maine sailes, and flie away as fast as they can. Yea, and that which more is, all those of this sect, both men and women, pray and request Pythocles (for Epicurus sake) not to make any account of those arts which we name liberall: And in praising our Apelles, among other singu∣lar qualities, that they attribute unto him, they set downe this for one: That from his first begin∣ning he had forborne the studie of the Mathematicks, and by that meanes kept himselfe unspot∣ted and undefiled: As for histories (to say nothing, how of all other sciences they have neither heard nor seene any) I will cite onely the words Metradorus writing of Poets: Tush (quoth he) be not abashed nor thinke it a shame to confesse that thou knowest not, of whether side Hector was, of the Greeks part or of the Trojans? neither thinke it a great matter if thou be igno∣rant what were the first verses of Homers Poeme, and regard thou as little those in the mids. [ 50]

Now for as much as Epicurus wist well inough, that the pleasures of the body (like unto the aniversarie Etesian minds) doe blow over and passe away, yea and after the flower of mans age is once gone, decay sensibly, and cease altogether; therefore he mooveth a question: Whether a wise man, being now farre stept in yeeres, and not able any more to keepe company with a woman, taketh pleasure still in want on touching, feeling or handling of faire and beautifull per∣sons: Wherein verily he is farre from the minde and opinion of Sophocles; who rejoiced and thanked God, that hee had escaped from this voluptuous and fleshly love, as from the yoke,

chaine, or clogge of some violent and furious master. Yet rather ought these sensuall and vo∣luptuous persons, seeing that manie delights and pleasures corporall, doe fade and decaie in old age,

And that with aged folk in this, Dame Venus much offended is.

(as saith Euripides) to make provision then most all, of other spirituall pleasures, and to be stored before-hand, as it were against some long siege, with such drie victuals as are not subject to pu∣trefaction and corruption: Then I say should they hold their solemne feasts of Venus, & good∣ly morrow-minds, to passe the time away by reading some pleasant histories, delectable poemes, or pretie speculations of musick or geometrie: And verily they would not so much as [ 10] thinke any more of those blind feelings and bootlesse handlings (as I may tearme them) which indeed are no more but the pricks and provocations of dead wantonnesse, if they had learned no more but as Aristotle, Heraclides, and Dicaearchus did, to write of Homer and Euripides: But they being never carefull and provident to purvey such victuals, and seeing all the rest of their life otherwise to be unpleasant, and as drie as a kex, (as themselves are woont to say of vertue) yet willing to enjoy still their pleasures continually, but sinding their bodies to say nay, and not able to performe the same to their contentment, they bewray their corruption in committing foule and dishonest acts out of season, enforcing themselves (even by their owne confessions) to awaken, stirre up, and renew the memorie of their former pleasures in times past, and for want of fresh and new delights, making a shift to serve their turne with the old & stale, as if they had [ 20] beene long kept in salt-pickle, or compast, untill their goodnesse and life were gone; desirous they are to stirre, kindle, and quicken others that lie extinct in their flesh, as it were raked up in dead and cold ashes long before, cleane against the course of nature; and all for default that they were not provided before of some sweet thing laid up in their soule, proper unto her, and delightsome according to her worthinesse: As for other spirituall pleasures wee have spoken of them already, as they came into our minde: but as touching musick, which bringing with it so many cōtentments, & so great delights, men yet reject & flie fro, no man I now would willing∣ly passe it over in silence, considering the absured and impertinent speeches that Epicurus giveth out: for in his questions he maintaineth: That a wise man is a great lover of shews & spectacles, delighting above all others to heare and see the pastimes, sports, & sights, exhibited in theatres [ 30] during the feast of Bacchus; yet wil not he admit any musical problemes, any disputatiōs or witty discourses of Criticks in points of humanitie & learning, so much as at the very table, in dinner and supper time; but giveth counsell unto kings and princes that be lovers & favorers of litera∣ture, to abide rather the reading & hearing of military narrations & stratagemes at their feasts & banquets, yea, and scurrill talke of buffons, pleasants, and iesters, than any questions propoun∣ded or discussed, as touching musicke or poetrie: for thus much hath he delivered in his booke entituled: Of Royaltie: as if hee had written the same to Sardanapalus or Naratus, who was in times past a great potentate and lord of Babylon. Certes, neither Hiero nor Attalus, ne yet Ar∣chelaus, would ever have bene perswaded to remove and displace from their tables such as Erui∣ptdes, Simonides, Melanippides, Crates or Diodorus, for to set in their roomes Cardax, Ariantes [ 40] and Callias, knowen jesters and notorious ribauds; or some parasiticall Thrasonides and Thrasy∣leons, who could skill of nothing els but how to make folke laugh, in counterfaiting lamentable yellings, groanes, howlings, and all to move applause and clapping of hands. If king Ptolomeus the first of that name, who also first erected a librarie, and founded a colledge of learned men, had light upon these goodly rules and royall precepts of his putting downe, would not he have exclamed and said unto the Samians:

O Muses faire, ô ladies deere, What envie, and what spight is heere!

For, beseeming it is not any Athenian thus maliciously to be bent unto the Muses, and be at warre with them: but according to Pindarus; [ 50]

Whom Jupiter doth not vouchsafe His love and favour for to have. Amaz'd they stand and quake for feare, When they the voice of Muses beare.

What say you, Epicurus? you goe early in the morning by breake of day unto the Theater, to heare musicians playing upon the harpe and lute, or sounding shawmes and hautboies: if then it fortune at the table, in time of a banquet, that Theophrastus discourseth of Symphonies and

musicall accords? or Aristoxenes, of changes and alteration of tunes? or Aristophanes of Ho∣mers works, will you stop your eares with both hands because you would not heare, for that you so abhorre and detest them? Surely, there was more civillity yet and honestie (by report) in that barbarous king of Scythia, Ateas, who when that excellent minstrell Ismenias, being his cap∣tive, taken prisoner in the warres, plaied upon the flute before him as hee sat at dinner, sware a great oath, that he tooke more pleasure to heare his horse neigh. Doe not these men (thinke you) confesse and grant (when they be well charged) that they have given defiance to vertue and honestie, proclaming mortall and irreconcilable warre, without all hope of truce, parle, composition and peace? for surely, setting pleasure onely aside, what other thing is there in the world (be it never so pure, holy and venerable) that they embrace and love? Had it not beene [ 10] more reason, for the leading of a joyfull life, to be offended with sweet perfumes, and to reject odoriferous oiles and ointments, as bettles, jeires and vultures doe, than to abhorre, detest and shun the talke and discourses of Humanitians, Criticks, Grammarians and Musicians? for, what maner of flute or hautboies, what harpe or lute how well soever set, tuned, and fitted for song,

What quire resounding loud and shrill From pleasant mouth and brest so sweet, A song in parts, set with great skill, When cunning men in musicke meet?

so greatly delighted Epicurus and Metrodorus, as the discourses, the rules and precepts of quites [ 20] and carols, the questions and propositions concerning flutes and hautboies, touching propor∣tions, consonances & harmonicall accords would affect Aristotle, Theophrastus, Hieronymus and Dicaearchus? as for example, what is the reason, that of two pipes or flutes (otherwise even and equall) that which hath the straighter and narrower mouth, yeeldeth the bigger and more base sound? also, what might be the cause, that the same pipe when it is lifted and set upward, becom∣meth loud in all the tones that it maketh; but holde it downward once, it soundeth as low? so doth one pipe also when it is set close unto another, give a base sound; but contrariwise, if it be disjoined and put asunder, it soundeth higher and more shrill. As also, how it commeth to passe that if a man sow chaffe or cast dust thicke upon the stage or scaffold in a Theater, the people there assembled be deafe and cannot heare the plaiers or minstrels? Semblably, when king Ale∣xander [ 30] the Great was minded to have made in the citie of Pella the forepart of the stage in the Theater, all of brasse; what mooved his workman or Architect not to permit him so to doe, for feare it would drowne and dull the voice of the plaiers? Finally, why among sundry kinds of Musicke, that which is called Chromaticall, delighteth, enlargeth and joieth the heart, whereas the Harmonicall contracteth and draweth it in, making it sad and dumpish? Moreover, the ma∣ners and natures of men which Poets represent in their writings, their wittie fictions, the diffe∣rence and varietie of their stile, the solution of darke doubts and quaint questions, which (besides a delightsome grace and beautifull elegance) carie with them a familiar and perswasive power, whereout ech one may reape profit; insomuch as they are able (as Xenophon saith) to make a man forget even love it selfe, so effectuall is this pleasure and delight. Howbeit, the Epicureans [ 40] here have no feeling and experience; nay, which is woorse, they desire to have none, as they say themselves; but imploying the whole contemplative part of the soule, in thinking upon no∣thing els but the bodie, and plucking it downward together with sensuall and carnall lusts, as fishers nets with little rols and plummets of lead, they differ nothing at all from horsekeepers or shepherds and other herdmen, who lay before their beasts, hay, straw, or some kinde of grasse and herbs, as the proper fodder & forage for the cattell which they have in charge: for do they not even so intend to feed the soule fat (as men franke up swine) with bodily pleasures; in that they would have her to be glad for the hope shee hath that the body shall shortly enjoy some pleasure, or els in the remembrance of those which it hath enjoied in times past? as for any pro∣per delight or particular pleasure of her owne, they suffer her to receive none from herselfe, nor [ 50] so much as to seeke thereafter.

And verily, can there be any thing more absurd & beside all apparance and shew of reason, than (whereas there be two parts whereof man is compounded, to wit, soule and body, of which the soule is more woorth, and placed in the higher degree) to say and affirme, that there is in the bodie some good thing, proper, peculiar, familiar, and naturall unto it, and none in the soule; but that she sits still tending the bodie, and looking onely to it? that she smileth upon the passions and affections thereof, joying and taking contentment with it onely; having of her∣selfe

originally no motion, no election, no choise, no desire nor pleasure at all? Now surely they should either by putting off their maske and discovering themselves, have gone roundly to worke, making man flesh, and nothing else but flesh; as some there be who flatly denie, that there is any spirituall substance in him; or else leaving in us two different natures, they ought to have let either of them alone by it selfe, with their severall good and evill; that I say which is familiar or contrarie unto it: like as among the five senses, everie one is destined & appropriat to one object sensible, although all of them by a certaine woonderfull sympathy be affected one to the other. Now the proper sensative organ or instrument of the soule is, the understan∣ding; and to say that the same hath no peculiar subject to worke upon, no proper spectacle to behold, no familiar motion, no naturall and inbred passion or affection, in the fruition where∣of [ 10] it should take pleasure and delight, is the greatest absurditie of all others: And verily this is the saying of these men; unlesse haply some ther be, who ere they be aware, charge upon them some slanderous and false imputations. Heereat began I to speake and say unto him: Not so sir, if we may be judges; but I pray you let be, all action of inquirie, and proceed hardly to finish and make an end of your discourse. And why (quoth he) should not Aristodemus succeed after me, if you haply refuse slatly, or be loth to speake? You say true indeed, (quoth Aristodemus) but that shall not be untill you be wearie of speech, as this man is; and for the present, since you are yet fresh and in heart, I beseech you my good friend, spare not your selfe, but use your facultie, lest you be thought for very sloth and idlenesse to draw back and goe out of the lists. Certes (quoth Theon then) it is but a small matter, and the same very easie which is behind; for [ 20] there remaineth no more but to shew and recount how many joies and pleasures there be in active life, and that part of the soule which is given to action? First and formost, even they themselves in some place graunt and confesse; that it is a greater pleasure to doe good, and to benefit others, than to receive a benefit from another; as for good turnes, a man I confesse may doe them in bare words and sayings; but surely the most and greatest are performed by acts and deeds, and thus much doth the verie word of benefit or weldoing import; and even they themselves testifie no lesse: For but a while since, wee heard this man report, what words and speeches Epicurus delivered; what letters he wrot and sent unto his friends, in extolling, prai∣sing, and magnifying Metrodorus; how bravely and valiantly he went downe from the citie of Athens to the port Pyreaeum, for to aid and succour Mythris the Syrian, albeit Metrodorus [ 30] did no service at all in that sally: What manner of pleasures then, and how great ought wee to esteeme those which Plato enjoied, when Dion a scholar of his & one of his bringing up, rose up to put downe the tyrant Dionysius, & to deliver the state of Sicily from servitude? what content∣ment might Aristotle find, when he caused the citie of his nativitie which was ruinate and ra∣sed to the ground to be reedified, and his countrimen & fellow-citizens to be called home who were banished? what delights and joies were those of Theophrastus and Phidias, who deposed and overthrew those tyrants who usurped the lordly dominion of their countrey? and for private persons in particular, how many they relieved, not in sending unto them a strike or a bushell of corne and meale, as Epicurus sent unto some; but in working and effecting, that those who were exiled out of their native countrey, driven from their owne houses, and turned out of all their [ 40] goods, might returne home againe and reenter upon all; that such as had beene prisoners and lien in irons, might be delivered and set at large; as many also as were put from their wives and children, might recover and enjoy them againe: What need I make rehearsall unto you, who know all this well enough? But surely the impudence and absurditie of this man, I can not (though I would) passe over with silence, who debasing and casting under foot the acts of The∣mistocles and Miltiades as he did, wrot of himselfe to certeine of his friends in this sort: Right nobly, valiantly, and magnificently, have you shewed your endevour and care of us, in provision of corne to furnish us withall; and againe you have declared by notorious signes, which mount up into heaven, the singular love and good will which you beare unto me. And if a man ob∣serve the manner of this stile and writing, he shall find, that if he take out of the misteries of this [ 50] great philosopher, that which concerneth a little corne, all the words besides are so curiously couched and penned, as if the epistle had beene written purposedly as a thankes giving for the safety of all Greece, or at leastwise, for delivering, setting free, and preserving the whole citie and people of Athens.

What should I busie my head to shew unto you, that for the delights of the bodie, na∣ture had need to be at great cost and expences; neither doth the chiefe pleasure which they seeke after, consist in course bisket-bread, in pease pottage, or lentile broth; but the appetites

of these voluptuous persons, call for exquisit and daintie viands, for sweete and delicate wines, such as those be of Thasos, for sweet odours, pleasant perfumes, and precious oint∣ments, for curious junkets and banketting dishes, for tarts, cake-bread, marchpanes, and other pastrie works, well wrought, beaten and tempered with the sweet liquor gathered by the yellow winged Bee: over and besides all this, their mind stands also to faire and beautiful yoong damosels, they must have some pretie Leontium, some fine Boïchon, some sweet Hedia, or daintie Nicedion, whom they keepe and nourish of purpose within their gardens of pleasure, to be ready at hand. As for the delights and joies of the mind, there is no man but will consesse and say: That founded they ought to be upon the greatnesse of some noble actions, and the beautie of worthy and memorable works, if we would have them to be not vaine, base and chil∣dish; [ 10] but contrariwise, reputed grave, generous, magnificent and manlike; whereas to vaunt and glory of being let loose to a dissolute course of life and the fruition of pleasures and delights, after the maner of sailers and mariners when they celebrate the seast of Venus; to boast also and please himselfe in this: That being desperatly sicke of that kinde of dropsie which the Physici∣ans call Ascites, he forbare not to feast his friends still, and keepe good companie, neither spared to adde and gather more moisture and waterish humours still unto his dropsie: and remem∣bring the last words that his brother Neocles spake upon his death-bed, melted and consumed with a speciall joy and pleasure of his owne, tempered with teares; there is no man (I trow) of sound judgement and in his right wits, who would tearme these sottish sollies, either sound joies or perfect delights; but surely, if there be any Sardonian laughter (as they call it) belonging also [ 20] to the soule, it is seated (in my conceit) even in such joies and mirths mingled with teares as these, which do violence unto nature: but if any man shal say, that these be solaces, let him com∣pare them with others, and see how farre these excell and go beyond them which are expressed by these verses:

By sage advice I have effected this. That Spartaes martiall fame eclipsed is.

Also:

This man, ô friend and stranger both, was while he lived heere, The great and glorious starre of Rome, [ 30] his native citie decre.

Likewise:

I wot not what I should you call, An heavenly God and man mortall.

And when I set before mine eies the noble and worthy acts of Thrasibulus and Pelopidas; or be∣hold the victories either of Aristides in that journey of Plateae, or of Miltiades at the battell of Marathon, I am even ravished and transported besides my selfe, and forced to say with Herodotus, and deliver this sentence: That in this active life, there is more sweetnesse and delectation, than glorie and honour: and that this is so, Epaminondas will beare me witnesse, who (by report) gave out this speech, that the greatest contentment which ever he had during his life, was this: That [ 40] his father and mother were both alive to see that noble Trophee of his, for the victorie that he wan at Leuctres, being generall of the Thebans against the Lacedaemonians. Compare we now with this mother of Epaminondas, Epicurus his mother, who tooke so great joy to see her sonne keeping close in a daintie garden and orchard of pleasure, where he and his familiar friend Poly∣enus gat children in common, upon a trull and courtisan of Cyzicum: for, that both mother and sister of Metrodorus were exceeding glad of his marriage, may appeare by his letters missive written unto his brother, which are extant in his books; and yet they goe up and downe everie where crying with open mouth: That they have lived in joy, doing nought els but extoll and magnifie their delicate life, faring much like unto slaves when they solemnize the feast of Sa∣turne, supping and making good cheere together, or celebrate the Bacchanales, running about [ 50] the fields; so as a man may hardly abide to heare the utas and yelling noise they make, when upon the insolent joy of their hearts, they breake out into many fooleries, and utter they care not unto whom, as vaine and fond speeches, in this maner:

Why sut'st thou still, thou wretched lout, Come let us drinke and quaffe about: The meats upon the boord set are, Be merie man, and make no spare:

No sooner are these words let flie, But all at once they hout and crie; The pots then walke, one filles out wine, Another bring a garland fine Of flowers full fresh, his head to crowne, And decks the cup, whiles wine goes downe: And then the minstrell, Phoebus knight, With faire greene branch of Laurell dight, Sets out his rude and rustie throte, And sings a filthie tunelesse note: [ 10] With that one thrusts the pipe him fro, And sounds his wench and bed fello.

Do not (thinke you) the letters of Metrodorus resemble these vanities, which he wrote unto his brother in these tearmes?

There is no need at all, Timocrates, neither ought a man to expose himselfe into danger for the safetie of Greece, or to straine and busie his head to winne a coronet among them, in testimonie of his wisedome; but he is to eat, and drinke wine merily, so as the bodie may enjoy all pleasure, and susteine no harme. And againe in another place of the same letters he hath these words: Oh how joifull was I, and glad at heart! ôh what contentment of spirit found I, when I had learned once of Epicurus, to make much of my bellie, and to gratifie it as I ought! For to say a trueth to you, ô Timocrates, that art a Naturalist: The sovereigne good [ 20] of a man lieth about the bellie.

In summe, these men doe limit, set out and circumscribe the greatnesse of humane pleasure within the compasse of the bellie, as it were within center and circumserence; but surely impos∣sible it is, that they should ever have their part of any great, roial and magnificall joy, such as in∣deed causeth magnanimitie and hautinesse of courage, bringeth glorious honour abroad, or tranquillitie of spirit at home, who have made choise of a close and private life within doores, never shewing themselves in the world, nor medling with the publicke affaires of common weale; a life (I say) sequestred from all offices of humanitie, farre removed from any instinct of honour, or desire to gratifie others, thereby to deserve thanks, or winne favour: for the soule (I may tell you) is no base and small thing, it is not vile and illiberall, extending her desires one∣ly [ 30] to that which is good to bee eaten, as doe these poulps or pourcuttle fishes which stretch their cleies as farre as to their meat and no farther; for such appetites as these, are most quickly cut off with satietie, and filled in a moment; but when the motions and desires of the minde tending to vertue and honestie, to honour also and contentment of conscience, upon vertuous deeds and well doing, are once growen to their vigor and perfection, they have not for their li∣mit, the length and tearme onely of mans life: but surely, the desire of honor, and the affection to profit the societie of men, comprehending all aeternitie, striveth still to goe forward in such actions and beneficiall deeds as yeeld infinit pleasures that cannot be expressed; which joies, great personages and men of woorth can not shake off and avoid though they would: for flie they from them what they can, yet they environ them about on every side, they are readie to [ 40] meet them whersoever they goe, when as by their beneficence and good deeds they have once refreshed and cheered many other: for of such persons may well this verse be verified:

To towne when that he comes, or there doth walk: Men him behold as God, and so doe talk.

For when a man hath so affected and disposed others, that they are glad and leape for joy to see him, that they have a longing desire to touch, salute, & speak unto him; who seeth not (though otherwise he were blinde) that he findeth great joies in himselfe, and enjoieth most sweet con∣tentiment: this is the cause that such men are never wearie of well dooing, nor thinke it a trou∣ble to be emploied to the good of others; for we shall evermore heare from their mouths these and such like speeches: [ 50]

Thy father thee begat and brought to light, That thou one day might'st profit many a wight.

Againe,

Let us not cease, but shew a minde, Of doing good to all manking.

What need I to speake heere of those that bee excellent men, and good in the highest degree? for if to any one of those who are not extremely wicked, at the very point and instant of death;

he in whose hands lieth his life, be he a god or some king, should graunt one howres respit, and permit him to employ himselfe at his owne choise, either to execute some memorable act, or else to take his pleasure for the while, so that immediately after that howre past, he should goe to his death: How many thinke you would chuse rather during this small time, to lie with that courtisane and famous strumpet Lais, or drink liberally of good Ariusian wine, than to kill the tyrant Archias, for to deliver the citie of Thebes, from tyrannicall servitude? for mine owne part verily, I suppose, that there is not one: for this I observe in those sword-fencers, who fight at sharpe a combat to the uttrance, such I meane as are not altogether brutish and savage, but of the Greekish nation, when they are to enter in place for to performe their devoir, notwithstan∣ding there be presented unto them many deintie dishes, and costly cates, chuse rather at this [ 10] very time to recommend unto their friends, their wives and children, to manumise and enfran∣chise their slaves, than to serve their bellies and content their sensuall appetites: But admit that these bodily pleasures be great matters, and highly to be accounted of, the same are common also even to those that leade an active life, and manage affaires of State: For as the Poet saith:

Wine muscadell they drinke, and likewise eat Fine manchet bread, made of the whitest wheat.

They banket also, and feast with their friends, yea and much more merily (in my conceit, after they be returned from bloudie battels or other great exploits and important services; like as Alexander & Agesilaus; Phocion also and Epaminondas were woont to do) than these who are an∣nointed against the fire, or carried easily in their litters: and yet such as they, mocke and scorne [ 20] those, who indeed have the fruition of other greater and more deintie pleasures: for what should a man speake of Epaminondas, who being invited to a supper unto his friends house, when he saw that the provision was greater and more sumptuous than his state might well beare, would not stay and suppe with him, but said thus unto his friend: I thought you would have sacrificed un∣the gods, and not have beene a wastefull and prodigall spender: and no marvell; for king Alex∣ander the Great refused to entertaine the exquisit cooks of Ada Queene of Caria; saying: That he had better about him of his owne to dresse his meat, to wit, for his dinner or breakfast, early rising and travelling before day-light; and for his supper, a light and hungry dinner. As for Philoxenus who wrot unto him concerning two most faire and beautiful boies, to this effect, whether he should buy them for to send unto him or no? he had like to have lost the place of go∣vernment [ 30] under him, for his labour: and yet to say a trueth, who might have better done it than Alexander? But like as of two paines & griefs (as Hippocrates saith) the lesse is dulled and dim∣med (as it were) by the greater; even so, the pleasures proceeding from vertuous and honou∣rable actions, do darken and extinguish (by reason of the minds joies, and in regard of their ex∣ceeding greatnesse) those delights which arise from the bodie. And if it be so as these Epicu∣reans say, that the remembrance of former pleasures and good things, be materiall and make much for a joifull life; which of us all will beleeve Epicurus himselfe, that dying (as he did) in most grievous paines and dolorous maladies, he eased his torments or asswaged his anguish by calling to minde those delights which beforetime he had enjoied? For surely, it were an easier matter to beholde the resemblance of ones face in the bottome of a troubled water, or amid the [ 40] waves during a tempest, than to conceive and apprehend the smiling and laughing remem∣brance of a pleasure past, in so great a disquietnesse and bitter vexation of the body; whereas the memorie of vertuous and praise-worthy actions, a man can not (would he never so faine) chase and drive out of his minde. For how is it possible, that Alexander the Great, should ever forget the battell at Arbela? or Pelopidas, the defaiture of the tyrant Leontiades? or Themistocles, the noble field fought before Salamis? for as touching the victorie at Marathon, the memoriall thereof the Athenians doe solemnize with feasts even to this day; like as the Thebans celebrate the remembrance of the famous fight at Leuctres: and wee verily (as you know well enough) make feasts for the victorie of Daiphantus before the citie Hyampolis; and not onely we, keepe yeerely holiday then, but also the whole country of Phocis (upon that anniversarie day) is full of [ 50] sacrifices and due honours: neither is there one of us that taketh so great contentment of all that hee eateth or drinketh such a festivall time, as he doth in regard of the remembrance of those noble acts which those brave men performed: we may well gesse and consider therefore, what joy, what mirth, what gladnesse and solace of heart accompanied them all their life time af∣ter, who executed these noble feats of armes, considering that after five hundred yeeres and a∣bove, the memorie of them is fresh, and the same attended with so great cheere and rejoicing. And yet Epicurus himselfe doth acknowledge, that of glorie there doe arise certeine joies and

pleasures; for how could he doe lesse, seeing that himselfe is so desirous thereof, that he is even mad withall, and fareth after a furious maner to atteine thereto; insomuch, as not onely he disa∣voweth his owne masters and teachers, contesteth against * 1.1 Democrates (whose opinions and doctrines he stealeth word for word) upon certeine syllables and nice points, mainteining that there never was any wise man nor learned clearke, setting himselfe and his disciples aside: but also, which more is, he hath bene so impudent, as to say and write; that Colotes adored him as a god, touching his knees full devoutly, when he heard him discourse of naturall causes; and that his brother Neocles affirmed and gave out even from his infancie; that Epicurus had never his like or fellow, for wisdome and knowledge; as also, that his mother was happie and blessed for bearing in her womb such a number of Atomes, that is to say, indivisible small bodies, who con∣curring [ 10] all together, framed and formed so skilfull a personage. Is not this all one with that which Callicratides sometime said of Conon: That he committed adulterie with the sea; even so a man may say that Epicurus (secretly by stealth and shamefully) made love unto Glory, and went about to solicit, yea, force her by violence, not being able to win and enjoy her openly; where∣upon he became passionate and love-sicke: for like as a mans bodie in time of famine, for that it hath no food and nourishment otherwise, is constreined even against nature, to feed upon the owne substance; even so ambition and thirst after glorie, doth the like hurt unto the soules of ambitious persons: for being readie to die for thirst of glorie, and seeing they can not have it otherwise, enforced they are to praise themselves. But they that be thus passionatly affected with desire of praise and honour, confesse not they manifestly, that they reject, forgo and neg∣lect [ 20] great pleasures and delights; when through their feeble, lazie and base minds, they flie from publicke offices of State, forbeare the management of affaires, and regard not the favours of kings and following of great persons; from whence Democritus saith; there accrue unto man many ornaments to grace and commend this life? For Epicurus shall never be able to make the world beleeve, that (esteeming so much as he did and making so great account of Neocles his brothers testimonie or the adoration of Colotes) he would not have bene ready to have leapt out of his skin, and gone besides himselfe for joy, if he had beene received by the Greeks at the so∣lemnitie of the Olympian games, with joious acclamations and clapping of hands: nay, hee would no doubt have shewed that gladnesse and contentment of heart with open mouth; hee would have bene aloft and flowen abroad, as the Poet Sophocles saith: [ 30]

Like to the Downe, which being light and soft From thistle olde, the winde doth mount aloft.

And if it be a gracious and acceptable thing, for a man to brute that he hath a good name; it fol∣loweth consequently, that grievous it is to be in an ill name: and what is more infamous and o∣dious, than to be friendlesse, to want emploiment, to be infected with Atheisme and impietie, to live loosely and abandoned to lusts and pleasures; finally, to be neglected and contemned? and verily (setting themselves aside) there is no man living, but he thinketh al these qualities and attributes to agree fitly unto this sect of theirs. True (will some man say) but they have the grea∣ter wrong. Well, the question now, is not, what is the trueth, but what is the common opinion that the world hath of them: and to this purpose I meane not to cite the publicke decrees and [ 40] acts of Citres, nor to alledge the defamatorie books written against them; for that were too odi∣ous: but if the oracles, if divination, if the praescience and providence of the gods, if the naturall love and affectionate kindnesse of parents to their children, if the managing of politike affaires, if the conduct of armies, if magistracie and rule in common-wealth, be matters honourable and glorious, then it must needs be, that they who affirme: That no travell ought to be made for the safetie of Greece, but that we are to eat and drinke, so as the bellie may be pleased, and receive no harme and discontentment, should be infamous, and reputed for wicked persons; and such as are so taken, must needs be odious and in great disgrace, if so be they hold, honour, good name and reputation, to be things pleasant and delectable.

When Theon had made an end of this speech, thought good it was to give over walking: and [ 50] when (as our custome and manner was) we were set downe upon the seats, we rested a pretie while in silence, ruminating (as it were) and pondering that which had beene delivered, but long this was not; for Zeuxippus thinking upon that which had beene said: And who (quoth he) shall goe through with that which remaineth behind, considering that me thinks we are not as yet come to a full point and finall conclusion? for seeing that erewhile he hath made mention by the way of Divination, and likewise put us in minde of Divine providence two maine points, I may tell you whereupon these men doe greatly stand, and which by their saying yeeld them not

the least pleasure, contentment, repose of spirit, and assurance in this life; * 1.2 therefore I hold it necessarie that somewhat were said as touching the same. Then Aristodemus taking the matter in hand: As for the pleasure (quoth he) which they pretend in this case, me thinks (by all in ma∣ner that hath beene spoken) that if their reasons should goe for currant, and bring that about which they purpose & intend, well may they free and deliver their spirit of (I wot not what) feare of the gods, and a certaine superstition; butsurely they imprint no joy, nor minister any com∣fort and contentment to their minds at all, in any regard of the gods: for to be troubled with no dread of the gods, nor comforted by any hope from them, worketh this effect, and maketh them so affected towards the gods, as we are to the fishes of the Hyrcan sea, expecting neither good nesse nor harme from them. But if we must adde somewhat more to that which hath beene said [ 10] alreadie; thus much I take it wee may be bold to set downe, as received and granted by them: First and formost, that they impugne them mightily, who condemne and take away all heavi∣nesse, sorrow, weeping, sighes, and lamentations for the death of friends: and they assirme, that this indolence tending to a kinde of impassibilitie, proceedeth from another evill, greater and woorse than it, to wit, cruell inhumanitie, or else an outragious and furious desire of vain∣glorie and ostentation; and therefore they hold it better to suffer a little sorrow, and to grieve moderately, so a man runne not all to teares and marre his eies with weeping, nor shew all ma∣ner of passions as some doe by their deeds and writings, because they would be thought affecti∣onate and heartie lovers of their friends, and withall of a gentle and tender nature: For thus much hath Epicurus delivered in many of his books, and namely in his letters where he maketh [ 20] mention of the death of Hegesianax, writing unto Dositheus the father, and Pyrsos the brother of the man departed: For long it is not since by fortune those letters of his came to my hands, which I perused, and in imitating their maner of arguing, I say: That Atheisme and impietie is no lesse sinne, than the crueltie or vaine and arrogant ostentation abovesaid; unto which im∣pietie they would induce us with their perswasions, who take from God both favor and also an∣ger: For, better it were, that to the opinion and beliefe which we have of the gods, there were adjoined and engraffed an affection mixed and compassed of reverence and feare, than in fly∣ing therefro, to leave unto our selves neither hope nor pleasure, no assurance in prosperitie, ne yet recourse unto the goodnesse of of the gods in time of adversitie: True it is, that we ought to ridde away from the opinion that we have of the gods, all superstition, if it be possible, as well [ 30] as from our eies all gummie and glutinous matter, offending the sight; but if this may not be, we are not therefore to cut away quite, or to put out the eies cleane of that faith and beliefe, which men for the most part have of the gods; and this is not a severe, feareful and austere con∣ceit as these imagine, who traduce and slander divine providence, to make it odious and terri∣ble, as folke doe by little children, whom they use to scarre with the fantasticall illusion, Em∣pusa, as if it were some infernall furie, or tragicall vengeance seizing upon them: but some few men there be, who in that sort doe feare God, as that it is better and more expedient for them so to doe, than otherwise not to stand in awe of him: for in dreading him as a gracious and propitious lord unto the good, and an enemie unto the wicked, by this one kinde of feare which maketh them that they have no need at all of many others, they are delivered from those baits [ 40] which many times allure and entice men to evill; and thus keeping vice short, and not giving it head, but holding it neere unto them, and within their reach, that it cannot escape and get from them, they be lesse tormented than those who be so hardie as to emploie the same, and dare put it in practise, but soone after, fall into fearefull fits, and repent themselves: But as touching the disposition toward God in the common sort of men, who are ignorant, unlettered, and of a grosse conceit for the most part; howbeit not very wicked, nor starke naught: true it is, that as together with the reverence and honour that they beare to the gods, there is intermingled a certaine trembling feare, which properly is called superstition; so likewise there is an infinit deale more of good hope and true joy, which causeth them to praie unto the gods continually for their owne good estate, and for happie successe in their affaires, and they receive all prospe∣ritie [ 50] as sent unto them from heaven above; which appeereth evidently by most notable and sig∣nificant arguments: for surely no exercises recreat us more, than those of religion and devoti∣on in the temples of the gods; no times and seasons are more joious, than those solemne feasts in their honour; no actions, no sights, more delight and joy our hearts, than those which we doe and see our selves, either singing and dauncing solemnly in the presence of the gods, or being assistant at their sacrifices, or the ceremonious mysteries of divine service; for at such times our soule is nothing sadde, cast downe, or melancholike, as if she had to deale with some terrible tyrants, or

bloudie but chers; where good reason were, that she should bee heavie and dejected; but looke where she thinketh and is perswaded most that God is present, in that place especially, she casteth behinde her all anguishes, agonies, sorrowes, feares and anxieties; there I say she gi∣veth herselfe to all manner of joy, even to drinke wine most liberally, to play, disport, laugh and be merie: As the poet said in love and wanton matters:

Both grey-beard, old and aged trot when they the sports remember, Of lovely Venus, leape for joy, no cares their heart encomber.

So verily in these solemne pompes, processions and sacrifices, not onely the aged husband and [ 10] the old wife, the poore man that liveth in low and private estate, but also

The fat legd wench well under laid Which to the mill bestirs full yerne, Her good round stumpes, and well appaid To grinde her griest, doth turne the querne.

the houshold hines and servants, and the mercenarie day-labourers, who get their living by the sweat of their browes, doe altogether leape for mirth and joy of heart: Kings and princes keepe great cheere in their roiall courts, and make certeine roiall and publike feasts for all com∣mers; but those which they hold in the sacred temples, at sacrifices and solemnities of the gods, performed with fragrant perfumes and odoriforous incense; where it seemeth that men ap∣proch [ 20] neerest unto the majestie of the gods, & thinke they even touch them, and be conversant with them in all honour and reverence: such seasts (I say) yeeld a more rare joy and singular de∣lectation, than any other; whereof he hath no part at all who denieth the providence of God: for it is not the abundance and plentie of wine there drunke, nor the store of roast & sodden meat there eaten, which yeeldeth joy and contentment at such solemue seasts; but the assured hope and full perswasion that God is there present, propitious, favourable and gracious; and that he accepteth in good part the honour and service done unto him. For some feasts and sacrifices there be, where there is no musicke at all of flutes and hautboies, ne yet any chaplets and gar∣lands of flowers used at all; but a sacrifice, where no god is present, like as a temple without a sa∣cred feast or holy banquet, is * 1.3 profane, unfestivall, impious, irreligious, and without divine in∣spiration [ 30] and devotion; and to speake better, wholly displeasant and odious to himselfe that of∣fereth it; for that he counterfeiteth by hypocrisie, praiers and adorations, onely in a shew and otherwise than he meaneth, for feare of the mulutude, and pronounceth words cleane contrary unto the opinions which he holdeth in Philosophie: when he sacrificeth, he standeth by the priest as he would by a cooke or butcher, who cutteth the throat of a sheepe; and after he hath sa∣crificed, he goes his way home, saying thus to himselfe: I have sacrificed a sheepe as men ordi∣narily do unto the gods, who have no care and regard of me. For so it is that Epicurus teacheth his scholars, to set a good countenance of the matter, and neither to envie nor incurre the ha∣tred of the common sort, when they are disposed to be merie, but seeming others in practise, and themselves inwardly in being displeased with things done: for according as Euenus saith: [ 40]

What things are done perforce by us, Displeasant be and odious.

Hereupon it is, that they themselves do say and holde: That superstitious persons are present at sacrifices and religious ceremonies, not for any joy or pleasure they take there, but upon a feare that they have: and verily, herein no difference is betweene them and superstitious folke, in case it be so, that they doe the same things for feare of the world, which the other do for feare of the gods; nay rather they be in a worse condition than those, in that they have not so much hope of good as they, but onely stand alwaies in dread and be troubled in mind, lest they should be dete∣cted and discovered, for abusing and deceiving the world by their counterfeit hypocrisie; in re∣gard of which feare, they have themselves written books and treatises of the gods and of deitie, [ 50] so composed, that they be full of ambiguities; and nothing is therein soundly or cleerely deli∣vered, they do so maske, disguise and cover themselves; and all to cloake and hide the opinions which in deed they hold, doubting the furie of the people. Thus much concerning two sorts of men, to wit, the wicked and the simple or common multitude: now therefore let us consider of a third kinde, such as be of the best marke, men of worth and honour, most devout and religious in deed; namely, what sincere and pure pleasures they have, by reason of the perswasion that they hold of God; beleeving firmly, that he is the ruler and director of all good persons, the au∣thour

and father from whom proceed all things good and honest; and that it is not lawfull to say or beleeve, that he doth evill, no more than to be perswaded that he suffereth evill: for good he is by nature; and looke whatsoever is good, conceiveth no envie to any, is fearefull of none, neither is it moved with anger or hatred of ought: for like as heat can not coole a thing, but al∣waies naturally maketh it hot; so that which is good can not hurt or do ill. Now, anger and fa∣vour be farre remote one from the other; so is choler and bitter gall much different from mild∣nesse and benevolence; as also malice and frowardnesse are opposite unto bountie, meeknesse, and humanitie; for that the one sort ariseth from vertue and puissance; the other from weake∣nesse and vice. Now are we not to thinke that the divine power is given to be wrathfull and gra∣cious alike; but to beleeve rather, that the proper nature of God is alwaies to be helpfull and be∣neficiall; [ 10] whereas to be angry and to doe harme, is not so naturall; but that mightie Jupiter in heaven, he descendeth from thence first downe to the earth, to dispose and ordeine all things: after him, other gods, of whom the one is surnamed, The Giver; another, Mild and Bounteous; a third, Protectour or Defender: as for Apollo, as Pindarus saith:

Who doth in winged chariot flie, Amid the starres in a zure skie, To every man in his affaire, Reputed is most debonaire.

Now as Diogenes was wont to say, all things are Gods, and likewise among friends, all things are common, and good men are Gods friends; even so, impossible it is, that either he who is de∣vout [ 20] and a lover of God, should not be withall happie; or that a vertuous, temperate, and just man should not likewise be devout and religious. Thinke ye then, that these who denie the go∣vernment of Gods providence, need other punishment, or be not punished sufficiently for their impietie, in that they cut themselves from so great joy and pleasure as we finde in our selves, we (I say) who are thus well given and religiously affected toward God? The greatest joy that Epi∣curus stood upon and bare himselfe so boldly, were Metrodorus, Polyaenus, Aristobulus and such; and those he was alwaies emploied about, either in curing and tending them when they were sicke, or in bewailing them after they were dead: whereas Lycurgus was honoured even by the prophetesse Pythia in these tearmes:

A man whom Jupiter did love, [ 30] And all the heavenly saints above.

As for Socrates, who had a familiar spirit about him, whom he imagined to speake and reason friendly with him, even of kindnesse and good will: and Pindarus likewise, who heard god Pan chant one of those canticles which himselfe had composed, thinke wee that they tooke small pleasure and contentment of heart thereby? Or what may we judge of Phormio, when he lodged in his house, Castor and Pollux; or of Sophocles, for enterteining of Aesculapius, as both himselfe was perswaded, and as others beleeved, for the manifest apparitions presented unto them? It were not amisse and beside the purpose, to rehearse in this place, what a faith and beleefe in the gods, Heromogenes had, and that in those very words and tearmes which he setteth downe him∣selfe: The gods (quoth he) who know all things, and likewise can doe all, are so friendly unto [ 40] me, that for the care they have of my person and my affaires, are never ignorant day or night, either of that action which I purpose to doe, or of that way which I entend to goe: and for that they forsee the issue and event of whatsoever I enterprise and undertake; they advertise me thereof before hand, by presage of osses, voices, dreames, auguries and bird-flights, which they send as messengers to me of purpose. Moreover, meet it is, that we should have this opi∣nion of the gods, that whatsoever proceedeth from them is good; but when we are perswaded that the goods which we receive from them, be sent unto us, upon speciall favor and grace, this is a woonderfull contentment to the minde, this worketh much confidence, breedeth a mar∣vellous courage, and inward joy, which seemeth as it were to smile upon good men: where∣as, they who are otherwise minded and disposed, hinder themselves of that which is most sweet [ 50] in prosperitie, and leave no refuge or retiring place in time of adversitie; for when any misfor∣tune lighteth upon them, no other haven or retrait have they than the dissolution or separation of body and soule; nothing I say but the depriving of all sense: as if in a storme or tempest at sea, a man should come and say for the better comfort and assuraunce of the passengers, that neither the ship had a pilot, nor the luckie fire-lights (Castor and Pollux) appeered to allay the surging waves, or still the boisterous and violent winds, and yet for all that, there was no harme toward, because forsooth the shippe should soone sinke and bee swallowed up of the sea; or

that she would quickly turne side, or runne upon some rock for to be split and broken in pie∣ces: for these be the proper reasons which Epicurus useth in grievous maladies and extreme perils: Hopest thou for any good at Gods hand with all thy religion? thou art much deceived: for the essence and nature of God being happie & immortall; is neither given to anger, nor yet inclined to pitie: Dost thou imagine a better state or condition after thy death, than thou hast in thy life? surely thou dorest, and art mightily beguiled; for that which is once dissolved, loseth presently all maner of sense; & if it be senselesse, what is that to us? it toucheth not us, whether it be good or ill. But he are you (my good friend:) How is it that you exhort me to eat, to drink, and make good cheere? Marie because the tempest is so bigge, that of necessitie shipwracke must soone ensue, and the extreme perill at hand will quickly bring thee to thy death: and yet [ 10] the poore passenger (after that the shippe is broken all to pieces, or that hee is flung or fallen out of it) beareth himselfe upon some little hope, that he shall (by one good fortune or other) reach unto the shore and swimme to land; whereas by these mens philosophie, there is no evasion for the soule:

To any place without the sea With frothing some all hoare and grey.

For that immediatly she is dissolved, perisheth and dieth before the bodie; insomuch as she feeleth excessive joy, by having learned and received this most wise and divine doctrine: That the end of all her adversities and miseries, is to perish for ever, to corrupt and come to nothing. But it were (quoth he, casting his eie upon me) a great follie to speake any more of this matter, [ 20] (considering that long since we have heard you discourse in ample manner) against those who hold; that the reasons and arguments of Epicurus make us better disposed and ready to die, than all that Plato hath written in his treatise concerning the soule. What of that? (quoth Zeuxip∣pus) shall this present discourse be left unperfect and unfinished because of it? and feare we to alledge the oracle of the gods, when we dispute against the Epicureans? No (quoth I againe) in any wise, for according to the sentence of Empedocles:

A good tale twise a man may tell, And heare it told as oft full well.

And therefore we must intreat Theon againe; for I suppose he was present at the said disputati∣on, and being (as he is) a yoong man, he need not feare that yoong men will charge him for [ 30] oblivion, or default of memorie. Then Theon seeming as if he had beene forced and overcome by constreint: Well (quoth he) since there is no other remedie, I will not do as you Aristodemus did; you were afraid to repeat that which this man had delivered; but I will not sticke to make use of that which you have said: for in mine opinion you have done very well, in dividing men into three sorts; the first, of those, who are leud and wicked; the second of them that bee simple, ignorant, and the common people; the third, of such as be wise, honest, and of good worth. As for those who be wicked & naughtie persons (in fearing the pains and punishments proposed in general unto all) they will be afraid to commit any more sinne, and by this meanes not breaking out, but restraining themselves, they shal live in more joy, & with lesse trouble and disquietnesse. For Epicurus thinketh, that there is no other meanes to divert men from evill do∣ing, [ 40] than, feare of punishment; & therefore he thinketh it good pollicie, to imprint in them the frights occasioned by superstition, to masker them with the terrors of heaven & earth, together with fearfull earthquakes, deepe chinks, and openings of the ground, and generally all sorts of feares and suspicions; that being terrified thereby, they might live in better order, and carie themselves more modestly; for more expedient it is for them, not to commit any hainous fact for feare of torments which they were to suffer after their death, than to transgresse & break the lawes, and thereby, live all their life time in danger, and exceeding perplexitie and distrust: As touching the meane people and ignorant multitude (to say nothing of the feare of that which such men beleeve to be in hell) the hope of eternitie, where of the poets make so great promises, and the desire to live alwaies (which of all other desires is the most auncient and greatest) sur∣passeth [ 50] in pleasure and sweet contentment, all childish feare of hell; insomuch as forgoing and losing their children, their wives and friends, yet they wish rather they should still bee some∣where, and continue (though they indured otherwise all maner of paines and calamities) than wholy to bee taken out of the universall world, and brought to nothing: yea, and willing they are, and take pleasure to heare this spoken of one that is dead: How he is departed out of this world into another, or gone to God; with other such like manner of speeches, importing, that

death is no more but onely a change or alteration, but not a totall and entire abolition of the soule. And thus they use to speake:

Then shall I call even there to mind, The sweet acquaintance of my friend.

Also:

What shall I say from you to Hector bold? Or husband yours, right deere, who liv'd so old?

And herof proceeded and prevailed this errour: that men supposed they are well eased of their sorrow, and better appaied when they have interred with the dead, the armes, weapons, instru∣struments and garments which they were wont to use ordinarily in their life time; like as Minos [ 10] buried together with Glaucus:

His Candiot pipes, made of the long-shanke bones Of dapple doe or hinde, that lived once.

And if they be perswaded, that the dead either desire or demand any thing, glad they are and wil∣ling to send or bestow the same upon them. And thus did Periander, who burnt in the funerall fire together with his wife, her apparell, habilliments, and jewels, for that he thought she called for them, and complained that she lay a cold. And such as these are not greatly affraid of any judge Aeacus, of Ascalaphus, or of the river Acheron; considering that they attribute unto them daunces, theatricall plaies, and all kinde of musicke, as if they tooke delight and pleasure there∣in: and yet there is not one of them all, but is readie to quake for feare, to see that face of death, [ 20] so terrible, so unpleasant, so glum and grizly, deprived of all sense, and growen to oblivion and ignorance of all things; they tremble for very horrour, when they heare any of these words: He is dead, he is perished, he is gone, and no more to be seene: grievously displeased and offended they be, when these and such like speeches are given out:

Within the earth as deepe as trees do stand, His hap shall be to rot and turne to sand: No feasts he shall frequent nor heare the lute And harpe, ne yet the sound of pleasant flute.

Againe: [ 30]

When once the ghost of man from corps is fled, And pass'd the ranks of teeth set thicke in head; All meanes to catch and fetch her are but vaine, No hope there is of her returne againe.

But they kill them stone dead, who say thus unto them:

We mortall men have bene once borne for all, No second birth we are for to expect, We must not looke for life that is eternall, Such thoughts, as dreames, we ought for to reject.

For, casting and considering with themselves, that this present life is a smal matter, or rather in∣deed a thing of nought, in comparison of eternitie; they regard it not, nor make any account to [ 40] enjoy the benefit thereof; whereupon they neglect all vertue and the honourable exploits of action, as being utterly discouraged and discontented in themselves, for the shortnesse of their life so uncerteine and without assurance; and in one word, because they take themselves unfit and unworthy to performe any great thing. For, to say that a dead man is deprived of all sense, because (having bene before compounded) that composition is now broken and dissolved: to give out also, that a thing once dossolved, hath no Being at all; and in that regard toucheth us not: howsoever they seeme to be goodly reasons, yet they rid us not from the feare of death, but contrariwise, they doe more confirme and enforce the same: for this is it in deed which na∣ture abhorreth, when it shalbe said, according to the Poet Homers words:

But as for you, both all and some, [ 50] Soone may you earth and water become.

meaning thereby, the resolution of the soule into a thing that hath neither intelligence nor any sense at all; which Epicurus holding to be a dissipation thereof into (I wot not what) emptinesse, or voidnesse & small indivisible bodies, which he termeth Atomi, by that meanes cutteth off (so much the rather) all hope of immortalitie: for which (I dare well say) that all folke living, men and women both, would willingly be bitten quite thorow and gnawen by the hel-dog Cerberus,

or cary water away in vessels full of holes in the bottome, like as the Danaides did, so they might onely have a Being, and not perish utterly for ever, and be reduced to nothing. And yet verily, there be not many men who feare these matters, taking them to be poeticall fictions and tales devised for pleasure, or rather bug beares that mothers and nourses use to fright their children with; and even they also who stand in feare of them, are provided of certeine ceremonies and expiatorie purgations, to helpe themselves withall: by which (if they be once cleansed and pu∣rified) they are of opinion, that they shall goe into another world to places of pleasure, where there is nothing but playing and dauncing continually among those who have the aire cleere, the winde milde and pure, the light gracious, and their voice intelligible: whereas the privation of life troubleth both yoong and old: for we all (even every one of us) are sicke for love, and ex∣ceeding [ 10] desirous

To see the beautie of sunnes light, Which on the earth doth shine so bright,

as Euripides saith: neither willing are we, but much displeased to heare this:

And as he spake, that great immortall eie Which giveth light thorowout the fabricke wide Of this round world, made haste and fast did hie With chariot swift, cleane out of sight to ride.

Thus together with the perswasion and opinion of immortallity, they bereave the common people of the greatest and sweetest hopes they have. What thinke wee then of those men who [ 20] are of the better sort, and such as have lived justly and devoutly in this life? Surely, they looke for no evill at all in another world, but hope and expect there the greatest and most heavenly blessings that be: for first and formost, champions or runners in a race, are never crowned so long as they be in combat or in their course, but after the combat ended and the victory atchie∣ved; even so, when these persons are perswaded that the proofe of the victorie in this world is due unto them after the course of this life, wonderfull it is, and it can not be spoken, how great contentment they finde in their hearts for the privitie and conscience of their vertue, and for those hopes which assure them, that they one day shall see those (who now abuse their good gifts insolently, who commit outrage by the meanes of their might, riches and authoritie, and who scorne and foolishly mocke such as are better than themselves) paie for their deferts, and [ 30] suffer woorthily for their pride and insolencie. And forasmuch as never any of them who are enamored of learning, could satisfie (to the full) his desire as touching the knowledge of the truth, and the contemplation of the universall nature of this world; for that indeed they see as it were through a darke cloud and a thick mist; to wit, by the organes and instruments of this body, and have no other use of reason, but as it is charged with the humors of the flesh, weake also and troubled, yea, and woonderfully hindered; therefore having an eie and regard alwaies upward, & endevoring to flie forth of the bodie (as a bird that taketh her flight and mounteth up aloft, that she may get into another lightsome place of greater capacitie) they labour to make their soule light, and to discharge her of all grosse passions and earthly affections, such as be base and transitorie, and that by the meanes of their studie in philosophie, which they use for an [ 40] exercise and meditation of death. And verily for my part, I esteeme death a good thing, so perfect and consumate in regard of the soule which then shall live a life indeed, sound and cer∣taine, that I suppose the life heere is not a subsistent and assured thing of it selfe, but resembleth rather the vaine illusions of some dreames. And if it be so (as Epicurus saith:) That the remem∣brance and renewing acquaintance of a friend departed out of this life is every way a pleasant thing; a man may even now consider and know sufficiently, of what joie these Epicureans de∣prive themselves, who imagine otherwhiles in their dreames; that they reveive and enterteine, yea and follow after to embrace, the very shadowes, visions, apparitions, and ghosts of their friends who are dead, and yet they have neither understanding nor sense at all; and meane while they disappoint themselves of the expectation to converse one day indeed with their [ 50] deere father and tender mother, and to see their beloved and honest wives; and are destitute of all such hope of so amiable company and sweet societie, as they have, who are of the same opi∣nion, that Pythagoras, Plato, and Homer were, as touching the nature of the soule. Certes I am verily perswaded, that Homer (covertly and as it were by the way) shewed, what maner of affecti∣on theirs is in this point, when he casteth and projecteth amidde the presse of those that were fighting, the image of Aeneas, as if he were dead indeed; but presently after, hee exhibiteth him marching alive, safe and sound:

And when his friends saw him so vigorous And whole of limbs, and with heart generous, To battel prest, whom earst they tooke for dead, They leapt for joy, and banished all dread.

leaving therefore the foresaid image and shew of him, they raunged all about him. Let us likewise (seeing that reason prooveth & sheweth unto us; that a man may in very truth converse with those that are departed; that lovers and friends may touch, handle, and keepe companie one with another, having their perfect senses) be of good cheere and shunne those, who can not beleeve so much, nor reject and cast behind, all such fantasticall images and outward barks and rinds onely, in which they do al their life time nothing else but grieve and lament in vaine. [ 10] Moreover, they that thinke the end of this life to be the beginning of another that is better; if they lived pleasantly in this world, better contented they are to die, for that they looke for to enjoy a better estate in another; and is things went not to their mind heere, yet are they not much discontented, in regard of the hopes which they have of the future delights and pleasures behind: and these worke in them such incredible joies and expectances, that they put out and abolish all defects and offences whatsoever; these drowne (I say) and overcome all discontent∣ments otherwise of the minde, which by that meanes beareth gently, and endureth with pati∣ence what accidents soever befal in the way, or rather in a short diverticle or turning of the way: where as contrariwise (to those who beleeve, that our life heere is ended and dissolved in a cer∣taine deprivation of all sense) death (because it bringeth no alteration of miseries) is dolorous as [ 20] well to them of the one fortune as the other; but much more unto those who are happie in this present life, than unto such as are miserable; for that as it cutteth these short of all hope of better estate; so from those it taketh away a certeintie of good, which was their present joyfull life: And like as many medicinable and purgative drougs (which are neither good nor pleasant to the stomacke, howbeit in some respect necessarie, howsoever they case and cure the sicke) doe great hurt, and offend the bodies of such as be in health; even so the doctrine of Epicurus unto those who are infortunate and live miserably in this world, promiseth an issure out of their miseries, and the same nothing happie, to wit; a finall end, and totall dissolution of their soule: And as for those who are prudent, wife, and live in abundance of al good things, it impeacheth and hindreth altogether their alacritie & contentment of spirit, in bringing and turning them [ 30] from an happie life to no life at all, from a blessed estate to no estate or being whatsoever. For first & formost this is certeine: That the very apprehension of the losse of goods, afflicteth and vexeth a man as much, as either an assured expectance, or a present enjoying and fruition there∣of rejoiceth his heart: yet would they beare us in hand, that the cogitation of this finall disso∣lution and perdition into nothing, leaveth unto men a most assured and pleasant good, to wit, the refutation or putting by of a certaine fearefull doubt and suspicion of infinit and endlesse miseries: and this say they, doth the doctrine of Epicurus effect, in abolishing the feare of death, and teaching that the soule is utterly dissolved. Now if this be a singular and most sweet con∣tent (as they say it is) to be delivered from the feare and expectation of calamities and miseries without end, how can it otherwise be but irksome and grievous, to be deprived of the hope of [ 40] joies sempiternall, and to lose that supreame and sovereigne felicitie? Thus you see it is good neither for the nor the other, but this, Not-being, is naturally an enemie, and quite contra∣rie unto all that have Being: And as for those whom the miserie of death seemeth to deliver from the miseries of life, a poore and cold comfort they have (God wot) of that insensibility, as if they had an evasion and escaped thereby; and on the other side, those who lived in all pro∣speritie, and afterwards came of a sudden to change that state into nothing: me thinks I see very plainly, that these tarrie for a fearefull and terrible end of their race, which thus shall cause their felicitie to cease; for nature abhorreth not privation of sense, as the beginning of another estate and being, but is afraid of it because it is the privation of those good things which are present. For to say: That the thing which costeth us the losse of all that we have, toucheth us [ 50] not, is a very absurd speech, considering, that this very cogitation and apprehension thereof concerneth us much already: for this insensibilitie doth not afflict and trouble those who have no more Being, but such as yet are, namely, when they come to cast their account, what detri∣ment and losse they receive by being no more, and that by death they shall be reduced to no∣thing: for it is not the three-headed-helhound Cerberus, nor the river of teares and weeping, Co∣cytus, which cause the feare of death to be infinit and interminable; but it is that menacing inti∣mation of Nullity or Not being, & of the impossibility to returne againe into a state of Being,

after men once are gone and departed out of this life; for there is no second nativitie nor rege∣neration, but that Not-being must of necessitie remaine for ever, according to the doctrine of Epicurus: for if there be no end at all of Non-essence, but the same continue infinit and immu∣table, there will be found likewise an eternall and endlesse miserie in that privation of all good things, by a certeine insensibilitie, which never shall have end. In which point Herodotus seem∣eth yet to have dealt more wisely, when he saith: That God having given a taste of sweet eterni∣tie, seemeth envious in that behalfe, especially to those who are reputed happie in this world; unto whom that pleasure was nothing els but a bait to procure dolor, namely, when they have a taste of those things which they must for goe: for what joy, what contentment and fruition of pleasure is there so great, but this conceit and imagination of the soule (falling continually as it [ 10] it were into a vast sea of this infinition) is not able to quell and chase away, especially in those who repose all goodnesse and beatitude in pleasure? And if it be true as Epicurus saith: That to die in paine, is a thing incident to most men; then surely there is no meane at all to mitigate or allay the feare of death, seeing it haleth us even by griefe and anguish to the losse of a sove∣reigne good: and yet his sectaries would seeme to urge and enforce this point mainly, to wit, in making men beleeve that it is a good thing to escape and avoid evill; and yet forsooth, that they should not thinke it evill, to be deprived of good. They confesse plainly, that in death there is no joy nor hope at all, but what pleasure and sweetnesse soever we had, is thereby and then cut off; whereas contrariwise, even in that time, those who beleeve their soules to be immortall and incorruptible, looke to have and enjoy the greatest and most divine blessings; and for certeine [ 20] great revolutions of yeeres, to converse in all happinesse and felicity, sometime upon the earth, otherwhiles in heaven, untill in that generall resolution of the universall world they come to burne together with Sun and Moone, in a spirituall and intellectuall fire.

This spacious place of so many and so great joies, Epicurus cutteth off and abolisheth cleane, in that he anulleth all hopes that we ought to have in the aide and favour of the gods; whereby both in contemplative life he exstinguisheth the love of knowledge and learning; and also in the active, the desire of valourous acts of winning honour and glory; restraining, driving and thrusting nature into a narrow roome, of a joy which is very strait, short and unpure, to wit, from the soules delight to a fleshly pleasure; as if she were not capable of a greater good, than the a∣voiding of evill. [ 30]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or rather 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.2

  To wit, in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both the one and the other.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉