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

DECREES PROPOSED UNTO the people of Athens. [ 10]

DEmochares the sonne of Laches, of the burrough Leucon, demandeth for Demo∣sthenes, the sonne of Demosthenes of the burrough of Paeania, a statue of brasse to be set up in the market place or common hal of Athens: also allowance of diet in the palace Prytanaeum, & the first place or seat in al honorable assemblies for him∣selfe, & the eldest of his house in every descent for ever; for that he the said De∣mosthenes hath alwaies bene a bene factour to the citie, & given counsell unto the people of A∣thens, in many of their honorable affaires to their behoose; for that he hath at all times exposed his goods to the service of the common-weale, & namely, of his liberall and bountifull minde contributed eight talents of silver, and mainteined one galley of warre, at what time the people [ 20] freed & delivered the isle Eubaea: & another, when captaine Cephisodorus set out his voiage into Hellespont; as also a third when Chares and Phocion were sent as captaines to Byzantium by the people. Item, for that with his owne money he raunsomed and redeemed many citizens taken prisoners & captives in Pydne, Methone & Olynthus by king Philip. Item, for that he defraied at his own proper cost & charges, the publick plaies & daunces when the tribe of the Pandionides failed to furnish the officers & wardens appointed thereto. Item, for that he armed many poore citizens who had not wherewith to set thēselves forth to the warres. Item, for that being chosen by the people one of the Aediles or Commissaries, for repairing the citie walles, he laid out of his owne purse to the value of three talents of silver, over and besides ten thousand drachms which of his owne mony he emploied, in casting of two trenches about Pyreaeum. Item, that after [ 30] the disasterous battell of Chaeronea, he gave out of his owne stocke one talent; & another to buy corne with all in time of a dearth and great famine. Item, for that by his effectual remonstrances, faire perswasions, holesome counsels, and good demerits, he had induced the Thebanes, Euboe∣ans, Corinthians, Megarians. Achians, Locrians, Bizantines, and Messenians, to enter into a league as well offensive as defensive with the people of Athens. Item, for that he levied a power of ten thousand footmen well armed, and a thousand horsemen, over and above the contribution of monies, by the people and their allies. Item, for that being embassadour, he had perswaded the associats and confederates of Athens, to make a contribution of money to the summe of five hundred talents and above, toward the warres. Item, for that he empeached the Peloponnesians for aiding king Alexander against the Thebanes; for which service he parted with his owne sil∣ver, [ 40] and went personally in embassage. As also in regard of many other good deserts, and woor∣thy exploits by him atchieved: in consideration likewise of much wise counsel and advice, which he hath given unto the people, and of his politicke government & mannaging of State affaires, wherein he hath carried himselfe as well, yea and much better than any in his time: for the pre∣servation of the libertie and maintenance of the authoritie of the people. Over and besides, in that he was banished out of his countrey by certaine seditious usurpers, who for the time sup∣pressed the authoritie of the people: and finally lost his life in Calauria, in the quarrell of the said people, and for the love and good will that he alwaies bare affectionately unto the commonalty of Athers, there being sent of purpose from Antipater certaine soldiers to apprehend him. Notwithstanding, which present danger wherin he stood, being now in the hands of his enemies, [ 50] yet persisted he firme & fast in his heartie affection alwaies unto the people: insomuch as he ne∣ver did any deed, nor let fall any word prejudiciall to his countrey, or unbeseeming the honour of the people, as neere as hee was unto his death. Subscribed, that verie yeere when Pythara∣tus was Provost.

Laches the sonne of Demochares, of the borrough Leucon, demaundeth in free gift of the Se∣nate and people of Athens, for Demochares the sonne of the Laches, of the tribe or borrough Leu∣con, one statue of brasse to be erected in the market place: also his table and diet in the palace or

citie hall Prytanaeum for himselfe, and for him that shall be the eldest of his house in everie de∣scent for ever; as also the priviledge of presidence of first seat at all solemne sights and publicke plaies: for that he hath alwaies beene a benefactour and good counseller unto the people of A∣thens, as having deserved well of the common-weale in these particulars; as well in those things which he hath penned, proposed and negotiated in his embassage, as in the administration of common-weale; in that he hath caused the walles of the citie to be built, made provision of har∣nesse & armor, as well offensive as desensive; of fabricks & engines of battery, & of artillery with shot to be discharged out of them; in that he hath well fortified the citie during the warres with the Boeotians which continued for the space of foure yeeres: for which good service done, bani∣shed he was and chased out of the citie by the tyrants, who oppressed the libertie and authoritie [ 10] of the people: and in that being restored againe and called home by an honourable decree of the said people, when Diocles was Provost, he was the first man who restrained the administrati∣on and mannagement of those who made spare of their owne goods, and sent embassages unto Lysimachus: in that also hee levied for the good of the common-wealth at one time thirtie ta∣lents, and at another a hundred talents of silver; in that he mooved the people by a bill preferred unto them, for to send an embassage to king Ptolemaeus in Aegypt; by meanes whereof they that went that voyage, brought backe with them fistie talents of silver for the people. Item, in that be∣ing sent embassador to Antipater, he received thereby twentie talents of silver, which he brought unto the people into the citie of Eleusin, where he practised and perswaded with them to receive the same. Item, in that he suffered banishment, because he was a protectour and defender of the [ 20] popular State, never siding nor taking part with any faction of the usurpers; nor bearing office or magistracie in common-weale, after that the said popular State was put downe and abolished. Item, in that he onely in his time, of all those who medled in the affaires of State, never studied nor intended alteration, and to reduce his countrey unto any another kind of government, but popular. Item, in that by his politicke counsell and administration he hath put in safetie and se∣curitie all judgements passed; all lawes enacted; all decrees concluded; yea and the goods and substance of all the Athenians: finally, in that he hath gone about and attempted nothing preju∣diciall unto the popular government, either in word or deed.

Lycophron the son of Lycurgus, of the borrough or communaltie of Buta, hath presented this request: That he might be allowed his diet in the palace Prytanaeum, according to the free gift [ 30] granted before time to his father Lycurgus by the people, in that yeere wherein Anaxicrates was Provost of the citie, and the tribe Antiochis President of Prytanaeum: which Stratocles the son of Euthydemus, of the borrough Diomeia, proposed it in this forme: Forasmuch as Lycurgus, the sonne of Lycophron of Buta, hath received of his ancestors (as it were) from hand to hand a cer∣taine hereditarie love and affection to the people of Athens, and his progenitours likewise, Dio∣medes and Lycurgus, both during their lives were esteemed and highly honoured by the people; and after their death, had this honour done unto them in testimonie of their vertue and valour, as to be enterred at the publike charges of the citie in that conspicuous street called Ceramicum: considering also, that Lycurgus himselfe (whiles he managed the affaires of the State) enacted many good and holsome lawes for his countrey, and being treasurer-generall of all the cities re∣venues, [ 40] by the space of fifteene yeeres, during that time, had the receit and laying out of the pub∣licke moneys, to the summe of eighteene thousand and nine hundred talents: and for that ma∣ny private mens stocks were put into his hands upon trust, for the considence they had in him, in regard of his fidelitie; in regard also, that he hath disbursed and laied foorth of his owne mo∣neys at sundry times and upon divers occasions, for the benefit of the citie and communaltie, as much as amounteth in all, to sixe hundred and fiftie talents: for that likewise in all his imploi∣ments, having beene ever found most trustie, just and loyall, and to carie himselfe as an honest man and good citizen, he hath bene many times crowned by the city: moreover, in this respect, that having beene chosen by the people the receiver of the finances, hee gathered together a great masse of money, and brought the same into the common chest within the citadell, and [ 50] besides, provided ornaments for the goddesse Minerva, to wit, images of victorie all of beaten gold, vessels to carie in procession both of golde and silver, besides other jewels of fine gold for the service and worship of the said goddesse, and namely, to the number of one hundred Cane∣phorae, that is to say, Virgins carrying paniers or baskets with sacred reliques upon their heads. Item, for that being elected commissarie for the munitions and provisions necessarie for the warres, he brought into the citadell a great number of armours and weapons, and among the rest, fiftie thousand shot; rigged and set a float foure hundred gallies, some new built, others re∣paired

and trimmed: over and besides, for that finding certeine of the citie works unperfect, to wit, the Arcenall, the Armorie and the Theater of Bacchus, he caused them to be made up, and withall, finished both the Cirque or running place Panathenaicurn, and also the empaled parke for publicke exercises, and built the Lycium likewise, and adorned the citie with many faire buil∣dings and publicke edifices: whereas also, king Alexander the Great, having already subdued all Asia, and intending generally to be commander over all Greece, demanded to have Lycurgus de∣livered up into his hands, for that he onely stood in his way, and crossed his desseignes, the peo∣ple would not deliver him for any feare they had of Alexander: and for that being oft times cal∣led judicially to his answere, and to render an account of his government and administration in a free citie and governed by a popular State, he was alwaies found innocent and unreproveable, [ 10] not tainted with any briberie, nor spotted with corruption and taking gifts for to pervert justice all his life time. To the end therefore, that all men might know that they who are well affected to the maintenance of liberty and popular government be highly acounted of by the people whiles they live, and that after their death the citie is willing to render unto them immortall thanks; in a good and happie houre, let it be ordeined by the people, that Lycurgus the sonne of Lycaphron of Buta, be honoured for his vertue and righteousnesse; and that the people erect his statue all of brasse in the market-steed, unlesse it be in some place where the trade expresly forbiddeth it to stand. Item, that there be allowance of diet in the Prytanaeum, to the eldest of his house in every descent for ever. Also, that the decrees by him proposed, shalbe ratified and en∣grossed by the publicke notarie of the citie, yea, and engraven in pillars of stone, and set up in the [ 20] citadell neere unto the offerings consecrated unto the goddesse Minerva: and for the engra∣ving of the said pillars, the treasurie of the citie shall defray fiftie drachmes of silver out of those moneys which are allowed for the citie decrees.