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NEedynesse is called of the Stoikes,* 1.1 an insatiable coueting, or a desyre without all measure immoderate. And then it appeareth, when as wée, hauing enioyed our desyre, seeme to bee no∣thing the better for it. And it is ter∣med of Plato Couetousnesse.
The Stoiks wryte, that this Needinesse commeth not of great penurie, but of great abundaunce. For he which pos∣sesseth much, néedeth much. And there∣fore, where lytle is, litle is the care, and litle ought for to be coueted.
The elder Cato was wont to say, that he stoode in néede of many thinges,* 1.2 and yet he coueted nothing. And sayde he, if there is, which I maye vse, I vse it, if not, I am he which can vse and enioye my selfe lawfully. M••n obiect vnto mée, that I néede many thinges, and I tell them that they knowe not howe to lack. And notable is that sentence: Coue∣tousnesse is the desire,* 1.3 and studdie to get money, which no wise man euer hath wished, for that (as it were infected with a contagious poyson) doeth effeminate both body & soule of man: it is neuer mi∣nished, neither with lack, nor with abū∣dance: and it lacketh aswel those things which it enioyeth, as which it wanteth. M. Cato, in his Oration which he made for the reformation of manners:* 1.4 sayde, that Prodigallitie and Couetousnesse were the two plagues which ouerthrew great and famous kingdomes. This
Perturbation of the minde, doeth not onely bring Princes into contempte with the people, but also causeth a spee∣die reuenge.
Platoes counsayle is verie good which sayth,* 1.5 that he which would bée counted riche, ought not to heape much money together, but rather to quiet and keepe vnder his desire. For impossible it is but he should be alway poore, which hath no ende of coueting. And therefore is Couetousnesse well compared to the dropsie: and couetous men,* 1.6 to those which are infected therewith. For as those which haue the dropsie, doo thyrste the more, the more they drinke: euen so couetous men, the more they prossesse,* 1.7 the more they woulde. And as those whiche are bitten by a certaine Viper named Dypsas, doo vnreasonably thirst, and by howe muche they drinke, by so much are from easing theyr paine: euen so those which are bytten with this Vi∣per couetousnesse, are alwayes thirstie, & the more they possesse, the more theyr dissease encreaseth. Plato in his thirde booke De Repub. would haue both plen∣ty and pouerty to bee banished out of his
common weale, the one because it cau∣seth Pleasure, Idlenesse, and Ambition: the other because it maketh abiectes, se∣ditious, and men geuen to all filthy lu∣cre. Therefore wyl we here conclude and saye with Solon, that riches ought to be gottē, but yet after honest meanes, not couetously, that is by wicked artes. Malè parta, malè dilabuntur, Ill gotten goodes, are ill spent, sayth Tullie.
Needinesse, vvhat.
Cato senior
Couetous∣nesse.
M. Cato.
A rich man truly ••er∣med.
Couetous∣nesse lyke the 〈…〉〈…〉 and lyke that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Dypsus.
The effects of Pouerty & Plenty.