A philosophicall discourse, entituled, The anatomie of the minde. Nevvlie made and set forth by T.R.

¶Of Trust or Hope. Cap. 29.

TRust or Confidence is a certaine presaging or perswasion,* 1.1 rather of a prosperitie to come, then at hand. The cause therof is Hope, springing from a good consideration, and casting all douts which we haue pōdred out of our mind{is}. Again the causes of this confidence may be two, either former good luck (when we call into minde how happyly all things went with vs) there spring{is} a cōfortable courage, and in hope of the like good luck

wee are animated to take any thinge in hand seeme it neuer so dangerous: or the authoritie of some person. Bothe of these we meane to illustrate with examples. Of the former we haue many, as Nero an Emperor borne to all crueltie,* 1.2 which got such a confidence by a continuall good successe of euery thing which he tooke in hand, that when by Shipwrack he had lost many rich and precious iewels, he said boldely that he did not dout, but that the very fishes would be takē, and so his iewels,* 1.3 (as was y^e Ring of Gyges) should be brought vnto him again. Also a cer∣tain Centurian of C. Caesar beeing sent of him to Roome to vnderstand how all things went with him,* 1.4 went to the Se∣nate house, and there by common voice hearing that his Captains time of dicta∣torship was expired, and that his gouern¦ment was no longer proroged, striking the pommel of his swoord, with great con¦fidence boldely said. If so it be, then this swoord shall prolong the same. The confi∣dence of C. Castrinus another Captain of Caesars was wunderfull,* 1.5 for when the Pharsalian fight was at hand, and the time appointed that Caesar and his ene∣myes should incoūter, he came vnto Ca∣strinus,

and demaunded of him what he thought of that battaile, whether he ho∣ped they should vanquish or no. Then Castrinus giuing foorth his hand vnto Caesar said. Take hart vnto thée Caesar for thou shalt foile thy foes, & shalt com∣mend me for my valiantnes, either a∣liue or dead, whiche fel out as Castrinus did say. For bothe Caesar did get the bat∣tail, and in a solemne oration did great∣ly commend Castrinus for his valiant death. Notable was the stomack and the confidence of Androclidas,* 1.6 for bée∣ing derided of one because that béeing lame he would be a Souldier, answered merily like a worthy fellow, I come not to flye but to fight, and hope to haue the end of my comming and see the confusi∣on of my foes. As notable was the an∣swer of Leonidas to his bosting aduer∣sary,* 1.7 which cryed to the Spartaines that their laboure was lost, and that the next morrowe he & his fellowes would strike them down euery one, and that for the multitude of darts, they should not be∣holde the Sun. Wel, said Leonidas, if it will be as you say, we shall fight the better vnder the shade. This confidence hath béene said of Pindarus & the Stoiks,

to be the beginning of victorie to come, and to presage the same.* 1.8 Héere we wil a little digresse, and speake somewhat of presaging (of whiche we spake afore in this book, declaring what was Prudēce) The lerned wrighting of the same haue thought wise men, and those whiche are moste frée frō earthly cogitatiōs, to haue that gift that they can tel aforehād what wil happen: and that by certain family∣ars (for they haue thought euery man to haue two) which in latin they call Geni∣os, one good which is called Bonus Geni∣us, and th'other euil called Malus Geni∣us:* 1.9 by which they say that a man may e∣ther liue wel and vertuously, or euil and wickedly: vertuously by listening to the good angel (for so also haue they béen cal∣led) wickedly by obeying y^e suggestiās of the naughtie familiar.* 1.10 Of whiche minde hath Plato been: for in his Symposio he saieth that euery man hath his familiar giuen him of God to reueale the will of God vnto him.* 1.11 Socrates was said by this to haue presaged the death of that moste cruel of all other Tyrants Critias.* 1.12 For when Critias had sent vnto him a Cup filled with Poyson (whiche he was, béeing condemned by the lawe, enforced

to drink) he tooke the same, and drank vn¦to Critias whiche very shortly after the same sorte, dyed miserably. Now to re∣turn. Homer dooth oftentimes make mention of this familiar animating and imboldning Souldiers to fight couragi∣ously, and foretelles them secretly what shal happen, by which ariseth this Confi∣dence which is in many valiant youths.

But noble youths ought to take greate héed lest by to much Confidence they fall into perils, and hurt them selues, which confidence is then called by the name of Ouerboldenes, & is an extreme enemy to Fortitude, aswel as fearfulnes on the other side.* 1.13 If that Alexander the great had not had this ouer boldenes, his day∣es had béen prolonged. For béeing coun∣sailed by the Chaldeans not for to take his iorney to Babylon, for if he did they said his daies should be shortned, because of contemning their woords: And again béeing come nigh vnto Babylon, & seeing the Crowes & Rauens in the aire figh∣ting before his face, of which some fel at his feet prognosticating his end, and put¦ting him in minde of that whiche was tolde him by the Chaldeans, yet did not the fight and sight of them any whit ter∣fie

him, but boldely in contempt of words and wunders entred the cittie, where af¦ter few dayes he perished by poyson, gi∣uen vnto him by those whome he took for his déer and frusty fréends. By whose example we haue to learne not to muche to hope for continual prosperitie alwaies but to listen and obey the good counsail of graue men.* 1.14 Caesar likewise béeing ouer bolde and cōtemning the woords of those which wished him well came to a moste miserable end. For oftentimes he was warned and foretolde of the conspiracies of his foes to bring him to death He was coūsailed to sée to him self, & to garde his body, lest at any time his enemyes vpon the suddain should set vppon him, many promising their seruice willingly. But he contemned all their woords and wold none of their seruice, saying that he was a miserable Prince that would haue a Garde about him. But his contempt hastened his end, for as it was tolde him afore, his death was sought & he murthe∣red of his senate in their house of cōsul∣tation, with penkniues. If he had not so trusted to his good luck, and had suche a confidence that he could haue withstoode all the assaults of his foes, and harkened

to the wholesome admonitiōs of his faith¦ful fréends, his dayes might haue béene prolōged, and in time he might haue tur∣ned the harts of those whiche then were his capitall and deadly enemyes. Of the latter also we haue many examples of which we meane to recite some. In A∣thens on a time one of y^e tragedies of Eu∣ripides was plaied, which muche deligh∣ted y^e multitude,* 1.15 but one sentēce did not please them wel, and therfore they reque¦sted Euripides that it might be takē out and that they might heare it no more. But he stomaching their woord{is} came be¦fore them on the stage, tolde them that he made playes to instruct the people, and not to be controlled of them: whiche holde spéech of his so astonished them, that neuer after they would so much as mur∣mur against him.* 1.16 Scipio likewise (for his vertuous and good nature called Sci∣pio the good) in y^e time of a greate dearth which was at Rome, hearing the people much to complain of the want and penu∣ry which they were in, cryed vnto them and said: Maisters be content and holde your peace, for I knowe what is for the commoditie of the common weale better then you all (his experience brought him

suche a confidence.) The people were straight quieted, and altogither, without secret complaininges, depended vppon his wisdome, doubting not but that he bothe knewe how to ease them, and also would speedyly get a remedy. And as the people of Athens took the woords of Euy¦ripides, and the people of Rome the sa••e¦ing of Scipio quietly without concei•• of gréef: so did Iulius Caesar the behau••¦or,* 1.17 the straunge behauior of the Poet Ae¦••ius towards him. For whē Caesar came into the Colledge of poets, and euery on∣rose out of their places in token of obedy••¦ence to his person, onely Accius sat stil and would not rise: but Caesar not a whit stomached him therfore. For he knew very well that he did it not in contempt of his maiestie, but only through a cōceit of excellēcie. For he thought himself chée∣fest among the Poets and in that place as good as Caesar.

That confidence gotten by an opinion of excellēcie,* 1.18 made Apelles to take vp king Alexander as short. For Alexander cōming oftentimes into his woorkhouse, would finde much faulte w^t one thing or other, which Apelles marked very well

and was not a little mooued so to be re∣prehended of an ignorāt man, one which could not iudge of coulors, and therefore on a time he said vnto him. I meruaile Alexander how you wil continually be finding faulte, when you see my boyes laugh you to scorne for your vndiscrete woords. Which Alexander tooke patient¦ly and considered that Apelles spake not without a cause. But this confidence ex∣cept it be guided by modestie, and pro∣céede from iudgement, it runnes into a foule vice and is then called Arrogancy.

* 1.19For this Arrogācie haue many come into the hatred of men. As Chrysippus which to raise an opinion of knowledge vnto him self,* 1.20 would set foorth Bookes in his owne name which were the dooings of other men, in so much as he was open¦ly cryed out vpon. And therfore Apollo∣dorus an Athenian saide, that if other mens woords were taken out of y^e woork{is} of Chrysippus, there would nothing in his Books be séen but bare and white pa∣per This vice made Hyppocrates vndis¦cretly to answere the king of Persia (whi¦ch ernestly desired him to come and pro∣fesse physick in Persia) after this maner▪* 1.21 I am not so mad as among barbarous

men, foes to the Grecians, to practise my science and pleasure them any whit.

The like arrogancy was in that nota∣ble Painter Zeuxes,* 1.22 whiche through an opinion of excellencie, said moste foolish∣ly, that he had in minde suche a péece of woork, & so would set foorth Helen in her liuely coulors as neither Homer by elo∣quence, nor any man by imagination should conceiue the like. But for to root•• this vice out of the mind{is} of men, the Po¦ets fained a notable example of Thamy¦ras, whiche they say,* 1.23 because he would take vppon him more then he could dis∣charge, and would séem to contend with them, with whome he was not in any respect to be compared, and chalenged the Muses them selues (he béeing a Con¦trie fidle••) into the contention of Musick, was depriued of his sight, and became a laughing stock to all men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Trust or Confidence
• * 1.2

  Nero.
• * 1.3

  Giges.
• * 1.4

  A Centu∣rian of Caesars.
• * 1.5

  C. Castri∣nus.
• * 1.6

  Androcli∣das.
• * 1.7

  Leonidas
• * 1.8

  Presagins
• * 1.9

  Geni{us} bo¦nus mal{us}.
• * 1.10

  Familiars.
• * 1.11

  Socrates.
• * 1.12

  Critias.
• * 1.13

  Alexan. der.
• * 1.14

  Caesar.
• * 1.15

  Euripides.
• * 1.16

  Scipio.
• * 1.17

  Acci{us} po¦••ta.
• * 1.18

  Apelles▪
• * 1.19

  Arrogancy.
• * 1.20

  Chrysip∣pus.
• * 1.21

  Hyppo∣crates.
• * 1.22

  Zeuxes▪
• * 1.23

  Thamy∣ras.