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

¶Of the goodes of Fortune. Chap. 2.

THe Philosophers, & other vnfaithfull heathens, considering the mutability of all thinges, and the small assuraunce that man hath of any thing, haue suppo∣sed this world to bee gouerned by some blinde or beastly God.* 1.1 And hereof came the fiction of Fortune, which is of aunci∣ente, both Poets and painters fai∣ned to be blinde, brutishe and frantike, and so to stande vppon a rounde stone, distributing worldly thinges. She is thought to be blinde, because she besto∣weth her gifts without consideration of Persons: Brutishe, because she rewar∣deth most commonly, the most vngodly: without iudgement, Mad, because she is waywarde, cruell and vnconstant: stan∣ding not vpon a square stone, for that a∣bideth, but vppon a rounde one, for that slideth continually. And therefore she is compted as brittle as glasse, and nothing

or more vnstable. And yet notwithstan∣ding, at her pleasure she bestoweth all thinges: which Virgill confirmeth, for he ascribeth vnto her this lytle Omni∣potent: and Saluste sayeth, that in all thinges Fortune beareth swaye. But let them as Heathens, and without the knowledge of the true God, imagine what they liste, yet let vs thinke, and be∣leeue none to bee Omnipoten, and to dis∣pose the worlde, and that which is in the same, but onely our God, not Fortune: and that he doeth all thinges, not rashly without reason, but prouidently to our preseruation: and that he is not mad in his doings, but mightie and maruelous, and doth all thinges to the comfort of his electe. For if the vertuous be pinched with pouertie, or plaged with any kinde of aduersity, they ought with Christe to saye, Their kingdome is not of this worlde: if the vitious be puffed with plentie, or placed in all kinde of prospe∣ritie, the good shoulde perswade them selues, that though they florishe, yet a tyme wyll come, when a straighte ac∣coumpt shall be asked, and those wicked stewards shal be throwne headlong into

that lake which burneth cōtinually with fire and brimstone, where is weeping & gnashing of teeth. Yet wyl we somwhat follow the Philosophers (& yet so as our opinion shalbe that there is a God, & that nothing happeneth by chaunce, or for∣tune vnto man, but by the espetiall pro∣uidence of almighty God) and with the ruder sort we wyl consider what are the goodes of Fortune: which are in num∣ber infinite. For they are all such earth∣ly things,* 1.2 as are geuen of God to the vse of man, or those things which are not in man, but are gotten by man, as Riches, Good wyll of men, Nobilitie, Fame, Aucthority, Honor, many, and vertuous children, and such lyke. Those which I haue recited are much spoken of, & ther∣fore I wyll speake somewhat of them. Vnder the name of riches are cōprehen∣ded plate,* 1.3 money, iewels, houshold stuf, landes, possessions, store of shéepe, oxen, horses, & other beasts. I am not ignorant what hath bene the iudgement of wyse & learned men, concerning riches, as that of Isocrates,* 1.4 where he sayth, That riches do rather styrre to vices, then pricke to vertue▪* 1.5 or that of Plato, where he sayth,

that he is a mad man, which can iudge a rich man, to bee an happie man: or that of another, which accoumpteth that e∣state miserable, whereas riche men are honorable. I know lykewise that Phi∣losophers haue contemned,* 1.6 & cast them awaye, as did Crates of Thebes, which thought he could not, possesse riches, and reason at once: as did Moninus, which scattred money in the streetes,* 1.7 & nothing at al cared for this life:* 1.8 as did Aristippus Democritus & others. And yet I am not ignorant that Isocates counsayle is, we should gather wealth, both to relieue our owne want, and also to succor the neces∣sity of others: That Terence saith, riches are according to their vse, good,* 1.9 if they be well vsed: bad, if they be abused: I know also that Lactantius, called Democritus a foolishe man, for leauing his patrimo∣nie, and substance at sixe and seuen: and that he iudged Crates (and such lyke) a mad man, for flinginge his substaunce and treasure into the sea, with whiche he might haue relieued manies want.

Of this point, because my desire is to be short, I wyll speake no more, but wyl leaue the sentence to the iudgement of

the wyse,* 1.10 onely with Callimachus I say, that Riches without wisedome, to vse them, can not honest a man, much lesse exalt him: and vertue or good quali∣ties without Riches, are as it were a candle vnder a bushell, & obscure: & with learned Sappho, I saye, Riches without vertue do lytle profite,* 1.11 but ioyned with good qualities, doo beutifie and set out a a mans vertue very much. Aristotle de∣fines him to be a true friend,* 1.12 whose care is to pleasure his friende in all honest things, moued thervnto, by a méere good wyll, which he beareth vnto him. Now he which hath many such friendes, is coumpted to bée lykewise in Fortunes bookes. But of true friendship, we shall haue occasion to speake more, when we shall describe the nature of Iustice. Thirdly, he is sayd to haue good Fortune which is borne of a noble house,* 1.13 or by his owne vertues rayseth to his posterity, great fame and glory. Aristotle doth di∣stinguishe noblenesse of birth, & sayth if is eyther vniuersall or particular. Vni∣uersall, as to be borne in a noble and fa∣mous countrey: particular to come of noble progenitors. Both truely illustra∣teth

a man very muche, as long as his vertues doo answere to the fame, eyther of his countrey, or parentes: otherwise more shame he getteth thē glory. For no∣table is the aunswere of Themistocles to Tymodemus,* 1.14 which obiected to him that were it not, that he were an Athenian, his name would be obscure. Thou sayest true, aunswered he, for if I were thy countreyman, my vertues should neuer be rewarded, and if thou wert my coun∣treymā, thou shouldest neuer be so much as talken of, for thou hast no good quali∣ties. Whereby he seemeth to infer that an obscure countrey bringeth no credite to a man, be he neuer so vertuous: and a noble coūtrey illustrateth no man, which is not of good behauior. On the other part to come of noble parentage, and not to be endued with noble qualities, is ra∣ther a defamation, then a glory. And therefore true is that sentence of Cicero,* 1.15 Noble men, except they be vigilant, ho∣nest, valiant, and mercifull (notwithstā∣ding their byrth) must néedes geue place vnto them, which are adorned with these goodly vertues. And to the lyke purpose, enueighing against Catiline, he sayth,* 1.16

Thy naughty life Catiline, hath so obscu∣red the glorie of thy predicessors, that al∣though they haue bene famous, yet by thee they wyll come into obliuion, and neuer be spoken of, wherefore neuer cast mee in the teeth, of my basenesse of byrth, for better is it by vertue and good deedes to get renowme both to mée and my posterite, than as thou doest, to de∣pende vpon the opinion of a noble house, and so by idlenesse, and wicked liuing, to shame both your selfe, and to extinguish theyr fame. So Cicero. By which it appeareth howe foolishe, and fanaticall they shew them selues, which wyl boast of theyr gentiltie, and thinke others in respecte of them selues, no better then slaues, or abiectes of none accoumpte, when as in déede none are more abiects then them selues, because depending vp∣pon their pettie gree, they neglect those thinges which are the tokens of a true gentleman. Nobility therfore of birth to a vertuous man, bringeth great glory: to a vitious, rayseth perpetuall reproche: other Nobilitie in this lyfe by vertue at∣tained, is to be supposed no small token

of an happie life.* 1.17 Another part of good Fortune is to be well reported of, and to haue a good name. The reddiest waye to purchase a good name, is by our good deedes to shewe our selues suche, as our desire is to be accoumpted.

It is written of Dionysius,* 1.18 a most cru∣ell tyrant, that as long as he perceiued him selfe to be well reported of, he was a good man, but when the priuie talke to his defamation came to his eares, he then began to leaue his good nature, and to exercise all kinde of crueltie towarde his subiectes, and became the most cruel Prince that euer was.* 1.19 The considera∣tion of which made Erasmus to saye, that it was no small treasure to haue a good name: and yet is it more frayle then any glasse. For nothing is soner lost, and nothing harder to be recouered. And most commonly, he whiche by good be∣hauior deserues to bée best thought of, it falleth out, that he is most defamed.

But true is that of Tullie:* 1.20 Euen as fire cast into the water, is quickly quenched, & put out: so a false and hote accusation a∣gainst an honest lyfe & conuersation, doth

not long continue, but is extinguished. And a rumor raysed of nothing (sayth E∣rasmus) sone of his own accord vanisheth:* 1.21 and the ende of it is nothing else, but to make the innocencie of him whiche is slandered to be more wondred at, and commended. Cicero lykewise writeth very notably hereof,* 1.22 and sayth: That if a mans good name be not polluted, though he haue nothing else, yet that stands him in more steede, then the possession of great riches Wherefore we may very wel say, that he hath good fortune, which is free from the slanderous tongue, and whose good name is not called into re∣prehension, by the wicked endeuors of malicious persons. A man is lykewise saide to be happie, when he is honored of men. This honor is called the reward of vertue. M. Marcellus building a temple, which he called the temple of Honor,* 1.23 dyd so place & situate the same, as none could haue entraunce therevnto, except first he came through Vertues temple. Signi∣fying thereby, that the way to honor, is by vertue only, not by fauor, money, nor other meanes. And hereof it is that in déede we honor only such as either haue,

or maye doo vs some great benefite. And therefore the Athenians honored Aristi∣geton, and Harmodius,* 1.24 for kylling a ty∣rant: and the Romanes dyd erect images to all suche as had gotten renowme to theyr countrey: and generally all such are honored of euery man, which haue or may doo him good. Cicero sayth,* 1.25 that those haue excellent wittes, which are pricked with the desire of glory. And we finde it most true, that none haue proued excellēt in any thing, except first he were styrred therevnto by a burning desire of Honor.* 1.26 For (that I maye ommit all ly∣berall artes which would be of no price, except their were a preferment) who is he whiche in other thinges can prosper without an hope of attayning honor▪ and praise of men? Great and exceeding be the prayses of Themistocles, and Fabius Maximus,* 1.27 but such commendation was geuen them, when the studie of Honor had entred into their mindes, not before. For they were afore of most wicked con∣uersation, but when the shame of the world had troubled them, and they were pricked with desyre of glory, they proued two such fellowes, as in Athens was

none lyke vnto Themistocles, and Fabi∣us by his vertues got vnto him another name,* 1.28 and was called not Gurges (as before) but Maximus, both verie hono∣rable, and very well esteemed in their contrie. This Honor, as the rewarde of well doing, ought not onely to be desired, but sought for, but yet not by al meanes, or yll meanes, but we must come to the same (as I saide before) by vertue, shee must be our guide, and bringe vs to the place of honor. It hath bene sought for of manye, and yet none purchase the same, and are truly honored of the wise, but onely the vertuous. For when as they hunt after the same immoderatly,* 1.29 not according to the rules of wisedome, they are counted ambitious, and pric∣ked therevnto because they woulde be in the eyes of men gratious, not for any good they meane to the common weale. Such are knowne by theyr fruites, and are honored of flatterers, or other men, because they woulde reape some profite. To haue the true Honor, and to be re∣uerenced among men, for the sake of vertue, is an espetiall gifte, and one of the chiefest goodes of Fortune.

Another of the goodes of Fortune,* 1.30 is to bee blessed with children, & those in num∣ber many, of nature honest. There was a lawe among the Spartanes,* 1.31 that he which had begotten thrée men children, should neyther watche nor warde: and if any had fiue sonnes, shoulde be set free from paying any common fyne, & neuer be troubled with bearing any publyke office, but lyue at his hartes ease, quiet∣ly. And the Romanes had a company of men called Proletaries,* 1.32 vppon whome was neuer any task or fyne set, but they dyd benefite, and pleasure theyr coun∣trey with begettinge children. And cer∣tainlie, the getting of children is one of the chiefest benefits that can be in a com∣mon weale, without which mankinde woulde soone perish and come to naught. And who is he that wyll not iudge that man to bée greatly in Fortunes fauor, which is adorned with many goodly chil∣dren? Or who wyll reprehende that noble Cornelia,* 1.33 whiche counted her children to bée her treasure and ri∣ches? God hath promised that he which serueth him shall haue a wife, as fruit∣full as the vine, and that his children

shall stande lyke Oliue braunches round about his table. Finally what a blessing it is to haue children, let them iudge which want. I haue heard that the chie∣fest cause of debate, among many folkes is most commonly barrennes: and some are so desirous of them, that many thou∣sandes they woulde geue, to haue but one. By whiche it appeareth what a great blessing it is to haue many chil∣dren, espetially if they be vertuous: else were it better to haue none. For, as we commonly saye, Better vnborne, then vntaught. To haue them well manne∣red, consisteth in the power of parentes, for if they wyll, they maye be endued with all vertues. Which made So∣lon to enacte that those parentes in their olde age,* 1.34 shoulde not be relieued of their children, which cared not howe they practised good manners, or profited in o∣ther humane literature. And therefore Cicero doeth sharply rebuke Timarchi∣des,* 1.35 for that being of wicked lyfe, and conuersation him selfe, yet he was not ashamed, to haue his sonne of tender yeares to be a viewer, and a witnesse of his wicked lyuing. And as vehemently

he doeth inueigh against Verres for the same faulte,* 1.36 because he cared not howe his sonne spent his tyme, whether a∣mong harlottes, or honest persons. Notable is the example of Iulia, daugh∣ter vnto Augustus the Emperour,* 1.37 and maye be a good example to all well dispo∣sed parentes, howe they bring vp theyr children. For she being on a tyme coun∣sayled by a deare friende, to leaue her light behauior, and to imitate the ver∣tues of her noble father, aunswered con∣temptuously, My father hath forgot that he is an Emperor, and I doo not remem∣ber that he is my father. And surely the readiest waye to make children forget them selues and their friendés, is not by instructing them in good manners when they are yonge. I wyll recite no forraine examples, for Englande can minister mater inough, and euery iayle can beare mee witnesse, howe lytle care parentes haue of theyr childrens good behauior. The cause of Iulias wickednesse, was her fathers too much pampering her, and the cause of al wickednesse not onely in this lande, but else where, is the carelesnesse

of parentes. For if they, while they are yonge, eyther did punishe them, or suf∣fer them to be punished, they would not without great feare and trembling of∣fende, yea in smallest matters. Nowe (I may very well reason from a contra∣rie) If the hauing of no children be such a griefe and miserie, not onely to maried folkes, but also to the common weale, then the hauing of them is a great com∣fort to parentes, and commoditie to a common weale: and againe, if careles∣nesse of bringing them vp in the studie of vertue, be not onely to them selues a shame and vexation, but vnto theyr neighbors & countreymen hurtfull, and pernicious, then must it néedes be con∣fessed, that to haue children well nurte∣red, bringeth no small praise to their pa∣rentes, and profite to mankinde. And thus much concerning the goodes of For∣tune, which do illustrate euery man ve∣rie much, and cause them to be accomp∣ted of all men blessed: But the vertuous they doo place almoste in the highest de∣gree of Felicitie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fortune discribed.
• * 1.2

  Goodes of Fortune.
• * 1.3

  Riches.
• * 1.4

  Isocrates ad Demonicū.
• * 1.5

  Plato.
• * 1.6

  Crates Thebanus
• * 1.7

  Monimus.
• * 1.8

  Aristippus. Democri∣tus.
• * 1.9

  Terentius in Hea••t. Actus. pri∣mi scena secunda. Lactantius de salsa Sapientia. Cap. 23.
• * 1.10

  Callima¦chus.
• * 1.11

  Sappho.
• * 1.12

  Aristot••les. lib. 1. Rhe∣tor ad Theod. Cap. 16.

  A true friende.
• * 1.13

  Nobilitie.
• * 1.14

  Themisto∣cles. Tymode∣mus.
• * 1.15

  Cicero, pro Sexto Ros∣cio.
• * 1.16

  Cicero in Catilinam
• * 1.17

  Fame.
• * 1.18

  Dionysius.
• * 1.19

  Erasmus in Vidua sua.
• * 1.20

  Cicero pro, Q. Roscio.
• * 1.21

  Erasmus in vidua.
• * 1.22

  Cicero pro. P. Quinct. 10.
• * 1.23

  M. Marcel∣lus. Honor.
• * 1.24

  Aristoge∣ton. Harmodius
• * 1.25

  Cicero lib. 1. Epi. ad Q. Fratrem.
• * 1.26

  Honor alit artes.
• * 1.27

  Themisto∣cles. Fabius Maximus.
• * 1.28

  Fabius Gurges.
• * 1.29

  Ambition.
• * 1.30

  Children.
• * 1.31

  Spartanes.
• * 1.32

  Proletaries.
• * 1.33

  Cornelia.
• * 1.34

  Solon.
• * 1.35

  Cicero ac∣tione. 4. in Verrem. Timarchi∣des.
• * 1.36

  Cicero act. 6 in Verré.
• * 1.37

  Iulia.