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

¶ Of Concorde Cap. 42.

WIth Fréendship hath Concorde greate affinitie. For euen as Fréendship and Amitie ioyneth a fewe togither in good wil: so Concorde linketh many and a whole multitide. This con∣corde as M. Varro saith is deriued from consenting of many harts togither. Dis∣corde is clene contrary. For by it the peo¦ple can agrée in no thing. The praises of Concorde are many and singular. For some call it a tower of strength, inuinci∣ble against all inuasions. Others a∣ffirme that no other thinge is ment by those towers of Adamant (which the Po∣ets talke of) but the looue of citizens, who by no force, strength, or pollicie can be o∣uer come, as long as they in harte holde togither, and by discorde shrink not a∣way from their brethern. Some com∣pare it vnto a creature whose life would continue for euer, if it killed not him self. Seleucus considering how goodly a thing it is for brethern to holde togither in vni¦tie, called his fiftie sonnes togither and after this maner adhorted them to con∣corde. He tooke a bundle of darts fast boūd togither, and willed them to breake

it: but they séeing it was impossible, an∣swered they could not. Then vnlosing the bundle, he gaue vnto eche of them a dart and willed them to breke thē, which they did easely. Then he desired them to commit that which was doon to perpetu∣all remembrance, and counsailed them to holde togither, lest beeing at discorde, their enemies bring them to slauerie, when by their concorde they could not. And notable was y^e oration of Menenius Agrippa vnto the dissentious people of Rome, bending thē selues against the se¦nators. In which he brought many strōg and good reasons to the turning of their mindes from discorde: but his chéefest was fetcht from a fable of the members of mans body. Which he brought foorth (as Fenestella and others doo testifie) in this maner. In those dayes when euery parte of man had not onely reason, but spéech, it is said, that they beeing muche offended that all they should imploy their labor for the belly, and the belly doo no∣thing but consume that which was pro∣uided, conspired among them selues how they might bridle and bring vnder the belly, at length it was decréed that the hād{is} should not minister to y^e mouth,

if y^e hand{is} did, y^e mouth should not receiue it, nor the teeth grinde it: and whilst they were thus at discorde, all were brought lowe. And therfore he desired by that ex∣ample to beware of ciuil dissention, l••st vtter destruction come vpon them. To this concorde nature many waies inui∣teth vs. For we se that all beast{is} in their kinde be at peace one with another. For one Dragon bends not him selfe against another, nor one Lion fighteth with an∣other, and the cōcorde which is betwéen rauening Woulues all writers doo cele∣brate. Again by the consideration of our selues we are driuen to the praising and practising of concorde. For what is more contrary then the soule & the body? and yet nature hath so framed thē, that take the soule from the body, & the body is but a dead carcase. And therfore if we would liue, an vnitie must be betwéene them. For seperation of either bring{is} distructiō to one. Again y^e helth of our body what o∣ther thing is it, thē a cōsent of diu••••s qua¦lities: of which if one shold rule more thē another then 〈◊〉〈◊〉 néeds follow y^• many and dangero{us} diseases doo arise? Of the same discord, cō••s those mortall diseases which we are so plaged w^tall oftētimes.

And therfore if we wold haue our bodely helth, we need must séek for a tēperature of those elements of which all thing{is} are compounded. Finally if we compare our estate with brute beasts, we shall finde that without Concorde we are most mi∣serable. For vnto the other creatures God hath giuen one thing or other for de∣fence against their enemies, but man is naked, bothe without strength, & agilitie in comparison of thē, and no other way can help or defend him self without suc∣cor of other. By all which it is apparent that without concorde man is moste mi∣serable. He whiche is desirous to reade more of this mattter, may doo wel to per∣use the oration of Erasmus de Querimo∣nia pacis. Now as the naturall bodye of man (as wee haue prooued bothe by that of Agrippa) and other arguments without concorde cannot long continue: so neither the ciuil body, when the mem∣bers be not in quiet and at concorde. Ex∣amples to confirme the same are infinit, of which I wil recite one or two. We reade that Syracusa by the contention of two yung men about an harlot, was almoste brought to desolation. For some taking one parte and some another, they

grew to suche a multitude as open war was betwéene them. Through whiche broile it came to passe, that the nobilitie and magistrates, were either slaine or brought to slauerie, and the rude and ras∣kall people inuaded and spoiled their cit∣tie at their pleasure. We se the frute of discorde. The Grecians as long as they were at peace among them selues, were conquerors of all men: but after that ci∣uil dissention was among thē, they were so far from béeing victors of the rest, that they became villans, & a laughing stock vnto all the worlde. The like happened to the Iewes. And the Romans which a¦fore by concorde became the Lords of the earth, after (through Caesars ambitiō, Syl∣laes rablement, Cynnaes slaughter, & the cruel murthering of the people of Rome by Marius rebellion) they became, which had béen glorious, moste odious vnto the world. Wherfore at this time I wil re∣cite no more examples, only with that of Cicero I conclude in this maner: Wher¦fore euen for Gods sake, come to your sel¦ues you Tribunes and rulers of the peo∣ple, auoid their cōpany and forsake them of whom if in time you doo not take héed, you will be forsaken and left in the bry∣ers,

come to vs, and be at vnitie with ho∣nest men, defend the common wele with common aide, cleaue not vnto partes.

The common wele hath many woun∣des, muche conspiracie there is, many wicked & pernicious coūsails are taken, no forrain inuasions, no King, no people, or nation is to be feared (against such we are good inough) it is an hidden secret and domisticall mischéef, which troubles vs and brings a terror. To the auoyding of whiche, euery man should put to his hand, and remedie the same carefullye.

Notes

• Concorde
• Turres a∣damātinae
• Animal sēpiternū concordia
• Seleucus.
• Meneni{us} Agrippa.
• Fenestella
• Reasons to the embra∣cing of Cō¦corde.
• Erasm{us} de quaeri∣mo ma pacis.
• Syracusa.
• Grecians.
• Ievves, Romans Caesar. Sylla. Cynna. Marius.
• Cicero {pro}¦lege Agra¦ria ad po∣pulum.