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

¶Of Prudence, and her partes. Cha. 8.

PRudence or wisedome, according to the mindes of diuers Philosophers,* 1.1 is diuersly defined, and yet in sense they all agree. The Stoikes say it is a know∣ledgd of good thinges, bad thinges, and thinges indifferent. Cicero is of theyr minde, and geueth the very same defi∣nicion: and sometyme he calleth it the mystresse of this lyfe, sometyme the art teaching howe to lyue well. Aristotle sayth, it is an habite of the minde, whose office it is to shew what things are hurt∣full, or profitable vnto man. Socrates was of that opinion,* 1.2 that he thought all vertues should be called by the name of Prudence. But Aristotle (as being out of the waye) reprehended him, and sayd, that his opinon had beene good, if he had thought no vertue could haue bine with∣out

Prudence, but he coulde not saye rightly, that euery one was Prudence. Many and great haue bene the prayses of this vertue. Apollophanes a Stoike stoode in such admiration thereof,* 1.3 that he iudged all other vertues in respecte of wisedome nothing worth, that shee was to the rest as a prince to her handmaids. Another Philosopher whose name was Bion, thought aswell of her, and sayde, that shee dyd as farre excell the rest of the vertues,* 1.4 as the sight is better in dig∣nitie then other senses. Another Phi∣losopher, whose name was Epicurus, (which though concerning the chiefest happinesse he erred,* 1.5 yet in this thing) fayde very well, that the very cause of all goodnesse was onely wisedome. For by that we knowe, what to eschue as hurtfull to our selues, and againe what to chuse as profitable. Hipparchus, and other Astronomers doo affyrme,* 1.6 that wisdome can preuent future mischiefes: and nothing is so hurtfull, and perniti∣ous, but by wisedome it maye be auoy∣ded. For (that I maye laeue other examples, vntyll I declare the partes of wisedome in order) it is reported of

Socrates,* 1.7 that being (according to the iudgement of the Physiognomers) ge∣uen to all wickednesse, by wisedome he reformed him selfe, and became a good example of a godly man.

The Poets,* 1.8 to declare the excellencie of this vertue, faine wisedome to bee a woman, and to be borne not of any mor∣tall wight, but euen of Iupiter him selfe: and not of the vilest part of him (as Ve∣nus was of Neptune) but of the beste:* 1.9 and to springe out of Iupiters braine, thereby to shewe, that wisedome is no base, but a diuine thing. And certainly (to leaue all fictions of Poets) if wee consider the place, from whence our wisedome comes, we shall confesse that it is a most excellent thing. The place from whence it floweth, is not the beastly part concupiscence, but the best, the minde which is immortall. As the Philosophers & Poets say theyr minde, to the extolling of wisedome, so doo the painters discribe what they think of her. They for wisedome painted Minerua, & they dyd so set her forth, that wheresoe∣uer one stoode, eyther before her, or be∣hinde, shee had a full sight of him.

Thereby to shewe that the Nature of wisedome is such as it beholdeth,* 1.10 and noteth euery place, and person, neyther doth shee commit, and doo any thing for which shee may afterwarde saye, Non putaram. Nowe all these prayses of all these men, maye easely be perceiued in the office of wisedome. For it is the part of a wyse man to measure all thinges by the rule of reason, to doo nothing but that which is honest and good: to bende all his thoughtes to the encrease of god∣lynesse.* 1.11 All this maye easely be per∣ceiued to be true, if we consider the parts of which Prudence dependeth, which are in momber eleuen: namely, Reason, Iudgement, Circumspection, Proui∣dence, Docilitie, Héede, (all which Plo∣tinus a Platoniste, affyrmeth to be the parts of Prudence:) but Aristootle doth not onely confesse those to he her partes, but also adioyneth, Warynesse, Wyly∣nesse, Craftinesse, Subtiltie, and righte∣ousnesse. What eache of these are, accor∣ding to our skyll, and hability, shall be manifested.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prudence what.
• * 1.2

  Socrates.
• * 1.3

  Apollopha∣nes.
• * 1.4

  Bion.
• * 1.5

  Epicurus.
• * 1.6

  Hipparchus
• * 1.7

  Socrates.
• * 1.8

  The byrth of wisdom.
• * 1.9

  Venus.
• * 1.10

  The office of wisdom.
• * 1.11

  Partes of wisdome.