CHAP. XI.
APICIVS made small reckoning of two hundreth and fiftie thou∣sand crownes,* 1.1 and that which other men desire with wishes, he droue away by poison. But to a man of so depraued a minde, that last potion was the most holsommest. Then eate hee and drunke he poison, when as he was not only delighted with im∣measurable banquets, but gloried therein: when he bragged of his vices, when as he had drawne the whole Citie into admiration of his riot, when as hee had incited the youth (who of themselues are apt enough to follow euill examples) to follow and imitate him. This is the end of those men who keepe no mea∣sure in the vse of worldly goods, which notwithstanding haue their bounds, but abuse and follow euill customes, that hath no limit or rule but his vnbridled wil. Couetousnesse thinketh no thing enough, nature is sufficed with a very little. Is pouertie then no incommoditie to those that are banished? none; for there is no exile so miserable that is not fertile enough to nourish one man. Should not a banished man couet a gowne or a lodging? if hee desireth them only for vse, hee shall neither want house or cloathing: for the body is couered with as little as it is nourished. Nature hath made euery thing easie which shee knew necessarie for a man. If he wish for a furre gowne of purple embroidered with gold, composed of diuers colours, and after a rich fashion, hee is poore by his owne default, and not by the rigour of aduersitie. Restore vnto such a man all that hee hath lost, yet shalt thou doe nothing for him, because hee shall want more of that which he desireth thee, a banisht man wanteth of all that which he hath had. If he coueteth a Cubberd garnished with vessell of gold, siluer cups of great price, because that long agoe they were laboured by cunning workmens hands, medals made precious by a few mens madnesse, and a troupe of Seruants so great that the house (which otherwaies is spacious) is vnable to containe them; a goodly stable furnished with many fat and gallant Horses, marbels, and other stones of price, brought from all the corners of the World. Let a man gather vp together as many of these things as he can, yet will they neuer satisfie an vnsatiable minde: no more then all the water in the world is not sufficient to quench his thirst, that desireth to drinke not to satisfie his neces∣sitie, but to extinguish the heat proceeding from the inflammation of his en∣trailes. For this is no thirst but a sicknesse: neither hapneth this only in monie, but in meate also. This is the nature of euery desire that proceedeth from er∣rour, not from want: all whatsoeuer thou shalt heape vp will but serue to in∣flame him, not to satisfie him. He then that containeth himselfe within a natu∣rall measure will haue no sence of pouertie,* 1.2 but he that exceedeth this medio∣critie in midst of his greatest riches shall alwayes finde that pouertie attendeth him. The most solitarie and barren places suffice those that content them∣selues with necessarie things but they that desire superfluity haue neuer enough although they had whole Kingdomes. It is the minde that maketh men rich, he it is that accompanieth them in exile and in the desart, where finding suffi∣cient to maintaine his bodie he hath goods in aboundance, and enioyeth them