CHAP. XXXII.
MY father nourished me, if I doe no lesse for him, herein I am more beneficiall vnto him, because he not onely conceiueth ioy, in that he is nourished, but because he is nourished by his sonne, & grea••ter pleasure and contentment he receiueth in my good will, then he doth in the gift it selfe. The meate which he gaue me, onely nourished my bodie. What if a man hath so far aduanced his owne fortunes, that either for his eloquence, his iustice, or his chiualrie•• he should grow famous in forraine countries, and had also made his father highly renowned, and so by his lustre dispelled the obscurity and cloudie darkenesse of his base birth: hath he not, thinke you, herein bestowed an vnestimable benefit vpon his parents? Should any man euer haue knowne Ariston and Grillus, had it not beene for ••e∣n••phon and Plato their sons? Socrates exempteth Sophro••is••us his name from ob∣liuion and death. It were too long to reckon vp all the rest, who liue by no o∣ther meanes, but, in that their children eternized their memories, by their own famous actions. Whether did Agrippa the father (who after his sonnes great∣nesse was scarcely knowne in Rome) giue a greater benefit, or Agrippa the son to his father, who alone was honoured with a Nauall Crowne (which was the greatest honour that was accustomed to be giuen to men of warre) who raised so many sumptuons buildings in the Citie, which both exceeded all former magnificence, and were neuer equalled by any after? Whether did Octauius giue his son Augustus the Emperor a greater benefit, or the Emperor Augustus to his father, although the shadow of adoptiue father had in som sort obscured the benefit of Octauius? What ioy and contentment had he conceiued, if after the extirpation of a ciuill warre, he had seene him command and gouerne the Romane Empire in security & peace? Who doubteth, but that he could hard∣ly acknowledge his owne good, or sufficiently beleeue the same, and as often as he considered his owne meane estate, conceiue that such a man a•• he could be borne in his house? Why should I now prosecute the rest, whom obliuion had already swallowed vp, except their childrens glory had deliuered them out of this forgetfull darkenesse? Moreouer, we enquire not whether any sonne hath giuen greater benefits to his father then he receiued at his hands•• but, whether any sonne can yeeld greater? And although the examples of those which hi∣therto I haue related, do not as yet suffice and satisfie, neither surpasse the good which they haue receiued at their fathers hands; yet Nature may make vs s••••, that h••reafter, which hath not as yet beene seene by the ages ••ore passed. I•• on•• onely benefit cannot surmonnt the greatnesse of parents deserts, it may be that many put together may out-strip them.
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