The vanitee of this world

¶What a tyranne is.

ANd now that I haue declared▪ what a lawfull lorde ought to be, it maie easily be considered, what a tyranne is, and in few woordes to de∣scriue hym

He that maketh his wil a law, and for hym selfe woorketh al, A tyranne (I saie) and not a prince you maie hym cal.

And lyke as these kynde of men, appea∣ryng gloriousely to the sight, accompa∣nied and enuironned of a numbre of gen∣tilmen and ministers that folow theim and serue theim, doe represent a certaine outwarde similitude of felicitee: Euin so inwardely they are on the tother syde turmented with corsies and passions of the minde, that nother theyr gardes, nor theyr armures can defende theyr ill con∣sciences

from the infernall furies. Thei neuer haue good time nor rest. In com∣pany of theyr owne wyfes (whiche is wont to be most comfortable vnto man) they haue almost no ioie, and amongest theyr owne children (wherin man shuld reioice) they seeme to be amonge theyr enemies. Of the sweete fruite of friend∣ship they neuer taste, because that not findyng in theyr owne hertes to loue a∣ny man, they can not conceiue how any man should loue them againe. If they eate or drinke, they feare poyson: If they slepe, thei dreame of armes, bloud, persecucion and death: and continually suspect that, whiche they know theim selfes woorthy to haue, and are a fearde of as many as be theyr subiectes. Wher∣of it foloweth, that they trust no man. And some there haue been, that woulde neuer goe to bedde with theyr owne wy∣fes, but that thei would fyrst serche the chamber, wheather there were any bo∣dy hidde, and sometyme serche the verie clothes of the bedde for feare of knifes, and many of theim woulde cause mens beardes & theyr owne daughters heare, for dreade of lyke foolisshenesse to be cut of. Amongest all other Charles the .vii.

frenche king, fearing to be poysoned, re∣sted certaine daies without takyng any meate, wherof he sickened: and so thin∣kyng to flee death, fell into it. But to passe ouer the rehersal of the violent and shamefull endes, that numbres of them haue made in all ages and in all naci∣ons, I conclude, that there is none astate so vnhappy as that of tyrannes, who ei∣ther must liue miserablie, or die sklaun∣derfully. I forbeare to reken vppe the troubles that thei haue (be thei lawfull lordes or tyrannes) in theyr daiely war∣res, the losse of theyr men, the destructi∣on of their citees, the spoyle of their coū∣treis, the discoumfiture of theyr armies, theyr owne captiuitee, and a thousande other aduersitees, that are commenlie seen. So that in effect lordship is more bitter than sweete, and consequently a thyng not to be desyred. And though well all the sweetenesse of the worlde were to be founde therin, yet ought we not therin to put the ende of our desires. For (as the apostle Iames saieth) Our life is none other but a vapour, whiche ap∣peareth a little while, and incontinently is dissolued.

Notes

• Iac. 4.