Pan his syrinx, or pipe compact of seuen reedes: including in one, seuen tragical and centicall arguments, with their diuers notes not impertinent: Whereby, in effect, of all thinges is touched, in few, something of the vayue, wanton, proud, and unconstant course of the world. Neither herein, to some-what praise-worthie, is prayse vvanting. By William Warner.

Cap. 48.

J Haue (Philargus) giuen eare, and will anon giue ease, otherwise Iustice should be lesse, which ought to be so much, thā an Intermediū to my scepter: for whilst we rule with iustice we retaine the Tittles of kings, if not, we re∣couer the names of Tyrantes: in what therefore may we better discharge such our Charge, than in brideling the iawes of the mightie Oppressor, and in wiping teares from the eyes of the poore-man oppressed? for myne owne part I haue alwaies caried this opinion, that not to do iu∣stice to others is to bring my selfe in danger of iudgemēt: knowing that the Prince ought to be the peace of his peo∣ple, to the Orphant a parent, to the succourlesse a refuge, to good men a Protector, to ill men a terror, and to al men indifferent, who in respect of the cause shoulde reiecte the person, giuing to euery man that whiche is his, and for this cause are wee called Gods.

Euen this Preamble, Opheltes, ought to be fearefull to thee that are faultie to thy selfe: fie gracelesse man, fye, doth not almost euery post in my Palace florish with these sayings? Doe as thou wouldest be done vnto: Shew pie∣tie to thy Parents, and loue to thy kindred: Haue peace with men, and warre with Uices: Bee faithfull to thy friendes, and to all men iust: yet by so muche hath thy lewdnesse digressed from these Lessons▪ by how much vn∣like workes differ from like wordes. But out of a legion I will only single a leash, & those are, thine Ingratitude,

Disdaine, and Adulteries.

If, Opheltes, I may say him vngratefull that is ready to receiue and carelesse to repaye, and him gracelesse whome the gentle ••••ane of a Friend of a Debtor maketh an Enemie, what maye I then saye yll enough to thee? who diddest franckly receaue without loane, but doest falsely requite without loue: forgetting that Curtesies receaued by tale should be returned in grosse: that to bee gratefull for a little is a preparatiue to more: that still to bee thankefull and confesse a benefite, is still to strike from off the skoare with our Benefactoures▪ and in troth, then to render thankes and giue faire speeches, nothing is deliuered with lesser charge, or recaued with greater acceptance.

But certain it is, a seconde Fiend hath brooded this first Furie, proude Disdaine I meane, whome false Ho∣nour hath begotten in dishonourable Bastardie: for why, that same Honour hath an imperfect, or rather a prodigi∣ous bodye, wherein Humilitie is not ingrafted a member, whiche wanting, Promotion in an euill man is contrarye to Preferment, because rysing to Honour hee falleth from Uertue: and dishonourable is Dignitie vsed vndiscreetelye, but to bee glorious and not Uain-glorious, to haue power and to wante Pride, not with too muche austeritie to prouoke hate, nor with too muche alacritie to procure contempt, but in all thinges to affecte a meane, is honourable in respecte of the man, and honest in respeccte of his maners▪ contrariwise, to haue the best degree and the basest minde, the maiestie of a Prince and the manners of a Pesaunt, a conquering tongue and a cowardlye hande, muche prattle and no proofe, outwarde gra∣uitie and inwarde lightnesse, a white heade, and a greene hart, high Authoritie, and vndiscreet Gouern∣ment make Honour mosterous, and contrarie to it selfe. To thee therfore, Opheltes, not vnaptly may I allude the

Fable of the Asse, who carrying on his backe the Image of Isis, and seeing the people to fall downe and worship, forgetting his holy burden supposed himselfe to be so ho∣noured, and therefore in a brauerie began to yerke out at his Driuer, because as the rest he did not reuerence: but by that time his Maister had wel cudgeled his hide, the foolish Asse could then remember that to Isis, not to an Asse such honours appartained: euen so (Opheltes) thou that doest carie the Image, but not the Saint, the Uisour of honour, but not the vertues of honour, to rebate from thy vainglorious conceit in carying of honorable Titles, art by greeuous correction with the Asse to be taught, y^e wor∣thie Titles without verteous Conditions are but as Pi∣ctures, in respect of the Persons. Think not much that so grosely I compare an Asse to a Gētleman, but know that such disdainfull Gentrie is worthye so worthlesse a com∣parison.

Could Philargus whom thou hast made poore with thy wrongs, poison thee with his words? or was his sight to thee a Serpēt, by whom thy self wert adopted a Sonne? If so (as thou shouldest think nothing lesse then so) then neither admitting benefites, and forgetting such aliance, tel me, Opheltes, is it sufferable thou shouldst be more cru¦ell then a Monster, or lesse ciuile then a man? the fiercest Monster is familier with Monsters of the same kind, and what art thou for a mā, that thou shouldst be fastidious of the acquaintaunce of men? If thy brauery could not haue brooked his beggerie, at the worst, a secret Releefe might haue dispatched a bashful Begger: or if couitousnes hard∣neth thine hart, yet diddest thou degenerate from a Ny∣gard, in not shewing a courteous looke where thou woul∣dest not bestow a charitable almes, seeing it is vsuall to euery pinche-penie rather to vaile three Bonettes, then with one halfe-penie to aduauntage a Begger. But (wicked man) Disdaine it is that hath transformed thee from a man to Diuell, otherwise thou wouldest haue

remembred, that neuer any man lost by being humble, or that anie euer wone by being haughty: neither haddest thou forgotten, that as Poore-men haue want to exercise their patience, so Rich-men haue wealth to practise their charitie: which lacking, horrible is that Audiat wherein such a Rich-man is Accomptant.

Thou shouldest haue thought (and the rather by thine owne experience) that although wee flourish to day we may fall to morrow, and as Stage-players chaunge our partes from the Kinges Scepter to the Beggers Scrip: that the dispysed may rise, and the dispiser may fall: naie admit that Fortune, the common flatterer, should still fa∣uour, yet what else gayneth the disdaynefull person? but this, that his superiours point at him in the streetes, his inferiours giere at him in corners, his equalles figura∣tiuely do ride him, and whosoeuer doth feare him not one doth friende him: the best way therefore to be rich is to dispise riches, & the meane to be glorious is to contemne glorie: for he that is neither proude in wealth, nor im∣pacient in want, is poorely rich, and richly poore,

As for the pompe of the worlde, and the peoples fauour it is nothing else then a smoake, and vanishing Ayer: and as Snow beginneth and endeth in water, so mā, how big∣ly soeuer he braue it, began in earth and shall end where he began: seuen foote of ground is alowed to the King, and the like quantitie alotted to the Begger, and both the one and the other putrefie in the graue: though wee lacke nothing in sight, yet haue we nothing in certainety, seeing all thinges be transitorie, and our selues mortall. Where are the gra••e Senatours, the wealthy Cytizens, the wise Philosophers, the famous Oratours, the valiant Captaines, the deified Princes, and amiable Ladies? are they not all conuerted to vnsauerie Donghils, or vtterly consumed to dust? do they not feede wormes in their Cof∣fens that breade wormes in their carcases? looke into their Sepulchers whether it bee possible to discerne the

Maister from the Slaue, the Rich-mā from the Begger, the King from the Subiect, the Champion from the Co∣ward, the Ladie from the Beldam, the foule from the faire or one from an other.

If such be our end, as such it is, if our felicities here be generally subiect to Casualities, & our flesh in the graue suffereth indifferently Corruption, with what reason thē do we dispise those through Pride, betwixt whom & vs is no differēce in the pit? sauing y^t the poore leaue not behind him like contentions for their heyres, or carrie with them like pampered Carcases for the wormes, nor commonly like daungers for their soules, because vnto whom most is committed by him most is omitted, howbeit with him it is most rekoned: when if the account fall not out order∣ly, what doth it aduantage to haue liued in delices & dig∣nities? when that which is mortall shalbe tumbled into a hole, & that which is immortal be tormented in hel: where the issue shall be not of Riches but of Righteousnes, not of costly Decking, but of charitable dealing. Thus seest thou, Opheltes, that in prosperitie to be secure is daunge∣rous, but at any time to be disdainful odious, that honour standeth not without humilitie, that humilitie teacheth a man without ouersight to haue of himselfe an insight, & that in a poore-man it is gratefull, in a richmā glorious.

It resteth now of thine incestious and incontinent life, wherein I will be short, because the same wickednesse is generally had in such detestation, that shoulde not I re∣proue it, the beastlinesse of the fact it selfe might impugne it: for who is he that wanteth a parramtorie condēnation against a violator of marriage? Wherefore thus to con∣clude, seeing, Opheltes, that the now calme spreading thy sayles in the broadest Seas may not incite thee to graty∣tude, neither the passed Storme that inforced thee to creepe vnder Philargus his Lee dehorte thee from dys∣dayne, nor yet the dishonour pursuing the offence deter thee from adulterie, that I maye therefore, amende

by iustice, what is helpeles by intreaty, this is my Sen∣tence: That Philargus (in lieu of his losse) be presently pos∣sessed of the one halfe of all y^t is thine, & the rest to be confis∣cate at my pleasure, vnlesse within one yeare next thou safely bring foorth Alcippe thy wife, his daughter: wher∣in fayling, to thee I adiudge perpetuall banishment.

Poore Philargus, forthwith enioyed the benefit of this sentence, & the king finding by further conference & trial, y^t he neither wanted Gentrie to match with his grauety, nor yet discretiō to deale in matters of estate, after a short time, aduanced him to high Offices in publique gouern∣ment. In whome, then profiting with double prayse, that is, by wisedome which euermore commendeth it selfe, and Authoritie which vnto whom soeuer it hap∣neth, wise or witlesse, neuer wanteth fauorers, or at the leastwise flatterers, was verefied this saying, wisdome without riches, and authoritie is as a Diamonde, ra∣ked vp in a donghill. It followeth now, that somwhat be said what in this meane while became of Alcippe, and al∣so what afterwardes befell to hir, Opheltes & Phaemonoe.