CHAP. XXII. IN ADDRESSE OF SPEECH TO MY LORD, TOVCHING THAT WHICH FOLLOVVES IN NERO'S REIGNE.

SOme of the lesser matters shall not bee vn∣worthy my hand, or your Lordships eare and view, which accustomed to most honorable obiects shall auoide hereby the horrour, and of∣fense which may rise by the contrary. For nei∣ther can the modestie of your most noble nature delight in shamefull wonders, nor stands it with the dignitie of those most roiall infusions which fashion your heroicke habits, to suffer such vices to approach within sight, which in their proper station are far beyond the kenn of common villa∣nies. Therefore men of tender feelings in consci∣ence had rather beleeue them to be fained, then done indeede. IOSEPHVS (a most discreete and credible author) professiuely affirms, that the euill will of some writers hath painted NERO much more prodigious in his life and reigne, then truth would beare, but withall confesseth him so bad, that there needed no falshoods to make him seeme worse. There were also who wrot high∣ly in his fauour, as the same IOSEPHVS saith. CALIGVLA'S incest, with all his three sisters was abominable, but the way of their vse not vn∣naturall, but what NERO did in his male wife, SPORVS, or suffered by his titularie husband, PYTHAGORAS (SVETONIVS calls him DO∣RYPHORVS) are shamefull wonders, and like∣ly, Page  69 if any other else, to bee of those whom IOSE∣PHVS singly thought were impudent vntruthes, or (to vse his owne rough roundnesse) lyes. But the best chaine to be vsed in the euolution of facts is composed of the linckes of time, in order as they were done; To antedate, or postdate may bee e∣qually vnequall. As for them vvho delight in strange matters, they shall knovv vvhat seemes to mee the greatest maruaile of NERO'S reigne, see∣ing vvee are vpon entrance into the vvorst there∣of.