Of wisdome three bookes written in French by Peter Charro[n] Doctr of Lawe in Paris. Translated by Samson Lennard

CHAP. XXXV. Against Iealousie.

THe only meane to auoid it, is for a man to make himselfe worthie of that he desireth, for iealousie is nothing else [ 1] but a distrust of our selues, and a testimonie of our little de∣sert. The Emperour Aurelius, of whom Faustine his wife de∣maunded what he would do, if his enemie Cassius should ob∣taine the victorie against him in battell, answered, I serue not the gods so slenderlie, as that they will send me so hard a for∣tune. So they that haue any part in the affection of another, if there happen any cause of feare to lose it, should say, I ho∣nor not so little his loue, that he will depriue me of it. The confidence we haue in our owne merit, is a great gage of the will of another.

He that prosecuteth any thing with vertue, is eased by ha∣uing [ 2]

a companion in the pursuit; for he serueth for a com∣fort, and a trumpet to his merit. Imbecillitie only feareth the incounter, because it thinketh that being compared to ano∣ther, the imperfection thereof will presentlie appeare. Take away emulation, you take away the glorie and spurre of vertue.

My counsell to men against this maladie, when it procee∣deth from their wiues, is, that they remember that the grea∣test [ 3] part, and most gallant men of the world haue fallen into this misfortune, and haue beene content to beare it without stirring and molestation: Lucullus, Caesar, Pompey, Cato, Augu∣stus, Antonius, and diuers others. But thou wilt say, the world knoweth it and speakes of it: and of whom speake they not in this sense, from the greatest to the least? how many honest men do euery day fall into the same reproch? and if a man stirre therein, the women themselues make a iest of it: the frequencie of this accident should moderate the bitternesse thereof. Finally be thou such that men may complaine of thy wrong, that thy vertue extinguish thy hard fortune, that ho∣nest men may account neuerthelesse of thee, but rather curse the occasion.

As touching women, there is no counsell against this euill, for their nature is wholly composed of suspition, vanitie, cu∣riositie. [ 4] It is true that they cure themselues at the charge of their husbands, turning their euill vpon them, and healing it with a greater. But if they were capable of counsell, a man would aduise them not to care for it, not to seeme to perceiue it: which is a sweet mediocritie betweene this foolish iealou∣sie, and that other opposite custome practised in the Indies and other nations, where women labour to get friends, and women for their husbands seeke aboue all things their honor and pleasure (for it is a testimonie of the vertue, valor, and re∣putation of a man in those countries to haue many wiues.) So did Liuia to Augustus, Stratonice to king Deiotaurus; and for multiplication of stock Sara, Lea, Rachel to Abraham and Iacob.