The booke of Marcus Tullius Cicero entituled Paradoxa Stoicorum Contayninge a precise discourse of diuers poinctes and conclusions of vertue and phylosophie according the traditions and opinions of those philosophers, whiche were called Stoikes. Wherunto is also annexed a philosophicall treatyse of the same authoure called Scipio hys dreame. Anno. 1569.

❀SCIPIO HIS Dreame.

AFTER my com∣mynge into A∣phrique beynge Marshal or Tri∣bune to the .iiii. Legiō of Soul∣dioures) as you knowe) Anitius Mannilius being then Consull, I was desirous to doe nothinge so muche as to visite kinge Masinissa, one that for good causes and iuste respectes beareth moste vnfained goodwill to our house and familie. Before whose presence when I came, the old kinge louinglye embracinge mee in his ar∣mes wepte, and with in a while af∣ter loked vppe towarde Heauen and

saide: I rendre thankes vnto the O soueraigne Sunne, and vnto all you other celestiall Bodyes, that before I departe oute of this life, I doe see within myne owne Territorie and kyngedome yea and vnder the roofe of my house my moste beloued P. Cor∣nelius Scipio, with whose onelye name I am refreshed and comforted. For the remembraunce of that most noble and inuyncible manne, neuer departeth oute of my mynde. Then beganne I to question with him con¦cerninge the state of his kingedome, and hee mee of our common wealth, and soe withe mutche talke to and froe hadde, wee spente that daye.

But afterwarde beinge entertay∣ned withe Princelye furniture and curtesie, wee continued our talke till farre in the nyghte, the olde kynge speakynge of nothynge els but of A∣fricanus, and hauing in freshe memory

not onely his valiaunt actes, but also his wise and pithy sayings. Then af∣ter we were gone to bedde, I beinge bothe weary with my iournaye, and hauing ouer watched my selfe before, slept more soundly then I was wōte & accustomed to do. Here me thought (I thinke verily it was because wee had talked of him before, for it is cō∣monly sene that our cogitacions and talke do represent & cause some suche thinge in our sleape as Aennius wry∣teth of Homere, that is to say suche as the mynde wakinge vsed oftenest to thinke on) Africanus appeared and she¦wed himselfe vnto mee in such a ma∣ner of shape, whereby he was better knowen of mee, then he coulde haue beene by his owne person. Whom af∣ter that I knew, truly I shiueried & was sore afraide. But (quoth he vn∣to me) be of good chere, and lay aside all feare O Scipio, and commit wel to memorye such thinges as I shall tell

thee. Doest thou not se yonder Citie, whych hauinge bene once hertofore compelled by me to yeald obeysaunce to the Romaine people, renueth ••lde grudges, seeketh new warres and cā¦not be quyet? And sheewed Carthage vnto me from an high & stelliferous, cleare and lightsome place: to the be∣sieginge and conquest whereof thou now comest, beinge nowe in maner but a priuate Souldioure, this same shalt thou beinge Consul subuerte and destroy within these two yeares, and shalt thereby purchasse and wynne a Surname to thy selfe, whyche thou hast as yet of vs by descente of enhe∣ritaunce. And when thou hast spoiled and ouerthrowen Carthage, made a so∣lemne Triumphe of victorye, borne y^t offyce of Consull, & hast bene Embas∣sadour into Aegipt, Syria, Asia & Grece: thou shalt being absent, be chosen and elected the seconde time Consull, and shalte bee the victoryous Generall

of a mightye battaile, and shalte at∣chieue a most noble enterpryse in sac∣king and vtterly ruynating Numantia But when thou shalt at thy retourn enter into the Capital, riding in a Cha∣riot, thou shalte, finde the Commune wealthe merueilouslye frusshed and disquieted through the ruffling styrre and procurement of my Nephew.

Herein O Africanus it shalbe very ex∣pedient and needeful, that thou set to thy helping hande, and shewe forthe for thy Countraies sake and behoufe, the haulte courage and vndaunted prowesse of thy mind, wytte and coū¦saile. But of that time. I do se as it were the way of fate and destinye to be very doubtful. For when thou co∣mest to be seuen times eight winters & sōmers old, and that these two nū∣bers, wherof both are accompted ful, the one for seuerall cause from the o∣ther, shal accomplish and make the fa¦tall terme of the yeres thou shalt liue

with a naturall circuite, vppon thee onely and thy name shal the whole ci∣tie leane and repose her trust. Thee shall the honourable Senate reue∣rēce, thee will all good men honoure, thee will all fellowes and confedera∣tes of the Romaine people regard, thee wyl the Latines adore and trust to: in thee onely shal the saue gard and pre∣seruacion of the Citie consist. And to be short, thou being enstalled in y^e of∣fice of Dictator, must redresse the abu∣ses of the Common wealth and set y^e same in good order, if thou mayst es∣cape the cursed hands of thyne owne kinrede & lignage. At this last talke, Laelius with pitifull scritches cryinge oute and all the residue greatelye so∣rowynge, Scipio myldlye smylynge sayde: I praye you not awake mee oute of my sleape, be quiet and heare the reste.

But to the end Africane, y^t thou shoul∣dest haue the more wil & animosytie

to defende the weale publique, make thy sure accompte of this: that vnto all those, whiche haue bene mayntay∣ners, ayders and encreasers of their Countray, a certayn and difinite place is heare in Heauen apoincted, where they in blessed state shall liue euerla∣stingly. For there is nothing that can be done on earth, whych pleaseth god the most hygh and mightye prince of all, the protectoure and Gouernoure of this whole worlde, then mutuall counsayles and Assemblies of menne lynked and combined together with faithful societie and brotherly felow∣shippe, whiche are called by the name of Cities. The vpright Magistrates and mayntayners wherof, departing hence, shal hither retourne. Here albe∣it I was sore afraide, not somuch for dreade and feare of deathe, as for the treacherous conspiracie and vnnatu∣rall dealinge of some of myne owne kinsefolke, yet demaunded of hym,

whether he were lyuing, & my father Paule, and others moe, Whom we sup¦posed & thought to be dead. Yea vn∣doubtedly (quoth he) they are aliue, which are deliuered out of the bonds of their mortal bodies as out of a pri∣son. But that whiche you call lyfe, is death. Yea, behold where thy father Paule commeth toward thee. Whom when I sawe, certes I shed great abondance of teares. But hee embracinge and kissinge mee, badde me surceasse from weepinge, as sone as I had left weeping and was able to speake. I beseche you most holye & worthy father (quoth I) seeing this is the true life (as I heare Africane say) why doe I linger and tary on earth, and not hasten and make speede to come hither to you? Not so, (quoth he) for vnlesse god, who is the owner of all this Temple whiche thou seest, dismisse and loose the from the custo∣die of thy body, there can not be anye

entrie or passage open for y^t to com hi∣ther. For mē be created to this end & conditiō, y^t they should Manure & in∣habite y^t round Globe or Ball, which thou seest in the middle of this Tēple, called the earth. And to them is infu∣sed and giuen a minde out from these euerlasting Lightes, which you call Planetes, and sterres, which beinge perfect round and Bowlewise, inspi∣red with diuine and heauenly power do finishe and execute their Reuoluci∣ons, Circles and Orbes with merue¦lous celeritie and quicknes. And ther¦fore Publie, it behoueth bothe the and al other godlye persons to kepe styll your mindes within the custodie of your bodies and not to depart out of your mortall life, withoute the com∣maundemēt of him that first gaue & inspired the same into you, least in so doing, you should seeme to refuse and start from y^e function & office that is vnto you apoincted & assigned by god But Scipio, see that thou embrace and

maintaine iustice and pietie as thy graūdfather here before thee, & I thy father whiche begot thee, haue done. Which albeit it be great towards our parents, & kinsfolkes, yet namely and especially it is greatest & most to be re¦quired to our natiue countray: and y^t life is the right way into heauen, & in¦to this felowship & companie of thē which haue now alredy finished their natural race on earth, & being dismis∣sed out of their bodies do inhabite this place of ioy which thou sest. The place was a very whit & shining circle, res∣plendant among flames which you borrowing & taking a name frō the greekes) do terme and call the mylkie circle.* 1.1 Whervpon I perusing al thin∣ges, al the residue seemed excellent & wonderful. And ther wer those ster∣res which we neuer sawe from the place & they were al such a great big∣nes, as we neuer thoughte they had ben. Among whō that was the leest, which being furthest of frō heauen &

neerest to the earth,* 1.2 shyned with bo∣rowed lighte: and the globes of the Starres were a greate deale bigger then the whole Earth. Now y^e earth it selfe seemed so small to me, that I was euen ashamed of our Empyre & Seigniorye, being so small, that wee did enioy and occupye but as it were a small pricke or poinct of it. Whiche when I behelde and looked on more stedfastlye, I pray the (quod Africane) how long will thy mind be bounde & fixed to the groundward? Markest & considerest thou not into what Tē∣ples thou art come and arryued? be∣holde, all thinges are compacted and framed wyth nyne Orbes or rather Globes, wherof one is the vttermost Heauen, whych compasseth and con∣tayneth all the others wythin it: the moste Souerayne and omnipotente God holdynge and contaynynge the others, in whom are fyxed those ster∣res, which roule aboute, and are cari∣ed

with perpetuall Reuolucions. Vn∣der whō are seuen,* 1.3 which make their course backward, with contrary mo∣tion to the Heauen. Of whome, that possesseth one Globe, which on earthe is named Saturne. Then nexte vnto it, is that prosperous and luckie bright∣nes to mankind which hath to name Iupiter. Next is he, that is ruddie and dreadfull to the earth whom you call Mars. Then almost vnder the myddle region, the Sunne raigneth as chiefe, the guide the Prince and the gouer∣noure of the residue of the Lights, the life giuer, the mind and temperature of the worlde, beinge so great and so bigge in quantitie, that it pearceth & filleth all thinges with his shyninge. Him as waiters do folow one course of Venus and an other of Mercurie. And in the lowes circle,* 1.4 the mone lighte∣ned with the raines of y^e sunne hath her course. Beneath the Globe of the moone, there is nothing but mortall,

transitory and corruptible, sauing on¦ly the Soules which almightye god hath giuen & inspired into mankind. Aboue the moone all is eternal and incorruptible. For the earth which is myddle and the nynth, is not moued, and is lowest of all others, and vnto it are al ponderous and heauy things caryed with their owne swaye and mocion. Which whē I as one great∣ly astonned, much mused and meruai∣led to se, after I was come to my self agayne: what swete noyse and melo∣dious harmonie is this (quoth I) y^t thus delighteth & filleth mine eares? This is (quod he) a tune & note com∣pacte with vneuen distaunces, but yet according their rated proporcion distinct and different, which is caused and made through the swift mouing & sway of these same Orbes: whiche temperinge sharpes with flattes e∣qually maketh diuerse tunes of har∣monie: for truly suche great & swifte motions cannot be moued and inci∣ted

w^t silence: & it is according to natu∣rall course & ordre, that the extremes on the one side should giue a flat soūd and on the other a sharpe For whych cause, the highest course of the starry Sky, whose whirling about is vehe∣menter and quicker, is moued with a sharpe and a shril sound, but this lo∣west course of the mone is moued w^t a very base & flat sound. For the earth being the ninth, is lumpish and vnmo¦ueable, & sticketh fast alwayes in the lowest seat,* 1.5 compassing & beclipping the midle place of y^e world. And those viii. courses, in which is one self same strength & force of twaine, doe make seuen notes distinct with distaunces, which nūber is in a maner y^e knot of al things. Which learned men percei∣uing & imitating with strings & son∣ges haue opened away to themselues to haue accesse into this place: as ther hath bene some others, who beinge men of most pregnaunt & excellente wittes, in their life time, honoured & applied diuine studies.

This sound so filled their eares that they became therwith dunch & deafe. Neither is anye sence in you blunter or duller, as it is in them which dwel neere wher the riuer Nilus at the place called Catadupa, falleth downe from very highe and steape mountaines w^t a most violēt and hedlong fal, in such sort, that the people which dwel & in∣habite nere therabout, for the incredi∣ble greatnes of the noyse and sounde are generally al deafe. And this noyse of the whole worlde by reason of his most vehemente and quicke conuer∣sion and mouing is so great, that the eares of mē are not able to conuey & comprehēd it: like as you are not able to loke stedfastlye vpon the sunne dy∣rect againste you w^t your eyes, but w^t the rayes & beames therof your sight dazeleth and your sense is ouercome. Although I greatly wondered here∣at, yet did I now and then cast mine eyes toward the ground. Then spake

Africane vnto me saying: I perceiue y^t thou yet beholdest the seate & habita∣cion of mē: which if it seeme vnto thee (as in is it deede) very litle and smal, cast thine eyes alwaies toward these heauenly thinges, & contemne those mortall and humaine matters. For what celebritie of fame canst thou ob¦taine by the talke & reporte of men, or what glorye canst thou there winne, that is to be desired? Thou seest y^e ha∣bitable places that mē haue on earth to be in shyre places and narowe cor∣ners, yea & in the same also which are but as it were certain spots or pricks wher they do inhabite, thou seest gret desertest & wast wildernes to be laid betwene & interiected. And also thou seest them which dwel vpō the earth to be not onely so interrupted & disse∣uered in situaciō, y^t nothing betwene them can passe from one to an other: but partly they dwel a wry from you, partly ouerthwart to you, & some di∣rectly

againste you, at whose handes you can not loke to receiue any glori∣ous fame & renowme.* 1.6 Thou seest al∣so the same Earth enuironed and cō∣passed about, as it were with certain gyrdles, wherof thou seest two most diuerse & contrariouslye distante, one frō the other, lyinge vnder the Poles of heauen on both sides, to be neuer w^t out extreme chilling and frost. That which is in the middle & is the grea∣test, is broyled with continual and ex∣cessiue heat of y^t parching sun. Two are habitable, wherof the one is south¦ward, & they that dwell therin, do set thier feete against yours & belong no thing to your kind. The other which lyeth toward the North wherin you dwell, marke how slender a share & porcion commeth to your part ther∣of. For al the earth which is inhabited of you, narow at the Poles, broader at y^e sides, is a litle smal Island com∣passed about with that Sea whych

on earth call the Atlantick, the great and the maine Ocean Sea. Which not∣withstandinge these his glorious na∣mes and great titles) how small it is thou seest: from these inhabited and knowen lands, was either thy name or the name of any of vs, able to reach eyther beyond this hil Caucasus which thou seest, or els to swymme ouer yō∣der Riuer Ganges? who in the reste of the vttermost partes of the Easte or West, North or South shal heare tel of thy name? These being amputated and cut of,* 1.7 certes thou well seeste in what narrow straictes youre glorye is able to extend it selfe. As for them that shall speake of you, alas howe long shal they speake? Furthermore if your sequele and posteritie wer desi∣rous and wylling to blaze abroade & leaue to their posteritie the worthye praises of euerye one of vs, whiche they haue hearde of theyr fathers, yet by reasonne of the deluges and in∣vndacions

of waters, & the burnings of lands which of necessitie must hap¦pen at a certain time, our glory which we may attaine, shalbe not onely not eternal, but also not of anye continu∣aunce. And what skilleth it to be tal∣ked of & remembred of them, whiche shalbe borne hereafter, sythens there was none of thē which wer borne be¦fore: who doubtles wer neyther fe∣wer in nūbre, & certes wer better mē a great deale? Especiallye sith among them vnto whome the report of oure fame may be heard, no man is able to beare any thing in memorie, y^e space of one yere. For comōly men do recken a yere only by the course and race of the sunne, that is to wit, of one Planet. But when all the signes & starres of firmamente are come againe to the same poinct, from whence they once set out, & begin again to renewe their former discription of the whole Hea∣uen, after long space & tract of time:

then maye that bee trulye named the Turning yere,* 1.8 wherin how many mēs¦ages are contayned, I dare scarcely tell. For as the sunne seemed to be E∣clipsed & dimmed at that time, when the Soule of Romulus ascended into these Temples, soe when soeuer the sunne in the same part and in y^e same time shal againe be obscured & darke¦ned, then (al the sterres and signes be¦ing reuoked backe to their selfe same first beginning) accompt thou & reckē it for a full a complete and a perfecte yere. And this know further, that the twenteth part of this yeare is not yet expyred and ouerrunne. Therefore if thou despaire of thy retourn into this place, wherin al thinges are for noble and worthy personages, how much worth then is this fadinge glorye of men, which cā scarcely last and reach to a litle part of one yere? Therefore if thou wilt lift vp thine eyes on high and view this habitacion & eternall

mansion, thou shalt neyther be affec∣tioned to gyue thy selfe to the talke of the vulgare people, neyther repose thy hope and confidence in wordlye promotions and aduauncement. For it behoueth that vertue her self must with her allurementes draw thee to the true honour & renowne. What o∣thers do speake & talke of thee, let thē looke to it themselues, but yet talke they wyl. But al their talke is bothe enclosed wythin the straycts of those regions whyche thou seeste, neyther hath their talke bene of any man per∣petuall: it both dyeth when the men dye, and is vtterlie quenched wyth y^e obliuion of posteritie. When he had thus sayd, certes ({que} I) O Africane if to the wel deseruers of their countrie, there lyeth as it were a path open to the entrie of Heauen, albeit from my childhode I walking in my fathers stepps & yours, was nothing behind, to aspyre and further your renowne,

yet now seyng so great a reward set oute and propounded, I wyllende∣uor my self farre more diligently. Do so (quod he, and make thy sure accōpt of this, that it is not thou, whych art mortal, but it is this body of thyne, neyther art thou y^t whyche thy out∣ward forme and shape declareth, but the mind and soul of euery man is he, and not that figure and shape which may be poyncted & shewed with the fynger. Therfore knowe this y^t thou art a god, if forsooth a God be that, which liueth, which feleth, w^t remem∣breth, w^t forseeth, which doth so rule, gouern & moue that body whervnto it is apointed, as y^t most high prince god doth this world. And as god beinge himself eternal, doth moue this world being in som part mortal: so the mind being sempiternal doth moue the bo∣dy being fraile & trāsitory: for y^t which is euer moued is eternall. But that w^t bringeth mociō to an other, whych

shame is moued from els wher, whē the mouing hath an end, it must nee∣des haue an end of liuing also. Ther∣fore that only which moueth it self, be¦cause it neuer forsaketh nor leaueth it selfe, neuer truly ceasseth it not to bee moued. Moreouer this is y^e fountain and beginninge of mouinge to other things that are moued, And the be∣ginning hath no original: For al thin∣ges procede and spring from a begin∣ning but it self cā be made of nothing. For that which should haue genera∣cion elswhere, coulde not be a begin∣ning: so therfore if it neuer spring & be¦gin, neither doth it euer dye. For the beginning being extinct, neither, shall it selfe euer grow againe of an other, neither shal it create anye other of it selfe. For of necessitie all thinges doe sprynge from a begynnyng. And so it commeth to passe that the beginning of mouing is, because it is moued of it self, and it can neither brede not die:

or els the whole heauen woulde fall downe, and all nature of necessitie woulde ceasse and not obtayne anye force and power whereby it maye be moued wyth hys fyrste impulse and mocion. Sithens therfore it playnly appeareth, that what soeuer is mo∣ued of it selfe is eternall, who is he y^t dare to denie this nature to be geuen to mindes? for that is wythout lyfe, whych is moued wyth external force and motion: but y^t which is a soule, is moued wyth internall mocion, for thys is the nature and power that is peculier to a soule. Which if it bee one alone of al, which moueth it selfe, cer∣tes it was neyther borne, and also it is eternal. This see that thou exercise in the best things. And the best cares that a man cā take, are such as tēd to y^e availe & profite of out country. In which cares the mind beinge enured and practised, shall haue speedier ac∣cesse and arriual into thys habitaci∣on

and māsion place: & the soeuer shal it do so, if then when it is enclosed in the body, it surmount abroade, and beholding those things that are out∣wardly, shal greatlye wythdrawe it selfe as much as is possible frome the body. For the myndes of theym that haue enthralled and gyuen theymsel∣ues to bodilye pleasures. and haue made themselues as it wer the bond slaues and mynisters thereof, and by the egging and procurement of sen∣sual lust and appetite obeying Plea∣sures, haue prophaned and violated the Lawes bothe of God and man, whē they be dismissed and deliuered out of their bodyes, they are tumbled and tossed about the earthe, and do not retourne into this place, tyll they haue bene pursued & turmoyled ma∣ny hundreth yeres, He departed: and I immediatlye a wooke oute of my sleape.

FINIS.

Tho. Nevvton

Notes

• * 1.1

  ¶ Mil•• way, ••led ne•• of son•• Mati•• streat•• of so•• way t•• Iame••
• * 1.2

  The ••one ••he no ••t but ••he ••nne. ••e least ••d ster•• ••fectly ••e, is bigge ••the ••ole ••the. ••raga∣••.
• * 1.3

  Sat•• y^e hi•• and wes•• vii ••nets•• shet•• cour•• 30. y•• Iu•••• pers•• met•• cour•• 12. y•• Mar•• deth cour•• 2. ye•• The••e nes c••e is inar•• yere. •• Ven••h Merna•• ••rye i••c••on•••• like t•• Sun••
• * 1.4

  ¶ A•• mone•• deth cour•• 28 d••
• * 1.5

  Venu•• & Me••curie The teuar•• numb•• hath •• it ma•• & mi•••• call c•• clusi••
• * 1.6

  ••is is ••auie ••he ••nde∣•• and ••o∣•• of ••eth.
• * 1.7

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.8

  This in 1500 yeares