The image of gouernance compiled of the actes and sentences notable, of the moste noble Emperour Alexander Seuerus, late translated out of Greke into Englyshe, by syr Thomas Eliot knight, in the fauour of nobylitie

¶A notable example gyuen by Alexander in repreuynge an ambicious and vaynglorious counsaylour. Cap xiiii.

I SVPPOSE IT shall not be tedyous to good men to here one incomparable exam∣ple of the seueritie of this meruaylous em∣perour, whyche although it shall seeme to many that shall here it, to be ouer vehemēt and greuous, yet in readynge the chapiter nexte folo∣winge, it shalbe sufficiently declared by the wordes of the same emperour, that his sayd rygour in iugement was necessarylye vsed, and with equalytie in iustyce, deseruynge in no parte to be repreued, but nowe wyll I reherce the sayde story.

¶There was aboute the sayde Emperour a man of great honour called Uetronius Turinus, whome for his great wytte and sagenes in apparance, the empe∣rour had in syngular fauour, in so moche as he called hym to his priuye counsayle, and vsed to be with hym more famylyar than he was cōmonly with any other, whiche so moche blynded the inward eye of Turinus, that he coulde not se in hym selfe, whych he not longe before had condemned in other. suche incomparable swetenes is foundē in the familiar cōpany of princis. Wherfore lyke as whan the companions and seruan∣tes of Ulysses had eaten abundantly of the herbe cal∣led Lotos, the taste therof was so pleasant and mer∣uaylous, that all that eate therof, forgettynge their owne propre countrey, coueted to remayne styl in that region, where that herbe grewe, and but only by vio∣lence

they coulde not be broughte to their shyppes, to retourne to their propre houses: semblably Turinus after that he had ben with the emperour in an inward and secrete familyaritie, he founde it so pleasant, that forgettyng from whense he was callyd, and takynge lyttell hede of any other parte of his offyce, he put his hole study and delectation to augment the opynion of men, that thought that the emperour wolde nothyng do, without his aduyse, wherby he shulde be magny∣fyed and honoured aboue all other of the emperours counsaylours. And therfore he had contynuall suite made vnto hym, as well by them that had sutes to the Emperour in their particular causes, as others that loked for offyces or great promotions. To euery man a parte he wolde promyse his fauour, and therfore re∣ceyued great rewardes & presentes. but fynally whom he knewe that the emperour had preferred in offyce, or anye thynge determyned in his iuste cause. (for that moughte he knowe beinge with the Emperour soo se∣crete, although the good emperour dydde nothing by his perswasion only, but by prudent aduyse and good delyberation, as it shall hereafter appere) on hym wolde he becke, if he were in the chamber. And often tymes in a day he wolde come from the emperour in∣to the chaumber of presence, or place, where suiters a∣wayted, and of whom he had receyued money, to them wolde he say, that he had remēbred them, and in their request or matter receiued good comfort, whan in dede he spake not therof one worde. Fynally by the colour of this familyar and secrete recourse that he had to the emperour, he gathered moche treasure: but at the last dyuers, and in great numbre, to whome he hadde

promysed that thyng that they sued for, not withstan∣dyng they receiued nothing in conclusion but noddes with the heed, founde them selfes deceyued, and theyr great sommes of money vaynely employed, wherat they murmured and partly meued with disdayn, part∣ly with pouertie, they brast forth at the last into mani∣fest grudgynge, whiche came to the emperours eare, by what meanes I knowe not, but suche abuses can not be longe hydde frome princis, that haue their ea∣res perforate (as is the prouerbe.) Whyche the empe∣rour heryng, he was meued with meruaylous disple∣sure, consyderyng that Turinus, whom he had in soo great estimation, abusynge his persone, in faynynge hym to be his pupyll or seruant, had sold his determi∣nations & sentences, wherby he had defamed his ma∣iestie in that that Turinus had brought mē in belefe, that the emperour dyd nothyng (but as it were) at his onely becke and cōmandement. Which opinion to re∣dresse he vsed this polycie. He caused one to desyre a thyng of hym openly, and afterwarde to su•• to Turi∣nus priuily to helpe hym in his demand, and secrete∣ly to moue the emperour for hym, which beinge done, and that Turinus had promysed his good wyl to him that sued, and sone after saying, that he had somwhat meued the emperor therin, where in dede he spake not therof any one worde, and that he abode an answere therof, whervpon he receiued of the sayd suter a great summe of money. whiche the emperour knowyng, he caused hym to calle eftesones on Turinus, but he as yf he hadde in hande other busynesse, onely beckened on hym without speakynge any thynge to hym. for in dede the Emperour hadde gyuen to an other that

thynge, whiche this man sued for, whiche grudginge therat, discouered openly what Turinus had of hym receyued: that knowyng the emperour, he caused Tu∣rinus immediately to be arrested, and openly in his presence to be accused, whiche was done by a greatte numbre, whom he had also deceyued, takyng of them great summes of money for offyces, and other thyn∣ges, whyche they neuer obteyned. Wherfore after that Turinus was condemned by sufficient and credyble wytnesse, in whose presence he had receyued this bry∣bery, and in whose hering he had effectually promised, he was iudged by the emperour, to be ladde into the open market place, where moste resort was of the peo∣ple, and there beinge bounden to a stake, with smoke made of grene styckes and wete stubbell, to be smoul∣dred to deathe. and duryng the tyme of his execution, the emperour cōmaunded a bedell to crye, With fume shal he dy, that fumes hath sold. But to the intēt that men shuld not think that for one offence the iugement was to cruel and rigorous, or euer Turinus was con¦demned to die, the emperour made diligent serche, & by euident profes it was founden, that Turinus had of∣ten & in many causes, receyued money of both partes, promysyng to aduaunce theyr cause to the emperour. Moreouer to proue the seueritie of this emperor lau∣dable, it shalbe declared in the chapter next folowing.