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

TO AL THE NOBILITIE OF THIS FLOVRYSHYNGE ROYALME OF ENGLANDE, THOMAS ELYOT KNYGHT DESYRETH IN∣CREASE OF VERTVE AND HONOVR.

AS I LATE VVAS ser∣ching among my bokes, to finde some argument, in the readinge wherof I mought recreate my spyrites, beinge almoste fatigate with the longe study aboute the correctinge and amplia∣tinge of my Dictionary, of Latine and Englishe, I hapned to fynde certeyne quaires of paper, which I had writen about .ix. yeres passed: wherin were con∣tayned the actes and sentences notable, of the moste noble Emperour Alexander, for his wysedome and grauity callid Seuerus, which boke was first writen in the greke tung by his secretary named Eucolpius•• and by good chaunce was lente vnto me by a gentille man of Naples called Pudericus. In reading wher∣of I was maruaylousely rauished, and as it hath ben euer myn appetite, I wisshed that it had ben publis∣shed in such a tunge, as mo men mought vnderstande it. Wherfore with all diligence I endeuored my selfe whiles I had leysour, to translate it into englishe: all be it I coulde not so exactly performe myn enterprise, as I mought haue done, if the owner had not impor∣tunately called for his boke, wherby I was constrai∣ned to leue some part of the wark vntranslated: which

I made vp•• as welle as I coulde, with somme other Autours, aswel latines as grekis. hauing this boke in my hande I remembred, that in my boke named the Gouernour, I promised to write a boke of the Forme of good gouernance: And for as moch as in this boke was expressed of gouernance so perfite an ymage, I supposed, that I shuld sufficiently discharge my selfe of my promise, if I dyd nowe publishe this boke, whi∣che except I be moche deceyued) shall minister to the wyse readars both pleasure and profite. Than did I ••ftsones peruse it, and with more exact diligence con∣forme the style therof with the phrase of our englishe, desiringe more to make it playne to all readers, than to flourishe it with ouer moch eloquence. Which boke I do dedicate vnto you noble lordis, gentil knightes, and other in the state of honour or worship, as beinge moste redy to be aduanced to gouernance vnder your Prince: so that your vertues be correspondent vnto your fortunes. Yet am I not ignoraunt that diuerse ••here ••e which do not thankfully esteme my labours, dispraysinge my studies as vayne and vnprofitable, sayinge in derision, that I haue nothing wonne ther∣by but the name onely of a maker of bokes, and that I sette the trees, but the printer eateth the fruites. In dede al though disdaine & enuy do cause them to speke it, yet will I not deny, but that they saye truly: for yf I wold haue employed my study about the increace of my priuate commodity, which I haue spent in wry∣tinge of bokes for others necessity, few men doubt (I suppose) that do knowe me, but that I shuld haue at∣tayned or this tyme to haue ben moche more welthy, •• in respect of the worlde in a more estimation. But to

excuse me of foly, I will professe without arrogaunce, that whan I consydered, that kunninge contynueth whan fortune sytteth, hauinge also rynging alway in myn eare, the terrible checke ••hat the good maister in the gospell gaue to his ydel ser••aunte, for hidinge his money in a clowte, and not disposinge it for his mai∣sters aduantage, those two wor••es, Serue nequam, so sterid my spirites, that it caused me to take more re∣garde to my last rekning, than to any riches or world∣ly promotion. And all thoughe I do neither dyspute nor expounde holy scripture, yet in suche warkes as I haue and intend to sette forth, my poore talent shall be, God willinge, in such wise bestowed, that no man∣nes conscience shalbe therwith offended, my boke cal∣led the Gouernour, instructinge men in suche vertues as shalbe expediēt for them, which shal haue authori∣ty in a wele publike. The Doctrinal of princis, which are but the counsayles of wyse Isocrates, inducinge into noblemens wittes honest opinions. The Educa∣tion of children, whiche also I translated oute of the wise Plutarche, making men and women, which will folow those rules, to be wel worthy to be fathers and mothers. The litel Pasquill although he be mery and playne, teching as well seruantes how to be faythfull vnto their maisters, as also masters how to be circum∣spect in espying of flaterars. Semblably thoffice of a good coūcellour, with magnanimity or good courage in tyme of aduersity, may be apparātly founden in my boke called, Of the knowlege belōging to a wise man. In reding the sermon of saynt Cyprian by me transla∣ted, the deuour reder shal fynd no litle comfort in pla∣ges or calamities. The banket of Sapiēce is not fasti∣diouse,

and in litle come shewith out of holy scripture many wise sentences. The Castel of Helth being truly ••ad, shal longe preserue men (being some phisicions ne¦uer so angry) frō perillouse siknes. My litle boke cal∣lid the defēce of good women, not only confoūdeth vil¦lainous report, but also teachith good wiues to know well their dueties. My Dictionary declaringe latyne by englishe, by that tyme that I haue performed it, shall not only serue for children, as men haue excepted it, but also shall be commodiouse for them which per∣chaunce be well lerned. And this present boke, whiche I haue named the Image of gouernaunce, shall be to all them which wil reade it sincerely, a very true paterne, wherby they may shape all their procedinges. And in none of these warkes I dare vndertake, a man shall finde any sentence against the cōmandmentes of god, the trewe catholyke faythe, or occasion to stere men to wanton deuises. Wherfore I trust vnto god, myn ac∣compt shall of hym be fauorably accepted: all though some ingrate persons with ille reporte or mockes re∣quite y•• my labours: to whom I will only recyte this mery fable of Esope, writen by Maximus Planudes. ¶ A good woman had an husband, who wold be oftē¦tymes drunken, wherwith she beinge ashamed, and diuisinge by what meane she might cause hym to leue that horrible vice, at the laste whan he was a slepe, she caried hym vnto the charnell house, wherin were put the bones of deade men, and leuing him lyinge there, she made faste the dore, and departed. And whan she thought that he was wakynge, she takynge with her brede and meate•• retourned to the charnell house and knocked at the dore, her housband fayntly asked who

knocked there, the good woman answered, I which haue brought meate with me for the dead men, peace sayd her husbande, thou increacest my payne in spea∣kinge of meate, bringe me some drinke I beseche the. That hering the good woman, alas sayd she that euer I was borne, for this vyce gotten by custome, my housbande hath made it a naturall habyte, which will neuer forsake hym.

¶ This fable nedeth no declaration: for euery man may perceyue what it meneth. Moreouer many being ignorant of good letters, do vniuersally reproue all them that be studiouse in lerninge, alleginge this com¦mune prouerbe, The grettest clarkes be not the wisest men: affirming, that they be founden negligent about their owne profit, and consequently vnapt to the mini∣stration of thinges of waighty importance. How vn∣true their allegations be, & on how feble a foundation they are buylded, it shall in this wise appere vnto wise men. First the sayd prouerb semeth by him which lac∣ked lerninge, to be deuised, sens that he preferrith ig∣norance before kunninge: whiche arrogance declared hym to be a very foole, and vnwitty: consideringe that by knowlege most chiefly, a mā excelleth al other mor¦tall creatures, and therby is moste like vnto god. And lerninge is none other thinge, but an aggregation of many mens sentences & actes to the augmentation of knowlege. And if som lerned men do neglect their tem¦poral commodities, it is for one of these causes: eyther by cause they haue ben so desirouse of knowlege, and in respect therof estemed so lytle all other pleasures, that they thought the tyme all to lytle, which they dyd spend in it, holdinge them selfes with that which ser∣ued

for natures necessitie right wel cōtēted, or els like as the grehound that was sent to great Alexander by the king of Albania, whā there were shewed vnto him seuerally a gret hart, a bore, & a beare, he vouched not saulf to loke on them, but lay still wagging his tayle: thā was there brought forth a great lyon, to whom he dyd arise softly, and setting vp his bristels, & shewing his tethe, fleing to the lyon, lightly strangled him. Af∣terwarde a puyssante olyfante beinge brought to the place, the grehounde semynge to reioyce at the great∣nesse of the beste, roused him, and after two or thre questinges, he lept to the great olyphant, and after a long fight ouerthrew him and kylled him. So I dout not but that som men there be liuing, in whom is such courage, that in thinges of lytle importance may seme to be negligent, disdayninge as it were to spend their wittes or labours about the pelfry of riches: which be¦inge ones called to authority ioyned with liberty, wil ••nforce them selfes to make their ministratiōs noble & excellent. Suche were Solon, Aristides, and Phocion in Athenes, Publicola, Fabritius, Curius, and Cato Uticencis at Rome, whose lyues I wold to god were in Englyshe, and the lyke be nowe lyuynge, yf they were sought for.

¶And for the confutation of that pestiferous opiniō y^e gret lerned men be vnapt to the ministration of thin¦ges of waighty importāce, this shalbe sufficient. First as I late said lerning is the augmētatiō of knowlege, which the more that it is, the more maye be perceiued what shalbe most necessary in thinges which happē in cōsultation. & the more that it is perceyued, the better and more aptly may it be ministred and executed. Ex∣amples

we haue of Moyses, who beinge excellently lerned in the most dyffuse doctrines of the Egyptians & Ethiopians, was by almighty god chosen to guide and rule his people, which were innumerable & moste froward of nature: and with what wonderfull wise∣dome and pacience dyd he gouerne them by the space of .xl. yeres, beinge without any cities, townes, or any certain possessiōs? Who were better leders of armies than great Alexāder, Scipio, Lucullus, & Cesar, whi∣che were men al of great lerning? who better handled matters of waighty importāce, than Octauian called Augustus, Hadrian, Marcus Antoninus, Alexander, Seuerus, & of late yeres Carolus Magnus, al empe∣rours of Rome, and men very studiouse in all noble sciences? Whan was there a better consul thā Tully•• or a better senator thā Cato called Uticencis? And to retourne home to our owne countray, and wherof we our selfes may be witnesses, howe moche hath it pro∣fited vnto this realme, that it nowe hath a kynge our souerayne lorde kyng HENRY theyght exactly well lerned? Hath not he therby onely sifted out detestable heresies, late mingled amonge the corne of his fayth∣full subiectes, and caused moche of the chaffe to be throwen in the fyre? also hipocrisy and vayne supersti∣tion to be cleane banysshed? wherof I doubt not, but that there shalbe or it be longe, a more ample remem∣brance, to his most noble and immortal renome? This well considered, let men ceasse their sayde foolishe o∣pinion, and holde them content with their owne igno∣rance, and for my part, say what they liste, I wil du∣ring my life, be in this wise occupied, in bestowing my talent, beinge satisfied with the contentynge of suche

men as ye be, adourned with vertue, the most preci∣ouse garment of very nobylitie.

¶But now to thintent that ye if ye list, may attaynin estimable profit by the reding of this litle warke, I do exhort you, that redynge it distinctly and studiousely, first ye marke diligently, howe by the lasciuiouse and cemisse education of Uarius Heliogabalus, he grewe to be a person most monstruouse in liuinge, also howe not withstandinge, that he not onely suffered, but al∣so prouoked the people to lyue in a moste beastely ly∣cence: yet horrible synne at the last became to all men fastidiouse and lothsome. Wherfore they slewe in most miserable facion him that consumed infinite treasour in supportinge their lewdenes. Than shall ye note di∣ligently•• howe moche it profytted to Alexander, who n••••te dydde succede hym, that he had so wise and ver∣tuouse a mother, and that he was brought vp among so wyse counsailours. Also the maner of his meruay∣louse procedinges, in reformynge a publike weale, lefte vnto hym corrupted so shamefully, wherin was more difficulty, than to begynne it, where neuer was any. Marke also his moste noble qualitees, and howe they were tempred. Moreouer the forme of his spea∣kinge, and howe as he grew in yeres, so waxed it more mature and seryouse, sometyme aboundaunt, other∣whiles shorte and compendiouse, as oportunytye ser∣ued. In his actes and decrees, what Iustice and pru∣dence were in them contayned, what seueritie he vsed, sparinge neither hym selfe, nor his frendes or myny∣sters. Finally, all his lyfe is a wonderfull myrrour, if it be truely radde and iustely considered, whiche if ye do often loke on, ye maye thereby attyre your selfe in

suche facion, as men shall therfore haue you in more fauour and honour, than if ye hadde on you as riche a garmente as the greatte Turke hathe any. Onely for my good wyll in translatynge it for you, I desyre your gentyll report and assys∣tence ageynst them, whiche do hate all thynges, whyche please not their fan∣tasyes.

Notes

• Matt. 18.