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Of liuing sociably with our neighbour: how fitt it is, and yet how subiect to crosses. CHAP. 5.
WE doe worthily approoue their enioyning a wise man to liue in mutuall so∣ciety: for how should our Celestiall Citty (the nineteene booke whereof wee now haue in hand) haue euer come to originall, to prolation or to perfection, but that the Saints liue all in sociable vnion? But yet what is he that can recount all the miseries incident vnto the societies of mortalls? Here what the Comedi∣an saith, with a generall applause. (a) I married a wife (b) O what misery wanted I then! I begot children: so, there's one care more. And those inconueniences that Terence pins on the back of loue, as (c) iniuries, enmities, warre, & peace againe, do not all these lackey our mortality continually? do not these foote some times into the friendliest affections? and doth not all the world, keepe these examples in continuall renouation as warre, I meane iniuries & enmities. And our peace is as vncertaine, as we are ignorant of their affects with whome wee hold it, and though we nigh know to day what they would do, to morrow we shall not. Who should be greater friends then those of one family? yet what a many secret plots of malice lye euen amongst such, to expell security? their firmer peace becom∣ming fouler malice: and being reputed most loyall, whereas it was onely most craftily faigned: the far spread contagion of this made Tully let this saying runne out with his teares: Treason is neuer so close carried, as when it lurketh vnder the name of duty, or affinity. An open foe is easily watched: but this your secret serpent both breedes and strikes ere euer you can discouer it. Wherefore that which the holy scripture saith, (d) A mans enemies are the men of his house, this wee heare with great greefe: for though a man haue fortitude to endure it, or preuention to auoyde it, yet if hee bee a good man, hee must needes take great griefe at the badnesse of those so neare him: bee it that they haue beene vsed vnto this vi∣perous dissimulation of old, or haue learnt it but of late. So then if a mans owne priuate house affoord him no shelter from these incursions, what shall the citty doe, which as it is larger, so is it fuller of brables, and sutes, and quarrels, and ac∣cusations, to grant the absence of seditions and ciuill contentions, which are too often present: and whereof the Citties are in continuall danger, when they are in their safest estate?
L. VIVES.
I (a) haue maried] Ter. Adelph. Act. 3. sc. 4. Demea's words. (b) O what] Some bookes haue it not as Terence hath it, but they haue beene falsly copied. (c) Iniuries] Parmeno his words vnto Phadria. (d) A mans enemies] Mich. 7. and Matth. 10.