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Of the worthiest and most excellent men.
IF a man should demaund of mee, which of all men that ever came to my knowledge, I would make choise-of, me seemeth, I finde three, who have beene excellent above all o∣thers. The one is, Homer, not that Aristotle or Varro, (for example sake) were not perad∣venture
as wise and as sufficient as he: Nor that Ʋirgil, (and possibly in his owne arte) be not comparable vnto him. I leave that to their judgements that know them both. I who know but one of them, according to my skill may onely say this, that I cannot be perswa∣ded, the Muses themselves did ever goe beyond the Roman.
In which judgement, this must notwithstanding not be forgotten, that Ʋirgil doth espe∣cially derive his sufficiencie from Homer, and hee is his guide and School••master; and that but one only glance or sentence of the Iliads, hath given both bodie and matter to that great and divine Poem of the Aeneid. My meaning is not to accoump•• so: I entermix divers o∣ther circumstances, which yeeld this man most admirable vnto me, and as it were beyond humane condition. And truely I am often amazed, that he who hath produced, and by his authoritie brought so manie Deitie•• in credit with the World, hath not obtained to be repu∣ted a God himselfe. Being blind and indigent; having lived before ever the Sciences were redacted into strict rules and certaine observations, hee had so perfect knowledge of them, that all those which since his time have labored to establish Pollicies or Common-wealths, to manage warres, and ••o write either of Religion or Philosophie, in what Sect soever or of all A••tes, have made vse of him, as of an absolutely-perfect Master in the knowledge of all things; and of his Bookes, as of a Seminarie, a Spring-garden or Store-house of all kinds of sufficiency and learning.
And as another saith:
And another:
And another:
It is against natures course▪ that he hath made the most excellent production, that may be; for, the ordinarie birth of things is imperfect: They are augmented by encrease, and cor∣roborated by growth. He hath reduced the infancie of Poesie, and divers other Sciences to be ripe perfect and compleate. By which reason he may be termed the first and last of Po∣ets, following the noble testimony, antiquitie hath left vs of him, that having had no man before him, whom hee might imitate, so hath hee had none after him, could imitate him▪ His wordes (according to Aristotle) are the onely words that have motion and action: they are the onely substantiall Wordes. Alexander the Great, having lighted vpon a rich casket amongest D••rius his spoyles, appoynted the same to be safely kep•• for himselfe, to keepe his Homer in: saying, he was the best adviser, and faithfullest counselor he had in his military af∣faires. By the same reason said C••eom••nes, sonne to Anaxandridas, that hee was the Lace∣demonians
Poet; for he was an excellent good teacher or Master of Warre like discipline. This singular praise and particular commendation hath also beene given him by Plutarke, where he saith, that he is the only Author in the world, who yet never distasted Reader, or glut∣ted man; ever shewing himselfe other, and different to the Readers; and ever flourishing with a new grace. That Wagge Alcibiades, demanding one of Homers bookes of one who prosessed letters, because he had it not, gave him a whirrit one the care; as if a man should finde one of our Priests, without a Breviarie. Xenophanes one day made his moane to Hie∣ron the Tyrant of Siracusa, that he was so poore as hee had not wherewithall to finde two servants: How commeth that to passe? (answered Hieron) Homer, who was much poorer than thou art, dead as he is, findeth more then tenne thousand. What left Panaetius vnsaide, when he named Plato the Homer of Philosophers? Besides what glory may be compared to his? There is nothing, liveth so in mens mouthes as his name and his workes; nothing so knowne and received as Troy, as Helen and her Warres, which paradventure never were. Our Children are yet called by the names hee invented three thousand yeeres since and more. Who knoweth not Hector? Who hath not heard of Achilles? Not onely some par∣ticular races, but most nations seeke to derive themselves from his inventions. Mach••m••t, asecond of that name, Emperour of Turkes, writing to Pope Pius the second: I wonder (saith he) how the Italians will bandie against me, seeing we have our common off-spring, from the Troians; and I as well as they have an interest to revenge the blood of Hector vp∣on the Graecians, whom they favour against mee. Is it not a woorthy Comedie, whereof Kings, Common-wealths, Principalities and Emperours, have for many ages together played their parts, and to which this great Vniverse serveth as a Theatre: seven cities of Greece strived amongst themselves about the places of his birth. So much honour his very obscuri∣tie procured him.
The other is Alexander the great. For, who shall consider his age, wherein hee beganne his enterprises; the small meanes he had to ground so glorious a desseigne vpon the autho∣ritie he attained unto in his infancie, amongst the greatest Commaunders, and most experi∣enced Captaines in the world, by whom he was followed: the extraordinarie favour, wher∣with fortune embraced him, and seconded so many of his haughtie-dangerous exploites, which I may in a manner call rash or fond-hardie.
Impellens quicquid sibi summapetenti Obstaret, gaudens{que} viam fecisse ruina. While he shot at the high'st, all that might stay He for'st, and joy de with ruine to make way.
That eminent greatnesse, to have at the age of thirtie yeares passed victorious through all the habitable earth, and but with halfe the life of a man to have attained the vtmost ende∣vour of humane nature; so that you cannot imagine his continuance lawfull, and the lasting of his increase in fortune, and progresse in vertue even vnto a just terme of age, but you must suppose something above man, to have caused so many Royal branches to ••ssue from out the loines of his Souldiers, leaving the world after his death to be shared betweene foure succes∣••ours, onely Captaines of his Armie, whose succeeders, have so long time since continued, and descendents maintained that large possession. So infinite, rare and excellent vertues that were in him, as justice, temperance, liberalitie, integritie in words, love toward his, and humanitie toward the conquered. For in truth, his maners seeme to admit no just cause of reproach: indeed some of his particular, rare and extraordinary actions, may in some fort be taxed. For it is impossible to conduct so great, and direct so violent motions with the strict rules of justice. Such men ought to be judged in grose, by the mistris end of their acti∣ons. The ruine of Thebes; the murther of Menander, and of Ephestions Phisitian; the masla∣cre of so many Persian prisoners at once: of a troupe of Indian Souldiers, not without some prejudice vnto his word and promise: and of the Cosseyans and their little children, are es∣capes somewhat hard to be excused. For, concerning Clitus, the fault was expiated beyond it's merite; and that action, as much as any other, witnesseth the integritie and cheerefulnes of his complexion, and that it was a complexion in it selfe excellently formed to goodnesse; And it was wittily saide of one, that he had vertues by nature, and vices by accident. Concer∣ning
the point, that he was somewhat to lavish a boaster, and over-impatient to heare him∣selfe ill-spoken-of; and touching those mangers, armes, and bits, which He caused to be scat∣tered in India, respecting his age and the prosperitie of his fortune, they are in my conceit pardonable in him. He that shall also consider his many military vertues, as diligence, fore∣sight patience; discipline, policie, magnanimitie, resolution and good fortune; wherein, though Ha••••balls authority had not taught it vs, he hath been the first and chief of men: the rare beau∣ties, matchlesse features, and incomparable conditions of his person, beyond all comparison, and wonder-breeding; his carriage; demeanor, and venerable behaviour, in a face so yoong, so verm••ill, and heart-enflaming:
The excellencie of his wit, knowledge and capacitie; the continuance and greatnesse of his glorie, vnspotted, vntainted, pure and free from all blame or envie: insomuch as long af∣tet his death, it was religiously beleived of many, that the medalls or brooches representing his person brought good lucke vnto such as wore or had them about them. And that more Kings and Princes have written his gestes and actions, then any other historians, of what qualitie soever, have registred the gests, or collected the actions of any other King or Prince that ever was: And that even at this day, the Mahometists, who contemne all other histo∣ries, by speciall priviledge, allow, receive, and onely honour his. All which premises duely considered together, hee shall confesse, I have had good reason to preferre him before Caesar himselfe who alone might have made me doubt of my choise. And it must needes bee gran∣ted, that in his exploites there was more of his owne; but more of fortunes in Alexanders atchievements. They have both had many things mutually alike, and Caesar happily some greater. They were two quicke and devouring fires, or two swift and surrounding streames, able to ravage the world by sundrie wayes.
Et velut immissi diversis partibus ignes Arentem in silvam, & virgulta sonantia lauro: Aut vbi decursu rapido de montibus altis Dant sonitum spumosi amnes, & in aequora currunt, Quisque suum populatus iter. As when on divers sides fire is applied To crackling bay-shrubs, or to woods Sunne dried, Or as when foaming streames from mountaines hie, With downe-fall swift resound, and to sea flie; Each-one doth havoc••e-out his way thereby.
But grant Caesars ambition were more moderate, it is so vnhappy, in that it met with this vile subject of the subversion of his countrie, and vniversall empairing of the world; that all parts imparcially collected and put together in the balance, I must necessarily bend to A∣lexanders side. The third, and in my judgement, most excellent man, is Epaminondas. Of glorie he hath not so much as some, and is farre short of diverse (which well considered is no substantiall part of the thing) of resolution and true valour, not of that which is set-on by ambition, but of that, which wisedome and reason may settle in a well disposed minde, hee had as much as may be imagined or wished for. Hee hath in mine opinion, made as great tri∣all of his vertues, as ever did Alexander or Caesar: for although his exploites of warre bee not so frequent, and so high-raised, yet being throughly considered, they are as weightie, as re∣solute, as constant, yea and as authenticall a testimonie of hardines and militarie sufficiencie, as any mans else. The Graecians, without any contradiction affoorded him the honour, to entitle him the chiefe and first man among themselves: and to be the first and chiefe man of Greece is without all question to bee chiefe and first man of the world. Touching his know∣ledge and worth, this ancient judgement doth yet remaine amongst vs, that never was man who know so much, nor never man that spake lesse then he. For he was by Sect a Pythagorian; and what he spake, no man ever spake better: An excellent and most perswasive Orator was hee.
And concerning his manners and conscience therein hee farre outwent all that ever medled with managing affaires: For in this one part, which ought especially to bee noted, and which alone declareth what we are, and which onely I counter poise to all others together, he giveth place to no Philosopher; no not to Socrates himselfe. In whom innocencie is a qualitie, pro∣per, chiefe, constant, vniforme and incorruptible. In comparison of which, it seemeth in Alexander subalternall, vncertaine, variable, effeminate and accidentall. Antiquine judged that precisely to sift out, and curiously to prie into all other famous Captaines, there is in e∣very one severally some speciall qualitie, which makes him renowmed and famous. In this man alone, it is a vertue and sufficiencie, every where compleate and alike; which in all offices of humane life, leaveth nothing more to bee wished-for. Bee it in publike or private; in peaceable negotiations or warlike occupations; be it to live or die, greatly or gloriously, I know no forme or fortune of man, that I admire or regard, with so much honour, with so much love. True it is, I finde this obstinacie in povertie, somewhat scrupulous; and so have his best friends pourtrayed-it. And this onely action (high notwithstanding and very worthy ad∣miration) I finde or deeme somewhat sharpe; so as I would nor wish, nor desire the imita∣tion thereof in me, according to the forme it was in him. Scipio Aemilianus alone (would a∣ny charge him with as fierce, and noblie-minded an end, and with as deepe and vniversall knowledge of Sciences) might be placed in the other scale of the ballance against him. Oh what a displeasure hath swift-gliding Time done me, even in the nicke, to deprive our eyes, of the chiefest paire of lives, directly the noblest that ever were in Plutarke, of these two truely∣worthy personages: by the vniversall consent of the world, the one chiefe of Graecians, the other principall of Romanes. What a matter, what a workeman! For a man that was noe Saint, but as we say, a gallant-honest man, of civill maners and common customes; of a tem∣perate haughtinesse; the richest lise I know (as the vulgar saying is) to have lived amongst the living, and fraughted with the richest qualities, and most to bee desired parts (all things im∣parcially considered) in my humour, is that of Alcibiades. But touching Epaminondas. for a patterne of excessive goodnesse, I will here insert certaine of his opinions, The sweetest con∣tentment he had in all his life, he witnesseth to have beene, the pleasure he gave his father and mother, of his victorie vpon Le••ctra: he staketh much, in preferring their pleasure, before his content, so just and full of so glorious an action. Hee thought it vnlawfull, yea were it to recover the libertie of his countrey. for any one to kill a man, except hee knew some iust cause. And therefore was he so backeward in the enterprise of Pelopidas his companion, for the delive∣rance of Thebes. Hee was also of opinion, that in a battel a man should avoide to encounter his friend, being on the contrary part; and if he met him, to spare him. And his humanity or gentlenes, even towards his very enemies, having made him to be suspected of the ••••o∣tians, for so much as after he had miraculously forced the Lacedemonians to open him a pas∣sage, which at the entrance of Mor•••• neere Corinth, they had vndertaken to make-good, hee was contented, without fur ther pursuing them in furie, to have marched over their bellies; was the cause he was deposed of his office of Captaine Generall. Most honourably for such a cause; and for the shame it was to them, soone after to bee forced by necessitie to advance him to his first place: and to acknowledge how their glorie, and confesse that their safetie did onely depend on him: victory following him as his shadow, whither soever hee went: and as the prosperitie of his countrie was borne by and with him, so it died with and by him.
Propert. li. 2. ••l: 34. 79.
••or. li. epist. 23
Ovid. Am. li 3. ••l. 8. 25.
Lucr. l▪ 3. 1081.
Ma••il ••st. l. 2. 8.
A. Gel. ••••ct. Att. 13 c. II.
Lucan. l. 1. 148.
Virg Aen. l. 8. 589.
Lib. 12 521.