hEre begynneth the prohemye vpon the reducynge, both out of latyn as of frensshe in to our englyssh tongue, of the polytyque book named Tullius de senectute ...

o Noble philosopher & vaillaunt duke Caton I Si¦pion haue oftyn tymes merueil & so hath this Ga¦yus lelyus my felowe aswele for thyne hygh̄ wysedome & profyte in science that thou hast in the as in othir thin¦gys / and also I am wont to merueyl me that I percey¦uid neuer that olde age was to the neythir noyous ne he∣uy which̄ is so hatefull to som olde men that they sayen that they beren a more greuous and more heuyer burden thanne is that mounteyn of Sicille callid Ethna Ca¦ton āswerith certaynly good yong men of noble courage hit semith to som men that ye tweyne haue merueil of a thyng lyght & easy to knowe that is to witt why age se¦myd me neuer neythyr heuy greuous ne noyous / ffor eche of thies vj ages which̄ men name Ch̄ildhode adolescence

yongth virilite manhode & olde age semyn to be heuy & noy¦ous to men the which in them silf haue nothyng that may help & socoure them to lyue goodly & blessidly as bee tho which excercisen sciences & vertues & good werkis but as to suche men which sechyn & fyndyn in themsilf alle the goods & thyngis which belongyn wele & blessidly for to lyue / ther is nothyng that comyth to them in age by the defaute of nature that may seme vnto them euyll ner noyous It is certayne that olde age is suche that it ser¦chith̄ & fyndyth in it self all the goodnesses whch longen to liue wel & blyssidly / and yit is olde age such that alle men desyre to come vntyll hit / And neuer thelesse the mutablenes & euyl dysposicion of men hit is so grete in oure dayes that they blamyn olde age whan they be come therto by cause that then̄e they may not vse delectacions

All the folis seyn that olde age comyth in them son / ner thenne they wend / but I demaunde a question of such men what maner foly constreyned them forto trowe or sup¦pose the thyng the which̄ is fals / for they can sey no rea¦son how olde age entrith sonner in the man aftir adoles∣cence nomore than doeth adolescence aftir puerice callid chidlhode which̄ is the seconde age / how be it that it is so ordeyned by nature that that one of the ages entrith af∣tir the ende of the othir More ouir I demaunde such̄ foo∣lys how olde age shuld be lesse chargyng & lesse greuous to men if they myght lyue viijC yere / for how be it that the age past had be longer yit it may neithir comforte ne allege ne satisfye the foole olde man Therfor yf ye two be merueiled of my wysedome in myne age which̄ I wold it were such̄ as ye repute & vnderstonde it and wold be

worthy to be knowyn & bere forth my surname Caton / I answere to yow that yf I am wise my wysedome is one∣li in this thyng for I folow the lawe & ordenaūces of dame Nature the rygh̄t good leder of kynde & also I obeye vn∣to hir for all hir comaundementys befulle lyke to the co∣maundementys of the dyuyne gddys by cause that bothe two drawyn to the true welth̄ of blyssyd disposicion It is not lyke semyng sith̄ Nature hath̄ wele disposed & or∣deyned the othir fyue first ages eche aftir h̄is office that she had neglygently lefte to ordeyne the office of olde a∣ge / which̄ is the laste tyme & endyng of men And as it comyth of a foole & of a neglygent clerk which̄ can not ne may nor will fulfill the booke that he beganne but al¦wey what euir be said of olde age alleway that she hath hir offyce ordegned by nature I say that it must nedys of necessite that it haue som endyng swete & soft for to en∣dure to the wyse man ffor lyke as nature hath ordeyned in the fruytys of trees & of erth̄ which̄ haue the fruyte soft or harde that they abydyn on the tree & fallen aftyr they ben rype ynough / so hath Nature ordeyned of the cause of ages some as folys wyll argue & rebell them ayenst the ordenaunces of nature / but that debate & rebellion is pro∣prely compared and lykend to the fiction of the poetys which̄ by their tales feyned that in the tyme of Iupiter kyng of the londe of Crete the geauntys as folys wol∣de make werre ayenst the goddys by the wh̄ich̄ ye owe to vndirstonde that the folysshe men wolde rebelle ayenst the ordenaunces of nature chamberer & seruant of god Lelyus demaūdith a question forsoth Caton I promy¦se the for my felowe Scipion that thou shalt do vnto

vs right a gracio{us} frendship if by the / we lerne long ty∣me afore or we become olde men / by what reasons we myght suffre & endure ryght lyghtly the chargyng & the greuo{us} age of olde men / for we hope certaynly that we wyll beco∣me olde / Caton answerith / forsoth Lelius I shal do that thou requyrest me so that eche of you haue agreable my wordys that I sshal say to you / of tho Lelius & Scipion demaunded this question to Caton / so that it be not gre¦uous to the we wull desyre certaynly / what is the longe wey by the which thou art comyn in / from thy childhode vntill this age / for thou maist teche vs / as he wh̄ich had don a long viage / in the whiche we must entre / Caton an wered I shal make you Lelius an answer so as ye aske aftir that I may / forsoth I haue oftymes be in the quarell of sciuile causes disputyng / & in the parlamentis of my felows egall to me in the disputyng & pledyng causes of their matiers & processis ffor aftir the aūcient prouerbe all thyngys which be like of resemblaūte exsamples. lightly wold be vndirstonde assemblyd & gaderd to gedyr / So I shal telle you what grete thyngys Salmator And Spurius Albinus whilom consuls in Rome which were almost lyke to me in age / were wont to sorowe and wepe by cause that in the tyme of their olde age they had no flesshely delectacions / withoute whiche they seid their lyfe was nought / And said also that they were dysprey∣sed / and holde in reproof & reproche of peyne & displeasyre bi whom they shulde be haunted magnified & worshipped Thies men Salmator And Albinus after my de∣myng did not accuse & blame that thyng whiche they huld haue accused / ffor yf y^t thyng wherof they wepte & sorowid shuld come by the blame & defaute of olde age by lyk reason to me & all othir y^e which be gretter & older than

I / shuld come the ij causes a forsaid for which̄ they soro∣wyn / but it is not so / ffor I knowe many of them which be of such age & of gretter age than I am / which bere & en¦duryn their olde age withoute makyng such̄ complaynte for they enduryn & suffre gladly & be glad to be oute of the prisons & bondys of flesshely delectacōns & they cōpla¦yne not that they be dispraysed of such̄ men / but the blame & the vice of all such̄ compleinyng bi which̄ olde age semith greuo{us} & noyo{us} is in the condicions & in the maners of the men & not in the age / ffor certaynly the old temperate men which be not dangero{us} ne cruell / enduryn & bere lygh¦tly their olde age / but importunyte cruelte & vnmanerly gouernaūce is chargyng & greuo{us} to olde age / & to all o¦thir age / Lelyus answerith & after demaūdeth certaynly Caton it is so as thou saist / but parauentur som myght say that thou berist and endurist better thyn olde age by cause of thy richesse & for the habondaunce of the tempe∣rall goodys that thou hast by cause of thy dygnyte / and true it is that this thyng which̄ thou hast comyth but to fewe men / Caton answerith̄ forsoth Lelyus thou rea∣sonest & saist wel that the richessis & the dignyte that I haue maken me to suffre & endure more easely myne olde age / but in this thyng be not alle the meanes paciently to suffre & endure olde age The thyngys which̄ makyn olde age swete & pacient be as tho thingys whiche make a man to be noble or to be a Chorle therof I shalle telle the by exsampl̄ / Ther was a noble man of athenes clepid Themystecles which̄ pletyd with a Chorle of the Isle of seryphus in the which̄ were comonly froward men & euyl condicōned This scr••fios that was a chorle said to The∣mystecles that he was not noble ne gentyl of hym self / but onely by cause of the magnifyeng & worship of his

noble contre of athenes / to the which̄ Themystecles an∣swerd / By god said he & I were a man of Seriphus as thou art / yit shuld I not be a Chorle / & yf thou haddist be of athenes as I am / yit sholdist thou neuir be noble in worship nor gentilnes / In semblable wyse may be said this comparison of olde age / for it may not be soft nor light to suffre and endure in grete pouerte / how be it that the olde men were wyse & full of letters / & also is olde a∣ge greuo{us} & danugero{us} to the fole olde man / how be it that he haue ryght grete habondaūce of goodys by his byrth / Certaynly my frendys scipion & lelyus the right couenable armes of olde age be the craftys & occupaciōs to vse ryght wysely / & the excercita••on̄s of the iiij princi∣pall vertues / that is to witt / temperance / prudence / force / & Iustice if thies vertues be wel̄ sett to werke in all thyne age / aftir that thou hast lyued long ynough̄ / they shal bryng to the merueillo{us} frutys of delectacion by the swete remembraūce of the good deedys past / the frutys of thies vertues be not onely merueillo{us} by cause that they wyll neuir leue their mayster namely in the last tyme of olde age which̄ is right a grete & a syngulere thyng / but al¦so the frutys of vertues be merueillo{us} for the conscience of the man which̄ had wele lyued / & as by the recorde of remembraūce of many good deedys doon is right a glad some thyng to the olde age / wherfor it may appere vn∣to you that olde age is not withoute delectacion of vertu∣o{us} deedys dooyng Nowe come I forto shewe that the olde men be not dispreysed nor relinquysshed or forsakyn of o∣thir men that tyme whan I was as an adolescent yong of age / as moch louyd I that olde man Quyntus ffabi∣us which toke & recouerd the cyte of tarente whiche is in the londe of puyle And loued hym whiche was lyke me

in age & in condicions / ffabyus than an olde man had in himsilf a good disposicion of a moderaunce medlyd with curtesye & with honeste and clennesse & his olde age had not changed his vsis & good custumes in eny wyse / But that they were as good or better as they were in his first tyme / I beganne to haunte & loue the seid ffabyus how be it he was not meruelously of grete age / but neuer∣theles he was than aged / ffor the seid ffabius first was consul of Rome in the yere that I was borne / & in the ye¦re of his fourth consulat / I whiche was thēne a yong adolescent & knygh̄t / went with the seid ffabius to Cap∣ne a cyte in champaigne / and the fyfth yere aftir I was Questour and went to Tarent & aftir I was made e¦dyle of Rome and the fourth yere aftir I was presture which is the souerayne dygnyte in Rome / I had this dygnyte at that tyme whan̄ Tudicanus and Cetegus were consuls of rome / & ffabius which̄ was then̄e full ol¦de did so moch̄ by his amonestyng & purposyng of faire wordys that the lawe of Cyntius was resceyued at Ro¦me by the which̄ he made ordenaūce in yiftis of offyces / that is to witt / that tho yiftis shuld not be outerageous excessyfe no euyl employed & that the offices shuld be cō¦mytted by election to sufficient men in cōnyng & conueni¦ent personis acceptable / How be it that ffabyus was pla¦ynly olde yit made he batailles so victoriously & so egerly as he had be in the age of adolescence in the tyme that ha¦nyball a yong man & duke of cartage made werre ayenst rome & the contrey a boute / ffabyus thenne olde suffred hanybal to sporte hym & take his recreacion in the champa¦igne of rome & by the suffraūce y^t ffabius had ayenst hani¦ball / he lessed & enfebled hym & his hooste in somoch̄ y^t he & his men were so sotted and delyted in fleshely delectacions

that they forgate & loste alle the excercisyng of armes & the dysciplyne of knyghthede Of thys ffabyus tellith ryght nobly our good & preuy ffrende the poete / Enneus ffabyus said he is a romayne which̄ restoryd vs our coū¦trey oure fraunchises & oure libertees by the respyte & lon¦ge suffraunce that he had ayenst oure grete enemy hany∣ball Fabius thenne olde was so temperate & so prudent that of the renomme fame & worship of all othir veyne gloryes he chargid not nethir sett by it / but aboue all o∣thir thyngys he put before the helth̄ & the welfare of the comon̄ profyte of his coūtrey / & for this cause the renom∣me glory worship & the fame of ffabyus resplendysshed & floured aftir h̄is deth / more than at that tyme whanne he lyued But it shulde be a grete thyng for to tell and seye by what dylygence & by what conseille he toke & re∣couyrd the cyte of / Tarente which̄ thenne was a cas∣tell and at that tyme was takyn by the affricans / It fortuned that a consul romayne callid Salmator loste as it is said the castelle of Tarente and fled by the withdraught in to the toure of the same castell Thenne aftir that ffabyus recouird the same castell the seid Salmator me heeryng how he glorifyed & magnified hymself of that recoueryng by thyse wordys Certeynly seid Salmator to the seid ffabius / thou hast recouerd bi me & by my werke the castell of / Tarente forsoth ansue¦rid ffabyus yf thou haddyst not loste it a fore I shuld neuer haue recouird it neithirr takyn it ageyne / This ffa¦byus full olde was so good in armes & in house that is to saye that he was so good in tyme of werr and of peas that he was not better in that one than in that other

And eftsones ffabyus was consul and had a felowe of office callid carinlyus the which excercysed not his offyce but that notwithstondyng the seid ffabyus then¦ne an olde man resisted as moch̄ as he nyght to the en∣trepryse of Gayus fflammynyus which at that tyme was tribune of the poeple of Rome which̄ ayenst the au¦ctorite of the senatours of Rome wolde deuyde by syngler partys an herytage callyd the terroner Picentois and the terroner Galois And how be it that ffabius of the con¦nyng & office callyd Angure which̄ is a dyuinore which̄ was a dygnyte in Rome that men yafe them to that sci¦ence which̄ determyned & knewe the thyngys to come by the chirmyng & by the song & by the countenaūce of the foulys & bryddys of the eyre / Neuertheles he had in hym the boldenes for to say that all thyngys which̄ were made for the sauacyon & for the welfare of the comyn profyte callid Res publica were made by ryght good dyuynyng But the thyngys made or saide ayenst the comun profy∣te were made or saide ayenst the sentēcys of wyse men of Auspices that is to say ayenst the dyuynynges Iuge∣mentys & demynges the which̄ were made by the senten∣ces of fowles and bryddys I haue knowyn that in this man were many thynges of ryght noble condicyōs the which̄ I telle not / but I knowe nothyng more merueil∣lous for to say thanne is to telle how ffabyus susteyned & enduryd withoute mournyng & wepyng the deth of his sone Marius which̄ was a noble man & wylome consul of rome We haue clerely & in a parte declarid the praysyng of the olde ffabius of which̄ whan we rede his praysyng we fynde but fewe philosophers lyke hym but me owghte

to disprayse them to the regarde of Fabius and it is cer∣tayne that he was not onely to be recomended in grete de∣dys of pryse that he did outward & in the presence of the Cytezeyns of Rome But he was better & gretter within forth / that is to witt in good condicions & within his sowle / I may not sey ynough̄ what was the speche & wor∣dys nor what were the commandementes of the olde Fa∣byus nor what was the knowleche that he had of the dee¦dys & of the sayengys of the olde tyme I may not also saye ynowgh̄ how moche he knewe of the arte & scyences of dyuynyng & determiinacion of fortunes to come good or ylle in tyme of peas & of werre by the flygh̄t or by the chirming or by the countenaunce of the foulys & briddis of the yere / And yit had also ffabyus science & witte y∣nough after the maner which̄ the romayns had & vsed at that tyme / This ffabyus conceiued & resceyued in his mynde not onely the romayns bataylles but also remem¦bred of straunge bataylles / I spake as desyringly with hym as I coude deuyse at that tyme / the same thyng whiche fortuned of hym after he died that is witt that af¦ter his deth I shuld haue no man Romayne of whom I myght lerne in workis & in techyngys suche as he hadde be It nedith not to seye so many thyngys to the preysyng & fame of the said ffabyus / ffor certeynly ye see wele by that that I haue said that it is vntrouth̄ & a vice to say that olde age is wretchiyd myschaunt or noyous so that it had be such̄ as was the same of olde ffabyus & how be it that ffabyus had be such̄ in all his age neuertheles it is certain that all men may not be such̄ as were the scipions

and the ffabyens nethir alle men also may not be suche that they myght so of them self recorde & reherce / the cy∣tees the which they haue fought with & werrid or con∣quered in the bataylles that they haue made a fore in dy∣uers landis & reames & also by nauy of shippes on the see / nor all men also may not be such̄ that they myght of them self / recorde nor saye the victorious deedis & tryum∣phes which they haue had in their lyues lyke as dyd the worthy Scipions and also the noble ffabiens whi∣lom noble romayns & vertuous in them self ffor namely some olde men myght in tymes past haue be of peasible clene and faire lyf in gouernaūce / and yet is their ol∣de age plesaūt & swete suche as as we here by the hystory∣es that declaren of the olde age of platon which at fou∣rescore yere & one wrote books to teche men connyng & ver¦tue & so dooyng he dyed Some olde age may be plesaunt & swete hou be it that the lyf precedent had be still pure & soft without warre or so noyed as we hier by historyes how was the olde age of socrates the philosophre the which as men sayne wrote in the yere of his age fourscore and fouretene a boke callid Penatheticus in which he tawght men for to dispreyse & not to set by deth So∣crates lyued v yere after y^t he had made an ende of the saide booke he was disciple of a philosopher callyd Gorgi∣as which was born in a castel callyd Leoucin This Gorgias maister to Socrates was an hundert & seuen yere fulfyllyd of age & he neuer cesid in his studye but euermore he was besyed and occupyed / Thenne it fortu∣ned that men demaundid hym why he wolde be so longe

alyue he answerde I haue not said ne seen in me ony cau∣se why I shulde accuse nor blame myne olde age / Cer∣taynly this answere was right nobly spoken & was wor¦shipfully seyd & appertynent to a wise man / The foolis wolde sey in contrary of thanswere of that philosopher Gorgias ffor the foolys puttyn vpon the olde age their owne vices & blame whiche come of them silf / that is to witt / the foolys accusyn their olde age and puttyn vpon it the vices & defautys whiche come of their euyll condicions in yongth & not of the age which̄ thyng did not the poete Enneus of whom we haue nowe late ma¦de mencyon / for in shewyng what he was in olde age he made therof a comparison̄ / I am seyde Enneus as the strong hors whiche many atyme hath̄ discomfited / the other horsys in rennyng lightly / & is come first to the prycke / And by cause that nowe this hors is olde he restyd hym & labourith nomore / This Enneus compa∣rith & resemblyth̄ his olde age to the olde age of a strong & a victorious horse / Of this Enneus may we well haue in mynde for the xix yere after the deth of hym Ti¦tus fflamminius and Marcus Attilius were made Consuls of Rome & Ennius dyed at that time whan̄e Sipion & Philip was made the secōde tyme Consuls And I which̄ than was sixti & fyue yere of age purposyd & pletyd with a grete & high voice a fore the senatours of rome for the lawe which̄ made bocone one of the wise men of Rome / & that lawe I preuyd & susteyned by sua¦syons & good reasons vayllable whan ennyus was six∣ty & ten yere of age / for he lyued so longe by age /

The seyd poete Enneus beyng olde as I haue sayd suffred and endured so pacyently and so wele two grete burdons / whiche men reputen and accepte right grete / that is to witt pouerte and olde Age / that it semyth that Enneus hadde therin grete delectacyon /

Here endith the first part of this book / whiche is the disputacyon of duke Caton And begynnyth the nom∣bryng of the causes. why olde Age semyth to be wret∣chid and myschaunt. And in this same distincyon Ca∣ton confoundith repreuyth & abasshith Scipion and Lelius of the first defaulte which they opposyn Caton ayenst olde Age / And begynnyth in the latyn Etenim cum complector animo. quatuor causas reperio &c. Scipion spekyth for hym and for lelyus.