A perfite looking glasse for all estates most excellently and eloquently set forth by the famous and learned oratour Isocrates, as contained in three orations of morall instructions, written by the authour himselfe at the first in the Greeke tongue, of late yeeres translated into Lataine by that learned clearke Hieronimus Wolfius. And nowe Englished to the behalfe of the reader, with sundrie examples and pithy sentences both of princes and philosophers gathered and collected out of diuers writers, coted in the margent approbating the authors intent, no lesse delectable then profitable.

The Epistle of the Translatour to the Reader.

EXperience doth shewe thee (gentle Reader) that though in the spring time, thou doest commonlye beholde the fruitefull trees, when stormye winter is past, to budde and to blossome in goodly and ioyfull wise, whereby thou art put in good hope to receiue great plentie of fruites in Autumne, yet sodain∣ly it often falleth out, that by Caterpillers, noysome Ayres, or raging windes vntemperately insuing, thy foresayde hope is frustrated, the fruite blasted, and thy looked for plentie turned into penurie: And all these inconueniences for the most part as much as in vs ly∣eth doe insue either through the lacke of foresight and skill, in the first planting and setting of thy Orcharde, in a calme and temperate ayre, or else because of the negligence of thy Gardner, for want of pruning and other good ordring of thy trees, in their due seaso. The like hervnto doth also happen in sēblable wise, in these our dayes, who hauing most goodlye and profitable Lawes, established and constituted by our most gra∣tious Gouernesse, & her most Honourable Counsaile, as also sundry and diuers rules of well liuing, prescri∣bed and set forth by many graue Oratours, and lear∣ned Philosophers, which in the prime, and at the firste setting forth, seeme to be of force, and as well liked of, of all men, and yet before one halfe yeare be fully past, the one is either rawly and coldly executed, or else mit∣tigated or rather extinguished by some boisterous blast or other, who being induced by some one, to whom the statute prescribed seemeth preiudiciall, straight wayes

addeth such a cooling Carde, that the foresayd lawes before Autumne come, are found betwixt sleeping and waking, it also goeth wel with the latter (I meane the bookes and writinges of the learned) if of some here and there a leafe be perused, if of others it be once read ouer, and if of many the first lynes be as it were spelled so that through themselues which are the vntempe∣rate ayre, and vnfruitefull soyle, wherein it happeneth these good aduertisementes to be planted, (the bookes beeing throwne into corners) there can bee founde scarse one at the fall of the leafe, whose manners and conuersation hath bene amended, and redressed there∣by: And by these meanes it commeth to passe in the time of neede, the garners are empty, the fruites are perrished, a good man is scarse to be found, the licenci∣ous liue at libertie, the common weale indaungered, the Prince and Lawes disobeyed, and God and his word neglected. The which things considered, as also calling to my remembraunce, how that in no realme, nor in any age heretofore, in this our Countrey, the worde of god hath neuer more flourished, neuer pain∣fuller preaching and teaching, more godlyer and pro∣fitabler lawes neuer made, neuer more wiser and grauer Counsellers, and neuer more Bookes sette forth, especially in this our Englishe tongue, and yet no time to haue bene, wherein sinne and iniquitye hath more raigned, the learned lesse regarded, their wri∣tinges lesse perused, and all men more carelesse then they are now, though my good will were bente to ap∣plye my selfe according to my small Talente, to pro∣fite my Countrey in setting foorth of some suche thing as might be as well commodious to many, as

conducible to my selfe, yet by these meanes, I was so greatly discomforted at this my fyrst entraunce, that had not the perswations of my most faithfull and lo∣uing friendes animated and incouraged me forward. I had bene more willinger to haue turned and retired backe againe, then to haue gone one foote forward. For where the stoutest Champions are foyled and vanquished, what hope is there to see the timerous and feareful victorers, if the wisest haue bene put to silence if the Bookes of the learned Clearkes haue bene no more regarded, what comforte can the meaner forte haue? how may they thinke to speede? or wherein shall they seeme to profite, when as their betters haue pre∣uailed so little? Who knoweth not howe greatlye in times past our auncestours reuerenced and honoured the learned, with what care and dilligence before the Arte of Printing was found out, they indeuoured to write out the Coppies of their writinges, what char∣ges they bestowed in penning their bookes, and what great sommes of money they woulde gladlye departe withall, if they heard of any writer before vnknowne, respecting no charges, nor regarding any trauayle, so that they might obtain them, but nowe, who seeth not how all thinges are turned vpside downe? and the English Prouerbes in all pointes verified: The nea∣rest the Churche, the farthest from god: The grea∣test Clearkes, not the wisest men: The greatest brag∣gers, the veriest Cowardes: The lowdest sounde, the emptiest Vessell: and breefelye to say the truth in one word, the greater knowledge, the lesse following: eue∣ry man pretending himselfe skilfull in his duetie, and yet scarse one fulfilling the least part therof in so much

that the Lacedemonian Ambassadours may now say vnto vs English men, as sometime they did to the A∣thenians, which is, that we know what is good, but yet we doe nothing lesse, or as Hanniball that Noble Captaine gaue his Iudgement, as touching the Lec∣ture of a Philosopher which he had hearde: his words sayeth he, are good, but yet I had rather haue him that can doe it in deede, then those to sitte and talke of that which should be done.

For as this our Authour whome we haue nowe in hande affirmeth, one deede profiteth more then a thou∣sande wordes, bee they neuer so sweetelye spoken, the which Lesson, I praye GOD it may bee both well remembered, as also better followed of all true Christians, and especiallye of vs, that as wee surpasse all other Nations, in the readinesse and promptnesse of Gods Booke, and haue nowe a long tyme both by hearing and Preaching, obtayned the veritie, so nowe to the confusion of all our Aduersa∣ries, wee woulde beginne to awake, and to looke a∣boute, so framing our liues, through the assistaunce of Gods grace, that men seeing our good workes, may glorifie our Father which is in Heauen, and that oure loste Bretheren, nowe standing as it were agaste, and amazed, with the lycenciousnesse of oure lyues, maye through our amendment bee broughte home againe, the wrath of God appeased, and our Coun∣trey remaining in moste happye and blessed estate, which otherwise is like through our naughtines and wickednesse to be whipped and scourged with manye Roddes: For as all men doe confesse, the Cleargie in former time to haue deserued that ouerthrowe and

confusion that happened vnto them, because of their abhominable liues, and moste detestable Idolatrie, in seducing and blinding of men with fancies and va∣nities. So surely if wee looke into our selues, wee shall finde that wee haue deserued no lesse, not lea∣uing one path of iniquitye vntrodden, wherein they before had walked, nay rather adding more therevnto if possible it may be.

But some man will say, what hath induced you to say or to thinke this of our Cleargy, seeing there is no such vice in our Church. Ah my deare Bretheren, de∣ceiue not your selues, but rather calling to minde your owne frailtie, amende it, for it must needes bee true that all men say, and that which is so openly ma∣nifested to the whole world, to the greefe of all good men can not be hidden. But yet to let you to vnder∣stand why I haue inferred thus much as touching the licenciousnesse of this our time, because I see it is the only thing whereof our Aduersaries triumphe, yea it is their dayly aunswere: I will know them to liue bet∣ter before I beleeue them, and as their liues doe varry from that which they preach and teache to o∣thers, so say they there is such vncertaintie in their doc∣trine, such discord and variaunce among them, scarse two remaining in one opinion, without any vnitye or concordaunce, that we know not whome to followe, and therefore vntill there be a better order taken, we aunswere with Horace, Nullius addictus iurare in verba Magistri. Thus hath the Diuell first by ouerthrowing the flesh and then secondarily sowing of diuers opini∣ons in vnsetled heads, almost, nay I feare me altoge∣ther confounded the truth.

But the Lord of his goodnesse and mercy amend it and make vs so to shine in all godlinesse and purenesse of life, that neither this old serpent, our deadliest ad∣uersarie, neither any of his hyrelinges, maye haue any such cause hereafter to brag or boste of this their victo∣ry so ioyfully looked for, but as I hope, neuer to be ob∣tained: And thus thinking both my labour, as also the trauaile of others nothing auaileable, to the amen∣ding of the conuersation of the outward man, excepte the inward man were first cured, and the abuses of those who hath the charge thereof sharpely rebuked, I haue presumed to vnburthen my conscience, desy∣ring first of all the perfect ground of christian Religi∣on, to bee surelye layde at the verye bottome of euerye Christian hart, with an vniforme consent of the truth among all men, before I woulde seeme to inferre the morall instructions of anye Paynime, being nothing comparable to the former, neither any thing profitable except the other bee firste rooted, (hoping also that the godlye and graue Fathers, and those whose harts doe as it were blede with sorrow to heare these my words will not seeme to take my sayings as any thing preiu∣diciall vnto them whose godly conuersation though I lewdly would reproue, yet would the world testifie the contrary, who both seeth and commendes it and earnestly also craueth their helping handes to the a∣mending of the rest) I will retourne to my self again, who being as the Prouerbe is, the least of the twelue, haue taken vpon me to offer vnto your sightes and iudgementes these three Orations of that noble and famous Oratour Isocrates, appertaining to the mo∣ral instructing and ordring of this our miserable life.

The which though they be written by a man altogi∣ther ignoraunt of that true and onely God, the Crea∣tor and maker of mankinde, yet doe they so neare a∣gree, and accord with that Heauenly Doctrine of our cheefe maister and sauiour Iesus Christ, that I hope no man will thinke the time ill spent which he shall be∣stow in the reading thereof, especially those which be∣ing bereft from the benefite thereof through their igno∣raunce in the knowledge of the Greeke and Latine tongues, could not heretofore come to the perfite vn∣derstanding of the same. And because the Authour himselfe, is in moste places of these his preceptes bree∣fer then either the matter would require or that the ca∣pacitie of the meaner sorte can so easilye gather the meaning thereof, I haue not spared for their furthe∣raunce to adiome vnto diuers places certaine reasons and confirmations taken out of Aristotle & Tully, as occasion serued, comprobating and approuing the Au∣thours intent. For according to the iudgement of Wolfius who learnedly hath translated the same out of the Greeke into Latine: that which Aristottle and Tully haue written in large volumes the same doth Isocrates comprehend in these his short sentences.

Thou shalt also finde coted in the Margent, diuers worthy examples gathered out of sundry writers, on∣ly to the intent to reproue the carelesnesse of this our time, in that being Christians excusing our selues by the frailtie of our weake natures, we willfully leaue those things vndone, whiche the very Heathen and Painimes most perfitely fulfilled and obserued. To vse many words in describing the determinated pur∣pose of the Authour in these his three Orations, were

but superfluous labour, in that vnto the two latter there are prefixed two sundry Prefaces, and as for the first to containe the whole breefelye in one worde, it comprehendeth the perfect direction of the life of eue∣ry priuate person, no lesse delectable then profitable.

And thus gentle Reader as one hauing detained thee ouer long from the reading of so learned a worke, as Isocrates is, I am humbly to craue thee, for my bet∣ter incouragement in time to come, to yield vnto me in this my first enterprise, thy fauourable & louing coun∣tinaunce, waying my slendernesse and imperfection with the readinesse and promptnesse of my good will, and so excusing the one by the other to perswade thy selfe that if skill with will were agreeable, thou shouldest eare long receiue a larger volume, yea, though Zoylus shoulde spitte his spitefull poy∣son.