I Am delited with sweete odours.

These serue ey∣ther for foode, or apparrel, concerning which thou hast hearde myne opinion.

My studie is vpon sweete smelles.

Of smelles, some prouoke the appetite, and some wantonnesse. The desire of these incurreth the note of inconti∣nencie, especially yf it be vehement. Others are desired for theyr owne sake. The greedinesse of them, is not reprooued of disho∣nestie, but of folly: Whereby it commeth, that the smel of wo∣mens oyntmentes, and of iunkets, is more discommodable then the odour of flowres, or apples. The same reason is also in those pleasures, whiche are receyued by the eares and eyes. If euer thou hast applyed thy mynde to the readyng of Heathen writers, thou knowest these thynges, neyther doo I nowe touch thee, but by notes I bryng thee to remembraunce of the trueth, to the end thou mayest see, that such kyndes of delyghts are eyther dishonest or lyght.

My studie is vpon sweete odours.

I woulde it were vpon good fame, the smel whereof is also called good, but of euyl fame muche more: and it is more strong then the sent of any spices whyle they are a beatyng, or of brymstone whyle it is a burnyng. Of these sauours, the mynde iudgeth, and not the nose.

I am delighted in sweete smelles.

If thou be led by sense, and seeke after pleasure, as I haue sayd, it is eyther dishonestie or lyghtnesse; if for health sake, it is excuseable, so that measure, which is the sauce of al thinges, be present. For a mylde smel comforteth a fayntyng spirite: but in al thynges that saying of Terence is of great force, Nothing to muche. For as in many other thynges, so in this also there is ins••te varietie of kyndes, not only betweene man and man, but betwene nation and nation. For if the report be true, which great aucthours do not condemne, the people that dwel about the head of Ganges do eate no meate at al, but are noorished only by the smel of a wyld apple, whensoeuer they traueyle abrode, they cary nothyng els with them then that good & holsome fruite: and are so impartent of stynke, that as the pure ayre noorysheth Page  [unnumbered]them, so an infected smel stifleth them: A delycate complexion, which so lyueth and dyeth. Hence it proceedeth, that euery nation towardes the East, beyng pampered with the delicacie of the ayre, as they are lesse careful of meate, so haue they lesse plentie, and are more desirous of sweete odours, and from thence forsooth this curiositie came first vnto vs. The Assyrians, the A∣rabians, and Sabei, when they were vanquished by your wea∣pons, ouercame you with theyr odours: which the rough and inuincible sobrietie of your forefathers resisted so long, that the fyue hundred threescore and fifth yeere, after the foundyng of the Citie of Rome, prouision was made by a straight edict of the Censores, that no man should bryng sweete forraigne oynt∣mentes into the Citie. But not long after, the vices of poste∣ritie, as the maner is, abrogating the decrees of the Elders, wan∣tonnesse gate the vpper hande, and crept into the very Senate, which had been the aucthour of that constitution.

I am desyrous to smel wel.

Straunge odours, and the art of perfumyng, and pleasauntly smellyng, is an argument of no natural good smel, and a token of some secrete defectes. In respect of which causes, not only any honest man, but honest wo∣man also, woulde be loath by such kynde of delicacie, to offend the senses of any valyaunt and good man. Thou remembrest the storie of a certayne young man, who being annoynted with sweet oyntmentes, and comming before the Emperour Vaspa∣tian to geue him thankes for the office which he had bestowed vp∣on hym, as he stoode before hym, the Emperour perceyuyng the smel, and disdayning at the matter, with sterne countenance and rough speech: I had rather sayd he, thou hadst smelt of Garlyke. And so, wel checked, eyther suppressing or cancellyng the letters wherein he had graunted hym his good wyll, he sent hym fru∣strate away with his pleasaunt odours. Thus, as these smelles haue been alwayes a shame, so haue they also sometime ben hurt∣ful, especially where there is some graue and vpright Censor of manners. Yea, what shal I say that they haue ben daunge∣rous to some? For thou knowest also, how that Plautius a Senatour in the triumuiral proscription, for feare of death hydyng hym selfe in the Salernitane Dennes, was bewrayed by Page  30the smel of his oyntmentes: purchasyng therby to hym selfe de∣struction, and to the proscribers excuse of theyr crueltie. For who would not iudge that he was iustly stayne, who in such troubles of the common wealth▪ and so great danger of priuate men, would then trym hym selfe with sweet smelling oyntmentes?

I haue accustomed my self to artificius odours.

Leaue them of, yf thou wylt folow my counsayle. It is more shameful to frequent the artificius, then the symple: For euery dishonest thyng, the more artificius it is, the more dyshonest it is. Art, which is an ornament to honestie, is an encrease to dishonestie. Hereunto adde moreouer, that it is now growne vnto far more excesse than in olde tyme, although that Rome, as I haue sayd, and Lacedemon also, which I had almost termed the Grecian Rome. when this infectiō came out of Asia, resisted it with rough manners and streight edictes, as it had ben an armie of wel ap∣poynted enimies. Notwithstandyng, at length the delicate bande of sweete oyntmentes, with the legions of vices, gat the vpper hand, and their scoutes passed ouer into Europe, and there sub∣dued most valient nations. And because it were ouer long to prosecute euery thyng, by the softned 〈◊〉 •••sse of one most rough and payneful man, thou mayest co•• 〈…〉 •he residue. For 〈…〉 the very thickest and heat of 〈…〉 inuincible and bar∣••••• Hannibal was annoynted, with his armie: oyntmentes 〈◊〉 pearcing, 〈…〉 near•ing. And therefore, of this ••••minate ca•• ••yne and his 〈…〉 •hose beginninges were wonderful, 〈…〉 was the ende, as he •ell deserued. Whereby it 〈◊〉 •hee p•••e, that where alway▪ ye haue ben much bounde •••e vertues •f Scipio Africane ye are somewhat also behol∣den to the oint•••entes of Hanibal for it had ben good for them they had ben dry, as it was best for ••u that they were annoynted, This custom• preuayled so ma•• ••andred yeeres after, that it were a payne, and also would astonysh a man, to reade what is 〈◊〉 concernyng this matter, both by Greekes and La∣•••• What shal I vse many woordes? Oyntmentes came vnto 〈…〉 then whom nothing was more high & excellent, namely I•SVS Christe, which he, that came and put away al ••ft∣••sse and delicacie of the m•••, & to ex•inguish al prouocati• as of Page  [unnumbered]pleasures, suffered hym selfe to be annoynted withall: veryly not delighted with the pleasauntnesse of the odours, but with the affection and teares of the offerer. But now this custome is by litle and litle diminyshed, that whereas your age is in many thynges inferiour to the glory of your forefathers, yet in this it seemeth to extoll it, in that it is not caryed away with the fonde desire of sweete oyntmentes: but they that are now delyghted therein, it chaunceth vnto them not by the generall infection of the tyme, but by the special imperfection of theyr owne mindes.

I am enticed & delyghted with fragrant odours.

It cannot be otherwyse, but that those thynges which of nature are delightsome and pleasaunt, should entice a man, and whyle they be present delight hym. It is the saying of the wyse He∣brue: With oyntmentes, and sundrie odours the hart is refreshed. Howbeit it seemeth to me that in ointments there is not so much delyght, as loathsomenesse. But admit there were so in these o∣dours, yet in my iudgment men should rather resist the thynges that be absent, to 〈…〉 •••empt, and obliuion, and vse the thinges that are ••ese• 〈…〉 •••••ly, neither bestow any care or trauayle vpon 〈…〉 ••••wne secret iudgement thou •••fesse thy 〈…〉 contemptible thynges. And that I may not dra•• 〈…〉 concernyng odo••• •••e∣ing dishonest an•• 〈…〉 al effem•••ing mennes mindes to 〈…〉 ••ter I em∣brace the opin••n of S Augustine, who speake•• 〈◊〉 of the pro∣uocation of odour• 〈◊〉 desire them not, sayth he 〈…〉 they be absent I require th•〈…〉 if they be present I 〈…〉, be∣ing readie alwayes to wa••〈◊〉. Doo thou the 〈…〉 thou neuer smel euill of 〈◊〉 odoures, or he od•••• with harefull cleanlynes.