CRuell Fortune hath bereft me of all my ryches.

Shee hath done thee no iniurie, for she hath taken but her owne: but this is an auncient and common vnthankeful∣nesse, to forget what was geuen you, and to remember what is taken away. And therefore your thankes are fewe and colde, and your complaintes many and feruent.

Fierce For∣tune hath taken also away the things that are necessary for liuing.

No man can take away the thyngs that are necessarie, forasmuche as nothyng is cruely to be called necessarie, without whiche a man may lyue wel. I say, lyue wel, not voluptuously, not insolently, or gorgiously, but wysely, but soberly, but honestly: wherein Fortune, be she neuer so proud, shal confesse that she hath no right. And truely, although desire of hauing, is not satisfied with al the golde that is in the worlde, and all the pompe of preci∣ous stones, and plentie of all maner of thinges, notwithstanding, natural necessitie is contented with verie litle, that may be gotten by some lyght meanes of the tongue, or exercise of the hand: thus vertue is pleased with a verie litle, & vice with nothing.

Couetous Fortune denyeth me necessarie foode and apparrell.

Thou must get it then some where els. Vertue is more liberal then Fortune, for she denieth a man nothyng, but whiche wyll hurt yf it be graunted, and doo good, yf it be forbydden: shee taketh away nothyng, but which wyl hurt to haue it, and is pro∣fitable to loose it: shee deferreth nothyng, shee commaundeth no∣thyng, shee plucketh not backe her hande, shee frowneth not, shee looketh not strangly, shee despiseth no man, she forsaketh no man, shee deceyueth no man, shee chafeth not, shee rageth not, shee changeth not, shee is alwayes one, and euery where, but that the more she is tasted of, the sweeter shee seemeth, and the neerer shee is beholden, the fayrer euery day then other shee appeareth. That thou mayest therefore be ryche in deede, let nothyng carrie thee away from this affliction, or repell thee, although it doo exer∣cise and molest thee: the fyrst entraunce vnto it is harde, as for the residue, it is redie, pleasant, and easie. For when thou art once Page  [unnumbered]come vnto it, thou shalt not feele pouertie.

For∣tune hath spoyled mee of all my goodes.

Thou supposest amisse, this mischiefe is commune to all men: for truely she hath not spoyled thee of any goodes, or yf they were goodes, they were none of thyne, but whiche perhappes, af∣ter the common accompt, thou thoughtest to be thyne: and I marueyle yf thou knowe not yet that they were anothers.

Fortune hath lefte mee bare and needie.

Vertue wyll apparrell thee, vnlesse thou refuse her, and also en∣rytche thee, vnlesse perhappes thou esteeme more of Golde and Purple, then of honestie, and the furniture of a valient minde: whiche yf thou doest, then would I say that thou were verie poore and bare in deede.

There is no meanes sufficient to saue me agaynst the assault of Fortune, and troubles of pouertie.

Why marueylest thou? All thy cunning, and thy wea∣pons wherewith thou thinkest to defend thy selfe, are in thyne eni∣mies hand. Shee holdeth fast the handle, the poynt is turned to∣wardes thee. If thou seeke for aduice, set these thynges asyde, and doo some thyng els, and apply thy minde vnto those studies wherein Fortune hath nothing to doo. Vertue is not gotten by ryches, but ryches by Vertue. Only Vertue is the most soueraine art agaynst all fortunes and pouertie. Thou hast read, howe that the Philosopher Aristippus, being cast vp by shypwracke vpon the Rhodian shoare, beyng bare and destitute of all those thinges which Fortune can eyther geue or take away, and delighted with the strangenesse of the place, as it hapneth often tymes, glaun∣cyng his eyes about, had by chaunce fastened them vppon cer∣tayne Geometrical descriptions, crying then out aloude, he com∣forted his companions, and byd them be of good cheere, for that they had not fallen vpon any desart or forlorne Countrey, for that he beheld there the foote steppes and tokens of men: from thence entryng into the Citie, he got him directly vnto the Schooles, and places of exercise of learnyng: where, by meanes of his disputations among the Philosophers, he fyrst wonne ad∣miration, and afterwarde gayned the friendshyppe and re∣wardes of the greatest personages, whereby he prouided meate and drynke, and apparrell, and other necessaries for trauayle, not Page  176onely for him selfe, but also for his companie. Who when they were departyng, demaundyng of hym what they shoulde say to any of his friendes when they came home, notably byd them say this one thyng: that they shoulde prepare those ryches for theyr chyldren, whiche can not peryshe by shypwracke, whiche neyther tempest by Sea, in ciuile or martiall affayres can take away.

I am destitute both of goodes, and mynde.

This fyrst maketh thee lyght, the second, poore in deede and wret∣ched. But I suppose thou hast read the saying of Theophras∣tus, aswel as the counsayle of Aristippus: but what auayleth it thee to haue read a thyng onely, vnlesse thou also remember it, and put it in practice?

Beyng spoyled of my house, familie, necessaries, and all myne ornamentes, what shall I doo, or whyther shall I turne my selfe?

Vnto those ryches whereof thou canst not be spoyled, whiche accompanying thee whyther so euer thou goest, wyll make thee ryche and well furnished. And for that mee thynketh I had neede to helpe thy memorie, this is the saying of Theophrastus, whereof I made mention erewhyle, That among all sortes of men, a learned man onely is no stranger when he commeth into a forraine Countrey, neyther is destitute of friendes when he hath lost his Familiars and Kinsefolke, but is a Citizen in euery Citie, and canne valiently contemne the chaunces of Fortune without feare: but he shoulde thynke hym selfe to be defended not by the guarde of learnyng, but of felicitie, that he walketh vppon slip∣perie, not stable steppes, but wreastleth with a feeble lyfe.

I had an inheritaunce from my Father, whiche I haue lost, What shall I nowe doo?

There discende two inheritaunces from the Father: the one of transitorie goodes, whiche is gouerned by Fortune, the other of Vertue and lear∣nyng, whiche is so farre reposed in safetie out of the king∣dome of Fortune, that shee can not hurt it. This is that inheritaunce which most louyng fathers doo specially leaue vnto their children, which vnlesse they doo refuse it, doth adorne the pos∣sessours thereof in the ende, and after the ende of their lyfe, con∣tinuyng with them not onely so long as the other, but also muche more comfortably and durably. Whiche thyng well Page  [unnumbered]knowyng the Citie of Athens, the famous mother of Nurture, Eloquence, and Lawes, when as the lawe of all the other Cities of Greece, without exception, compelled the chyldren to succour and relieue their parentes, she ordeyned, that those parentes only shoulde be relieud, that had caused their chyldren to be brought vp in learnyng, for that they onely shoulde leaue an assured and permanent inheritaunce vnto their chyldren.

I want many thynges to lyue withall.

To whom a fewe thynges may be sufficient, how he shoulde want many, I can not see. But you say ye want that to lyue withall, whiche is wanting to your couetousnesse, whereby it commeth to passe, that ye want not onely many thynges, but all thynges, as well that ye haue, as that ye desyre, in that ye dare not touche the one, neyther can attayne to the other, and in eyther respect, is lyke miserie or pouertie.

I lyue in too poore estate.

Comfort thy hart, with thy great and famous companions: Valerius Publicola, one of the aucthours of the Romane liber∣tie, Menenius Agrippa, purchaser of the Romane tranquilitie, because they had nothyng wherewithall to burie them of theyr owne, had it out of the common treasurie. Paulus Aemilius con∣querour of the Macedonian kinges, and destroyer of that most famous and auncient kingdome, beyng so riche in glory as he was, was so poore in money, that vnlesse this most valient mans Landes had been solde, his wyues Dower could not haue been restored. Attilius Regulus, Cueus Scipio, Quintius Cincin∣natus, defenders of the Romane Empire, were so poore, yea in housholde prouision, that the fyrst of them atchiuing great ex∣ploites in Africa, the seconde in Spayne, the one of them because of the death of his Farmer, the other for the Dower of his Daughter, were both constrayned to make suite to be discharged from the Senate, whiche they had obtayned, but that the Senate prouiding better for the state of the Common wealth, dyd relieue the pouertie of those most excellent Citizens. Vnto Quintius, whyle he was earyng his poore foure Acres of Land, by decree of the Senate and people of Rome, in the tyme of extremitie, the whole gouernment of the state was committed. Vnto these may be added Curius, who was ryche by his Garden, and Page  177Fabritius that was mightie with a litle, who contemnyng pro∣fered ryches, and hauyng nothyng but ryche weapons, ryght handes, and most rych myndes, vanquished the Kyng of Greece, and the most valient people of Italie. They were aswell in∣uincible with golde, as with iron. But what speake I of cer∣teyne Citizens, when as the whole people of Rome, beyng the fountayne and example of a notable Historie, was good so long, as I began to say, as it was a poore people? But Nero beyng drowned in lasciuiousnesse and reproches, was not able to mea∣sure or reckon his goodes. But Varius Heliogabalus the most effeminate and fylthy beast that euer lyued, and the shame of your Empyre, a shameful thyng to speake or heare, woulde vouchsafe to haue the loathsome ordu•• and burden of his belly to be receyued into none other vessell then of golde: a thyng not to be ouerslypped, yf it were but to set foorth the irkesome and outragious desire of mortall men: When as he well remem∣bred, that not only the meales and dayly dyet of suche men as the aboue named are, but also the sacrifices of the Gods were woont to be serued and celebrated in earthen vesselles. O miserable Citie in continuaunce of tyme by destiny fallen vnto so fylthy handes: But rather O golde the extreame desire of couetous∣nesse: O hope that art the last and ende of humane trauayles, thou that art the woonder vnto eyes, and the amazyng vnto myndes, to what vses wast thou conuerted? I woulde commend the deede, or at leastwyse not reprooue it, for that there is no moc∣kerie more meete for so shameful errour of man, yf so be it hadde proceeded from a man of sounde iudgement, and perfect reason: but now who dareth deny, but that goodes are excellent, and to be wished, which men doo in suche sort seeke after with swoorde and wickednesse, whyle neglectyng the best, they abounde with the worst?

I passe foorth a poore life in trauel.

Cleantes was constrayned by neede to drawe water to water hearbes in a garden withal, and Plautus to lift vp sackes & corne vpon a hand querne. How great a Philosopher was the one, and the other a Poet? and againe, how poore a gardiner was the first, and the other a baker? Who both after their woorke was doone, the residue of the night wherein they should haue taken their rest, Page  [unnumbered]suche was the courage of theyr mynde, the one applyed his tyme vnto the studie of Philosophie, the other to the wrytyng of Commedies, that he myght sell them for money. Lac∣tancius Firmianus, a man of great learning, and rare eloquence among his compeeres, beeyng also schoolemaister vnto the sonne of a great Prince, led his lyfe in great pouertie of all thynges, yea of common necessaries. Horace was borne poore, Pacunius lyued poorely, Statius was poore: both of them solde theyr Comedies, and thereby gotte theyr lyuyng. To be short, Virgill also was sometyme a poore man, vntyll contrary to the common custome, ryches hapned vnto his wit. There be many such examples in al degrees of men: and I omit these, because there are very many, who for the desire they hadde vnto heauenly ryches, haue not only with indifferent myndes, but gladly and wyllyngly, chosen not only pouertie, but also hun∣ger, thyrste, nakednesse, and all kyndes of miseries vppon the earth. If that by these as it were humble and earthly examples thou art not mooued, the Lorde of heauen hym selfe was here in poore estate, that he myght teache by his example, that this po∣uertie is the way whereby men attayne vnto great ryches. He, I say, by whom Kynges doo reigne, was borne in pouertie, lyued in pouertie, dyed naked, whom in the meane whyle al the Elementes obeyed: and thou sellie wretche doest grieuously beare the state of thy Lorde and maister, and art not ashamed of thy foolyshe insolencie. Certaynely, who so thynkyng on hym, shall arme hym selfe with vertue, being very riche in pouertie and needyng nothyng, wyll not desyre a Kynges riches.

I haue no store of riches.

As no riches are sufficient for a needie and base mynde, so vnto a ryche and franke courage no pouertie commeth amisse: as for the first, he leaneth vnto that whiche is anothers, but he of whom I spake last, trusteth vnto his owne: to builde vppon ano∣ther mans grounde is a losse, but to builde vppon his owne is a vantage.

I am very poore.

If thou obey necessities, thou canst neuer be poore: but if thou be subiect to lustes, thou shalt neuer be riche.

Hytherto I haue ben poore, yea I am a very begger.

Mens fortune Page  178and state dooth not continue: for as from great riches vnto ex∣treame pouertie, so from extreame pouertie vnto great ryches, there is often exchange. I suppose thou hast read in Quintus Curtius the Historian, how one, called Abdolominus, at the commaundement or rather permission of Kyng Alexander, from a poore gardyner was aduaunced vnto the kingdome of Si∣don, and by contemning the kingdome, is reputed greater then the kyngdome. Truely, whiche thou canst not choose but haue read, Romulus, from a shepheards cottage becomming the foun∣der of so great a citie, was the first that tooke vppon hym the Romane Crowne, and the sixt Kyng ascended vnto the Kingly dignitie, from a very base, and as some haue thought, from a ser∣uyle degree: neither more wealthie was the rising of Alexan∣der sonne to King Priamus, nor of Cyrus the most famous of al the Persian Kinges, neyther were their beginnings much other then was that of Romulus. Gaius Marius, who had ben, and shoulde haue been often Consull of Rome, before he atteyned vnto any of these degrees of honour, being an hyrelyng plough∣man, spent the first yeeres of his lyfe in the fieldes, and at length after so many victories and triumphes, and betweene those seuen times that he was Con•ul, besides his hydyng of him selfe in the Fennes, and his imprisonment, he begged also a litle peece of bread. Iulius Caesar, that shoulde afterwarde be Lorde of all the worlde, and by his Testament dispose it vnto his heyres that shoulde be Lordes of al the worlde after hym, was poore when he was a young man. Thou hauyng the company and felowship of suche woorthie men, canst thou not eyther hope for ryches, or contemne them?

I am waxen poorer then I was.

It is well: thou shalt also be more hum∣ble, light, and at libertie, then thou wast. They that goe on a daungerous iourney, loue to goe lyght. Thou shalt want thine accustomed ryches, and thy Myse, and thy Theeues, and thy stubberne Seruauntes, and all other thynges that folowe wealth, feygned friendes, folowyng and catchyng Parasites, and all the whole housholde flocke of those that wyll laugh with thee to thy face, but wyll mocke and byte thee behynde thy backe. To be short, yf thou compare thy lost ryches with Page  [unnumbered]the troubles that thou hast lost also with them, thou wylt call it agayne. Surely to speake nothyng of securitie, humilitie, sobrie∣tie, quietnesse, modestie, whiche are the companions of pouertie, yf she brought none other commoditie with her, then that she de∣liuereth a man from the troupes of deceiptful flatterers, and from the tyrranny of proude seruantes, there were cause sufficient not only to suffer her, but also to wyshe for her, yea, to seeke after po∣uertie. But let this suffise thee: for thou complaynest more then neede is, whereat I woulde woonder in thee, vnlesse I had obser∣ued it of long tyme in all men, that there is nothyng whereof they doo more grieuously, and more often complayne: so that there is nothyng among men better, nothyng more hatefull then pouer∣tie.

I am poorer in lyfe.

Thou shalt be gladder in death. There was neuer any man liuyng so poore, but when he was dying, coulde haue been contented to haue liued poorer.