The treasure of tranquillity. Or A manuall of morall discourses tending to the tranquillity of minde. Translated out of French by I.M. Master of Arts.

which sustaine such a ranke and dignity, that they cannot conue∣niently debase themselues, ex∣cept they either fall from their place, or at least, not cary them∣selues in the same as they ought. And such men must imploy their prudence and wisedome in tem∣pering their grauity, so that men may bee brought to impute it to their charge and calling, & not to the naturall disposition of their minde, and therefore it is good that they excuse thēselues towards their friends, and such folkes as bee of a meaner ranke, whom they haue knowne fami∣liarly before, that they haue not the leasure to entertaine them, & to make much of them, by bea∣ring thē company, as otherwise they would very willingly doe: Yet so, that they vse in the meane time, all the facilitie and

affability their condition & cal∣ling can suffer them to vse; not bewraying or shewing any stor∣my, or angry moode, by their visage or words, if a man chance to come to them at an vnset houre, or yet speake to thē som∣what more importunatly, or vn∣discreetly then reason would require. For it is a like vice for a man not to know how to carry himselfe in his prosperity, and not to bee able to comport with aduersitie: we ought there∣fore to obserue an equalitie in our whole life, and to shewe alwaies (if it be possible) In all the changes and chances thereof one and the same countenance, full of courtesie, mildnesse, and gentle in behauour. Alexander the great did farre outrunne his father Phillip King of Macedon, by his high and excellent

feates of warre: but his father did farre surmount him in hu∣manity and gentlenesse of mind. The Father was alwaies vertu∣ous and welbeloued, but the sonne was oftentimes vitious & hated: In such sort that there counsell is questionlesse whole∣some and sound, which tell vs that the higher and loftier men are, the humbler and lowlier ought they to be.

Scipio Africanus was wont to say, that euen as men are accusto∣med to put wilde and vntamed horses into the hands of Equi∣riers and Riders, that beeing daunted and tamed they may serue them in their turnes. So likewise is it needfull to tame proud and insolent persons, that haue growne wild through the aboundance of fortunes fauour, and to bring them againe within

the round and compasse of rea∣son, by setting before their eye the wretchednesse and weakenes of humane matters, and the mu∣tability and instability of for∣tune. And for this end we ought in our greatest prosperity to vse the aduise and counsell of our friends, yea, then we should giue them more authority and power ouer vs then at any other time to the end they may be the more bold towards vs in telling vs the truth. We must also stoppe our eares to flatterers, which may very easily beguile vs: For at all times men do deeme & esteeme themselues, to be such, as ought to bee praised and raised to the skies, but most of all in time of prosperity: In the which it is a thing very rare and difficult to find a man who doth not incline to attribute vnto himselfe the

cause of his owne good happe. Neither is there any other season in the which men more easily forget God, then that when as they enioy health and wealth, dgnity and felicity according to their wish. In manner that mishap whensoeuer it doth hap∣pen them, doth serue them for a medicine, because it bringeth them home againe vnto the knowledge of themselues.

This opinion of selfe-conceit for a man to thinke too much of himselfe, and to giue credite lightly vnto the fawning lyes of flatterers, maketh men to stumble, yea to fall into many grosse faultes, yea giueth occasi∣on of mocking and scoffing them bitterly, and out of all peraduenture it is a great ouer∣sight, yea a fond folly for a man to relye more vpon anothers

iudgement concerning himselfe, then vpon his owne.

This Phillip (of whom wee spake before) seeing himselfe ve∣ry mighty and victorious, and considering with himselfe, as a wise and moderate man ought to doe, how that humane things do not alwaies abide in the same stay, appointed that one of his pages should haue no other thing else to do euery day, but only each morning to salute him with these words. Phillip, re∣member that thou art a mortall man. But how much more may the wise and wel-disposed Chri∣stian say euery day to himselfe; Remember that thou art earth, and to earth thou must returne.