Ptōchomuseion [sic]. = The poore mans librarie Rapsodiæ G.A. Bishop of Exceter vpon the first epistle of saint Peter, red publiquely in the cathedrall church of saint Paule, within the citye of London. 1560. Here are adioyned at the end of euery special treatie, certaine fruitful annotacions which may properly be called miscellanea, bicause they do entreate of diuerse and sundry matters, marked with the nombre and figures of Augrime. 2.

Aristoteles. 21.

ARistotle the prince and monarch of all the Philosophers, was very famous in his time, who had to his maisters & teachers Socrates, and Plato, as witnesseth S. Austen in his booke De ciuitate dei, saying. Aristotle was the disciple of Plato, being a mā of excellēt wit, not only equal to Plato in eloquēce, but otherwise far exceding him: whē he had instituted the sect of Peripatetikes, his maister being yet aliue, he gathered many schollers to be of his sect. Amōg whom for his renowne he had Alexander Thēperour also to his scholler, and li∣ued .23. yeares after the death of Plato, somtime teaching Alexander and

somtime composing and making bookes, and other whiles applyeng doc∣trine. In his seal (as it is sayd) he caused this to be engraued. Sapiētior est qui quod nouitabscondit, quam qui propalat quod nescit. He is more wise which doth hide that which he knoweth, then that man whiche vt∣tereth y^e thing which he knoweth not. Aristotle was very eloquēt in vtte∣raunce & (as Saint Hierome saith to Eustochius) he was (without que∣stion) a great and maruelous miracle in nature. At the length when he had taught very excellently in Licium many yeares, and was accused through enuie that he did not iudge right of the gods, fearinge least he should be adiudged to death (as Socrates was) forsakyng to purge him self, wēt into Calcis, wher he was of very good liuelines of wit while he li¦ued, & did lyue .62. yeres & dyed ther (as Leonardus Aretinus, fully de¦clareth in his life.) He treated of all the partes of Philosophie, and gaue preceptes to euery part. He was called Philosophus the Philosopher, by the figure Antonomasia. Laertius witnesseth that there were .viij. Ari∣stotles. The first was this before rehearsed. The second ruled the common wealth at Athenes, whose very elegant orations are extāt. The .iij. wrote vpon the Iliades of Homere. The .iiij. was the oratour of Sicilie. The fift was called Mintheus the familiar frende of Eschines. The .vi. was of Si∣ren, which wrote Poetrie. The .vii. was a scholemaister, of whom Aristo∣xenus made ment you in the lyfe of Plato. The eyght was an obscure and base Grāmarian. And it is said, that Aristotle y^e Philosopher wrote many workes, who surely (if he were aliue again) he would deny many of them to be his, whiche we now attribute vnto him. And he was in better case then other were, whose workes were vtterly abolished, and he hym selfe was the cause why many of his workes were lost, bycause he tooke vnto him other mens glory and praise.

Plutarch writeth, that some report, that Aristotle was the author of Alexāder the Emperours death, for that he gaue counsell to Antipater, and brought poison for to poison Alexāder. Plutarch also writeth, that there was a suspitiō of poisonning Aristotle, but some did write, that he drancke a very exceding venimous herbe called Aconitum, and so peri∣shed, but that is false (sayth Plutarch) for what nede he to fly from A∣thenes, if he would haue wyllyngly put hym selfe to death. Agayn, the order of his testament which he made in Euboea, is very much discrepant from a voluntarie death. For it began thus: Erunt omnia recte. Si tamen quid contingat, Aristoteles Testamentum suum in hunc modum fecit. All things shalbe well: yet notwithstanding if any thing happeneth, Ari∣stotle made his testament after this maner: who doth not perceiue, that the very beginning of the Testament doth not sauour of a man despe∣rate, but rather of one desiring life? for he sayth, all things shalbe well, if lyfe do remayne.

His sect was called Peripateticorum secta, bycause he taught Ambu∣lando, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, betokeneth to walke.

Plato was wont to name Aristotle a mule, bycause a mule, when she hath filled her selfe with her mothers milke, she will beate her damme with her heles. Plato signified by this the ingratitude of Aristotle, for when he had receyued of Plato the principles of Philosophie, and the en∣creace of knowledge therin, he became enemie to y^e schole of Plato, and w^t his familiars and scholers did alwayes contende and striue against Plato.