Linceus spectacles. Written by Lodowicke Lloid Esquire

The plowmans glasse.

THe greatest commanders & Gouernours appointed of God to Iudge Israel as kings, Iudges, Priests and Prophets, were such poore men as Moi∣ses, Saule, Dauid and the like, who were heardmen & shep∣herds.

In such poore men, God was euer pleased, euen from Noah, of whome God said, te iustum vidi,* 1.1 A∣braham a poore man the Sonne of an Image ma∣ker, amongst the Chaldeans, whom God so blessed,* 1.2 and in whose saith and seede, all the elect of God are blessed.

Iacob the Patriarch, went so poore a man ouer Iordan to Mesopotamia, but with pera & baculo,* 1.3 a staffe in his hand, and a wallet on his back.

These and such like became so great in Gods fa∣uour, that sometimes with such victories, and som∣times with such miracles, that all the Kings of the Earth trembled at the names of these heardmen & shepheards, while they cryed to God, and called on God for helpe, their glasse flourished and conti∣nued.

In all Countries, poore and verteous men, were the first founders, and the glory of their countries, as it should seeme both in Athens by the building of their famous Court Ariopagus,* 1.4 couered with straw, at the first, et per humilia tecta Capitolij, et ca∣sem Romuli, and by the simple building of Romulus house the capitoll, and by such other poore buil∣dings, that from the plough, poore husbandmen,* 1.5 as Cincinnatus was forced frō the plough to be Cō¦sul in Rome, and as the history saith, cur cesso nomi∣nare bubulcos, called to be Magistrates and officers in Rome, and from the name of the poorest men, the greatest families in Rome descended as Publi∣colae, fabricij, Scipiones, Emilij, Curij, and other such,* 1.6

quibus paria robora virtus aluit.

Then poore men were cried for, and meanes made to find out such poore wise men, as were sit to rule and to gouerne, Tunc fuit laudata paupertas, when they made two Temples in Rome,* 1.7 the one named Templum paupertatis, the other called Tem∣plum pietatis.

Then the Emperours of Rome had the Image of Fortune in their Galleries, of glasse, but it was made of such brittle glasse, that still it was bro∣ken.

When Iulius Caesar and Mar.* 1.8 Crassus were both at one time Censors in Rome, sweete Oyle and strange and forraine Oyntment were by lawe for∣bidden in Rome to be sold, the example thereof came frō the Lacedemonians, who banished such daintinesse from Sparta.

Then Epaminondas flourished in Thebes,* 1.9 more by his pouertie then by his wealth: then Aristides might brag in Athens more of his iustice, then of his money: it so proued true, that at their deaths they were not able to marrie their daughters:* 1.10 then Fpaminondas said, Nunc vester Epaminondas nascitur quia sic moritur.

That noble poore man Lamachus being elected to be chiefe Gouernor of Athens,* 1.11 was forced to borrow money of his friendes to buy him such a cloake as was fit for such a place.

It should seeme that pouertie was much accep∣ted in those dayes, both in Rome and in Greece,

when Themistocles wanting money to performe some seruice to the Athenians,* 1.12 tooke two poore Gods with him out of Athens, the God of neces∣sitie and the God of Counsell, and went to the Isle of Andria, either to begge or to borrow some money for those two poore Gods sake, as the Iesu∣its and Seminaries did sometime in England:* 1.13 But the Magistrates of Andria answered Themistocles, that they had also the like two Gods in their owne Countrey, the God of pouertie, and the God of Impossibilitie, that did commaund them to the contrary.

But within a while after,* 1.14 poore men were cast off, and reiected both in Rome, in Athens, and in all Greece, when 30000. Archers came with Age∣silaus from Persia to Greece,* 1.15 when the wealth of Asia was brought by Scipio to Rome, thē the Owle in Athens, the Snaile in Sparta, and the Oxe in Rome were turned into Elephants of India.

Then Templum paupertatis & Templum pietatis were remoued from Rome, Tanquam noxia numina, and in their places were builded two rich & state∣ly Temples, Templum honoris, & Templum fortunae:* 1.16 then began to rule in Rome the like 3. monsters that ruled in Athens, which was Populus, Noctua, & Draco, and so in Rome, Forum, Senatus, & Popu∣lus then was nothing but Armes and armed men in Rome.

Then Lu. Equitius fained himselfe to be the sonne of Tib. Gracchus,* 1.17 requested of the people to be Tri∣bunus

plebis: for which sedition, though C. Marius in his sixt Consulship committed him to prison,* 1.18 and Metellus then Censor told the people, that Tib. Gracchus had but three sonnes, the one in Sardinia a souldior in pay, the other a young youth, then brought vp in Praeneste, and the third dyed in Rome.

Yet the people brake the prison,* 1.19 furiously rushed in, and tooke Equitium vpon their shoulders, and threatened the Censor Metellus to death, & made Marius the Consull to be quiet for that time.

M. Drusus in the like rage dealt with L. Philippus then Confull in Rome, Drusus being but Tribune of the people,* 1.20 Tribunus Plebis, drewe him violently into prison, and being sent for by the Senatours, to come before them into the Senate, answered, the Senatours should rather come before mee in my Courts in Hostilia, and Rostro, so Drusus esteemed not the state of the Senate, and the Senators obei∣ed the words of Drusus: Tribunus despexit Senatum, Senatus paruit Tribuno: Nihil tam inaequale quam ae∣qualitas: for as wealth and pouertie are two con∣traries, yet are they two necessaries: for the one is so made for the other, that one cannot be without another.* 1.21 Pauperis est errare, diuitis est erogare, Dei est vtros{que} pensare.

What equality was then in Antigonidas a poore Musician, to say, Cane mihi & Musis, as well as The∣mistocles, Cane mihi & Marti. Many thinke too well of themselues, that their glasse cannot lōg endure.

As Alcestides a Tragicall Poet taunted Euripides, for that he was three dayes in making three ver∣ses,* 1.22 sithence my selfe (said Alcestides) haue made three hundred Verses in three dayes, Euripides an∣swered him, and said, Tui tantum in triduum sunt mei autem in omne tempus, Thy three hundred Verses are but for three dayes, mine are for all times.

Like the Foxe that obiected to the Lion,* 1.23 that he brought but one whelpe at once, and I bring many: yea, said the Lionesse, but that one shall be a Lion which I beare.

But it is otherwise with all men, Nunc cygnus qui modo coruus erat.

But to returne againe to the poore mans glasse,* 1.24 which excuse themselues, saying, Necessitie hath no law, sometime truly spoken: but what necessi∣tie had the poore souldiors at besieging of Nu∣mantia by Scipio,* 1.25 to fill their bosomes with dead mens flesh, to liue like beastes, when they might die like men, beeing by Scipio offered martiall pardon, like the Iamnites, who were found with their Idols and Images in their bosomes, after they were slaine.

Or at the siege of the Caliguritans by Pompey the great in Spaine,* 1.26 after all their beasts and hor∣ses were slaine to satisfie hunger, after to kill their wiues and children being aliue, to shew their loue and fidelitie to Sertorius their Generall beeing dead. These made more of their glasses, thē of their

wiues, or of their children.

Rich men are alwaies in necessitie,* 1.27 & haue great need of money, for they want what they haue, yet not ynough, though they haue too much, althogh they haue more then doth them good, vnlesse they make such friends of wicked Mammon, as Daniel counselled Nabuchadnezzar to giue almes, and to feed poore mens cries, or as Zacheus said to Christ, Halfe my wealth and substance I giue to the poor, but some of them will receiue with two handes, but haue not one to giue,* 1.28 like the Priestes of Moloch, called Chemarims, euer reaching hands to take.

Septimelius,* 1.29 a couetous Romane, slew his fami∣liar friend Caius Gracchus, and carried his head through Rome on a poule to Opimius the Confull, who promised any man that would bring him Crassus head,* 1.30 the weight of Crassus head in golde, Septimelius therefore melted Lead into Gracchus head, to make it the more heauie, to get the more gold thereby.

So Cyrus head, & so Crassus head, the one drownd in blood, and the other fild with melted gold.

Amongst these couetous Captaines Ptolome go∣uernor of Cypres,* 1.31 most ranck with thē in the first front, who perceiuing his ship to be full fraugh∣ted with gold and siluer, and his soldiers in great danger to perish,* 1.32 made meanes to get his gold and siluer to Cypres, and after caused the ship and all the soldiers to be sunck, to defraude them of their

pay and booties, of such doth Iob say,* 1.33 diuitias quas deuorarunt euomuerint.

But these greedy Captaines will answere as Di∣onisius the Tyrant of Syracusa, who beeing accused of a Philosopher, that he spoyled and robbed, not onely men, but also committed sacriledge against the Gods, said merrily,* 1.34 I tooke Aesculapius Gol∣den beard, because his father Apollo had none, I tooke Iupiters golden cloake, because it was too cold in winter, and put a cloth cloake on Iupiter to keepe him warme.

And as for golden crownes and golden basons,* 1.35 which the Gods seemed with reaching forth their hands saying, Accepi non Auferrebam.

So many like Dyonisius, will take poore mens houses ouer their heads, and their lands, & some∣times their liues to get their lands, and will answer scoffingly as Dyonisius did, so that the poore haue euery where cause to crie on such as Dyonisius was.

Many like Achab that so sought the poore Pro∣phet Elias,* 1.36 that Elias was weary of his life for feare of Iezabel, and yet Elias could command fire and water from Heauen, the one to burne Achabs soldi∣ers, the other to wet the earth with raine,* 1.37 which had beene long dry and barren for want of rayne.

In the old Testament, the most part of the Pa∣triarks were poore heardmen and shepbeards: In the new Testament, the most part of the Apostles were poore fisher men, whose cryes was alwaies

hard, and whose request was graunted to do won∣ders and miracles. Tunc illa viguit pia paupertas.

And so the first poore men in Rome were sent for,* 1.38 some from plowing, some from sowing, and some from such like husbādries, that At. Regulus was sent to the first African war in Carthage, Q. Cincinnatus sent for to be Conful in Rome,* 1.39 & M. Scaurus to be a Dictator of all the Romane Armies, so that these poore men, qui vastissimas glebas cum sudore pessun∣dabant, that from their goades, their yoakes, and their oxen became to be generalls, Consuls, and Dictaters in Rome. tunc fuit illalaeta paupertas.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 7.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 12.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 28.
• * 1.4

  Val. Max. lib. 4. cap. 4.
• * 1.5

  Plowmen.
• * 1.6

  Alex. ab Alex. lib. 3. cap. 1••.
• * 1.7

  Temples for pouertie made.
• * 1.8

  Iu. Caesar.
• * 1.9

  Plut. in Aristid.
• * 1.10

  Prob. in vita.
• * 1.11

  Lamachus.
• * 1.12

  Plu. in Themist.
• * 1.13

  Begging Gods.
• * 1.14

  Pouertie.
• * 1.15

  Plut. in Agesil.
• * 1.16

  Alex. ab Alex. lib. 3. cap. 11.
• * 1.17

  Oros. 5. cap. 17.
• * 1.18

  Appian. Ciui. 1.
• * 1.19

  Marius and Metellus.
• * 1.20

  L. Flor. lib. 3. cap. 17.
• * 1.21

  Aug. de verb. diu serm. 25.
• * 1.22

  Valer. Max. lib. 3. cap. 7.
• * 1.23

  Gell. lib. 13. ca. 7
• * 1.24

  Flor. lib. 2. ca. 28
• * 1.25

  Iamnies.
• * 1.26

  Oros. 5. cap. 25.
• * 1.27

  Kich men are alwaies in ne∣cessitie.
• * 1.28

  Moloches Che¦marius.
• * 1.29

  Cie. de Orat.
• * 1.30

  Septime lius promise.
• * 1.31

  Valer. Max. lib. 9. cap. 5.
• * 1.32

  A most wicked man.
• * 1.33

  Iob 20.
• * 1.34

  Cic. de na••. d••or. lib. 3.
• * 1.35

  Elian de va. Hist. lib. 1.
• * 1.36

  3. Reg. 19.
• * 1.37

  4. Reg. cap. 2.
• * 1.38

  Plin. 18. cap. 3. Cic. pro. Ross.
• * 1.39

  Liui. 3.