would (if they sat near him) bid them know their distance: upon which secretary Windwood rose, went away, and would never sit more; but dispatched one to the King, to desire him to make haste back, for his seat was already usurped. If Buckingham had sent him any letter, he would not vouchsafe the opening, or reading it in public, though it was said it required speedy dispatch, nor would vouchsafe him any answer. In this posture he lived until he heard the King was returning, and began to believe the play was almost at an end, and therefore did re-invest himself with his old rags of baseness, which were so tattered and poor, at the King's coming to Windsor, that he attended two day's at Buckingham's chamber, being not admitted to any other better place than the room where trencher-scrapers and lacqueys attended, there sitting upon an old wooden chest, with his purse and seal lying by him on that chest. After two days he had admittance, and at his first entrance he fell down flat on his face at the Duke's foot, kissing it, and vowing never to rise till he had his pardon: then was he again reconciled; and since that time so great a slave to the Duke, and all that family, that he durst not deny the command of the meanest of the kindred, nor oppose any thing.

3. Tigranes, King of Armenia, when Lucullus came against him, had in his army twenty thousand bow-men and slingers, fifty-five thousand horsemen, whereof seventeen thousand were men at arms, armed cap-a-pee, and one hundred and fifty thousand armed footmen; of pioneers, carpenters, &c. thirty-five thousand, that marched in the rear. He was so puffed up with the sight of this huge army, that he vaunted, amongst his familiars, that nothing grieved him but that he should fight with Lucullus alone, and not with the whole force of the Romans: He had divers Kings who attended upon his greatness, whom he used in a proud and insolent manner: and when he saw the forces of Lucullus upon the march towards him, he said, "If these men

come as ambassadors, they are very many; if as enemies, they are very few." Yet this man, who bore himself so high in time of his prosperity; when he saw his horsemen give way, was himself one of the first that fled out of the field, casting away the very diadem from his head into the plain field, lest any thing about him might retard the swiftness of his flight, deploring with tears his own fate, and that of his sons; and after all this, in great humility he laid down his crown at the foot of Pompey, thereby resigning his kingdom to his pleasure.

4. Perseus, the last King of the Macedonians, as he had many vices, and was above measure covetous, so he was also so puffed up with the pride of the forces of his kingdom, that he carried himself with insolence divers ways: he seemed to contemn all the power of the Romans: he stirred up Gentius, King of the Illyrians, against them, for the reward of three hundred talents; then provoked him to kill the Roman Ambassador; and at last when he saw he had far enough engaged him, refused to pay him the money. This mau was at last overcome by, and fell into the hands of Paulus

mylius; and then he discovered as much baseness in his adversity, as he had done arrogance in his prosperity. For when he came near the Consul, the Consul rose to him as to a great person, who was fallen into adversity by the frowns of fortune, and went to meet him with his friends, and with tears in his eyes. Then it was that Perseus, in an abject posture, cast himself at the feet of the Consul, embraced his knees, and spake words, and made prayers, so far from a man of any spirit, that the Consul could no lon ger endure them; but looking upon him with a stern and severe countenance, he told him, "He was an unworthy enemy of the Romans, and one that by the meanness of his spirit had cast a disho nour upon his victory."

5. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who, from a butcher's son, arrived at the highest honours in the church and state, when he went his last embassy

into

winds, to spit targets, sweat quicksilver, &c.

1. When Mendoza was Ambassador in France, he would often break out into this prophane ostentation: "God's power is in Heaven, and King Philip's on earth: he can command both sea and laud, with all the elements to serve him :" yet that invincible monarch was overcome at last by a regiment of poor contemptible vermin, and, Herod-like, went out of the world by the pediculary disease.

2. When Alcibiades (then but young) was boasting of his riches and lands, Socrates took him into a room, and shewed him the map of the world; "Now," said he, "where is the country of Attica?" When Alcibiades had pointed to it, "Lay me then," said he, " your finger upon your own lands there." When the other told him they were not there described: "And what," said Socrates, "do you boast yourself of that which is no part of the earth?" He that hath most hath nothing to boast of; and great boasts (for the most part) as they betray great folly, so they end in as great derision.

3. Oromazes had an enchanted egg, in which this impostor boasted that he had enclosed all the happiness in the world; but when it was broken; there was found nothing in it but wind.

4. Mr. John Carter, vicar of Bramford in Suffolk, an excellent scholar, and a modest person, being at dinner at Ipswich in one of the magistrate's houses, where divers other ministers were also at the table, one amongst the rest (who was old enough, and had learned enough to have taught him more humility), was very full of talk, bragged much of his parts and skill, &c. and made a challenge, aving, "Here are many learned men: if any of you will propose any question in divinity or philosophy, I will dispute with him, resolve his doubts, and satisfy him fully." All at the table (excepting himself) were silent for a while: then Mr. Carter, when he saw that no other would speak to him, calling him by his

name, "I will,” said he, go no further than my trencher to puzzle you: here is a sole; now tell me the reason why this fish that hath always lived in salt water, should come out fresh?" To this the forward gentleman could say nothing, and so was laughed at, and shamed out of his vanity.

5. Ptolemæus Philadelphus was a wise Prince, and learned amongst the best of the Egyptians; but was so infatuated as to boast that he alone had found out immortality, and that he should never die. Not long after, being newly recovered of a sharp fit of the gout, and looking out of his window upon the Egyptians that dined and sported on the banks of the river Nile, with a deep sigh he wished he was one of them.

6. Eunominus the heretick, boasted, that he knew the nature of God: at which time, notwithstanding, St. Basil puzzled him in twenty-one questions about the body of an ant.

7. Paracelsus boasted that he could make a man immortal, and yet himself died at forty-s of y-seven years age.

8. Pompey the Great (at such time as the news of Cæsar's passing the Rubicon came to Rome) boasted that if he should but once stamp with his foot upon the earth of Italy, forthwith armed troops of horse and foot would leap out thence: yet was he put to a shameful flight by that enemy he so much despised.

9. Sigismund, King of Hungary, beholding the greatness of his army which he led against Bajazet the First, hearing of the coming of the Turks army, in his great jollity proudly said, "What need we fear the Turks, who need not fear the falling of the heavens, which if they should fall, yet were we able to hold them up from falling upon us with the very points of our spears and halberds:" yet this insolent man was vanquished, and forced to fly like another Xerxes, being driven to pass the Danube in a little boat this was at the battle of Nicopolis, anno 1396.

10. Abel, by bribes bestowed in the

Court

Court of Rome, from the Archdean of St. Andrews got himself to be preferred Bishop there, and was consecrated by Pope Innocent the Fourth: at his return he carried himself with great insolence. They write of him, that in a vain-glorious humour one day, he did with a little chalk draw this line upon the gate of the church:

Hæc mihi sunt tria, Lex, Canon, Philosophia:

Bragging of his knowledge and skill in those professions: and that going to church the next day, he found another line drawn beneath the former, which said:

Te levant absque tria, Fraus, Favor, Vanasophia.

This did so gall him, that taking his bed, he died within a few days, having sat Bishop only ten months and two days: this was about anno 1238.

CHAP. XLI.

Of the Rashness and Temerity of some

Persons.

SUCH men as expose themselves to great perils upon light causes, were compared by Augustus to them who fish with a golden hook, where all their gains would not recompense their one loss. An headstrong and immoderate precipitancy in affairs of importance is the mother of all mischief: and when men rush upon the thing without taking any due prospect of what is like to be the event, little is to be expected from such hastiness, besides an unprofitable repentance after irreparable losses.

1. Bishop Audas, an ardent man, and unable to adapt his zeal to the occasion of the times, would needs countenance the humour of the blind multitude, and went out in the midst of the day to de

stroy the Pyreum, which was a temple wherein the Persians kept fire to adore it. A great sedition was raised, which soon came to the notice of King Ildegerdes. Audas was sent for to give an account of this act he defended himself with much courage and little success for the Christians benefit. The King condemned him, upon pain of death, to rebuild the temple he had demolished; which he refusing to do, he was presently sacrificed to the fury of the Pagans: a violent persecution followed, which almost proceeded to the subversion of the foundations of the Christian religion in Persia. Men were every where seen to be flayed and roasted, and pierced with swords and arrows, thereby becoming spestacles of pity and terror to all that beheld them.

2. The Emperor Theodosius, the Younger, used to sign petitions very rashly, without so much as reading of them, reposing his confidence in the recommendation and supposed fidelity of others. His sister Pulcheria perceiving it, found out this honest fraud to amend it. She framed a petition, and tendered it to him, wherein she desired that his Empress Eudoxia should be given to her as her slave: he receives the petition, and forthwith subscribes it. She therefore kept Eudoxia with her for some time: the Emperor wondered at it, and sent for his wife: his sister refused to send her, and returned, that she was her's by all the right in the world. She produced her petition with the Emperor's hand to it, at the sight of which he was confounded: she was restored back to him, and it is probable he afterwards learned to read before he signed petitions.

3. Hannibal sailing from Petilia to Africa, was brought into the narrow sea betwixt Sicily and Italy: he, not believing there was so small distance betwixt those two, caused his pilot to be forthwith slain, as one who had treacherously misled him in his course. Afterwards, having more deligently considered the truth of the matter, he then acquitted him, when nothing further than the hos

p. 44.

nour

Bour of a sepulchre could be allowed to his innocence.

4. Lewis of Bavaria, the Emperor, had made a league, and joined his forces with the cities near the Rhine, against those who, in the dissension of the Princes, wasted Germany. While he was here, the Empress, Mary of Brabant,

and tempestuousness of the sea. Thus they punished necessity when they should have honoured virtue.

CHAP. XLII.

with one seal, but yet with different wax: that with the black wax was for the Emperor, her lord; that with the red for Henry Ruchon, a commander in the army. But, through the mistake of him that brought them, that with the red wax was delivered to the Emperor, who having read it, suspecting some love design (though without occasion), dissembled the thing; and leaving the army at the Rhine, by as great journeys as he could, night and day he hastened to his wife, whom (unheard) he condemned for adultery, and caused her to lose her head: he stabbed Helica with a penknife, supposing her confederate with his wife; and caused the chief of the ladies of honour to be cast headlong from a tower, anno 1256. Soon after this unadvised cruelty he had a fearful vision in the night, through the fear of which he was turned all gray in a night's space.

5. Otho, the Emperor, when Vitellius came against him, was advised by all his friends to protract the fight, and to delay awhile, seeing that the enemy was equally pressed and cumbered with want of provisions, and the straitness of the places through which they marched. Otho, refusing to listen to this wholesome advice, with an inconsiderate rashness, put all upon the trial of a battle; and so losing at once both his army and empire, he laid violent hands upon himself, and was buried at Brixellum without funeral pomp, or so much as a monument over him.

6. The Athenians were rash even to madness itself, who at one time condemned to death ten of their chief commanders, returning from a glorious victory, for that they had not interred the dead bodies of their soldiers, which they were hindered from doing by the rage

their happiest Fortunes.

Ir is a fiction of the poets concerning Phaeton, that notwithstanding he was mounted up into Heaven, yet even there he wept, that none would give him the rule and government of those horses that. drew the chariot of the Sun his father. There is nothing more in it than this, to let us know that the heart of man widens according to the measure we endeavour to fill it; and that very rarely there is a fortune so considerable in the world, but is attended with some defect or other, as makes us either wish beyond it, or to be sick and weary of it.

1. Abner, an eastern King, as soon as his son was born, gave orders for his confinement to a stately and spacious castle, where he should be delicately brought up, and carefully kept from having any knowledge of human calamities. He gave special command that no distressed person should be admitted into his presence; nothing sad, nothing lamentable, nothing unfortunate, no poor man, no old man, none weeping or dis consolate was to come near his palace. Youthfulness, pleasures, and joy were always in his presence: nothing else was to be seen, nothing else was to be discoursed of in his company. But, alas! in process of time, the prince became sad in the very midst of his joys; being incumbered with pleasures he requested his father to loose the bonds of his miserable felicity this request of the son crossed the intentions of the father, who was forced to give over his device to keep him from sadness, lest by continuing it, he should make him sad. He gave him his liberty, but charged his attendants to remove out of his way all objects of sorrow; the blind, the maim

ed,