Henry the Fourth, in the quarrel of the pope, rose against his own father; but when (his father being dead) he himself was emperor, he then maintained the same quarrel about investiture of bishops against the pope, which his father before did.

. CHAP. XLVIII.

commanded the body to be opened, and his heart being broached upon the arrow, this monstrous Tyrant, greatly rejoicing, shewed it to the father, with this saying instead of an epitaph: "Now, Prexaspes, you may resolve yourself that I have not lost my wits with wine, but the Persians theirs, who make such report."

2. Yu, king of China, had a Colao, who at the royal audience, would not fail to tell him freely of his faults: one day

told of their Faults. ·

DISEASES are sometimes more happily cured by medicines made up with bitter ingredients, than they are with such sweet potions as are more delightful to the palate; but there are a sort of patients so wilful that they can be wrought upon by no persuasions to take them down. Á just and home reproof, (though not very tasteful) where it is well digested, is of excellent use to remove some maladies from the mind; the worst of it is, that there are but few to be found (especially amongst the great ones) who can endure to be administered to in this kind.

1. Cambyses, King of Persia, on a time desired to be truly informed by Prexaspes, his beloved favourite, what the Persians thought of him: who answered, "That his virtues were followed with abundant praise from all men: only it was by many observed, that he took more than usual delight in the taste of wine." Inflamed with this taxation, he made this reply, "And are the Persians doubletongued, who also tell me that I have in all things excelled my father Cyrus? Thou Prexaspes shalt then witness, whether in this report they have done me right; for if at the first shot I pierce thy son's heart with an arrow, then it is false that hath been spoken, but if I miss the mark, I am then pleased that the same be counted true, and my subjects believed:" he immediately directed an arrow towards the innocent child, who falling down dead at the stroke, Cambyses

(9.) Guil. Mal. p. 64.

that the excess was on the Coloa's part, the audience being ended, the King returned into the palace very much offended, saying, "He would cut off the head of that impertinent fellow." The Queen asked him the cause of his displeasure; the King answered, "There is an unmannerly clown that never ceaseth to tell me of my faults, and I am resolved to send one to take off his head." The Queen took no notice of it, but retired to her apartment, and put on a particular garment, proper only for festivals and visits, and in this habit she came to the King; who wondering at it, asked her the cause of this novelty? she answered, "Sir, I am come to wish your majesty much joy:" "Of what," replied the King? "That you have a subject," said she, "that feareth not to tell of you your faults to your face; seeing that a subject's confidence in speaking so boldly, must needs be founded upon the opinion he hath of the virtue and goodness of his prince's mind, who can endure to hear him."

3. Aratus, the Sycionian, who by his valour freed and restored his country to its liberty, was taken away from this life by king Philip with a deadly poison; and for this only cause, "That he had with too great a freedom reprehended the king for his faults.

4. Anno 1358, John, king of Spain, was extremely in love with a young woman his concubine, and it was to that degree, that for her sake he committed things unworthy of a king: killed some

princes

princes of his own blood with his own hands; and at last he was so besotted with the love of this woman, that he would have all the cities subject to the crown to swear fealty unto her, and to do her homage. The gentlemen of Seville did much marvel at this commandment, so that having consulted together, they appointed twelve gentlemen to go as their ambassadors to the king; and gave them in charge modestly to reprehend the king, to reprove him of those things which he did, and to try by all submission and humi lity, to withdraw him from that humour of having honour done to his minion: saying, "They were bound by oath to his queen, and could not transfer their fealty to another till they were absolved." The ambassadors of Seville went, and modestly shewed the king his imperfection: the king gave ear, and for answer (taking his beard in his hand) he said, " By this beard I certify you that you have not well spoken," and so sent them away. Some few days after the king went to Seville, and remembering the reprehension which he received from the ambassadors, he caused them all to be massacred in one night in their own houses.

5. Vodine, bishop of London, feared not to tell king Vortigern, that for marrying a heathenish lady, Rowena, daughter to Hengist, he had thereby endangered both his soul and his crown. The king could not endure this liberty, but his words were so ill-digested by him, that they shortly cost the bishop his life.

6. Cambyses, king of Persia had slain twelve Persians of principle rank: when king Croesus thus admonished him: "Do not, O king," said he, "indulge thine age and anger in every thing; restrain yourself; it will be for your advantage to be prudent and provident, and foresight is the part of a wise man: but you put men to death upon slight occasions, your countrymen, and spare not so much as young children. If you shall persist to do often in this manner, consider if you shall not give occasion to the Persians to revolt from you. Your father, Cyrus, laid his strict commands upon me, that as

often as occasions should require, 1 should put you in mind of those things which might conduce to your profit and wel fare." Cambyses snatched up a bow, with intention to have shot Croesus through; but he ran hastily away. Cambyses thus prevented, commanded his ministers to put him to death: but they supposing the king would repent himself, and then they should be rewarded for his safety, kept him privately alive. It was not long ere Cambyses wanted the counsel of Cra sus: when his servants told him that he yet lived, Cambyses rejoiced hereat, but caused them to be put to death, who had disobeyed his commandment in preserving him whom he had condemned to death.

7. Sabinus Flavius being one of the conspirators against Nero, and asked by him, "Why he regarded the military oath so little as to conspire his death?" An swered him, that "he was faithful to him while he deserved to be loved, but he could not but hate him since he was his mother's, brother's, and wife's, murderer; a waggoner, a minstrel, a stage-player, and an incendiary, of the city:" than which speech, saith the history, nothing could have happened to Nero more vexatious: for though he was used to do wickedly, yet was he impatient, and could by no means endure to hear of the villanies he did.

8. Telemachus, a monk, when the people of Rome were attentively gazing upon the sword-plays, which at that time were exhibited, reproved them for so doing; whereupon the people were so moved and exasperated against him, that they stoned him to death upon the place. Upon this occasion the emperor Honorius, in whose reign this fell out, put down for ever all sword-playing in the the

atre.

9. Alexander the Great, writing to Philotas, one of his brave captains, and the son of the excellent Parmenio, sent him word in his letter, that "the oracle of Jupiter Ammon had acknowledged him to be his son:" Philotas wrote back, that "he was glad he was received

into

came home, and missing his daughters, looked up and down for them; at last, a little dog that he had came whining to him, and ran out of doors, as if it were inviting him to follow him: he did, and the dog brought him to the pit into which they were thrown. He drew out his daughters, and hearing by his neighbours that the two young Spartans had been again at his house, he concluded they were the murderers. Hereupon he went to Sparta, to complain to the magistrates of this barbarous cruelty. He first opened his cause to the Ephori, and then to the Kings; but to both in vain: he therefore complained to the people, but neither did he find any redress there: wherefore with hands lifted up to heaven, he complained to the gods, and then stabbed himself. Nor was it long before the Spartans were defeated in a great battle by the Thebans in that very Leuctra; and by the same deprived of the Empire of Greece, which they had many years possessed. It is said that the ghost of Scedasus appeared unto Pelopidas, one of the chief Captains amongst the Thebans, encouraging him to give them battle in those very plains of Leuc tra, where he and his daughters lay bu ried; telling him, that "their death should be there revenged.”

3. Pope Adrian the Sixth, having built a fair college at Lovian, caused this inscription to be written upon the gates of it, in letters of gold, Trajectum plantavit, Lovanium rigavit, Casar dedit in crementum (with an unworthy allusion to that of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians): " Utrecht planted me (there he was borg): Lovian watered me (there he was bred up in learning): and Cæsar gave increase (for the Emperor had preferred him)." One that had observed this inscription, and withal his ingratitude, to meet at once with that and his folly, wrote underneath, Hic Deus nihil fecit, "Here God did nothing."

4. When Tamerlane had overcome and taken prisoner Bajazet the great Turk, he asked him, "Whether he had ever

given God thanks for making him so great an Emperor?" Bajazet confessed,

That he had never so much as thought upon any such thing." To whom Tamerlane replied, "That it was no wonder so ungrateful a man should be made a spectacle of misery," " For," saith he, you being blind of one eye, and I lame of one leg, what worth was there in us, that God should set us over two such mighty empires, to command so many men far more worthy than ourselves?"

66

5. It is remarkable that is reported by Zonaras and Cedrenus of the emperor Basilius Macedo, who being hunting (as he much delighted in that exercise) a great stag turned furiously upon him, and fastened one of the branches of his horns into the emperor's girdle, and lifting him from his horse, bore him a distance off to the great danger of his life; which when a gentleman of the train espied, he drew his sword and cut the emperor's girdle, by which means he was preserved and had no hurt at all. But observe his reward: "The gentleman for this act was questioned, and adjudged to have his head struck off, because he presumed to expose his drawn sword so near the person of the emperor; and he suffered according to his sentence.

6. Cicero flying for his life was pursued by Herennius, and Popilius Lena: this latter, at the request of M. Cælius, he defended with equal care and eloquence, and from a hazardous and doubtful cause sent him home in safety. This Popilius afterwards (not provoked by Cicero in word or deed) of his own ac cord, asked Antonius to be sent after Cicero, then proscribed, to kill him. Having obtained licence for this detestable employment, with great joy he speeded to Cajeta, and there commands that person to stretch out his throat, who was (not to mention his dignity) the author of his safety, and deserved the most grate ful returns from him. Yet he did with great unconcernedness cut off the head of Roman eloquence, and the renowned right hand of peace. With that burden

he

he returned to the city, nor while he was so laden did it ever come into his thoughts, that he carried in his arms that head which had heretofore pleaded for the safety of his.

7. Parmenio had served, with great fidelity, Philip the father of Alexander, as well as himself, for whom he had first opened the way into Asia. He had depressed Attalus the king's enemy; he had always, and in all hazards the lead ing of the king's vanguard: he was no less prudent in counsel than fortunate in all attempts: a man beloved of the men of war, and to say the truth, that had made the purchase for the King of the Empire of the East, and of all the glory and fame he had. After he had lost two of his sons in the king's wars, Hector and Nicanor, and another in torment upon suspicion of treason, this great Parmenio Alexander resolved to de prive of life by the hands of murderers, without so much as acquainting him with the cause; and would choose out no other to expedite this unworthy business, but the greatest of Parmenio's friends, which was Polydamus, whom he trusted most and loved best, and would always have to stand at his side in every fight. He and Cleander, dispatched this great atan as he was reading the king's letter in his garden in Media. So fell Parmenio, who had performed many notable things without the king, but the king without him did never effect any thing worthy of praise.

8. Philip, king of Macedon, had sent one of his court to sea, to dispatch something he had given him in command; but a storm came and he was shipwrecked, but saved by one that lived thereabout the shore in a little boat, wherein he was taken up. He was brought to his farm, and there entertained with all civility and huma. mity, and at thirty days end dismissed by him, and furnished with somewhat to bear his charges. At his return he tells the king of his wreck and dangers, but nothing of the benefits he had received.

The king told him he would not be unmindful of his fidelity and dangers undergone in his behalf. He taking the occasion, told the king he had observed a little farm on the shore, and besought him he would bestow that on him, as a monument of his escape, and reward of his service. The king orders Pausanius the governor to assign him the farm to be possessed by him. The poor man being thus turned out, applied himself to the king, told him what humanity he had treated the courtier with, and what ungrateful injury he had returned him in lieu of it. The king, upon hearing of the cause, in great anger commanded the courtier presently to be seized, and to be branded in the forehead with these let ters, Hospes ingratus," The ungrateful guest," restoring the farm to its proper

owner.

9. When the enmity broke out betwixt Cæsar and Pompey, Marcellinus a Senator, (and one of them whom Pompey had raised) estranged himself so from his party unto that of Cæsar's, that he spake many things in the Senate against Pompey, who thus took him up: "Art thou not ashamed Marcellinus, to speak evil of him, through whose bounty, of a mute thou art become cloquent; and of one half-starved, art brought to such a plenty as that thou art not able to forbear vomiting Notably taxing his ingratitude, who had attained to all his dignity, authority, and eloquence, through his favour, and yet abused them all against him.

10. Henry Keeble, Lord Mayor of London, 1511, besides other benefac tions in his life-time, rebuilt Aldermary church, which was run to ruin, and be queathed at his death one thousand pounds for the finishing of it: yet withs in sixty years after, his bones were unkindly, nay, inhumanly cast out of the vault wherein they were buried: and his monument plucked down for some wealthy person of the present times to be buried therein. "Upon which oc

Hak. Apol. p. 187, 188. Lon. Theat. Lon. Theat.

casion,"