those fooles. The walles of Rome, that wer neuer touched by the Pœnians, had that daie their lowpes full of armed trewandes: Rome that triumphed ouer all realmes, was triumphed vpon that daie, with tomblers and iugglers. I am so abashed in this case, that I wote not what to saie or to write. Yet one thyng comforteth me, that sith Rome and the Romaines vniustlie doe reioyce with these fooles, she and the famous wyse men iustly shal be chastised for these fooles. And in this the goddis shall not be displeased that sith Rome laugheth at these trewandies and mockeries, one daie she shall weepe with these to blers and iugglers: I banishe all these for euer fro Rome, not for the bloud that they haue shedde but for the heartes that they haue peruerted, not for the occasion of any that be dead, but because they wer maisters of folies. Without coparison it is greater offence to the goddis, and more domage to the common wealth, these trewades to take awaie the wittes fro the wise folkes, then the murtherers to take awaie men's liues. If the greatest gift, among all giftes of fortune, be, to kepe a good wit, let no man presume to be of a restfull vnderstandyng, that is an extreme frend to these trewandes. Beleue me one thyng; as one byrd loueth an other, and one beast an other, and one wise man an other, so one foole loueth another foole. "I remember on a daie, as I reuolued the registers in the capitol, I red a right maruailous thyng of Oruet'. a famous oratour, whiche is buried in the Isle of Helespont, on the mount Adamantine. When great Scipio came from the warre of the Ponians, better accompaignied with hunger staruen trewandes than with valiant capitains, he said to him, of trouthe it is a great shame shame to thee and a small honour to the senate, that thou, that hast ouercome the wyse Affres, and beyng so wyse thy self and of the bloud of the wyse Romains, wilt be accompanied with these trewands and fooles. In that vnhappie realme all the wise men could not ouercome one, that was thought so mighty, among so many fooles; I saie to thee that thy wit is in more perile here in Rome, than thy lyfe in Affrike. "These were good wordes, and not of no worldlie malice, and within a short while after, and by diuers light perso's, and for a small occasion, this poore olde oratour, and riche philosopher, by the frendes of Scipio, was banished Rome, and sent into that ile. "Than, behold, Lambert, let vs returne to these jugglers and trewandes; whan they are landed in that ile, let them go frank and free so that thei vse not their accustomed toyes. Thou shalt constrain them to labour and chastise them if they be idle; for these miserable folke, fleyng from iust trauaile, take on them uniuste idilnesse, and couert mo men with their trewandise, than if open school of vacabundes were kept. "There is nothyng that our forefathers did, that displeseth me so muche as the sufferance of these vnthriftie trewandes. > "In the yere CC xxvi of the foundacion of Rome, in the time of an horrible pestilence in Italie, to reioice the people was first found out the inuencion of theatres, by the aduise of the trewandes. It is a shameful thing to here that the pestilence dured but two yeres, and the rage of these vnthriftes dureth iiii hundred yeres. "Lambert, I beleue wel that the complaintes that these these prisoners haue begon here shall neuer haue an end there; how be it, I care not; for the grudge of them that be yll, iustifieth the iustice and sentence of theim that be good. As the maister of Nero said, as muche as the shame of sinne ought to be fledde of theim that be good, so muche praise is the infamie of the yll. I shall tell thee one thing, to thentent that the chastisement should not seeme cruell to the, seyng the emperours of Rome are full of clemencie to straingers, it is no reason that thei shold be so sharp to their own. Sith fatal destinies hath brought me into this world I haue seen nothing more vnprofitable to the common welth, nor greater folie in theim, that be light of conditions, nor a worse inuecion for vacabundes, nor a more cold reuocacion of mortall folk, than to lerne of these gamners and triflers, and suche other jugglers. What thyng is more monstrous, than to see wyse men reioyce at the pastime of these vain triflers? What greater mockerie can be in the capitoll, than the foolish saiying of a iester, to be praised with great laughter of wise men? What greater sclaunders can be to princes houses, than to haue their gates alwais open to receiue in these fooles, and neuer open to wyse folkes? What greater crueltec can there be in any person, than to geue more in one daie to a foole, than to his seruantes in a yere, or to his kinne all his life? What greater inconstancie can there be, than to want men to furnishe the garrisons and frontiers of Illirico, and these trewandes to abide at Rome? What lyke shame can there be to Rome, than that the memorie shall be lefte more in Italie of these tumblers, trewandes, pypers, syngers of iests, tabourers, crouders, dauncers, mummers, iesters, and iugglers, than the renoume renoume of capiteignes, with their triumphes and armes. And whan these caytiffes wandered all aboute in Rome in safetie, sounyng their leudnes and gatheryng of money, the noble barons and capitaines went fro realme to realme wastyng their money, aduenturyng their liues, and sheding their blud. "In the vttermost part of Spain, when war began betweene the Liberiens and Goditaines, and they of Liberie lacked moneie, two iugglers and tabourers offred to mainteine the war a hole yere, and it folowed that, with the goodes of two fooles, many wise men were slaine and ouercome. "In Ephese, a citie of Asie, the famous temple of Diana was edified with the confiscacion of goodes, of suche a trewand and foole. "When Cadmus edified the citie of Thebes in Egipt with fyftie gates, the mynstrelles gaue him more towarde it than all his freendes. "If the historie be true whan August edified the wals of Rome, he had more of the trewandes, that were drowned in Tyber, than of the common treasorie. "The first kyng of Corinth arose by suche villains, I saw his sepulchre at Corinthie, and as I say of these small number, I might saie of many other. "Beholde than, Lambert, howe littell care the goddis take, and how variable the case of fortune is, and how the deedes of men fall. Some be had in memorie for their foli, and some for their wisdome. One thing is come to my mynde of the chaunce of these trewandes, and that is, whyle they be in presence they make euerie man to laugh at the folyes that they dooe and saie, and whan they be gone euerie man is sorie for his money that they bare awaie. And of trouthe it is a iuste sentence sentence of the goddis, that suche as haue taken vaine pleasure together, when they are departed to weepe for their losses. I wil write no more vnto thee, but I doe send thee this letter in Greke, to the entent that thou shewe it ouer all the ile. Sende foorthwith the shippes again, for thei must be sent forth with the prouisions into Illirico. Peace be with the, Lambert, health and good fortune be with me, Marc. "The senate saluteth the, and thou, on my be halfe, shalt shewe to the ile the ioyfull happie customes. My wife Faustine saluteth thee, and sendeth a rich girdell to thy doughter, and in recompence of the furres I send thee rich iewelles." The volume concludes with the following address from the pen of Lord Berners, to the reader. "Thus endeth the golden booke of the eloquent Marke Aurelie emperour; who so euer be reader therof may take it by reason for a riche and newe labour, and specially princis and gouernours of the common wealth, and mynisters of justice with others, also the common people eche of theim, may finde the labour conuenient to theyr estate. And therin is conteigned certayne right highe and profounde sentences, and holsome counsailes and meruailous deuices agaynste the encumbraunce of fortune; and ryght swete consolacions for theim that are ouerthrowen by fortune. Finally it is good to them that digeste it, and thanke God that hath geuen suche grace to a paynym in geuyng vs exaumple of vertuous liuyng, with hye and salutary doctrynes and maruailous instructions of perfectnes. Certainely as greatte preyse as ought to be geuen to the auctoure, is to be geven the translatours that haue laboryously reduced this treatyce out of Greeke into |