or his hoste. Loe here a minde of a rich composition.
Hee matched unto the most violent and rude actions of
men, goodnesse and courtesie, yea and the most choise
and delicate, that may be found in the schoole of Philo-
sophie. This so high-raised courage, so swelling and so
obstinate against sorow, death and povertie, was it nature
or arte, made it relent, even to the utmost straine of
exceeding tendernesse and debonarety of complexion?
Being cloathed in the dreadfull livery of steele and blood,
hee goeth on crushing and brusing a nation, invincible to
all others, but to himselfe : yet mildely relenteth in the
midst of a combat or confusion, when he meets with his
host or with his friend. Verily, this man was deservedly
fit to command in warre, which in the extremest furie
of his innated rage, made him to feele the sting of cour-
tesie, and remorse of gentlenesse: then when all inflamed,
it foamed with furie, and burned with murder.
'Tis a
miracle, to be able to joyne any shew of justice with such
actions. But it only belongeth to the unmatched courage
of Epaminondas, in that confused plight, to joyne mild-
nesse and facility of the most gentle behaviour that ever
was, unto them, yea and pure innocency it selfe. And
whereas one told the Mamertins, that statutes were of no
force against armed men: another to the Tribune of the
people, that the time of justice and warre, were two: a
third, that the confused noise of warre and clangor of
armes, hindred him from understanding the sober voice
of the lawes: This man was not so much as empeached
from conceiving the milde sound of civilitie and kindnesse.
Borrowed hee of his enemies the custome of sacrificing to
the muses (when he went to the warres) to qualifie by their
sweetnesse and mildnesse, that martiall furie, and hostile
surlinesse? Let us not feare, after so great a master, to
hold that some things are unlawfull, even against our
fellest enemies: that publike interest, ought not to chal-
lenge all of all, against private interest: Manente memoria
etiam in dissidio publicorum foederum privati juris: Some
memorie of private right continuing even in disagreement
of publike contracts.

-et nulla potentia vires
Præstandi, ne quid peccet amicus, habet:

OVID. Pont. i. El. viii. 37.

No power hath so great might,
To make friends still goe right.

And that all things be not lawfull to an honest man, for the service of his King, the generall cause and defence of the lawes. Non enim patria præstat omnibus officiis, et ipsi conducit pios habere cives in parentes (Cic. Off. iii.). For our countrey is not above all other duties: it is good for the country to have her inhabitans use pietie toward their parents. 'Tis an instruction befitting the times wee, need not harden our courages with these plates of iron and steele; it sufficeth our shoulders be armed with them it is enough to dippe our pens in inke, too much, to die them in blood. If it be greatnesse of courage, and th' effect of a rare and singular vertue, to neglect friendship, despise private respects and bonds; ones word and kindred, for the comon good and obedience of the Magistrate: it is verily able to excuse us from it, if we but alledge, that it is a greatnesse unable to lodge in the greatnesse of Epaminondas his courage. I abhorre the enraged admonitions of this other unruly spirit.

-dum tela micant, non vos pietatis imago Ulla, nec adversa conspecti fronte parentes Commoveant, vultus gladio turbante verendos.

LUCAN. vii. 320. Cæs.

While swords are brandisht, let no shew of grace
Once moove you, nor your parents face to face,
But with your swords disturbe their reverend grace.

Let us bereave wicked, bloodie and traiterous dispositions, of this pretext of reason: leave we that impious and exorbitant justice, and adhere unto more humane imitations, Oh what may time and example bring to passe! In an encounter of the civil warres against Cinna, one of Pompeyes souldiers, having unwittingly slaine his brother, who was on the other side, through shame and sorow presently killed himselfe; And some yeeres after, in another civill warre of the said people, a souldier boldly demanded a reward of his Captaines for killing his owne brother. Falsly doe wee argue honour, and the beautie of an action, by it's profit and conclude as ill, to thinke every one is bound unto it, and that it is honest, if it be commodious. Omnia non pariter rerum sunt omnibus apta. PROP. iii. El. viii. 7.

t

All things alike to all

Do not well-fitting fall.

Choose we out the most necessary and most beneficiall matter of humane society, it will be a mariage: yet is itt, that the Saints counsell findeth and deemeth the contrary side more honest, excluding from it the most reverend vocation of men: as wee to our races assigne such beasts as are of least esteeme.

CHAPTER II

OF REPENTING

OTHERS fashion man, I repeat him; and represent a particular one, but ill made; and whom were I to forme a new, he should be far other then he is; but he is now made. And though the lines of my picture change and vary, yet loose they not themselves. The world runnes all on wheeles. All things therein moove without intermission; yea the earth, the rockes of Caucasus, and the Pyramides of Egypt, both with the publike and their own motion. Constancy it selfe is nothing but a languishing and wavering dance. I cannot settle my object; it goeth so unquietly and staggering, with a naturall drunkennesse. I take it in this plight, as it is at th' instant I ammuse my selfe about it. I describe not the essence, but the passage; not a passage from age to age, or as the people reckon, from seaven yeares to seaven, but from day to day, from minute to minute. My history must be fitted to the present. I may soone change, not onely fortune, but intention. It is a counter-roule of divers and variable accidents, and irresolute imaginations, and sometimes contrary: whether it be that my selfe am other, or that I apprehend subjects, by other circumstances and considerations. Howsoever, I may perhaps gaine-say my selfe, but truth (as Demades said) I never gaine-say: Were my mind setled, I would not essay, but resolve my selfe. is still a Prentise and a probationer. I propose a meane life, and without luster: 'Tis all one. They fasten all morall Philosophy as well to a popular and private life, as to one of richer stuffe. Every man beareth the whole

It

stampe of humane condition. Authors communicate themselves unto the world by some speciall and strange marke; I the first, by my generall disposition; as Michael de Montaigne; not as a Grammarian, or a Poet, or a Lawyer. If the world complaine, I speake too much of my selfe, I complaine, it thinkes no more of it selfe. But is it reason, that being so private in use, I should pretend to make my selfe publike in knowledge? Or is it reason, I should produce into the world, where fashion and arte have such sway and command, the raw and simple effects of nature; and of a nature as yet exceeding weake? To write bookes without learning, is it not to make a wall without stone or such like thing? Conceits of musicke are directed by arte; mine by hap. Yet have I this according to learning, that never man handled subject, he understood or knew, better then I doe this I have undertaken; being therein the cunningest man alive.

Secondly, that never man waded further into his matter, nor more distinctly sifted the parts and dependances of it, nor arrived more exactly and fully to the end he proposed unto himselfe. . To finish the same, I have neede of naught but faithfulnesse: which is therein as sincere and pure as may be found. I speake truth, not my belly-full, but as much as I dare: and I dare the more, the more I grow into yeares for it seemeth, custome alloweth old age more liberty to babbel, and indiscretion to talke of it selfe. It cannot herein be, as in trades: where the Crafts-man and his worke doe often differ. Being a man of so sound and honest conversation, writ he so foolishly? Are such learned writings come from a man of so weake a conversation? who hath but an ordinary conceit, and writeth excellently, one may say his capacitie is borrowed, not of himselfe. A skilfull man, is not skilfull in all things: But a sufficient man, is sufficient every where, even unto ignorance. Here my booke and my selfe march together, and keepe one pace. Else-where one may commend or condemne the worke, without the workeman; heere not: who toucheth one toucheth the other. He who shall judge of it without knowing him, shal wrong himself more then me, he that knows it, hath wholly satisfied mee. Happie beyond my merite, if I get this onely portion of publike approbation, as I may cause men of understanding to

thinke, I had beene able to make use and benefit of learning, had I beene endowed with any: and deserved better helpe of memorie: excuse wee here what I often say, that I seldome repent my selfe, and that my conscience is contented with it selfe; not of an Angels or a horses conscience, but as of a mans conscience. Adding ever this clause, not of ceremonie, but of true and essentiall submission; that I speake inquiring and doubting, meerely and simply referring my selfe, from resolution, unto common and lawfull opinions. I teach not; I report: No vice is absolutely vice, which offendeth not, and a sound judgement accuseth not: For, the deformitie and incommoditie thereof is so palpable, as peradventure they have reason, I who say, it is chiefly produced by sottishnesse and brought forth by ignorance; so hard is it, to imagine one should know it without hating it. Malice sucks up the greatest part of her owne venome, and therewith impoysoneth herselfe. Vice, leaveth, as an ulcer in the flesh, a repentance in the soule, which still scratcheth and bloodieth it selfe. For reason effaceth other griefes and sorrowes, but engendereth those of repentance: the more yrkesome, because inward: As the colde and heate of agues is more offensive then that which comes outward. I account vice (but each according to their measure) not onely those which reason disalowes, and nature condemnes, but such as mans opinion hath forged as false and erronious, if lawes and custome authorize the same. In like manner there is no goodnesse but gladdeth an honest disposition. There is truely I wot not what kinde of congratulation, of well doing, which rejoyceth in our selves, and a generous jollitie, that accompanieth a good conscience. A minde couragiously vicious, may happily furnish it selfe with security, but shee cannot be fraught, with this selfe-[joying] delight and satisfaction. It is no smal pleasure, for one to feele himselfe preserved from the contagion of an age so infected as ours, and to say to himselfe; could a man enter and see even into my soule, yet shold he not finde me guilty, either of the affliction or ruine of any body, nor culpable of envie or revenge, nor of publike offence against the lawes, nor tainted with innovation, trouble or sedition; nor spotted with falsifying of my word: and although the libertie of times alowed and taught it every man, yet could I never

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B