A Chilles was asked of Aiax which were the greatest & hardest labours that euer he toke vpon him . He aunswered , those that he susteyned for hys frendes . Againe Aiax asked him , whych wer the most pleasaunt labours , that euer he suffered , He answered euen those same . Meanyng herby , that a noble and worthy personage adourned in dede with heroical vertues , brenneth with a certaine wonderfull desyre and luste , to further the comon weale , with whiche desyre beyng pricked and inwardly , tickeled he valiauntly ventureth vpon most hyghe and ieoperdous maters , nought regardyng his owne priuate weale , but his countreys vtilitie and benefite . When with this noble corage wyth this ardent zele and stomake he is thus rapte , doubtles no thynge is sweater , then vpon thynges most diffycile and weyghtye to enter pryse and to go throughe in , euen as vnto a musicien nothyng can be more pleasaunte , then the moste connynge exercises of his arte

THe emperour Sigismund had in hys court manye yeres a seruaunte , vpon whom he neuer bestowed any notable benefyte for all the seruice he dyd him . On a tyme as th emperour rode through a water it chaunced hys horse to stale . At which thing his old seruaunt lawghed & said to hys companions riding with him before th emperour , that th emperours horse had lyke propertie with hys mayster . Th emperour by chaunce hearing thys , asked what he meant , Mary , ꝙ the seruaunt . As your horse by hys stalyng addeth more water to the rywer where is already abundaunce of water , euen so doth youre Maiestye . For to suche as be welthy alreadye & flowe in ryches ye gyue more riches . Here th emperour perceyuynge he was closely touched of illiberatye , in that he neuer rewarded his olde seruaunt with any worthy benefyte , answered in thys wyse . Assuredly , I neuer wanted a good wyll to further & auaunce my frendes and trustye seruauntes , but ye muste consyder that gyftes of princes happen not alwayes to them that haue deserued them , but to suche only as the fatall prouidence of God appoynteth . And this God wylling , shall I euidentlye declare vnto the , so soone as , my busynes dyspetched , I shall haue gotten any opportunitie and leyser . A whyle after , leyser to his desyre obteyned , he commaundeth two boxes of lyke fascion and proporcion to be brought forthe , he fylleth th one with gold , thother with leade of lyke weyght , he byddeth his said seruaunt to chose whether boxe he wold . The seruaunt peysyng now this , now that boxe , stryken wyth greate perplexitie whyche he myght beste take , at laste chase that whyche conteyned the lead which when he opened & saw that lead , thou seest now , ꝙ Th emperour , that the fault is not in me that thou were not amonges other promoted of me , but in thy owne mysfortune . Declarynge herby very prudently , that the happy successe of thynges onely chaunceth vnto men from God aboue .

Thys Emperour beynge muche prayse worthy for other thynges , in thys one thynge was excedynglye to be commended , that lyke as hys selfe loued the knowledge of tongues and of good letters , so he alwayes studied to auaunce and promote men that excelled other in learnynge . For whyche thyng when he was blamed of certain prynces of Almayne whyche hated good letters , that he so exalted men of lowe byrth for the commendacion of learnynge : Why , ꝙ he , shulde I not loue suche as nature wolde haue excell the rest of men ? The Almaynes do attribute verye muche to nobilitie of bloude . But the prudent Emperour obserued , that in learned personages was a thyng of much more worthynes & noblenes , then in stockes . They haue the walles of theyr houses portered with armes , with conisaunces , and wyth the ymages of theyr auncestours , lerned men haue theyr minde furnyshed and decked wyth good disciplines . Wherfore , as by nature the minde is more excellent , then the body , so the ornamentes of the wytte be farre fayrer , then the badges of outwarde nobilitie . He that hath nothynge els , then the armes and ymages of hys auncestours , in opinion is noble rather than in dede . But who so is adourned & decked wyth vertue , from whens floweth also that vulgare nobilitie , hath the true and vnfayned nobilitie . The trouthe of thys mater declareth to al the world the moste noble kyng Henry the eyght , who to the most royal nobilitie of stocke hath also ioyned the most true & veray nobilitie that is to saye renowme of lernynge , of prudence , of graue iugement mete for so noble & magnifycent a prince . Wolde god al other noble men of byrth wolde take exemple of hys Maiestye to purchase vnto them thys renowne .

CYrus kynge of Persia was wont to say that no man ought to take vpon him to rule other onles he were better , than those whom he toke vpon hym to gouerne . Meanynge , that thys is the principall offyce and function of a prince , to forse for others , and to counsell for the publyke profytes and commodities , but thys can not be done , oneles he surmount & excell the rest of men in wyse dome , in vigilauncie , in honestye , holynes of mynde in godlynes . Now it is not the byrth of man that bryngeth thys to passe , but ryght institution , good letters , experience of thynges .

When the Persians , bycause theyr countrie was hylly and rough , coueted to chaunge it wyth a champyon & more gentle soyle , theyr kyng wold not suffre them , sayeng , that euen as graftes & sedes be , so be the maners of men chaunged accordyng to the nature of the countrey . Meanyng hereby that he wolde haue hard men , paynfull and suche as shulde be gyuen to laboure . For a delicate and fyrtyle region gendreth delicate and slouthfull persones .

Cyrus absteyned hys eyes from beholdinge of the fayre ladye Panthea . And when Araspus sayd vnto hym , that the woman was of an excellente bewtye , and worthy for the eye syght of a prince , the kinge aunswered : Euen for thys selfe cause O Araspus we ought the rather to abstayne from lokynge vpon her . For yf now I obeyeng thy counsayle shulde resorte vnto her whyle I am as yet at leyser , perchaunce she mought so persuade me that I shulde repare often vnto her yea euen when I shulde haue no leyser , and so be fayne to sytte styll by her syde , my seriouse busynes and affayres neglected . Featly he shyfted awaye the argumente that semed lasciuiouslye to entise a kyng or ruler to loue a bewtyfull woman , from louyng suche . Let Chrystiane magistrates and rulers take here an holsom document and lesson of a pamym prynce , sensualitie set a part , ernestly to remembre theyr function and offyce wherunto they be called of god almyghty , & vnto whom for the same they shall rendre iust accomptes , be they now neuer so hault and careles .

ARtoxerxes Kynge of Persia surnamed the mindful , when a certayne pore man presented hym wyth a verye greate apple , he receyued it excedynge thankfully , and sayde : Nowe in faythe this felowe semeth to me to be such a person that yf a man wolde commytte a citye to hys kepynge , he coulde make it of a lytle a greate one .

At an other tyme a certayne other vplandyshe man perceyuing that diuerse men brought diuerse presentes vnto the kyng , & hauynge none other thyng to present hym wyth , he toke out of the next ryuer bothe his handes full of water & with a cherefull countenaunce offered it vnto the Kynge . The kyng herwith being delyted , commaunded a potte of gold to be gyuen hym & rewarded hym furthermore with a greate summe of money . Let other nacions wonder at this Artoxerxes . English men which haue kyng Henry theygt to theyr Soueraigne Lord thynke thys but a tryfle to his incomparable humanitie .

When Adides Japson had rayled all at large very despitefully vpon the kyng wyth vnfyttyng and opprobriouse wordes , the king thus farforth reuenged hym , he pronounced by the Capitayne of his garde , that it was lefull for Japson to speake vpon the kyng what he wolde , but agayne it was lefull for the kyng vpon Japson bothe to speake and to do what he wolde . Truely we are very straytly charged by gods commaundement in no wise to rayle nor gest vpon our rulers forasmoch as they represent vnto vs the parson euen of god him self . Yea & he adourneth them wyth the honorable title of hys own name callyng the Goddes .

When Artoxerxes beyng on a tyme put to flyghte , & all hys prouision of vittayles taken awey , was fayne to eate drye fygges & barley breade , O Lord , ꝙ he , from howe great pleasure haue I hytherto been kepte backe ? Here the kyng proued it true that Socrates the wytty Philosopher was wont to saye . Optimum condimentum , fames , that is to saye , hungre is the best sawce . Assuredly nothyng better sauoureth meates & drynkes , than hungre and thrust , besyde that it is bothe moste holsom to the bodye and most profitable to the sowle . For surfette and dronkenes not onlye cast the bodye in to sundry maladyes and sickenesses , but also do distempere the mynd , make man no man , but worse then a brute beast , and ( that is worst of all ) bryng gods most terrible curse and displeasure vpon hym .

The same Artoxerxes beyng on a tyme very sore pressed wyth thurst & in maner lost for lacke of drynke , Peribarzenes his chamberlayne sekyng about for drynk and not fynding any other , brought at last from a shepeherd a greasye botel of water not all of the clearest . Thys water when the kyng had dronke quyte and cleane vp , beynge asked whether that drynke lyked hym well , he called God to wytnesse , that he neuer drancke wyne more pleasaunt , then was thys water , nor neuer water , were it neuer so pure , more swete then thys semed . And afterwarde , the kynge espyenge the sheparde in hys courte , whiche hadde gyuen hym this water , made hym of a pore sheparde a ryche gentylman . Suche a thynge it is to gyue a benefyte in tyme .

ORontes sonne in lawe to kynge Artaxerxes , when the kyng was greuously displeased & angry against him , he was not only vtterly reiected & thrust out of the court , but also condemned . Which excedyng vnkyndnes dyd not a lytle vexe hym . At laste consyderynge the mutabilitie and vnstablenes of mens thynges in the worlde vttered these wordes to such as stode about hym . O frendes take hede of the brykylnes and slyppery chaunge offortune , trust not the flatterye of the worlde , name ly of the courte . For lyke as the fyngers of auditours when they cast accomptes can lay otherwhyles an in fynite nombre , & otherwhyles agayn but one , euen so the frendes of kinges now can do all , and nowe nothynge . Here ye shall note that in old tyme they made theyr accomptes with theyr fyngers , as now with counters .

WHat tyme the valyaunt capitayn Memnon held warres agaynst the great Alexander on the behalfe of Darius kynge of Persia , it chaunced that a certayne hyred sowldiour in the armie of Memnon made very moche raylynge vpon kynge Alexander . Memnon hearynge hym , layde hym on the pate with hys speare and thus rebuketh hym . I gyue the wages , syr knaue , and meate and drynke to fyghte wyth Alexander and not to rayle vpon hym . Let Chrysten men at lest waye take example herby , to leaue theyr fowle and detestable raylynges farre vnworthye for suche as professe Chrystes doctryne , that forbyddeth vs to calle oure brother but fole . Some we call Pharisees , we beknaue , we defye as naughtye papistes with other lyke opprobriouse wordes , vnmete for Chrysten mens eares , but as for to fyght agaynste theym , and to confounde them wyth pure doctryne and good lyuyng , that we woll not . Agayne other some , we beheretike , we call Lutheranes , and all that naught is , but to shew them charitably where they erre , & rightly to instructe them , we woll not .

THe Kynges of Egypte , according to the custome of theyr countreye were wont to take an othe of suche as were made iudges , that althoughe the kynge hym self wold commaunde them to iudge any thyng that shulde be agaynst right & equytie , they shulde not iudge it . So greatly they thought it expedient for the common wealthe , that the people shulde haue iuste iudges . But howe can that people haue iuste and incorrupte iuges , where ( as is reported ) the prince selleth the offyce and power of iugyng for a great some of money .

In Englande thanked be God , in the iuges of the lawe there is as litle corruption as in any other regyon . And yf any default in this behalfe be , it is soner in inferiour courtes , where the iuges be appointed not by the Kynges Maiestye , but by others , amonges whom if any corruption were found I wold wyshe , for the terrible exemple of other they myght be serued as a certayn iuge of whome I shall nowe make relation .

CAmbyses Kynge of Persia was otherwyse a verye wycked and cruell tyraunte .

Yet there is no prynce of so disperat an hope of so naughtye a lyfe , but that at the lest waye otherwhyles doth some ho nest acte . For gods propertye is , to garnyshe & exornate the offyce of the magistrat & rulers , & he causeth , that for the conseruation of ciuil gouernaunce in the common weale , sometyme excellente and profytable workes be of necessitie done of them that beare rule . But to my purpose , Cambyses in al hystories is commended for this one facte , for whyche no doubte he deserueth prayse . In the former parte of Asia he had a deputie named Sisam nes , now he was credibly infourmed that thys Sisamnes beynge corrupted wyth brybes & rewardes , had falsly iudged agaynst the kynges lawes & agaynst good ryght & conscience . The mater beyng examined & founde true , sorthwyth he commaunded he shulde be put to death , and that the skynne of hys body shuld be plucked of , & layd ouer the iudgement seat , where he gaue the false iudgemente , & in hys rowme he dyd set Dtane the sayde iudges sonne to succede hys father in office whyche was admonished by contemplacion of his fathers skinne , that he shuld succede hym also in lyke kynde of punyshment yf he folowed his fathers steppes .

Thys exemple teacheth them that beare offyce & rule to remember , that god suffereth not iniustice nor iniury vnreuenged . But for asmuche as I haue entred to speake of Cambyses , which otherwyse as I haue sayd , lyued a very tyrannouse & wycked lyfe : I thynke it here good to report certayne his notoriouse crymes and his ende , to th yntent all rulers , what so euer they be , maye take exemple at hym , to feare God , to preserue the common weale , to execute iustice and iudgement , to vse theyr subiectes as men and not as beastes . This Cambyses beganne to raygne , after that Cyrus hys father had made his viage agaynst the Scithians . And albeit at the begynnynge he subdued & conquered Egypte , yet anone he forgatte all goodnes and degendred quyte & cleane from the renowmed & excellent vertues of hys father Wherfore when Prexaspes one of hys chosen counsaylours aduertysed hym very freely and sayde vnto hym , that the Persians praysed hym very much , but thys one thyng dyspleased them , that he was so subiecte to the vyce of dronkennes , anone he commaunded the chyefe estates & lordes of th empyre to be called together , and asked of them , whether in any thyng he were worthy to be reprehended ? They espyeng how thankful & plausible a thing flattery is , aunswered , no , but that in vertue & prowesse , he also excelleth his father Cyrus , forasmuche as vnto hys empyre and dominion he had gotten by way of conquest the kyngdome of Egypt . But contrary wyse Cresus a worthy lord , vnto whose cure and gouernaunce Cyrus had tōmytted hys sonne Cambyses to be instructed and brought vp in honestie and vertue , by cause he wolde merylye , as muche as myghte be borne , abate the kynges pryde , aunswered , & sayd , that Cambyses myght not be yet compared to hys father Cyrus , forasmuche as there is not yet begotten such a sonne of hym , as Cyrus lefte Cambyses . Thys thynge then , as featly spoken , pleased the kynge welynough . Thus the counsayle beyng parted , when none of the lordes had blamed any thynge in him , he commaunded Prexaspes to be called afore him , & bad him bryng vnto hym hys yonger son . For he wold declare , how wel he coulde seme sobre euen when he had most of al dronken for he sayd he wold euen when he were dronken with hys bowe shote at Prexaspes sonne , & yf he myght wyth hys arowe stryke through hys herte , them it myght be iudged , that in the myddes of hys cuppes he wanteth not the practyse of counsaylle , & iudgement of reason . Yf not , that he were worthye to be called a dronkard . To be short , when Cāhyses had throughly washed hys braynes wyth wyne , he shotte at the chyld as at an appointed marke , and strykynge hym through the herte , he cōmaūnded it shuld be cut out , and so he shewed it to the father Prexaspes , sayenge , that the chyldes herte was well hit , wherfore he mought esteme full well herby , that he was no dronkard . So barbarouse , so sauage , and so tyrannicall maners , doeth dronkennes brynge vpon the myndes of men , although they were before ryghtly institute and broughte vp , lyke as it is no doubt , but that kynge Cambyses was at the begynnynge in his youth brought vp in moost honest maners . And albeit this dronkarde was not ignoraunt of the feate of shotyng , yet in the meane season he could not vse the ryght counsaylles of reason , but lacked those vertues whych be wonte to allure men vnto gentle sobriete & to the studye of honest renowne . Such maner exemples must be propowned vnto yonge men , whych for the most part be geuen to the foule vice of dronkennes for what ende folowed of these maners , a lytell herafter shal be dedared . He murdered also hys owne brother smerdis , whom he priuely caused to be put to deth , lest he might at any tyme be king . Furthermore he toke to wife hys owne suster germayne , wheras nature abhorreth from such kynde of copulation . Nowe it befell so , that when kynge Cambyses sat at a feast wyth hys syster the quene , for theyr sporte and pleasure he set a yonge lyon and a very eger dogge togither by the eares , so when the lyon in strength and fyercenes had preuayled , an other dogge no les fyerce , brastyng his bandes wherwyth he was bound dyd helpe the dogge hys brother & vaynquyshed the lyon . The kinge was excedyngly delyted with thys syght for the faythfulnes of the dogges betwene themselues . But by the same facte the quene beynge moued began very largelye to wepe and poure oute teares and to water her tender chekes . The kynge toke this her wepynge very heuely and demaunded of her the cause of her sorowe , she aunswered in this wyse . Certes , my dere husbande and brother , euen so great a feythfulnes might haue chaunced vnto vs of our brother as we se here betwene these two dogges that be of all one lytter . The kyng greuously taking this aunswere , commaunded she shuld forthwith be taken out of hys syght and put to deathe . But such maners coulde not long haue successe . For God speaketh in the scripture . Blowdy men and wylye shall not fynyshe halfe theyr dayes vpon the erthe .

Wherfore not long after , wyth a greuouse vengeaunce , God plaged him . For as he was comming out of Egypte in to Persia , when he shulde mownt on horsbacke , his swerd felle out of the skaberd and sore wounded hym in suche wyse that he dyed of it . This exemple testifyeth , that god woll not longe suffre tyrantes to reygne . For not longe after the deathe of Cyrus aboue the space of one yere lyued Cambyses , neither lefte he any heyre of his kyngdome .

After the death of Cambyses , the chief lordes assembled togither and began to consulte , whome they might best make theyr hed & kynge . Seuen were appointed to deliberat vpon thys moste weyghtye matter . Fyrst , stode vp Otanes , & counsayled , that no mo kynges shulde be chosen , but that by leage and sure confederacie made betwene them , all the lordes myght rule alyke , so shuld libertie be maynteyned and kept one euery syde and euery man at fredom . For before , it was wel proued by examples , that where one man is Lorde of so many , and so great thynges , he maye easyly be to proude and hawtye , and sone growe out of kynde and degendre vnto tyrannye , euen as nowe of late it was seen of Cambyses .

After hym stode vp Megabysus , whyche disalowynge thys counsayle of Otanes , affyrmed , that suche lybertie was moche more hurtfull and pestiferous to the comon weale , then tyrannye shuld be . For noble men and cities yf they lacke a lorde and hedde they can not but abuse thys libertye vnto priuate offection and lust . But to th entent no suche thynge shulde ensue , his counsayle and aduise was , not to chose some one Kynge , but to appointe certayne noble men , wyth whom mighte alwayes remayne the tytle , prerogatyue , and ryght of the Imperiall power .

The sentences of these bothe , the thyrd lord named Darius disalowed & counsayled to chouse one kynge . For albeit in thys kynde of gouernaunce lyke as in al other humane thynges , many and greate incommodities maye chaunce , yet no rule , no gouernaunce is so stable , so sure , as is a monarchie that is to saye , where one ruleth in whose handes is put the charge of the hole kyngdom . Uerily albeit these thre counsayles be all bothe honeste and good , yet yf they be compared togyther , sure it is , that nothynge can be founde eyther fayrer or more profytable then the gouernaunce of one person called a Monarchie , for as moche as it moste resembleth the diuine and heuenly kyngdome of God . Furthermore it can not be , that concorde can longe be kepte amonges free prynces & cities , or there , where to the administration of a moste ample and myghty empyre , be a sorte of lordes chosen in lieu of one Kynge , and that bycause of the diuersitie of moste graue and wyghtye affayres , which euer amonge , in so large a dominion shulde chaunce , vpon whych the princes shulde not euer agree within them selfes . Besydes all thys , there shulde not want also amonges these selfe princes an inordinat studie and desyre of dignitie & dominion aboue the reste , ouer whom some one wold labour to haue power as ouer hys subiectes or iferiours . And these were in effecte the causes , whyche Darius brought forthe for the proue of hys purpose , vnto whych the other foure prynces subscribed , and so at laste it was determyned after the olde vsage to chouse a kynge . But least any dissention might aryse betwen the seuen princes , they thought it best , to committe the lotte of the election vnto God . It was a greed vpon , that vpon a mornynge very erly the prynces on horsbacke shulde mete togyther at a certaine place , & that he whose horse first neyghed , shuld be forthwith proclaymed king . The princes retourned euery one to hys home . Darius shewed the counsayle and determination of the princes vnto the Stuard of hys howse , who forthwith toke the mater vpon hym , to brynge hys lordes purpose to good passe . Wherfore the euenynge before the daye appoynted , he bryngeth hys lordes horse and a mare vnto the place appoynted , and there commytted the horse and mare togyther , to th entent , that the nexte mornynge , the place knowen , the horse myghte for desyre of the mare , which then shulde be absent , neyghe accordynge to hys propertie .

SEmiramis quene of the Carians which is cronicled to haue buylded Babylon , caused to be wrytten vpon her tombe this saynge : What kynge so euer shall haue nede of money , let hym open my graue & take so moche , as he woll desyre . Darius after he had wonne the citie , gyuynge credite to the tytle , wyth moch ado at last remouyug awaye the great stone , wherwyth the graue was couered , money he founde none at all , but on the other syde of the stone , he founde thys inscripciou . Onles thou haddest bene an euell man & wyth money vnsatisfyable , thou woldest neuer haue moued the graues of the deade .