THere is no defect of mind nor infirmitie of bodie , but hath his originall of nature , or colour from reason , and by the benefite of the one or the other , receaueth cure : preposterous Enuie only except , who degenerateth from kind , and masketh without vizard of excuse Touching the passions of the minde , pride is abhominable before God , ambition perillous for a Common weale , & flatterie the great deceiuer of men : yet are none of these euils without a cunning cloake , although voyde of iust excuse .

The proud man saith vnto himselfe , I am formed after the image of God , I am Lord of his creatures , as wel on the earth The defences of pride . as in the sea , and ( beyond the power of nature ) beautified with a deuine knowledge , I prie into the qualities of the heauens , and prognosticate what they promise or threaten on earthly creatures , & therefore haue good cause to aduance my thoughts and to thinke well of my selfe .

The ambitious hath this vaile or shadow : I see ( qd . hc ) that The defences of ambition . vertue her selfe attyred with pouertie , is ouerblowne with light regard , her seruants , slaues to varlets in credit , so that he is an enemie to his owne prosperitie , that in bare estate , presenteth any good parte , for that he is sure to incounter the malice of the ignorant , who fearing their owne fortunes , with enuie suppresse his perfections : and the good ( although they embrace vertuous endeuours ) at the first sight iudge by the outward habit , as the noble Titus did by his good friende Gissipus , till necessitie discouered who he was . And therfore saith the ambitious , I holde authoritie the readiest ladder to aduancement .

The flatterer thinketh , that to reproue mens faultes , is a The defence of flatterie . meane to fire the faultie mans heart with malice , and thereby shoulde encrease his friendes euill , and endanger his owne welfare , where the wisest are not so wise , but that they open both their eares to heare their owne prayses , and therefore ( sayth he ) blame he that liste , I will breath in no mans face , other then good wordes : not onely these , but all other infections of the minde , haue such like sophisticall reasons , to giue colour to their errors : neyther are they so past cure , but that there is a hope of reformation .

Now concerning the infirmities of the bodie , the pestilence Infirmities of the body . is most dangerous , the plurisie most sodaine , and the leprosie most odious : notwithstanding , if delay haue not wrought ouer much defect in nature , physicke hath a medicine for euery of these maladies .

But this hiddeous Monster enuie lyeth open to all reproche , and as a moth in cloth , or canker rust in iron , dyeth Enuie without cure . with the destruction of his follower , who burst out of the entrayles Originall of Enuie . of the olde serpent , to so we hatred betwéene God and man : for the enuie that the Deuill bare , at the Almightie Maiestie of God , raysed a desire in Adam and Eue , to be as their Creator in knowledge , and so brought sin vpon the face Gen. 3. Enuie the first cause of sinne . of the earth , and through sinne swadled all their posteritie in the heauie displeasure of God , with this bitter curse was she hatched , and with the sacke of Common weales and bloud of innocentes , she hath euer since bene fostered .

A man gouerned by other detestable euils , be it murther , Enuie worse than murther &c. theft , periurie and so foorth : if he be not soone cut off with the sworde of Iustice , yet is he continually chastened with the scourge of his conscience : but lawe and iustice net easily fasteneth on the enuious , for he hydeth his conspiracies , vntill he be strengthened with a multitude , whose furie breaketh forth The ●…tes of Enuie . in the flame of faire cities , and is quenched with the bloud of many thousandes , and therefore enuie may well be compared to brandes raked vp in ashes , which are vncouered , to set mightie blockes a fire : In the conscience of the enuious , remorse hath no place , for that his thoughts are continually busied with diuelish imaginations as well as his forces are bent to the ruine of his neyghbours .

A man without much blushing , will confesse himselfe a couetous , Def●…ces of 〈◊〉 . voluptuous or cowardly person : for that the needeful foresight of the great charge of children , the dayly harde fortunes which happen , and the costly cure of sickenesse , wherevnto all men are subiect , are colours for coueteusnesse .

Agayne , the blame that is layde vpon a nigarde , the contempt Defences of volptuousnes . wherein men haue mecanicall liues , she hastie death that followeth care , are reasons to make men be pleasant and merrie with their owne .

The perill of life , the griefe of woundes , and the daunger of lawe , are sufficient excuses for a coward . The defences of cowardlines .

But if he be enuious , he dare not recyte so much as the name of enuie , the reason is , this passion is so sowle and infamous , None will confesse himselfe to be enuious . as it stincketh in the opinion of him that is infected therewith and good cause why , for that the others grow as langors and malladies of nature , and enuie proceedeth of a malitious and froward consent of our owne will , without any ground or reason : saue such as would make the worst infidell blush to defende , and the weakest Christian abhorre to heare , his inticementes are so farre from grace , humanitie and naturall pittie .

All other passions of the minde may growe and spring from such hard temptations , as they which yeelde vnto their Necessitie cause of many trespasses . affections , doe giue cause both of pittie and lament : as necessitie may make men steale , tyrannie in Princes , may so we sedition among subiectes , hardnes and crueltie in parents , may cause disobedience in children , and so of others , which although the offences ought to be chastened , yet their causes may with charitie be bemoned : But this feinde enuie is onely tempted with the bountie of God , for as our sauiour saith , the eye of the enuious is for no other cause euill , but in that it beholdeth Mat. 20. that God is good , which considered , the enuious is to be condemned , much more then the impatient , yea when affection leades him to murmure and rage against God : for the impatient , There may be cause of impatiencie , but no colour for enuy may be so sharpely pressed with Gods heauie iudgement , as ( charged aboue the sufferaunce of nature ) reason shall be forced to giue place vnto furie , and when the hearte is at this libertie , the tongue will not let to disgorge blasphemies , sufficient ( if it were possible ) to fire the heauens , but if the enuious vnbowelleth his griefe , when he commeth to dispoyle his Blessings which grieue the enuious . August . contra Donat. lib. 4. cap. 8. heart , he can alleage or pretend no other cause of sorrow , but that God is too good , too mercifull , and too liberall towards his creatures . In giuing to some great authoritie , to others aboundance of riches , to this man store of friendes , to that man inlargement of honours , &c. On the contrary part , if he reioice , it is in beholding of most sad and lamentable chaunces , as in Causes which reioyce the en●…ous . discorde among friendes , iealousie betweene man and wife , their children disobedient , their seruants theeues , or in such like hauocke , of their neighbours prosperitie : and as among beastes , some nourisheth themselues with euill odours , some with poison , and some with filthie carrion : euen so the enuious is fatned with the curse , miserie , and death of his brethren . Basile in his sermon of enuie , compareth the enuious properly Ba●… . Sermone de ●…dia . vnto flyes , which leaue the sounde partes of our body , and liteth vpon a scab or sore , the iuyce or filth whereof giueth them a sweete and pleasant taste : euen so vertuous and good men , afflicted with exile , imprisonment , losse of goods , or such like ordinarie calamities , giue comfort & reioycing vnto the enuious . Seneca rightly compareth enuy vnto a Panther , who so rageth Enuie like●… to a Panther . at the presence of a man , for the maiestie he presenteth , as presently he imployeth all his forces , to dismember his beautifull The nature of a Panther . limmes , and not only is agrieued with the liuely countenance of man , but wheresoeuer he beholdeth his painted image , he is not in quiet vntill he hath defaced his face : euen so the enuious are not satisfied in giuing vntimely deathes vnto good men , but to burie the remembrance of their vertues , Enuie continueth after death . ( if it possible were ) committe inhumane outrages , vpon their ingraued bones , and condemne their learned and necessarie bookes vnto the fire : so that it is apparaunt that there is no possibilitie , howe any other euill ; should matche enuie in euill , for that their extreamest reuenge stretcheth but vnto death , when the malice of enuie searcheth the graue : which considered , the enuious are more hurtfull then the Crocadile , who although she hungerly prayeth vpon a liuing man , yet if shee finde his dead carkase , she lamenteth ouer it , and with her warme teares washeth his face , yea so extreame diuelish are the qualities of the enuious , as Socrates likeneth enuie vnto a Viper , who so soone as they haue engendered the female , Enuie compared to a ●…per . The vnnaturall nature o●… a viper . murdereth the male , because she wil not liue as his inferiour : againe , the young ones eate themselues forth of their dammes intrayles , because they will not be bound vnto the obedience of nature . And questionlesse Socrates in the qualitie of this venimous beast , rightly figureth the condition of the enuious , who to compasse the desire of his defiled heart , treadeth vnder foote care of his countries welfare , duetifull obedience vnto his parentes , and naturall affection toward his kinsfolke and friendes : yea which is most against kinde , the enuious often The en●… 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 . A ●…ble of E●…pe . times committeth wilfull outrage vpon himselfe , to beholde a greater vpon his enemie : according to the saying of morrall Esope , The enuious desired of Iupiter to be spoyled of one of his eyes , that the couetous man might lose both . To which purpose , many examples in my following discourses , shall be shewen , whereas if any other passion entiseth a man vnto euill , it flattereth him with the hope of a profitable ende . Moreouer , though a man malice deadly , yet there may be satisfaction , or meanes of attonement : But where there is 〈◊〉 is neuer reconciled . enuie , there is no hope of reconciliation : whereupon is set downe for infallible experiments , that there was neuer loue , but enuie betweene Cain and Abell , Isacke and Ismael , Loth and Abraham , Iacob and Esau , Ioseph and his brethren , the Kinges of Iuda and Israel , and the Apostles , the Turkes and the Persians , the Romaines and the auncient Spartians , the French men and English men , and so consequently betwéene neighbour countreyes , betweene whome there can be no perfect Neighbour countreyes enuy others glory . amitie , not for that the one is vnable to repaire the wrongs done vnto the other : but for that the one without enuy cannot endure to beholde the glory of the other . For which cause Timon of Athens was called dogged , because he grinned at Timon of Athens . the felicitie of man : yea if we well considered their effectes , the actions of the enuious may well bee tearmed deuilishe , in that they repine ▪ at the glory of God , and bend all their forces to suppres vertue and her followers , which in these following discourses , shall be more largely shewen .

MURDER the monster of inhumanitie , Murther the byrde of enuie . was hatched by this accursed Enuie , through whose motions the reprobate Gen. 4. Abell slayne by C●… . Caine slew his iust brother Abell , only because that Abels oblations were better regarded of God then his owne . Enuie caused Romulus to committe Enuie cause of pa●…de and in hummane marthers . Remas slaine by Romulus . Machiuel dis. Lib. 1. the like outrage vpon nature , in slaying his brother Remus , because hee participated with him in rule and soueraignetie , which inhumane fact , Machiuel doth thus excuse , It was needefull ( saith he ) that it shoulde be so , for that other wise the Romaine Empire might haue ended in the beginning , being at one instant gouerned by two kinges of seuerall disposition and direction . But allowe the reason to be good , the good which fell vnto the Common wealth , cannot wash away the stayne of Romulus bloudie offence , otherwise then the freedom that the Romains gayned ouer their tyrannous Kinges , cleared proude Tarquinius of the rape committed on chaste Lucretia , for if any good ( as oftentimes ) doth come of a naughtie cause , God is to be praised for his prouidence , and the Authour is to be chastened for his euil intent . And questionlesse Romulus entente was so foule , as exceeded the crueltie of the rauening Wolfe which nourished him , and therefore worthie to liue in this reproche .

So outragious was the enuy betwéene Polineces and Eteocles , Polinec●… & Et●…ocles broth●… . as old Oedipus their father scratched forth both his eies because he could not endure to behold the murthers and other deadly mischiefes , inflicted vpon the poore Thebanes , in sustaining their vnnaturall quarrels , and ( as some histories make mention ) when they had sheathed their swordes in each others intralles , the enuy of their life appeared after death , whose heresies being ioined together , the flame of the funeral fire violently sundered them , with the selfesame venemous malice , which is naturally impressed betweene these vnpolitike creatures , the Eagle & the Dragon , the Cocke & the Lyon , the wild Bore and the Eliphant , & diuers other bruite creatures , who so disagrée The mortall venime of envy . A necessary example . in nature , as being dead , by no meanes their ●…louds wil mingle together : an example of waight , to teach men to beware of their enuious enemies , in whose heartes disdaine & malice are so mortally enbleamed , as neyther giftes , praier , nor good vsage are of power to worke a true attonement . This monster enuy imboldned wicked Nero to violate the bendes of nature , Enuie caused Ne●…o to ●…ay ●…s mother . by the murdering of his mother , to see the place of his cursed conception , as in his best excuse is alleadged . But the true cause was this , he hastened her death , for that her life by the charge of nature , bounde him to a duetifull reuerence , for his thoughts raigned ouer all men , though his life deserued to be loued of no man .

With this viperous childe may be coupled the vngratious Commodus , sonne of the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius , Commodus enuyed the remembrance of his fathers vertues . who encountring fouretéene or fiftéene gentlemen Romaines , vpon a bridge ouer Tiber , demanded of the gentlemen wherevpon they so sadly deuised : the gentlemen simply answered , that they talked of the good Emperor Marcus Aurelius , whose life was beautified with such diuine vertues , as his death hath charged Rome with an endles sorrow . Whereupon as a murtherer of his fathers renowne , hee commaunded his garde to throwe them all into the riuer of Tiber , alleadging that they coulde not prayse his father , without the blaming of him . Wherein though Commodus did euill , he spake truth , for the commendation of vertue , is euermore a reproch to vice : and Vice is reproched by the commendation of vertue . without doubt , as the good Emperour Aurelius inlarged the monumentes of his predecessours , in example to those that shoulde succeede him : so the vngratious Commodus exceeded all his ancestours in euill , and left no possibilitie for his heires to be worse : of whome is reported that his notorious crimes exceeded the dayes of his age : which I ouerpasse , as examples necessary for other purposes , and vnto this impious parte I will ioyne this following crueltie .

Upon a day one tolde this naughtie Emperour , that his cosen Mamertius Antomenes resembled him in comelynesse of An other inhumane murder caused by enuy in Commodus . bodie , and magnanimitie of minde : vpon which report Commodus pronounced death both vpon the reporter and his innocent cousen , holding it for reason , that it appertained to no man , to vaunt , ( lesse ) to resemble him : and ( in my opinion ) if Antomenes resembled him in deuilish qualities , death was too easie a scourge for so lewde a life . Mulla Abdula father of Moley Mahumet , commonly called the blacke king , in whose cause the mortall battaile , betwéene the king of Portugall , and Amoley Muluco king of Fees was fought the 5. of August 1578. as in the alteration of the latter common weales by enuy , shal be more largely shewen , vpon an enuious suggestion that his brethren by the priuity in nature and bloud , loked A horrible murder by enuy . to liue in greater liberty then subiectes , by the assistaunce of a noble man of the countrey called Alcatho Alley , caused the throates of a eleuen of his brethren to be cut in one morning . Now to conclude these particular tyrannies of enuye , vnto H●…ule , Grafton , and other English H●…oriographers which millions of notorious examples may be enserted : the monstrous murders of king Richard the third a tyrant of our nation is worthy note , in whose wretched end , yet worthy his wickednes , the happines of Englande began againe to florish , and enioyed her auncient renowne . This tyraunt at such time as he was Duke of Glocester , with an enuious eye , behelde King Henry the 7. ouercame this tirant and calmed the afflictions of England . Prince Edward slaine by Richardes handes . the soueranity of king Edwarde the 4. his brother , and yet inforced by necessity obeyed him . For annoynted kinges with weake policies are not depriued , but vnable to hold his hand from their throates , who for their dignities toke the vpper hand of him , against the lawes of honor with his impious handes he stabbed Prince Edward to the hart , beeing taken prisoner at the battaile of Tewksbury .

Next like an Alehouse ruffen , with his dagger he slew the K. Henry the 6. slaine by Richardes handes . infortunate good king Henry the sixt in the tower of London . Then heaping murder vppon murder , he caused George , Duke of Clarence his naturall Brother to be drowned in a Duke of Clarence drowned Butte of Malmesey . And last though not the least , to rowle vp a number of noble subiectes endes , with the death of king Edward the fift , and Richard Duke of Yorke the kinges brother King Edward the 5. and his brother slaine . & his nephewes , whom he caused to be murthered in the Tower , and buried without honor , to infame the name of king Edward the fourth and his posterity , he pronounced his mother like a filthy harpye , to be a strumpet , and that the sayd king Edward was a Bastard , and him selfe onely legitimate , ( as I think ) sonne of the diuel , for it séemeth wonderful that so inhumane a creature , should take life of humane séed .