I Can not but perceiue how that thou (my dearest Corne­lius Pulcher) haste made choice of the most plea­sing course of life that may be; wher­in thou dost affoorde no lesse profite to the Common-wealth, wherein thou liuest, then courtesie to thy par­ticular [Page]friends, with whom thou con­uersest. But forsomuch as a Lande may be found voide of all venomous creatures, as men report of the Iland of Creete, but hitherto there was ne­uer any Common-wealth heard of, which was cleane destitute of enuie, emulation, and contention, three fruit full nursing mothers of enmitie: for, if there were no other cause, yet euen friendship it selfe will soone intangle vs with many enmities: which Chilo the wise man considering, demaund­ed of one who vaunted, that hee had neuer an enemy, whether withall, he had any one friend. Wherevppon it seemeth to mee, that a States man a­mongst other things which he shuld know concerning his enemies, ought not carelesly to giue eare to the saying of Zenophon, that it belongeth to a wise man euen to reape profite by his enemies. Therefore hauing compri­zed together in a little Treatise, that which not long before I had discour­sed [Page]of, I haue sent it thee, almost word for word as it was vttered, omitting all precepts of Politicall gouernment written by me, as knowing that book of mine to bee seldome out of your hands.

Former Ages thought it sufficient to keepe themselues vntouched from the rage of all straunge and wilde beasts, and this onely was the end of all their combate with them: But in these our dayes men hauing at length learned howe to make vse of them, nowe they doe euen reape manifolde commodities by them, as beeing nourished by their bodies, cloathed by their wooll, medicined by theyr gall, and other entrailes; and lastly, armed with their skinnes, so that nowe wee may iustly feare, lest that through want of wilde beasts, mans life doe waxe altogether brutish, de­fectiue, and sauage: sith then it sufficeth some, not to bee iniured of their ennemies: but yet others, [Page]of the wiser sort, it becommeth euen to reape profite by them, as Zeno­phon giueth counsell, wee must not therefore be incredulous, but ra­ther, search out the Methode and the Arte howe to bee able to attayne to that perfection, very needefull for such who can not liue without some ennemies. The husbandman can not frame euery tree according to his minde, nor the hunter tame euery wilde beast, yet both haue found meanes [...]owe, the one, by barren trees, the other, by wilde beasts, might receiue much profite: Sea water is no lesse vnsauorie then vnwholesome, and yet it nourisheth fish, and affoords conuenient passage to transporte whatsoeuer profitable were. The Satyre, at the first sight of fire, woulde needes haue kissed and embraced it: but Prometheus in the Poet checked him with this verse: [Page]

And yet it giueth light, and yeeld­eth heate; yea it is a most needefull helpe to the skilfull vse, in what Art soeuer. Let vs likewise consider our ennemy (though otherwise hee bee altogether hurtfull and vntractable) whether perchance one may touch him gently, vse him wisely, and reape good by hym profitably. There bee many thinges which are greeuous, burthensome, and con­trary to the nature of those on whom they light, and yet you see how that euen sickenesse it selfe giueth some good occasion to liue at ease, and howe that much turmoyle befalling to others, hath beene both a streng­thening, and a practise of their pa­tience: yea more, euen the losse of [Page]goodes and banishment hath occasi­oned some, as, Diogenes and Crates, to betake themselues to the studie of of Philosophie.

As for Zeno, when hee heard newes of his shipwracke, presumed to say, I thanke thee good Fortune, that thou hast drouen me to a poore Studients gowne. For euen as the beasts of the best constitution, and of good digestion, deuoure and con­coct Serpents and Scorpions, yea, some are so nourished, through the extreame heate of their stomackes, and good temperature of their Spi­rites, with stones and shell-fishe, whereas weake and queasie sto­mackes are ready to vomite, with tasting eyther bread or wine: euen so doe the vnwise spoyle friendshippe it selfe, whereas men of vnderstan­ding can make no small vse, euen by their ennemies.

Therefore first it seemeth to mee, that that very thing which is most [Page]hurtefull in enmitie, may become most profitable to men of discretions but by what meanes shall that come to passe you will say? For thine en­nemie carefully watching, dooth narrowely obserue all thy actions, and on euery side dooth curiously prie into thy life, gaping after euery occasion of harming, and dooth, not onely as the beast Lynx by his sight, pierce through trees, stockes, and stones, but dooth search out thine actions, and vndermine thine enterprises, and that euen by thy seruants, friendes, kinsfolkes, and fa­miliar acquaintaunce: for oftentimes our friendes, through our negli­gence and delay, are sicke, and e­uen dead before wee are aware of it, whereas through our ouermuch cu­riositie, wee can hardely forbeare from hearkening euen after the very dreames of our ennemies. But as for thy sickenesse, debts, or domesti­call [...]arres with thy wife, they will [Page]be sooner concealed from thy selfe, then from thine ennemie, yea aboue all, hee will pursue thy faultes, and trace after them most daungerously. And euen as vultures doe followe the smell of dead carkasses, as not able for to take the sent of pure and wholesome bodies, in like manner, the woundes and distempered affe­ctions incident in our life, doe wa­ken our ennemies. And to these come rushing our ill-willers, and violently take holde of them, and rip them vp.

Therefore it is most expedient for thee to liue very circumspectly, to take heede to thy selfe, and ney­ther say, nor doe, any thing rashly, or vnaduisedly: but rather, to leade thy life, as it were keeping an exact diet, without blame, or reprehension whatsoeuer: for this heedefulnesse so repressing the passion of oure mindes, and keeping Reason with­in her boundes of duetie, dooth [Page]frame a carefull desire, and settled purpose, to liue vprightly and blame­lesly: for euen as Citties well taught and tempered with the continuall warres of their next neighbours, do learne good discipline, and embrace a good and well ordered gouerne­ment of their common-weale: euen so those, which through others en­mities are constrained to haue aneve to their life, to abstaine from care­lesnesse and negligence, and to doe all things with a kinde of careful dex­teritie, beeing ledde with custome, themselues scarce perceiuing it, they doe incline to a course of life voyde of errour, and doe settle their beha­uiour, and adorne their manners, with very little helpe of learning: for they who haue at hand that verse of Homer,

Are thereby withdrawne and de­horted from all things which might minister to their enemies any occasi­on of reioycing or laughter: we see of­tentimes how that players and musi­tions in the Theaters, if they be alone by themselues, do play their parts carelesly, and without alacritie, but being once in strife and emulation, with any others, they do not only endeuour themselues to excell, but take care to haue their Instruments in exceeding good order, to tune them choicely, and to frame their consort most [...] [...]nd absolute: euen so he t [...]t knoweth that his enemie is a iealous enuier both of h [...] life and [...]tion, will presently looke more narrowly to himselfe [...] [...]xamine his actions more exactly, and frame his [...]fe more orderly, [...] i [...] the p [...]oper­ [...]e of vice, that when w [...] offend, we [Page]stand in awe more of our enemies then of our friends: wherevpon Na­sica, whenas many supposed and af­firmed, that the Roman comonweale, was now placed in a secure estate, whenas both the Carthaginians were vtterly destroyed, and the Achaians brought vnder the yoke of bondage, nay rather (quoth he) we are in most dangerat this very time, hauing none left vs, whom we might, either feare for danger, or who should keepe vs in awe. And herevnto the saying of Diogenes no lesse agreeing to Policie, then Philosophy, who being asked of one, how he might be auenged of his enemies: why (quoth he) in being a vertuous and honest man; if men see their enemies horses or dogges much esteemed and set by, it will mol [...]st their mindes, and if they chance to see their enemies field well tilled, or their garden well prospering, it causeth them to fetch many a deepe sigh: what then would they doe trowest [Page]thou, if thou shewest thy selfe to bee a iust, prudent, and honest man, in thy words well aduised, in thy actions vn­spotted, and in thy diet most tempe­rate.

The Poet Pindarus saith, that men vanquished haue their tongues so bound, that they dare not offer to hisse, but yet not simplie: neither all are so, but they chiefly that perceiue themselues to be ouercome by their enemies, in industrie, in goodnesse, in magnanimitie, in humanitie, in ma­ny benefites: these be the things (saith Demosthenes) which restrayne the tongue, which seale vp the mouth, which stop the breath, and cause si­lence.

If thou wilt greatly grieue thine enemie, do not accuse him of his wanton behauiour, of his effeminate minde, of intemperance, of his scur­rillitie, of his couetousness but in the meane while, be thou thy selfe a man of courage, chaste, loyall, courteous, and iust, amongst those with whome thou liuest: but if thou chance to goe so farre as to speake ill of him, see that those things which to him thou ob­iectest, bee far from thine owne selfe; sift and examine thine owne soule, search out euery corner therof, wher­in thou art faultie, least euen thine own guiltines gall thee, with that verse of the tragicall Poet.

If thy enemie terme thee vnlearned, striue to shew thy vttermost indeuors and dilligence; if fearefull, stir vp thy valour and corrage, if lasciuious, wipe cleane out of thy minde, that little re­mayning impression of wantonnesse secretly lurking therein: for there is nothing more shamefull, nothing more odious, then a slander retorted vpon the aucthor thereof; but euen as the refracted light doth more hurt the weake eye-sight, euen so repre­hensions iustly redounding backe, do most of all grieue the euill speaker: for as the winde called Caecias draweth vnto it clowdes, so a vicious life bree­deth all reports: therefore Plato, as oft as he kept company with any, who vnseemly behaued themselues, with­drawing himself in priuate, was wont to say to himselfe: what, am I such a one? so he which hath slandered an [Page]other mans life, if by and by he do ex­amine and well order his owne, there­by forming and framing it to a con­trary mould, he shal reape some com­moditie by his slander, which other­wise both seemeth, and is altogether vaine and vnprofitable. It seemeth to most men most rediculous, if a crooke-backe or bald-pate do re­proche or vpbrayde another with the same imperfections; but it deserueth more then ordinary laughter, if a man do mocke and reproch another with that wherewith he himselfe may iust­ly be mocked and reproched, like vn­to that which Leo Emperour of By­zantium aunswered vnto a certaine crooke-backe, which iested at his bleare eyes, saying, thou reprochest me with defect of nature, and thou carriest Nemesis vpon thy backe, ther­fore do not thou obiect adultry to an other, thy selfe madding after the loue of boyes; nor yet prodigallitie, they selfe being a niggard. Alemaeon in the [Page]Poet checked Adrastus in this sort.

What then did Adrastus? he would not cast in his teeth an other bodies fault, but euen his owne, thus:

So also Domitius reproching Craes­sus, said, didst not thou weepe for the death of thy Lamprey which thou norishedst in thy pond? wherevpon Craessus replied, didst not thou burie three wiues without one teare? where­fore he that reprocheth, must not be witty in his owne conceit, lowd in his voyce, and lewd in his talke, but rather blamelesse and faultlesse in his life: for it seemeth that euen God him­selfe hath to no one so much enioy­ned this golden precept (Knowe thy [Page]selfe) as vnto him, who is about to re­proch another; least speaking what hee would, hee heare that which hee would not, for such a one (as Sophocles the tragicke Poet tels vs.)

Behold now what profit there is in reproching our enemies, and yet there is no lesse commoditie receiued by being reproched of our enemies. Wherfore Antisthenes said not amisse, that those that would liue free from vice, haue neede either of most vn­fained freinds, or of most bitter ene­mies, because those by their admoni­tions, and those by their reproches, do withdraw him from vice, and be­cause that now a dayes friendship is become feeble in reprehending free­ly, talkatiue in flattering, and mute in [Page]admonishing, wee must learne the truth, euen of our enemies. For euen as Telephus, when among his owne friendes, he found-none to cure his wound, permitted his enemy to doe it: so must hee that hath not a friend to correct him, suffer the reprehen­sion of his enemie, hauing regard rather to the deede it selfe, then to the mind of the reprehender: and euen as he who purposed to kil Promethe­us the Thessalian, opened his impo­stume with his sworde, and by that meanes both saued his life, and cured him of his disease: euen so very often a taunt, which either anger or enmitie hath cast vpon vs, doth salue some wound of our soule, either vnknown through ignorance, or vnregarded through negligence: but the most part of men consider not the truth of the reproch obiected, but endeuour rather to find some fault in the per­son reproaching, and so, much like wrastlers, they do not wipe from [Page]themselues the dust of reproches, but rather besprinkle others with the same; and so go grapling with them, thēselues ouerthrowing one another: yea rather he that is noted for some crime by his enemies, if it be true, by and by he ought with farre more di­ligence to purge it away, then a man would wipe out of his garment any apparant spot or blemish: but if false, then we ought to enquire out the cause, which was the cause of the fault finding, & withal, he must feare, and take good heed, least he com­mitted any thing at vnawaies, any way like, or neere to that for which he was reproched; as for example: Lacides King of Argos was accounted some­what lasciuious, onely for his sleeke lookes and mincing gate: so Pompey, albeit, a man farre from all lust and effeminaties, beecause hee vsed to scratch his head with one finger: was noted with the same crime: so Cr [...]ssus was thought to haue abused one of [Page]the vestall virgins, by reason of a farme which he greatly desired to buy of her, and for that cause, to obtaine his content, he very often conuersed with her apart: so Posthumia, bicause she was so giuen to laughter, and somewhat forward in talking with men, was suspected of her honestie, and that so farre forth, that she was accused thereof openly in the court, but in the end, being found guiltlesse, and acquited by Spurius Minutius, be­ing then high priest, she had this ca­ueate of him, that hereafter she shuld not vse words vnsutable to her life: so Themistocles, by Pausanius, although most cleare in himself, was suspected of treason, as vsing him friendly, and writing & sending oft to him. There­fore when a false thing is obiected, it must not be neglected and contem­ned as being a lie, but rather we must search out, if either we, or any of our friends, haue spoken, or done, or at­tempted any such things, which [Page]might carry some likelyhoode of that slander, and so warily to auoyde it: for if others, by falling into vnexpe­cted miseries, doe learne their owne good, as Meropa in the Poet spea­keth:

What dooth hinder vs that wee shoulde not accept of a maister that taketh no wages, but instructeth gratis, to wit euen an ennemie, to be profited by him, and learne some­thing which before wee knewe not: for an enemy dooth perceiue many things farre better than a friend, be­cause a louer (as saith Plato) is euen blinded with the affection of the per­son beloued, whereas hatred, besides curiositie, hath for his companion, an affected desire of pratling, whenas one of the enemies of Hiero reproch­ed [Page]him with his stincking breath: he going home to his wife, questioned with her sharpely, saying, What meaneth this, that thou neuer toldst me of this before? She no lesse chaste than harmelesse, aunswered, shee thought al men had the same sauour: So that those thinges, which eyther pertayne to the body, or belong to any sense, or else bee apparant in all mens sights, are sooner knowne by a mans ennemies, than by his friends or familiars. Besides, it is not possi­ble so to bridle the tongue (which is not the least parte of Vertue) as, to frame it to be alwayes obedient, and controlde by Reason, vnlesse a man by much practise, by great care, and by all earnest indeuours, doe striue for to subdew those rebellious pas­sions of the minde, amongst which Anger beareth not the least sway: for a worde which vnwittingly dooth breake out of the mouth, as it is in the Poet: [Page]

When such wordes (I say) flie carelesly out of themselues, they do as it were, slide and slippe away most commonly from vnexercised, and vnsetled mindes: which, when it happeneth, it argueth great weake­nesse of minde, much distempera­ture of iudgement, with no lesse sa­uage strangenesse of behauiour, in as much as for a mannes speeche, a thing, of it selfe, of least account (as wee reade in diuine Plato) both by the gods, and by men, a most grie­uous punishment is allotted, where­as silence is alwayes without daun­ger: neyther onely (as Hipocrates sayeth) dooth it preuent thirst, but aboue all, being wisely vsed, when wee are reproached, it preserueth a kinde of grauitie altogether Socrati­call, [Page]call, or rather Herculean, for Her­cules, as it is in the Poet:

Neither surely is it more laudable or godly to be quiet at the rebuke of our enemies, and to saile carelesly by it, as by a dangerous rocke, but practise of our patience is farre more to be affected: For, if thou art once inured to beare patiently a contume­lious ennemy, thou wilt easily suffer the rage of thy rayling wife, thou wilt lesse bee troubled with the bitter checke of thy brother or friend: yea more, thou wilt sustayne euen the scourge of thy parents, wythout any commotion of thy minde: for So­crates did forbeare Xantippe his wife, beeing a very froward and wayward woman, because hee thought hee might better conuerse with others, if hee were accustomed to forbeare with her: but it is much more excel­lent to bee able to tollerate calamitie, [Page]as being fore-prepared by long exer­cise the opprobrious taunts and reui­lings of our enimies Py this means we make shew of our mild disposition, & vnmoued patience, euen towards our enemies: for here is a more vse of sim­plicitie, of an high erected spirite, and of gentlenes, then euen in friendship it selfe. For it is not so commenda­ble, to doe well to a mans friend, as it is shamefull, not to doe it in time of his neede: so that, to let slippe the occasion of reuenging our enne­mie, being offered, argueth much humanitie. But hee that hath a fel­low-feeling compassion of his affli­cted enemy, who helpes his neces­sities who sheweth mercy to his distressed children, and vnderprop­peth his decaying family, whosoeuer dooth not both loue him for his cur­tesie, and praise him for his goodnes, that man (as the Poetsaieth)

When Caesar commaunded the o­uerthrowne monuments of Pompey, to be agayne set vp, Cicero told him, that in erecting the Trophies of Pompey, hee hadde established his owne. Therefore a man must not spare to praise his very ennemy, and to honour him too, if hee doe de­serue it: for the commender is there­by more praise-woorthy, and better to be beleeued whensoeuer he repre­hendeth, as not hating the man, but reproouing the matter: but that which is yet most profitable and ex­cellent, is, that hee, who doth once accustome himselfe to praise euen his enemy, and neuer grieues, nor enuies his prosperous successe, that man must needes be farre estranged from grudging and enuying at the prosperitie of his friends and famili­ars, and (I pray you) what exercise [Page]can possible woorke so much good for our soules, or frame our dis­position better, than that which cleane taketh away that too much affected humor of enuy and emula­tion.

For euen as in a Citty there be ma­ny things necessary, though other­wise not so good, which being once allowed by custome, and confirmed by force of law, cannot be easily a­bolished, how pernitious soeuer they be; euen so, enmitie acompanies, with hatred, with enuie, with a delight in other mens harmes, and with the me­morie of receiued iniuries, and yet leaues them all in the minde: besides all these, enters in fraudulent dealing, deepe deceipts▪ and perfidious trea­cheries, as presupposing these things may lawfully be vsed towards our e­nemies: & then being ingraffed, they can by no meanes be rooted out with head-strong affections, if we do not [Page]curbe them, in conuersing with our enemies, it is to be feared, lest being ouercome by custome, we vse them euen with our friends: if then Pitha­goras did very well, in accustoming his Disciples, euen in vnreasonable creatures, to abstaine from crueltie and iniuries, so that he would intreat both fowlers and fishers, to let go the one his birds, the other his fish, being taken; or at the least redeemed them with money and so let them loose; yea & forbade the slaughter of any tame heast whatsoeuer: much more glori­ous questionlesse were it, if that euen being enemies, in contentions and iarres betweene man and man, wee would shew our selues to be noble minded, vpright, and true hearted, by controuling, and repressing all vile degenerate, and hurtefull passions of our minder; to the intent, that in con­uersing with our friends, our patience may be vnmouable and our selues ab­stayning [Page]from all maner of wicked­nes. Scaur [...] was Domit [...] priuate e­nemie, and publike accuser, yet when as before the iudgement day a cer­taine seruaunt of Domitius came to Scaurus, as being about to tell him somwhat against his master, he would not suffer him to speake, but appre­hending him, sent him backe to his master: so likewise Cato accusing Mu­rena of bribery, in suing for offices, and gathering together proofes to confirme his accusation, in the meane season there followed him at his heels (according to the fashion of those times) certaine men who spied out all his proceedings and asked him now and then, whether he purposed to do any thing touching the accusation that day or no, if he had said no, they presently beleeued it, and went their way: and this surely was a strong ar­gument of that great estimation which they had of Ca [...]o; and yet it is [Page]far more laudable, if being enuied, to deal iustly euē with our vtter enemies, we neuer either vniustly defraude, or craftely circumuent our friends and acquantance. But sith that euery larke hath his crest (according to the saying of Simouides) so euery mans nature is bent to contention, emulation, and enuy, the vnseperable follower of vayne-minded men (as Pindarus speaketh) it were no small profit if a man would poure out such like af­fections vpon his enemies, as it were by certaine channels, to driue them farre from our neighbours and com­panions: which thing Onomademus an excellent Stats-man seemed to haue throughly considered, who in a great tumult which arose in the Iland of Chios, being one of the superior facti­on, counselled his felowes, that they should not expell al their aduersaries, but still leaue some in the Cittie (least said he) otherwise being voyd of all [Page]our enemies, we should beginne to quarrell with our friends: besides, these humors being spent vppon our enemies, they will lesse greiue our friendes; for the potter needs not en­uy the potter: (as the Poet Hosi [...] saith,) nor the musitian the musitian, nor the neighbour be iealous of his neighbour, or kinsman, or brother now beginning to prosper. But if no way may be found, whereby thou maist be free from strife, enuy, and contentions, at least frame thy selfe, to grieue at the happy successe of thine enemies, and stir vp that conten­tious edge, by sharpening and whet­ting it on thy enemies, for euen as handsome Gardeners, imagine that rootes and violets will prosper the better, being set by garlicke and oni­ons, because all that whatsoeuer is fil­thy and vnsauory in the norishment of the earth, is deriued into th [...], euen so our enemie, drawing to him, [Page]selfe, and receiuing all our rancor and malice, will make vs more tractable and louing to our friendes in their prospentie. Therefore we must con­tend with our enemies for glory for power, or any lawfull increase of our wealth, and not only abstayne from repining, if they go beyond vs in any thing, but rather obserue the meanes whereby they haue excelled vs, and endeuor to surpasse them in industry, in constancie of labours, and in tem­perance: yea let vs be our enemies iealous obseruers, in that sort as The­mistocles was wont to say, that Milti­ [...] victory in Marathon bereaued him of his sleepe: for those which thinke that their enemies do ouer­passe them, either in publike charge, or in pleading, or in gouerning the commonwealth, or els in the fauor of princes, or multitude of friends; those men if they conuert a glorious kinde or practicall emulation into a certaine [Page]deiected and base-minded repining, they are vexed with an idle and fruit­lesse enuy, but he that is not blinded with the hatred of his enemie, but as an vncorrupt and vnpartiall specta­tor, doth behold his manners, his say­ings, his doings, he shall perceiue that the most part of those things which he enuyed in him, were gotten by his dilligent prouidence, and good carri­age; and thereby ayming at the end, he will increase his good desire of ho­nestie and glory, and cutting off each vayne and slouthfull affection. But if our enemies, by flattering, by subtil dealing, by suites in law, by taking of bribes, do get any credit or rep [...]tiō, either in court, or common-woule, that shall not onely giue vs any occa­sion of griefe, but euen gift vs very much, by opposing against them the liberty of our minde, and the pur [...]es of our life, free from al reproch what­soeuer: for (if we may beleeue Plato) [Page]what masse of gold soeuer, is either ouer, or vnder the corth, deserues not to be compared with vertue, besides, that saying of Solo [...] ought still to be in our mouthes.

Much lesse should we preferre the trencher-hired applause of spe­ctators in a Theater, or the honours and first places amongst the Eu­nuches, Concubines, and great men belonging to princes, before our ver­tue: for nothing deserues, either ad­miration, or emulation, whose being is sharnefull; But that the louer is euer blinded with affection towards his beloued, (as Plato tels vs) and we do with more ease perceiue a shame­full action, when it is committed by [Page]our enemies; howsoeuer neither the ioy which we haue by their misdeeds, nor the griefe which we conceiue of their good deeds, ought to be idle and vnprofitable vnto vs, but rather we ought so to frame the matter of both sides, that both in shunning their vices, we wax more absolute, and in imitating their vertues, we become more excel­lent then they themselues.