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him, healing him both in soul and body: for He took him Danett out of this miserable world, being perfect of sense, understanding, and memory, having received all his Sacraments without all grief to man's judgment, and talking continually even within a Pater noster while of his death; so that he gave order for his funeral, and named those that should accompany his body to the grave; saying ever, that he trusted to die on no day but Saturday, and that our Lady, in whom he had ever put his confidence, and always devoutly served, had purchased him this grace; and sure so it happened, for he ended his life upon Saturday, the 30th of August, in the year 1483, at eight of the clock at night, in the said Castle of Plessis, where he fell sick the Monday before. His soul, I trust, is with God, and resteth in His blessed Realm of Paradise.

Thomas Danett.

HIS

JULIUS CAESAR

IS pleasures could never make him lose one minute of an hour, nor turn one step from the occasions, that might any way further his advancement. This passion did so soveraignly oversway all others, and possessed his mind with so uncontrolled an authority, that she carried him whither she list. Truly I am grieved, when in other things I consider this man's greatness, and the wondrous parts that were in him; so great sufficiency in all manner of knowledge and learning, as there is almost no science wherein he hath not written. He was so good an orator, that divers have preferred his eloquence before Cicero's; and himself (in mine opinion) in that faculty thought himself nothing short of him. And his two Anti-Catos were especially written to overbalance the eloquence which Cicero had employed in his Cato. And for all other matters;

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was ever mind so vigilant, so active, and so patient of labour
as his? And doubtless, it was also embellished with sundry
rare seeds of virtue.
I mean lively, natural, and not
counterfeits. He was exceeding sober, and so homely in his
feeding, that Oppius reporteth: how upon a time, through a
certain Cook's negligence, his meat being dressed with a
kind of medicinable Oil instead of Olive-oil, and so brought
to the board, although he found it, yet he fed heartily of
it, only because he would not shame his Host: another
time he caused his Baker to be whipped, because he had
served him with other than common household bread.
Cato himself was wont to say of him, that he was the
first sober man had addressed himself to the ruin of his
country. And whereas the same Cato called him one day
drunkard, it happened in this manner. Being both together
in the Senate House, where Catiline's conspiracy was much
spoken of, wherein Caesar was greatly suspected to have a
hand; a note was by a friend of his brought, and in very
secret sort delivered him, which Cato perceiving, supposing
it might be something that the Conspirators advertised him
of, instantly summoned him to show it, which Caesar, to
avoid a greater suspicion, refused not: it was by chance an
amorous letter, which Servilia, Cato's sister, writ to him:
Cato having read it, threw it at him, saying: 'Hold it again,
thou drunkard.' I say it was rather a word of disdain and
anger, than an express reproach of this vice, as often we
nickname those that anger us with the first nicknames of
reproaches that come into our mouth, though merely im-
pertinent to those with whom we fall out. Considering
that the vice wherewith Cato charged him hath near
coherency unto that wherein he had surprised Caesar: for
Venus and Bacchus (as the vulgar Proverb saith) agree well
together, but with me Venus is much more blithe and
gamesome, being accompanied with sobriety.

The examples of his mildness and clemency, toward such

as had offended him, are infinite: I mean, besides those he showed during the Civil Wars, which (as by his own writings may plainly appear) he used to blandish and allure his enemies, to make them fear his future domination and victories the less. But if any shall say, those examples are not of validity to witness his genuine and natural affability, we may lawfully answer, that at least they show us a wonderful confidence and greatness of courage to have been in him. It hath often befallen him, to send whole armies back again to his enemies, after he had vanquished them, without deigning to bind them so much as with an oath, if not to favour, at least not to bear arms against him. He hath three or four times taken some of Pompey's chief Captains prisoners, and as often set them at liberty again. Pompey declared all such as would not follow and accompany him in his wars, to be his enemies; and he caused those to be proclaimed as friends, who either would not stir at all, or not effectually arm themselves against him. To such of his Captains as fled from him to procure other conditions, he sent them their weapons, their horses, and all other furniture. The Cities he had taken, by main force, he freed to follow what faction they would, giving them no other garrison than the memory of his clemency and mildness. In the day of his great battle of Pharsalia, he expressly inhibited, that unless they were driven to unavoidable extremity, no man should lay hands upon any Roman citizen. In my judgment these are very hazardous parts, and it is no wonder, if in the Civil War's tumultuous broils we have now on foot those that fight for the ancient laws and state of their country, as he did, do not follow and imitate the example. They are extraordinary means, and which only belongs to Caesar's fortune, and to his admirable foresight, successfully to direct, and happily to conduct them. When I consider the incomparable greatness and invaluable worth of his mind, I excuse Victory, in that she could not well give him over, in

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Florio this most unjust and unnatural cause. But to return to his 1603 clemency; we have divers genuine and lively examples, even in the time of his all-swaying government, when all things were reduced into his hands, and he needed no longer to dissemble. Caius Memmius had written certain detracting and railing Orations against him, which he at full and most sharply had answered; nevertheless, he shortly after helped to make him consul. Caius Calvus, who had composed divers most injurious Epigrams against him, having employed sundry of his friends to be reconciled to him again, Caesar descended to write first unto him. And our good Catullus, who under the name of Mumurra had so rudely and bitterly railed against him, at last coming to excuse himself, Caesar that very night made him to sup at his own table. Having been advertised how some were over lavish in railing against him, all he did was but in a publike oration to declare how he was advertised of it. His enemies he feared less than he hated them. Certain conspiracies and conventicles were made against his life, which being discovered unto him, he was contented by an edict to publish, how he was throughly informed of them, and never prosecuted the Authors. Touching the respect he ever bare unto his friends: Caius Oppius travelling with him, and falling very sick, having but one chamber, he resigned the same unto him, and himself was contented to lie all night abroad and upon the bare ground. Concerning his justice, he caused a servant of his, whom he exceedingly loved, to be executed, forsomuch as he had lain with the wife of a Roman Knight, although no man sued or complained of him. Never was man that showed more moderation in his victory, or more resolution in his adverse fortune. But all these noble inclinations, rich gifts, worthy qualities, were altered, smothered, and eclipsed by this furious passion of Ambition, by which he suffered himself to be so far misled, that it may be well affirmed she only ruled the Stern of all

his actions.

Of a liberal man, she made him a common thief, that so he might the better supply his profusion and prodigality; and made him utter that vile and most injurious speech: that if the wickedest and most pernicious men of the world had for his service and furtherance been faithful unto him, he would to the utmost of his power have cherished and preferred them, as well as if they had been the honestest. It so besotted, and as it were made him drunk with so extreme vanity, that in the presence of all his fellow-citizens he durst vaunt himself, to have made that great and far-spread Roman Commonwealth a shapeless and bodiless name; and pronounce that his Sentences or Answers should thenceforward serve as Laws: and sitting to receive the whole body of the Senate coming toward him, and suffer himself to be adored: and in his presence divine honours to be done him. To conclude, this only vice (in mine opinion) lost and overthrew in him the fairest natural and richest ingenuity that ever was, and hath made his memory abhominable to all honest minds, insomuch as by the ruin of his country, and subversion of the mightiest state and most flourishing Commonwealth that ever the world shall see, he went about to procure his glory.

John Florio.

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TAMERLANE

OW the Prince of Ciarcan had divided his forces into two parts, and given commandment to the first, that as soon as they perceived the enemies to pursue the hundred horse that so disorderly of purpose fled, they should receive them, and so retire all together. He in the meantime with the rest of his power stood close in a valley, near to a wood side, unseen at all. Where having suffered two thousand of the Enemies' Horse (the vantcurriers of the Turks' army) to

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