little heads had the better wit? And one said, "It "must needs be the little; for that it is a maxim, "Omne majus continet in se minus."

92. Solon, when he wept for his son's death, and one said to him, "Weeping will not help;" answered, "Alas, therefore I weep, because weeping will "not help.”

93. Solon being asked; whether he had given the Athenians the best laws? answered, "Yes, the "best of those that they would have received."

94. One said to Aristippus; It is a strange thing, why men should rather give to the poor, than to philosophers. He answered, "Because they think "themselves may sooner come to be poor, than to "be philosophers.”

95. Alexander used to say of his two friends, Craterus, and Hephæstion; that Hephæstion loved Alexander, and Craterus loved the king.

96. It fell out so, that as Livia went abroad in Rome, there met her naked young men that were sporting in the streets, which Augustus was about severely to punish in them; but Livia spake for them, and said, "It was no more to chaste women "than so many statues."

97. Alonso of Arragon was wont to say in commendation of age, "That age appeared to be best "in four things: old wood best to burn; old wine "to drink; old friends to trust; and old authors to "read."

98. It was said of Augustus, and afterward the like was said of Septimius Severus, both which did

infinite mischief in their beginnings, and infinite good toward their ends, "that they should either have 66 never been born or never died."

99. Queen Isabella of Spain used to say, "Who"soever hath a good presence, and a good fashion, "carries letters of recommendation.

100. Trajan would say of the vain jealousy of princes, that seek to make away those that aspire to their succession "that there was never king that "did put to death his successor."

101. When it was represented to Alexander, to the advantage of Antipater, who was a stern and imperious man, that he only of all his lieutenants wore no purple, but kept the Macedonian habit of black; Alexander said, "Yea, but Antipater is all "purple within.”

102. Constantine the Great, in a kind of envy, himself being a great builder, as Trajan likewise was, would call Trajan" Parietaria:" wall-flower; because his name was upon so many walls.

103. Philip of Macedon was wished to banish one for speaking ill of him. But Philip answered; "Better he speak where we are both known, than "where we are both unknown."

104. A Grecian captain advising the confederates that were united against the Lacedæmonians, touching their enterprise, gave opinion, that they should go directly upon Sparta, saying; "That the state of Sparta was like rivers; strong when they had run a great way, and weak towards "their head."

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105. Alonso of Arragon was wont to say of himself, That he was a great necromancer, for that "he used to ask counsel of the dead:" meaning books.

106. Lucullus entertained Pompey in one of his magnificent houses: Pompey said, "this is a marvellous fair and stately house for the sunmer: but " methinks it should be very cold for winter." Lucullus answered, "Do you not think me as wise as "divers fowls are, to change my habitation in the "winter season?"

107. Plato entertained some of his friends at a dinner, and had in the chamber a bed, or couch, neatly and costly furnished. Diogenes came in and got upon the bed, and trampled it, saying, " I "trample upon the pride of Plato." Plato mildly answered, "But with greater pride."

108. One was examined upon certain scandalous words spoken against the king. He confessed them, and said; "It is true, I spake them, and "if the wine had not failed, I had said much "more."

109. Pompey being commissioner for sending grain to Rome in time of dearth, when he came to the sea, found it very tempestuous and dangerous, insomuch as those about him advised him by no means to embark; but Pompey said, "It is of necessity that I go, not that I live."

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110. Trajan would say, "That the king's exchequer was like the spleen; for when that did swell, "the whole body did pine."

111. Charles the Bald allowed one, whose name was Scottus, to sit at the table with him, for his pleasure: Scottus sat on the other side of the table. One time the king being merry with him, said to him; "What is there between Scott and sot?" Scottus answered; "The table only."

112. Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester, in a famine, sold all the rich vessels and ornaments of the church, to relieve the poor with bread; and said, "there was no reason that the dead temples of God "should be sumptuously furnished, and the living temples suffer penury."

113. There was a marriage made between a widow of great wealth, and a gentleman of a great house, that had no estate or means. Jack Roberts said,

"That marriage was like a black pudding; the one

brought blood, and the other brought suet and " oatmeal."

114. Demosthenes was upbraided by Eschines, that his speeches did smell of the lamp. But Demosthenes said, "Indeed there is a great deal of "difference between that which you and I do by lamp-light."

115. Demades the orator, in his age was talkative, and would eat hard: Antipater would say of him, that he was like a sacrifice, that nothing was left of it but the tongue and the paunch.

116. When king Edward the second was amongst his torturers, who hurried him to and fro, that no man should know where he was, they set him down upon a bank and one time, the more to disguise his

face, shaved him, and washed him with cold water of a ditch by the king said; "Well, yet I will have "warm water for my beard:" and so shed abundance of tears.

117. The Turks made an an expedition into Persia, and because of the strait jaws of the mountains of Armenia, the bashaws consulted which way they should get in. Says a natural fool that stood by, "Here is much ado how

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you shall get in; but I hear nobody take care how you "should get out."

118. Sir Thomas More, when the counsel of the party pressed him for a longer day to perform the decree, said; Take saint Barnaby's "day, which is the longest day in the year." Now saint Barnaby's day was within few days following.

119. One of the fathers saith, "That there is 66 but this difference between the death of old men "and young men; that old men go to death, and "death comes to young men."

120. Philo Judæus saith, that the sense is like the sun; for the sun seals up the globe of heaven, and opens the globe of earth: so the sense doth obscure heavenly things, and reveals earthly things.

121. Cassius, after the defeat of Crassus by the Parthians, whose weapons were chiefly arrows, fled to the city of Charras, where he durst not stay any time, doubting to be pursued and besieged; he had with him an astrologer, who said