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found any offence? Who said, "No." "Why so?" saith Vespasian again: "yet this comes out of " urine."

175. There were two gentlemen, otherwise of equal degree, save that the one was of the ancienter house. The other in courtesy asked his hand to kiss which he gave him; and he kissed it; but said withal, to right himself by way of friendship, "Well, I and you, against any two of them:" putting himself first.

176. Nerva the emperor succeeded Domitian, who had been tyrannical; and in his time many noble houses were overthrown by false accusations the instruments whereof were chiefly Marcellus and Regulus. The emperor Nerva one night supped privately with six or seven: amongst whom there was one that was a dangerous man; and began to take the like courses as Marcellus and Regulus had done. The emperor fell into discourse of the injustice and tyranny of the former time, and by name of the two accusers; and said, "What should we "do with them, if we had them now?" One of them that was at supper, and was a free-spoken senator, said, "Marry, they should sup with us."

177. There was one that found a great mass of money digging under ground in his grandfather's house; and being somewhat doubtful of the case, signified it to the emperor that he had found such treasure. The emperor made a rescript thus; " Use "it." He writ back again, that the sum was greater

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than his estate or condition could use. The emperor writ a new rescript, thus: "Abuse it."

178. A Spaniard was censuring to a French gentleman the want of devotion amongst the French; in that, whereas in Spain, when the sacrament goes to the sick, any that meets with it, turns back and waits upon it to the house whither it goes; but in France they only do reverence, and pass by. But the French gentleman answered him, "There is reason for it; "for here with us, Christ is secure amongst his "friends; but in Spain there be so many Jews and Maranos, that it is not amiss for him to have a con66 voy."

179. Coranus the Spaniard, at a table at dinner, fell into an extolling of his own father, saying," If he "could have wished of God, he could not have "chosen amongst men a better father." Sir Henry Savil said, "What, not Abraham?" Now Coranus was doubted to descend of a race of Jews.

180. Consalvo would say, "The honour of a

"soldier ought to be

a strong web;" meaning,

that it should not be

fine and curious, that every

little disgrace should catch and stick in it.

181. One of the Seven was wont to say;

"That laws were like cobwebs ; were like

cobwebs; where the "small flies were caught, and the great brake through."

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182. Bias gave in precept, "Love as if you should "hereafter hate; and hate as if you should hereafter "love.".

183. Aristippus being reprehended of luxury by one that was not rich, for that he gave six crowns for a small fish, answered, "Why, what would you "have given ?" The other said, "Some twelvepence." Aristippus said again, "And six crowns is no more

" with me."

184. There was a French gentleman speaking with an English, of the law Salique; that women were excluded from inheriting the crown of France. The English said, "Yes; but that was meant of the "women themselves, not of such males, as claimed by "women." The French gentleman said, " Where "do you find that gloss?" The English answered, "I'll tell you, Sir: look on the backside of the re"cord of the law Salique, and there you shall find it "indorsed:" implying there was no such thing as the law Salique, but that it is a mere fiction.

185. There was a friar in earnest dispute about the law Salique, that would needs prove it by Scripture; citing that verse of the Gospel; "Lilia agri "non laborant neque nent:" the lilies of the field do neither labour nor spin; applying it thus: That the flower-de-luces of France cannot descend, neither to the distaff nor to the spade: that is, not to a woman, nor to a peasant.

186. Julius Cæsar, as he passed by, was, by acclamation of some that stood in the way, termed King, to try how the people would take it. The people shewed great murmur and distaste at it. Cæsar, finding where the wind stood, slighted it, and

said, "I am not king, but Cæsar;" as if they had mistaken his name. For Rex was a surname amongst the Romans as King is with us.

187. When Croesus, for his glory, shewed Solon his great treasures of gold, Solon said to him, "If "another king come that hath better iron than you, "he will be master of all this gold."

188. There was a gentleman that came to the tilt all in orange-tawny, and ran very ill. The next day he came again all in green, and ran worse. There was one of the lookers on asked another; "What is "the reason that this gentleman changeth his co"lours?" The other answered " Sure, because it may "be reported, that the gentleman in the green "ran worse than the gentleman in the orangetawny."

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189. Aristippus said; "That those that studied particular sciences, and neglected philosophy, were "like Penelope's wooers, that made love to the waiting woman."

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190. Plato reprehended severely a young man for entering into a dissolute house. The young man said to him, "Why do you reprehend so sharply for "so small a matter?" Plato replied, "But custom " is no small matter."

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191. There was a law made by the Romans against the bribery and extortion of the governors of provinces. Cicero saith in a speech of his to the people, "That he thought the provinces would pen to "the state of Rome to have that law

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For," saith he," before the governors did bribe and "extort as much as was sufficient for themselves;

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but now they bribe and extort as much as may be enough not only for themselves, but for the judges, " and jurors, and magistrates."

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192. Archidamus, king of Lacedæmon, having received from Philip, king of Macedon, after Philip had won the victory of Charonea upon the Athenians, proud letters, writ back to him, "That if he "measured his own shadow, he would find it no longer than it was before his victory,"

193. Pyrrhus, when his friends congratulated to him his victory over the Romans, under the conduct of Fabricius, but with great slaughter of his own side, said to them again, " Yes, but if we have such "another victory, we are undone."

194. Cineas was an excellent orator and states

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and principal friend and counsellor to Pyrrhus; and falling in inward talk with him, and discerning the king's endless ambition; Pyrrhus opened himself unto him, that he intended first a war upon Italy, and hoped to atchieve it: Cineas asked him, Sir, "what will you do then?"" Then," saith he, "we "will attempt Sicily." Cineas said, Cineas said, "Well, Sir, “what then?" Said Pyrrhus, "If the gods favour us, we may conquer Africa and Carthage." "What then, Sir?" saith Cineas. "Nay then," saith Pyrrhus "we m

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“feast every c Sir

r rest, and sacrifice and

erry with our friends." ay we not do so now

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