-- The similitude.
EUen as thei, whiche serue one maister, shall soneste with labour please, and with fidelitie, accomplishe his will and pleasure. For, the maners of many me[n]
be diuerse, and variable, so in a Monarchie, the state of one is sone obaied, the minde and lawe of one Prince sone folowed, his Maiestie dreaded and loued.
-- The example.
LET the fower chief Monarchies of the a.s.sirian, the Persian, Grecian, and the Romaine, whiche haue continued from the beginnyng mightie, moste hap- pie, bee an example herein. If that state of gouernement, had not been chiefe of all other, those mightie kyngdomes would not haue preferred, that kinde of gouernment.
-- The testimonie of auncient writers.
THerefore, Aristotle, Plato, and all the chief Philoso- phers, intreatyng of the administracion of a common wealthe: doe preferre before all states of gouernment [Fol. xxiiij.v]
a Monarchie, bothe for the felicitie of it, and stedfaste state.
-- The conclusion.
HOmere therefore deserueth greate commendacion, for this one sentence, whiche preferreth a Monarchie before all states.
-- The destruccion.
THis exercise of _Rhetotike_, is called destruccion, or subuersion, because it is in a oracion, a certain re- prehension of any thyng declaimed, or dilated, in the whiche by order of art, the declaimer shall pro- cede to caste doune by force, and strengthe of reason, the con- trarie induced.
In this exercise of _Rhetorike_, those proposicions are to be subuerted, whiche are not manifeste true, neither it so repu- gnaunt from reason, as that there can appere no holde, to in- duce a probable reason to confounde thesame. But soche pro- posicions are meete for this parte, as are probable in both si- des, to induce probabilitie of argument, to reason therupon.
1. It shall behoue you firste, for the entryng of this matter, to adde a reprehension there against those, whiche haue con- firmed as a truthe, that, whiche you will confute.
2. In thesame place, adde the exposion, and meanyng of his sentence.
3. Thirdly, shew the matter to be obsure, that is vncertain[.]
4. Incrediblie.
5. Impossible.
6. Not agreyng to any likelihode of truthe.
7. Uncomlie to be talked of.
8. Unprofitable.
This exercise of _Rhetorike_ doeth contain in it al strength of arte, as who should saie, all partes of _Rhetorike_, maie co- piouslie be handled in this parte, called confutacion, so am- ple a matter Tullie doeth note this parte to be.
-- The theme or proposicion of this Oracion.
[Fol. xxv.r]
It is not like to be true, that is said of the battaill of Troie.
-- The reprehension of the auc- thor, and of all Poetes.
NOt without a cause, the vanities of Poetes are to bee reproued, and their forged inuencions to bee reiected: in whose writynges, so manifestlie are set forthe as a truthe, and Chronicled to the posteritie of ages and times, soche forged mat- [Sidenote: The vanities of Poetes.]
ters of their Poeticall and vain wittes. Who hath not heard of their monsterous lies against G.o.d, thei inuentyng a gene- alogie of many G.o.ddes procreated, where as there is but one G.o.d. This vanitie also thei haue set forthe, in their mo- numentes and woorkes. How a conspiracie was sometyme emong the G.o.ddes and G.o.ddes, to binde the great G.o.d Iu- piter. How impudentlie doe thei set forthe the G.o.ddes, to bee louers of women, and their adulterous l.u.s.te: and how thei haue transformed theim selues, into diuers shapes of beastes and foules, to followe after beastly l.u.s.te. The malice and en- uie of the G.o.ddes, one to an other: The feigne also the heaue[n]
to haue one G.o.d, the sea an other, h.e.l.le an other, whiche are mere vanities, and false imaginacio[n]s of their Poeticall wit- tes. The like forged inuencion haue thei wrote, of the migh- [Sidenote: The battaill of Troie .x.
yeres for a herlotte.]
tie and terrible battaill bruted of Troie, for a beautifull har- lot susteined ten yeres. In the whiche, not onely men and no- ble peeres, gaue the combate of battaile, but the G.o.ddes toke partes against G.o.ddes, and men wounded G.o.ddes: as their [Sidenote: The vain in- uention of Poetes.]
lies exceade all nomber, because thei bee infinite, so also thei pa.s.se all truthe, reason, and iudgemente. These fewe exam- ples of their vanities and lies, doe shewe the feigned ground and aucthoritie of the reste. Accordyng to the folie and super- sticiousnes of those tymes, thei inuented and forged folie vp- pon folie, lye vpon lye, as in the battaill of Troie, thei aggra- uate the dolour of the battaill, by pitifull and lamentable in- [Sidenote: Plato reie- cteth Poetes from the com[-]
mon wealth.]
uencion. As for the Poetes them selues, Plato in his booke, made vpon the administracion of a common wealth, maketh [Fol. xxv.v]
theim in the nomber of those, whiche are to bee banished out of all common wealthes.
-- The exposicion.
HOmere dooeth saie, and many other Poetes, that the warres of the Grecians against the Troians, was for beautifull Helena, and continued tenne yeres. The G.o.ddes and G.o.ddis toke partes, and all the people of Grece, aided Menelaus, and the kyng Aga- memnon, to bryng home again Helena, neclecting their own countrie, their wife and chidre[n], for one woma[n]. The Grekes inuentyng a huge and mightie horse made of Firre tree, and couered with bra.s.se, as huge as a mou[n]tain, out of the whiche the Grecians by treason issuyng, brought Troie to ruine.
-- The obscuritie of the matter.
IT semeth a matter of folie, that so many people, so mightie nacions should bee bewitched, to raise so mightie a armie, ha.s.sardyng their liues, leauyng their countrie, their wiues, their children, for one [Sidenote: Helena.]
woman: Be it so, that Helena pa.s.sed all creatures, and that Nature with beautie had indued her with all vertue, and sin- gularitie: yet the Grecians would not be so foolishe, that vni- uersallie thei would seke to caste doune their owne wealthe, and moche more the common wealthe of Grece, and kyng- dome to stande in perill. Neither is it to be thought, the Gre- cians, sekyng to aduau[n]ce the beautie of Helena: would leaue [Sidenote: The cause of the forged in- uencion.]
their owne state. But it is like, the wittes of Poetes did im- magine so forged a Chronicle, that the posteritie of ages fol- lowyng, should rather wounder at their forged inuencion, then to beleue any soche warre truly mencioned. There was no soche cause, seyng that the kyngdome of Grece, fell by no t.i.tle of succession to Helena, for them to moue warre, for, the bringyng backe of that beutifull harlotte Helena. Neither in Helena was there vertue, or honestie of life, to moue and ex- asperate the Grecians, to spende so greate treasures, to raise [Fol. xxvj.r]
[Sidenote: No commen- dacion in vp- holdyng and maintainyng of harlottes.]
so mightie an armie on euery side. What comme[n]dacion had the Troians to aduaunce Helena, and with all roialnesse to entreate her, she beyng a harlotte: the folie of the Grecians and the Troians, is so on euery side so greate, that it can not be thought, soche a warre truely chronicled. If violence and power, had taken Helena from her housebande, and not her [Sidenote: Helena follo- wed Paris.]
owne will and l.u.s.te, caught with the adulterous loue of Pa- ris, beyng a straunger. If her moderacion of life had been so rare, as that the like facte for her chast.i.tie, had not been in a- ny age or common wealthe, her vertues would haue giuen occasion: The Princes and n.o.bles of Grece to stomacke the matter. The example of the facte, would with all praise and [Sidenote: Uertuous life, worthie commendaci- on in al ages.
Lucrecia.
Tarquinius the kyng ba- nished for ra- uishyng Lu- crecia, and all of his name banished.]
commendacion be mencioned, and celebrated to al ages. Lu- cretia for her chast.i.te, is perpetuallie to be aduanunced, wher- vpon the Romaines banished Tarquinius their kyng, his stocke and name from Rome. The rare chast.i.te of Penelope, is remainyng as a example herein: So many snares laied to caste doune her vertuous loue towarde her housebande U- lisses. But Ulisses made hauocke by murder, on these gaie and gallante Ruffins, who in his absence sought to alienate [Sidenote: Penelopes chast.i.tie.]
and withdrawe, the chaste harte of Penelope, consumyng his substance. A greater example remaineth in no age, of the like chast.i.te. As for the battaile of Troie, raised for Helena, could wise men, and the moste famous n.o.bles of Grece: So occupie their heddes, and in thesame, bothe to hasarde their liues for a beautifull strumpet or harlot. The sage and wise [Sidenote: Nestor.
Ulisses.]
Nestor, whom Agamemnon for wisedome preferred, before the moste of the peeres of Grece, neither it Ulisses wanted at thesame tyme, hauyng a politike and subtill hedde, to with- drawe theim from so leude and foolishe a enterprise. Grece [Sidenote: Grece the lande of faire women.]
wanted not beautifull creatures, Nature in other had besto- wed amiable faces, personage, and comelie behauiour. For, at those daies, Grece thei called _Achaida calligunaica_, that is, Grece the lande of faire women. The dolorous lamentacion of the Ladies and Matrons in Grece, would haue hindered [Fol. xxvj.v]
soche a foolishe enterprise, seyng their owne beautie neclec- ted, their honestie of life caste vp to perilles, one harlot of in- [Sidenote: Uncomelie.]
numerable people followed and hunted after, in whom neither honestie, vertue, nor chast.i.te was harbored.
-- Uncredible.
ALthough the folie of men is greate, and the will of princes and gouernours beastlie and rashe, yet by no meanes it can be so many yeres, so greate folie to take roote in their hartes, and that the wisedom [Sidenote: Beautie without ver- tue, nothyng of valour.]
of the Grecia[n]s, should not rather caste of as naught, the beau- tie of Helena: rather then the whole mult.i.tude, the state of the Prince, the welfare of the subiecte, to stande in perill for [Sidenote: Beautie a poison, in a adulterous mynde.]
the beautie of one. What is beautie, when a beastlie and ad- ulterous minde is possessed: Beautie without chast.i.tie, har- boreth a monsterous rabelmente of vices, a snare and baite, [Sidenote: Beautie sone fadeth.]
to poison other. Beautie in fewe yeres, is not onely blemi- shed, but decaied, and wholie extinguished: it is vncredible, that the Grecians would seeke to bryng home Helena, who had loste the chaste loue toward her housband, beyng caught [Sidenote: Paris Hele- nas louer.
Phrigia.]