A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike Part 14

berius, the daughter of his brother Germanicus. This A- grippina, the Chronicle noteth her, to be indued with al mis- chief and crueltee: For, Tiberius her housbande, hauyng by his firste wife children, thei were murthered by her, because she might, thei beyng murthered, with more facilitee, fur- ther the Empire, to her soonnes handes, many treasons con- spired against them oftentimes, Agrippina poisoned her hus- bande, then Nero succeded.

-- Of his educacion.

[Sidenote: Seneca schol maister to Nero.]

SEneca the famous Poete & Philosopher, was schole- maister to Nero, who brought hym vp in all n.o.bili- tie of learnyng, mete for his state: though that Nero was wickedlie of nature disposed, as his beastlie gouerne- ment sheweth, yet wickednes in him, was by the seueritie of Seneca, and his castigacion depressed: for Traia.n.u.s Empe- rour of Rome, would saie, as concernyng Nero, for the s.p.a.ce of fiue yeres, no Prince was like to hym, for good gouerne- ment, after fiue yeres, losely and dissolutly he gouerned.

-- Of his actes.

[Sidenote: The dreame of Agrippina mother to Nero, in his concepcion.]

THis Nero, at what tyme as his mother was con- ceiued of him, she dreamed that she was conceiued of a Uiper: for, the young Uiper alwaies killeth his dame. He was not onely a Uiper to his mo- ther whom he killed, but also to his kyngdome and common wealthe a destroier, whiche afterward shalbe shewed, what [Sidenote: Nero a viper[.]]

a tyraunte and bloodie gouernour he was. This Nero made in the Citee of Rome, the rounde seates and scaffoldes, to be- holde spectacles and sightes, and also the bathes. He subdued [Sidenote: Pontus.

Colchis.

Cappadocia.

Armenia.]

Pontus a greate countree, whiche ioineth to the sea Pontus: whiche countree containeth these realmes, Colchis, Cappa- docia, Armenia, and many other countrees, and made it as a Prouince, by the suffraunce of Polemon Regulus, by whose name it was called Pontus Polemoniacus. He ouer came the Alpes, of the king Cotteius, Cottius the king being dedde[.]

[Fol. xlv.v]

[Sidenote: Nero vnwor[-]

thie to be chron[-]

icled.

Seneca.]

The life followyng of Nero was so abhominable, that the shame of his life, will make any man a fraied, to leaue any memorie of hym. This Domitius Nero, caused his Schole- maister Seneca to be put to death, Seneca chosing his owne death, his veines beyng cutte in a hotte bathe died, bicause he corrected wicked Nero, to traine hym to vertue. He was out- ragious wicked, that he had co[n]sideracion, neither to his own honestie, nor to other, but in continuaunce, he tired hymself as virgines doe when thei marie, callyng a Senate, the dou- rie a.s.signed, and as the maner of that solemnitee is, many re- sortyng and frequentyng, in maidens tire and apparell. He [Sidenote: The shamful life of Nero.]

went beyng a man, to be maried as a woman: beside this, at other tymes he cladde hymself with the skin of a wilde beast, and beastlie did handle that, whiche Nature remoueth from the sight. He defiled hymself with his owne mother, whom he killed immediatlie. He maried twoo wiues, Octauia, and Sabina, otherwise called Poppea, firste murtheryng their [Sidenote: Galba.

Caius Iu- lius.]

housbandes. In that tyme Galba vsurped the Empire, and Caius Iulius: as sone as Nero heard that Galba came nere towardes Rome, euen then the Senate of Rome had deter- mined, that Nero should bee whipped to death with roddes, accordyng to the old vsage of their auncestours, his necke yo- ked with a forke. This wicked Nero, seyng himself forsaken of all his friendes, at midnight he departed out of the Citee, Ephaon, and Epaphroditus waityng on hym, Neophitus and Sporus his Eunuche: whiche Sporus before tyme, had [Sidenote: The death of Nero.]

Nero a.s.saied to frame and fashion out of kinde. In the ende, Nero thruste himself through, with the poinct of his sworde, his wicked man Sporus, thrustyng foreward his trembling hande: this wicked Nero before that, hauyng none to mur- ther hym, he made a exclamacion, in these woordes. Is there neither friende nor enemie to kill me, shamefullie haue I li- ued, and with more shame shall I die, in the .x.x.xij. yere of his age he died. The Persians so entirely loued hym, that after his death thei sente Amba.s.sadours, desiryng licence to erecte [Fol. xlvj.r]

to hym a monumente, all countrees and Prouinces, and the whole Citee of Rome, did so moche reioyce of his death, that thei all wearyng the Toppintant hattes, whiche bonde men doe vse to ware, when thei bee sette at libertie, and so thei tri- umphed of his death, deliuered from so cruell a tyraunte.

-- A comparison.

[Sidenote: Nero.

Caligula.

Domitia.n.u.s[.]

Antoninus.]

AS for wicked gouernement, Nero doeth make Ca- ligula like to Comodus, Domitia.n.u.s, Antoninus Caracalla, thei were all so wicked, that the Senate of Rome thought it meete, to obliterate their name, from all memorie and Chronicle, because of their wickednesse.

-- The conclusion.

MOche more the life and gouernement of wicked Ne- ro, might be intreated of, but this shall be sufficient: to shewe how tyrannically and beastly, he gouerned vnmete of that throne.

-- A comparison.

A Comparison, is a certain Oracion, shewyng by a collacion the worthines, or excelle[n]cie of any thing: or the naughtines of thesame, compared with any other thyng or thynges, either equalle, or more in- feriour.

In a comparison good thynges, are compared with good as one vertue with an other: as wisedome & strength, whiche of them moste auaileth in peace and warre.

Euill thynges maie bee compared with good, as Iustice, with iniustice, wisedome with foolishnes.

Euill thynges maie be compared, with euill thynges, as wicked Nero, compared to Domitia.n.u.s, or Caligula to Co[m]- modus, theft to homicide, drunkenes with adulterie.

Small thynges maie be compared with greate: the king with his subiect, the Elephant or Camell to the Flie, a Cro- codile to the Scarabe.

In a comparison, where argumente is supputated on [Fol. xlvj.v]

bothe the sides, worthelie to praise, or dispraise.

Where a comparison is made, betwene a thyng excel- lente, and a thyng more inferiour: the comparison shall pro- cede with like facilitee.

All thynges that maie bee celebrated with praise, or that meriteth dispraise: al soche thynges maie be in a comparison.

The persone, as Cato being a wise man, maie be compa- red with Nestor, the sage peere of Grece: Pompei with Ce- sar, as Lucane compareth them, and so of all other men.

Thynges maie bee compared, as golde with siluer: one mettall with an other.

Tymes maie be compared, as the Spryng with Som- mer: Harueste with Winter.

Places maie be compared, as London with Yorke, Ox- forde with Cambridge.

Beastes without reason, as the Bee with the Ante, the Oxe with the Shepe.

Plantes, as the Uine, and the Oliue.

First, make a _proemium_ or beginnyng to your co[m]parison[.]

Then compare them of their countree.

Of their parentes.

Of their auncestours.

Of their educacion.

Of their actes.

Of their death.

Then adde the conclusion.

-- A comparison betwene De- mosthenes and Tullie.

TO speake moche in the praise of famous men, no argument can wante, nor plentie of matter to make of them, a copious and excellent Ora- cion. Their actes in life through n.o.bilitee, will craue worthelie more, then the witte and penne of the learned, can by Eloquence expresse. Who can worthelie expresse and sette foorthe, the n.o.ble Philosopher [Fol. xlvij.r]

[Sidenote: Plato.

Aristotle.]

Plato, or Aristotle, as matter worthelie forceth to commend, when as of them, all learnyng, and singularitee of artes hath flowen. All ages hath by their monuments of learning, par- tic.i.p.ated of their wisedome. Grece hath fostered many n.o.ble wittes, from whom all light of knowlege, hath been deriued by whose excellencie Rome in tyme florishyng, did seeke by n.o.bilitee of learnyng, to mate the n.o.ble Grecians. So moche Italie was adorned, and beautified with the cunnyng of the Grecians. Emong the Romaines many famous Oratours and other n.o.ble men hath sp.r.o.nge vp, who for their worthi- nesse, might haue contended with any nacion: either for their [Sidenote: Tullie.]

glorie of learnyng, or n.o.ble regiment. Emong whom Tul- lie by learning, aboue the rest, rose to high fame, that he was a renoume to his countree: to learnyng a light, of all singuler Eloquence a fountaine. Whom Demosthenes the famous Oratour of Athenes, as a worthie mate is compared with, whom not onely the n.o.bilitee, and renoume of their Coun- tree shall decorate, but the[m] selues their owne worthines & no- bilitee of fame. No age hath had twoo more famous for lear- nyng, no common wealthe hath tasted, twoo more profitable to their countree, and common wealthe: for grauitee and cou[n]- saile, nor the posteritee of ages, twoo more worthie celebra- [Sidenote: Thusidides.]