Thusidides setteth forthe in a descripcion, the warres on
the sea, betwene the Corcurians, and the Corinthians.
Tymes are described, as the Spryng tyme, Sommer,
Winter, Harueste, Daie, Night.
Places are described, as Citees, Mountaines, Regions,
Floodes, Hauens, Gardeines, Temples: whiche thynges
are sette out by their commoditees, for Thusidides often ty-
mes setteth forthe Hauens and Citees.
Lucane also describeth at large, the places, by the whiche
the armie of Cesar and Pompei passed. The descripcion of a-
ny man, in all partes is to bee described, in mynde and bodie,
what he was.
The acttes are to bee described, farre passed, by the pre-
sente state thereof, and also by the tyme to come.
As if the warre of Troie, should be set forthe in a descrip-
cion, it must bée described, what happened before the Greci-
ans arriued at Troie, and how, and after what sorte it was
[Fol. lij.r]
ouerthrowne, & what thing chaunced, Troie being destroid.
So likewise of Carthage, destroied by the Romaines.
Of Hierusalem, destroied by Titus Uespasianus, what ad-
monicion thei had before: of what monsterous thynges hap-
pened also in that ceason: Of a Comete or blasyng Starre,
and after that what followed.
Lucane also setteth forthe the warres of Pompe and Ce-
sar, what straunge and marueilous thynges fell of it.
¶ A descripcion vpon Xerxes.
WHen Darius was dedde, Xerxes his soonne did
succede hym, who also tooke vpon him to finishe
the warres, bego[n] by his father Darius, against
Grece. For the whiche warres, preperacion
was made, for the space of fiue yeres, after that
[Sidenote: The armie
of Xerxes.]
Xerxes entered Grece, with seuen hundred thousande Persi-
ans, and thrée hundred thousande of forrain power aided him
that not without cause, Chronicles of aunciente tyme dooe
shewe, mightie floodes to be dried vp of his armie. The migh[-]
tie dominions of Grece, was not hable to receiue his houge,
and mightie power, bothe by sea and lande: he was no small
Prince, whom so many nacions, so mightie people followed
hym, his Nauie of Shippes was in nomber tenne hundred
[Sidenote: Xerxes a
cowarde.]
thousande, Xerxes had a mightie power, but Xerxes was a
cowarde, in harte a childe, all in feare the stroke of battaile
moued. In so mightie an armie it was marueile, the chiefe
Prince and Capitaine to be a cowarde, there wanted neither
men, nor treasure, if ye haue respecte to the kyng hymself, for
cowardlinesse ye will dispraise the kyng, but his threasures
beeyng so infinite, ye will maruaile at the plentie thereof,
whose armie and infinite hoste, though mightie floodes and
streames, were not able to suffice for drinke, yet his richesse
[Sidenote: Xerxes laste
in battaile,
and first to
runne awaie.]
semed not spente nor tasted of. Xerxes hymself would be laste
in battaile to fight, and the firste to retire, and runne awaie.
In daungers he was fearfull, and when daunger was paste,
[Fol. lij.v]
he was stoute, mightie, glorious, and wonderfull crakyng,
[Sidenote: The pride
of Xerxes.]
before this hassarde of battaile attempted. He thought hym
self a God ouer nature, all landes and Seas to giue place to
hym, and puffed with pride, he forgatte hymself: his power
was terrible, his harte fainte, whereupon his enteryng into
Grece was not so dreaded, as his flight fro[m] thence was sham[-]
full, mocked and scorned at, for all his power he was driuen
backe from the lande, by Leonides king of the Lacedemoni-
ans, he hauing but a small nomber of men, before his second
battaile fought on the Sea: he sente fower thousande armed
men, to spoile the riche and sumpteous temple of Apollo, at
Delphos, from the whiche place, not one man escaped. After
that Xerxes entered Thespia, Platea, and Athenes, in the
whiche not one man remained, those he burned, woorkyng
his anger vpon the houses: for these citees were admonished
to proue the maisterie in wodden walles, whiche was ment
to bee Shippes, the power of Grece, brought into one place
[Sidenote: Themi-
stocles.]
Themistocles, fauoryng their part, although Xerxes thought
otherwise of Themistocles, then Themistocles perswaded
Xerxes to assaie the Grecians. Artemisia the Quene of Hali-
carnasis aided Xerxes in his battaile: Artemisia fought man[-]
fullie, Xerxes cowardly shronke, so that vnnaturally there
was in the one a manlie stomacke, in the other a cowardlie
harte. The men of Ionia, that fought vnder Xerxes banner,
by the treason of Themistocles, shra[n]ke from Xerxes, he was
not so greate a terrour or dreade, by his maine hoste, as now
smally regarded & least feared. What is power, men, or mo-
ney, when God chaungeth and pulleth doune, bothe the suc-
cesse, and kyngdome of a Prince. He was in all his glorie, a
vnmanlie, and a cowardly prince, yet for a time happie state
fell on his side, now his might and power is not feared. He
flieth awaie in a Fisher boate, whom all the worlde dreaded
and obaied, whom all Grece was not able to receiue, a small
boate lodgeth and harboureth. His owne people contemned
hym at home, his glorie fell, and life ingloriously ended, who[m]
[Fol. liij.r]
whom God setteth vp, neither treason nor malice, power nor
money can pull doune. Worthelie it is to be pondered of all
Princes, the saiyng of Uespasianus Emperour of Rome, at
a certain time a treason wrought and conspired against him,
the conspiratours taken, Uespasianus satte doune betwene
[Sidenote: The saiyng
of Uespasi-
anus.]
theim, commaunded a sworde to be giuen to either of theim,
and saied to them: _Nonne videtis fato potestatem dari._ Dooe
you not see? Power, aucthoritée, and regimente, by the ordi-
[Sidenote: A sentence
comfortable
to al princes.]
naunce of God, is lefte and giuen to princes: A singuler sen-
tence, to comforte all good Princes in their gouernemente,
not to feare the poisoned hartes of men, or the traiterous har-
tes of pestiferous men. No man can pull doune, where God
exalteth, neither power can set vp and extoll, where God dis-
plaseth or putteth doune: Soche is the state of Princes, and
their kyngdomes.
¶ _Thesis._
_THesis_, is a certain question in consultacion had, to bée
declaimed vpon vncertaine, notyng no certaine per-
sone or thyng.
As for example.
Whether are riches chieflie to be sought for, in this life,
as of all good thynges, the chief good.
Whether is vertue the moste excellente good thynge in
this life.
Whether dooe the giftes of the mynde, passe and excelle
the giftes and vertues of Fortune, and the bodie.
Whether doeth pollicie more auaile in war, then stre[n]gth
of menne.
Who so will reason of any question of these, he hath nede
with reason, and wittie consultacion to discourse, and to de-
claime vpon thesame.
The Greke Oratours doe call this exercise _Thesis_, that
is to saie, a proposicion in question, a question vncertain, in-
cluded with no certaintée, to any perticuler thyng.
[Fol. liij.v]
The Latine men doeth call it a question infinite, or vni-
uersall: Tullie in his booke of places called Topickes, doeth
call _Thesis_, _Propositum_, that is to saie, a question, in deter-
minacion. Priscianus calleth it _positionem_, a proposicion in
question on ether parte to be disputed vpon.
As for example.
Whether is it best to marie a wife?
Whether is frendship aboue all thynges to be regarded.
Is warre to be moued vpon a iuste cause?
Is the Greke tongue mete, and necessarie to be learned?
There is an other kinde of question called _hypothesis_, _hy[-]
pothesis_ is called _questio finita_, that is to saie, a question cer-
taine notyng a certaine persone, or thyng, a certaine place,
tyme, and so forthe.
As for example.
Is it mete for Cesar to moue warre against Pompei?
Is not there a certain persone?
Is the Greke tongue to be learned of a Diuine?
Is the Greke tongue meete for a Phisicion?
In this kinde of exercises, famous men of auncient time
did exercise youth, to attain bothe wisedome and Eloquence
therby, to make a discourse vpo[n] any matter, by art of lerning[.]
Aristotle the famous Philosopher, did traine vp youthe,
to be perfite in the arte of eloquence, that thei might with all
copiousnes and ingenious inuencion handle any cause.
Nothing doeth so moche sharpe and acuate the witte and
capacitée of any one, as this kinde of exercise.
It is a goodly vertue in any one man, at a sodain, to vtter
wittely and ingeniouslie, the secrete and hid wisedome of his
mynde: it is a greate maime to a profounde learned man, to
wante abilitée, to vtter his exquisite and profounde knowe-
ledge of his mynde.
¶ _Thesis._
THis question _Thesis_, which is a question, noting no cer-
taine persone or thyng: is moche like to that Oracion,
[Fol. liiij.r]
intreated of before, called a Common place.
¶ A Common place.
BUt a Common place, is a certaine exaggeracion of
matter, induced against any persone, conuicted of a-
ny crime, or worthie defence.
¶ _Thesis._
_Thesis_ is a reasonyng by question, vpon a matter vncer-
taine.
_Thesis_, that is to saie, a questio[n] generall is in two sortes.
{ Ciuill.
A question {
{ Contemplatiue.
QUestions Ciuill are those, that dooe pertaine to the
state of a common wealth: and are daily practised in
the common wealthe.
As for example.
Is it good to marie a wife.
Is Usurie lefull in a citee, or common wealthe.
Is a Monarchie the beste state of gouernement.
Is good educacion the grounde and roote, of a florishyng
common wealthe.
¶ A contemplatiue question.
THe other _Thesis_ is a question contemplatiue, which
the Grekes dooe call _Theoricas_, because the matter
of them is comprehended in the minde, and in the in[-]
telligence of man.
The example.
Is the soule immortall?
Had the worlde a beginnyng?
Is the heauen greater then the yearth?
{ Simple.
A question is either {
{ Compounde.
Is it good for a man to exercise hymself in wrastlyng, or
[Fol. liiij.v]
Is it profitable to declaime.
[¶] A compounde.