|b[Caxton:_Tulle_of_Olde_Age._Textuntersuchung_mit_literarischer
|b_Einfhrung._Studien_zur_englischen_Philologie_75.
|b_ed._Heinz_Susebach._Halle_(Saale):_Max_Niemeyer_Verlag,_1933,
|b_pp._1-95.]



|p1


Tulle of olde age.

|r(C._10_b_6_des_Br._Mus.)


|r[f.1r] |r<b> mY souerayn frende Atticus, how be it that I
     knowe certaynly that thou art bothe nyght and
     day pensif and careful / ffor the gouernement of
     the comyn profyte of the Romayns, callyd in latyn
     Res publica / like as is Tytus Flaminius the noble
consul of Rome Neuertheles I may purpose & speke to the
by the sentences of III versis by the which that worshypful
philosopher Enneus the poete spake to his frende Titus
in this maner. Certaynly seyd Enneus I shal deserue
in this mater a good rewarde, grete fees and wages, yf
I by my wytt and resons reduce in the sayd versis to helpe
the conduyt / and the ordenaunces to supporte & in eny wyse
the charge and besynes that thou hast take ffor the study
of the publyk profyte callyd the comyn wele to be soueraynly
and pollytikly rulid, the whiche brennyth and turmentith
stidfastly in thyne hert in somoche that by the same be_synes
exercised, thou hast thy wyttis and thyn vnderston_dyng
alway occupyed toward suche worldly thynges to the
profytable ordenaunce and wel dysposed for the vniuersal
welfare of the cyte of Rome vpon the erthely and worldly
thynges / Thoruh which studye and feruent labour thou
art gretly oppressed aud reualyd in thy spyritys where thorugh



|p2


thou art moche thanke worthy. The sayd versis of the grete
poete Enneus be not onely of so grete effect purposed so
sentencyously in so fewe wordis ful obscure to declare but
they be of right grete substaunce true & ful of good feith &
credence. |r[f.1v] ffor sooth my verry frende Atticus I knowe and
vnderstonde the temperance and the naturall lawe of Justice in
thy courage excercised, and also I knowe and vnderstonde 
that by the magnifyeng of thy science and vnderstondyng
I knowe not one onely in the scole & study of Athenes of
so grete lawde and renomme / to be of as that thou hast of
worship in that vniuersite, but many men knowe there &
vnderstonde the grete benygnite the attemperaunce and also
the prudence of the in that behalf, & how be yt that thou
hast thyes excellent vertues surmountyng othyrs yit I trowe
and deme that thou art somtyme meuyd and troublyd in
thy spiritys for the said causes ministryng / wherof I am of
the same disposicion my self / wherupon thou must nedis haue
gretter comfort thanne I may yeue the at this tyme, therfor
I shal abyde to recomforte the tyll an other tyme, But nowe
me semyth it is good that I write vnto the somthyng of the
worship and recommendacion of auncient age for I wyll that
thou & I bee recomforted / aud releued of that sore burthen
whiche is comyn both to the & me, that is to witt of Age
whiche nowe constreyneth vs and that full certaynly comyth
& noyeth vs. I will by this boke comforte the and me not_withstondyng
that I wote certaynly that nowe thou suffirst
& endurist attemperately & wysely all thyngys which comyn
vnto the. Neuertheles whanne my will was to write any
thing of the age of auncientnes I remembrid of the as of hym
which was worthy for to haue this present booke of whiche
eche of vs shal mowe |r[f.2r] comonly vse for oure solace. And
verrily aftir that I had consyderyd to write this booke which is of
morall philosophye this labour & makyng was to me so ioyfull /
that not onely it toke awey fro me all chargis thouhtis & greuaunce



|p3


of age but it is come toward me soft & gladsome. Therfor
thenne my frende Atticus ther is no man by whom philosophie
may be praysed ynowgh, for she is suche that ther is no man
yf he obeye to hir in folowyng parfytely hir commaundementys,
but he may lyue by all the tyme of hys age, wythoute
sorowe & without any greuaunce / & as to the other thyngys
perteynyng to phylosophye / we haue seyd ynowgh & yit shall
we sey oftyn in other books. And therfor we haue sent vnto
the this present booke in the whych we speke of age, But to
thentente that our book may haue grettir auctoryte, we attribue
& dyrecte all our woordys & speke to the olde Caton & not
as dyd Aristo which in his book of age dyrectid his worde
& speche to the kyng Tithonus sone of Laomedon of
which Tithonus the poetys haue feyned that by the grete
age of hym he was chaungid in to a Crikket, for oure present
boke shuld be of lytel auctorite if we shulde attribue it to a
man of whom men tellyn a fable or a feyned tale we make
oure booke so conpendyonsly that thies two noble yong men
Romayns of noble courage Lelius & Scipion makyn emongys
them merveilyng & questionyng how that duke Caton beryth
& endurith so lightly & so easely his auncient age And after
that we make that the olde Caton ansuerith to Lelius
& Scipion by reasons and by exsamplis how age must be
|r[f.2v] worshipped & recommended for many grete & neces_sary 
causes. And yf it semyth the that in this present boke
Caton disputith & spekyth more wysely thanne he vsyd
in his othir bookys / hit must be attribued & remitted vn
to the Grekyssh bookis & langage in which the seid Caton
studyed & lernyd playnely in the tyme of his olde age / hit
nedith not for to say more to the preysyng of this boke for
the langage of Caton shall declare soone all our sentence
touchyng the honour & wisedome of olde age.



|p4


Here endith the prologue of the booke and begynneth the pre_amble 
of the dysputacion made by Tullie begynnyng in
the latyn Saepe numero admirari soleo. And first how Scipion
with Lelyus merueilyth & askyth of Caton /.

<b> o Noble philosopher & vaillaunt duke Caton I Scipion
    haue oftyn tymes merueil & so hath this Gaius
    Lelyus my felowe aswele for thyne hygh wyse_dome
& profyte in science that thou hast in the as in othir
thingys / and also I am woont to merueyl me that I perceyuid
neuer that olde age was to the neythir noyous ne heuy
which is so hatefull to som olde men that they sayen that
they beren a more greuous and more heuyer burden thanne
is that mounteyn of Sicille callid Ethna. Caton answerith
certaynly good yong men of noble courage hit semith to som
men that ye tweyne haue merueil of a thyng lyght & easy
to knowe that is to witt why age semyd me neuer neythyr
heuy greuous ne noyous / ffor eche of thies 6 ages which
men name Childhode adolescence |r[f.3r] yougth virilite manhode &
olde age semyth to be heuy & noyous to men the which in them
silf haue nothyng that may help & socoure them to lyue goodly
& blessidly as bee tho which excercisen sciences & vertues &
good werkis but as to suche men which sechyn & fyndyn in
themsilf alle the goods & thyngis which belongyn wele &
blessidly for to lyue / ther is nothyng that comyth to them
in age by the defaute of nature that may seme vnto them
euyll nor noyous. It is certayne that olde age is suche ffor
it serchith & fyndyth in it self all the goodnesses which be_longen 
to liue wel & blyssidly, and yit is olde age such that
alle men desyre to come vntyll hit, And neuerthelesse
the mutablenes & euyl dysposicion of men hit is so grete in



|p5


oure dayes that they blamyn olde age whan they be
come therto by cause that thenne they may not vse de_lectacions.

All the folis seyn that olde age comyth in them
sonner thenne they wend / but I demaunde a question of
such men what maner of foly constreyned them forto trowe
or suppose the thyng the which is fals / for they can sey no
reason how olde age entrith sonner in the man aftir ado_lescence 
nomore than doeth adolescence aftir puerice callid
childhode which is the seconde age / how be it that it is
so ordeyned by nature that that one of the ages entrith aftir
the ende of the othir More ouir I demaunde such foolys how
olde age shuld be lesse chargyng & lesse greuous to men
if they myght lyue VIII C yere thanne yf they myght lyue foure
score yere / for how be it that the age past had be longer
yit it may neithir comforte ne allege ne satisfye the foole
olde man. Therfor yf ye two be merueiled of my wyse_dome 
in myne age which I wold it were such as ye repute
& vnderstonde it and wold be |r[f.3v] worthy to be knowyn & bere
forth my surname Caton, I answere to yow that yf I am wise my
wysedome is oneli in this thyng for I folow the lawe & orde_naunces 
of dame Nature the ryght good leder of kynde &
also I obeye vnto hir for all hir comaundementys be fulle
lyke to the comaundementys of the dyuyne goddys by cause
that bothe two drawyn to the true welth of blyssyd disposi_cion.
It is not lyke semyng sith Nature hath wele disposed
& ordeyned the othir fyue first ages eche aftir his office that
she had neglygently lefte to ordeyne the office of olde age /
which is the laste tyme & endyng of men. And as it comyth
of a foole & of a neglygent clerk which can not ne may
nor will fulfill the booke that he beganne but alwey what
euir be said of olde age alleway that she hath hir offyce
ordeyned by nature, I say that it must nedys of necessite



|p6


that it haue som endyng swete & soft for to endure to the
wyse man. ffor lyke as nature hath ordeyned in the fruytys
of trees & of erth which haue the fruyte soft or harde that
they abydyn on the tree & fallen aftyr they ben rype ynough /
so hath Nature ordeyned of the cause of ages. some as folys
wyll argue & rebell them ayenst the ordenaunces of nature,
but that debate & rebellion is proprely compared and lykend
to the fiction of the poetys which by their tales feyned that
in the tyme of Jupiter kyng of the londe of Crete the
geauntys as folys wolde make werre ayenst the goddys by the
which ye owe to vndirstonde that the folysshe men wolde re_belle 
ayenst the ordenaunces of nature chamberer & seruant
of god. Lelyus demaundith a question forsoth Caton
I promyse the for my felowe Scipion that thou shalt
do vnto |r[f.4r] vs right a gracio=9= frendship if by the / we
lerne long tyme afore or we become olde men, by what rea_sons 
we myght suffre & endure ryght lyghtly the chargyng &
the greuo=9= age of olde men / for we hope certaynly that we
wyll become olde / Caton answerith / forsoth Lelius I shal
do that thou requyrest me so that eche of you haue agreable
my wordys that I shal say to you of / tho Lelius & Scipion
demaunded this question to Caton, so that it be not greuous
to the we wull see certaynly / what is the longe wey by
the which thou art comyn in / from thy childhode vntill this
age, for thou maist teche vs, as he which had don a long
viage, in the whiche we must entre, Caton answered I shal
make you Lelius an answer so as ye aske aftir that I may /
forsoth I haue oftymes be in the quarell of ciuile causes
disputyng / & in the parlamentis of my felows egall to me in
the disputyng & pledyng causes of their matiers & processis
ffor aftir the auncient prouerbe all thyngys which be like of
resemblant exsamples lightly wold be vndirstonde assem_blyd 
& gaderd to gedyr / So I shal telle you what grete thyngys
Salinator And Spurius Albinus whilom consuls in Rome which



|p7


were almost lyke to me in age, were wont to sorowe and
wepe by cause that in the tyme of their olde age they had
no flesshely delectacions / withoute whiche they seid their lyfe
was nought. And said also that they were dyspreysed, and
holde in reproof & reproche of peyne & displeasyre bi whom
they shulde be haunted magnified & worshipped. Thies men
Salinator And Albinus after my demyng did not accuse &
blame that thyng whiche they shuld haue accused, ffor yf
p=t= thyng wherof they wepte & sorowid shuld come by the
blame & defaute of olde age by lyk reason to me & all othir
p=e= which be gretter & older than |r[f.4v] I / shuld come the
causes afor said for which they sorowyn, but it is
not so, ffor I knowe many of them which be of such age
& of gretter age than I am, which bere & enduryn their olde
age withoute makyng such complaynte for they enduryn &
suffre gladly & be glad to be oute of the prisons & bondys
of flesshely delectacions & they complayne not that they be
dispraysed of such men, but the blame & the vice of all
such compleinyng bi which olde age semith greuo=9= &
noyo=9= is in the condicions & in the maners of the men &
not in the age, ffor certaynly the old temperate men which
be not dangero=9= ne cruell, enduryn & bere lyghtly their
olde age, but importunyte cruelte & vnmanerly gouernaunce
is chargyng & greuo=9= to olde age & to all othir age. Lelyus
answerith & after demaundeth certaynly Caton it is so as
thou saist / but parauentur som myght say that thou berist
and endurist better thyn olde age by cause of thy richesse
& for the habondaunce of the temperall goodys that thou
hast by cause of thy dygnyte / and true it is that this thyng
which thou hast comyth but to fewe men / Caton answe_rith 
forsoth Lelyus thou reasonest & saist wel that the
richessis & the dignyte that I haue maken me to suffre &
endure more easely myne olde age, but in this thyng be not
alle the meanes paciently to suffre & endure olde age. The
thyngys which makyn olde age swete & pacient be as tho



|p8


thingys whiche make a man to be noble or to be a Chorle
therof I shalle telle the by exsample / Ther was a noble man
of Athenes clepid Themistocles which pletyd with a Chorle
of the Isle of Seryphus in the which were comonly froward
men & euyl condicioned. This Serefios that was a chorle
said to Themistocles that he was not noble ne gentyl of
hym self, but onely by cause of the magnifyeng & worship
of his |r[f.5r] noble contre of Athenes / to the which The_mistocles 
answerd / By god said he yf I were a man of
Seriphus as thou art, yit shuld I not be a Chorle / & yf thou
haddist be of Athenes as I am, yit sholdist thou neuir be
noble in worship nor gentilnes / In semblable wyse may be
said this comparison of olde age, for it may not be soft nor
light to suffre and endure in grete pouerte, how be it that
the olde men were wyse & full of letters / & also is olde age
greuo=9= & daunger=9= to the fole olde man, how be it that
he haue ryght grete habondaunce of goodys by his byrth, Cer_taynly 
my frendys Scipion & Lelyus the right couenable armes
of olde age be the craftys & occupacions to vse ryght wy_sely,
& the excercitacions of the 4 principall vertues / that is
to witt / temperance, prudence, force, & Justice, if thies ver_tues 
be wel sett to werke in all thyne age / aftir that thou
hast lyued long ynough / they shal bryng to the merueillo=9=
frutys of delectacion by the swete remembraunce of the good
deedys past / the frutys of thies vertues be not onely mer_ueillo=9=
by cause that they wyll neuir leue their mayster na_mely 
in the last tyme of olde age which is right a grete &
a syngulere thyng / but also the frutys of vertues be mer_ueillo=9=
for the conscience of the man which had wele lyued,
& as by the recorde & remembraunce of many good deedys
doon is right a gladsome thyng to the olde age, wherfor it
may appere vnto you that olde age is not withoute delectacion
of vertuo=9= deedys dooyng. Nowe come I forto shewe that the
olde men be not dispreysed nor relinquysshed or forsakyn of



|p9


othir men that tyme whan I was as an adolescent yong of
age, as moch louyd I that olde man Quyntus Fabius which
toke & recouerd the cyte of Tarente whiche is in the londe
of Puyle. And loued hym whiche was lyke me |r[f.5v] in age
& in condicions / Fabyus than an olde man had in him_silf 
a good disposicion of a moderaunce medlyd with curtesye
& with honeste and clennesse & his olde age had not chan_ged 
his vsis & good custumes in eny wyse / But that they
were as good or better as they were in his first tyme, I
beganne to haunte & loue the seid Fabyus how be it he
was not meruelously of grete age / but neuertheles he was
than aged, ffor the seid Fabius first was consul of Rome
in the yere that I was borne / & in the yere of his fourth
consulat, I whiche was thenne a yong adolescent & knyght,
went with the seid Fabius to Capue a cyte in Cham_paigne 
/ and the fyfth yere aftir I was Questour and went
to Tarent & aftir I was made edyle of Rome and the
fourth yere aftir I was presture which is the souerayne
dygnyte in Rome. I had this dygnyte at that tyme whanne
Tuditanus and Cethegus were consuls of Rome, &
Fabius which was thenne full olde did so moch by his
amonestyng & purposyng of faire wordys that the lawe of
Cincius was resceyued at Rome by the which he made or_denaunce 
in yiftis & in offyces, that is to witt, that tho
yiftis shuld not be outragous excessyfe ne euyl employed
& that the offices shuld be commytted by election to sufficient
men in connyng & conuenient personis acceptable / How be it
that Fabyus was playnly olde yit made he batailles so vigo_rously 
& so egerly as he had be in the age of adolescence
in the tyme that Hanyball a yong man & duke of Cartage
made werre ayenst Rome & the contrey aboute, Fabyus
thenne olde suffred Hanybal to sporte hym & take his



|p10


recreacion in the champaigne of Rome & by the suffraunce
p=t= Fabius had ayenst Haniball, he lessed & enfebled hym
& his hooste in somoch p=t= he & his men were so sotted and
delyted in fleshely delectacions |r[f.6r] that they forgate &
loste alle the excercisyng of armes & the dysciplyne of
knyghthede. Of thys Fabyus tellith ryght nobly our
good & preuy ffrende the poete Enneus. Fabyus said he
is a Romayne which restoryd vs our countrey oure fraun_chises 
& oure libertees by the respyte & longe suffraunce
that he had ayenst oure grete enemy Hanyball. Fabius
thenne olde was so temperate & so prudent that of the re_nomme 
fame & worship of all othir veyne gloryes he char_gid 
not nethir sett by it / but aboue all othir thyngys he
put before the helth & the welfare of the comon profyte
of his countrey, & for this cause the renomme glory worship
& the fame of Fabyus resplendysshed & floured aftir his
deth, more than at that tyme whanne he lyued. But it shulde
be a grete thyng for to tell and seye by what dylygence &
by what conseille he toke & recouyrd the cyte of Tarente
which thenne was a castell and at that tyme was takyn by
the Affricans / It fortuned that a consul Romayne callid
Salinator loste as it is said the castelle of Tarente and fled
by the withdraught in to the toure of the same castell. Thenne
aftir that Fabyus recouird the same castell the seid Sali_nator 
me heeryng how he glorifyed & magnified hymself of
that recoueryng by thyse wordys Certeynly seid Salinator to
the seid Fabius / thou hast recouerd bi me & by my werke
the castell of Tarente forsoth ansuerid Fabyus yf thou haddyst
not loste it afore I shuld neuer haue recouird it neithir
takyn it ageyne, This Fabyus full olde was so good in armes
& in house that is to saye that he was so good in tyme of
werr and of peas that he was not better in that one than
in that other. |r[f.6v] And eftsones Fabyus was consul and had



|p11


a felowe of office callid Carvilius the which excercysed not
his offyce but that notwithstondyng the seid Fabyus thenne
an olde man resisted as moch as he myght to the entrepryse
of Gayus Flammynyus which at that tyme was tribune of the
people of Rome which ayenst the auctorite of the senatours
of Rome wolde diuyde by syngler partys an herytage callyd
the terroner Picentois and the terroner Galois And how be it that
Fabius of the connyng & office callyd Augure which is a
dyuinore which was a dygnyte in Rome that men yafe them to
that science which determyned & knewe the thyngys to come
by the chirmyng & by the song & by the countenaunce of the
foulys & bryddys of the eyre / Neuertheles he had in hym the
boldenes for to say that all thyngys which were made for the
sauacyon & for the welfare of the comyn profyte callid Res
publica were made by ryght good dyuynyng. But the thyngys
made or saide ayenst the comon profyte were made or
saide ayenst the sentencys of wyse men of Auspices that is
to say ayenst the dyuynynges Iugementys & demynges the
which were made by the sentences of fowles and bryddys. I
haue knowyn that in this man were many thynges of ryght
noble condicyons the which I telle not / but I knowe nothyng
more merueillous for to say thanne is to telle how Fabyus
susteyned & enduryd withoute mournyng & wepyng the deth
of his sone Maximus which was a noble man & wylome
consul of Rome. We haue clerely & in a parte declarid the
praysyng of the olde Fabius of which whan we rede his
praysyng we fynde but fewe philosophers lyke hym but me
owghte |r[f.7r] to disprayse them to the regarde of Fabius
and it is certayne that he was not onely to be recomended in
grete dedys of pryse that he did outward & in the presence
of the Cytezeyns of Rome. But he was better & gretter within
forth / that is to witt in good condicions & within his sowle /



|p12


I may not sey ynough what was the speche & wordys nor
what were the commaundementis of the olde Fabyus nor
what was the knowleche that he had of the deedys & of the
sayengys of the olde tyme. I may not also saye ynowgh how
moche he knewe of the arte & scyences of dyuynyng & deter_minacion 
of fortunes to come good or ylle in tyme of peas &
of werre by the flyght or by the chirming or by the counte_naunce 
of the foulys & briddis of the eyre / And yit had
also Fabyus science & witte ynough after the maner which
the Romayns had & vsed at that tyme. This Fabyus con_ceiued 
& resceyued in his mynde not onely the Romayns ba_taylles 
but also remembred of straunge bataylles / I spake as
desyringly with hym as I coude deuyse at that tyme the
same thyng whiche fortuned of hym after he died that is to
witt that after his deth I shuld haue no man Romayne of
whom I myght lerne in workis & in techyngys suche as he
hadde be. It nedith not to seye so many thyngys to the prey_syng 
& fame of the said Fabyus / ffor certeynly ye see wele
by that that I haue said that it is vntrouth & a vice to say
that olde age is wretchyd myschaunt or noyous so that it
had be such as was the same of olde Fabyus & how be it
that Fabyus had be such in all his age neuertheles it is cer_tain 
that all men may not be such as were the Scipions
|r[f.7v] and the Fabyens nethir alle men also may not be suche
that they myght so of them self recorde & reherce, the
cytees the which they haue fought with & werrid or con_quered 
in the bataylles that they haue made afore in
dyuers landis & reames & also by nauy of shippes on the see,
nor all men also may not be such that they myght of them
self / recorde nor saye the victorious deedis & tryumphes
which they haue had in their lyues lyke as dyd the worthy
Scipions and also the noble Fabiens whilom noble Romayns



|p13


& vertuous in them self ffor namely some olde men myght in tymes
past haue be of peasible clene and faire lyf in gouernaunce, and
yet is their olde age plesaunt & swete suche as we here
by the hystoryes that declaren of the olde age of Platon which
at fourescore yere & one wrote books to teche men connyng
& vertue & so dooyng he dyed. Some olde age may be ple_saunt 
& swete hou be it that the lyf precedent had be still
pure & soft without warre or so noyed as we hier by
historyes how was the olde age of Isocrates the philosophre
the which as men sayne wrote in the yere of his age fourscore
and fouretene a boke callid Panathenaicus in which he
tawght men for to dispreyse & not to set by deth. Isocrates
lyued V yere after p=t= he had made an ende of the saide booke
he was disciple of a philosopher callyd Gorgias which was
born in a castel callyd Leontinoi. This Gorgias maister to Iso_crates 
was an hundert & seuen yere fulfylled of age & he
neuer cesid in his studye but euermore he was besyed and
occupyed / Thenne it fortuned that men demaundid hym why
he wolde be so longe |r[f.8r] alyue he answerde I haue not
said ne seen in me ony cause why I shulde accuse nor
blame myne olde age / Certaynly this answere was right
nobly spoken & was worshipfully seyd & appertynent to a
wise man / The foolis wolde sey in contrary of thanswere
of that philosopher Gorgias ffor the foolys puttyn vpon
the olde age their owne vices & blame whiche come of
them silf, that is to witt / the foolys accusyn their olde age
and puttyn vpon it the vices & defautys whiche come of
their euyll condicions in yougth & not of the age which
thyng did not the poete Enneus of whom we haue nowe
late made mencyon / for in shewyng what he was in olde
age he made therof a comparison. I am seyde En_neus 
as the strong hors whiche many a tyme hath
discomfited / the other horsys in rennyng lightly / & is come



|p14


first to the prycke. And by cause that nowe this hors is
olde he restyd hym & labourith nomore / This Enneus com_parith 
& resemblyth his olde age to the olde age of a strong
& a victorious horse. Of this Enneus may we well haue in
mynde for the XIX yere after the deth of hym Titus Flamminius
and Manius Acilius were made Consuls of Rome & Enneus
dyed at that time whanne Caepio & Philippus were made
the seconde tyme Consuls. And I which than was sixti & fyue
yere of age purposyd & pletyd with a grete & high voice a_fore 
the senatours of Rome for the lawe which made Voconius
one of the wise men of Rome / & that lawe I preuyd & sustey_ned 
by suasyons & good reasons vayllable whan Ennyus was
sixty & ten yere of age, for he lyued so longe by age, |r[f.8v]
The seyd poete Enneus beyng olde as I haue sayd suffred
and endured so pacyently and so wele two grete burdons /
whiche men reputen and accepte right grete, that is to witt
pouerte and olde Age / that it semyth that Enneus hadde
therin grete delectacyon.

Here endith the first part of this book, whiche is the
disputacyon of duke Caton. And begynnyth the nombryng of
the causes, why olde Age semyth to be wretchid and myschaunt.
And in this same distincyon Caton confoundith repreuyth &
abasshith Scipion and Lelius of the first defaulte which
they opposyn Caton ayenst olde Age / And begynnyth in the
latyn Etenim cum complector animo, quattuor causas re_perio 
&c. Scipion spekyth for hym and for Lelyus.

<b> wHanne I Scipion considre certaynly in my courage,
    for how many and what causes the olde age semyth
    to be wretchid myschaunt and noyous, I fynde
of them onely foure causes. The first cause and reson is
by cause that men taken away from olde men thadmynystracions
and gouernaunce of thynges, whyche requyren werke and



|p15


labour of bodyly strength or aduys and lack of witt and of
vnderstondyng. The seconde is by cause that olde Age makyth
men feble, seekly and foryetefulle. The thirde cause is for
as moche that olde age takyth away fro men alle delectacyons
and pleasirs naturelle as sensualitees in getyng of chyldern.
The IV reason is by cause that |r[f.9r] the olde man aftir
cours of nature is not ferr from deth. Caton answerith nowe
see we yf it please you how grete and how Juste / & of
what valew be eche of thies foure causes which men op_posyn 
ayenst olde age, & first tell me how ye vndirstonde
that olde age withdrawith & takith away fro men the
gouernaunce and the admynistracion of thyngys concernyng
bodily occupacions of strength and besynes / and yf it be so,
telle me of what thyngys, & ye parauenture shull answere
me that men take away and withdrawen fro men by cause
of olde age the admynistracion and gouernaunce of the
thynges that men makyn in yougth by bodily strength,
And that tyme whanne the body is in strength & wertu /
but thenk ye not Scipion and Lelyus that olde men haue
not some thyngys & workys whiche they may & canne ad_mynystre 
& doo in their age / And also thynk ye not that
some thyngys ben whiche men may make and admynistre by
the Counseil of olde men how be it that namely they haue
their bodyes seke & maladif. Sayst thou thenne Scipion that
this olde man Q. Fabius Maximus did nothyng profitable to
the gouernement and to the admynistracyon of the comon pro_fite 
of Rome, Saist thou also that nothyng did thy ffader
Lucyus Paulus for the welfare of Rome of whom my sone yong
Caton had weddid the doughter. Saist thou also that thies
othir olde men callid Fabrycius and the Curious and the
Coruncanoys did nothyng whenne they defendid and sauid
with their counseile and by their auctorite the comon profite



|p16


|r[f.9v] of our cyte of Rome / Ther was at Rome one Appius
an old agid preest whiche seruid in the temple of Mi_nerua 
othir wise callid Pallas whiche preest was fulle olde
and with that he was blynde, And it fortuned that at
that tyme Pirrus the kyng of Epirus made werre ayenst
Rome, & in so moche that the senatours were inclined
and concordid for to make peas and aliance with the seid
kyng Pirrus and notwithstondyng that Appius was an
olde man and blynde / yit he doubtid not for to say the se_natours 
the wordys whiche the seid Enneus had sett in
versys, wherof the sentence is thus, why seid Appius haue
ye inclyned and reualed youre couragious hertys / whiche til
nowe were accustumyd to be ferme and stidfast, be ye madd
or for lak of discressyon agree ye for to condescend and de_syre 
ye to make alliance and peas with kyng Pirrus by
cause that he puttith in strength for to putt you downe
and in subiection and wolde destroye yowe, and othir thyngys
he seid right felly and right greuously he rebukid them / and
the seid Appius fulle olde said yet to the senatours, and
yit ye knowe said he that Enneus made the versys that I
haue here allegid & seid by the whiche he repreuith you /
and also ye Scipion and Lelyus mowe haue seen the reason
by the which Appius olde and blynde purposid this matier
before the senatours / seuentene yere aftir that he had be the
seconde tyme consul, and yet ther was X yere betwix his
first and seconde consulat, wherfor men may vndirstonde
that in the tyme of bataile of kyng Pirrus the |r[f.10r] seid
Appius was of a grete age, that is to witt seuenty and
VII yeris / The olde Appius did, by his resonyng and
talkyng that the Romayns vndirtoke thenne their entrepryse
and ordeyned a grete hoost ayenst kyng Pirrus whiche
by them was discomfited, whiche was thyng full merueilous.



|p17


And algatis we haue herd it said by our auncient ffaders.
They thenne preue not ne afferme any thyng ayenst the
counseil of olde age / that saye that they may nor can en_tirmete 
and medle of nothyng. And tho that so saye / ben
lyke to them whiche supposyn and wene that in a ship saylyng
by the see / the lodesman / whiche is callid the patron or
mayster of the ship, whiche kepyth the rothir or sterne of
the shyp to guyde yt wele dooth nothyng but attendith onely
to that / by cause that some yong men clymmyn vpon the
mastis and some men drawen vp the ankyrs and some yong
men trussyn vp the sayles / and some othir yonge poompyn
and drawen water oute of the harmeron of the shippe, and
also as ye may see the patrone maister or lodesman whiche
that holdith & kepith the rothir of the ship which restyth
& sittith in the ende of the ship & takith kepe to the nedyl
& compas to knowe the directe cours of the ship saylyng dooth
not that besynes of bodily strength whiche belongeth to yong
men to doo, but alle the charge & welfare of the marchan_dize 
of the ship & of mennys lyues lieth in the witt &
discrecion of the olde man which is patron maister or lodes_man 
of the ship / and for thies seid causes I answere you
that he dooth gretter & bettir thyngys thenne yong men,
for he counseylith ordeyneth and auyseth of the |r[f.10v] moste
chargeable thynges whiche ben to be doon / for the grete
thynges of charge be not made by strengthis of bodye nor
by delyuernes and plyantnesse neithir by lyghtnesse of body /
but they ben made by counseill by auctorite experience and
by ordenauncys of grete witt & hygh discression, of whiche
thyngys, olde age is bettir prouided & stuffed by experience
thenne any othir age / & by olde age they lose not her
tyme, But parauenture ye shall replye to me / by cause that
it semith you that nowe I doo nothyng & that I was wont
to employe & occupye me in werre & in deedys of armys in
dyuers batailles for the defence to be made ayenst the ad_uersaryes 



|p18


of Rome, And nowe I may werre nomore, I whiche
was wont to be one tyme excercysed in the office of a knyght
occupyed in bataille & armes, anothir tyme vsyng the office
of tribun, anothir tyme the office of an ambassiatour or a
legat / & anothir tyme sittyng as consul. I answer you that
euir I doo somwhat for the profyte of Rome for before the
tyme I ordeyne & deuise to the senatours the thynges which
be most expedient to be doon for the honour of p=e= Ro_maynes,
& I denounce & make to be remembrid long before
the tyme of necessitee to the senatours & to the Romayns,
by what maner men may resiste ayenst the londe of Cartage
our grete ennemyes whiche nowe by long tyme haue be full
euill & maliciously disposed for to make batayle & mortel
werre ayenst oure cytee, Wherfor knowe ye verryly Scipion,
that I shall not sece to make ordenaunce & prouisions which
belonge to defende vs from oure ennemyes p=t= we Romains
shall not drede ne doubte the power |r[f.11r] of the cyte of Car_tage,
vnto the tyme that I knowe that it be altogedyr destroyed
by victory of batayle / which bataylle I desyre that the Inmortell
godys yeue to the in such maner that thou poursiewe the de_struccion 
of the remenaunt that be left lyuyng of our Auncient
Ennemyes, whiche thy grauntsyre Quintus Fabyus left in the
cyte of Cartage, whiche decessid nowe XXXIII yere past. But
he was suche that in alle the yeris folowyng / ther shal be
mynde of his tryumphe and worship. And knowe Scipion that
thy Grauntsyre Quintus dyed the same yere whanne I was made
Juge at Rome / And IX yere aftir whanne I was made consul
thy seid Grauntsire Quintus was made consul aftir the ende
of my consulat, And yf thenne thy Grauntsire Quintus had lyuyd,
vnto an C yere he shuld neuir had be annoied discoragid
nor weery of his olde age, for it was so profitable and so
honeste to hym / how be it that he hadde left the vse and
the maner of deedys of armes, in whiche yong knyghtys /
preuen and assaye themsilf, that is to witt / lightly for to



|p19


renne, ferr for to lepe / & to Juste with speris and to fyght
myghtly with axes & with nakyd swerdys. Neuertheles yf
he had lyued vnto an C yere he wolde haue ordeyned thies
seid occupacions to be excercised & the study of the comon
profite by counceill by reason & by moderat attemperaunce
& sad deliberacion which thingys but if they were in olde
men roted by experience oure auncient ffadirs had neuir said pt
the souerayn counseill of the cyte wele gouerned shulde be callid
a wise senate which signifieth a wise feliship of olde men,
the Lacedomonois ben |r[f.11v] right noble and of Auncyent folkys
of Grece whyche whilom had grete people in their domy_nacion 
/ they callyd olde men to them whiche had emongis
them the souerayn dignyte & the grettist office, also in suche
dignyte or office men deputed not but olde men of connyng /
science / and of craftis, Yf ye wyll rede or heer the olde
hystoryes of philosophres / ye shall fynde that the comyn pro_fytes 
of other contrees as weel as of ours whiche were right
grete in dignyte and worship haue ben lessid and destroyed
by the gouernaunce of yong men of adolescence and yong Age.
But after that they haue be susteyned and refourmed in their
first astate by the aduyse and gouernaunce of olde men, they
haue prosperid in grete worship and felicitee, as they dyde
by fore tyme. Now telle me Scipion and Lelyus how ye
haue loste your comyn profyte that was right grete and full
wyche, I make you this demande for they that pleyen the pa_gentys 
in the comodyes of pleyes of solas and disportys,
whiche Nevius the poete made a dyaloghe of two personys
whyche had loste a right grete and a riche patrimonye of
their enherytaunce. It was in semblable wise so questyoned
as I doo, And to this other demaundys men answeryn other_wyse 
to maters whyche ben not specyfied here. But the
pryncipall answere of the poete Nevy us was this / To this
gouernaunce of your comyn profyte / reualyd & brought to
nought, came many new yong maisters ygnorant and vnkon_nyng 
of the lawys / both aduocatis yong apprentises that pre_sume 



|p20


them connynger in the lawes than they be / and foolys
of yong Age / And therfor ye loste that riche patrymonye
and |r[f.12r] enherytaunce by outragyous gouernaunce and fole
hardynes / and for lack of discrecion by the properte and
nature and kynde of yonge Age. ffor prudence and good
auyse of grete discression ben the propertees and nature of
olde Age / Scipion opposith and seyth to Caton but for alle
that, in olde age is another lack or a defaulte, ffor in olde
Age is lessid the mynde and remembraunce of the thinges
that men knewe in their yong age / Caton answerith I beleue
Scipion that the mynde of an Agid man is lasse / but yf he
exercise and occupye it in remembryng the thynges chargeable
that he knewe before. A d also it lessith more his good
remembraunce yf he be borne a foole / or els naturelly so
euyll of complexion or ellis be hurted in that parte of the
hede wherin lieth the vertue memoratyf callyd remembraunce /
A noble man of Athenes callyd Themystocles had in
his mynde all the names of the cyte%eyns of Athenes, Deme
ye then that whan Themystocles became olde that he wolde
salewe the grete and worshippfull Lysimachus an olde cy_te
%eyn of Athenes in stede of Aristides another olde cite%ein
of Athenes, for soth nay for Them tocles excercised his mynde
in recordyng and remembryng the thynges that he knewe in
his yong Age, I my self haue knowen not onely Lysimachus
and Aristides, but I haue knowen their fadirs and their graunt_sirs 
/ and in the meane tyme that I rede the Epitaphies of
scriptures wretyn vpon their toumbes, I doubte it not as som
men seyne that I do not forgete the remembraunce of their
names for by cause that I excercise my mynde in redyng |r[f.12v]
their Epytaphyes I come ayen to mynde of the men decessid
for whom tho Epytaphies were made, More ouir I shewe you
by experience that yf the mynde of man be excercised in olde
age, it lessith not / for I herd neuer say that ony olde
man who so euer he be wolde forgete in what place where
he had hydde and leyd his tresour. Also olde men haue



|p21


mynde of the wages fees and pensyons that they ben assigned
vnto / And also of fees & wages that they haue assygned to
other of their counseyl and seruantys. Also they haue
mynde of the names of their Creancers to whom they owe,
and also of the dutees & goodes whiche is owyng vnto them.
olde men remembre them of many and dyuerse thynges of
grete weyght and charge, ffor they remembre of the lawes
that wyse men haue made vpon the caases pleted that ben
comenyd and ordeyned emonge them / Olde men remembre
of the right & of the constytucions and ordenaunces / whiche
by the bysshoppes haue be made for the seruyce of the
goddys / They also remembre full wele how the augurys
that be dyuinatours doon and sholde determyne and pronostike
vpon the dyuinacions and thynges that be for to come. And
also they bryng to mynde what opynyons had the philosophers
m determynyng the causes of the naturelle thynges and mo_ralle 
thynges / ffor yf it be ony doubte or debate of ony
thyng belongyng to the gouernaunce of the worlde / men
goon only to the mynde of experience and remembraunce of
olde men in the wittys of whom is most naturelle vertu of
gostely force and strengthe of the sowle which abydeth stylle
wyth olde men so that the studye and industry |r[f.13r] abydeth
hoolly wyth them, that is to wytt that men, notwythstondyng
their olde age / yet they abyden witty and subtyl in their
ymaginacions and good conceytes / so that they apply their
couragys to tho thynges specially and they haue wisedome
& perseueraunce in the same /
And knowe ye Scipion and Lelyus that the wyttes and
good remembrauncys abyden not onely in olde men of noble
degre and of hygh astate whiche haue honourable & worshipp_full 
offices but also the wittes and good remembraunces abyden
in other olde men / also whiche haue neuer admynystracion
ne gouernaunce of the comon profyte but onely of their owne
propre goodes and preuy thinges belongyng to themself, as of
their housholde kepyng and of their marchandysing or other
honest occupacions vsyng. And the poete Sophocles vnto his



|p22


grete olde age made in versys dyuers and many tragedies, in
whiche he wrote the euyll and abhomynable deedys of the
kynges and prynces of the worlde. Al be it semed to his
children by cause that he was intendant to his bookes to
studye, that he was necligent to gouerne his owne propre
goodes and thynges / And therfor they made hym to be called
in iugement before the iuges, by cause that as it is of custome
after the lawe of Rome for to interdire and take away the
admynystracion of good fro them that do not approwe it pro_fytably 
ne do not wele their occupacion and werkes / Also
that the iuges of Grece wolde haue taken away from So_phocles 
as a foole and neglygent the gouernaunce of his
owne propre goodys and cataillys, Thenne the olde man So_phocles 
began to reherce |r[f.13v] and seye by hert before the
Juges a fable of a tragedy callid Edipus Collonnoy s that
is to witt of a sad Cronycle and of an hystory lamentable
which he had allredy in his handys and had writyn it not
long before. And aftir that he had purposyd and declarid his
Tragedie he questyoned to the Juges why it semyd them that
he was a foole whiche made suche versys and suche a ditte
of a substancialle processe / thenne he by the sentence of the
Juges was absolued and dischargid of the accusacion of his
childeren. Telle me thenne Scipion and Lelyus yf the olde
age constrayne a man for to be chaunged or for to be depryued
for to seace from his studyes thise foure noble poetys Sophocles
Hesiodus Simonides and Stesichorus, he answerd nay.
Telle me also yf the olde age constrayned them to be
chaunged or for to seace in their studyes thies two philoso_phers 
Isocrates and Gorgias of whom we haue spoken
here a / fore and Omer the poete Pytagoras and Democritus
Platon and Xenocrates / And aftir this eno Z Cleanthes
& that worthy Diogenes the whiche namely ye haue seen
at Rome whiche VII haue bee & ben prynces of philosophers



|p23


callid Souerayne wise men, forsoth olde age made them neuir
to be chaunged nor to sece in their studye of bookys redyng /
see ye not that in alle thies poetys and philosophers lyues
the frequentacion & excercise of their studyes hath be lyke
to the tyme of alle their lyfdayes / ffor they haue studyed
by as long tyme as they haue lyued, sithen that they had be
of reason / But leue we to speke of thies studyes of philo_sophers 
and of poetrye whiche |r[f.14r] ben dyuyne sciences and
come we to speke of the artys of the VII sciences and of the
Craftys that men made by labour of body. I may name you
some olde men laborers Romayns my neyghbores and my fa_myliar 
frendys whiche ben of the grounde of Fabyens that
workyn so faste and so wele that their workys ben neuir gretter
ne better as thenne whanne they be presente ther at, be it
in sowyng corne & greffyng trees or in gaderyng the fruytes
and puttyng them in the garners / that is a thyng more mer_uelous 
that thies olde men whiche haue hope to lyue but a
while labouryn so gretly in sowyng cornes of dyuers greynes
in plantyng & in settyng trees & in greffyng trees to bryng
forth dyuers kyndys of frutys, and also in gaderyng of them
ayen / And in leying vp suche prouysions, & tho thyngys ne_cessaryes 
to lyue with all how be it that in othir men whiche
hopyn and truste long to lyue by them, hit is a lesse mer_ueile 
so gretly for to laboure in such besynes. But ye may
seye that thies olde men labouren so faste for they thenkyn
the vse of their labours ioyeth them gretly. ffor that saye
ye, ther is no man so olde, but he weenyth that he may lyue
a yere lenger / forsoth Scipion and Lelyus that that ye say
is somwhat true. But olde Caton answerith, men labouryn in
thyngys whiche they knowe that to them it apperteyneth not /
nor shall not apperteyne in any wyse / ffor thies olde men
sette plantes and greffyn trees to bere frutys of dyuers kyndes /
by cause that they doo profyte & bryng forth fruyte to men
that aftir them shal come and not to them silf onely that
settyn thise trees. As saith |r[f.14v] Statius an auctor of oure
cyte in a booke of his whiche men namyn Synephebi in
whiche he spekith of the age of men or thy haue beerdys /



|p24


forsoth said Statius the labourer how be it that he then_kyth 
he is olde he dare wele answere to him that demaundith
and askith hym for whom and to whom he settith and greffith
the trees / I sett them seid he to the goddys Inmortall and
not to me ne to them that be myne elders in age which
anone shal dye. That is for to vndirstond I plante trees to
the men & bylde castels townys & housses for to dwelle vppon
for creatures whiche shall be borne aftir my decees. And
also I sette and graff thies trees to the seruice and profite
of the goddys / whiche onely wolde not that I shuld resceyue
of my predecessours thies trees / but the goddys wolde that
I shuld gyfe them to such that aftir me shall come as is be_fore 
declarid and said. Scipion and Lelyus opposyn forsoth
Caton better spekyth the philosopher Cecylius thenne did the
labourer of whom thou spekyst, for Cecylius said of an olde man
whiche thought yit to lyue by a grete age. By god said he, dame
olde age / yf thou shuldist not bryng with the any othir vice
or any othir defaute of felicite and blessidnesse whan thou
comyst thenne is age / yit thou bryngyst a vice & a defaute /
whiche suffisith to the disconfortyng of myserye and vnhappy_nesse 
/ that is to witt that in lyuyng long tyme the man seeth
many thingys whiche he wold not see / and also he seeith
many thingys whiche he desyrith gretly for to see for his
syngler ioye and pleasire. And also is true that a man beeyng
in adolescence of yong grene |r[f.15r] age fallith oftymes in thynges
of displeasyng and suche that he wolde that he had not seen
them. Scipion and Lelyus opposyn, forsoth Caton the philo_sopher 
Cecilyus saide of olde age a thyng is no more vitu_perable 
and lothyng, thenne is the same that he seeith here
before. I holde sayd he a thyng that is most wretched of
alle thyngys that men may feele and perceyue that in olde
age, how an olde man is hatefull and lothfull to any man, be
it also of an olde man or of ony othir age. Caton : I answere
you that the olde man is not hatefull to anothir, but is glad
& amyable / for as the old wise man hath delectacyon with



|p25


the adolescence and in yong men, whiche haue in them some
tokyns of resemblaunce and shewyng to be good and worthy
of noble courage in tyme / to come to grete worship, and
that olde age is softir and more ioyous whan old e men
ben hawntid and loued of yong men / Also yong men and
adolescent haue ioye to resceyue the comaundementys and
techyngys of olde men by the which yong men ben introducid
and enfourmyd to the studye of vertues and of good workys
which makyn their olde age ioyfulle and amyable towardes the
worlde / Ye two yong men Scipion and Lelyus I vndirstonde
that ye be glad & louyng towarde me / therfor I seace here
after for to say ony more of this mater / ffor ye see and
vndirstonde wele how olde age nomore thenne othir age is
not languysshyng nor seeke nor slouthfull nor ydyll. But
namely olde age euir workith and labourith and doeth and
makith redy euir somwhat / that is to witt suche as he did
& excercised in the aages precedent |r[f.15v] yf ye aske me what
olde age labourith, I answere you that olde men lerne som_thyng 
ouir that they knowe, as we hier by the hystoryes that
Solon oon of the Chief VII wise men of Athenes that aftir
their decesse were callid philosophers / glorifyed hym to haue
lerned in his olde age the science for to make versys in metyr
aftir the mesure of tyme and nombre of sillables and Solon
said that he became olde euery day in lernyng somwhat as
I haue do that haue lerned as I saide the letters and the
langage of Grece as willyngly and as desiryngly as he that
drynketh couetously and largely of the cuppe that wold slake
his thurst that the bare long. And knowe ye that I haue
lerned the letters and the Grekisshe langage by cause that
l myght knowe by the Grekisshe historyes the exsamples,
wherof ye see me to vse in this booke / And as I haue herd
say that Socrates a Grekisshe philosopher had in his olde
age lerned for to pley with musicall Instrumentys with strengys
as is of harpyng and lutyng and suche othir maner of Instru_mentys 
of musyque I was moued to that that I shuld also lerne
the playe of Instrumentys of musyk as I lerned the letters
and the Grekysshe langage, for the auncient noble men



|p26


philosophers for the comforte and solace of olde age lernyd
to play in instrumentys of musyk with strengys / and therfor
I did putt my study and my labour for to lerne and knowe
the letters and the langage of Grece in my grete age.

Here endith the seconde part and the first destynctyon of
|r[f.16r] the book of olde age. And aftir begynneth the third
part and seconde distinction which Caton answerith confoun_dith 
and repreuith them of the seconde defaulte of uitupera_cyon 
opposed ayenst olde age.
In the nombre of the ffoure causes here aboue rehersed /
where by howe & in what wise olde age semith to be noyo
& lothely / the seconde distinctyon conteyned the cause why
olde age semith to be myschaunt noyo & wretchid, that is to
wite by cause that it makith the body seke & fell, wherfor
I answere you Scipion & Lelius that forsoth I desire not
for to haue the strengthis nowe of an adolescent yong man
aftir that I am become an olde man nomore thenne I desyred
whanne I was an adolescent yong man to haue the strengthys
of a bulle or of an Olyphant.
A man ought wele for to vse in euery age of that thyng
that nature yeueth hym, and also it apperteyneth that thou
doo alle thyngys aftir the mesure and aftir the quantyte of
thyne owne propre strength and not to vsurpe and take the
vnto gretter thyngys than thou maist not nor hast no power
to execute / ffor it may not be said more abhomynable
nor more spitefull worde than was that which was said of a
champyon callid Milo whiche was of Crotoine a cyte of
Grece, which Milo than beeyng olde as he sawe the myghty
champyons and wrestelers which preued and assayde their
strengthys by dyuers maners in the comon place that was
ordeyned for to doo such maystryes. This Milo as men seyen /
lokid vppon his armes and said with wepyng terys / forsoth
thies armes and thies sydes arne dede / But I telle the
Milo that |r[f.16v] thyne armes and thy sydes for whom thou
wepist fore / ben not so dede as thou arte thiself, which is
but as a Japer both feynt & feble & forsoth thou were neuir



|p27


reputid noble for no wisedom nor for no vertu of thyne owne
myght and courage, but thou hast ben worshyppid and sett
muche by for thy strong armes and for thy strong sydes whan
thou didist wrastill ayenst othir men. this Milo a man vn_worthy 
and vnnoble of litle reputacyon for any wisedom that
he had but for his strong sydes and the brawnys of his bonys
and synewys, was from his adolescent yong age accustumyd
and vsid to bere vpon his shulders a yong and a litle calff,
whiche aftir grewe and became a grete and an huge oxe, and
by thaccustumyng & vse that Milo had to bere it from
yougth, and whan he was light, it was nothyng greuous to
hym for to bere it, aftir that he was growen and become an
oxe, heuy grete and huge. The olde Aelius whiche by syx
tymes was consul at Rome wepyd neuir in desiryng ayen
the strength of his yougth, as did Milo the Crothoniois also
nomore did Titus Coruncanius whiche by many yeris was
borne before the seid Aelius. Nomore did also that olde
man Publius Crassus / which alle thre as consuls ordeyned
to the cyteseins of Rome the rightfulle lawe ciuile for to
obserue and gouerne the cytees & the people / of thies thre
olde men their wisedom ascendid in encreacyng & conty_nued 
vnto the laste spirite of their lyues. Scipion demaun_dith 
a question and askith, yf any olde agid man beeyng an
oratour or a pletar that is to witt an aduocat lernyng the
|r[f.17r] lawe for admynystracion of Justice yf it be to doubte
that he may erre or faile in demaundyng or askyng his
reasons by the defaulte of voice & of matiers couenable &
necessaryes in purposyng and vtteryng before a Juge / fforsoth
the office of an aduocat is not onely in clernesse & subtilte
of witt / but he must haue in purposing his maters & in de_claring 
both in good reasons of eloquence & witt a demure
countenaunce & bodily strengthe for to speke couragyously
wel & wisely & also attemperately / aftir as the causes of the
matiers shull require / And if the mater be comfortable /



|p28


thenn to purpose it with a ioyouse spirit, & yf the mater be
dolorouse / lamentable & piteous / than he must purpose &
declare it with lamentable spech & soft countenaunce. Caton
answerith & seith that voice which is temperat soft and de_mure 
of swete eloquent speche purposid, which hath be excer_cised 
in the oratour, that is lernid in his yougth / It shyneth
and flourisshith parfyteli in the man whenne he is come in
olde age whiche is so syngulere a thyng that I knowe not
the cause of it / but as a vertu geuen to hym / and as ye
knowe I haue not loste the voice of swete eloquence both accep_table 
and fauorable, and yit ye see that I am LXX yeris of age /
But neuerthelesse yf ye will knowe why the voice that
is soft and demure shewith acceptably in the mouth of olde
men / I answere you that the spech of the olde man is
faire of good eloquence yf it be curtoysly peasybly and tem_peratly 
vttred / the witt and the swete langage of the wise
olde man maketh hym fulle oft to haue grete audyence and
fauoure of the herers / And yf thou whiche art |r[f.17v] olde
haue parauenture som reson so long or so harde for to pro_nounce 
or plede which thou maist not accomplisshe & fulfill
in spedy tyme, neuirtheles thou maist honestly comaunde to
such yong men as ben Scipion & Lelius, that they vttir &
speke for the, & the aged mans office is to mynistre his sage
counseill by his instruction to the yong oratours studyeng the
lawes / wherby he may the more sadlyer grounde his maters
to a good conclusion by his grete wisedom / for ther is nothyng
more ioyfull to studientys lerners than is olde aged men ap_proued 
/ in connyng which be accompanyed, & felisshippid as
am onges yong men which haue appetite & courage to studye
& lernyng, for to obeye to the comaundementys of olde men /
And we olde men leue som thynges which we myght wele doo
aftir the strength of our yeris to thentente by cause that yong men
ben by vs taught & enfourmed for to excercise & for to doo all
honorable office. There is no worke nor occupacion more
noble & more comendable than that by the which olde men
teche yong men to excercise & to doo all honorable office.
And certaynly me thought whilom that thies V noble olde



|p29


men of worship / Gilyus Publius & the two Scipions thy
grauntsirs & Lucius Emilyus & Publius Affricanus were
full blessid / fortunat & happy / whenne they were in the
feliship of the noble yong men Romayns whiche of the seid
olde men toke thexsamples of vertues / ffor me ought to thenk
that all olde men ben full blessid & fortunat which ben
maisters & techers of good condicions grete wisedomes and
profitable sciences / And how be it that the naturell streng_this 
lacken & faillen in olde men |r[f.18r] neuerthelesse that
lackyng comith more often by the vices & outragyousnes of
yong age than it comith by the vices of olde age, ffor the
age of adolescencye outragyo & euill disposid / & intemperat,
yeldith & causith the bodi to be feble & vnweldly in olde age /
ffor where as Cirus kyng of Perse was full olde / he con_fessid 
by his worde that he hadd / at the tyme of his deth
that he felt not, nor neuir perceyuid that he was in any
wise become olde by cause of olde age / nomore than he was
in adolescence as tellith an historyographe a cronicler callid
Xenophon, I remembre me that when I was a childe I
sawe an olde man consul Romayn callid Lucius Metellus,
sithen that he had be IV yere the chief of the bisshoppis of
Rome aftir that he had be twies consul, he was hool &
vygorous in vndirstondyng & he duellid in that dignyte of
souerayn bisshop by XXII yere & in so good strengthis he
lyued / to the laste ende of his age that he ne required
nor desired neuir to retourne ageine to the state & age of
adolescencye. It nedith not to me for to saye any thyng
of my silf how be it that this boke that we make is the
werke & processe of recomendyng of olde age & which ap_perteyneth 
to our age that be olde men as be they of whom
we haue spokyn.
Ye also may see how Nestor one of the kyngys of Grece
techid & enfourmed / & sett before the exsamples of his



|p30


wisedomes & vertues in a boke that Omer the poete made of
p=e= batayle of Troye. Nestor at that tyme when he prechid
& taught his vertues was thenne in the thirde age of man
for he was vppon an hundird yeris & yit he made no doubte
but in recomendyng hym silf / he semid to be full arogaunt
& auauntyng & neuertheles he recomendith not onely hym
self / but the poete Omer |r[f.18v] hym preyseth also of his
grete vertues / ffor certeynly seid Omer of the tongue of olde
kyng Nestor stilled & droppid a langage swetter than hony,
and for to speke that of his swetnesse of langage the seid
kyng nedid not of strength of body / and neuirthelesse the kyng
Agamemnon duke & leder of the batayle of Grece ayenst
the Troyens askid neuir ne requyred to the goddys immortell /
that he myght haue X such knyghtys as was the vong / Ayax
by cause that Agamemnon myght the rathir discomfite the
Troyens. But the duke Agamemnon askith & requireth to
the goddys that he myght haue X such olde men as was
that kyng Nestor & Agamemnon said / that yf he myght
haue X / such olde men, he doubtyd not but within short
tyme Troye shulde be takyn & destroyed / But in leuyng
to speke of myself that am of thage of ffourscore & 4 yeris /
and forsoth I wolde that I myght magnifye & auaunt my self
of that same thyng / wherof Cirus kyng of Perse glori_fieth 
& vauntyth hym, saying of hym self / that he felte neuir
nor parceyued that he was in any wise become feble by cause
of olde age / nomore thanne he was in his adolescencye.
But algatys I say this of myself / that nowe I am not of such
strength as that I was at that tyme whenne I was knyght in
the batayle Punike in Aufrik or at that tyme whanne
I was consul in Spayne or foure yere aftir that I was
tribun of the Romaynes knyghtys & fought nych to the



|p31


mountaynes callid Thermopylae that departen the Perces from
the Grekys / & at that tyme whan Marcus Attilius Regulus was
consul / But as ye see Scipion & Lelius, olde age hath not enfeblid
me of all & wastid my body / and also ye see |r[f.19r] that the
court & the parlement of the senatours asken not nor de_siren 
my bodily strengthis that is for to vndirstonde that
for to counseill the thyngys & the causes publikes for p=e= comon
profite which concernyth the comon welfare of the cyte to be
wele guyded, hit nedith not to the expedicyon of the thyngys
that I be strong of body / but onely it suffiseth that I be
prudent & temperate, Juste & strong in courage / also the
seeges and the auditoryes of the Juges which I occupye &
excercise requyren & demande not that I be stronge of body,
nor my frendys nor my seruauntys / ne tho that occupye &
haunten myne house / asken not that I be strong of body /
for withoute any grete strength I may doo my deuoire to
spede them / And knowe ye Scipion that I neuir conscented
to an olde prouerbe, that many men approuen & commende /
which amonyssheth & signifieth that thou becomyst olde hastli
y f thou wilt long be olde but I had lyuer that I were not
olde than that I were olde, or I shulde be / by naturell
age. And forsoth there is no man that myght yit take or
saye ayenst me how I haue ben occupied & assaied to be
olde, or I shuld haue it aftir cours of nature / & true it
is that I haue lesse strength of body, thenne ony of you
tweyne. And also non of you two haue the strength of this
captayne Romayne callid Titus Poncyus, and how be it
that the seide Titus haue gretter strength than any of
you two, yit he is not therfor stronger in vertu by cause
that any man ought to be reputed and accomptyd / for
strong / It suffisith onely that in hym be temperaunce of
strength / That is to witt that he vndirtake not the thyng
which he may not |r[f.19v] perfourme / And also it must nedys
be that euery man enforce hym and putt hym in deuoire
to begynne that thyng whiche he may perfourme / and yf



|p32


euery man will tempre & modre his strength so as I haue
saide, he shall haue grete desyre & plesire in his strength as
I shall shewe you by thexsample folowyng. The worthy
knyght Hercules and also the men of Grece ordeyned, from
IV to IV yeris in the montayne of Oly mpus the highest of
the worlde Justyngys turnementys & wrestlynges in the wor_ship 
of their god Jupiter / Thenne it fortuned / p=t= a cham_pyon 
callid Milo of Crotoyne came in to the place & in the
cyrcuyte wherupon men made thies playes, he bare as m n
sayne a beef callid an oxe vpon his shulders by the space of
an hundird paces. So I question the Scipion which strength
haddist thou leuer to haue eyther the strength or the witt of
the philosopher Pytagoras, or the strength of the seid Milo /
ffinally I tell the thou owhtist vse of the bodily strengthis
whiche is oon of the goodys of nature in the meane tyme
whan thou haste them. But whan the goodys of bodily strength
ben nomore in the / thenne thou shuldist not require it nor
aske it saue that thou maist saye parauenture that the ado_lescentys 
which ben in the third age owghten to desyre &
aske aftir the age of pueryce which is the seconde age / &
by that he is the ferthir from deth / Therfor I tell the
Scipion, that whan men ben som what entrid & come within
adolescence, which is an age fructuouse and profitable, they
owen to require it and to aske it / And not puerice callid
Childhode whiche is withoute auaile and profite. The cours
and |r[f.20r] the weye of age is certeyne and determyned by
nature, whiche hathe onely a wey which is symple & is
nothyng different more in the one than in the othir / But
ech goo by that symple and determyned wey aftir the de_grees 
in their cours from the one age in to that other /
And yit nature had yeuen to euery part of age his owne
propre season and tyme, and his partynent cours of vsage
in kynde / That is to witt that sekenesse and maladye is
propryd to the age of puerice in childhode, & cruelte is appro_prid 
to the age of yougth, worshipfulnesse and sadnesse of



|p33


maners be appropryd to the age of virilite whiche is the
fyfthe age. Moderaunce and temperaunce be propred to olde
age. Eueriche owith to haue sumwhat naturel and appro_pred 
vnto that / whiche may be gadird in his tyme. I wolde
Scipion that thou woldist geue me audience, & I shall tell
the what thyng did olde Masinissa one of the kyngys of
Auffryk, whiche was oure enemy and also he whiche was
Lelyus felowe / whenne thou foughtist and discomfitist in ba_taile 
Siphar / the kyng of Numyde. This Masinissa which
was of age XC yeris whenne he beganne to walke on fote /
he wolde not skipp on horsbak / & whenne he rode on hors_bak,
he wolde not lyght downe during all that voiage / he
was neuir contrayned for to keuir his hede / for any rayne
nor for any wynde or wedyr were it neuer so colde. This
olde Masinissa had in hym a souerayne dryenesse & lee_nesse,
& also he fulfillid & maynteyned all souerayne officis
& all noblenesse parteyning vnto a noble courte & to ryall
puissaunce / that is to witt to be a tresorer a countroller
and a steward or els a |r[f.20v] Graunt maystir in a kyngys or
in a pryncys court. By this thenne apperith that the excer_citacion,
the frequentacion and the attemperaunce that a man
kepith in his yong age / may kepe in olde age / sumparte
of the auncient strength which was before in the body.
Some may oppose me that in olde age ther be no streng_this 
/ and I answere to that, ther is noon olde man that
askith to olde age any strengthe or any werke that be doon
by strength. By this apperith thenn that aftir lawe Ciuile
and aftir auncient ordenaunces by statutes & custumes of
a londe, oure olde age ought to be besyed, occupyed, and
medeled, with publike offices of dignitees or pryuees / as to be
counseillours and gouernours of cytees and townes / so that
they be suche, that men may excercise them withoute bodily
strength / And by that we olde men be not onely free to
doo that, whych we may not / neithir we namely be con_streyned 



|p34


to doo asmuche as we myght doo / But Scipion
thou myghtist oppose me ayenst olde age, that some olde
men ben so feble that they shuld not mowe execute nor doo
ony publique office of dignyte or pryue perteynyng to their
lyuyng / I answere the that this vice is not propird to
olde age / but is to comon vices of sekenes and of nonpower
and feblenesse of body. Thenk Scipion how feble was
Publyus Affricanus sone, whiche brought the vp and adopted
the as his sone. Thenk how by a lytle sykenesse he was en_feblid,a^whiche yf hit had not become vnto hym / he shuld
haue be the seconde named in prowesse and renomme in actys
of marcialle causes aftir the noble Faby us for the sone of
|r[f.21r] Publius ouircame & in renome surmounted his ffadir by
Justice & rightwisnes & science vysyng, wherof he had the
more in his courage to mynystre & excercise. Ther is no
merueil thenne yf olde men be somtyme sekely and feble,
sith that it was so that they of adolescentys age, and namely
yong men may not eschewe sekenesse of body /
Therfor I telle you Scipion and Lelyus that men must
resiste to olde age by cause that they myght eschewe and
putt away dissolucion slouthe and ydelnesse by diligent
labour and studye. And men must in lyke wise by ex_cercitacion 
and by studye fight ayenst olde age by cause that
it falle not by no vicious lyuyng, lyke as by prouisions and
remedye of good dyetyng, men fyght and perserue them ayenst
sekenes of body / Olde men owen to haue in olde age suche
conduyte guydyng and mesure by moderate excercise of la_boure 
/ as seke men vse to haue / therfor it must be auysed
that olde men vsen of smale and lyght excercitacions and of
temperat labours /
Hit must also be counseilde that olde men ete and drynke
meetes of lyght and good digestion / so that the strengthis
and the bodily vertues be replete and sustyned and not
stoppyd by surfetes of hard metys or by surfete of drynkys.



|p35


And hit nedith muche more to socour and helpe to the
thought and passion of the soule & to the courage of olde
man by cause that by the socour that he dooth to suche
thoughtys the mynde of good remembraunce faile nor lessith
not / and that be he couraged / as he may excercise & occupye
hym in the thyngys parteynyng to olde age / ffor as the light
of a lampe |r[f.21v] quenchith & dieth / but men putt in sum
oyle to the quantite that it lessith, so the thought in which
is the mynde of man & the courage of hert / wherin is the
wisedome / reste stynte and faile, but yf they be socourd with
such comfortable thyng of pleasyre / and comfortable excer_citacions 
of mery communycacyons as is in recordyng & redyng
the bookys of vertu and connyng in cronycles and historyes
of their noble predecessours and bryng them so ayen to more
parfite remembraunce aftir that men haue redd them / And
it is certeyne that as their bodyes so aaged ben woxen greuid
and wery by payne & labour, so their courages ben susteyned /
and releuid by excercitacion & vse of studye of memory
and mynde keepyng / ffor whanne Cecylius the poete in a
comedy of a mery boke of his saith that olde men ben sottys
callid / othirwise foolys, for he seith that olde men withoute
excercitacyon of redyng or heryng good historyes they be
disposid lyghtly to beleue alle the thyngys or tales thowh they
be not profitable to them that they here saye / by cause that
they haue no demyng in them / and also they be forgetfulle
by repleccyon of colde & fleumatike humours / and the more
by cause that they haue not excercised in age the vertu of
remembraunce, and also they ben noyous and daungerous
straunge for to please withoute hauyng of moderacion and
temperaunce by cause of weykenesse of their complexion / ben
disposed, more to sekenes thenne they were in yougth. Thies
thre sekenesses come not to a man by cause of olde age / but
they ben the vices of the nature of olde neclygent age / as



|p36


is slouth and slepe. |r[f.22r] And as to wantonnesse & flesshely
delectacion it is more the vice of yong men thenne of olde
men / and also wantonnesse is not onely the vice of adolescente
men / but it is the uice of euyll disposed adolescent persones /
and such aged fooly whiche men callyn oute of reson mysrulyd
or sotted at some seasons, whiche condicion comyth to som
olde men. Hit comith to suche olde men that were light of
courage in their yougth and were not stable in wisedome nor
in studye. Appius of whom I haue spokyn before was a
worshypfull preest of the temple of the goddys of Minerua
he beeyng blynde and olde gouerned his foure sonys, whiche
were full growen and strong men / and his fyue doughtirs
and a grete housholde and grete feliship he kept wyth
outyn any help & without counseill saue onely of hymself.
This Appius had his courage lent and geuen to wisedome
and to good memorye as it had be a boue / and to whom
the bodily strengthys failed, yit he was neuir submyttid to
olde age / but he entendid to study and to publyke besynes
and pryue / as in geuyng good aduices & counseill to such
as had Rule and gouernaunce / to mynistre Justice & in
keepyng good housholde / Appius olde and blynde helde soue_reyn 
rule and domynacion had vpon his subiectys and ser_uauntis 
/ for they bare hym reuerence and doubted his puis_saunce 
/ his seruauntys drede hym / his childerne obeyed
hym / and alle tho that haunted hym louid hym, & had hym
in grete worship & fauour, and this Appius was of courage
vigorouse & as a man geuen to grete watche as it was in his
ffader / and also he had and vsed the doctryne of hym.
|r[f.22v] Therfor I telle you Scipion and Lelius that the olde
man is to be pleasid, and with honeste to be reuerenced, so
that he defende hym with the yefte and tresours of memorye
by studye and by exsamples, by auctorite by reuerence and
by the othir armes of vertues lyuyng and of sciences / Olde
age is honeste yf it holde and kepe his dyuyne lawe, by
whiche it is withdrawen for haboundonyng and withdrawyng
from takyng hym self to vices if it be wele fornysshed and



|p37


supportid to his trouth and complexion by whiche he lyuith
aftir temperaunce & reason. The olde man is honest and
good if he make hym gouernour and enfourmer of his chil_deren 
& of his mayne & seruauntes vnto the laste ende of
his lif aftir his auctorite & to his puissaunce / fforsoth so as
I approue and preyse the adolescent man / whiche hath in
hym som thyng parteynyng to olde age as is temperaunce and
sobirnesse. Also I comende & preyse the olde man which
in hym hath somthyng parteynyng to yougth, as is som strength
of body and constaunce of good courage. The man that folo_with 
that whiche I haue aboue sayde he may be olde of body,
but he shall neuir be olde of courage to excercyse good deedys /
I Caton whiche am olde haue nowe betwix my handys the
VII book wherin I trete the birthis of the auncyent people
of renomme of Itayle / In this book I gadir to gedir all
recordable processe of euery noble cause that I haue pur_posid 
/ and studied for to please by aduocacye before the
senatours and othir Juges of Rome that is to witt, like a
seruiaunt of the lawe or the kyngys promoter or speker of
his parlement or |r[f.23r] his attourney generalle or apprentise
of court declarith & pledith his maters that ben comytted to
hym of thies causes. I compile and make nowe oracions pro_posicions 
& plees by whiche I shewe the fourme and maner
to you to purpose and plede here aftir plees and causes in
demaundyng and askyng right and iustice to be mynistrid or
in defendyng a wrong surmysed in causis crymynelle and ciuile
imperiale whiche is the comon lawe in Rome vsid / I Caton
whiche am olde trete / and compile nowe a diuine booke of
a lawe by the whiche I teche how and by what cause men
shulde make the argumentys by reasons and writyngys of phi_losophers 
and clerks prenostiques for to come, that is to witt
the diuynacions for to knowe the doubtuouse thyng and
vncertayne, present and by exsample as by constellacyons
of coniunctyons and aspectes of the VII planetes and by
eclipses aswele of the sonne as of the mone & by the introites



|p38


& entrees of the sonne in to the VII signes of the yere pas_sidor 
for to come as verry pestelences, derth of cornys
oyles and wynes, and impressions of the ayre of grete coldys
and hetys / drynesse or moistnes grete stormes & wyndes.
I trete also the right lawe of ciuile / causes & the ordenaunces
of high dignyte of bisshops and prestys how and in what wise
shuld be deputed and ordeyned to them, as in obedience
and reuerence that seruen to the grete goddys of the temple /
I in makyng thies thyngys a forsaide, vse much of the bookys
of the Grekys philosophers. I vse much, also of the maner
of the disciples of the philosopher Pytagoras by cause to excer_cise 
my mynde of |r[f.23v] remembraunce, ffor so as the mynistres
and the scolers of Pytagoras lernyd the argumentys and the
speculatyf of science of dyuers connyngys by the space of
V yere / and by othir fyue yere aftir that the seid scolers
studyed her doctryne withoute speche made to them but by
the thought and study speculatife practisyng vpon the seuen
sciencys that they had lerned of their maistir before / And
than by ten yere after / they had habilite and licence to en_fourme 
and teche othir scolers and studientys, also I recorde
and remembre at euen / alle that I haue said / and all that
I haue herd and all that I haue doo the day precedent, suche
be the excercysynges and workys of my witt and also of
my thought / whiles I trauaillid and labourd in thies thyngys
aboue saide. Therfor I desyre not gretly to haue muche
strength of body onely / but I am redy to my frendys if
they haue nede of me / I come to the senatours and to the
parlementys & to open courtys accompanyed with the feliship
of my bretheren and frendys, I bryng with me suche maters
and processes that I haue long before thought / also I de_fende 
my processe & matiers & also afferme the processe aftir
as the causes shall require before the senatours, not by the
strength of my body but by the power and strength of my
wittes and the courage of my hert / That is to witt, by coun_seill,a^by deliberacion, by auctorite and by wysedome, and if I



|p39


shuld not mow execute nor bryng to a due ende the maters
and processes of my owne, as of my frendys, Neuerthelesse
in lying and restyng in my bedde I wolde delite and enioye
me in thenkyng the good conduit of thies |r[f.24r] thynges how
be it that I shuld not mowe spede it incontynent, but I haue
so demenyd me, and lyued in tyme past that I myght both
spede in dooyng myne owne processe, and also tho of my
frendys maters before the senatours and othir officers of
Justice publik within a resonable tyme / fforsoth he that lyueth
and endurith in such studyes and in suche labours alwey as
I haue lyued, he may not vndirstonde nor fele in what tyme
olde age hydeth hym silf within hym. And by that vndir_stondyng 
his age / lytle and litle growith & becomith olde
withoute that the man can neithir parceyue nor fele it / and
so his age is neithir brousyd nor brokyn sodeynly by olde
age, but his age streyneth and failleth by the length of the
tyme or he knowe it /

Here endith the thirde part and seconde distynctyon, and
aftir begynneth the fourth parte, in the whiche duc Caton
answerith and confoundith the thrid vituperacyon of defaute
opposid to olde age / and begynneth in latyn Sequitur Tertia
distinctio, &c.

<b> aftir the forseid two repreuis & defautys alledgid
    and opposid ayenst olde age, Nowe folowith the
    III vituperacion & defaute by the which yong men
seyne that olde age is noiouse / myschaunte & wretchid by
cause it hath almost no flesshely delectacyons or sensualitees,
as for to gete with childeren and yssue to encrece and mul_tiplie 
the world. To whom I answere forwith / that it is
right a noble gyfte rewarde & the right |r[f.24v] grete worship
of olde age, that it be sequestred / depryued and dischargid
of the delectacyons of sensualitee of the body or flesshely
lustis, for yf it b e so that olde age be pryued and sequestred



|p40


of such delectacyons, It had takin awey from vs olde men
that thyng whiche is right vicious & right foule in the age
of adolescence & yongthe, And neuerthelesshe my right good
and louyng yong men Scipion and Lelius / an auncyent senatour
purposid an oracion / that a philosopher callid Architas
made whiche was takyn of Haniballe duc of Cartage when
he werrid in Itaile, he was recouerde by Quintus Fabius
the noble senatour when he recouerd Tarente, takyn by
the said Haniballe, Architas was pryncypally a grete man
connyngly lernyd in sciences and in vertues and was right
famous and noble, this oracion purposid / which Architas
made was yeuen to me, when I adolescent and yong of age
was at Tarente with the seid Fabius, and by this oracyon
seid Architas that nature which ordeyned to men complexions,
gaue neuir no pestelence peyne nor turment / more dama_geable 
to yong men than is flesshely delectacyon, the coueitous
playsirs of delectacyon mouen tyce and steeren men ouer
boldely and withoute bridell of reason or shame or any
restraynt to execute and make an ende of their foule lustys /
for thought delectacyons ben made and conspired treasons
diuisions and dissencyons of countrees & the destruccions of
their comon profite, and the secretes of parlementys disclosed
to our ennemyes and aduersarye partye, there is noon vn_trouthe,a^there is noon euyll werke / but pleasyre of delecta_cyon 
|r[f.25r] which shall constrayne men to encline therto / by
cause that they enioyen owt of mesure of spousehode brekyng
& that so feruently / The cause of defoulyng of maydens vir_gins 
the anontry of weddyd women & all such corrupte vntrew
werkys / whiche ben neuir meuid nor vndirtakyn, but by the
insolence & wantownes & wenlacys of flesshely delectacyon /
Architas also saide, that as nature by power, of which god
hath yeuen to men nothyng bettir than is the soule, by the
which they haue vndirstondyng & mynde / also to that soule
which is an office & a gift dyuine, nothyng is so grete



|p41


ennemye nor so contrary as ben flesshely delectacyons / for
sith delectacyon & flesshely pleasir haue dominacyon in the
regyon of man / That is to witt in the courage of his body /
the vertue of attemperaunce may not be lodgid therin / &
within the regyon of man which is yeuen to delectacyon
may not abyde any wisedome nor vertue, & by cause that
this thyng may be vndirstonde / Architas wolde that som
shuld fayne & ymagyne in his courage & conceyte that som
were meuid by some delectacyon of body as grete as any
man myght preue it & knowe it then / There is no doubte
saide he that while the man is geuyn to suche sensualite /
which shall enioye of that delectacyon as playnly & as largely
as any man myght enioye of it / that then he shulde not
mowe demeane hym in vndirstondyng nor in mynde, neithir
he shuld mowe be of power to vndirtake any thyng of wor_ship 
nor proffite to perfourme by reason nor by any good
auise, And therfor seid Architas that ther is nothyng so
cursed nor so infortunate as delectacion of body vnmesurably
vsed, And if p=t= |r[f.25v] delectacyon whiche is litle & shorte,
were gretter & longer, it wolde quenche and bryng to nought
alle the light of the courage and of the clerenesse of the
lyf / And knowe ye Scipion and Lelius that one of myne
hostes callid Nearchus Citešeyn of Tarent which had
be long in the frendship and allyaunce of the people of
Rome / said that he herd telle to more auncient men than
he was / that the said Architas pronounced the wordys
here before wretyn in disputyng of delectacyon with Gayus
Poncyus ffader of the seid Architas and citešein of Sannice
a cyte of Poyle. This Poncius was so worthy and so manly
that in a batayle made before Candy he discomfited two con_suls 
Romaynes. / That is to witt Spurius Postumius
and Titus Veturius & Architas disputed of delectacyon in
the presence of the philosopher Platon an Athenys man /



|p42


That is to witt a clerk of Athenes that thenne was come
to Tarent so as I fynde by the reportys of Lucius Camillus &
of Appyus Claudy us consuls Romayns / yf ye aske me to
what entente / the thynges that I haue here disputed ayenst
delectacyon drawe and stretchyn / I answere you that they
belongen and drawen to thentente that ye vndirstonde that
yf we men may not despise & flee delectacyons of body by
meane of reason and of wisedome / we shuld gretly thank
olde age sith that he may doo so moch that flesshely delecta_cyon 
shuld displease which is vncouenable to ony man yong
& olde. Delectacion of body lettith the deliberacyon of
good counseill / It is the ennemye of reason / It shyttith faste
& closeth the eyen of the |r[f.26r] thought and courage whiche
conteyneth vndirstondyng and redy mynde of remembraunce.
Neuerthelesse delectacyon hath no bargeyne with vertue. I
caused ones almost grete maugre mysilf by asmuche that I castid
oute of the college of the senatours Gayus Flamynius
brothir of Titus Flamynius consul of Rome / aftir that
the said Gayus had be seuen yere consul to the entent that
I shulde shewe that he was vituperable and defamed by cause
that he folowid delectacyon of body vnmesurably / ffor where
as the seid Gayus had be by the Romaynes sent as consule
in the countrey of Gaules and he syttyng at borde was
exhorted by a rebawde stotte of his that he shulde do smyte
to the hert with a daggar one of his prisoners condempned
to dye, This Gayus scapid to be dede by sentence / but
he loste his office of consul by the sentence of his brothir Tytus
beyng thenne Juge of Rome / whiche before me had be next
consull, This delectacyon is so euyl and so damageable whiche
so was repreuyd by me and by Flaccus at that tyme con_suls 
Romayns / Sith that the same delectacyon was in a
man whiche had suche syngler repreef and suche defame and
shame / and the whiche with that was in lordship and in
dygnyte of offices / eithir of lyke degree and worship or



|p43


benethe her degrees / owght right gretly pondre and consider
in their mynde / to putt awey suche flesshely delectacyons.
I haue often herd say of oure auncient ffaders / tho thynges
whiche they at that tyme when they were childerne had herd
seye to olde men / That is to |r[f.26v] wite that where as a
cytešeyne of Rome callid Fabricius herd a cytešeyn of the
countrey of Thessayle saye / that in the studye of Athenes
was one Epicurus whiche callid hym silf a philosopher / &
mayntened an oppynion / that all thynges that we doo in
souereynte shulde be chiefly comendid & reported to delecta_cyon 
of the bodye. Of that oppynion the seid Fabrycius
merueylyd hym, & to olde men recounters said that Marcus
Curyus & Titus Coruncanius hieryng that which I haue
saide before / They two whiche in tyme paste had habon_douned 
& disposid them to sensualite / and to delectacyon of
flesshely lustis / they were woont to desyre that the oppynion
of Epycurus shulde be in semblable wise exhorted affermid &
said to the Samytoys & to kyng Pirhus their lord, by cause
that p=e= Samytois & kyng Pirhus ennemyes to the Romayns
shuld be abandouned and disposed to the delite of lecherye /
whiche feblith & takith awey the bodily strengthis This
Marcus Curius, which in his tyme ordeyned hym vnto de_lectacyon 
that he had lyuid & conuersid with Publius Decyus
that lyued vertuously and chastely, and by fiue yere before
that the seid Curyus was consul the said Publius Decyus
with playne wille of good courage habandouned & offird hym
to the deth for the sauacyon of the publyke wele & comon
profite of Rome thenne when that he was consul the fourth
tyme Gayus Fabricius & Coruncanius knewe the good
knyght Decyus / Thies tweyne Fabricyus and Corunca_nius 
myght certaynly Iuge & deme aswele by the conuer_sacyon 



|p44


as by the noble dedys of Decyus wherof he saith
that sum |r[f.27r] thyng is naturally so faire and so precious &
noble, that it must be sought & desyred with playne hert &
effectuell desyre. And that thyng so faire & so gracio=9= is
noon othir thyng but lawde & fame of vertue / whiche is
suche that for that cause euery right good & wele disposed
persone ought to despise & rebuke delectacyon of the body
to thentente that he vse lawde and preysyng of vertu. Ther_for 
thenne ye may aske and demaunde why I haue said so
many thynges of flesshely delyte and of lecherye, wherfor I
answere you / that the blame and the shame is not onely
ynoughe / But namely it is the grete lawde and praysyng
of olde age that it desyreth but lytle flesshely delecta_cyons 
/ Olde age chargith neuir of dyetes nor of dyuers
deynty metys nor of tables richely and dyuersly arrayde nor
of many dyuers drynkys / Olde age wille not be fulle of
wyn often for doubte of sekenes / Olde age wille not suffre
the akyng of the bely as is the colyk of the stone or costyfnes,
whiche comyth of takyng so muche mete and so often / that
it abideth rawe within the stomake / Olde age desyrith not
wakyng in the tyme that nature hath ordeyned to slepe. Al
be it an aged man is gretly disposed to wake ayenst his will /
fforsoth the philosopher Platon spake dyuersly in a mater
that delectacyon attempted by euill disposed men / that leyen
the baite & the snare to delite aged men in repleccion of
lustis & metys not helefull to them / by cause that men be
taken & deceyued by the baite sett in the hoke or angle as
the bird is taken in the snare / how be it that olde age
wolde haue no metys ne his |r[f.27v] etyngys excessiuely, Al_gatys 
they may delite in deynte metys and in smale feedyngys
and temperate dyete / At the tyme whan I was yong I sawe
often an olde consull of Rome callid Gayus Duellius
whiche was the first that discomfited by nauye and shippys
vpon the see the Aufricans, when he cam from soper and
dyner, he oftentymes delited in the instrumentys of musike



|p45


as playeng vpon strengys of harpes, and such like melodyes
and in heeryng the sowne of pipes and trompys / Also he had
takin onely for his delectacyon and solas thies two playes
wythoute that he had seen any auncyent men to delite or
disporte them with any othir honeste solas / and that licence
and vse of honeste delectacyon had Duellius by cause of his
glorious victorye / by the whiche he discomfited them of Aufrik /
But it is not nede also to remembre in what thynges the
othir olde men tokyn their honeste delectacyons / Therfor I
shall come ayen to speke of myself /
ffor from myne yongthe I haue alway had felowes and
acqueynted of vertuous disposid men / And aftir that I was
in the office of questour at Rome / I was ordeyned in the
feleshipps and acqueyntances of yong men / And in that
same tyme the Romaynes resceyued of them of Frige the
maner to sacrifye to the goddesse / Berecyntia which is the
grete moder of the goddes / I drank and ete with my felowes
temperately and mesurably withoute any excesse / But within
me was yit an hete of yongth / but in as much that it pro_cedith 
euir in approchyng & comyng to myne olde age, alle
the delectacyons of the body |r[f.28r] hit appesith and softeth /
And knowe ye that I did not rek nor toke any charge,
more of the delectacyons of metys and drynkys of wynes, not
onely for the delectacyon of my body, but in specyalle that
I did more for the delectacyon and contemplacyon that I toke
in the feliship of my frendys / and also in their reasons and
their wise and frendely comunicacyons for the solas of my
soule / And consider ye Scipion and Lelius that oure
auncient ffaders of worship / haue sett their names as a
brethirhede or a gylde to suche assembles named at the feste
that is wele and proprely callid in latyn Conuiuium / whiche
is desyrid prayed and gaderd, of frendely people in drynkyng
and etyng atte table as they wolde themself say or desyre /
that the feleship of the same company, ought to haue a custu_mable 
and a continuell assembled lif at conuenient dayes
assigned, The Grekisshe people seid not so wele of



|p46


suche festis makyng, for in the stede of suche companyes and
congregacyons they saide that it was ordeyned for to ete and
drynk to gedir, as the seid Grekys wolde approue, and saye
that suche etyng and drynkyng assowned to delyte pryncy_pally 
in metys and drynkes / whiche is the leste thyng to
accompte amongys the company of frenship shewyng and
frendes / Therfor I telle you Scipion and Lelius that I de_lite 
me in couenable thyngys wele ordeyned and approuued
festes by the delectacyon that I haue to speke with my felowes
and frendys for oure solacys and comfort / and that they
haue with me / and yit I delyte me not oonly with myne
|r[f.28v] of age / ffor now ther be of them right fewe that be
lyuyng, but I delite me with them of your age and also with
you / I owe also to yelde grete grace thankyngis and pray_synges 
to olde age / whiche hath encreced / and multiplied in
me the desyre to speke with my felowes & frendys / But yf
ye aske what is my sentence / yf som olde men deliten them
in etyng and drynkyng / I answere that by cause that ye
thynk not that I wolde moue werre & dyspleaser ayenst alle
delectacyon by cause that no man shulde vse of hit / knowe
ye Scipion and Lely us that I vndirstonde not nor wyll not /
that olde age be destituded of his naturall luste, and desyre
by any thyng that it mynysshith and lessith all the delecta_cyons 
whiche as be in drinkyng and etyng / ffor to som men
befallyn parauenture som delectacyons whiche folowyn and con_tynue 
with them naturell maner founded / and grounded in
honeste of condicions, ffor I take delectacyon to haue the
dignytees and offices ordeyned by our predecessours, I take
delectacyon in the wordys of the maistre stuard or of the
botiler of the hous / whan he prayeth me or comaundeth me
to dyne or take a repaste for his lorde or his maisters sake
orellys to drynke for som mans sake aftir the custume be of
oure predecessours / and also I delite me in the standyng
cuppys half fulle of colde wyne / aftir the custume that an
auctor of Grece callid Xenophon wrote in a boke of his
named Symposium / in whiche he treteth and sheweth how



|p47


men shulde make their drynkynges emongys frendys and
felows, I delite me in somer tyme to fele the colde wynde /
and also in wynter tyme I delite me to be |r[f.29r] oon tyme in
the sonne shynyng / & anothir tyme to be atte fyre / fforsoth
also I folowe thies delectacyons a forsaide when I am in my
village with the Sabynoys my neyghbours / and I make euery
day meetynges, steuyns, and assemblees of my neyghbours
when I am at Sabynes and we endure somtyme long for
the moost that we may at oure meetyngys / tylle a grete
parte of the nyght be passed, as in spekyng of many thyngys
& of dyuers maters. And if thou saye Scipion that the de_lectacion 
of bodily delites, is not so grete in the corages of
olde men, that it myght stere them or meue them to lecherye
or othir sensualitees of the body for if thies delectacyons
be ouer grete / it shuld thenne seeme that thou shalt desyre
nothyng / but that it be angwisshouse and soroufull in cou_rage 
/ The philosopher Sophocles whiche for cause of age
was feble, answerde wele and pertynently to one that askid
hym if he vsed any more of delites of lecherye and of sen_sualytee 
of the body / I pray god said Sophocles, that he
yeue me fortune to desyre better thynges / for I haue with_drawe 
fro me, and fled awey from delytes of lecherye as a
man shulde flee and withdrawe hym fro som straunge lorde
madd or furyous / And knowe ye Scipion and Lelyus
that it is parauenture chargeous thyng & enoyouse to yong
men that be couetouse of the delites of lecherye if they may
not enioye them / But to olde men that be wery and replete
of suche delytes / it is more ioyfull thyng to be sequestred /
pryued / and quyted / therof than for to vse and enioye in
that / how be it that they be not depriued of bodily delytes /
that they desyre them / neuir |r[f.29v] I say thenne that it is
more ioyfull thyng to desyre not the delectacyons / than it is



|p48


for to haue them / but if the age of good and honest yongth
vse of thies delectacyons / it vseth more gladly first of som
litle and smale delectable thynges as we haue saide here be_fore 
/ And aftir that the good yong men delited / them in
this honeste.delectacyon, wherin olde age vseth not habon_dauntly 
and playnly of bodily delites, yit be they / not all
for that pryued nor forboden therof, as ye may see by this
forsaide exsample. Ther is a man at Rome callid Turpio
Ambivius whiche pleyeth and counterfetyth the pagentys,
when the poetys syngen enterludes in playes or tragedyes of
soroufull lamentacyons / or othir ditees in verses / in the
place callid the scene or the teatre / the tent or pauilyon, he
than whiche is in the first stage nygh the pleyar / hath grete
delectacyon in the wordys & in the countenaunce of the pleyar,
But also he deliteth theryn that is in the laste stage and in
the ferthist of the tente or playng place / Also I tell the
Scipion that the age of adolescencye whiche lokith nygh the
delectacyons / gladith parauenture more than anothir age dooth.
But also olde age which seeth from ferre the delectacyons,
he takith a delite in it, asmuche as it suffiseth / But yf
ye aske / what arn worth the yong delectacyons that olde
age takith, and whiche be so ferr from the body, I answere
you that thies smale pleasurs deliten not the body / but they
deliten the courage whiche is the moost excellent part of a
man / The smale honeste delectacions as olde men saye /
maken the courage to be myghtyer and to lyue lenger and
|r[f.30r] strengthe the man, for thenne ceesen the wages and
sawlde of lecherye / of couetyng, of contempcions of striues,
of enemytees / and of all couetyse / as it befalleth, like as
it comyth to knyghtys and to chief officers whiche aftir sixti
yeris ben dischargid oute of their offices and comen to
rest / Ther is thenne nothyng more ioyfull than is olde age,
and honeste ydilnes and restyng / so that it haue feedyng
and refectyon of studye of sapience and wisedome / and some



|p49


doctryne for to teche to othir tho thynges that he had lerned
in yong age / Remembre the Scipion by how many tymes
we saw that worthy man Gallus familier and homely with thy
fader whiche was so olde / that it semyd that he shulde dye,
and yit he contynued by delectacyon in the studye of geo_metrye 
and astronomye whiche be two souerayne sciences for
to mete and mesure the proporcions of heuen and the erthe
and the distance in courses of the sterrys / and of her
coniunctyons opposicions and aspectys by the sixth part IV
part or thrid part in aspectys castyng her lightes and in_fluences 
from othir / and what the seid coniunctyons and
aspectes signyfien vpon thyngys to come / as hete colde /
raynes drynesse / and wyndes, derthes pestilences & othir in_firmytees 
/ And to knowe the conuenyent dayes and tymes of
mynistring of medicines, as laxatyues, dygestiues / expulsifs /
and retentifs, and the dayes callid Dies cretici & dies of
prenostikes of good determynacions / of the passions of a
mans sikenesse or the contrarye. Remembre the Scipion
by how many tymes this Gallus by delectacyon hath begonne
by nyght som conclusions of thies |r[f.30v] two sciences so long
that the day came vnwareIy vpon hym / and oftentymes he
wrote and studied endyng to the nyght / and yit had he begon
in the mornyng / he toke grete delectacyon for to telle vs the
effectys of the eclipse of the sonne and of the mone long be_fore 
that it shulde come and befalle / Thou wotest also
how Gallus delited hym in studye of light sciences callid try_nals 
/ as be gramer logyk and rhetorik in comparison of the
quadryuiall sciences, as ars metryk for nombres, Geometry
for mesurs, Musik for syngyng / and astronomye for diuina_cyons,a^as is before specifyed. But they be sharp and sub_tyle 
/ and owght to be in vertuous mens lernyng wele disposid /
Thou knowist also how that olde man Nevyus delited
hym in a boke whiche he endited and made / of a bataile



|p50


doon by the Romayns ageynst them of Cartage / Thou
knowist also how the poete Plautus delited hym in two co_modies 
made in balade and enterludes that he made / wherof
the one is callid Truculentus & the othir Pseudulus /
In the first he treteth of the cruelte of a seruant ayenst his
maister / and in the othir he treteth of the falsnes of a bonde
man ayenst his lorde / I haue seen also an olde poete
callid Livius, whiche in the studye of Rome taught to his
scolers, one of his fables of a comedye in balade and enter_lude,a^by six yere or I was borne / And yit the seid Livius
proceded & continued in faire age vnto the tyme of myne
adolescente age / at the tyme when Tonus and Tudytanus
were consuls at Rome. What wilt thou Scipion that I
telle the of the labour and of the studye of the olde man
|r[f.31r] Publius Licinius whiche wrote and treteth of dyuine
lawe aftir the whiche the bisshops and preestis of the temple
ought to sacryfie & to serue the goddes. Licinius also
wrote and tretid of lawe ciuile aftir whiche men must gouerne
and rule the cytees and countrees / or what wilt thou that I
telle the of the labour and of the studye of this Scipion
Mylica now an olde man all redy to departe from the worlde /
whiche nowe hath be chosen and ordeyned the moost grettist
bishop of Rome
ffor certaynly we haue seen alle thies whiche I haue
remembrid to the that were olde men hauyng a sharp and a
feruent desyre in entendyng the occupacyons that I haue seid,
in the whiche they had pleasyrs and honeste delectacyons.
Thenk also Scipion in how grete labour of studye I sawe full
besye this olde man Marcus Cethegus to whom the poete
Enneus callid hym his swete hony, by cause that his boke
was so retoriquely made and was of the said Cethegus en_dited 
/ by faire and swete langage in eloquent termes, whiche
enforced men hieryng his purposyngys to incline and bowe
them to byleue all that he had purposid and tolde / Ye



|p51


may thenne see and knowe, what be the delectacyons of metys
drinkys and of playes, and also of folissh women and ribaldes
to regarde of wele disposed peple of sad gouernaunce, and
how grete in comparison of the moralle vertuous men that
be disposed for to studye for the auauncement of the comyn
prouffite and of othir seuen craftys of sciences wherin the wise
olde men that I haue named aboue, delited gretly, fforsoth
thies studyes of doctryne and |r[f.31v] of sciencys folowed &
folowen the wyse men wele ordeyned in condicyons.
And also thies studyes of doctryne haue ben and be suche
that they encrecen and multiplye semblably & egally with
the aged men in so muche that the good and honeste sen_tences 
saide by the philosopher Solon ben preuid trewe
as I haue saide afore / This philosopher Solon seide that he
becam wise in lernyng alwey many thynges by study, whiche
he neuir had knowen before.
Ther is not forsoth no gretter delectacyon / than is that /
by the whiche the wise olde men lerne somwhat by excercise
as did the right wyse philosopher Solon / Aftir that I haue
spoken now hier of the studyes / and of the occupacions wherin
wise men and letterd haue had / and may haue honestees
and pleasirs and delectacyons, I come nowe to speke of de_lectacyons 
that wyse olde men may haue in labouragys and
culture & approwment of londys / wherin I delite me more
than any man wolde or myght byleue / Olde age lettith not
the delectacyons and the grete ioye and pleasirs that growen
and come of the labourage and tillyng of the landys, and they
be suche that as it semith me they be right nygh neyghbours
to the lyf of a man / ledyng the lif of a philosopher / ffor
wise olde men proceden by naturelle reason in the labourages
and tillyng of landys / and the erthe refusith not nor disobeyeth
the naturelle werkyng to the comaundementis of the wise olde
men labourers / ffor whan the erthe hath resceyued / and
is sowed it yeldith neuir withoute vsure of manyfolde werkyng
the same / That is to witt that the erthe yeldith the double
as the seconde |r[f.32r] greyn the thrid, and the IV vntyll the



|p52


VIII greyne & not only the symple agayn / But the erthe in
som tyme yeldith that / whiche he hath resceyued of the
greynes and seedys in lesse vsure of encrece / and som tyme
in multiplying encrece gretter. And how be it that the
erthe yeldith that whiche it resceyued / with vsure of encrece /
neuirthelesse the fruytes of the erthe deliten me / not only
in that grete encrece, but namely it delited and ioyeth me to
knowe the vertue / and the naturell growyng and workyng by
the whiche the erthe gendrith thyngys necessaryes and helth_full 
to men and to bestis / And whan the erthe resceyueth
the seed sowen in his lappe softed and beddid, thenne it is
closid first and syttyth faste so that the seed be couird by
the instrument of the ploughe / or by the harowe, and in
the tyme, in whiche men sowen seedys and couern the corne,
for that cause it is callid the tyme and season of sowyng /
accordyng to the custume and nature of dyuers countres /
aftir that the seed is heeted / by the naturell moisture of
the erthe and thorough the heete of the sonne / and also by
the spraynture of dewys of norisshyng that the erthe dooth to
the seed, and to the plantys whiche is with alle couird / the
erthe brekith and castith oute of that seed an herbe growyng
grene, whiche puttyth and spredith within the erthe small
rootys / & the stokkes of the stalkes growen and wexen
aftir grete, litle and litle, and aftir riseth and comyth in to
a spryng and a stalke full of knottys, and whenne it comith
to the first erys and buddis / hit is closed with smale leues
like heres, and aftir that the seed is remeuid and goon oute
|r[f.32v] of thies leues / it castyth an ere in whiche the whete
corne or othir greyns ben ordeyned and renged ordynatly in
suche wise that one corn puttith not oute that othir, and by
cause that the smale briddes shull not lightly ete nor waste
the corne / the ere is armed with the closyng of prickis / In
whiche thynges to knowe and to excercise and occupye / The
olde age may take grete exsample of naturell werkyng and
honest delectacyon / why shuld I remembre the delectacyons
and pleasirs that olde age may take in consideryng and knowyng



|p53


the nature of the vynes / the maner of the settyngys and of
the shredyngys and cuttyngys of hit in season / for to then_tente 
ye knowe the reste and the delite of myne olde age /
I telle you that I may not be wery nor fulfilid of the delec_tacion 
that I take in the labourages of corne and of the
vynes / I leue to telle what delectacyon olde age takith in
knowyng and considering the vertue & the naturell strength
of alle thynges that be genderd on erthe / flor of a smale
grayne of a figge or of a litle smale pepyn or kernell of a
roysyn or of a smale corne of whete or of ony othir seedys
or of som smale wandes and braunchis the erthe engendreth
grete tronkes and grete trees and bowes / I demaunde you
Scipion and Lelius if the newe blossomys and buddys of the
vyne / if that the sapys that men settyn ayen to the shre_dyngis 
that men cuttyn of the vynes charged with grapes
the rootys whiche spredyn aswele withoute as within the
erthe / and the plantys that thicken the vyne / yeuen not
only delectacion ynough and pleasirs to the olde men, so that
they wille consider |r[f.33r] in merueilyng them of the thynges
a boue said / Othyng may yeue to olde age honeste delecta_cyon 
/ that is to witt how the vyne / which naturally fallith
downe to the grounde / but it be vndirsett & susteyned, it
mounteth & growith high, and alle that it ouirtaketh it be_clippith 
and enbraceth with his tendrenes so as if it had the
craft & handes. And the laborers of the vynes aftir their
crafte / arte & reason / kepyn that the vyne growe not / but
aftir reason nor oute of mesure / for they cutt it with the
vyne hooke, when it drawith or hangeth vpon the grounde,
or when it departed excessiuely in dyuers and croked
braunches, by cause that the vyne be not to thik by ouir
grete braunches & that it stretche not in to many partyes,
And at the begynnyng of the season of veer & of spryngyng /
the vyne growith to the braunches which be lefte in the
stockes, & in the knottys of the braunchis comith a watir
that men call gemme wherof aftir that shewith the bur_geon 
wherof the grape comith, & this grape which by the



|p54


moistnesse of the erthe & by meane of the heete of the
sonne begynneth to wexe grete is at the begynnyng bettir
and sowre to the taste / and aftir that it is ripe, it shewith
swete, and thenne it is clothed with leues wherof the grape
resceyueth the heete wele temperately / and also is defendid
and kepte from to grete brennyng of the sonne /
I see not forsoth how any delectacyon myght be more
ioyouse nor gladder than is the fruyte of the vyne nor fairer
for to see / And knowe ye Scipion and Lelius that so as
I haue here before saide the fruyte of the vyne maketh me
not oonly to haue delite. But namely |r[f.33v] the labourage &
the nature of the vyne in burgenyng suche deliciouse licours
closed in grapes, deliten to me for to see / the rengis of
the stakes that susteyne the vyne / to bynde or ende egally
as the othir to attache and bynde euery tymbre & braunche
to his owne propre stake / & the growyng of the vynes and
the cuttyng of the braunches wherof som arn take away for
to brenne & the othir be kept / for to sett ayen in othir
places / makyn to me grete delectacyons and pleasirs / It
nedith not that I tell what delectacyons and pleasirs be to
olde age the dongyng and the dyghtyng of the londys with
the superfluyte that is voyded of bestis and shepe / that men
make to be spredde in a felde / by whiche doongyng and
compostyng / the felde gladeth / the grounde wexith more
fructuous and plenteuouse / What nedith that I speke of
the delectacyon that olde men may haue of the prouffite that
comith to donge and fatte the landes and feldes / I haue
spokyn of dongyng of landes in oon of my bookys whiche I
haue wretyn to the labourage of the feeldys & of the doon_gyng 
of the londes / A wise auctor callid Hesiodus said
neuir oon worde ydely nor vayne therof, whenn he wrote his
boke of erthe tilying / that men say of the labourage & tyllyng
of the feldes / But the poete Omer which was as me semyth
by many yeris before Hesiodus / was oon of thoo that
taught the maner for to laboure and tylle the landes and



|p55


fruytes and the thynges that growe of it / After whom Vir_gilius 
the poete wrote a booke callid Georgica.
That Omer by his versys saith that Laertes kyng |r[f.34r]
of Itacye in Grece ffader of kyng Ulixes had right swete
pleasir in oon of his sones / which laboured the culture of
the erthe tilyeng & donged oon of his feeldys, wherof it was
the more ioyfull & more fertile & plenteuo=9= in multiplyeng of
cornes & fruytes / And knowe ye Scipion & Lelius that the
thyngys & werkys & besinesse of labourers of the landes &
feeldes be gladsom & pleasaunt not oonly by thencreces of
whetys & cornys / nor by the medowes full of gras nor by
the vynes full of grapes nor by dyuers smale & yong trees
bryngyng forth fruytes / But also the thynges & the werkys
of the labourers be gladsome & delectable / by the gardeynes
full of dyuers herbys floures & seedys, by the curtilages gar_dyns 
& orchardes planted & greffed with dyuers trees / & by
the norisshyng & feedyng of bestis in faire grene medowes &
pastures / & by the hyues of bees kepyng & norisshing of
them whiche makyn wax & hony, by a meruelouse werkyng
of their kynde, & by the dyuersitee of all flours & of dyuers
colours of roses / And not olde men haue delectacyon of
the trees that they sette / or that they doo to be sette, but
also they deliten themsilf to sett a tree / & greffe it vpon
anothir, which is the most subtile & most artificiall thyng
that euir was founde by labourers of the londe, And now I
will tell many delectacyons & many pleasirs which be in the
labourages of the feeldys. But the delectacyons that I haue
aboue tolde be lenger and more durable than be the other
whiche I leue to telle / I trust Scipion and Lelyus / that
ye shall pardone me by cause that I am a long speker of
an erthe tiller in tellyng the delectacions |r[f.34v] which come
& growe of the labourages of londys / and to thentent that
it semith not that I wolde defende & make olde age to be
free of all vices / I tell you that olde age aftir nature &
kynde / spekith and determyneth more than any othir age /
And for to haue suche delectacyons, this noble man Romayn



|p56


Marcus Curius wolde were oute / & endure forth to the
ende of the remenaunt of his olde age in labourages of londes
aftir that he had resceyued at Rome the honour & the wor_ship 
of tryumphe for the victorye that he had of the Samytois
of the Sabynoys & of Pirrus kyng of Epirotes the which the
seid Curius descomfited by bateyll / whan I considre the
village & also the grete labouryng in londes, of the seid
Marcus Curius, which be nygh / vnto myn / I may not
merueil to gretly of the perseuerance of the seid Marcus Curius
nor of the studye & solicitude / which he had in his tyme
aboute the thyngys pertynent to labourage & tyllyng of his
londys / It fortuned oones that the said Curius sate by his
fyre / to whom the Samytois had brought a grete some of
golde for to make hym a present thenne / But Curius the
worthy man beeyng full of noble courage refused their yift so
presented to hym & sett not by them nor of their yiftes in
golde, & said to the Samitois, that it semid vnto hym nought,
though it were riche & right a faire syght nor it is no noble thyng
to a gouernour of a countree to haue a grete hepe or a quan_tite 
of golde all onely. But it was right faire & a more noble
thyng to a souerayn captayn vsing werre for to be lorde of
the men wythin the countree that haue golde & othir riches /
Telle me Scipion & Lelius / yf ye thenk not / |r[f.35r] that
sith Marcus Curius had so grete & so noble courage in
disputyng of couetyse & refusyng yiftis and rewardes / he myght
wele haue but gladsomnesse & mirth of his olde age / whiche
is onely ioyfull / when the olde man knowith hym silf to haue
lyued euir wele & vertuously / & hath had his desire in
welthe & worship to lyue in delites profitable & honeste /
But I haue muche to speke of the delites & pleasirs
that olde men haue / in knowyng / vsyng & hawntyng the
labourages of londes And of this mater I speke by cause I
goo not to ferr fro myne occupacion which am a labourer &
a tyller of londys in myne age /



|p57


Whilom the senatours / that is to witt the olde Ro_maynes 
dwelled in villages vpon their lordshipps / And
at the tyme when Lucius Quinctius thenne an olde man
eryed tylled & laboured in oon of his feeldes, a messager
was sent to hym & denounced hym as to lete hym witt / that
the senatours of Rome had by their electyon chosyn hym
for to be dictatour / which was at Rome the grettist of the
offices as chief Juge of the londe to admynystre Justice to
the people / And by the commaundement of this Quynctius
dictatour Gayus Servilius thenne maister of the knyghtis
at Rome slewe a knyght Romayne Spuryus Melius whiche
stode aboute knyghtys armed by cause that the seid Spuryus
wolde take to hym the gouernaunce of the reame of Romayns
men callid also in semblable wise Curyus of whom we haue
spokyn for to bere office of dignyte to assemble and come
ayen to Rome with the senatours accompanyed / After that
tyme when he had dwellid in his village vpon the |r[f.35v] appro_wyng 
of his londes / & the sergeantys that sommoned & callid
auncien men Romayns to the senat for to be counseillours
for the comon prouffite were named iourney men & ryders,
as messagers pursiauntes and sergeauntys / Therfor I demaunde
you Scipion & Lelius if the olde age of such as delited them
in the labourage of londes semyth vnto you to be wretched
or lothfull / I saye aftir my sentence & auise that I knowe
not if any olde age may be better ne more blessed / than is
this / which deliteth men in labouryng & approwmentys of
landes / for thencrecyng of fruytes of londes tillyng / whiche
by his auise is not onely prouffytable & holesome to all man_kynde 
/ but the labourage of londys is good & prouffitable &
helthfull to his body / by the delectacyon in excercisyng the
tyllyng of hymsilf / It recouerith naturelle heete to warme
his stomake & his bodye as I haue more ample before saide /
& also the labourage of landes is good & prouffitable for
the refection prouffite & habondaunce of all thynges / that



|p58


belongen to the multiplyeng of vitaill & sustenaunce for lyuyng
to men / Thenne sethin that olde men desiren the delecta_cyons 
& pleasirs which be in the labourages & tyllyng of
londys / thenne be we graciously disposed in suche prouffi_table 
werkys of delectacyon accordyng to olde age. fforsoth
in the house of a good & diligent olde lorde labourers haue
ordeyned his manoirs & lordships to be wele approwed by
plantyng fruytes tylIyng eryng, sowyng / & gardenyng, & in
their heruest & vindages, with theire bestis & catailles no_risshing 
stored, as the seler is euir stored with wynes syders
& oyles / & the bernys with the garners euir |r[f.36r] stored of
cornes and vitaylles necessaryes to the sustenaunce and lyuyng
of a man / and alle the villages as the tenauntes of the seid
good, and delygent auncyent lordes be riche & stuffid plen_teuously 
/ & also hath grete habondaunce and plente of beefs
& motons porkys for larde and kedys lambys swannys par_tryches 
hennys capons & of othir pullaile & of othir foulys
of dyuers kyndes, also of mylk of cheesys & of hony by the
bees in hyues in places which the labourers of londes callen
nowe their curtylages. The seconde thought & solicitude of
aged men is for to say that the labourers will / that aftir
the labourage of the feeldes be doon & sped / Thenne that
men put to laboure the curtilages of gardeyns for their her_bage 
of herbys of dyuers colours & of dyuers complexions &
in orchardes makyng for to plante & to sett trees of fruytes
bryngyng forth / as oyles pomegarnades, orenges, figges dates /
almandes, pomecedres, pechys apples / perys, quynces medelers /
chesteynes, & othir such fruytes of dyuers kyndes / thies
be goodys of kynde here aboue named & rehersed / whiche
come by the studye and diligent occupacyon of a good la_bourer 
in the londe / a man may namely thenk to become
more riche and more delectable by that occupacyon / than by
a besinesse or a werk which is superfluyous vayne and ydill /
That is to witt, by hawkyng fowlyng of bryddes and huntyng
of wilde bestis which belongith vnto yong men / What will



|p59


ye Scipion and Lelius saye yf I telle you of the delectacion
& pleasyre / whiche olde age may haue by cause of the gre_nesse 
of the medews or of the faire rowes in whiche |r[f.36v]
arn sett the trees of dyuers kyndes and frutys. I shall telle
you vppon that my sentence in short wordes / Ther is no
thyng that may be more plenteuous nor more habondaunt in
vsage for the prouffite to a mannys lyuyng / nor any thyng
more semblable to naturelle beaute and fairnes, than is a
cloos of frutys wele tillyed and laboured / Olde age lettyth
not to laboure wele a cloos planted with fruytes of dyuers
kyndes, for their sustenaunce / But namely olde age sterith
and yeuith courage to the olde man for to laboure wele the
londe / ffor syth that in wynter tyme the olde man labourer
may as redely for his helth and comfort warme hym to the
sonne shynyng vpon the erthe, or at the fyre, whiche is a
thyng more couenable to olde age / than to any othir age /
Or sith that the olde man labourer may withdrawe hym to
the shadowes / or for to fynde te heete / or for to fynde the
colde / or that in somer tyme he may refresshe hym with
watirs or othirwise more sykyrly / than the yong man whiche
hath his hete blode boyllyng / I say that delectacyon sterith
and yeuith courage to the olde man to laboure in the londes /
Thenne ye Scipion and Lelius may not saye the contrarye /
but yong men haue for them for theyr solas & worship, their
armours / their horsys / their speris / pollaxis mallys /
and Instrumentys of iren, or of leed, and launcegayes for
to fyght /
And also maryners in vsyng the see / and yong men de_liten 
in shippys bargys of dyuers fassions and in rowynges
and in sayllyng in watirs and ryuers and in the sees, and
som yong men vsen the cours of voyages in gooyng rydyng
and iourneyeng |r[f.37r] from one countre to anothir / and
emong many othir labours of playes sportys and of dyuers
solacys / The yong men also / leuyn to the vse of olde men /
the playe at the tablis and chesse / and the philosophers
playe by nombre of arsmetrike as is made mencion in the



|p60


boke of Ovidius de vetula callid the reformacion of his life /
But we demaunde the Caton if the olde men may goodly
vse and when we be olde of thies two said playes of the
tablis and chesse / I answere you nay, for withoute thies
two playes olde age may wele be stuffid and fulfillyd of alle
othir goodnes perteynyng to felicite and to blessidnesse Now
it is so that olde age and yche othir age vsyng of discres_sion 
ought not to doo any thyng / but that it drawe and
belonge to vertues and to blessidnesse in stede of playes
at tables and at chesses /
Ye Scipion and Lely us may rede the bookys of the phi_losopher 
Xenophon whiche be right prouffitable to many
thynges. And I pray you that ye wille rede them so as ye
do nowe al redy / and rede diligently howe Xenophon pray_seth 
moche the labourage of londes in a book of his named
the book of Oeconomicus wherin he declareth how the man
ought to gouerne kepe & approwe his owne propre londys
and goodys / And to thentent that ye vndirstonde the somme
of the seid booke, whiche the philosopher Xenophon made /
knowe ye he saith / that to noble & puissant men in wor_ship 
& to rialle astates, ther is nothyng so worthy nor so
welbecomyng them / as is the studye and the crafte for to
laboure and approwe the londys to be plenteuouse / for the
life of a labourer as it is said is like |r[f.37v] the life of a
philosopher in so moche as he serchith and enquereth the
causes naturell whereby the londe thorugh burgenyng myght
be fertile and plenteuouse, / and also his laboure is continuell
and proffitable to alle creatures and so it ought to be of
euery kyng and prynce and othir states of noblesse / and yit
ther is no crafte nor any werke so leefulle nor so honest to
a kyng or to a souerayne as is to prouide and ordeyne the
labourage of the feeldys / for namely in bataile the handys
of a labourer be more harder and stronger to endure /
than of ony othir man / The philosopher Socrates in one



|p61


of his bokys in whiche he spekith with the poete Critobulus /
seith that litil Cirus kyng of Perse was excellent in witt
and gloriouse in erthly lordshipps / In the tyme of that kyng
Cirus, a man of the cytee of Lacedomone in Grece callid
Lisander, whiche was a man of right grete vertue and
noblenes came in an ambassade for to see the same kyng Cirus
at that tyme beeyng at Sardes his cytee / to whom Lisander
brought clothes of golde & riche Jewelles from the Lacedo_monoys 
and from the cytees adioynant that were of his feliship /
And Socrates said that this kyng Cirus was fulle benyngne
and curtoys to the seid Lisander to come to his noble pre_sence,a^and resceyued hym worshipfully and liberally in his
rialle palais / and for his moste rialltee in suche richessis
that he delited most in / not in tresour of golde of precious
stones ne of othir grete richesse that he had grete plentee,
he delited not therin / but in the richesse of tyllyng and
labourages of londys and fruytes of trees of dyuers kyndes he
shewed |r[f.38r] hym a cloos wallid all aboute diligently and
connyngly laboured / tylled / planted / and sett with trees of
dyuers fruytes beryng / where as Lisander merueilled hym of
the length & bewte of the trees & for their right renges
planted and keepyng a mesurable ordre in dymencyon / whiche
trees were sett fyue fote one from anothir / and also Lisander
merueilde hym of the aleyes and walkyng places and the
grounde of that cloos whiche was so wele pared doluyn
and made clene / sett / and planted / with herbys of dyuers
kyndes of swete flauours and odours excellent of beautes in
leuis flouris / and colours / for the softnesse & the swetnesse
of aromatique sauours whiche came oute of the floures of
dyuers kyndys, as of violettys rosemarynes maiorons / gy_lofres 
/ basiles lillium conuallium &c. / He said to the
kyng Cirus that he merueilid not onely ffor the diligence and
studye of hym that had labourde it / But he namely merueilid



|p62


of the subtilite and craft of hym whiche had compassed and
ordeyned by due mesure the settyng and plantyng of the
trees of that cloos / Thenne kyng Cirus answerd to Lisander /
forsoth said he / I haue myself ordeyned and mesured / alle
thies thynges of this cloos / and also I haue compassid and
proporcioned the renges of them / and many also of thies
trees that ye see here / be sett and greffid with myne owne
handys / And Socrates tellith that Lisander in lookyng vpon
the gowne of purpure of kyng Cirus and the clene beaute
and goodlynes of his body / and the array whiche he bare in
the maner and wise accustomed of the countree of Perse /
whiche was weuid with golde |r[f.38v] thyk / and with manye
precious stonys garnysshid and richely couchid / purposed
in thies wordes to kyng Cirus / fforsoth said Lisander /
men seyen rightfully & truly that thou art riche and fortunat
happye and blessid in thy life, for to thy vertue & nobilnes
roiall is conioyned to gedir fortune & worldly felicitee, by cause
that thou employest the and occupyest to laboure the feeldys
to be riche and plenteuouse / wherin is the pryncipall parte
of worldly blessidnesse /
Sith than that of thies fortune and blessid disposicion
kyng Cirus thenne olde / myght lefully vse and worke in
londys tyllyng / and that he delited hym therin to make his
reame plentefull and riche, I tell you Scipion and Lelius
that it is leefull to the olde aged men of high astate as of
othir meane degree, to vse and to take delectacion in labou_ryng 
the londes, and yit it is true that olde age lettith not /
but yeuith olde men myght to maynten contynewe and per_fourme 
vnto thende of our age the studye and by counseyllyng
the offices of dyuers craftes of all thynges to be wrought and
to be doon and specyally in labouryng of londys / ffor for_soth 
I haue herd saye by the olde historyographes / that a
noble olde man Romayne callid Valerius Corvinus vsed
the life of a labourer vnto an C yere of his age / and



|p63


all though he were of long & of parfyte age, neuirthelesse he
dwellid in opyn townys and in villages and laboured the landes
Betwixt the first office geuen hym in Rome and the sixt
consulat of this Valerius were 46 yeris by reuolucyon of
yeris, and anon aftir that same tyme he was Juged to be an
|r[f.39r] olde man / And by that grete age / he was named vnable
to haue publike office of rule and gouernaunce of citees and
townes or for to be a capitaigne to make werre for the defence
of the Romayns / By which men may vndirstonde that
aftir the nombre of yeris that auncien men ordeyned / which
was from childehode vnto the begynnyng of olde age, men
myght endure tyll that same nombre of auncien yeris to haue
offices and dignitees in Rome / ffor olde age beganne aftir
the ordenaunce of the Romaynes and not aftir the nombre
of yeris, and forsoth the laste age of this Valerius was
more bettir and more blessid / by cause that it had more
auctorite and experience in the office of labourage of approw_mentys 
of manoirs feldes and lordships / Yf ye question
how I preue that auctorite / be the most high thyng that
olde age myght haue his verry experience and excercise /
Ye knowe it wele Inough in consideryng what was that olde
man Romayne Lucius Metellus the most grete bisshop of
Rome whiche by his grete auctorite and wisedome defended
Postumius consul of Rome that he shulde not goo for
to make werre in Aufryk in leuyng the sacrifises in the
olde lawe deputed and accustumed of Mars god of bataile,
wherof it fortuned that the seid Postumius in obeyng to the
auctorite of Lucius Metellus the bisshop left the seid entre_pris 
of his werre makyng though it had be committed to
Postumyus as consul of Rome / Ye also may knowe how
grete the auctorite had be of olde men by the same that was
subduyd in the noble Romayne Attilius Calatinus, whiche
was the prynce and lorde of the people |r[f.39v] subdued and
conquered as many men consenten aud as it apperith by all
the versis of the tytle graued and wretyn vpon his toumbe /



|p64


This Attilius thenne was by right a man auctorised, that
the fame and name of alle the Romaynes consented, to write
vpon his tombe his title of renomme in worship and in pray_syng 
of his victoriouse deedys / Consider ye Scipion and
Lelius of what auctorite was Publius Crassus the most grete
bisshop of Rome / And aftir hym Marcus Lepidus whiche
had the same dignyte / whiche both we haue seen of grete
age / What will ye that I telle you of thies III noble Ro_mayns 
Paulus or of Africanus or of Fabyus Maximus all
III olde men / of whom the auctorite was not onely in spekyng
and in counseillyng / But they were of so grete auctorite /
that it was obeyed to that whiche they wolde haue doon or
sped / so that they had shewed it but by sygnes and to_kenes 
/ Olde age honorable hath in it pryncypally so grete
auctorite that it is of gretter power than be alle the delecta_cyons 
of yong age /
But remembre ye Scipion and Lelyus in alle this my
present boke that I preyse and magnyfye that olde age /
whiche from his begynnyng is ordeyned and arrayde by the
fondementys of adolescencye whiche be in dyuers doctrynes of
sciencys lernyd and in excercisyng of honest occupacyons and
craftys instruct and excercised. By which I shewe you that the
silf olde age is but lewde and wretchid that defendith the
auctorite of it onely by wordys / and not by vertues & sciences
lerned studied conquerid / and won in yong age / as I seid
it ones in |r[f.40r] oon of my sentencys / to the whiche all the
philosophers of Rome accorded / The whyte herys and
the ryuilyng chier of the body of an olde man may not wynne
sodenly auctorite nor worship / but the age passed / before
the olde age / takith his laste fruytes of auctorite /
That is to witt / that the vertues and the sciences of the
yong men resceyuen not hole worship nor full auctorite till
olde age come on hym / that his wittys bee stablisshed by /
fforsoth ther be seuen thyngys perteynyng to the worship



|p65


of olde age, whiche semyth to som men to be light and
commune / by cause that they belongen to all good olde men /
whiche ben thies / The first is / that it perteyneth that the
othir yong men all be it they be grete in dignite salewe
and make reuerence in all places to the olde man / men ought
desire the feliship of the olde man for to lerne of hym and
to haue his counseille / Men ought in euery place to yeue
rowme & audyence to the olde man in the felishipps where
men treten and conuenyn of publike offices vpon maters for
a comon prouffite or a pryue / that be syngler causes to
be decysed / Men ought to rise sone anone before the olde
man and bowe them in obeyng hym / Men ought to folowe
and goo honorably and worshipfully aftir the olde man fauoure
and abyde hym when it nedith / Men ought to lede and
guyde them honestly, and bryng them ayen from the places
that olde men haue for to tarye / Men ought to demaunde
question and enquere of the olde man counseill & aduise vpon
chargeable maters and doubtouse thyngys for to witt whiche
be for to doo and whiche be for to leue /
And all thies worships belongen to olde ]40v] men / whiche
be full dylygently kept / emonge vs Romaynes and also in
other citees townes and villages after that whiche be right
wele founded and grounded in good condicions and the same
custumes duly obserued. The historyes of the Greekys sayne
that the wise man Lisander of the kyngdome of Lacedomonye
in Grece of whom I haue nowe late made mencion where
he was wont for to say that the cytee of Lacedomone was
the right honest toure or dongeon or castell of olde age /
That is to witt in the cyte of Lacedomone olde men resceyued
right grete worship and right grete auctorite in dignite / ffor
in no place saue there / men made not somuche worship
to olde and was not more honourid and worshiped / than



|p66


it was in the seid cyte of Lacedomone othir wise named
Sparta.
And knowe ye Scipion and Lelius that we remembre
wele that oute of the cytee of Athenys was come theder aged
men of worship and degree for to see games and playes. Ther
was no man of all the cytešeyns sittyng and stondyng in that
grete place that wolde geue place and rowme to the olde
men of Athenys for to sett them to be holde and see the
playes / Thenne thies olde men consyderyng that noon of
the cytešeins had not made them no place / they withdrewe
them a parte from the Teatre callid the Tent and stages where
as there sate in a certeyne place ordeyned some men of the cytee of
Lacedomone whiche were come vnto Athenys as legates callid
Ambassiatours / and the historyes sayne that alle the men of
Lacedomone ariseden from their sieges and resceyued the
seid olde men for to sett the same olde men by |r[f.41r] them /
And aftir that they / whiche sate in the tentys had right
gretly preysed and recomended the men of Lacedomone /
whiche had yeuen place to the seid olde men / oon of the
men of Lacedomone said heeryng them that were there,
fforsooth said he the men of Athenys knowyn suche thynges
of reuerence and honour belongyng to be doon aftir right and
gentilnes / but they will not doo it / O ye men of Lacedo_mone 
I come to speke of you for I haue knowyn that in
your company and feliship / and in your college be many
thynges right noble and worthy to be tolde of and putt in
remembraunce / But the honoure and worship due and belon_gyng 
vnto olde age / wherof I speke nowe is founde prynci_pally 
in your feliship, for aftir that euery man hath more in
age emongys you men of Lacedomone, he is holden and
take for the pryncipalle / and the first place to hym assigned
in the assembles and in places and publike counseils / and
yeuyth first the sentences vpon the causes questioned wherof
men spekyn and come to be counseylde vpon the dygnyte /
And the reuerence and the religyon be so straytly kept emong
the men of Lacedomone / that not onely the olde men be



|p67


set before them whiche be in worship and dignite / But na_mely 
the bisshops and prestis more aged be sett before the
Emperours and pryncys lesse aged. Nowe may ye knowe
that bodily delectacyons ought not to be compared with the
rewardes of auctorite of worshyp / whiche is due and yelden
to olde age and if som haue to gretly vsed of thies bodily
delectacions |r[f.41v] wherof I complayne me / It seemith me that
they haue not perfourmed their age / but it owght to be
tolde for a mok / and for a fable / by cause that in their
life dayes they haue made no prouffitable thyng vaillable
to endure by them / whiche ouer muche haue vsed of thies
delectacyons tomblyn and falle in their laste age / That is to
wit in olde age which is to vndirstonde / not as Yonglers
mynstrels and players turnyn and tomblyn vp so downe in
the last ende of their playes of maistryes for disporte makyng
by the whiche they ought lightly to be excused / But the
men whiche so long haue vsed of delectacyon that they leue
it but as a fable and a vanyte / They ought to haue no mercy
nor be excused / But some may telle me that olde men be
slowe and soft / angwisshous / and heuy / angry and sorou_fulle 
/ variant and mystrustyng / and if we seke wele the con_dicions 
of olde men / we shall fynde as ye say / that they
be also nygardes and couetouse / But I answere you Scipion
and Lelyus / that their vices whiche ye name here aboue / be
the vices of the condicions of corrupt & euill custumes / and
be not the vices aftir age / But algatis this euill slownesse
of body & the othir vices that I haue said whiche semyn to
be founde in olde age haue apparaunce of some excusacyon
whiche forsoth is not Juste / But it is suche that it see_myth 
that men may preue that it be reasonable / Men may
yit oppose me that olde men trowyn and ymagyne to be dispray_sed 
and mocked of yong men / And with that alle offense
and euery dyspleasyre be hatefulle to olde age / by cause
that olde men haue their bodyes freel and sekely / by whiche
|r[f.42r] they may suffre noon offenses of displeasir nor wrethfull.



|p68


But I tell you Scipion & Lelius that though olde men
weenyn to be dispraised and mocked and offended of yong
men whiche thynges arn harde & hatefull to olde men /
Neuirtheles if they be purueid of good condicions and
vertues & of good sciences as they ought to be the thyngys
aforesaid shal seeme them swete and light to bere and to
suffre / ffor though the mynde be purueid of good condicions
and vertues and of good sciences / it may not be so harde
offended nor troubled but it appeaseth and swetith it holdyng
hym content and pleased / as sone as it thenkith and remem_brith 
the propre goodnes that it hath in it silf / But yf
the olde men be not wele drawyn forth in connyng and
manerly taught and wise / the euil condicions here aboue re_herced 
shuld be to them harde noyous & hatefull / & para_uenture 
importable & it is not merueil though some olde men
suffryn & beeryn wele & softly the greuaunces of olde age /
And that some arn importune & wery of age / ffor we may
rede and see like thyng in the lyuyng & the condicions of
two bretheren gemellys callid twynlynges / wherof the poete
Terentius made a comodye callid Adelphi / the which he
redde in the scene at Rome / ffor of thies two bretheren
gendird of oon ffadir in oon bely at onys norisshed / the oon
like as the othir / the one was hard sharp angry vngracious
& rude / And the othir was curteys meke honeste and debo_naire.
Than knowe ye Scipion and Lelius that suche is the
ordenaunce of the custumes of olde age / ffor as euery wyne
long kept and olde waxith not eagre of |r[f.42v] his owne propre
nature / right so all mankynde is not aygre fell cruell vngra_cious 
chargyng nor importune in olde age of their owne
kynde / though some men among many be founde of that
condicion / I approue & preyse in olde age the man which
hath seueritee & stidfast abydyng in hym / seuerite is conty_nuance 
& perseuerance of oon maner of lyuyng aswele in the
thyngys within as in theym withoute / But I approue not



|p69


that in an olde man be egrenesse nor hardnesse & sharpnesse
of maners of condicions, & also I may not consceyue nor vndir_stonde 
why auaryce & couetyse ought to be in an olde man,
for ther is no thyng more vnreasonable nor more folyssh /
then is for to hepe gretter quantite of wordily goodes or of
vitailles in the tyme when the man hath lesse wey for to en_dure 
& lyue / Nowe it is so that olde age aftir nature
is the ende of the laste dayes of olde men, wherfor aftir
reason they ought lesse put them to thought solicitude and
care for to gadre more grete hepes and plente of richesses
and tresours thenne nedith /

Here endith the fourth part & the thrid distinction of this
boke & aftir begynneth the fyfthe part & the fourth & the
laste distinction by the whiche Caton confoundith and repre_uith 
the fourthe vituperacyon opposid ayenst olde age / begyn_nyng 
/ Quarta restat / &c.

<b> bY cause that in the IV distinction next of this boke
    I haue sufficiently answered to the thrid oppo_sicion /
    that yong age opposith ayenst old age so
behoueth nowe to |r[f.43r] saye the fourthe cause answeryng to
the fourth vituperacyon of olde age reprouyng / whiche
semith pryncypally to constrayne & forthenk our olde age / and
this fourth vytuperacion is by cause that yong age lothith /
eschewith / & saith ayenst olde age by cause that it nygheth
the deth / which aftir cours of nature may not be ferr from
olde age / But oon defaute Scipion & Lelius consider ye
I praye you how the olde man is a keitif wretchid & vn_happy 
which that seeth not ne vnderstondith that in olde age
men ought not to rek nor sett by neithir to be afferd of deth
whethir it neyheth or cometh / ffor men ought not playnly
to retche not of deth, but ought to defie it / if it quenche
& bryng to nought the soule / as falsly saith & is the opinion
of the philosopher Epicurus Orels men ought namely to de_sire 
the deth if it lede & bryng our soulys in som place for



|p70


to be perdurable aftir the departyng of the body / as truly
seith Aristoteles prynce of philosophers and also they that
folowyn hym. And it is true that betwixt thise two meanes is
founden no thrid / ffor it must nedys be that the sowle be
dede or stynt & ende with the body / orels that aftir the deth
of the body it lyuith euir / Thenne I / that am an olde man
haue no cause for to doubte the deth if I shall not be wret_chid 
nor vnhappy / aftir the deth by cause that my soule
dyeth with my body as some affermyn falsly / Orellys I haue
no cause for to doubte the deth / if aftir that I shall be
blessid & ioyouse euirlastyng / by cause p=t= my soule nedith
not nor is ded for euir aftir this present deth And though
ye oppose ayenst olde age that it be nygh the deth / Tell me
what man is so grete a fole how be it |r[f.43v] that he adolescent
or yong of age that knowith of trouth & in certeyne / that
he shall lyue tyl eue / and for to excuse moreouir the IV
repreef & defaute alledged / I tell you Scipion & Lelius
that yong age enclyned to excesse & to outrageousnesse hath
mo causes of deth / than our olde age / ffor yong men more
lightly fallen in sekenessis they be more greuously seke / they
take helth more latter & with gretter daungier / And for this
reason few men may come to olde age / And if the age of
yongth wolde leue the excesse, & the grete outragyousnes of
surfetes, & wolde folowe the temperaunce of olde age / the
yong men shuld lyue better & more wisely / ffor in olde men
is grounded with sad purpos aduis reason & counseil / And
it is certeyn that if ther had neuir be noon olde men / ther
had neuir be no cytees townes ne villages edified nor no
comynaltees of men lyuyng, rulid & gouerned to the comon
wele aftir Justice / And by cause that I haue seid shortly
that yong age fallith more lightly in sekenes & in parel of
deth / than doth olde age / which hath be cause of a dispo_sicion 
for to edifye cytees & townes / & Justely to make &



|p71


ordeyne assemblees of men / and people to gouerne citees
& townys & countrees. I begynne nowe & torne ayen how
yong age opposith that the deth is the neyghbore of olde age.
And for to tell the trouth there is no shame nor repreef to
olde age by cause that they be nygh to deth / ffor ye see
that yf the deth were Juste cause of blame and of repreef /
that cause shuld be commune to the age of adolescence and
also to olde age / And as ye wele knowe I had a right
good sone named Caton as I am / And |r[f.44r] thou Scipion
also haddist two bretheren yong men / which aftir their eui_dent 
merites shulde haue be in right grete dignite preferrid /
That is to witt consuls of Rome as many oon trustid and
hoped / which thre decessed in their yong age / where by
I haue vndirstonde and perceyued verely / that deth is comon
to all ages / But ye may saye that the man adolescent &
yong hopith that he shall lyue longe / & aftir that a man is
olde he may not haue such an hope / Therfor I answere you
that the yong man hopith foliously, if by cause of his yong
age he wenith to liue long / ffor he is not certayn therof nor
knowith not the trouthe / Now ther is nothyng more foly
thenne is for to haue & holde the doubtuose thyngys as cer_tayn 
/ & the fals as true, & if ye oppose ayenst olde age
that the olde man hath nothyng in hym whereby he may hope
to lyue more / I answere you Scipion & Lelius that by this
thyng is bettir the condicion & the astate of the olde man
than of the yong man, ffor the yong man will lyue long, &
the olde man hath lyued long, how be it that in the life of
the man is nothyng long by the ordenaunce of the goddys
which to mankynde haue sett necessite & nede for to dye /
I will Scipion in consideryng hou olde men lyuen that thou
tellist me hou it is true that euery man haue some last
tyme assigned Consider we Arganthonius kyng of Tarse
whiche is the pryncipalle countree of Cilice This Argan_thonius 
as I haue seen writen in historyes regned foure



|p72


score yere And lyued six score yeris / But knowe ye
Scipion and Lelyus that forsoth ther is no thyng that semith
to me long / sith it hath some laste ende |r[f.44v] ffor whenne
that laste ende comyth / the tyme and yeris of grete peynes
and labours / in yongth in grete auentures whiche before be
passed is thenne eskaped and ronne alle to geder / And
than abideth onely in the remembraunce and mynde and
the merite, whiche thou hast conquerid by thy vertu and by
thy good werkys doon in tyme passid / whiche ought make
the glad whiche haste ouir skaped all the Jeopardys and
auenturis as wele in bataile as in dyuers and many othir
weyes perylouse aswele on the see as on the lande / The
houres of the tyme of our life, and the dayes / and the mo_nethys 
and also the yeris passen and come neuir ayen / And
also the thyng to come may not be knowen / by no man nor
in what place & in what astate he be aftir the deth / Euery
man ought to be content and pleasid of suche space of tyme,
as god had yeuen hym for to lyue / And for to shewe how
and why the man ought to lyue / I wolde that ye knowe that
as the poete makith not onely by versys a fable in his co_medye 
callid an enterlude to thentente by cause that it please
to hym that pleyeth it in the game / But the poete makith
onely his comedye and enterlude to thende by cause that in
euery pagent he be preysed and commended of euery man
aftir his playe /
And the wise man also ought not to desire to lyue / tylle
that he saye / That is to witt / I will no lenger of my life /
ffor a short and a litle tyme of age is long for to lyue wele
and honestly / And if it fortune that thou lyue but a short
and litle tyme / thou owhtyst not to haue any more forthyn_kyng 
nor sorowe than haue the labourers of the landes,
which haue |r[f.45r] no forthenkyng nor sorowe / by cause that
the swetnesse and softnes of prymetemps callid veer and



|p73


spryngyng tyme be passed / And that the tyme of somer and
of autompne callid heruest be comyn / ffor though the labourer
see and smelle gladly the odoures of fresshe floures and herbes
in prymetemps neuertheles / he is glad for the tyme of somyr
in which ripyn the herbys trees and fruytes of therthe / And
for the tyme of autompne and heruest in whiche he gaderith
them to gedir he putteth them in the berne and in the gar_nere 
/ Now ought ye to knowe that the prymetemps signi_fieth 
the age of adolescencye or of yongth whiche shewith by
signes of prymetemps bourionyng and spryngyng what fruyte
shall turne and do to the man in his tyme to come / And
the two othir seasons / that is to witt somer and heruest be
prouffitable and able for to repen mowe shere and gadre the
fruytes to geder to the vse of men /
And also it is true as I haue before sayde that the fruyte
of olde age signifieth the mynde and remembraunce and the
habondaunce of the goodys, which before haue be made redy
and conquerid by vertu and good werkys, and for to preue
more ouir that for to dye in olde age / is noon harm nor repreef /
I tell you Scipion and Lelius that alle thynges that be
made aftir nature ought not to be accompted nor rekened
amonges the goodys of the man /
Nowe it is so that there is no thyng that is so moche
accordyng aftir nature as is / that aswele men as othir thynges
growyng by kynde dyen in the tyme of their olde age / and
yit it is certayne that deth comith to yong men and adolescen_tys 
/ |r[f.45v] whiche is ayenst kynde & oute of nature / where
by the deth is to them more peynefull soroufull & harde.
And by that the adolescentes & yong men as me semyth
dyen like as men quenchen a strong & a right grete fflame
of fyre / by castyng in of moche watir / and olde men dyen
as a fyre which stynteth and wasteth it self / or as a candel /
& the matche in a lampe of oyle consumith withoute doyng



|p74


violence & withoute any force & strength / I make eftsonys
anothir comparison of deth / whiche comyth both to yong
& olde men ffor as the appils & othir fruytes hangyng on the
trees be by force plucked in the meane tyme whiles they be
rawe & newe & when they be ripe & melowe by the heete
of the sonne they fallen of with their free & playne will / &
so the deth takith awey by hir violente force the life of yong
men, and the ripnesse of olde age takith awey the life of
olde men softely and withoute force. And this deth whiche
comith by ripnesse of long age is so ioyfull and so agreable
to me in so moche as I shall applye and come more nygh to
it in a conuenient season. The deth is also to me noon
othir wise ioyfull or agreable / than shuld be to me the drye
londe / if me thought that I shulde see it when I seyle in a
ship or swymme in the see to the porte or hauyn / And that
it were likly that I shuld come to the porte or hauyn aftir
that I haue seyled and vyaged long vpon the see / That is
to witt that deth / which comith to the wise man aftir long
age / is like the porte or hauen that men see from ferr in
seylyng vpon the see whiche doth grete ioye when men be
vpon the riuer in to the hauen warde and to haue takyn
their porte salue / |r[f.46r] ffor the drede of the parelles and
daungers of rokkes sandys and grete tempestys be than passid
chaungid and turned in saftee and rest / How be it that
the fyue first ages haue their ende and their terme / aftir cer_tayne 
nombre of yeris / Neuertheles olde age which is the
laste hath no certayne terme / And yit thou maist rightly
lyue in olde age in the meane tyme / & as long as thou
maist perfourme and defende the werkys of life / and the of_fices 
in which thou art yeuen vnto / So alwey that thou
doubte not deth though thou lyue long / whereby it fortuneth
that namely olde age is more couragyouse and more hard
and vigourouse ageyn alle feerys and dredys / than is ado_lescencye 
which doubtith and dredith deth / This thyng is
preuid by the sentence that the right wise philosopher Solon



|p75


answerd to a tirant callid Pisistratus which Pisistratus by
violence occupyed the lordship of Athenes, ffor where as the
seid tiraunt demaundid of Solon in what thyng / he prynci_pally 
trusted / and why that he resisted hym so boldily /
Men seyen that is true, that the seid Solon answerd that he
trusted in his olde age / by the boldenes of whiche he despised
deth / & doubtid noon othir thyng / But I will not blame
lightly them whiche desiren to lyue, ffor the ende of lyuyng
is right good whilom that man hath hole thenkyng of vndir_stondyng 
& hole reason and naturell witte / certeyne and
stable for to laboure in office perteynyng to life of man /
Dame Nature whiche hath assembled and encreced in man_kynde 
a body to wyrke / That is to witt / the thynkyng and
the reasons and the wittys for to doo and |r[f.46v] excercise the
offices of the life / she brekyth hirself and bryngeth to nought
hir courage at the laste ende of age / when nature is con_sumed 
/ So as it is in the werkys of nature / in like wise
it is in the werkys of craftys / ffor the werkeman whiche hath
made a ship or any othir edifyce in byldyng / the same werke_man 
kan breke it right lightly / when it is olde and con_sumed 
/ Nowe it is true that the tymbre and the matier and
the bourdys newe fastened or glued be with grete peynes
disseuerd, and tho whiche haue be glued and fastened long
tyme paste, be brokyn lightly / So thenne ye Scipion
and Lelyus may knowe that olde men ought not couetously
desire that shorte space of life / which yet abydeth with them /
and also they ought not to leue it withoute Juste and
honest cause / whereby the cause to hurte hymself or shorte
his life by alle naturell kynde and by alle dyuyne reason
is forbeden to euery man / sith that he may not doo that /
which hath noon honest occasion / And the philosopher
Pytagoras whiche forbedith that withoute the commaundement
of god / no man departe from the bodily life / he vseth and



|p76


makith his reason by such likenesse and similytude as of a
prynce of the lande whiche maketh the constable of a batayle
whiche the prynce signifieth / whenne he ordeyneth his soul_dours 
to abyde & stonde in some place assigned ffor he
commaundith them that for nothing they stere not ne re_meuen 
withoute his commaundement Pytagoras by this
exsample wolde say / that withoute the commaundement of
god no man shuld purchace his deth / And if thou oppose
and seyest ayenst that whiche |r[f.47r] I haue said / That is to
witt that the olde man ought not to desire to lyue the reme_naunt 
of his tyme / ffor as thou saist / the philosopher
Solon than olde / by expresse wordys ordeyned that his frendys
shuld make sorowe wepyngys and lamentacyons aftir his deth /
I tell the Scipion that the wise Solon wolde be lamented
and bemeaned of his frendys by cause that they shuld shewe
that he had loued them / and that they were euir in his
loue / But I wote neuir Caton yf the poete Ennyus wolde
be holden more dere and soroufull of his frendys by cause
that aftir his deth he wold not be bywailled nor lamented,
ffor by his verses he seid / that aftir his deth noon of his
frendys shuld not desire hym ayen in wepyng / & that in his
seruice of exequyes funerall noon shuld wepe for hym,
I answere the Scipion that Ennyus vndirstode hoely that
men shuld not wepe for the deth of hym, nor of any othir
that becomith vndedely and inmortalle / aftir this present deth
which comith to them whyche haue lyued all their life aftir
alle vertues. Thou tellist me ayen Scipion, that olde men
felyn in them some drede of the deth / which drede lastith
by a litle while specially in the olde man whiche dyeth
soone and softly with litle payne / Therfor I telle the Scipion
that the feelyng and vndirstondyng of that dredefulnesse
is suche that it ought to be desired that aftir deth it is



|p77


nought, by cause that the soule departed with the body the
whiche I mene not othirwise / but what thyng euir it be of
the feelyng of the drede of deth / we ought to haue stable
thenkyng from our adolescence / for to lyue in suche |r[f.47v]
wise and so wele that we may despise deth withouten hauyng of
it any drede or grudchyng / withoute this thynkyng no man
may lyue in peasible courage / for euir / the drede of deth fleeth
before the eyen of the thought / I tell you forsoth / that
it must nedys be certeyne that no olde man may deye yong /
And it is vncertayne a thyng to knowe if that a man shall
dye in this present day / Ther is no man thenne whiche may
lyue in suertee of courage of a myghty herte / if he doubte
the deth whiche may come and stere vpon hym at all houres
of the day or he beware It is no nede that I dispute long
with you of deth / for to shewe you that men ought not to
doubte it / ffor if I bryng to mynde the wise and the
couragiouse men of alle astates and aged men / whiche doubted
not to suffre deth for Juste and honeste thynges / I may tell
you therof many exsamples though it nede not / ye knowe
by historyes / how aftir that Tarquyne the prowde kyng of
Rome was banysshed / and dryuen away and depryued of
the royame for the foule mysdeede that the sone of the seid
Tarquyne did / in defoulyng by violence the right chaste
lady of grete worship and renomme Lucretia wif of the noble
Collatyn Cite%eyn of Rome / The seid Tarquyn had a sone
callid Aruns which by armes enforced hym to recouir the
seid reame and to take awey the libertee and freedome of
the people / and to bryng it ageyne in seruage /
But Lucyus Brutus thenne consul of Rome as he whiche
doubted not deth and whiche for the comon welfare of the cyte
and for the freedom of Rome to be had he wolde of playne and
full will lese this present life, |r[f.48r] beeyng with the hoost and
bataile of the Romaynes lighted vpon his hors and leyde
his spere in the arrest and sporrid his hors ayenst the seid



|p78


Aruns thorugh his hooste betwene two batailles & in suche
wise encountred & coped the one with the othir / that both
two were wounded and hurted with dedly woundys fille dede
vpon the erthe / and so by the couragyous hert and manhode
to ouircome that grete ennemye to Rome by the voluntary
deth of the seid chiuallerous noble Brutus / remayned stille
and abode to the people of Rome their right precious tresour /
That is to witte their freedome and their franchises which
were before tyme appropred vnto them /
ffor to shewe also that men owght not to drede deth / it
nedith not that I telle the historye of this noble Romayne
Publyus Decyus, nor of his sone in like wise named This
Decius amongys them of his kynrede he was the first whiche
had the dignyte of consulat at Rome / and how he beyng
consul was onys in batayle with the Romaynes / And he sawe
that his hoost was nygh all putt downe / or shuld haue ben
destroyed and ouircome / he of his playne will & grete man_hode 
ordeyned in his courage and in his thought that he
shulde yeue and abandone his bodye, for the saluacyon of the
comon prouffite of Rome / Thenne he mowntyng vpon his
courser and his spere in his arreste spurrid his hors whiche
bare hym swyftly in to the myddys of the hoost of his enne_myes 
/ That noble and worthy Decyus whiche wolde the
helth and welfare of his countree and the deth of hym self
to take / before his deth made grete occision vpon his enne_myes 
of Rome / And aftir that |r[f.48v] by speres wounded fille
dede to the erthe, and so through his entreprice and cou_rage 
/ by the blood that Decyus shedd it fortuned to the
hooste of the Romaynes, the victorye ayenst their trust and
hope / ffor when they saw their worthy prynce and consul
and chief of the felde dede / by his owne high courage and
freewill and for the saluacyon of all his feliship and countree,
The seid Romaynes toke so grete courage ayenst their enne_myes 
/ And ensured themsilf to liue or deye in mortall ba_taille



|p79


/ with their prynce and the felde, wherof they had
the victorye / The sone of the seid Publius beyng four tymes
consul of Rome had so grete & so myghty courage & thought
as his ffader in folowyng his nobles in armes and chiualrye /
ffor this seid sone Publius of his playne and freewill of a
myghty courage in marcyal causis auauncyng hymsilf vpon his
ennemyes in bataile in defendyng the noble Romaynes he
abandoned his body and his owen propre life for the salua_cyon 
of the comon prouffite of the Romaynes /
And this is a noble exsample that so ought suche chiua_lerouse 
knyghtys put them in auenture for their prynce and
for the defence and saufgarde of a reame or countree beeyng
in seruage, ffor to shewe also that men ought not to
doubte the deeth nor drede to departe oute of this present
life / It is no nede that I telle you of one of the moost noble
pryncys of good remembraunce Marcus Attilius first a
labourer of the londes / and aftir electe consul and connestable
of the batails of Rome / whiche by many a tyme ouircame
and had the vppirhande and victorye of the men of Cartage
mortall ennemyes to |r[f.49r] the Romaynes, and atte laste the
noble prynce by chaunngyng of fortune was takyn prisoner in
to Cartage / And for the delyuerance of the same Marcus
Attilyus oute of prisone, thenne an olde man / the lordys and
gouerners by cause they vndirstode his grete manhode as
a victoriouse prynce ayenst them / and how he was worthy
in renomme & to be worshippid for his manhode, and how
also he was of so grete age that he aftir tho dayes shuld
be of easy power of bodily strength to make any more werre
ayenst Cartage / treted hym & desired / that he shuld for
his deliueraunce oute of prison, make to be redemed / delyuerd
and recouerd many of their yong lordes knyghtys and Gentils
of Cartage takyn prisoners before tyme amongys the Romaynes /



|p80


And in trust therof the seid Marcus Attilius was fraun_chysed 
oute of their Captiuite & so relessed vpon his faith
promysed that he shulde retourne / at a certayne day to
come ayen to prison in to Cartage in case that he coude
not procure &. prouide for the delyueraunce of the seid yong
men lordys knyghtis and gentils of Cartage so prisoners
thenne in Rome, Attilius willyng to despise the deth & for
an honest cause of an vnyuersale wele of his countreye, wolde
spende both his bodye & his life / consyderyng that the comon
prouffite of Rome myght be hynderd & damaged gretly / if
for that his deliueraunce oute of prison shuld the seid yong
knyghtys of Cartage be yolden & deliuerd ageyne home
to their countree / counseillid & willid ayenst hym self to his
destruction & seide to the senatours of Rome & also to his
wife & childeren that he wolde yelde hym self raithir ayen
|r[f.49v] to pryson to Cartage, though he myght othirwise be
relessed / and also wolde acquyte hym Justely of his othe
and promyse to his maister captaigne made / And though he
knewe the outragiouse cruelte and grete duresse of enpriso_nement 
of the men of Cartage thenne his ennemyes whiche
when he retourned freely in to prison constreyned hym by
grete duresse and peyne turmented hym in a pype / festned
and stikked fulle of nailles rollid hym and kutte the ledys of
his eyen that he myght not slepe, and othir paynes for to
dye by so long & cruel turment and payne that it is not pos_sible 
to reherse it withoute wepyng terys / There is no
nede also to reherse how that Scipion Affrycan & Scipion
Asian two brethern right noble and gloriouse champions / for
the comon prouffite employed & occupied alle their strengthis
& their bodyes & in dyuers batailles auenturid them ayenst
them of Auffryk / ffor aftir the deth and discomfityng of
the grete Pompeius Scipion othirwise callid Affrican



|p81


succedid in office aftir the seid Pompeius and was in one
of the batailes of Rome that discomfited by armes the men
of Auffryk aftir Cartage was destroyed by the grete Scipion
And he brought them to the lordship of Rome / But where
as by chaungyng of fortune Scipion hoped no refuge ne socour /
he departyd from Auffryk for to come in to Spayne by
nauye of shippis with som Captaignes of Rome aftir many
turmentys in the see, he and his nauye by sodeyn tempestys
of wyndes / were dryuen and came ayen in to the countree of
Affryk / And there he was besegyd by Publyus Sticyus knyght
of |r[f.50r] Julius Cesar which thenne allone occupied the lord_ship 
of Rome / Scipion thenne wolde rathir deye in thestate
of his freedome and libertee and for to escape the seruitude
of Cesar as he that charged not in settyng no pryce of his
deth killed / hym self with his owne propre hande / All be
it that he myght escape lightly ynowgh that mysfortune /
ffor Cesar wolde haue ben to hym full gracious & debonaire
ynowgh / & aftir that his right noble brothir Scipion Asianus,
whiche by bataile subdued and putt downe the countrees and
the kynges and the people of the partyes of Asie he made
fulle riche encreacyng and multeplyeng the comon Tresour of
Rome / as he whiche hath many Tryumphes and victoryes
and which conquerd many kynges and pryncis by victorie in
batailes, And aftir that he retourned ayen to Rome where
he was vniustely accused by the excitacion and exhortyng of
kyng Antiochus whiche by fals accusacions & conspiracyes
made hym to be vniustely accused and sklaundred and sur_mitted 
vpon hym forged maters / how that he had takyn to
his owne singuler auaile and prouffite and withholden
to hym self grete nombre and quantite of money and Tresour
whiche shulde haue be putt in to the comon tresour / wherupon
the seid Scipion was takyn and bounde with yrons & was putt in
derck prison wherin he ended his dayes withoute any vnpacience /



|p82


I reherse not also onely of thy Grauntsire Lucius Paulus
consul Romayne / whiche dreded not the deeth / but wolde
leue his bodily life of his owne good will ffor where as Hanybal
duke of Cartage Enemy |r[f.50v] to oure cytee of Rome had
assembled his hooste in a towne of Poyle callid Cannae /
And for to resiste hym and withstande / had there comyng
the seid Paulus thy Grauntsyre and anothir consul his felowe
with alle the strengthe of Rome / thre hunderd noble yong
knyghtys Romaynes with a parte of the hoost withoute the
counseile & consentyng of the seid Paulus assembled to gedir
& ioyned in bataile, In the which that parte of the seid hoost
& the consul and the seid thre hundred knyghtys were ouir_throwe 
& died shamefully / That is to witt by defaute of good
ordenaunce and oute of array beyng / they loste the victorye
& were disconfited. And where thy seid grauntsire Paulus
saw his felowe and his hoost so ouirthrowe discomfited &
kylled / he with the remenant of his hooste auanced hym
in to the bataile withoute any hope of victorye / but onely
to thentente that he wolde venge the outragiouse discomfiture
and ouirthrowe of his felowe consul / whiche foliously vndir_toke 
the dede of entrepryse / he in semblable wise was by
mortel fate ouirthrowe and slayne emongys his Ennemyes / It
is no nede that I telle how Marcus Marcellus consul Romayne
despised not his deth in playne bataile as a chiualrouse knyght,
ffor withoute any grete auis / he with an egre hert desyryng
to resiste ayenst the Affricans and the men of Affrike, was
chosen and requyred for to fyght with Hanyballe chief prynce
of Cartage in the feelde / wherin oure souldiers Romayns
assembled gladdly and right wele chered and stable in their
noble courage / And yit they thought wele ynough |r[f.51r] that
withoute comyng ayen of the seid Marcellus her chyue_teyne 
they shuld dye, as it happith them so to doo / ffor the
seid Marcellus wolde not spare his life for the worship of
Rome / auaunced hym self ayenst Hanyball and was slayne
in playne feelde in the first bataile or he myght releue &



|p83


socoure his hoost / And they all with Marcellus consul &
chief cheueteyne of that bataile dyed in the felde in the de_fence 
of the Romaynes fulle nobly worshippfully to their grete
renomme / aftir whiche their ennemyes of Cartage made grete
sorow of their deth for their grete manhode they dyd them
grete reuerence at their beryenges / As I haue saide in
my boke of the birth of the noble Ytalyens, The whiche
Marcellus so consul lyeng deed in the feelde with his knyghtys /
the seid Hanibal most cruel enemy of the Romaynes / made
hym to be brought to erthe with grete worship of sepulture /
ffor Hanybal aftir his owne propre noblesse / consideryng
the vertu of the seid Marcellus & couragiouse hert bare
hym so vigorously as a lyon in bataile whiche in no wise
doubted the deth in exposyng and auauncyng his body & his
life for the publike & comon prouffite & saluacion in defen_ding 
the Romaynes, he did couer the body of the seid Mar_cellus 
with a pall of riche cloth of golde / aftir their rightes
custume and vsage of marcialle men of Auffrike, & yafe
hym a coronne of laurer, & aftir brent hym in a solempne
fyre aftir the, maner of olde auncyen men of worship to be
preserued & kepte amongys the noble men of worship / What
Scipion & Lelyus will ye that I telle you sith the yong &
adolescent men. And not onely they |r[f.51v] that be introducted
and enfourmed in sciences & vertue / lyuyng aftir the con_dicion 
of a philosopher / but namely the foolys & ydiotes
lothen not nor doubten the deth as ye haue herd me and
declare in the precedent exsamples / Thenk ye thenne / that
the wise olde men ought not to be aferde by cause they be
nygh the tyme of their deth. And he that is full & replete
of all the studyes & werkys perteynent to euery age / he is
replete and wery of the tyme of this life / so that he doubte
not in no wise the deth as it seemyth me rightfully & as I
preue it by my self / And note ye for a good aduertisement
to euery man for to bere in remembraunce and for his prouffite,
That certayne thyngys be wherin pueryce callid childhode /
which is the seconde age puttith his studye and his entendyng



|p84


in thynges accordyng to his agrement / And the adolescente
men whiche be vndir the thrid age desyren in no wise the
thynges and the besynes / wherin puerice studyeth and occu_pyeth 
/ And certeyne thynges be wherin the men studyen
& occupyen them in begynnyng of their adolescencye /
Also certayne thynges be / in whiche yong age / whiche
is the fourth & the mene age, puttith not his studye & besy_nesse 
in his precedent ages / though the man had employed
& occupied hym in the othir first ages which be smaller and
of lesse degree / Yong age is callid the age stable & meane /
by cause that it holdith the meane betwixt adolescence & olde
age And cesseth than the man for to do light thynges and
folyes / And as thenne or neuir the man is stable & hole in
body in witt & vndirstonding / The thynges and the werkys
in whiche yong men studyen |r[f.52r] And occupye them been
suche / that olde men rek neuir of it / But namely olde
age hath delectacyon in some thynges in his laste dayes
wheryn he studyeth and employeth his wittys / How be it
thenne that the studyes and the werkys of the fyue first ages
dyen and seace in some tyme and seasons / in suche wise
seacen and dyen the besynesse studyes and the werkys of
olde age whiche when they lacken in the man / than he
whiche is full and wery for to lyue in this worlde / cometh
to that tyme whiche is ripe and couenable for to dye / fforsoth
I see nothyng for what I dare not telle you that which I
fele and perceyue of the deth / ffor me seemyth that I may
better see & feele the nature & the proprete of deth / by
asmuch as I which am an olde man am lesse ferr from it /
fforsoth Scipion & Lelius I deme & thynke in my courage
that in the high heuyn leuyn youre two ffadirs / which haue
be rightfully named & noble in worship / and my right dere
frendys / also I deme in my thought that your two ffadirs
lyuen of oon life / as of oon good disposicion / which onely
& noon othir owght to be callid a life, ffor whiles we be en_closed 
within thies ioyntes of our materiel body / we vse



|p85


of an office conteynyng necessite for to dye / And also we
vse of a grevouse werke and heuy by cause that the body
draweth to the deth warde / But within vs / is a celestial
soule and dyuyne fourmed / whiche from the moost high paleis
is come downe to be Joyned and knytt with mankynde bodily /
as if it had be conuerted and hidde within the erthe oute
of his naturelle place appropred / The place wheryn the ce_lestial 
soule remayneth to |r[f.52v] quykyn the body for a season /is contrarye to the dyuyne nature of the soule whiche is resem_beled 
and likend to the Trynyte / ffor the soule is celestial
and descended from an high place, And the body is erthly
lowe and puissaunt. The soule is vndedly and the body is dedly /
But I beleue that the vndedly goddys haue spred and
sowen the soules within the bodyes of mankynde to thentente /
that the men shulde see and inhabite the countrees, And by
cause also that the men co syderyng the ordenaunces of the
celestial thyngys shulde folowe that ordenaunce by maner &
stablenesse of life / That is to witt that god whiche is vndedly
hath putt and putteth the vndedly soules within the bodyes
of the dedly men to thentente that they perceyue and inha_byte 
within this lowe world to suche an ende that they con_sydere 
the ordenaunce of heuen / and that they may lyue a
stable life / celestiall & perdurable with god.
And knowe ye Scipion and Lelyus that my reason nor my
dysputacyon / which I haue made vpon this mater / constreyned
me neuir that I shulde beleue that the soules of men shuld
be mortal & dedly as to deye with the bodye / But namely
thordenaunce & thauctorite of the souerayne philosophers hath
constreyned me to beleue that when I herd disputacions amongys
the wise philosophers of the studye of Rome / redyng the
doctrines of the worthy philosopher Pytagoras & the oppy_nyons 
of them that folowed hym with the moost parte of
them / they haue be by olde tymes passid callid latyns
philosophers / They dertermyned for trouth that we haue



|p86


the soules spred & sowen within oure bodyes / the which
were not |r[f.53r] gendred simplely by nature / but that they
were of a godly and a dyuyne substaunce suche as god or_deyned 
it in his thought / wheryn is the figure & the mirrour
of all thynges both godly and manly / accordyng with the
doctryne of Pytagoras and with thoppinions of his disciples /
Men did enfourme and teche me the doctryne / and that the
philosopher Socrates in the laste day of his life had con_cluded 
and affermed / And they spekyn of the Inmortalite &
vndedlynes of the soules. This Socrates whylom maister of
the philosopher Platon / was holden the most wise of all the
other philosophers as is appered & was shewed by the answere
of the god Apollo to whom men demaunded / which was
the mooste wise of the auncyen philosophers / Socrates said /
he ought to haue the pryncipal honoure and renomme emong
all the wise men of the cite of Athenes,
It nedith not also that I speke euir of the vndedlynesse of
the soules / but I holde trustely that the soules of men be
vndedly. ffor sith the lightnes of the soules is so grete that
they be euir meuyng / sith the mynde of thynges passed is
so grete & parfite in the soules that men remembryn of tho
thynges whiche be passid like as that they were presente.
And sith the dyuyne prouidence of thynges for to come is so
grete and feruent in the soules / that the man counseillith
hym pourueieth hym and auiseth hym of some thyng meri_table 
and prouffitable and also comfortable to come /
And sith that in the soules ben so many connynges craftes
and subtile conceytes for to make aftir right naturelle reason
the werkys connyngys and craftes, wheryn the |r[f.53v] men
workyn & occupyen them comonly to lyue by
And where as in the soules be so grete sciences and wittys
both godly and manly and so many newe conceytes and dyuers
thynges foude withoute any exsample or patron / I saye
aftir my witt and feelyng that the soule which naturelly contey_neth 
the thynges that I haue here aboue saide, may not be dedly /
I shewe you & preue othir wise that the soule is vndedly /



|p87


ffor sith the soule euir hath in hit dyuers meuyngys / by
cause that one tyme it coueiteth the delectable thynges / as
is science / craft / prudence / sapience / wisedome / witt /
vndirstondyng and othir good spirituel vertues and suche
thynges whiche seme to be good /
And anothir tyme the soule hath meuyng of contrary
passions as in waxyng wroth / thoughtfull heuy / dredefulle
noyouse sekely / ffor displesant thyngis / which be or semen
to be euill and hynderyng to the bodye. Men must nedys
conclude that it be perpetuell and euirlastyng / I preue
you also that the soule is vndedly / ffor it hath nothyng that
sterith it for to doo that whiche it dooth / ffor the soule
meuith and sterith it self / and the soule shall neuir haue
the ende of his meuyng, ffor the soule may neuir leue it self /
ffor it wolde euir be for to doo some office perteynyng to his
kynde and to his nature. And by anothir reason I preue
that the soule is perdurable and euirlastyng / ffor the naturell
substaunce of the soule is symple and is not composed nor
commixted of partyes of dyuers natures /
And also ther is nothyng in the soule, which is medled
with vnlike to his naturelle substaunce / whereby it must nedys
be saide that the soule may not be dyuided |r[f.54r] in dyuers
partys / And if it so be men must nedys conclude that it
may not dye / And more ouir to preue that the soule be
perdurable / ye haue a grete argument and good approbacyon
by cause that the men knowyn many & dyuers thynges or
they be in puerice / ffor as ye knowe men in the age of pue_rice 
/ when they lerne and studyen in the speculatyf sciencys
and craftys.of the practike and of subtyle and dyuyne con_ceytes 
vsyng aftir the crafte called experyence / which be full
harde daungerouse and subtile to come vnto / they with_holden 
and conceyuen so hastely and so soon dyuers con_ceytes 
& many oppynyons arguen that it seemyth not onely
that they lernyn them newly and soon / but it seemyth that
eftsonys they haue therof mynde and remembraunce as if they
had knowyn them before. And knowe ye that the philosopher



|p88


Platon is the auctor whiche spake of the soule so as I haue
here said / Aftir that I haue shewed you by argumentys
and reasons that the soules be not dedly / I now wyll by
exsample and by auctorite shewe that the soules arn perpe_tuel 
and euirlastyng / The philosopher Xenophon wit_nessith 
in a boke of his callid Oeconomicus that the grete
Cyrus kyng of Perse / the day that he dyed said to his
childeren the wordys that folowyn / My right dere childeren
said the kyng, thenk ye not but that I euir am in some place,
& also but that I be some thyng beyng aftir that I shalle be
departed from youre feliship / ffor when I was with you, ye
myght not see my soule by which I am vndedly / but ye shall
perceyue wele ynough / that in my body was my soule conioyned
by the seuen werkys |r[f.54v] whiche I excercised in my lyfe /
ffor my body was lyuyng by the meane of my soule / I
hadd free wille / and not wille for to doo or not to doo / all
possible thyngys, I had right demyng of thynges true and
false / I had feelyng of the qualitees of the thynges / I
respired by brethyng resceyuyng in and owte by the conduytys
of my body / I knewe and discerned the thynges by their
propre causes / I had mynde and remembraunce of thynges
before passed / Aftir thies seuen werkys the soule is named
by seuen names / That is to witt / Soule, Corage / Reason
ffeelyng / Thought / Mynde / & Spirite / Ye ought thenne to
beleue / that aftir my departyng / the soule of me is such as
it is nowe / though ye see that my body be brought to nought /
Yit by cause the worshipps the dignytees and the good werkys
of noble & famouse men shold not be extyncte and not remem_brid 
/ Honour shuld be shewed & doon vnto them whiche
passyn oute of this worlde / aftir their deth / But their soules
shuld doo so muche / that we shuld haue of their goodnes
lawde and praysyng memoyre & mynde lenger than the tyme
of their life.
Knowe ye seid also the kyng Cirus that neuir man coude
make me to consente nor to graunte that the soules shuld
lyue whiles they be within the dedly bodyes / nor that they



|p89


shuld dye aftir that they be disseuerd and departed from
the bodyes / And also say I / that neuir man coude make me
to graunt nor to consent / but the soule be wise and nobly
endowed aftir that it is disseuerd from the body folissh and
foule, But I consent and graunte that the soule begynneth
to be wise aftir that it is disseuerd and clene |r[f.55r] and hole
of alle the medelyng of the body, whiche is medled and com_mixted 
of foure elementys / whiche arn emongys themsilf
contrary / And sith the naturelle body of the man / whiche
is the moost noble of the thynges cometh ayen to nought by
the deth / It is clere and notoire in what place alle the othir
thyngys goen / ffor the thyngys of this worlde goon ayen to
that from whens they came / The soule of man shewith not
nor appereth not, nor it may not be seen / Neithir when it
is conioyned with the body nor when it is disseuerd from hit /
Ye see also said kyng Cirus / that ther is nothyng so like
the deth as is the slepe / And certayne it is that the soules
of them whiche slepyn shewen and declare the dyuynyte and
godlynesse of the soule / ffor many men slepyng / perceyuen
& knowyn by their slepe / thynges for to come / So that the
men be delyuerd & franchised, of erthly thoughtys whereby
men ought to vndirstonde what shal be our soules when they
be clene relessed of the bondes of erthly bodyes. ffor the
soules withoute comparyson shalle vse more playnely of their
dyuynyte and godlynesse aftir that they be oute of the pryson
and of the bondys of the bodye. Wherfor if thies thynges be
trewe / that is to witt / that my soule is vndedly and im_mortal 
as I haue said / I wille ye my right dere childeren
that ye worship me in god / But if it so be that my soule
shulde dye with my body to gedir neuirtheles / we whiche
bere reuerence to the goddys / whiche defendyn and gouerne
all the beaute and fairnesse that is in the feliship of the body
and of the soule / I will that all regiously and withoutyn bre_kyng 
|r[f.55v] ye kepe the mynde of me specyally / by wele
saying and by wele doyng as I haue doon whiles I lyued.



|p90


This grete Cirus kyng of Perse said alle thies wordys to his
right dere childeren at the houre that he dyed. But yf it
please you Scipion and Lelius See we what be our opinions
in the maner of the inmortalite and vndedlynes of mans soule /
And knowe ye.Scipion that ther is no man that makith me
to consente nor to accorde that thy ffadre Paulus with thy
two Grauntsirs Paulus and Scipion thaffrican / or the ffadre
or the vncle of the seid Affrycan or many othir worthy
and noble men Romaynes, whiche it nedith not to name nor
to telle / wolde haue enforced them / for to doo the grete
dedys of vertues & of worthynesses for to haue of it the mynde
name & fame amongys the men / that aftir them shal come /
But they had auised and knowyn in their courage that tho
that by succession of lygne shull come aftir them shuld haue
in their courage suche vertues and good deedys that aftir
their deth the remembraunce of it shulde endure / Thenkist
thou than Scipion that I had vndirtaken and susteyned so
grete labours both by nyght and by day al the tyme of my
life / aswele as for the gouernement of our cytee of Rome /
as of myne owne propre housholde / and also in actys and
deedys of armys, if I had thought that by like semblable
termes I shulde ende with the life of my body. The glorye,
the lawde and preysing & the name of the renomme & fame
that I may haue deseruid & conquered by my labours afore
said, I speke thus Scipion with the to thentente that I haue
a singuler |r[f.56r] yoye & deserue lawde aftir the maner of olde
men / whiche in tellyng and geuyng enformacion of their
good deedys / gloryfye them and praysen / And by that they
yeuen courage as an euident exsample to yong men for to
doo like semblable good deedys / if I owght thenne oon tyme
ende my life / & the mynde of my worshippfull actes and
dedys of renomme / and if it so were that my soule shuld
dye with my body / it had be bettir to me / that I had lyuyd
ydylly and in reste than to laboure / and withoute bataile
makyng / But that I had seen and thought certaynly in my



|p91


courage that tho whiche by succession of lygne shulde
come aftir me / wolde haue in their courage my labours and
my good deedys putt in remembraunce / And that aftir my
deth / the glorye and renomme of it shulde abide to the men
whiche be for to come and the rewarde to be youen by the
souereyns of dyuyne gouernaunce to the vndedly goddys /
But yit ye Scipion and Lelyus may seye to me, how man_kynde 
rising and liftyng vp to gette glorye euir lokith before
hym for to deserue remembraunce vnto them whiche aftir hym
shal come / Therfor I answere you that it is said to then_tente 
that when the soule shall light & departe from this pre_sent 
life / it may fynally lyue by euirlastyng life in eter_nalle 
Joye & glorye / And but it were so that the soules
shuld lyue by perdurable glorye and ioye euirlastyng aftir
this present life, the courage of euery right good man wolde
not enforce hym so gretly to gete the ioye that shold en_dure 
but for a season / I aske you Scipion and Lelius
what ye thenke of thies two dyuers thynges / That is |r[f.56v]
to witt / euery man like wise and vertuous dieth in right
pacient courage and gladnes and euery man that is of folyssh
and vicious disposicion / dieth in courage right vnpacyent
and dredefull / Thenk ye so, but the courage of the holy man
and good / whiche considerith and perceyueth more and more
ferre / seeth right wele / and knowith that the soule goeth
in to a better place / and where it shal be better than it
was in this present life / and therfor the wise good man dieth
in right good pacient courage / and glad to departe / But the
folisshe & vicious man / whiche for his ignoraunce and by
the weyght of his vicys hath the light and clernesse feble and
inclyned / so that he may not see nor knowe that his soule
goeth in no bettyr place / nor for to be better than it was
in this present life / And forsoth by cause that I am an olde
man and nygh my deth / and also I thenk that my soule is
inmortelle / I am right ioyfulle, for the desire / whiche I
haue for to see youre ffadirs there decessid / with whom I
haue be conuersaunt haunted and also I specially loued them



|p92


for their grete vertues whiles they here in this present worlde
were lyuyng. And I haue not desire to see onely the men
passed oute of this life / whiche I knowe by sight and by
conuersacyon / But namely I haue desire for to see aftir my
deth them / of whom I haue herde speke / & them of whom
I haue redde by histories & them of whom I haue wreten
amongys them whom I vndirstonde that they be made inmor_telle 
by their precedent meritys, fforsoth ther is no man that
lightly shuld holde me to the loue of this worldly life / sith
that I am in the wey for to goo with them |r[f.57r] whiche be
made inmortalle / And also ther is no man that lightly shuld
make me tourne ayen from the weye by the whiche men
passyn oute of this present life / How be it that some fonned
and folisshe olde men desiren it ayen / I wolde that men
wolde dryue them and retourne them ayen in to yong age as
men retournen a balle from oon merk to anothir / And if
some god wolde yeue me puissaunce that I whiche am an olde
man / myght retourne ayen in to childhode / and that I
shulde braye and krye in my swathyng cloth and in my cra_delle 
like a childe / I wolde it not / but I wolde euen refuse
it, Yf ye demaunde me what / and how grete prouffite
and auaile is / to be in this life I answere you that ther is
more laboure than prouffite. But for to saye the trowthe /
this life conteyneth both that one and that othir / That is to
witt / prouffite and laboure / And neuirtheles this presente
life conteyneth anothir fulfillyng or mesure / And olde men
haue their fulle certeynte of this life / ffor the men of the
othir fyue ages / haue terme and mesure of certeyne nombre
of yeeris / ffor childhode conteyneth seuen yeris And so of
the othir four folowyng / fforsoth it liketh me not to wepe
or sorowe in any wyse / by cause that my life is not lenger /
And certeyne it is / that many men as foolys haue wepid and
mourned ffor this same cause / And also I repente me
not of that / that I haue lyued tille the tyme of olde age /
ffor I haue so parfytely lyued / that I trowe not that I haue
be in the worlde for nowght / nor in vayne / I departe me
from |r[f.57v] this presente life, as a walkyng weyfaryng man or



|p93


as a voyagieng pilgryme departith from some lodgyngplace or
an hostellrye for to come to his owne dwellyng house /
But I departe me not from this life as the lorde depar_teth 
from his owne house / ffor this passable life is nowght
ellys but as a lodgyng place or an hostellrye, But the life
to come is the stablement and the propre house of myne vn_dedly 
soule / ffor nature modir of alle thynges hath youen to
vs men lodgyng for to dwelle to gedyr / But she hath not
geuyn to vs no hous euir to inhabite / Thenke ye Scipion
and Lelyus how noble be that dyuyne counceille and that noble
assamble wherin onely shal be the soules of dede men / To
the whiche Counceille I Caton shall goo assone as I shalle
departe from this troublous lyfe and from this filthe / fforsoth
I shall goo to the dyuyne counceille / not onely of the men
of whom I haue before spokyn, but namely at the departyng
from this life / I shall goo with the yong Caton my sone,
whiche was so good a man that his bettir was neuir borne of
modyr / nor more excellent in pytye nor in religion /
I haue brent and beryed the body of my Sone Caton hou
be it that othir wise shulde hadde be aftir cours of nature



|p94


That is to witt / that my body olde & auncyent owght to
haue be brent and beryed by my sone /
The soule of my sone Caton left me not / but his soule
whiche lokyd & beheeld that I shulde come to hym is turned
and withdrawen in certeyne placys of heuyn in the whiche it
is |r[f.58r] auised as I hope that I shulde come to, aftir myne
olde age / And trewe it is Scipion and Lely us that it hath
seemyd you that I did bere and suffre with good and strong
courage the deth of yong Caton my sone / But forsooth I
did not bere it nor suffre it not by so strong / nor by so
pacient a courage / But I had therof sorowe and trowble /
But I conforted me thenkyng in my Courage that betwixt vs
two, shuld not be so long space of places aftir this present
life / Ye Scipion and Lelius saye at the begynnyng of
this boke that ye were woont to wonder and merueile hou
myne olde age myght be to me softe easye and swete in thies
two thynges, whiche seemyn sharp and byttir for to suffre /
That is to witt, myne olde age and the hasty deth of my
good sone Caton, And I haue tolde you that myne olde
age is to me both swete and light / And it is not onely not
muche chargyng / but it is Joyouse and glad to me / by cause
that I thenk and deme for certayne that the soule neuir dieth /
But if I be in erroure and oute of trouthe aftir the
doctryne and scole of Epycurus / by cause that I beleue that
the soules be vndedly and Inmortelle perdurable and euir_lastyng 
/ I answere you that this errour pleasith me / and
I consente me in it right gladly / and as long tyme as I
lyue I wille not that any philosopher / nor ony othir / of
what condicyon that euir he be / take awey fro me this er_roure 
/ wherin I delyte me / ffor if aftir |r[f.58v] this presente
life I be dede / aswele in soule as in body as that some yong
and smale philosophers of whiche men name Epycures
that affermyn / Certayne it is that I shall feele nothyng /
And also I am not afferde that suche philosophers so ded /
mockyn me nor this myne oppinion / Aftir whiche I verily
beleue that the soules be vndedly / But ye may demaunde
me / what we olde men ought to doo, eythir to desyre to
lyue lenger, or to desire the deth / and to be contente to
haue lyued tille olde age / I answere you that though
the soules were not vndedly / yit euery man ought to desire
that he dye in his tyme / That is to witt / in olde age, ffor
the nature of man hath in hit certeyne terme for to lyue / as
haue the othir thynges of the world / whiche alle dyen, or fallyn
or fayllen aftir they haue accomplisshed and fulfylled their cours
of age / Nowe it is trewe that aftir the fyue first ages / olde
age is the accomplisshing and the fullfylyng of the life of men /
We also owght not desire to lyue ouir olde age, as I
shewe it you by this exsample The poete / whiche rehercith
in the Scene some ffable / owght to beware that he make
not werye / and that he noye not his heerers by ouer long
rehercyng the ffable / So that men owght not desire to
lyue ouir olde age / Seeyng pryncypally that in that age or



|p95


neuir, he is fulle weerye for to lyue / I haue had in my thought
for to telle you of olde age, as ye haue herd here / To the
whiche I desire that ye may come / to thentente that by ex_peryence
of deth, ye |r[f.59r] may preue tho thyngys whiche
ye haue herd of me / which be by me wretyn in this my
boke callid olde age.

                       Explicit.
Thus endeth the boke of Tulle of olde age translated out
of latyn in to frenshe by laurence de primo facto at the
comaundement of the noble prynce Lowys Duc of Burbon /
and enprynted by me symple persone William Caxton in to
Englysshe at the playsir solace and reuerence of men growyng
in to olde age the VII day of August the yere of our lord
MCCCCLXXXI.