Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/242

 107. Plato entertained some of his friends at a dinner, and had in the chamber a bed, or couch, neatly and costly furnished. Diogenes came in and got upon the bed, and trampled it, saying, "I trample upon the pride of Plato." Plato mildly answered, "But with greater pride." 108. One was examined upon certain scandalous words spoken against the king. He confessed them, and said; "It is true, I spake them, and if the wine had not failed, I had said much more."

109. Pompey, being commissioner for sending grain to Rome in time of dearth, when he came to the sea, found it very tempestuous and dangerous, insomuch as those about him advised him by no means to embark; but Pompey said, "It is of necessity that I go, not that I live." 110. Trajan would say, "That the king's exchequer was like the spleen; for when that did swell, the whole body did pine." 111. Charles the Bald allowed one, whose name was Scottus, to sit at the table with him, for his pleasure: Scottus sat on the other side of the table. One time the king being merry with him, said to him; "What is there between Scott and sot?" Scottus answered; "The table only."

112. Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, in a famine, sold all the rich vessels and ornaments of the church, to relieve the poor with bread; and said, "There was no reason that the dead temples of God should be sumptuously furnished, and the living temples suffer penury." 113. There was a marriage made between a widow of great wealth, and a gentleman of a great house, that had no estate or means. Jack Roberts said, "That marriage was like a black pudding; the one brought blood, and the other brought suet and oatmeal."

114. Demosthenes was upbraided by Æschines, that his speeches did smell of the lamp. But Demosthenes said, "Indeed there is a great deal of difference between that which you and I do by lamp-light."

115. Demades the orator, in his age was talkative, and would eat hard: Antipater would say of him, that he was like a sacrifice, that nothing was left of it but the tongue and the paunch.

116. When King Edward the Second was amongst his torturers, who hurried him to and fro, that no man should know where he was, they set him down upon a bank: and one time, the more to disguise his face, shaved him, and washed him with cold water of a ditch by: the king said "Well, yet I will have warm water for my beard:" and so shed abundance of tears. 117. The Turks made an expedition into Persia and because of the strait jaws of the mountains of Armenia, the bashaws consulted which way they should get in. Says a natural fool that stood by, "Here is much ado how you shall get in; but I hear nobody take care how you should get out." 118. "Sir Thomas More, when the counsel of the party pressed him for a longer day to perform the decree, said; "Take Saint Barnaby's day, which is the longest day in the year." Now Saint Barnaby's day was within few days following.

119. One of the fathers saith, "That there is but this difference between the death of old men and young men; that old men go to death, and death comes to young men."

120. Philo Judæas saith, that the sense is like the sun; for the sun seals up the globe of heaven, and opens the globe of earth: so the sense doth obscure heavenly things, and reveals earthly things.

121. Cassius after the defeat of Crassus by the Parthians, whose weapons were chiofiy arrows, fled to the city of Charras, where he durst not stay any time, doubting to be pursued and besieged; he had with him an astrologer, who said to him, "Sir, I would not have you go hence, while the moon is in the sign of Scorpio." Cassius answered, "I am more afraid of that of Sagittarius."

122. Alexander, after the battle of Granicum, had very great offers made him by Darius; consulting with his captains concerning them, Parmenio said, "Sure I would accept of these offers, if I were as Alexander." Alexander answered, "So would I, if I were as Parmenio." 123. Alexander was wont to say, he knew himself to be mortal, chiefly by two things; sleep and lust.

124. Augustus Cæsar was invited to supper by one of his old friends that had conversed with him in his less fortunes, and had but ordinary entertainment. Whereupon, at his going, he said; "I did not know you and I were so familiar."

125. Augustus Cæsar would say; "That he wondered that Alexander feared he should want work, having no more to conquer; as if it were not as hard a matter to keep as to conquer."

126. Antigonus, when it was told him that the enemy had such volumes of arrows that they did hide the sun, said; "That falls out well, for it is hot weather, and we shall fight in the shade." 127. Augustus Cæsar did write to Livia, who was over-sensible of some ill-words that had been spoken of them both: "Let it not trouble thee, my Livia, if any man speak ill of us: for we have enough that no man can do ill unto us."

128. Chilon said, that kings, friends, and favourites, were like casting counters; that some times stood for one, sometimes for ten, sometimes for an hundred.

129. Theodosius, when he was pressed by a suitor, and denied him; the suitor said, "Why, sir, you promised it." He answered; "I said it, but I did not promise it if it be unjust."

130. Agathocles, after he had taken Syracuse, the men whereof, during the siege, had in a bravery spoken of him all the villany that might be, sold the Syracusans for slaves, and said