Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/244

 carelessly said; "You will take pleasure in it when you are out of it."

151. There was a cursed page that his master whipt naked, and when he had been whipt, would not put on his clothes: and when his master bade him, said, "Take them you, for they are the hangman's fees."

152. There was one that died greatly in debt: when it was reported in some company, where divers of his creditors were, that he was dead, one began to say, "In good faith, then, he hath carried five hundred ducats of mine with him into the other world:" and another said, "And two hundred of mine;" and some others spake of several sums of theirs. Whereupon one that was amongst them said, "Well, I perceive now, that though a man cannot carry any of his own with him into the next world, yet he may carry other men's."

153. Francis Carvajall, that was the great captain of the rebels of Peru, had often given the chase to Diego Centeno, a principal commander of the emperor's party: he was afterwards taken by the emperor's lieutenant, Gasca, and committed to the custody of Diego Centeno, who used him with all possible courtesy; inasmuch as Carvajall asked him, "I pray, sir, who are you that use me with this courtesy?" Centeno said, "Do not. you know Diego Centeno?" Carvajall answered, "In good faith, sir, I have been so used to see your back, as I knew not your face."

154. Carvajall, when he was drawn to execution, being fourscore and five years old, and laid upon the hurdle, said, "What! young in cradle, old in cradle!"

155. There is a Spanish adage, "Love without end hath no end:" meaning, that if it were begun not upon particular ends it would last.

156. Cato the elder, being aged, buried his wife, and married a young woman. His son came to him, and said; "Sir, what have I offended, that you have brought a stepmother into your house?" The old man answered, "Nay, quite contrary, son: thou pleasest me so well, as I would be glad to have more such."

157. Crassus the orator had a fish which the Romans called Muræna, that he made very tame and fond of him; the fish died, and Crassus wept for it. One day falling in contention with Domitius in the senate, Domitius said, " Foolish Crassus, you wept for your Muræna." Crassus replied, "That is more than you did for both your wives."

158. Philip, Alexander's father, gave sentence against a prisoner what time he was drowsy, and seemed to give small attention. The prisoner, after sentence was pronounced, said, "I appeal." The king somewhat stirred, said; "To whom do you appeal?" The prisoner answered, "From Philip when he gave no ear, to Philip when he shall give ear."

159. The same Philip maintained arguments with a musician in points of his art, somewhat peremptorily; but the musician said to him, "God forbid, sir, your fortune were so hard that you should know these things better than myself."

160. There was a philosopher that disputed with the Emperor Adrian, and did it but weakly. One of his friends that stood by, afterwards said unto him, "Methinks you were not like yourself last day, in argument with the emperor; I could have answered better myself." "Why," said the philosopher, "would you have me contend with him that commands thirty legions?"

161. Diogenes was asked in a kind of scorn, "What was the matter, that philosophers haunted rich men, and not rich men philosophers?" He answered, "Because the one knew what they wanted, the other did not."

162. Demetrius, King of Macedon, had a petition offered him divers times by an old woman, and still answered, "he had no leisure." Whereupon the woman said aloud, "Why then give over to be king."

163. The same Demetrius would at times retire himself from business, and give himself wholly to pleasures. One day of those his retirings, giving out that he was sick, his father Antigonus came on the sudden to visit him, and met a fair dainty youth coming out of his chamber. When Antigonus came in, Demetrius said, "Sir, the fever left me right now." Antigonus replied, "I think it was he that I met at the door."

164. There was a merchant in debt that died. His goods and household stuff were set forth for sale. A stranger would needs buy a pillow there, saying, "This pillow sure is good to sleep upon, since he could sleep that owed so many debts."

165. A lover met his lady in a close chair, she thinking to have gone unknown, he came and spake to her. She asked him, "How did you know me?" He said, "Because my wounds bleed afresh;" alluding to the common tradition, that the wounds of a body slain will bleed afresh upon the approach of the murderer.

166. A gentleman brought music to his lady's window. She hated him, and had warned him often away; and when he would not desist, she threw stones at him. Whereupon a gentle man said unto him, that was in his company, "What greater honour can you have to your music, than that stones come about you, as they did to Orpheus?"

167. Cato Major would say, "That wise men learned more by fools than fools by wise men."

168. When it was said to Anaxagoras, "The Athenians have condemned you to die:" he said again, "And nature them."

169. Demosthenes when he fled from the battle, and that it was reproached to him, said, "that he that flies might fight again."

170. Antalcidas, when an Athenian said to him,