N the time of Darius kyng of the Persians, the
Assyriās who ware subiects to him, sence the time
of Cirus the firste kynge of the Persians, rebel-
led, inuaded and toke the myghtie Citie of Babi-
lon, whiche beyng possessed, with much difficultie, and not
Darius. withoute greate daungers coulde bee attained. Darius the
kynge hearyng of the treason of the Assyrians and that the
Babilon ta-
ken of the As-
syrians. mightie Citie of Babilon was taken, was very wroth wai-
ynge with him selfe, that there by, the ruyne of the Persian
kyngdome mighte happen. Zopyrus one of the .vij. noble
Peres of Persia, seing the daunger of the countrie, the state
of the Prince, and the welfare of the subiectes to decaie, in the
safegarde of his countrie, leuyng all priuate commoditie, for
the behoufe and felicitie of the Persian kyngdome, did ven-
The fact of
Zopyrus. ter his owne life, commaunded his seruauntes at home to
teare and rēte his bodie with whippes, to cut of his nose, his
lippes and his eares, these thinges being vnknowen to Da-
rius the kynge. As sone as Darius sawe Zopyrus so torne
Zopyrus cau[-]
sed the defor-
mitie of his
bodie, for the
good state of
his countrie. and deformed, bewailed his state being astonished, at so hor-
rible a faict: but Zopyrus shewed to the kynge his hole in-
tente and purpose that he mynded to go to Babylon, whiche
the Assyrians dyd traitorouslie possesse, & complained as that
these things had ben don by the tyrannie and crueltie of Da-
rius, he wēt to Babilon, and there complained of the cruel-
tie of his kyng, whereby purchasyng the fauor and loue of
the Assyrians, he shewed them how Darius came to be kyng
not by worthines, not by vertue, not by the common consent
of men, but by the neynge of a horse. Zopyrus therefore ad-
monished them, that they should trust more to their armour,
The pollicie
of Zopyrus. then to their walles, he willed them to proclame opē warre,
forthwith they encountred with the Persians, and for a time
victorie fel on the Babilonians side, suche was the pollice of
Zopyrus. The Assyrians reioised of the successe and felicitie
of their warres, the king of the Babilonians gaue to Zopy-
rus, the chiefe power & office, to leede a mightie armie, of the
whiche beynge Lieutenaunt, he betraied the Babilonians
and their Citie.
¶ Manifeste.
Trogus Pō[-]
peius.
Ot onlie Trogus Pompeius the famous Historio-
grapher, and Iustine which tooke the Story of him,
but also the Greke writers doe sette forthe, as matter
of truthe, the valiaunte enterprises of Zopyrus: so that the
straunge and mightie facte of him can not seme vncredible,
Zopyrus. hauyng testimonie of it in all ages. Zopyrus hauing not re-
spect to his owne life, to his owne priuate wealthe or glorie,
did thereby put of the daunger that insued to the Persiane
kyngdome: It maie seme a greate matter, to a mynde not
well affected towarde his countrie, to destroie or deforme his
The saiyng
of Tullie. owne bodie, for the sauegarde of countrie or common welth.
But if we waie the State of oure bearth, oure countrie cha-
lengeth more at oure handes then frindes or parentes, so
Plato.
Aristotel. muche price Plato the Philosopher, and Aristotle doe attri-
bute vnto our countrie, the volumes of all lawes and bokes
doe prefare oure naturall countrie before the priuate state of
The state of
a publike
wealthe, is to
bee preferred
before a pri-
uate wealth.
Pericles. owne manne, wealthe, glorie, honor, dignitie, and riches of
one or fewe, the Statutes of all Princes, sekyng the glorie
of their countrie, doe prefare a vniuersal welthe, before a pri-
uate and particulare commoditie. Pericles the noble Athe-
nian in his oration made to the Athenians, sheweth that the
glorie and welthe of one man or manie, cannot plante suche
glorie, and renowne to their countrie, as that in all partes
thereby to be beautified and decorated, but whē glorie a hap-
pie and florishyng state redoundeth to the kyngdome, the
subiectes, the nobelles and hye peres, the gouuernour stan-
deth happie and fortunate. Who so hopeth in sparing costes
and charges, monie or ornaments, to the behouf and imploi-
ment of his countrie and not by all meanes to his power and
strength aydeth and defendeth his naturall countrie, from
A good sub-
iecte is redie
to liue and
die for his
countrie. the daunger and inuasion of his enemie, what state inioyeth
he, or what wealth remaineth priuatlie, when the trone and
scepter of his kyng faileth, the enemie wasteth, spoileth and
destroieth all partes of his state, with the reste his life pe-
risheth, so that no daunger, coste, is to bee refused, to serue
the kingdom and prince, by whose scepter, iustice, lawes, and
equitie we are gouuerned, there is no subiect well affected,
but that he onlie liueth to proffite his countrie, to liue & dye
therein.
¶ Probabell.
F only Zopyrus had enterprised this valiaunt act,
and that no memorie were remainyng in anie age
of the noble acts of other men, it may seme not true-
lie chronacled, but from time to time, in all ages &
cōmon wealthes, famous men for their acts & nobilitie haue
ben, whiche with like courrage and magnanimitie haue sa-
Horacius Co[-]
cles. ued their countrie, by the losse of their owne liues. Horatius
Cocles is bothe a witnesse and a light to the same, by whose
aduenture the mightie and stronge Citie Rome was saued:
For at what time as the Hetruscians entred on the citie, and
were on the bridge, Horatius cocles defendid the ende of the
same, baryng of the brunte, and stroke of the enemie, vntill
the Romans, for the sauegarde of the cytie, had broken doun
the bridge, as sone as Horatius Cocles sawe the Cytie thus
deliuered, and the repulse of the enemie, he lepte with his ar-
mours into the flud Tibar, it semed he had not regard to his
life, that beyng burdened with the waighte and grauitie of
his armour, durst venter his life to so main and depe a water.
Marcus
Attilius. Marcus Attilius in the defence of his Prince, his right hand
being cut of, the which he laide on the ship of the Massilians,
forthwith he apprehended with the lefte hand, and ceased not
Cynegerus. vntill he hadde soouncke thesame ship. Cynegerus the Athe-
nian [lineth] by fame and like nobilitie of actes, vēteryng his
life for his countrie. The mightie cytie of Athenes, brought
Hismenias.
Thrasibulus[.] vnder the dominions of the Lacedemonians. Thrasibulus,
Hismenias and Lisias bi their aduenture, and noble atchiue
reduced Athenes to his felicitie so moche loue, soo faithefull
hartes they hadde towardes theire countreie. Leonides the
King of the Lacedemonians, defendyng the narow straights
of the cytie Thermopolie with fower thousand men against
the mightie and huge armie of Xerxes, for Xerxes contemned
Leonides
kyng of the
Lacedemo-
nians. theire smalle number and armie: Leonides the kyng hearde
that the place and hill of the battell was preuētid of .xx. thou-
sande enemies, he exorted his souldiours parte of them to de-
parte vntill a better time might be locked for, and onlie with
the Lacedemonians he proued the conflicte and the combate,
although the campe of Xerxes was mightier & more in num-
ber: yet Leonides the kyng thought it good for the sauegarde
of his contrie, for saieth he, I must rather saue it, then to haue
respecte to my life, although the oracle of Delphos had fore-
shewed, that euen Leonides muste die in the fielde or battell
of the enemie, and therefore Leonides entred battail, & com-
fortid his men for their countrie sake, as to die therein, there-
fore he preuented the narrowe straightes of the countrie, and
the dangerous places, where the force of the enemie mought
bruste in, he lingered not, leste the enemie mighte compasse
him in, but in the quiet season of the nighte, he set vppon his
enemie vnloked for, and they beynge but sixe hundred men
Leonides. with the kyng Leonides, brust into the cāpe of their enemies
beyng sixe hundred thousand menne, their valiauntnes was
suche, and the [ouerthowe] of their enemies so great, and Xer-
xes the kyng hauyng two woundes, retired with shame and
Agesilaus.
Conon. loste the honor. Agesilaus and Conon valiaunte in actes,
and excellynge in all nobilitie, what great and mightie dan-
gers haue thei atchiued and venterid for their countrie sake,
howe moche haue thei neglectid their owne wealth, riches,
life and glorie, for the aduauncement and honor of their coū-
Lisander. trie. Lisander also the Lacedemonian, was indued with like
nobilitie with faithfull and syncéer harte towarde his coun-
Archidamus[.]
Codrus. try. Archidamus also lieth not in obliuiō, whose fame death
buried not the famous aduenture of Codrus kyng of the A-
thenians is maruelous and almoste incredible, but that the
Histores, truelie set forth, and declare a manifest truthe ther-
[Epamniun-
das]. of, who is more famous then Epaminundas, bothe for vir-
tue, nobilitie and marciall feates among the Thebans, the
Grecians. mightie armie of the Grecians, at the longe sege of Troie,
what valiaunte Capitains hadde thei, whiche in the defence
Troians. of their countrie hasarde their life: the Troians also wanted
not for proues valiauntnes and al nobilitie, their péeres and
Romans. nobles: amonge the Romans, what a greate number was
of noble peres, whose studie alwaies was to liue and dye in
the glorie, aide and defence of their countrie, for he liueth not
by whose cowardlines fainted harte and courage, the contrie
Who liueth in
shame. or kyngdome standeth in perrill, he liueth in shame, that re-
fuseth daunger, coste or charge, in the defence or procuryng,
better state to his countrie. The worthie saiyng of Epami-
nundas declareth, who liueth to his countrie, who diyng va-
liauntlie in the felde, beyng thrust thorow with the speare of
his enemie, asked those questions of these that stoede by him
at the poincte of deathe, is my speare manfullie broken, and
my enemies chassed awaie, the whiche things his cōpanions
[Epameunn-
das] a most no[-]
ble and vali-
aunt pere. in warre affirmed, then saide he: nowe your Capitaine Epa-
minundas beginneth to liue in that he dieth valiauntlie for
his countrie, and in the proffite & aduauncement of the same,
a worthie man, noble and valiaunte, his sentence also was
worthie to be knowen, and followed of all suche as bee well
affected and Godlie mynded to their countrie. Marcus Mar-
cellus of like sorte, and Titus Manlius Torquatus, & Sci-
pio Aemilianus, Marcus Attilius shewed in what hye price
our naturall countrée ought to bee had, by their valiaunt at-
chifes, and enterprises: I might passe by in silēce Scipio Ca-
to, and Publius Scipio Nasica, but that thei by like fame,
honour and glorie liue immortall to their countrie, the same
also of Uibeus, Ualerius Flaccus, and Pedanius Centurio
giueth ampell and large matter to all menne, endued with
nobilitie and valiaunt proues, for the defence of their coun-
trie with Quintus Coccius, Marcus Sceua and Sceuola.
¶ Possibilitie.
