The dutie of
good gouer-
nors.
Paminundas beyng moste valiaunte and no-
ble, leauing all priuate commoditée, glory, and
riches a side: sought the renoume of his coun-
tree, as all rulers and gouernours ought to do.
Howe a king[-]
dome riseth to
all felicitie. For, a kyngdome or common wealth, can not
rise to any high nobilitée or Roialnesse, where gouernours,
rulers, and magistrates, neclecting the vniuersall, and whole
body of the common wealthe, doe cogitate and vigilantly en-
deuour them selues, to stablish to them and theirs, a priuate,
peculiar, and domesticall profite, glorie, or renoume. Couei-
teousnes, whiche is in all ambicious Magistrates the poison,
plague, destruccion, and ruine of the beste and florishing cō-
mon wealthes, of al wickednes and mischief the roote: a vice,
Couetousnes
a great euill. whereupon all vice is grounded, from whom all mischiefe
floweth, all execrable purposes issueth. That wanted in
Epaminundas, for in the ende of his life, his coffers were so
thin and poore, that euen to his Funerall, money wanted to
solempnise thesame. Priuate glorie nor excesse, was hunted
after of hym, yet his vertues were of soche excellencie, that
honour, dignitée, and preeminent state, was offered and gi-
uen to hym vnwillinglie. This Epaminundas was in go-
uernement so famous, and so vertuouslie and politikelie ru-
led thesame, that he was a glorie, renoume, honour, and fe-
licitée to his kingdome, by his state. Before the time of Epa-
Beotia.
Thebes. minundas, the countree of Beotia was nothyng so famous
in their enterprises: neither the citee of Thebe so roiall, puis-
saunt or noble, the antiquitee of that tyme sheweth, that E-
paminundas wantyng the power of Thebes, their glorie,
strength, and felicitee fell and decaied. The learning of Epa-
minundas and knowlege, was so aboundant and profounde
bothe in Philosophie, and in all other artes and sciences, that
it was wounderfull. In chiualrie and in feates of warre, no
péere was more couragious and bolde, or hardie, neither in
that, whiche he enterprised, any could be of greater counsaile
in hedde more pollitike, of minde more sage and wittie: his
gouernement so good, that beyng so good a Magistrate, it is
doubted, whether he be better man, or better Magistrate, E-
paminundas died in the defence of his countrée. The Athe-
nians were enemies to the Thebanes, and many greate bat-
tailes were assaied of theim and foughten: and often tymes
the Athenians felt many bitter stormes, and fortune loured
of them, he beyng so valiaunt a capitain. Epaminundas be-
yng dedde, the Athenians ceased to practise, any one parte of
chiualrie, their prowesse and dexteritée decaied: thei hauyng
no aliaunte, and forraine enemie to moleste theim, or whom
A valiant ca-
pitain, to his
countrie a pil[-]
lar[,] to his ene[-]
mie, a occasiō
to dexteritie. thei feared. So that a famous, wise, pollitike, and valiaunte
capitaine, is not onely a staie, a pillar and strong bulwarke
to his countrée. But also forraine nacions, hauyng one, whō
for his valiauntnes thei dreade, doe practise and inure them
selues, to all dexteritee, counsaile, wisedome, and pollicie:
soche a one was Epaminundas, to his enemies and coūtrée.
¶ The comparison.
Hector.
Achilles.
Numa Pom[-]
peius.
Adrianus.
Either Hector of Troie, nor Achilles of Grece, might
bee compared with Epaminundas, Numa Pompili-
us was not more godlie, Adriane the Emperour of
Roome, no better learned, nor Galba the Emperour more
valiaunte, Nerua no more temperate, nor Traianus more
noble, neither Cocles nor Decius, Scipio nor Marcus Regu[-]
lus, did more [valianntly] in the defence of their countrie, soche
a one was this Epaminundas.
¶ The conclusion.
F many thynges, these fewe are recited, but if his
whole life and vertues, wer worthely handeled: fewe
would beleue, soche a rare gouernour, so vertuous a
Prince, so hardie and valiaunte a capitaine, to haue remai-
ned in no age.