S vertue meriteth commendacion and immor-
tall renoume, for the nobilitée and excellencie
reposed in it: so ougle vices for the deformitée of
them, are in mynd to be abhorred and detested,
and with all diligence, counsaile, and wisedome
Uice. auoided. As pestiferous poison extinguisheth with his cor-
rupcion and nautinesse, the good and absolute nature of all
thinges: so vice for his pestiferous nature putteth out vertue
and rooteth out with his force all singularitée. For, vice and
vertue are so of nature contrary, as fire and water, the vio-
lence of the one expelleth the other: for, in the mansion of ver-
tue, vice at one tyme harboreth not, neither vertue with vice
What is ver-
tue. can be consociate or vnited, for, vertue is a singuler meane,
or Mediocrite in any good enterprise or facte, with order and
reason finished. Whose acte in life, doeth repugne order and
reason, disseuered from all Mediocrite, soche do leaue iustice,
equitée, wisedome, temperaunce, fortitude, magnanimitée,
and al other vertues, bothe of minde and body: onely by ver-
tues life men shewe theim selues, as chief creatures of God,
with reason, as a moste principall gifte, beautified and deco-
rated: In other giftes, man is farre inferiour to beastes, both
in strength of bodie, in celeritée and swiftnesse of foote, in la-
bour, in industrie, in sense, nothyng to bee compared to bea-
stes, with beastes as a peculier and proper thyng, wee haue
our bodie of the yearth: but our minde, whiche for his diuini-
tée, passeth all thynges immortall, maketh vs as gods emōg
other creatures. The bodie therefore, as a aliaunt and forain
enemie, beyng made of a moste base, moste vile and corrup-
tible nature, repugneth the mynde. This is the cause, that
wickednesse taketh soche a hedde, and that the horrible facte
and enterprise of the wicked burste out, in that, reason exiled
and remoued from the minde, the ougle perturbacions of the
minde, haue their regiment, power, and dominiō: and where
soche state of gouernemente is in any one bodie, in priuate
and domesticalle causes, in forraine and publike affaires, in
kyngdome and cōmon wealthe. Uertue fadeth and decaieth,
and vice onely beareth the swaie. Lawe is ordered by luste,
and their order is will, soche was the tyme and gouernment
of this wicked Nero.
¶ Of his countree.
Ero was a Romaine borne, though in gouerne-
ment he was wicked, yet his coūtrée was famous,
and noble: for, the Romaines wer lordes and hed-
des ouer all the worlde. The vttermoste Indians,
the Ethiopes, the Persians, feared the maiestie and auctho-
Rome. ritée of the Romaines. From Romulus, who was the firste
founder, and builder of that Citee: the Romaines bothe had
their name of hym, and grew afterward to marueilous pui-
saunt roialnes. There was no nacion vnder the Sunne, but
it dreaded their Maiestie, or felte their inuincible handes:
there hath been many mightie kyngdomes, on the face of the
yearth, but no kyngdome was able, with like successe and fe-
licitée in their enterprise, or for like famous gouernors, and
continuance of their state, to compare with them. This was,
and is, the laste mightée Monarchie in the worlde. Roome a
olde aunciente citée, inhabited firste of the Aborigines, which
Carthage. came from Troie. The prouidence of God, so disposeth the
tymes and ages of the world, the state of kyngdomes, by the
fall of mightier kyngdomes, meaner grewe to power and
glorie. The Carthagineans, contended by prowes, and ma-
gnanimitee, to be lordes ouer the Romaines. Carthage was
a greate, mightie, olde, auncient & famous citée, in the whiche
valiaunte, wise, and pollitike gouernours, helde therein re-
giment, long warres was susteined betwene the Romaines
and Carthagineans, emong whom infinite people, and ma-
ny noble péeres fell in the duste. Fortune and happie successe
fell to the Romaines: the people of Carthage vāquished, and
prostrate to the grounde. Scipio the noble Consull, beyng at
the destruccion of it, seeyng with his iye, Carthage by fire
brunte to ashes, saied: Talis exitus aliquando erit Rome: euē
Destruction
of Rome to
ashes in time. as of Carthage, like shall the destruccion of Rome bee, as for
continuaunce of the Romaine state, of their glorie, power,
and worthie successe, no nacion vnder the Sunne, can com-
pare with theim: soche was the state of Rome, wherein wic-
ked Nero raigned.
¶ Of his [anncestours].
Omitianus Nero, the sonne of Domitius Enobar-
bus, Agrippina was his mothers name: this Agrip-
pina, was Empresse of Rome, wife to Claudius Ti-
Agrippina. berius, the daughter of his brother Germanicus. This A-
grippina, the Chronicle noteth her, to be indued with al mis-
chief and crueltée: For, Tiberius her housbande, hauyng by
his firste wife children, thei were murthered by her, because
she might, thei beyng murthered, with more facilitée, fur-
ther the Empire, to her soonnes handes, many treasons con-
spired against them oftentimes, Agrippina poisoned her hus-
bande, then Nero succeded.
¶ Of his educacion.
Seneca schol
maister to
Nero.