Headlong into that
bottomless hole; and that with so great vehemencie of mind, that neither by
his fathers request nor by the allurements and teares of his most amiable
wife, he suffered himselfe to be drawne backe from this his enterprise.
[Footnote: It is added that Midas raised an altar to Jupiter on the spot.]
Sperthius also and Bulis, two Lacedemonians, were not much inferiour to the
former, who to turne away the reuenge of Xerxes that most puissant King of
the Persians, entended against the Lacedemonians, for killing the
ambassadors of his father Darius, hyed them vnto the sayd king and that he
might auenge the ambassadours death vpon them, not vpon their countrey,
with hardy, and constant mindes presented themselues before him.
The very same thing (most gracious prince) which moued them and many others
being enflamed with the loue of their countrey, to refuse for the benefite
thereof, no danger, no trouble, no nor death it selfe, the same thing (I
say) hath also enforced me, not indeed to vndergoe voluntarie death, or
freely to offer my selfe vnto the slaughter, but yet to assay that which I
am able for the good of my countrey: namely, that I may gather together and
refute the errors, and vaine reports of writers, concerning the same: and
so take vpon me a thing very dangerous, and perhaps subiect to the sinister
iudgement of many.
In this purpose the example of Cneius Pompeius hath likewise confirmed me:
who being chosen procurator for corne among the Romanes, and in an extreme
scarcetie and dearth of the citie hauing taken vp some store of grains in
Sicilia, Sardinia, and Africa, is reported to haue had greater regard of
his countrey, then of himselfe. For when he made haste towards Rome, and a
mighty and dangerous tempest arising, he perceiued the Pilots to tremble,
and to be vnwilling to commit themselues to the rigor of the stormie sea,
himselfe first going on boord, and commanding the anchors to be weighed,
brake foorth into these words: That we should sayle necessitie vrgeth: but
that we should liue, it vrgeth not. In which words he seemeth wisely to
inferre, that greater care is to be had of our countrey lying in danger,
then of our owne priuate safetie.
This man doe I thus imitate,
If small with great as equals may agree:
And Flie with Elephant compared bee.
Namely that gathering together and laying vp in store those things which
might be applied to succour the fame and credite of our nation, hauing now
this long time bene oppressed with strangers, through the enuie of certeine
malicious persons, I boldly aduenture to present these fewe meditations of
mine vnto the viewe of the world, and so hoysing vp sailes to commit my
selfe vnto a troublesome sea, and to breake foorth into the like speeches
with him:
