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IX

Tullius of Olde Age

[1481]

[PROHEMYE]

Ere begynneth the prohemye vpon the reducynge, Sig. 1, 2. recto.' both out of latyn as of frensshe in to our englyssh tongue / of the polytyque book named TULLIUS DE SENECTUTE. whiche that TULLIUS wrote vpon the disputacions ៗ commynycacions made to the puissaunt duc CATO senatour of rome by SCIPION J LELIUS thenne beyng yong noble knyghtes also senatours of the said rome / of the worshippe, recommendacyon J magnyfycence. that shold be gyuen to men of olde age / for theyr desertes y experyence in wysedom of polytyque gouernaunce J blamed them that re prouen or lothen olde age / Jhow CATON exhorteth J counseilleth olde men to be Ioyeful, and bere pacyently olde age whan it cometh to them, And how TULLIUs at reuerence of CATON declareth by waye of example. how ENNEUS thauncyent philosophre purposeth and wryteth in thre verses compendyously unto his frende ATTITUS also a sena tour of Rome, how he toke grete thought and charge for the gouernaunce of the comyn prouffyght, ffor whiche he deserued grete lawde and honoure in preferryng the same named in latyn RES PUBLICA kepyng the Romaynes prosperous / ។ defendyng them fro theyr aduersaryes and rebelles, whiche book was translated and thystoryes openly declared by the ordenaunce J desyre of the noble Auncyent knyght SYR JOHAN FASTOLF of the countee of NORFOLK banerette. lyuyng the age of four score yere. excercisyng the warrys in the Royame of Fraunce and other countrees / ffor the diffence and vnyuersal welfare of bothe royames of englond and ffraunce by fourty yeres enduryng, the fayte of armes || hauntyng. And in admynystryng Iustice and polytique Signature gouernaunce vnder the kynges. that is to wete HENRY the fourth. HENRY the fyfthe. HENRY the syxthe, And was gouernour of the duchye of ANGEOU and the countre of MAYNE. Capytayn of many townys. Castellyş

and fortressys in the said Royame of ffraunce / hauyng the charge and saufgarde of them dyuerse yeres. ocupyeng and rewlynge thre honderd speres and the bowes acustomed thenne / And yeldyng good acompt of the forsaid townes castellys ។ fortresses to the seyd kynges and to theyr lyeutenauntes, Prynces of noble recomendacion, as JOHAN regent of ffraunce Duc of Bedforde THOMAS duc of excestre, THOMAS duc of clarence ។ other lyeutenauntes / prayeng to take this reducyng pacyently / submyttyng me to the amendyng J correction of the reder and vnderstonder/ that is disposed to rede or haue ony contemplacion in thystoryes of this book, whiche were drawen and compyled out of the bookes of thauncyent phylosophers of Grece, As in thorygynal text of TULLIJ DE SENECTUTE in latyn is specyfyced compendyously/ whiche is in maner harde the texte. But this book reduced in Englyssh tongue / is more ample expowned and more swetter to the reder kepyng the Iuste sentence of the latyn /

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Henne for as moche as this book thus reduced in to our englyssh is with grete instaunce labour Jcoste comen in to myn honde which I aduysedly || haue seen, ouer redde / and considered the noble. honeste / and uertuous mater necessarily requysite vnto men stepte in age / and to yong men for to lerne / how they ought to come to the same, to whiche euery man naturelly desyreth to atteyne, And the mater and commynycacion of this said book bytwene that wyse and noble man CATO / on that one parte/ and Scipio and Lelius two yonge knyghtes on that other parte. is moche behoefful to be knowen to euery man. vertuous ។ wel disposed of what some euer eage resonable that he be. Thenne by cause I haue not seen ony of the same here to fore. I have ende[v]oured me to gete it with grete difficulte, and so goten / haue put it in enprynte J dilygently aftir my litil vnderstandyng corrected it / to thentente / that noble / vertuous and wel disposed men myght have it to loke on J to vnderstonde it. And this book is not requysyte ne eke con1 text: ende-noured

uenyent for euery rude and symple man. whiche vnderstandeth not of science ne connyng. and for suche as haue not herde of the noble polycye / and prudence of the Romaynes/ but for noble, wyse / J grete lordes gentilmen J marchauntes that haue seen y dayly ben occupyed in maters towchyng the publyque weal, And in especial vnto them that passed theyr grene yongthe / and eke theyr myddle eage callyd virylyte / and ben approchid vnto senectute callyd olde and auncyent eage. wherin they may see how to suffre J bere the same pacyently. and what surete J vertue ben in the same / And haue also cause to be ioyous J glad, that they haue escaped and passed the manyfolde peryllys ។ doubteuous aduentures that ben in || Iuuente Jyongthe/ as in this said booke here folowyng Signature ye may more playnly see. whiche booke endyted J wrote in latyn, the noble philosopher and prynce of Eloquence TULLIUS Consul Romayn. within the breste of whom / Phylosophye naturel and morall had chosen her domycill Out of whiche it hath ben translated in to frensh and aftir in to our Englyssh tongue. as hier aftir al a longe ye may see/

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Lso whan the said TULLIUS had made his
book de senectute. he aftir made another book
callid de amicicia. that is to saye of frendship
In which he reherceth of two yong knyghtes

of Rome that one named Seuola. and that other Fa-
unyus, bothe sones in lawe vnto Lelius a noble Sena-
tour of Rome. and felawe and alyed in frendship with
Scipio Affrycan, whiche within fewe dayes to fore was
deed. How they desyred to knowe of the frendship that
was bytwene the said Scipio whyles he lyued / J Lelius
theyr said fader in lawe, And of the disputacion in frend
ship, as alle playnly it appiereth in the same, which book
was translated by the vertuous and noble Erle therle
of wurcestre in to our englyssh tongue / And by cause it
is accordyng / and requysyte to haue frendship Ioyned to
olde eage / I haue enprynted the said book of frendship
and annexed it to the book of eage. which book of frend
ship is ful necessary J behoefful vnto euery estate J degree

1, 3. verso. Sig. 1, 4. recto.

Jaftir I haue sette in this said book folowyng them bothe a noble treatys of the declamacion of two noble knyghtes || Romaynes in makyng of two oracions to fore the Senate to knowe wherin noblesse resteth. And thus this volume is dyuyded in to thre particuler werkes. whiche ben of grete wysedom in olde age / very loue in frendship. And the question wherin noblesse resteth, whiche lytil volume I haue emprysed tenprynte vnder the vmbre and shadowe of the noble proteccion of our moost dradde, soueuerayn and naturel lyege lord/ and moost Cristen kyng kyng Edward the fourth, to whom I moste humbly byseche to receyue the said book of me William Caxton his moost humble subget and litil seruant / and not to desdeyne to take it of me so poure ignoraunty symple a persone. And of his moost bountynous grace to pardonne me so presumyng, beschyng Almyghty god to kepe mayntene / and graunte to hym longe lyf and prosperous and thaccomplysshement of his hye and noble desyres. And aftir this short and transitorye lyf euirlastyng lyf and Ioye in heuen. Amen:

Colophon.

Sig. i 3. recto. 1. 4.

Thus endeth the boke of Tulle of olde age translated out of latyn in to frenshe by laurence de primo facto at the comaundement of the noble prynce Lowys Duc of Burbon / and enprynted by me symple persone William Caxton in to Englysshe at the playsir solace and reuerence of men growyng in to olde age the xij day of Angust the yere of our lord. M.CCCC. lxxxj:

Sig. a 1. recto.

X

Tullius of Frendship

[1481]
[PROLOGUE]

Here foloweth the said Tullius de Amicicia translated in to our maternall Englissh tongue by the noble famous Erle, The Erle of wurcestre sone J heyer to the lord typ

oft, which in his tyme flowred in vertue / J cunnyng, to hom I knewe none lyke emonge the lordes of the temoralite in science ។ moral vertue, I beseche almyghty god haue mercy on his sowle / praye al them that shal here rede this lityl treatys moch vertuous of frendship in lie wise of your charyte to remembre his soule emong your rayers, And by cause this werke was made by the prine of Eloquence Tullius intitled de Amycicia aftir that e had acheuid his boke de senectute, as hertofore ye maye more playnly see at large / thenne me semeth it requisite ecessarye that I sette in folowing the said book / this book e Amicicia / whiche by goddes grace shal playnly folowe

[EPILOGUE]

hus endeth this boke named Tullius de Amicicia, Sig. d 4. hiche treateth of frendship vtterid and declared by a Oble senatour of Rome named LELYUS vnto his two ones in lawe also noble men of rome named FAUUYUS SEUOLA. In which they desyred hym to enforme them E the frendship/ that was bytwene the said LELIUS and me noble prynce SCIPIO AFFRICAN. wherin he hath answed tolde to them the noble vertues that ben in frendship nd withoute vertue veray frendship may not be. as he -euyth by many exsamples and notable conclusions as ere to fore is moch playnly expressyd J said all a longe / hiche werke was translated by the vertuous and noe lord and Erle / therle of worcestre. on whoos sowle I chese almyghty god to haue mercy, And Alle ye at shal rede or here this said werke of your charyte I eseche you to praye for hym. And by cause this said ok de Amicicia is ful necessarye and requysyte to be ad and knowen. I haue putt it in emprynte, to entent, that veray Amyte and frendship may be had || it ought to be in euery estate and degree / And vertue Signature thoute whiche frendship may not be had may be encreed. and vices eschewid. Thenne whan I had enprynted e book of olde age, which the said Tullyus made / me med it acordyng that this said booke of frendship old folowe by cause/ ther can not be annexed to olde age