Early English Books Online
 All Digital Collections  spacer  Login  
 
Add to bookbag
Author: Mexía, Pedro, 1496?-1552?
Title: The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.
Rights/Permissions: The University of Michigan Library provides access to these keyboarded and encoded editions of the works for educational and research purposes. These transcriptions are believed to be in the public domain in the United States; however, if you decide to use any of these transcriptions, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact eebotcp-info@umich.edu. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact LibraryIT-info@umich.edu. This statement does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Print source: The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.
Mexía, Pedro, 1496?-1552?, Fortescue, Thomas, fl. 1571.
Imprinted at London: By [H. Wykes and] Ihon Kyngston, for Willyam Iones, 1571.
Alternate titles: Silva de varia lección. English
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A07463.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents
View entire text
title page
frontispiece
To the worshipfull Ihon Fortescue Esquire, maister of the Queenes Maiesties greate Garderobe, Thomas Fortescue wissheth continuaunce of health, with increase of worshippe.
TO THE GENTLE READER
¶ An aduertismente, written by the translatour, to his booke.
❧ The First parte of the Col∣lection of Histories.
¶ Why in the firste Age men liued longer, then in this our Age present. Chap. 1.
¶ That the opinion of those, that supposed the yeeres of the for∣mer Ages paste, to haue benne more short then these of our time, is false. As also whiche was the firste Cittie of the worlde, and finally that our Forefathers had more Chil∣dren, then these that are remembered to vs in the Scri∣ptures. Chap. 2.
¶ Of the excellency of Secretes, and in what forte a secrete ought to be couered, with certaine Examples seruinge to that purpose. Chap. 3.
¶ Howe commendable a thinge it is, to talke, or speake fewe. Chap. 4.
¶ Of the straunge opinion of the Aegyptians, touchinge the tearme, or ende of Mannes Life: limitinge the same by the proportion of his harte. Chap. 5.
¶ Of the firste beginninge, and springe of Warre: as who were they, that firste inuaded straunge Countries, with the Inuen∣tours of certaine Weapons, and Armes: who also first founde the vse of Artillerie. Chap. 6.
¶ For what cause Man goeth vpright: as also why fastinge, then when he hath Eaten, he euermore is founde more weighty, and poysant: and why in conclusion he poyseth more dead then liuinge, with others, sutche not impleasant Accidents. Chap. 7.
¶ Of the excellency of the Heade, aboue all other members of the Body, and that it is not good to haue a little Heade, or strayte Breaste, as also whence it is, that wee accompte it courtesie, to take of the Cappe, or Hatte, in salutinge an o∣ther. Chap. 8.
¶ That Mannes deathe is to be accoumpted Fortunate, or lesse Fortunate, according to the estate that him selfe shall die in: with certaine examples seruing to that pourpose. Chap. 9.
¶ What speache was vsed in the beginninge of the Worlde, and how firste began the diuersitie of Languages. Chap. 10.
¶ Of the Diuision of the Ages of the Worlde, with a briefe dis∣course of diuerse Notable matters chaunced also in them, as also in fine, of the beginninge of Realmes and Kingdomes. Chap. 11.
¶ Of the straunge Life of Diogenes, surnamed Cinicus, as al∣so of his Sentences, Propositions, and Answeares. Chap. 12.
¶ Of the Excellencye and commendation of Trauayle, as also of the damages that growe of Idlenes. Chap. 13.
¶ Howe detestable a matter Crueltie is, with somme examples seruinge to that pourpose. Chap. 14.
¶ How for the most parte, cruell Kinges, and Blouddy tyrannes are the Ministers of God: and howe notwithstandinge they continually ende in state moste wretched, and ex∣treame miserie. Chap. 15.
¶ Of a straunge case, whiche at twoo diuerse times chaunced, after one and the same sorte, vnto twoo Romayne Knightes of Honorable Families. Chap. 16.
¶ Of the distinction of the Age of Man, accordinge to the opi∣nion of moste Astrologians. Chap. 17.
¶ Of certaine yeeres in mans life, whiche the Learned in times paste iudged aboue the others to be marueilous daungerous, as also for what cause they esteemed it to be so. Chap. 18.
❧ The Seconde parte of the Col∣lection of Histories.
¶ What daunger it is to murmer againste Princes, as also what commendation they gayne by Clemencie. Chap. 1.
Of what countrie Pilate was, and how he died, as also of a riuer so called, and of the propertie of thesame, and finally, of a certain caue, or denne in Dalmacia. Chap. 2.
In what degrees, and at what age a man and wo∣man should marrie. Chap. 3.
Of the cordiall and hartie loue, that should be in maer∣riage, with diuers examples seruyng to that purpose. Chap. 4.
Of the straunge customes obserued by our elders in mariage. Chap. 5.
¶ Of the excellencie of paintyng. Chapt. 6.
Of that excellent Painter Apelles, as also of Protogenes an other in his tyme. Chap. 7.
Of a straunge maner of exile vsed in Athens, by mea∣nes of which the most honourable and worthiest per∣sonages were oftentymes banished, without any of∣fence, or faulte at all committed. Chap. 8.
Of sundrie excellent personages, whiche by the ingrati∣tude of their Countrie, haue vnkindly been banished. Chap. 9.
Of a straunge aduenture betide a certaine prisoner, and how after his weary imprisonment, he was in the ende made free and deliuered. Chapt. 10.
That the bloodde of a Bulle causeth theim to die that drinke therof at any time, as also, who first brought the Bull to the yoke. Chap. 11.
How necessarie water is in all the vses of mannes life, of the excellencie of this element, and how to finde or trie, the best water from the other. Chap. 12.
By what policie we may drawe freash water out of the Sea: and why colde water in fallyng maketh grea∣tet noyse then it woulde doe, if it were warme: final∣ly why a Shippe on the salte water, beareth greater weight then on the freashe, Chap. 13.
Of the renoumed and greate Tamberlaine, of the king∣domes and countries that he subdued, and finally of his practise, and maner in warre. Chap. 14.
Of many lakes, and fountaines, the waters of whiche haue sundrie, and straunge proprieties. Chapt. 15.
Of diuers straunge thinges, whiche happened at the birth and death of our sauiour Christe, recited by sundrie fa∣mous, and learned historians, besides these that are recor∣ded by the Euangelistes in the scriptures. Chap. 16.
Of many places alleaged by sundrie good authors, ma∣king mention of Christe, and of his life. Chap. 17.
That menne borne of base condition, should not leaue, by al meanes possible, to attempte to reache, and aspire vnto honour, with certaine examples seruyng to that purpose. Chap. 18.
Of the opinion that the olde Romaines, and other aun∣cient countries had of fortune, and how they plast her in the number of their Gods: in what forme or figure they also depainted her: and finally that there is no fortune at all among the Christians, attributyng the cause of all thinges vnto God. Chap. 19.
That sundrie beastes, by some priuie naturall instinct, haue foreknowleage of thynges to come: as also of many countries, by the onely force of little wormes, brought to be desolate, and forsaken. Chap. 20.
¶ The thirde parte of the Forrest, or collection of diuers lessons.
How profitable a thing the inuention of letters was, who firste founde or inuented theim, as also how the Hebrue Characters signifie some thyng of theim selues, that whiche is incident to no other kinde of letters, of what sorte or kinde so euer. Chap. 1.
Where on our elders wrote before the inuention of Pa∣per, and with what kinde of instrument, how Pa∣per, and Parchement were firste founde out. Who first inuented the maner or skille of Printyng, as also what inestimable profite thence riseth, and in fine by what meane a blinde man maie write. Chap. 2.
Of the first Libraries that euer were in the worlde, and how the men, of that tyme vsed, to haue the Ima∣ges, or purtraites of the learned in theim. Chap. 3.
¶ Of the amitie and enmitie of sundrie thinges, issuyng by priuie, hidden, and secrete proprieties. Chap. 4.
By what meanes both amitie and enmitie procede from the heauenly, and celestiall influence: and why a man hateth or loueth another. Chap. 5.
¶ That the memorie maie be hurte, and that it also by arte, and by pollicie maie be fortified. Chapt. 6.
In what honour, and reputation, Philosophers, Poetes, and all others, in what arte, or science, soeuer they were learned, liued with Emperours, Kynges, and Princes, in tymes past. Chap. 7.
That lernyng is necessarie as well vnto Princes as also to all Capitaines, that liue at any tymes in armes. Chap. 8.
¶ Of a straunge medicine, where with Faustine the wife of M. Aurelius was cured, languishing, and consumyng with infinite, and extreame passions, of vnchaste, and disloiall loue, as also of some thyn∣ges remediyng the saied passions. Chapt. 9.
Who first did sette or plante the Vine, who also did first to drike water in wine, to whom also, and how the Romaines firste af all forbadde the vse of wine, with some other thinges concernyng this purpose. Chap. 10.
Of infinite discommodities, whiche take their springe of wine immoderatly vsed, as also what Phisicians they were, that thought it good, and medicinable, some tymes to be dronke. Chap. 11.
¶ Of certaine greate personages, whiche died, called hēce by those, whiche before them selues, vniustly had caused to be executed, euen in the instante, and tyme to them assigned, as also some what of the Archebishoppe of Magonce or Ments. Chap. 12.
¶ Of a pretie guile practised by a vertuous, and good Quene, towardes her housebande, by meanes where of, I ames Kyng of Aragon was begotten, and of his birthe, and death. Chapt. 13.
¶ Of an aunciente and straunge custome, obserued by the inhabitauntes, of the Prouince of Carinthia, at the coronation of their prince: as also how thei sharp∣ly punished thieues. Chapt. 14.
¶ In what parte of the Zodiacke the Sunne, and the Moone, as also the other Planettes, were in the crea∣tion of the worlde, and when the first were made, of the beginnyng also of yeres, and tymes. Chapt. 15.
That men maie take example of Birdes, Wormes, and other creatures, to liue a iust, and a vertuous life. Chap. 16.
Why triumphes were first vsed in Rome, as againe how many they were, that there also triumphed, what a Triumphe is, and that there is twoo sortes of theim. Chap. 17.
¶ What names the Romaine capitaines gained by their victories. Chapt. 18.
¶ The fowerth parte of the Forest or collection of histories.
¶ Of the seuen meruailes, or wonders of the worlde. Chapt. 1.
¶ What maner of women the Sibylles were, how many in number and of their prophecies, but especially of those that concerned Christ, and his commyng. Chapt. 2.
Wherefore sleepe by nature was geuen vnto man, and that to sleape to muche is bothe noisome, and domageable. Chap. 3.
¶ Of three sundrie doubtes, whiche the auncient Philosophers were neuer able to resolue, with the causes why. Chapt. 4.
What ceremonies the Romaines vsed before they de∣nounced warre to any prince or countrie. Chap. 5.
That it profiteth a Prince muche to be faire and well fewtered. Chap. 6.
¶ Of the horrible tyrannie of Aristotimes, a matter or subiecte not lesse fittyng for a tragedie. Chapt. 8.
¶ Why, and for what causes, men rarely aspire, to the assured perfection of thynges in this life. Chapt. 9.
How vnlawfull a thing the cumbate is, and that prin∣ces ought not in any wise to permitte it. Chapt. 10.
Of the greate constancie of the Aritafila, with her honest policie, and deliuerie of her Countrie. Chap. 11.
A TABLE OF AL THE MAT∣TERS CONTAINED IN this booke, and firste of the firste parte.
THE TABLE Othe seconde parte.
THE TABLE OF the thirde parte.
THE TABLE OF THE fowerth and laste parte.
colophon