The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…

It is reported of Nero, who proved the very Monster of men for wickedness, yet in the first five years of his reign, he behaved himself exceeding well, so that it was used as a ⟨p. 342⟩Proverb to express the good beginnings of men, Nero's five first ¹years: So Caligula, who proved afterwards exceedingly wicked, yet Josephus reports of him, that when he ²was young he travelled very diligently in good disciplines, he was of a sweet conversation, and modest, and he governed the Empire the first two years of his reign, with most noble directions, behaving himself graciously towards all men: yea, Julian himself, who proved such a cursed Apostate, yet when he was young, was very forward and hopeful; he was a public Reader of holy Scriptures in the Church; he seemed to glory in nothing more than in Religion; he was of a very temperate dyer, content with mean food, without much preparation; he used ³to lie hard in mean bedding, to watch much a nights, spend his time in study; he was very chaste, clear from the least suspicion of lust; those Officers that were about him, that served for nothing but to maintain ⟨p. 343⟩⁴delicacy and luxury, he banished from him; he took no delight in public shows, when he came to them, he came rather of necessity, than for any pleasure he took in them: he saith of himself, that when he was on the Theatre, he was more like a detester of their Plays, than a spectator of them, and was present at them with trouble and disdain, and was joyful when he went from them: he loved learning exceeding much; hearing of a Philosopher that came to him out of Asia, he leaps out of the door, and goes to meet him, and kisses him, and entertains him with much honour. In an Epist. of his to one Eodicius a Governor of Egypt, he hath this notable expression; Some (saith he) delight in horses, others in birds, others in beasts, ⁵but I from my very childhood, have burnt with desire after books. He had an honourable esteem of mans soul, looking upon the body as vile in comparison of it. There is this notable expression reported of him,