nspirator
to frowne at the state and life of Nathan? euen that froward
pestilent passion Enuy, the consumer and deadly monster of all
humanity: who imitatinge the like cost, and port of his deuout
hoast Nathan, and seekinge after equall glory and fame, was
through enuie's force for not attayninge the like, driuen to
imagine how to kill a good and innocent man: for enuy commonly
wayteth vpon the vertuous, euen as the shadow doeth the body.
And as the Cantharides (which similitude Plutarch vseth) delight
in ripe and prosperous wheate, and crawle in spreadinge roses,
so enuy chiefly them which in vertue and richesse do abound: for
had not Nathan bene famous for hys goodnesse, and glorious for
liberality, Mithridanes would neuer haue prosecuted him by enuy,
nor gon about to berieue hys lyfe. He that enuieth the vertuous
and industrious person, may bee compared to Dedalus, whom the
Poets fayne to murder Telon hys Apprentice for deuising of the
Potter's wheele: and Mithridanes disdaynfull of Nathan's
hospitality, would haue slayne him: but how ashamed Mithridanes
was of his practise, this example at large discourseth. Very
true it is (at least wyse if credite may bee gieuen to the words
of certayne Genoua Merchauntes, and of others whych haue
trauayled that countrey) how in Cataya, there was sometimes a
rich Gentleman without comparison, named Nathan, who hauing a
place or Pallace ioyning vpon the high way, by which the
trauaylers to and from the West, and East, were constrayned to
passe, and hauing a noble and liberal heart, desirous by
experience to haue the same to be knowen, and wyth what nature
and quality it was affected, he assembled dyuers maister Masons
and Carpenters, and in short tyme erected there one of the
stateliest Pallaces for greatnesse and costly furniture that
euer was seene in that countrey, which afterwards he caused to
be stored with all things necessary, honourably to entertayne
ech Gentleman that passed that way: and with a great trayne of
seruantes he welcomed and accepted sutch as iourneyed to and
fro. And in this commendable custome he perseuered so longe as
both in the East and West partes, report was bruted of his
renoume and fame: and being come to auncient yeares, not for all
that weary of his liberality, it chaunced that his fame flewe to
the eares of a yong gentleman called Mithridanes, who in a
country not farre of from his, had his abode and resiance.
Mithridanes knowing himselfe to be s