A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Examples of Prodigality, Gluttony, and Excesse.
THey have their souls (saith one) meerly for salt to keep their bodies from putrifying, whose whole life is to eat, and drink, and sport, and sleep, as if they came into the world as Rats, and Mice, onelyonly to devour victuals, and run squeeking up and down; whereas nature in framing of man teacheth him temperance, by giving him a little mouth, with a narrow throat, and a lesser belly then other creatures have; Yet such is the prodigious unnaturalness amongst most, that (as the French Proverb hath it) They digge their Graves with their teeth, whilest their Kitchin is their shrine, their Cook their Priest, their Table their Altar, and their belly their god. Hence also it is said, That Meat kills as many as the Musket. Plures pereunt crapulà quàm capulo; lancibus, quàm lanceis; The board kills more then the sword. And as it's thus noxious to the body, so also to the estate; whilest the spend thrift entombes his Ancestours in his own bowels, turning his Rents into Ruffes, and his Lands into Laces. And lastly, to his soul also; for Gluttony is the gallery of Incontinency: Nutritiva facultas est ossi…ina generativae. The odiousnesse of this sinne will farther appear in these examples following.
M. Livius having prodigally wasted a great estate, jested at his own folly, saying, That he had left nothing for his heire, praeter Coelum, & Caenum, more then aire and mire.
Vitellius the Romane Emperour was addicted to such unmeasurable Gluttony, that the whole employment of his Captaines was to provide him Cates: He had two thousand dishes of Fish, and seven thousand of Fowle at one Supper; and yet commended his own temperance in a set Oration before the Senate, and people of Rome. In a few moneths wherein he reigned, he wasted seven millions, which was thirty one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds sterling in Luxury.
Heliogabulus the Romane Emperour, did so excell in all Luxury, that near the Sea, he would eat no fish; in the Midland, no flesh: whole meals were made of the tongues of singing Birds, and Peacocks, or of the braines of costly Creatures. He used to say, That that meat was not savoury, whose sauce was not costly. He gathered in Rome ten thousand weight of Spiders, that thereby he might glory of the greatnesse of that City. His apparel was most rich, and yet never twice worne; his shoes embellished with Pearls and Diamonds; his seats strewed with Musk and Amber; his bed covered with Gold and Silver, and beset with Pearls, and his way strawed with pouder thereof:
Caius Caligula the Romane Emperour was so prodigal, that he spent an hundred millions within the space of three yeares: and so brutish, that he defloured three of his sisters, and one of their daughters: and so cruel, that he wished all the people of Rome had but one neck, that he might cut it off at one blow. Dio.
Cleopatra Queen of Egypt so excelled in Prodigality, that being at a Banquet with M. Antony, she dissolved a pearl worth fifty thousand pounds, in Vineger, and drank it at a draught; and one dish in the second course was valued at two hundred and fifty pieces of gold. Urs.
Maximinus the Romane Emperour was eight foot high, his body great, and joynts proportionable; and according to his limbs, so was his diet; for he daily devoured fourty pounds of flesh, and drank thereto six gallons of wine. When he besieged Aquileia in Italy, the Citizens wives cut off the hair of their heads, to make bowe-strings for resistance of this Tyrant.
After Alexander M. had overcome Darius, and gotten possession of all his Dominions, and riches, he began to degenerate into the Asian Luxury: His chastity, and moderation were turned into pride and lust. He esteemed his countrey-manners, and the discipline of the former Macedonian Kings, too light and mean for him. He imitated the pride of the Persian Kings: He made him a Crown, and robes like unto Darius: He grew so proud, and insolent that he suffered his Macedonians to fall down and worship him like a god: Yea he commanded his servants, and slaves to do so. He clothed his Captaines and horse-men after the Persian manner, which though they disliked, yet they durst not refuse. He gat him three hundred sixty five concubines, of the beautifullest Virgins that could be found in Asia, after the manner of the Persian Kings: of these he had one that lay with him every night: He had his troop of Eunuchs. He spent dayes, and nights in profuse feasting, and revelling. He gat many Musicians, Jesters, Singing women, &c. All which was very offensive to his old Captains, and Souldiers. Q. Cur.
The Glutton and the Drunkard shall come to poverty: and drowsinesse shall cloath a man with rags,
Prov. 23. 21.
Si quis ad infernos properat descendere manes,
Huc iter accelarant Balnea, vina, Venus.