howe that it is not lawfull for vs to intrude our selues or enter into vocation vnles we be therevnto duly called But there be some that be so far off from presenting or intruding of themselues that thinking to doe better they contrarily flée and as much as in them lieth take away all occasions which may cause them to be called of the which this is a méet place to speake Vocations exposed to many dangers The state of marriage Menander The politique estate Because there be many whiche séeing vocations to be things of great charge exposed to many perils dangers aduentures be it that we looke on the domestical state of marriage whiche the Poet Menander likeneth vnto a nauigation amiddest waues and tempests or else on the politique estate exposed to so many ingratitudes and slaunders wherewith so many great personages haue béene oppressed Notable examples as among the Graecians Lycurgus Solon Aristides Themistocles among the Romanes Camillus Scipio Lentulus Cicero infinite others Themistocles dissuaded his sonne from medling with gouernment which haue ben constrained to say that honours dignities and publike administrations were no other thing but funerall pompes Wherefore Themistocles father séeking to dissuade his sonne frō intermedling himself with the gouernment of the Cōmon weale The ecclesiasticall estate went along the sea coaste shewing vnto him the bodies or hulles of olde gallies cast here and there without any count made of them telling him that men did the like of gouernours when they were able to serue no longer Or be it also that we consider the Ecclesiasticall estate wherein through al ages there haue béen so many disturbers wicked ministers vessels of wrath sowers of heresies and dissentions Considering then so many inconueniences suche seruitude and subiection in vocations full of sweate trauel The cause why sundry haue forsaken their vocations Thales to Solon some haue kept them selues from marriage as among other Thales who séeing Solon sore troubled with the newes that were brought him of his sonnes death saide thus vnto him Thou must vnderstand Solon that the feare of the selfe fortune that is happened vnto thée disturneth kéepeth me from marriage and desire to haue children Other haue forsaken and giuen ouer all charge and administration of the Weale Publique and other subiection Diocletian Maximian Metellus and Lucullus Crates and Diogenes and in stead thereof haue giuen themselues to the following of their pleasures delightes preferring their particular ease before the publike profite as it is written of Diocletian Maximian Emperours before them of Metellus Lucullus Other as Crates and Diogenes laughed and scorned all worldly thinges yea all order gouernement also as thinges not onely vncerteine subiect to the whéele of Fortune but also accompanied with infinite care and trauell hindering the fruition of the true felicitie Other haue through feare and want of courage fled the medling in affaires Nicias as the Athenian Nicias who did always eschue the honors charges of the Commonweale although he were oftimes chosen therevnto by his Citizens as the honestest and worthiest man of the Towne Other because they be called to meane offices thinking them selues worthie of greater and better or else because they had before had and exercised worthie charges following not therein the example of Quintus Fabius Quintus Fabius who after he had bene Consul and aboue all other disdained not to march in the wars vnder other Consuls The contemplatiue life Other preferring the contemplatiue before the actiue life haue retired themselues out of Common weales and companie of men founding themselues vpon this sentence that there is no better thing for a man then to liue to himselfe and in such sorte as it be not knowen that he hath liued and therefore haue forsaken and refused their vocations they were called vnto as it is written among other Amonius in the Ecclesiasticall historie of a Monke named Amonius who séeing himselfe called to the function and dignitie of a Bishop cut off his owne eares threatening also to cut out his tongue if they pressed him any néerer to accept such a charge And other moued I knowe not with what kinde of contempt hatred and disdaine of the conuersation of men Conon Gabrias Timon Alcibiades haue lefte and abandoned their societie as among other Conon Gabrias and one named Timon who fléeing the frequentation of all men woulde conuerse with no one but with Alcibiades alone and that because said he that he alone should one day be cause of the total ruine and distruction of the Athenian Common weale so much did he abhorre the companie and frequentation of men Of all whiche to aunswer truely They that flee vocatiō shoot at the selfe same marke that kinges doe me thinketh néedelesse to say ought else but that whiche Cicero speaking of this manner saide that it is greatly to be feared least that those kinde of people shoote at the selfe same Butte and ende that Kinges Princes and great Lordes doe that is to say to liue at their pleasure without paine care and trouble out of all subiection and seruitude not béeing able to endure and supporte the molestations necessities iniuries reproches and slaunders ingratitudes and persecutions accustomed and whiche the parties called to vocations and Publique charges receiued ordinarily but béeing ouercome with impatience and indignation to sée before their eyes so many euils confusions disorders and wickednesses in the assemblies of men Contemplation is lame without the action And as for speculations and the contemplatiue life knowledge and contemplation onely as we will shewe hereafter is a lame and vnperfecte thing vnlesse the same be so accompanied with the action vse and handling of affaires to the Common profite and seruice of men And yet will I not denie but that in some vocations and professions Contemplation more necessarie in some professions then in other some contemplation is more néedfull and necessarie then in other some and therewithall the restrainte of the action verie commendable in them which by excellencie of witte and vnderstanding haue wholy giuen themselues to lerning and writing for the instruction and erudition of others or otherwise to doe some thing beneficiall to the societie of men As Plato and his Scholemaister Socrates Plato and Socrates who béeing on a time asked as Xenophon writeth why it was that he hauing trauelled so much to make good gouernours and administratours of Common weales did himselfe notwithstanding so earnestly flée the administration and gouernement of the same without euer hauing vouchsafed to vndertake the rule of any asked for aunswere whether of the two were the better and most beneficiall to a Common weale to gouerne the weale Publique himselfe or to teache and learne to doe the same well And yet was Isocrates in the like case Isocrates greatly commended because he abstained by the space of the foure score and
eightéene yeares of his life from al charge and publique administration It is a robbeie of the common weale to frustrate the same of the seruice due by all men it being for all that most certeine and assured that it is no lesse iniurie to a Common weale to frustrate and disappoint the same of the common seruice due by nature according vnto the gifte grace and abilitie that euerie man hath receiued to be employed to the Publique commoditie and profite of all men then to robbe and spoyle other men of their goods So that we say It is a wicked parte to refuse the gouernement of a common weale that euen as it is not lawfull for a man to intrude himselfe into any vocation before he be therevnto duly called so to refuse the same or else to take away such occasiōs as might cause him to be called therevnto is a wicked cowardlie lewde and peruerse thing The girde Saturninus gaue vnto Marius Wherefore Saturninus spake vnto Marius like a vertuous man calling him Traitor because he refused the Consulshippe in time of trouble and necessitie saying The reproche the Athenians gaue to Aratus that to refuse such a charge in time of perill and néede was nothing else but to betray the Common weale As the Athenians did in likewise reproche Aratus refusing to be their Capteine generall in the most distresse of their troubles that he did as the Mariner who abandoned and forsooke the helme of his shippe euen when the tempest was most vehement and outragious As also may be saide of euery Publique charge vnlesse there be a verie iust cause and consideration which dissuadeth him that he is called For it is not saide that it is alwayes necessarie for a man to accept the vocation he is called vnto because he may sometimes haue iust and reasonable occasion to refuse the same As the secret and assured testimonie Iust causes why to refuse publique charges The time of his owne vnabilitie or infirmitie be it of the bodie witte or age causing insufficiencie or else some other occasion grounded on the time which peraduenture wold not suffer him that should receiue the office to exercise the same with such diligence and libertie as he ought to doe Example of Cato Whiche was the cause why Cato whome we haue so oft remembred béeing carefull of the Cōmon weale dissuaded his son to intermingle or intangle himselfe with the gouernement of the Republique in time of tyrannie Because saide he that to doe as it shoulde behooue the dignite of Cato his sonne the qualitie of the time and affaires would not permitte Pompeius Atticus would neuer sue for any publique charge and the cause why and to doe otherwise was neither decent nor honest As it is likewise written of Pompeius Atticus that he woulde neuer aske or sue for any charge or office because the manners of his time could not permitte him to enter therevnto with the sinceritie required by the lawes An honest man in a corrupt time resembleth vnseasonable fruite And to speake truely an honest and sounde man in a corrupted time is verie like vnto fruites comming out of season For euen as men sée them gladly and praise them with admiration without vsing them So the auncient innocencie béeing once growen out of vre and after long distance of time comming to shew it selfe againe amiddest the corrupte liues and depraued manners of men purchaseth assuredly great glorie renowme But otherwise the same is not founde sortable to be sette aboute any woorke méete to be employed in affaires because that the grauitie and perfection of vertue is disproportioned to the corruption of the time The knoweledge of a more sufficient man is a reasonable cause of refuse Further if he that is called to any vocation known in his conscience any one sufficienter or méeter for the aduauncement of the Common seruice then himselfe he ought to be déemed to haue iust cause of refusalls as it shall more amply be declared hereafter when we shall speake of the constancie that is to be reteined in vocations There be many circumstances to be well considered of by him that is chosen to beare any office before he refuse the same Which for al that come al to one point which is that his refusall ought to be more founded vpon the consideration of the common profite then vpon his owne particular wherein vndoubtedly a man may easily erre And if we wil narrowly examine the foolish and vndiscréete ambitious and extreme auarice of our time we shal finde that the example of late hapned in the person of Mounsier de Moruillier Mounsier de Moruillier bishop of Orleans is both monstruous miraculous and also worthy of memorie Bicause that after that he had bene called to be of the kings priuie counsell as one who had handled the affaires of Fraunce both abroade and at home in great reputation knowne of all men to be of no lesse experience then learning good life and conuersation being chosen to be Chancellour of France which is the souereigne dignitie yea if a man might so cal it the Solstice of the honour of iustice he would not accept the same Wherein truly his great wisedome and integritie may not suffer him to be taxed as hauing more respect to his owne particular then to the publique or else that any one should say that by so doing he loued him selfe better then the publique or yet reproch him of pusillanimitie for he hath giuen sufficient proofs of his magnanimitie always accompanied with zeale and labour employed for the Common weale So that I can not impute the cause of the same his refusal but to one of these two points or else peraduenture to them both at once that is to the time which I dare boldly affirme to be such as the like whereof hath not bene many yeres sithence or else to the charge of his Ecclesiasticall vocation estéeming him selfe vnable to beare two so great burdens at once But such considerations worthie in déede of a most honest man fall not commonly into euery mans braine Neyther do I meane to reproue the modestie and reuerence The humble and modest refusall of publique charges is not to be reprehended Moses Saule Examples Numa Pompilius procéeding of the humble acknowledging of him selfe whereby offices haue oftentimes bene and may with some honest excuse be refused As Moses called of God to retire his people out of Egypt aunswered Lord who am I And Saule séeing him selfe chosen king of Israel moued with a commendable shamefastnesse hid him selfe and retired out of the companie of them that had chosen him And Numa Pompilius king of Rome who beganne his answere with an honest refuse and so in likewise infinite other But for al that without approuing or allowing of their saying Of them that say that we ought to accept any publique charge vncompelled Plato Conclusion vpon thē whiche desire or refuse publique
mortifying at the least wise brideling in good time the parte ambitious and actiue Hauing done his dutie in any charge without preuailing or profiting in the same a man may retire him selfe Example of Solon and Pisistratus We say the like as before if that after a man hath done his full indeuour in any office or charge he sée that he cannot auaile or profite therein As Solon who hauing done his vttermoste to resiste and suppresse Pisistratus tyrannie at Athens and séeing that no man would giue him eare withdrewe himselfe to his house where he tooke and sette his armie in the streate before his doore saying As for me I haue done what I haue béen able to doe to succoure and defend the lawes and libertie of my countrie and thence forth kept himselfe quiet without any more medling with the gouernement of the Publique weale For in the like case I durst boldely say that it should be lawfull for a man to abandon his vocation Example of Cicero As we read likewise of Cicero that during the seditious and ciuil warres and when that the gouernement of the Common weale ceassed forced first by the tyrannie of Marius then of Caesar and other he in the meane while hauing no meane to attend on affairs as he was wonted retired himselfe to the studie of Philosophie séeking to profite the Publique otherways by teaching of young folke or else busying himselfe in compounding of sundrie moste vtile and profitable discourses of Philosophie vntill suche time as the troubles beginning to ceasse A charge may be forsaken when a man man may not exercise the-same with a safe conscience and the Common weale to recouer it selfe he returned againe to the administration of affaires as before Beside the cases before spoken of there is yet an other worthie of noting which is that whensoeuer as often as he that is called to any charge cānot exercise the same as he is bound to do and without offending of his conscience As we will shewe for example Example of Papinian of Papinian a most eloquent renowmed lawyer who being requested by the Emperour Caracalla The Emperour Caracalla to excuse him by his learned eloquence of the murther moste vnnaturally committed on his owne brother Geta Get a brother to Caracalla stoutly aunsweared that he could not doe it and that it was not as easie a matter to defende a murther as it was to committe it Wherevppon he suffered moste cruell death choosing rather to abandon and incurre the daunger of his life then to approue a dishonest facte And therefore if a King Prince or superiour did commaunde any vniust and wicked thing it were better for a man to abandon his office and vocation Wisedome discretion is to be vsed toward a prince commanding a wicked thing then to be in them a minister of iniquitie But for all that I meane after he hath prudently and discréetely behaued himselfe toward his Prince and superiour that is to say after he hath made some honest excuses or else giuen some better aduice according vnto the matter presented by all meane possible to dissuade him or at the least to qualifie his commaundement doing euen as the Sunne which neither followeth the course of the firmament directly ne yet hath his mouing altogether opposite and contrarie but going somewhat byasse and by an oblique way maketh a disturned or crooked line whiche is not too extreamely swifte but goeth turning softly and by his obliquitie or crooked course causeth the conseruation of all thinges mainteining the worlde in good temperature As men affirme it to be the manner of the GOD of nature in the guiding and gouernement of this worlde not to force any thing but mollifying the same by gentle demonstrations A man ought not to be precise and persuasions of reason to constreine it to obey for else a man may not soudenly and rashly forsake or leaue his charge as some which be too precise and scrupulous thinke they may because they cannot abide nor indure diuers faultes and wicked thinges whiche be daily discouered and séene in the maniment of Publique affaires and thereby oftentimes take soudeine occasion to make many alterations and chaunges and in the end to leaue and forsake their vocations which procéedeth no whence else but of lacke of knowledge or rather of want of experience There be also whiche passing further say When a countrie is vtterly depraued a man may leaue his office that if the state and Publique gouernement of a countrie were so depraued and corrupted as that vice were publiquely approued in them for vertue or a lye for trueth iniustice for iustice that then it should be best for a man not onely to abandon his Publike vocation but also to depart altogether out of the countrie it selfe alledging to this purpose an example writen among other Grecian histories of one call Amyris Example of Amytis who because he had séene a maister pursuing his seruaunt bare more reuerence to his fathers tumbe thē to the temple and image of the Goddesse whither he was fledde for refuge and the facte to be approued of all men did abandon the Towne whiche soone after was burnt and vtterly destroyed We wil here for the last adde yet one other cause no lesse vertuous then rare and seldome frequent When a man knoweth any one more sufficient then himselfe he may wel giue him place when it is also lawefull yea necessarie for a man of himselfe and without offence to giue ouer and abandon his vocation It is when that he that is placed in dignitie and Publique charge knoweth that there is an other man that canne better and more to the aduauncement of the Common weale execute the charge laide on him For in this case it is a point worthie of singular prayse and commendation to giue his place to him that shold be found knowen by the opinion of men better to deserue the same preferring the Publique vtilitie and profite Example of Minutius and Fabius Maximus before particular affection As Minutius did moste vertuously behaue himselfe towarde Fabius Maximus when he quited vnto him the Dictatorship as one knowen more worthie to commande alone and willingly submitted himselfe vnder his charge and commaundement The Satrapes successours to Alexander Antigonus Eumenes Example of And lesse did not the greate Satrapes or Princes successours to Alexander hauing warre with kinge Antigonus when they all voluntarily yéelded the authoritie of commaundement vnto Eumenes and submitted themselues vnto him as one knowen to be the most worthie and sufficient to be sole Capteime generall of the armie Pope Coelestine Pope Coelestine did also in this pointe righte well shewe his greate modestie when that being admonished of his insufficiencie to beare charge of so great a Bishoppricke he renounced voluntarily hauing bene but sixe monethes Pope shewing by his so doing more respect to the Publique weale then regard to any
place a King sole Example of the most perfect estate taken vpon the realme of Fraunce Aristocracie and souereigne Lorde aboue all other and in the whiche by reason of the weaknesse of counsell gouernement and wisdome that consisteth in one man alone there is a forme of a Senate instituted that is to say a good and notable companie and assemblie of excellent personages to mainteine the lawe whiche onely ought to commaunde and iustice in their force The whiche doeth ratifie and approue the lawes statutes ordinaunces pardons giftes alienations graunts and other thinges of like importance in the Publique and in the whiche the people is mainteined in moderate libertie to be hearde at the prouision of offices yea and in possibilitie by vertue to be participant of the chéefest and souereigne handling of the Publique and in so doeing to ascende to the greatest honours and dignities The perfect estate is mixed aswell Politique as Ecclesiasticall For in such a Politique estate we finde the thrée Ciuil formes of gouernment to be kept and equally reteined I say equally reteined according to the Geometricall proportion and not the Arithmeticall that is to say according to the dignitie and preeminence of eche Ciuil estate the one aboue the other as it ought and as we sée to be in the composition of mans bodie Because that in the firste place we find a Monarchie Of the Monarchall estate in the institution of a King alone to honour obey and reuerence aboue all other Neither more nor lesse Artabanus Themistoles saide the Persian Artabanus to Themistocles then the image of the liuing GOD ruleth and gouerneth this worlde Aristocracie Then finde we that this Monarchie holdeth of the Aristocracie in that the same is ayded and tempered by the forme of a Senate we haue spoken of the cause of the long continuance of kingdomes Theopompe as Theopompe King of Macedone saide and we haue before declared And the authoritie of the which Senate Plato A conterpeise is called by Plato a counterpeise to the Royall power and authoritie profitable and salutiferous to the vniuersall bodie of the Common weale And beside all this we finde also that this Publique estate doth participate of the Republique in that that moderated libertie is reserued to the people whereof is ingendred an obeisant amitie of men whiche neither be bonde slaues ne yet excluded from honours and dignities no not from those whiche be the greatest Then to come to our pointe we saye that euen as that hath bene esteemed the best manner of gouerning of a Common weale The Realme of Fraunce compounded of three politique estates whiche is made by this Politique estate partely compounded of the thrée as the realme of Fraunce is whiche in déede is better then any other That euen so the best maner and forme to call vnto vocations is the same whiche is participant and composed of the thrée wayes we haue before spoken of howbeit according to the excellencie and prerogatiue of eche estate vnto the whiche we haue accommodated his forme and manner of calling vnto vocations in the same The best way to call to vocations And in so doeing that the best manner of calling vnto vocations shall be the same whiche shall be made firste at the instance and request of the people vnto whome the prerogatiue holding of the right of a Republique shall be reserued to haue power to demaunde and propose some such as they shall thinke to be the honestest men most worthy of Publique Politique or Ecclesiasticall offices and charges ech one in his owne Countrie Citie or Prouince Then shall the right of election be referred to the iudiciall seate Chapter or other Publique order Ecclesiasticall or Politique established aboue the other And to the king the souereigne authoritie to approue and authorize one of them that shall be thus first duly chosen and then presented vnto him And this fashion and maner of calling vnto vocations which be Ecclesiasticall is the moste auncient and expresly spoken of by the ordinances of the Church made in the time of Boniface 3. of that name As also for the Ciuil estate it is written many dayes agoe that the Romane Emperour followed the manner and forme the Christians obserued at the choosing of their Clergie as we will streight declare speaking of their office and dutie whiche haue authoritie to call vnto vocations So that we can giue no better aduise then to reduce thinges to their originall and first beginning And to procéede further we say that not onely in the feate of vocations and the respecte of the manner of calling therevnto that consideration is best whiche hath regarde to the thrée Politique estates intermingled as we haue saide but that also euerie good wise and politique man in euerie acte or counsell whiche toucheth the Common commoditie The ciuil man ought alwayes to haue respect to the three politike estates together ought still to haue this consideration laide before his eyes and doe as the good Physician who to conserue the bodie in health doeth not onely looke vnto certeine members or some one parte of the fame although it be the greater but vniuersally to the whole bodie For so vndoubtedly ought euery good counseller of the Publique to conserue equally the bodie of the Cōmon weale in his perfection A meane power well conserued in euerie estate preserueth the vniuersall bodie of a Realme Because it is a point fully resolued in the Politique gouernment that there is no one thing that so much conserueth and mainteineth the same as the mediecritie of authoritie conserued in his meane by iust counterpeise of ech of the Ciuil estates together As contrarily there is nothing that so soone causeth the ruine thereof as excessiue authoritie enterprised beyonde measure The power of authoritie is not restrained within his limites but by force by one or other of those Politique estates and gouernmentes of the Publique Because that greatnesse and authoritie doe not willingly conteine themselues within their measure or limites vnlesse it be by force and constraint whiche once taken away it cannot otherwise be but all must come to a disorder and abandon For proofe hereof leauing a parte sundrie Realmes Examples of ciuil estates perished by excesse of authoritie as that of Assyria Persia and other and also diuerse Common weales and Gréeke Aristocracies perished by this excesse of authoritie in vnequall gouernement enterprised by one of the Ciuil estates before rehearsed Let vs onely goe goe to the citie of Rome and we shall finde The royaltie of Rome that the royall dignitie tooke end by no other thing then by the arrogant authoritie the Kings vsurped despising the Senate and popular libertie The Romane republike And sithence the people being gouerned by Consuls and a Senate we shall finde also that the whole Ciuil estate was sundrie times in great peril somtimes bycause the Senate tooke too much on them
respect to vertue sufficiencie Nothing being more certeine as the Emperour Iustinian saide then that the beginning of all iniquitie and iniustice Iustinian Emperour procéedeth of the sale of publique charges and offices The spring of al iniustice cōmeth of the sale of offices Alexander Seuerus saith For as the Emperour Alexander of whome we spake right now said it is requisite that he that buyeth sell againe afterward I will neuer suffer saide he that there be merchandize of offices in my Empire for if I permit the same I may not afterward punish A custome obserued at Rome by them that desired to enter into offices nor condemne men for selling hauing before bought of me Therefore the auncient Romanes while their Common weale florished in token and testimonie that no mā ought to present him selfe much lesse be receiued by buying especial suit monie or corruption but by vertue and for deserts sake had a custome when their assemblies were made to procéede to the election of Magistrates and officers to decke and clothe them selues in a white and single loose garment vngirt without iacket and in this apparell to present them selues to the place appointed and simply by them selues and not by other to request the citizens to haue them in recommendation So that there neuer entered into mens heades a greater errour nor fonder opinion It is an absurditie to hope for profite of the sale of offices concerning politique affaires then to haue beléeued that the sale of offices should bring commoditie to a common weale As if the principall force of a kingdome depended on the almes or gathering of monie As in our dayes some which haue bene greatly abused haue thought Not séeing that quite contrarily it is the meane to ouerthrowe and destroy the principall foundation of the same as present experience doth but ouer well teach vs. Aratus Which is the most assured treasure a Prince may haue The same being farre truer that Aratus said to Philip sonne to Antigonus king of Macedon that there was no treasure or profite more assured to a Prince then the gouernment of a Common weale and the conduction of men well ordeined ne yet a stronger and better fenced fortresse then the loue fidelitie and good will of subiectes For as Plato saith Plato it is not the scepter of massiue golde that is to say wealth and riches that maketh Princes to prosper but the obedient amitie of their subiectes Oh I would to God that we had hitherto had the force and vertue of men in more estimation The vertue of men more recommēdable then that of monie then the force and vertue of monie and then had we not séene the trouble and disorder in all estates that we nowe sée the Publique estate and zeale being conuerted into gaine and merchandize not without great shame and dishonour to them chéefly that haue set the shop open to al men making offices no lesse common then a harlot in the stues So that it is a difficult thing in these dayes to find one vnto whome a man may not say Iulius Caesars saying to Silla as Iulius Caesar sayde merrily vnto Sylla vaunting in choler that he would vse against him the authoritie and power that his office gaue him Thou hast reason saide he to call that same thine owne office for it is thine in déede sith that thou hast bought it A detestable thing and by the which the studie of vertue hath bene sore decayed euery man séeing the same auayle so little to the obteining of offices and aduauncing to degrées of honours For euen as saith Marcus Cato Marcus Cato Diers for the most part die the colour which they sée is most sought for Vertue quaileth by selling of offices leaue the same that hath lesse cost So men naturally giue thē selues to that which they sée most estéemed and honoured be it vertue or vice And ye must not thinke that the vtter destruction and ruine of the Romane Republique The ruine of the Romane Republique by sale of offices aboue all other that euer were the most excellent and renowmed hath taken his beginning from elswhere then from this merchandize and traffique of offices and when as the people made account thereof as an ordinarie gaine selling offices openly without shame or feare for readie monie Whereof they fayled not to make their profite which coueted no other but the mutation and chaunge of the state Discommoditie and hurte comming by the sale of offices So that he spake most wisely in my iudgement that sayde that he that first gaue monie to the people of Rome to enter into offices tooke from them their authoritie and was therewithall cause of the vtter ruine of their Common weale Bycause that this corruption being once entered in the prouision of offices is of such nature that soudenly it passeth from hande to hande vnto the Iudges sentences and in the end perceth so déepe that it spotteth and soyleth all cleane thinges after it haue once made the chéefe of the Common weale bondslaues to monie So that for conclusion as Paule Aemile sayde that Paule Aemile for a man to vanquishe or be vanquished in the warres was but an accident of well or euill choosing and raunging of his people in battell All inconueniences happening to common weales come by fault of due vocation vnto offices we may well ynough also say that euen so likewise the prosperitie and decay of a Common weale is no other but an accident of a good or euill election and prouision in offices of persons méete and necessarie for the same Which shall suffice for that which concerneth them that haue authoritie to call vnto vocations Let vs nowe come to them that be desirous and intend to enter into the same CHAPTER XI Of their dueties which seeke to enter into vocations and how that no man ought to intrude him selfe NOwe to come to them which intend and haue desire to enter into publique and Ecclesiasticall vocation we will first say that no man ought to enter or intrude him selfe into any vocation that is to say vnlesse he enter by the wayes and meanes here before declared being therevnto called by him that hath power and authoritie to do the same Example of the Paininies Of Cato and his Sonne A point in déede streightly kept and obserued by the Ethnickes witnes that which is left vs writen of Cato writing for his sonne to Pompilius chéefe of the Romane armie bycause he had cassed certeine ensignes vnder the which his sonne as then vnwilling to retire him selfe was I pray thée wrote he that it may be vpon a newe othe that my sonne may follow thée for being discharged of his former it is not lawfull for him to fight vnlesse he be first duely receiued by thée and by the way he ought to be And he wrote as much to his sonne and commaunded him expresly that he should beware
hauing caused Heraclides his concurrent in the exercise of the gouernemente of Syracuse Of Dion and Heraclides in the end excusing himselfe shewed vnto the people that otherwise it should not haue béene possible to haue giuen order to the seditions troubles whiche incessantly sprang vppe among them as long as they two had béene ioyntly in authoritie Thus farre were they sundred from the loue Pelopidas Epaminondas vertuous companions in gouernement of the publique honour and amitie that Pelopidas and Epaminondas whiche were in déede right brethren in armes and companions in publique charges bare still continually one to another Neither of them séeking either glorie or riches for themselues vnto the gréedinesse whereof quarelling and seditious enuie is alwayes lincked but referring eache other others actes and prosperous exploites vnto the publique honour and seruice Plato his saying being moste true Plato of them that striue for the souereigntie that they that fought and contended to haue souereigntie in the gouernement and the administration of Common weales put the Publique estate in no lesse perill and daunger then Mariners doe their shippe striuing among themselues who shal gouerne and stirre the same Marius and Sylla bothe sore tached with the selfe vices Marius and Sylla hauing taken a light and friuolous foundation of capitall enimitie because of the victorie of Iugurtha the which either of them attributed vnto him selfe by their so doing so intangled the Common weale with ciuil warres parcialities and irremediable dissentions that finally the same ended it selfe in a violent tyrannie and confusion of the whole state and Empire of Rome whiche doeth right well declare The Poet Euripides touching ambition and approue that the Poet Euripides was a wise man and well acquainted with the mischéefes that fall vpon Common weales when he counselleth gouernours to flée ambition as the most intollerable passion wherewith mennes mindes be chiefely vexed and as a moste present and mortall furie to them that acquainte themselues with the same and whereof we may say that whiche is feigned the Foxe saide vnto the sicke Lion mentioned in Horace Epistles The steppes be seene both all and some Many cast themselues into ambition but fewe returne Of them that towardes thee be come But of suche as from thee retire I see n'apparent signe appeare The fable of Ixion against the ambitious The Centaurs And it is not without cause that men take the fable of Ixion to haue ben made against the ambitious For euen as the Poets feigne that he had to doe with a clowde thinking the same to haue ben the Goddesse Iuno and that of this imbracing the Centaures were ingendered so the ambitious imbracing vaine glorie as an image of true vertue neuer doeth acte whiche is iust or worthie of a vertuous man but produceth effectes wherewith some bastardises is alwayes intermingled according to the diuersitie of the windes whiche driue and tosse them now stirred by enuie and gealousie and then I knowe not by what desire to complée hauing no other intent but to accomodate themselues and be agréeable vnto the appetites and affections of them that may aduance their ambitious attempts no other thing resting them by this meane but the onely title and apparance of Magistrates gouernours and administratours of the Common weale committing vnder the cloke and shadowe thereof foule faultes and manifestly furious as if they were folke out of their wittes as if they would haue honour shoulde not procéede of vertue but the same to bee vertue it selfe Example of Tiberius Caius Graccus As thereof among infinite other examples the same of the two Romane brethren Tiberius and Caius Graccus ought to suffice vs bothe the whiche being nobly borne verie well brought vppe and with a good and vertuous intent entered into the maniment of Publique affaires were for all that in the ende loste and spoyled by the gréedie ambition And in like manner Marcus Crassus hauing the second time by practises and slightes Marcus Crassus forceably atteined the Consulshippe with the gouernement of Syria burning with a miserable flame of ambition because that among many millians of men he was not as a man would say estéemed the chéefe or most worthie but rather by common opinion déemed to be inferiour and not comparable with Caesar and Pompeie as if all had failed him committed so many foule incongruities throughout his gouernment and chéefely in the voyage he made against the Parthies that in the ende throughe his greate defaulte his honour and almoste all the huge armie he ledde thither was miserably not without greate damage of the Common weale ouerthrowen and cutte in péeces Wherein a man may clearely sée Of them that allowe of ambition and gealousie among citizens Lycurgus how farre they be from the trueth whiche be of opinion that ambition and gealousie in the gouernement of a Common weale ought to be sowen among Citizens as a sting of vertue As it séemeth to be the opinion of him that established the Lacedaemonian lawes willing that honest men should always haue some thing to cleare and debate one with another Homere Agamemnon Vlysses Achilles And the opinion of Homere also hauing made Agamemnon reioyce to sée Vlysses and Achilles at fowle wordes together whiche he would not haue done vnlesse he had thought that debate enuie amōg principal personages did serue to cause one to haue an eye ouer an other to the aduauncement of the Common weale as there be naturall Philosophers also Discorde causeth the life and harmony of this worlde whiche holde opinion that if a man depriued this worlde of discorde and debate the course of the Celestiall bodies would stay that the generation of the worlde should ceasse for that as they say that is the cause whiche mainteineth all the harmonie of this worlde Vicious dissentions betwene wicked Magistrates But certeinely the same ought not to extend to vicious and excessiue bralles and dissentions betwéene Magistrates passing the bounds of contention of vertue whereof we speake moste daungerous and damageable to Common weals Neither more nor lesse then as we sée in Elementes and contrarie humors of the whiche mans bodie is composed that the distemperature and vnequall power of the one ouer the other is the cause of daungerous sickenesses and accidentes chauncing to mans bodie CHAPTER III. Of ambition and vaine glorie mixed with auarice and of impatience in sundrie manners TO speake of the ambition of glorie honour medled with the ambition of goodes and auarice beside the example of Marcus Crassus we of late alledged Example of our time the excesse of examples of our time ought to be more then sufficient without néeding to haue recourse to other Because that euerie man euidently séeth what varietie and inconstancie the same hath ingendered vnto vs in all estates aswell Ecclesiasticall as Politique whether we list to discourse by it selfe the change that is made in
for the Common weale that this reuerence and obedience which we so diligently recommaund should be kept then to vanquishe their enimies in battell Scipio Nasica and Caius Marius Scipio Nasion and Caius Marius commended for obeying vnto vocations Agesilaus being towarde the Prouinces allotted vnto them and reuoked for like cause were the better estéemed because that they incontinently quited their Prouinces and streight returned to Rome where they voluntarily deposed thēselues of their estates And Agesilaus king of Lacedaemon was neuer so muche honoured for any acte he did as because that he abandoned his great and prosperous conquestes in Asia assoone as he had receiued a little billet sent him out of his owne countrie by the whiche he was aduised to returne home Leauing by that meanes with Asia a faire and worthie example of obedience Haniball disobeyeth his dismission due to them that haue power to reuoke far other then Hanibals was who beginning to haue euill successe in Italie neuer ment for al that vnlesse of mere force to obey his citizens which reuoked him to defend them frō the wars they had on hand in their own countrie Alexander the great And Alexander the great being for the self cause called backe into his own kingdom of Macedon refused not only to return but also scorned when he heard of the great battel his Lieuetenant had had against Agis Agis Darius King of Persia The authoritie of reuocation nothing inferiour to that of vocation A man may lawfully disobey the reuocation made by them that haue no authoritie Henrie the fourth Duke Rodulphe saying that it séemed vnto him hearing those newes while he defeated king Darius in those partes that they tolde him of a battell of Rattes and Mice In doing whereof without al doubt they were bothe worthie of blame For the authoritie of Reuocation made by them as I haue saide that haue lawfull power and commission to doe it is nothing inferiour to the same of vocation I say especially by them that haue lawfull power to doe it for if they were other then should there be iust cause not to obey the same As Henrie the fourth Emperour of Almaine of the name béeing duly chosen by the Electours of the Empire and yet for al that reuoked or dismissed by Pope Hildebrand who sent the Imperiall crowne wherein these verses were ingrauen vnto Rodulphe Christ Iesus whome Scriptures the rocke doe call To Saint Peter the crowne gaue before all And I who in earth his place represent To thee Duke Rodulphe the same now present Meaning to say that the Empire was by our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe conferred vnto the Pope The reuocation made by parte and no sufficient number of them that haue authoritie to doe the same is insufficient Example of Coriolanus and that by Popes it ought to be giuen to Princes of whiche enterprise for all that full euill befell him and Rodulph because hée accepted the same as the historie thereof beareth more at large So should it be also if the reuocation were made by some and no sufficient number or parte of them that had authoritie to call as it happened vnto Coriolanus hauing béene chosen Capiteine generall of the Volsques by consent of all reuoked by Tullius alone hauing as then in déede greater authoritie then any other For I will gladly dismisse my self of my charge said he and remitte the same into the hands of the Lords of the Volsques if they all commaunde me as I haue by commaundement of them all and not otherwise accepted the same If a man were called to some authoritie charge The time of charge being expired the same ought to be giuen vp Of them whiche vsurped their vocations Sylla In Caesar M. Antonie Lepide and August Timolion lefte his charge or Publique dignitie for a certeine time limitted or else by occasion of some souden accident onely the time once expired or the occasion ceassing he should be more then blame worthie who that notwithstanding would continue and perseuere in the same as for example Sylla Iulius Caesar Marke Antonie Lepide and August the whiche contrarie to the institution and Publique ordinaunce of their offices ordeined onely for a time did forceably and by violence vsurpe and deteine the same and so continued in their souereigne authoritie or to say better in their tyrannie Wherefore Timolion among other deserued great prayse because that he of his owne frée will assoone as he had wrecked and defeated them that would haue vsurped the gouernement and made an end of that whiche was committed to his charge quited the state and charge of Capteine generall of Siracuse Pelopidas and Epaminondas kept their offices by force And contrarily Pelopidas and Epimanondas were iustly accused and blamed because they kepte their office and gouernement of Boetia longer then they ought although it was but foure monethes onely If he also that is entered into any vocation Infirmitie of bodie or witte is a sufficient cause for a man to giue ouer his vocation cannot any longer satisfie the Common weale wherein he hath béene receiued by reason of his infirmitie of bodie imbecillitie of witte féeblenesse of age or else through some other impediment what so euer it be happened vnto him it shall be best for him to departe or forbeare and dismisse himselfe because that Publique vocations be ordeined vnto men to be vsed to the publique seruice and not to be inioyed in respect of any interest or particular profite As among other Appius Clodius a notable personage who partely because of his age Example of Appius Clodius partely because he had lost his sight surceassed gaue ouer his charge and neither went any more to the Senate or yet intermedled himselfe with any Publique affaires And we haue in our dayes séene the Emperour Charles The Emperour Charles the fifte 5. vpon the like consideration of age and imbecillitie or vnabilitie longer to susteine accustomed trauels retire himselfe wholy from affaires and Publique administration Honest retraite and consolation for age And in verie déede a man féebled with age and whome crooked yeares compell to withdrawe himselfe from the maniment of affaires aswell of warre as of peace is not onely excusable but muche to be commended when he retireth himself vnto some honest consolation to passe the rest of his dayes quietly and especially when he hath the meane to retire him selfe to the moste happie and moste honest contentation of learning full of rest and tranquillitie of mind in the delectation thereof conioyned with honest contemplation happily to ende his vertuous actions all reported or referred to the onely butte of vertue proposed to euerie good seruitour of the Publique and profitable member of humane societie And verily it is a séemelie and honest thing for age to repose and refreshe him selfe after a number of toyles and troubles in the studie of Philosophie in reuiuing of the parte contemplatiue and