President was the Earle of Burgundy a Prince of the blood as in the Imperiall Chamber the President is alwaies one of the Princes of the Empire And it was a custome for a certaine time that the chiefe President should be a man of warre as in deede to this day he taketh vpon him the estate of knight Besides there were eight Clearks and twelue Lay men foure Princes of the blood for Requests two Chambers of Inquiries where there were eight Lay men and eight Clearks Iudges and foure and twentie Relators They were called Clearks that wore long gownes whether married or vnmarried and the others Lay men At this day there is the great Chamber which is the first and chiefest and is called the Pleading place where first of all matters belonging to the Peeres and to the King are decided and ordinarily those verball appellations that are made vpon the Pleas of the Aduocats or if they cannot be readily determined they are remitted to the Councell for which there is a Chamber appointed Next there are fiue Chambers of Inquiries wherein processes in writing are examined and determined There also is the Tournel or place where criminall actions are iudged and the Treasure-chamber for causes touching the kings reuenues There is the court of Requests wherin chiefly matters of priuiledges belonging to the kings traine and to others are iudged There is the Auditorie of the maisters of Requests for the houshold who iudge of the titles of offices the Chamber of the Generals of the iustice of the Releefs and the Chancery On the other side is the Chamber of accounts and that of the generall Receiuers Some of the counsellours are married others are Ecclesiasticall persons and are diuided by Chambers according as the Court is furnished In the great Chamber there are for the most part foure Presidents vnto whom the necessitie of times haue added two others who may be suppressed when there is no need of them In the other Chambers there are but two Presidents Moreouer there is one Procurator for the king two Aduocats to looke to the kings prerogatiues and to all such matters two Scribes to collect inroll and to deliuer both ciuill and criminall deedes foure Notaries and Secretaries to ease them besides a great number of other writers Budaeus a very skilfull man and a diligent searcher out of all antiquitie hath obserued in his first annotations vpon the Pandects that there were three sorts of Iudges in the time of Phillip the Long. In the first bench which was properly called the Parliament of Prelats and Barons vnto whome certaine Lawyers were assistants or other learned men called Clearks and Lay men three Prelats and three Barons were Presidents and iudgment was not giuen so much by the pluralitie of voices as by the sufficiencie of those that gaue their verdicts He saith also that the Lay-counsellors were taken from amongst Gentlemen and others of whome it was not required that they should be Graduats in the lawe but it was sufficient if they had indifferent skill in other learning as we see that some short gowned men haue They did not then studie the Romane lawes as they haue done since whereupon they haue erected at this day Vniuersities of the lawe in the best Townes of France from whence many thinke that the multitude of suites haue proceeded bicause they learne by this meanes the occupation or craft of pleading as the Lorde Chancellour de l'Hospital declared in his second Oration which he made to the Estates at Orleans We read that when Ferdinando king of Spaine sent Pedrarias as gouernour into the West Ilands newly discouered he forbad him to take any Lawyer or Aduocate with him that he might not cary the seede of suites thither where there were none at all Cicero complained of his time that many notable decrees of lawes were corrupted and depraued by the curious heads of the Lawyers What would he do if he were now aliue and sawe the great heapes and piles of bookes with our practise in the lawe If he sawe that holie Temple of lawes so vilely polluted miserably prophaned Where a thousand cauils and quiddities are continually coined by such writings according to the saying of that Comicall Poet That through craft and subtiltie one mischiefe is begotten vpon another Moreouer in those happye daies of which we made mention there were few statuts edicts bicause meÌ„ thought that good maners were the best laws that naturall sence holpen with an vpright conscience and ioined with due experience was the â—â—ghtest rule to iudge by But after that men became so skilfull in suites and that offices of iustice from honorable but finally profitable being freely giuen to those that deserued them came to be gainefull free from yeelding any account of their dooings and set foorth to sale as marchandice for them that bad most and offered last after that men began to spice their suits with great summes of monie and to forsake that ancient plainnes which consisted in giuing of a fewe iunckets to the Iudges after that profite began to grow by determining of by-matters and such as happen before the maine cause and by deciding of suites by Commissioners after that Presidents and Counsellors began to take delight in this that they were followed sollicited and sought to by sutors contrary to the custome of the Areopagites who iudged by night and in the darke and contrary to the opinion of Marcus Cato who said that it was not seemely for a man to recommend his right to the Iudges or to pray them to commit no iniustice bicause these two things ought to be deerer to the Iudges than to the parties who can loose but mortall and vading goods whereas the others pawne their soules to hell fire that lasteth for euer after that gifts were receiued of both sides against expresse prohibitions giuen out by publike lawes and statutes wherein the Switzers may serue vnto vs for a notable example amongst whom it is forbidden vnder paine of life to take any thing either directly or indirectly for iudging after that Aduocats began to coÌ„sider sleightly of causes not hauing so much patience to end one matter bicause they would speedily to another whereby they giue occasion many tymes to their Clients to saye as a Peasant saide not long since to three famous Aduocats whose counsell he had vsed Truly quoth he ye haue laboured faire for ye haue left me in greater doubting than I was in before after they began to write in sheetes with seuen or eight lines on a side and to disguise matters with friuolous answers that lay open their griefes with contradictions replications admonitions after that 〈◊〉 who in former times were to be had for nothing and appointed for certaine causes became hirelings and perpetuall yea at this day their offices are set to sale after that Sollicitors were suffered in middest of them all to be as it were the skum-gatherers of
of the Phocians Of the iudgements of the Romanes Who were Iudges amongst them and how they were chosen Three kinds of Pretors in Rome Of the reuerence and honor which was giuen to Magistrates An excellent way to decide all controuersies betweene parties at discord Of the ancient reputation of iudgements in France The iustice of France fallen from the ancient glorie Tokens of a corrupted Estate The proceeding of iustice in France from time to time The officers of the Court of Parliament in Paris The preâ—â—â—te state of the Paeliament Of the ancient estate of the Parliament Ferdinando forbad that any Lawyers should go into the West Indians The springs of all corruptions of iustice The Areopagites iudged by night and in the darke The Switzers forbid their Iudges to take any thing for iudging The saying of a Peasant to three Lawyers Of the miserie which length of suits bring with it The great abuse of iustice in France How a corrupt Common-wealth must be corrected When it is lawfull to seeke after publike offices Iudges ought to be such old men as haue experience ioined with their knowledge Magistrats must not be couetous The chiefest point of Philosophy A corrupt making of Iudges The statute of S. Lewes concerning the election of officers No earthly thing perpetual No Common-wealth perpetuall No iniurie is a sufficient cause for any man to moone sedition The originall of all sedition The cause of vnion and concord in kingdoms The fruits of the contempt of religion Peace and concord effects of the feare of God Isaias 2. 4. Micah 4. 3. What sedition is The fruits of sedition Matth. 12. 25. 2. Sam. 24. 14. What communitie Plato required in his Common-welth Two kinds of warre The fruits of ciuil warre among the Grecians Demades reprocheth the Athenians Agesilaus bewaileth the ciuil dissention of Graecia The prudence of Englishmen Traians letter to the Senate of Rome The Romane Empire decaied through seditions The original of the Romane seditions M. Coriolanus being banished contrary to right tooke armes against his countrey T. Gracchus the first that was slaine in Rome by sedition Sylla made himself perpetuall Dictator The Romane Empire began first to decline vnder Tiberius Diuision ouerthrew Alexanders Empire The cause of the ruine of Constantinople The cause of the subiection of Iudaea to the Romans Onias prayer Ciuil warres in Italy between the Guelphes and the Gybellines The great crueltie of the Guelphes and Gybellines By what tokens they know one another The originall of this contention The diuision of the houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the 6. depriued of his Kingdom by the house of Yorke The vnion of the houses of Lancaster and Yorke Of ciuil warres in Spaine The great iurisdiction of Spain Of ciuil dissention in Italy Germany vexed with ciuil warre Hungaria lost by ciuil dissention Persia was subdued by the dissention of two brethren Dinan and Bouines subdued through dissention France much troubled with ciuil warres Women in Champagnie made their husbands noble Cruel warre between the house of Burgundie of Orleans The cause thereof Henry the 5. proclaimed king of France Ambition and desire of gouernment the chiefe cause of the troubles in France The ancients limites of the French monarchie A comparison Good counsell for all kings and soueraigne princes A disease known is almost cured The causes of diuision between subiects Two causes of the franticke feauer of French diuisions Corruption is naturall in all things A Prince compared to a Physition To know the causes of euils is the readiest way to cure them When Common-wealths begin to alter Foure causes of all things The efficient causes of seditions The materiall cause of seditions The formal cause The difference between a rebellion and a faction Fower final causes of seditions Couetousnes a principall cause of sedition 1. King 12. 14 16. Which are publike goods When couetousnes is committed in publike goods God requireth restitution of oppressors Great seditions began vpon a small occasion Couetousnes cause of the death of the nobilitie in Switzerland 1. Sam. 8. 5. Ambition the second cause of seditions Honor the only reward of vertue Onely vertue ought to open the gates of honour Iniurie the third cause of sedition Why Cvrus reuolted from his grandfather Astyages Coriolanus Childeric slaine by Bodilus Iustine 3. Feare the fourth cause of seditions Catiline What maner of men are afraid of peace Feare was one cause that mooued Caesar to seek the empire Excesse in authoritie power is the fist cause of seditieÌ„s What the Ostracisme among the Athenians was Many kings ouerthrowen by suffring their seruants grow too great Contempt is the sixt cause of seditions Who are most subiect to contempt Contempt brecdeth disobedience Causes that mooue subiects to contemue their Princes A rule of Estate Lewes the 11. fought withall by his Nobles bicause he contemned them Ouer-great inequalitie betweene Estates in a Common-wealth is the sâ—uenth cause of seditions Equalitie the mother of peace Impunitie of offences the eight cause of seditions The meaning of this precept Be not suretie for another 1. King 20. 42. Other causes-of sedition Shame is sometime cause of alteration of Estates Negligence a cause of chang Two sorts of negligence Bishops neglecting their charg to deale in worldly affaires bring themselues into contempt An Estate is not changed all at one time but by little and little Dissimilitude a cause of chang Examples of strangers that haue expelled naturall Citizens out of their townes The Inhabitants of Geneua conspired against strangers in their citie Caluine hazarded his life to appease a tumult in Geneua Exod. 1. 16. Diuers kinds of dissimilitudes in Common-wealths Whether diuersitie of religion be a cause of ciuill warre Diuersitie of opinion among subiects dangerous in an Estate Thomas Emperour of Constantinople slaine for pulling downe of Images The causes that brcede the change of all Common-wealths Why Wisedom is giuen of God Wisd 6. 21. The praise of wisedome Contrary causes bring foorth contrary effects Prou. 27. 20. Choice customs of seuen flourishing Estates Discontentment is the spring of all vices The effects of couetousnes The contented mind of Magistrats is the first meane to preserue an Estate Exod. 18. 21. Why Tiberius would not change his Lieutenants A notable custome vsed by Seuerus in making vnder-gouernors The second meane to preserue an Estate The third meane Of whome a Prince holdeth his soueraigntie Subiects compared to a set of counters The fourth meane Magistrats must be punished aswelt as the Common people Aristotle misliked perpetuall Magistrates Generall Commissioners requisite in a Monarchy The sift meane Delay in punishing the wicked is dangerous The sixt meane Geometricall proportion ought to be obseâ—ued in Common-wealths Vpon what men publike charges are to be bestowed Two sorts of equalitie The seuenâ—h meane The eight The beginning of euils must be staied The â—inth The tenth The eleuenth The twelfth Contentious persons must be remooued from the Court. Princes must
of women when he is inuited to weddings or in their companie to request him to walke that hath alreadie gone a great way when he seeth a thing sold to bring a chapman to the seller who would haue giuen a great deale more for it to repeate one thing oftentimes to shew himselfe readie to do that which a man would not haue him to do and yet dare not well denie it him to woonder at all things and to speake all in a word an vnskilfull man is alwaies in all places and in all affaires vnciuill and impertinent The examples of these foresaid effects are but too familiar amongst vs. And first concerning these of small and meane estate and condition how many millions of men haue there been in the ages past and do liue yet among vs whose life being ignorant of euery good cause and reason is not much vnlike and in many things worse than that of brute beasts The originall of so many errors foolish opinions and impieties hath it not had passage through the midst of their soules bicause they had no true knowledge of the end of their being nor of his will by whom they liue From thence it commeth that the best aduised among them exercise base handicrafts not being desirous to learne further that some lead a seruile and contemptible life bringing their bodies and soules in subiection to the lusts and wicked desires of the greater sort that others remaine idle and vnprofitable seeking to maintaine their liues by vnlawfull meanes that all through a blockish ignorance depriue themselues of all present and eternall felicitie Now albeit these poore men who haue no great meanes to execure their wicked desires may after a sort seeme tollerable and excuseable to mans iudgement bicause their ignorance doth not greatly hurt any but themselues yet it falleth out far worse with those that haue wealth at will and authoritie to command others who not knowing how to vse their goods well by vertuous deeds abuse them to all vice dissolutenes and pleasure whereby for the most part they cast themselues headlong into infidelitie and Atheisme bicause they neuer had true vnderstanding of the perfect diuinitie nor yet considered the perfection of his works both in heauen earth O pitifull calamity abounding in this our age more than euer it did A thousand millions of Pagans and heathens considering that there was nothing to be misliked in the heauens neither any negligence disorder or confusion in the moouing of the stars nor in the seasons of the yeere nor in their reuolutions nor in the course of the sunne about the earth which causeth the day and the night no not in the nourishing and preseruation of all sorts of liuing creatures nor in the generation of yeerly fruits and for a thousand other good considerations beleeued and worshipped one supreme eternall essence which gouerneth all things And shall they that carie the name of Christians to whom the vnspeakable treasures of the heauens haue been opened and offered with innumerable graces shall they I say doubt yea impudently denie that there is a God But let vs returne to our matter It is most certaine that the higher that ignorant men are aduanced so much without question are their faults greater than those of meaner estate bicause they are hurtfull to many Yea oftentimes it hath come to passe that one onely fault of such a man hath been the losse and destruction of an infinite number of men Nicias the general captain of the Athenians through the feare which he had conceiued of the darkness of an Eclipse of the moone and not knowing the cause thereof staied so long vntill his enimies had inclosed him round about whereupon he was taken aliue of them and put to death besides the losse of fortie thousand Athenians that were taken and slaine Who doubteth but that ignorance draue Caligula Domitian into such pride crueltie that whilst they sought to be worshipped in stead of the true God they were the cause of the death destruction of more than a hundred thousand men In the time of Otho the first there fell a stone from heauen which astonished all Germanie and turned them from prosecuting an enterprise of great waight and importance for the benefit of their countrie If they had knowen it to be a naturall thing and such as had come to passe long before as Aristotle affirmeth they had not been so fearfull nor receiued that dammage to the detriment of the Common-wealth which came to them afterward That speech of Anaxagoras a Greeke philosopher agreeable heerunto is worthie to be remembred when he said that a man ought to driue out of himselfe and to tread vnder his feete all superstitious feare of the heauenly signes and impressions of the aire which worke great terror in them that are ignorant of their causes and that feare the gods with a forlorne and amased feare bicause they want that certaine knowledge that philosophie bringeth which in stead of a trembling and alwaies terrifying superstition engendreth true deuotion accompanied with an assured hope of good Let vs looke a little into our Chronicles and consider what profit our kings receiued by their ignorance when they were called Simple when they stood but for images and were seene of their subiects but once a yeere They suffered their wise maisters of the palace to take knowledge of and to order and rule all things who depriuing them as vnworthie of all authoritie tooke possession in the end of their crowne And surely it is no lesse pernitious for the greater sort to aduance ignorant men to charges and places of honor and to vse their counsell than to be ignorant themselues For as we said ignorance causeth him that is aduanced to forget himselfe and lifteth him vp into all pride There are amongst vs too many examples of the ambition and presumption of many ignorant men who contrarie to Torquatus that refused the Consulship bicause of his diseased eies altogither blind as they are deafe dumbe and destitute of all natural light of prudence and experience to guide themselues are not contented to manage the sailes and tacklings but desire to haue the rudder of the Common-welth in their hands And it is greatly to be feared that such vnskilfull and ambitious men will in the end shew themselues both in will and practise to be imitators of one Cleander an outlandish slaue who being preferred by Commodus the emperor to goodlie offices and great places of honor as to be great maister of his men of war and his chiefe chamberlaine conspired notwithstanding against his Lord seeking to attaine to the imperiall dignitie by feditions which he stirred vp in Rome betweene the people and the soldiers But through good order taken his enterprise tooke no effect except the losse of his owne head and destruction of his house Although oftentimes it falleth out cleane contrarie through the iust punishment of God for the ignorance
more they thought to know the greater occasion of doubting they found in them so that for all their labour and vnderstanding they could neuer carrie away any true knowledge or certaine resolution And euen as that man who not contenting himselfe with the abundant light of the sunne beames but seeking with his eies to pearce through the brightnes therof euen vnto the midst of the circle of the body must questionlesse become blind so falleth it out for the most part to those who go about too curiously to inquire after that which is not lawfull to be knowen The ill successe of our age affoordeth vs too manie miserable testimonies wherin at this day we see nothing but contrarieties of opinions and vncertainties through their subtilties bold curiosities who haue sought to plucke as a man would say out of heauen the secrets hid from the angels yea which is worse haue boasted that they haue attained vnto the knowledge of them filling our times with trouble and confusion vnder that false pretence There are others also no lesse hurtful who haue binne such curious Inquisitours of the causes of all naturall things that through friuolous and vnprofitable questions they haue fallen into that impietie as to seeke for another beginning of all things than God Whereupon this prouerbe which is too true arose Of three Physitions one Atheist This kinde of curiositie is of all others most pernitious But forasmuch as it is without the compasse of our Academie we let it passe with this short mention thereof and with this onely addition that God commonly punisheth the pride of such men by those fruits which we see them bring foorth and by taking from them their vnderstanding in principall and most necessarie matters wherein notwithstanding they thinke themselues to be woonderfull and iolly fellowes aboue all others As touching this point the example of Socrates is very memorable and to be imitated who being demanded what the world was answered that since he had any iudgement he gaue himselfe to seeke out the true knowledge of himselfe which yet he could neuer find But so soone as he had attained thereunto then he would seeke for other things that would do him no seruice or pleasure Aristotle as Iustin Martyr writeth who for the excellencie of his skill in naturall philosophie was called the god of the earth burned with such a desire of curiositie in vnderstanding the causes of naturall things that bicause he could not know and conceiue the cause and nature of Euripus which is in Chalcis a citie of Eubaea I meane of the flowing ebbing of the sea which turneth compasseth about that place nor giue a sufficient reason thereof he died for very shame and greefe which he conceiued thereupon Plinie also who wrote the historie of naturall philosophie was choked with the flames and vapors of the mountaine Mongibel in Sicilia whilest he sought to find out the cause of them and from whence that great fire came which spoiled the countrie round about in the time of Titus the emperor insomuch that seuen or eight townes were burned and many persons trauelling by land and sailing on the sea were stifled with the ashes therof caried about by the vehemency of the winds But let vs leaue these curious spirits and speake of two other generall kinds of curiositie which respect chiefly our morall philosophie and from whence all corruption of good maners proceeded The first kind concerneth our selues onely and the other our brethren and countrimen To speake therefore of the first it bringeth foorth pernitious effects after diuers sorts and maners but amongst vs Frenchmen they appeere principally in that burning desire which inflameth vs to trauell into strange nations and in our carking and caring for the nourishment clothing and decking of our bodies and for the setting foorth and trimming vp of our houses with curious and vnprofitable moueables wherein we exceede all the superfluitie of other countries When the ancients speake of the felicitie that accompanied the golden age amongst the good conditions and commendable maners which they noted in that holie and first simplicitie they neuer forgat this that the men of that good time tilled and manured their grounds and cared not what strangers did in farre countries Moreouer since the time that men made light account of their owne climate through a curious and vnsatiable desire of appropriating vnto themselues the inheritance and labour of others besides the crueltie violence and murders which prepared a way to their miserable platformes all corruption of good maners at home and all bastardlike attire haue followed thereupon We might heere note infinite testimonies of antiquitie and especially of our ancient progenitors the Gaules who were verie warlike and liued within their bounds in al simplicitie of maners and frugalitie of life But our owne example to our vnspeakeable shame and miserie is so euident before our eyes that I neede no better proofe of my saying than that experience which we feele by our owne perill For the ruine and destruction of this french monarchy proceedeth of no other second cause our iniquitie being the first than of the mixture which we haue made of strangers with our selues Wherein we are not contented to seeke them out vnder their roofes vnlesse we also draw them vnto vs and lodge them vnder our roofes yea preferre them before our owne countrimen and citizens in the offices and honorable places of this kingdome against the law and right of euerie good and well established policie Besides we adore and reuerence all their nouelties and subtill inuentions and that so ignorantly or rather blockishly that suffring them to sucke vs euen to the verie bowels in steade of all our riches and spoiles which they for their part haue drawne from vs they haue left vs nothing but new maners and fashions of liuing in all dissolutenes and pleasure except this one thing also that we haue learned of them to dissemble and withall to frame and build a treason verie subtillie Such is the prouision wherewith our french youth is commonly furnished by their Italian voyages To this purpose Gueuara Chronicler to the emperor Charles the first writeth that from forraine countries men commonly bring newes to prattle of and strange customes to practise and that few come out of Italie that are not absolute and dissolute Lycurgus by his lawes commanded the Lacedemonians not to go out of their kingdome nor to conuerse with strangers saying that although by their trafficke with them they might be inriched yet on the other side they would grow poore in regard of their owne vertues Titus Liuius Macrobius Salustius and Tully cursed and bewailed the conquests and victories which Rome had in Asia saying that if the Romanes brought the Persians Medes vnder subiection by force yet the selfe same Asians ouercame the Romans with their vices and delights This doth Cicero testifie writing to Atticus where he saith
was withall but yong in yeeres the victorious Monarke being but yong also and hauing no superior aboue him to whom he was bound to giue an account of himselfe had notwithstanding such great knowledge how to command himselfe that albeit by his acquaintance and friends he was sufficiently certified of the excellent beautie of this Ladie yet hee bare no ill thought towards hir but sent to comfort hir and caused hir to be intertained and attended on with no lesse honor and reuerence than if she had been his owne sister And to auoid all suspicion and occasion of euill he would not see hir nor suffer hir to be brought before him The temperance of Cyrus king of Persia is also very famous amongst the historiographers For when one of his minions stirred him vp to go and see faire Panthaea saying that hir rare beautie was well woorthie to be seene that is the cause answered this yong prince vnto him why I will altogither abstaine at this present from beholding hir at thy persuasion least she hir selfe heerafter should induce me through the remembrance of hir perfection to go to hir and so cause me in the meane time to let slip many affaires of great importance Architas was so temperate that he would not so much as vtter one filthie word and if he were driuen to declare it vpon some iust occasion then he wrote it shewing by this silence how dishonest a thing it was to commit that which being onely vttered ought to cause a man to blush Xenocrates was indued with such a great gift of continencie that Phryna a very faire and notable courtisan laid a wager with certaine yoong men that if she lay with him she would cause him to breake his temperance But Xenocrates hauing granted hir the halfe of his bed for example sake to those youths was nothing more mooued for any thing she could do Whereupon Phryna being verie angrie made answere in the morning to those that demanded the wager of hir that she laie not with a man but with a blocke Isaeus the philosopher being asked of one that looked vpon a verie faire woman whether she seemed not vnto him to be faire made this answer My friend I am not diseased any more in my eies and so would not behold hir at all Caius Gracchus the Romaine as long as he gouerned Sardinia would neuer suffer a woman to set foote in his house except it were to demand iustice Antigonus king of Macedonia hearing that his sonne was lodged in a house where there were three verie faire daughters made an edict that no courtier should lodge in any matrons house that had daughters if she were vnder fiftie yeeres of age Pompeius would neuer speak to the wife of Demetrius his freeman bicause she was so faire that he feared least he should be in loue with hir In the number of these ancient famous and vertuous men that great captaine Francis Sforce duke of Millan deserueth to be placed whose continencie was woonderfull euen when he was yet yoong and generall of the Florentine armie at the taking of Casanoua For as certaine souldiers had taken a maide of an exccellent beautie and at hir intreatie and earnest request had brought hir before him Sforce asked the maide why she desired so earnestly to come before him To this ende quoth she that thou mightest deliuer me from the souldiers that I might please thee Sforce seeing hir to be verie faire accepted of hir and at night caused hir to lie with him But as he would haue drawne neer vnto hir the maide cast hir selfe on both hir knees before him without the bed and besought him to saue hir virginitie and to restore hir to him vnto whome she was made sure Whereupon Sforce willingly agreed beholding the abundance of hir teares which were testimonies of the chastitie of hir hart Will we haue examples of this vertue of temperance in other circumstances of hir effects Ambition truly is the most vehement and strongest passion of all those wherewith mens minds are troubled and yet many notable and vertuous men haue so mastred it by the force of their temperance that oftentimes they accepted of offices and estats of supreame authoritie as it were by compulsion with greefe yea some altogither contemned and willingly forsooke them Pompey receiuing letters of absolute authoritie from the senate to conduct the warre against the two kings Tygranes and Mithridates cried out O God shall I neuer come to the ende of so many trauels Shall enuie alwaies hold me in such sort as hir slaue that newe and great charges daily laying hold vpon me I cannot rid my selfe of these snares to the end I may liue sweetly with my wife and children at my house in the countrey Pittacus one of the Sages of Graecia being constrained to take vpon him the charge of an armie accepted it with great greefe saying before them all O how hard a matter it is to be a good man Pedaretus the Lacedemonian hauing escaped to be elected one of those three hundred senators which gouerned the estate of Sparta returned from the assembly verie ioifull saying that it was an easie matter to finde in that citie three hundred better and more honest men than himselfe What did Scipio of whom we haue already spoken after he had performed a thousand glorious facts for the greatnes of the Romaine empire He forced the nature of ambition which is alwaies caried with a desire of new glorie and changed the rest of his life into quietnes and abandoning the affaires of estate he went and dwelt in the countrey Torquatus and Fabritius absented thēselues from Rome the one bicause he would not haue the dictatorship and the other the consulship It is not long since Aimaeus duke of Sauoy willingly gaue ouer his duchy into his sons hands became an hermit and after that being chosen pope he gaue vp the seat willingly to another Amurathes the second of that name emperor of the Turks after he had obtained infinite victories and vanquished the king of Hungarie became a monke of the straightest sect amongst them That great emperor Charles the fift did he not resigne his empire into the hands of the princes electors and withdrewe himselfe into a monasterie But what need we maruell at the knowledge of these examples which shewe the effects of this vertue of temperance against strange passions arising in vs proceeding of our nature corrupted with sinne and ruling in vs through the ignorance of that which is good when we may see that temperance doth not onely serue for a good guide and schoolmaster to our passions and to our naturall and necessarie desires and pleasures that are borne with man from the beginning to rule them with mediocritie and reason but also compelleth them oftentimes to submit themselues thereby triumphing ouer their necessitie although as Thales said it be inuincible
and much more doth wine vexe a man For it discloseth the secrets of the soule troubleth the whole mind A drunken gouernor and ruler of any thing whatsoeuer bringeth all to ruine ouerthrow whether it be a ship or a wagon or an armie or any other thing committed to his keping We see by the goodly sentences of these Authors how many discommodities mischiefs come as wel to the body as to the soule by this excessiue superfluitie and curiositie of nourishment whether it be in drinking or eating We see also that from this self same spring-head proceed those vnmeasurable and loose behauiours in all kind of delights in carding and dicing in dauncing masking and mumming in loue of maidens and adultery with wiues the filthines whereof is so shameful and discouereth it self so much that I shall not greatly need to loose time in reproouing thereof For it is most certaine that all such inuentions are meerely heathenish or rather diuelish when men commit such reprobate actions with publike libertie and licence Especially we haue to note this well that concerneth masks and mummeries so common amongst vs and the cause of infinite offences that forasmuch as the face was appointed and ordeined of God to be seen openly and the mouth to speake we destroy the ordinance of God as much as lieth in vs and become contrary vnto him when we take vnto vs a false face and depriue our selues of speech It may be sayd that manie thinke no harme when they doe these things But that which of it self is euil cannot be excused and no fashion of liuing taken vp and practised through the onely motion of our sensualitie such are these delights pleasures can be maintained neither hath it any good and lawfull defence Now let vs consider some examples of those pernitious effects which proceed from this Epicurian vice of intemperance Esau fold his birth right through a gluttonous desire The self same cause mooued the Israelites to murmure many times against God The drunkennesse of Lot caused him to commit incestwith his daughters Alexander the great darkned the glory of his valiant acts with this vice For being ouertaken with wine he slew Clitus one of the valiantest captains he had to whom he was beholding for his own life Afterward when he was come to himself he would oftentimes haue murdered himself and wept three days togither without meat and drink Dionysius the yonger was somtime more than nine dayes togither drunken and in the ende he lost his estate Cyrillus sonne in his drunkennes wickedly slew that holy man his father and his mother also great with child He hurt his two sisters and defloured one of them Ought not this to cause the haire of our head to stand vpright as often as any occasion is offred vnto vs whereby we might fall into such inconueniences Amongst the Romanes Lucullus a man of great dignitie and commended of Historiographers for many braue exploits of warre which he did in Armenia and for his bountie iustice and clemencie is yet greatly blamed because towards the end of his dais omitting all intermedling with the gouernment of publike affaires he gaue himself to all kind of excessiue sumptuousnes superfluous wasting of that great substance which he had Whereof this only testimonie recited by Plutarke shall serue for sufficient proofe Cicero and Pompey meeting him one day in the citie told him that they would sup with him on this conditiō that he should prepare nothing for them but his owne ordinarie diet At the least wise quoth he vnto them giue me leaue to bid my Steward make ready supper in my hall of Apollo and by that he beguiled them For his seruants vnderstood therby what cost he would haue bestowed thereupon in so much that a supper of fiftie thousand drachmes of siluer which amount to fiue thousand crownes was prepared for them This was so much the more wonderfull bicause so great and sumptuous a feast was made ready in so short a time But this was his ordinarie diet which he caused manie times to be prepared for himselfe alone And as his men asked him on a day who should dine with him seeing he commanded them to make readie such a great feast Lucullus quoth he shall dine with Lucullus This superfluous pompe magnificence wil not be thought verie strange if we compare it with that which not long since a simple Franciscan frier called Peter de Ruere made after he had attained to the dignitie of a Cardinal through fauour of the Pope his kinsman For within the space of two yeeres which he liued in Rome he consumed in feasts and banquets the summe of two hundred thousand crownes besides his debts which came to no lesse summe Philoxenus the Poet wished that he had a necke like a Crane to the end he might enioy greater pleasure in swalowing downe wine and meat saying that then he should longer feele the tast thereof We read of the emperor Vitellius Spinter that he was so much giuen to superfluitie and excesse that at one supper he was serued with two thousand seuerall kinds of fishes and with seuen thousand flying foules But within a very litle while after he changed his estate being executed publikely at Rome at the pursuite of Vespasianus who was chosen emperor in his place In our time Muleasses king of Thunes was so drowned in pleasure and delight that after he was banished from his kingdom bicause of his whoredom in his returne out of Almaign being without hope that the emperor Charles the fift would helpe him at all he spent one hundred crownes vpon a pecock dressed for him as Paulus Iouius rehearseth and that he might take the greater delight in musike he couered his eyes But the iudgement of God was such vpon him that his owne children made him blind with a bar of hote iron Concerning exāples of the miserie that followeth accompanieth riot delight in playing dancing mumming we see daily that a thousand quarrels blasphemies losse of goods whoredoms proceed frō thence And oftentimes God suffreth the punishment therof to be notorious euen by vnlooked for strange means as not long since it hapned to Lewes Archb. of Magdeburg who dancing with gentlewomē vntil midnight fell down so fiercely vpon the ground that he brake his neck with one of the women which he led Charles the 6. being clothed like a wild mā with certain of his familiar friends dancing by torchlight was also in great peril of burning if a gētlewoman had not cast her cloke vpō his shoulders And I think it wil not be from the matter if we say that it is a shameful thing to suffer amongst vs or to loose time that ought to be so precious vnto vs in beholding in hearing plaiers actors of Interludes and Comedies who are as pernitious a plague in a common wealth as can be
condition of his life whether it be poore or rich prosperous or aduerse honourable or contemptible happinesse ioy pleasure and contentation which flowe in his soule aboundantly from that fountaine and liuelie spring which Philosophie hath discouered vnto him in the fertile field of Graces and Sciences whereby he enioyeth true tranquillitie and rest of spirit as much as a man may haue in this mortall life moderating the perturbations of his soule and commaunding ouer the vnpure affections of the flesh And than as the shoe turneth with the fashion of the foote and not contrarywise so the inward disposition of a wise and moderate man causeth him to lead a life like vnto the same that is mild peaceable and quiet being neuer caried away with vnreasonable passions bicause she neuer enioyeth or reioyceth immoderately in that which she hath but vseth well that which is put into her hand without feare or repining if it be taken away following therein the saying of Democritus that whosoeuer mindeth to liue alwayes happilie must propound to himselfe and desire things possible and be content with things present Therefore seeing the fountaine of all felicitie and contentation in this life is within vs let vs cure and cleanse diligently all perturbations which seeke to hinder the tranquillitie of our spirites to the ende that externall things which come from without vs agaynst our will and expectation may seeme vnto vs friendly and familiar after we know how to vse them wel Plato compared our life to table-play wherein both the dice must chance wel the plaier must vse that wel which the dice shal cast Now of these two points the euent lot of the Dice is not in our power but to receiue mildly and moderatly that which falleth vnto vs to dispose euerie thing in that place where it may either profite most if it be good or do least hurt if it be bad that is in our power belongeth to our dutie if we be wise men Fortune saith Plutarke may well cast me into sickenesse take away my goods bring me in disgrace with the people but she can not make him wicked a coward slouthfull base-minded or enuious that is honest â—aliaunt and noble-minded nor take from him his setled and temperate disposition of Prudence which maketh him to iudge that no tedious grieuous or troublesome thing can befall him For being grounded not vpon vanishing goods but vpon Philosophicall sentences firme discourses of reason he may say I haue preuented thee fortune I haue closed vp all thy chances and stopped the wayes of entrance in vpon me and so led a ioyfull life as long as vertue and that part which is proper to man are strongest And if peraduenture some great inconuenience happen vnto him against all hope which humaine power is not able to ouercome than with ioy of spirite he considereth that the hauen of safetie is at hand wherein he may saue himselfe by swimming out of the body as out of a Skiffe that leaketh departing boldly and without feare from the miseries of the world that he may enioy absolute and perfect happines Alexander the great hauing vnder his dominion more than halfe the world when he heard the Philosopher Anaxarchus dispute and maintaine that there were innumerable worlds he began to weepe saying Haue I not good cause to be sorowful and to mourne if there be an infinite number of worlds seeing as yet I haue not been able to make my selfe Lord of one But Crates the Philosopher being brought vp in the schoole of wisdome and hauing in stead of all wealth but an old cloke and a scrip neuer wept in all his life but was always seen mery and passing ouer his dayes cheerfully By which two kinds of life contrary one to an other it appeereth sufficiently that it is within our selues and not in outward things wherein we must seeke for the foundation of a certaine ioy which is watered and flourisheth in strength by the remembrance of good and vertuous actions proceeding from the soule guided by right knowledge and reason Homer bringeth in Agamemnon complaining greatly bicause he was to command so great a part of the world as if he had an intollerable burthen vpon his shoulders Whereas Diogenes when he was to be sold for a slaue lying all along mocked the Sergeant that cried him to sale and would not rise vp when he commanded him but scoffingly said vnto him If thou wart to sell a fish wouldest thou make it arise Cry this rather that if any man want a maister he should buy me for I can serue his turne well Wherby we may fitly note this that all the happines rest and contentation of man dependeth of vertue onely and not of worldlie greatnes and glorie For this reason the selfe same Diogenes beholding a stranger come from Lacedemonia more curiously decked on a festiuall day than he was woont said vnto him What Doth not an honest man thinke that euery day is festiuall vnto him And truly there is nothing that ought to mooue vs so much to shew all outward signes of ioy or that breedeth such serenitie and calmenes against the tempestuous waues of humane miseries and calamities than to haue the soule pure and cleane from all wicked deedes wils and counsels the manners vndefiled not troubled or infected with any vice For then acknowledging the estate of mortall and corruptible things we iudge them vnwoorthie the care of our soules that we may wholy lift them vp to the contemplation of heauenlie and eternall things wherein our happines and perfect felicitie consisteth Heereby we learne that in the second life onely we are to seeke for and to expect the fruition of true happines which can neuer increase or be diminished For as no man can make a line straighter than that which is straight and as nothing is more iust than that which is iust so he that is happie can not be more happie Otherwise vntill a man had gotten all that might be had his desires would neuer be setled so no man should be called happie But felicitie is perfect of it selfe Cicero knew it well enough when he said that no man standing in feare of great things could be happie and in that respect no man liuing can be so but to speake in deed of a happie life that is it which is perfect and absolute To the end therefore that we may reape some profit by our present discourse let vs neuer thinke that any man may be called happie or vnhappie bicause he is aduanced or disgraced with honors goods and worldlie commodities or bicause he is partaker either of prosperitie or aduersitie throughout his whole life But he onely ought to be esteemed happie in this world that knoweth in rest quietnes of soule how to vse both estates and neuer suffereth himselfe to be caried away or troubled with vncleane desires but with all his hart seeketh for the possession of a
that fall into it through negligence or misgouernment of those goods which God hath put into their hands that they should be faithfull keepers and disposers thereof in charitable workes This is that which Thucidides saith that it is no shame for a man to confesse his pouertie but very great to fal into it by his owne default Therefore to reape profite by that which hath beene heere discoursed let vs put off that old error which hath continued so long in mens braines that pouertie is such a great and troublesome euill whereas it is rather the cause of infinite benefits and let vs say with Pythagoras that it is a great deale better to haue a quiet and setled minde lying vpon the ground than to haue much trouble in a golden bed Moreouer let vs knowe that to possesse small store of earthlie goods ought not to be called pouertie bicause all fulnes of wealth aboundeth in the knowledge and assurance of the fatherlie grace and goodnes of the Author and Creator of all things which he offereth liberally to all without accepting either of pompe or greatnes And further when as continuing the care which it pleaseth him to take of vs he giueth vs although in trauell and sweate wherewith to feede and to cloth vs in all simplicitie and modestie and that according to our necessitie we should be vnthankfull and altogither vnwoorthie the assistance of his helpe and fauour and of his eternall promises if not contented nor glorifieng him for our estate we complained or wondred at desired the calling of other men offering thereby in will and affection our birthrights through a gluttonous desire whereas we ought to preserue to our selues the possession of that heauenlie inheritance wherein consisteth the perfection of all glorie rest and contentation Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming Chap. 35. ARAM. TWo things being the cause of all passions in men namely Griefe and Pleasure they alwayes desire the one but flie from and feare the other But the occasion of the greatest euil that befalleth them is bicause these desires and affections being borne with them from the beginning do also grow encrease a long time before they can haue any iudgement framed in them through the right vnderstandyng of things Whereupon as well by nature which of it selfe is more inclined to euill than to good as through a long continuing in vice they are easily drawen to follow the appetite and lust of their sensualitie wherein they falsly iudge that pleasure consisteth and thinke it painfull not to please it Being thus guided by ignorance and walking like blindmen they haue experience for the most part of such an end as is cleane contrary to their purposes As we may see in those men who purposing with themselues to liue at their ease in ioy rest and pleasure giue ouer all intermedling in serious matters and such as beseeme the excellencie of vertue that they may liue in idlenes wherwith being bewitched they are partakers of many false pleasures which procure them a greater number of griefs and miseries all which they thought to auoyd very well And this we may the better vnderstand if we discourse of Idlenes the enemie of all vertue and cleane contrary to Perseuerance which is a branch of Fortitude Therefore I propound the handling of this matter to you my Companions ACHITOB. Although we haue not a singular excellencie of spirite yet we must not suffer it to be idle but constantly follow after that which we haue wisely hoped to obtaine For as Erasmus saith that which is often done reiterated and continually in hand is finished at last ASER. They that do nothing saith Cicero learne to do ill through idlenesse the body minds of men languish away but by labour great things are obtained yea trauail is a worke that continueth after death Let vs then giue eare to AMANA who will handle more at large for our instruction that which is here propounded vnto vs. AMANA As we admire and honour them with very great commendation in whom we may note as we think some excellent and singular vertues so we contemn them whom we iudge to haue neither vertue courage nor fortitude in them and whom we see to be profitable neither to themselues nor to others bicause they are not laborious industrious nor carefull but remain idle and slouthfull And to say truth the maners conditions and natural disposition of such men are wholy corrupted their conuersation is odious vnprofitable and to be auoided seeing that Idlenes is the mother and nurse of vice which destroieth and marreth all Therefore it was very well ordained in the primitiue Church that euery one should liue of his owne labor that the idle and slothfull might not consume vnprofitably the goods of the earth Which reason brought in that ancient Romane edict mentioned by Cicero in his booke of Lawes that no Romane should goe through the streets of the city vnles he caried about him the badge of that trade whereby he liued Insomuch that Marcus Aurelius speaking of the diligence of the ancient Romanes writeth that all of them followed their labor and trauell so earnestly that hauing necessarie occasion one daye to send a letter two or three daies iournie from the towne he could not find one idle bodie in all the citie to carie it That great Orator and Philosopher Cicero minding to teach vs how we ought to hate Idlenes as being against nature sheweth that men are in deede borne to good works whereof our soule may serue for a sufficient and inuincible proofe seeing it is neuer still but in continuall motion action And for the same cause he greatly commendeth Scipio who vsed to say that he was neuer lesse quiet than when he was quiet Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that when he was not busied with waightie affaires of the Common-wealth yet his owne priuate matters and the searching after knowledge were no lesse troublesome vnto him so that euen then in his solitarines he tooke counsell with himselfe It seemeth saith this father of eloquence that nature doth more require of a man such actions as tend to the profit of men than she doth the perfect knowledge of all things seeing this knowledge and contemplation of the workes of nature should seeme to be maimed vnperfect if no action followed it whereas vertuous deedes are profitable to all men for which end nature hath brought vs foorth which sheweth sufficiently that they are better and more excellent So that vnles the knowledge of things be ioined with that vertue which preserueth humane societie it will seeme to be dead and vnprofitable Therefore Chrysippus the Philosopher said that the life of those men that giue themselues to idle studies differed nothing from that of voluptuous men So that we must not studie Philosophie by way of sport but to the end we may profit both our selues and others Now if action must of necessitie be ioined to
The Corinthians saw before their eies their cities raced to the ground bicause they had offered violence to the Romane Embassadors contrarie to the lawe of nations The Emperour Iustinian receiued infinite losses and dammages for breaking his faith with the Barbarians and for violating the peace which he had made with the Bulgarians Which thing procured him so great hatred of his owne subiects by reason of the vnluckie exploits of warre which followed after that being returned to Constantinople Leontius vsurped the kingdome vpon him sending him into banishment after he had cut off his nosethrils Rastrix Duke of Cleaueland hauing falsified his faith with Lewes king of Germanye was put to the woorst and vanquished and being prisouer his eies were put out for a marke of his faithles dealing But what need we search in antiquitie for testimonies of the fruits which commonly proceede from the breach of faith seeing examples are daily before our eies to our cost What do we behold at this day but a doubling yea a heape of all miseries bicause faith which is so pretious exquisite a thing that it admitteth no comparison hath so often beene valued at so small a price The historie heereof is but too common and the truth too apparant to the great hurt of euery one to stand vpon the proofe thereof whereas it ought rather to be buried from all memory if it were possible as well to deface all spots of infamie for which we are blamed of nations farthest of as to take away the distrust that one hath of an other which is so great amongst vs that it hath been one principall cause of kindling the fire of diuision so often in this desolate kingdom But to leaue such a pitifull matter subiect let vs consider what honor and entertainment men in old time gaue to traitors who are now adaies so welcome to the greatest Lasthenes hauing holpen Phillip king of Macedonia to become master of the citie of Olynthum whereof he was an inhabitant and complaining to the king that certain called him traitor he receiued this only answer that the Macedonians were naturally rude and grosse calling a spade a spade and all things els by their proper name When Caesar Augustus heard Rymetalces king of Thracia who had forsaken Antonius to ioyne with him boast of his fact the monarch drinking to others said with a loud voyce I loue treason well but I loue not traitors And in truth what man of any good iudgement will trust him He that betraieth his prince his benefactor his citie his countrey his kinsfolks and friends into their hands to whom he is nothing so much bound how may not he betray them also another time This did Agis sonne of Archidamas king of Sparta very well signifie to the Ephories who had commanded him to take the yong men of the citie with him and to go to the countrey of one whom they would make knowen vnto him who had promised to guide and bring them within the castel of his citie What quoth he vnto them is it a reasonable matter to commit the safetie and life of so many valiant yong men to one that betraieth his countrey Pausanias captaine of the Lacedemonians hauing receiued 500. talents of gold of king Xerxes promised to betray the citie of Sparta vnto him But his enterprise being discouered Agesilaus his father pursued him into a temple where he thought to haue saued himselfe and causing the gates thereof to be walled vp suffred him to die there of hunger and afterward his mother cast his bodie to the dogs and would not burie it The like befell to Cassius Brutus who would haue sold Rome his father handling him after the same sort Darius king of Persia caused the head of his sonne Ariobarzanes to be cut off bicause he sought to betraie his armie to Alexander Brutus did the like to his children who had conspired against their countrey that king Tarquinius might reenter into Rome Mahomet hauing taken Constantinople through the cowardlines and treason of Iohn Iustinian of Genua after he had made him king according to promise he cut off his head within three daies A meete recompence for such a wretch who was the cause of so great a plague to Christendome whereby the Emperor Constantius the Patriarke and all the Christians were slaine The Empresse with hir daughters and with the noblest damsels she had were led before Mahomet and after a thousand vilanies offered vnto them their bodies were cut in peeces True it is that Histories are diuers touching this fact of Iustinian For some say that perceiuing himselfe to be hurt in fight he fled whereupon most of the men of warre were discouraged and that after he had saued himselfe in the I le of Chios he died either of his wound or for griefe sorow bicause he was the chiefe cause of so great a mischiefe to Christendome Neither may we passe ouer in silence the heroicall fact of Sultan Solyman the last that died but propound it to Princes as a paterne of the hatred and punishment of periurie and treason For sending a Bascha of his into Valona to passe into Italy both by sea and land this Generall landed at the hauen of Castro where at the inhabitants being astonished yeelded themselues vnto him vnder his othe and fidelitie whereby he promised that they should depart their liues saned with bag baggage Neuerthelesse this Barbarian slew them all except those whome he saw were fit to serue for slaues But after his returne to Constantinople the great Seignior being aduertised of his disloialtie caused him to be strangled sent backe all his prisoners with their goods into Italy Truly an act woorthie such a Prince who if he had beene endued with the true knowledge of God and of his Church deserued the first place amongst the great ones of his time Now to end our discourse let vs learne to know the excellency of faith which is such a thing that whosoeuer laieth it in pawne bindeth his safetie his honor and his soule to him vnto whome he giueth it and committeth manifest impietie against God whē he breaketh and violateth the same vnles he had vowed it for the performance of some wicked deede with which both diuine and humane law dispense Let vs know also that it is the beginning and foundation of a great and notable vertue to be giuen to truth that it was of such credite amongst the Ancients that in Cato his time when any man rehearsed a strange thing and hard to be beleeued this prouerbe went of him bicause he was knowne throughout the whole course of his life to be a louer of truth This is not credible although Cato himselfe should speake it And thus by the examples of so many famous men let vs in such sort be stirred to hate lying whereof Satan is the father and author that following the counsell of S.
consequently the bond and preseruatiue of humane societie But if we being well instructed by the spirite of wisedome feede the hungrie giue drinke to the thirsty lodge them that want harbour and clothe the naked sowing in this manner by the works of pietie that talent which is committed to our keeping we shall reape abundantly in heauen the permanent riches treasures of eternall life Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie Chap. 42. ACHITOB IF that diuiue rule of Cicero were aswell written in our hart as he desired to haue it setled in his sonne that onely that thing is to be iudged profitable which is not wicked and that nothing of that nature should seeme profitable we should not behold amongst vs so many cursed acts as are daily committed through the vnbrideled desire of the goods of this world For that which most of all troubleth men is when they thinke that the sin which they purpose to practise is but small in respect of the gaine thereby craftily separating profite from honestie and so suffering themselues to be ouercome of couetousnes which is the defect of liberalitie whereof we discoursed euen now whose excesse also is Prodigalitie of which two vices we are now to intreat ASER. Every one that coueteth treasures said Anacharsis one of the wise men of Graecia is hardly capable of good coūsell and instruction For the couetous man commonly murmureth at that which God permitteth and nature doth so that he will sooner take vpon him to correct God than to amend his life AMANA It is a hard matter said Socrates for a man to bridle his desire but he that addeth riches therunto is mad For couetousnes neither for shame of the world nor feare of death will not represse or moderate it self But it belongeth to thee ARAM to instruct vs in that which is here propounded ARAM. Since the greedie desire of heaping vp gold and siluer entred in amongst men with the possession of riches couetousnesse folowed and with the vse of them pleasures and delights whereupon they began to saile in a dangerous sea of all vices which hath so ouerflowen in this age of ours that there are very few towers how high so euer seated but it hath gone vp a great deale aboue them For this cause I see no reason why men should esteeme so much or iudge it such a happy thing to haue much goodly land many great houses and huge summes of readie money seeing all this doth not teach them not to be caried away with passions for riches and seeing the possession of them in that maner procureth not a contentation void of the desire of them but rather inflameth vs to desire them more through an insatiable couetousnes which is such a pouerty of the soul that no worldly goods can remedie the same For it is the nature of this vice to make a man poore all his life time that he may find him self rich only at his death Moreouer it is a desire that hath this thing proper and peculiar to it selfe to resist and to refuse to be satisfied whereas all other desires helpe forward the same and seeke to content those that serue thē Couetousnesse saith Aristotle is a vice of the soule whereby a man desireth to haue from all partes without reason and vniustly with-holdeth that which belongeth to another It is sparing and skantie in giuing but excessiue in receiuing The Poet Lucretius calleth it a blind desire of goods And it mightily hindereth the light of the soule causing the couetous man to be neuer contented but the more he hath the more to desire and wish for The medicine which he seeketh namely gold and siluer encreaseth his disease as water doth the dropsie and the obtaining thereof is alwaies vnto him the beginning of the desire of hauing He is a Tantalus in hell who between water and meat dieth of hunger Now it is very sure that to such as are wise and of sound iudgement nature hath limited certaine bounds of wealth which are traced out vpon a certaine Center and vpon the circumference of their necessitie But couetousnesse working cleane contrary effects in the spirit of fooles carieth away the naturall desire of necessarie things to a disordinate appetite of such things as are full of danger rare and hard to be gotten And which is worse compelling the auaritious to procure them with great payne and trauell it forbiddeth him to enioy them and stirring vp his desire depriueth him of the pleasure Stratonicus mocked in olde ryme the superfluitie of the Rhodians saying that they builded as if they were immortall and rushed into the kitchin as if they had but a little while to liue But couetous men scrape togither like great and mightie men and spend like mechanicall and handy-craftesmen They indure labour in procuryng but want the pleasure of enioying They are like Mules that carie great burthens of golde and siluer on their backes and yet eate but hay They enioy neyther rest nor libertie which are most precious and most desired of a wise man but liue alwayes in disquietnesse being seruauntes and slaues to their richesse Their greatest miserie is that to encrease and keepe their wealth they care neither for equitie or iustice they contemne all lawes both diuine and humane and all threatnings and punishmentes annexed vnto them they liue without friendship and charitie and lay holde of nothyng but gayne When they are placed in authoritie and power aboue others they condemne the innocent iustifie the guiltie and finde alwayes some cleanly cloke and colour of taking and of excusing as they thinke their corruption and briberie making no difference betweene duetie and profite Wherfore we may well say in a word That couetousnes is the roote of all euill For what mischiefs are not procured through this vice From whence proceed quarels strifes suites hatred and enuie theftes pollings sackings warres murders and poisonings but from hence God is forgotten our neighbour hated and many times the sonne forgiueth not his father neither the brother his brother nor the subiect his Lord for the desire of gaine In a worde there is no kind of crueltie that couetousnesse putteth not in practise It causeth hired and wilfull murders O execrable impietie to be well thought of amongst vs. It causeth men to breake their faith giuen to violate all friendship to betray their countrey It causeth subiectes to rebell against their princes gouernours and magistrates when not able to beare their insatiable desires nor their exactions and intollerable subsidies they breake foorth into publike and open sedition which troubleth common tranquillitie whereupon the bodie politike is changed or for the most part vtterly ouerthrowen Moreouer the excesse of the vertue of liberalitie which is prodigalitie may be ioyned to couetousnesse and than there is no kind of vice but raigneth with all licence in that soule that hath these two guestes lodged togither And bicause it is a thing that
of their falling out otherwise so that a man may well say that such a thing came to him by Fortune which falleth out besides his thought when he vndertaketh any worke with deliberation Epicurus said that Fortune was such a cause as agreed neither to persons times or manners Theophrastus speaking of Fortune saith that she looketh not whereat she shooteth that oftentimes she delighteth in taking away that which is gotten with very great paine but especially in ouerturning those felicities which as men think are best staied and assured Iuuenal saith that when it pleaseth hir she maketh a Consul of a Rhetoritian likewise cleane contrary hauing this propertie in hir to reioice greatly in the varietie of chances to deride all the deuices of men oftener lifting vp into the place of soueraigne authoritie such as are vnwoorthy thereof than those that deserue the same Amongst the Ancients the Romanes honoured Fortune more than all the rest esteeming of hir saith Pindarus as of the patron nurse vpholder of the citie of Rome They builded for hir many sumptuous Temples wherein she was adored vnder sundry names honorable titles for a Goddesse of singular power insomuch that they thought themselues more beholding to hir for the greatnes prosperity of their Empire than to vertue Sylla hauing attained to the soueraigne authoritie of a Monarch and of Dictator yeelded himselfe all his actions to the fauor of Fortune saying that he reputed himselfe to be Fortunes child and thereupon tooke vnto him the surname of Happie Which opinion seemeth to haue preuailed greatly with him in causing him after he had committed infinite proscriptions murders cruelties voluntarily without feare to giue ouer the Dictatorship to lead the rest of his yeeres in all assurance quietnes as a priuate man to passe repasse through all Italy without any gard euen in the midst of them whome he had so much offended We read also that when Mithridates king of Pontus wrote vnto him concerning the war which he had vndertaken against him saying that he maruelled how Sylla durst buckle with his great fortune especially knowing that she had not deceiued him at any time whereas she neuer knew Sylla Consul he returned this answer For this selfe same reason thou shalt now see how Fortune doing hir dutie will take hir leaue of thee to come to mee Iulius Caesar gaue a certaine argument of the assurance he had in Fortune when entring vpon the sea in a little Fregate in a very tempestuous weather and the Pilot making some doubt of waighing vp the Anchor he sayde thus vnto him Be not afrayde my friende for thou cariest Caesar and his Fortune Augustus his successour sending his Nephew to the warre wished that he might be as valiant as Scipio as well beloued as Pompey and as fortunate as himselfe attributing to Fortune as a principall worke the honour of making him so great as he was To this purpose also it is reported that great acquaintance and familiaritie growing betweene Augustus and Antonius his Companion in the Empire they often passed away the time togither with sundrie sortes of plaies and pastimes wherein Antonius alwayes went away vanquished Whereupon one of his familiar friendes well seene in the arte of Diuination tooke occasion many tymes to vtter his mind vnto him in these or the like speeches Sir what do you so neere this yoong man Separate your selfe farre from him Your fame is greater than his you are elder than he you command moe men than he you are better exercised in feates of Armes you haue greater experience but your familiar spirite feareth his and your fortune which of it selfe is great flattereth his and if you sequester not your selfe farre from him she will forsake you and goe to him Thus we see what great estimation the Romanes had of Fortune yea they stood in so great awe of hir power that Paulus Aemilius that great Captaine sayd that amongst humane things he neuer feared any one of them but amongst diuine things he alwaies stoode in great feare of Fortune as of hir in whome there was small trust to be placed bicause of hir inconstancie and mutable varietie whereby she neuer vseth to gratifie men so liberally or to bestow such absolute prosperitie vpon them but that some enuie is mingled withall Oh deceitfull Fortune said Demetrius thou art easily found but hardly auoyded They that haue laboured most in painting out this fained Goddesse say that she hath a swift pace a loftie mind and a hawtie hope They giue hir light wings a globe vnder hir feete and in hir hand a horne of abundance full of all such heauenlie and earthlie things as are exquisite and pretious which she poureth foorth liberally when and where she pleaseth Some put a wheele into hir hands which she turneth about continually whereby that part which is aboue is presently turned downeward therby giuing vs to vnderstand that from hir highest preferment she throweth downe in one instant such as are most happy into the gulfe of miserie In a word we may well compare hir to a glasse which the brighter it is the sooner it is broken dasht in peeces Histories the treasurie of antiquitie set before our eies innumerable examples of common and contrary effects which are wrought by this inconstant Fortune and those oftentimes practised vpon the same persons whome of smal she hath made very great and after taken them downe lower yea made them more miserable if I may so speake than they were at their beginning Hannibal that renowmed Captaine of the Carthaginians that redouted enimy of the Romanes after notable victories obtained sundry times against thē was in the ende vtterly ouerthrowen and compelled to flie hither and thither and to haue recourse to forraine princes into whose armes he cast himselfe for the safetie of his person and after long wandring being old spent he setled himselfe with the king of Bithynia But Titus Flaminius whom the Romanes had sent embassador to that king required to haue him that he might put him to death For quoth he as long as he liueth he will be a fire for the Romane empire which wanteth but some one or other to kindle it When he was in the vigor and strength of his age neither his hand nor his body had procured so great damage to the Romanes as his good vnderstanding and sufficiencie in the arte of warre had done being ioined with the hatred he bare them Which is nothing diminished through old age neither yet through the alteration of his estate and fortune bicause the nature and qualitie of maners continueth alwaies Hannibal being aduertised of this request of Titus stieped poison in a cup of drinke which he had kept a long time against an extremitie But before he dranke thereof he vttred these wordes Go to let vs deliuer the people of Rome from this great care
be heard He that honoureth his father shall haue a long life and he that is obedient to the Lord shall comfort his mother He that feareth the Lord honoreth his parents and doth seruice vnto his parents as vnto Lordes Honor thy father and mother in deeds and in word and in all patience that thou mayest haue the blessing of God and that his blessing may abide with thee in the ende For the blessing of the father establisheth the houses of the children the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations Helpe thy father in his age and grieue him not as long as he liueth And if his vnderstanding faile haue patience with him and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength For the good intreatie of thy father shall not be forgotten but it shall be a fortresse for thee against sinnes In the day of trouble thou shalt he remembred thy sinnes also shall melt away as the ice in faire weather He that for saketh his father shall come to shame and he that angreth his mother is cursed of God By these holy speeches we see how we ought to loue honor reuerence and feare our parents This is comprehended vnder the first commandement of the second table and this only of all the ten articles of the Decalogue beareth his reward with him albeit no recompence is due to him that is bound to do any thing namely by so strȧight a bond as this wherof all lawes both diuine and humane are full and the law of nature also doth plentifully instruct vs therein as it hath been diligently obserued of very Infidels Ethnikes and Pagans Amongst the Lacedemonians this custome tooke place that the younger sort rose vp from their seates before the aged Whereof when one asked the cause of Teleucrus It is quoth hee to the ende that in dooing this honour to whom it belongeth not they should learne to yeeld greater honour to their parents The arrogancie of a childe was the cause that one of the Ephories published the law of Testaments whereby it was permitted to euery one from that time forward to appoint whom he would his heire This lawe serued well to make children obedient and seruiceable to their parents and to cause them to be afraid of displeasing them Among the Romanes the child was not admitted to plead his fathers will after his death by way of action but onely by way of request vsing very humble honourable and reuerent speech of his dead father and leauing the whole matter to the discretion and religion of the Iudges Contend not with thy father said Pittacus the wise although thou hast iust cause of complaint And therefore Teleucrus aunswered aptly to one who complained vnto him that his father alwayes spake ill of him If quoth he there were no cause to speake ill of thee he would not do it So that it belongeth to the duetie of a childe to beleeue that his father hath alwayes right and that age and experience hath indued him with greater knowledge of that which is good than they haue that are of yoonger yeeres Philelphus said that although we could not possibly render the like good turnes to our parents nor satisfie those obligations by which we stand bound vnto them yet we must doe the best we can vnto them we must intreate them curteously and louingly and not go farre from them we must harken vnto their instructions and be obedient to their commaundementes wee must not gaine-say their deliberations and wils no more than the will of God whether it be that we are to depart from them or to tary still or to enter into some calling agreeable to the will of God we must not stand in contention with them wheÌ„ they are angry but suffer and beare patiently if they threaten or correct vs. And if they be offended with vs when we thinke there is no cause why yet we must not lay vs down to rest before we haue by all kind of honest submissions appeased them Humilitie is always commendable but especially towards our parents The more we abase our selues before them the more we encrease in glory and honor before God and men This is very badly put in vre at this day when the sonne doth not onely not honor his father but euen dishonoreth him and is ashamed of him He is so farre from louing him that he rather hateth him so farre from fearing him that contrarywise he mocketh and contemneth him and in stead of seruing and obeying him he riseth vp and conspireth against him If he be angry he laboureth to anger him more brieflie scarce any dutie of a child towards his father is seene now a daies And if some point therof be found in any towards his father yet is it cleane put out in regard of the mother as if he that commanded vs to honour our father did not presently say and thy mother vnto whoÌ„ in truth we owe no lesse honor respect and obedience than to our father as well in regard of the commaundement of God as of the vnspeakable paines and trauell which she suffered in bearing and bringing vs into the world in giuing vs sucke in nourishing vs. But alas what shall we say of those that spoile their parents of their goods houses and commodities and desire nothing more than their death that they may freely enioy euen that which oftentimes their parents haue purchased for them O execrable impietie It is vnwoorthy to be once thought vpon amongst vs the iudgement of God doth of it selfe sufficiently appeere vpon such cursed children Whose behauiour that it may be more odious vnto vs let vs learn of Pittacus that our children will be such towards vs as we haue been towards our parents But let vs be more afraid to prouoke our fathers in such sort through our default vnto wrath that in stead of blessing vs they fall to curse vs. For as Plato saith there is no prayer which God heareth more willingly than that of the father for the children And therfore special regard is to be had vnto the cursings and blessings which fathers lay vpon their childreÌ„ Which was the cause as the scripture teacheth vs that children in old time were so iealous one of another who should â—ary away the fathers blessing and that they stoode in greater feare of their curse than of death it selfe Torquatus the yonger being banished from his fathers house slue himselfe for grief thereof And to alleage another example out of the writings of auncient men of the loue which they bare to their fathers that of Antigonus the second sonne of Demetrius is most woorthy to be noted For when his father beyng prisoner sent him worde by one of his acquaintaunce to giue no credite nor to make account of any letters from him if it so fell out that Seleucus whose prisoner he was should compell him thereunto and therefore that he should not deliuer vp any of those
were altogither Aristocratical or Democratical or Monarchicall In looking to the power of the Consuls a man would haue iudged it Monarchical Roial to the Senators Aristocratical to the Tribunes common sort Democratical The Venetians in their Cōmonwealth represent al these estates Their great Councel hauing soueraign power wherof the Senat the authority of al their Magistrats dependeth doth represent the Popular estate The Duke who is President as long as he liueth representeth the roial power bicause he especially retaineth the grauity dignity therof And the Colledge of ten men with the Colledge of ancients commonly called Sages representeth the Aristocraty as Contarenus writeth As for our French Monarchy it may wel be said also to be partaker of all 3. in regard of the gouernment therof albeit in truth the estate therof is a simple pure Monarchy For the king is the Monarch beloued obeied reuerenced who although he haue all power soueraigne authority to cōmand to do what he will yet this great soueraigne liberty seemeth in some sort to be ruled limited by good lawes ordinances and by the multitude great authority of Officers Counsellors who are aswell neere his person as in sundry places of his kingdom The 12. Peeres the secret priuy councels the Parliament great Councel the Chambers of accounts the Treasorers Generals of charges resemble in some sort the Aristocraty The States yeerely helde in the Prouinces the Mairalties of townes Shreeualties Consulships Capitolats Church-wardens are as it were the forme of a Democraty as Siessel declareth more at large Moreouer the general Estates of the Realme which are woont to be gathered togither to deliberate the king being President of all matters concerning the Estate doe they not sufficiently testifie the happie order therof drawing neere to the gouernment of a good Oeconomist when the king as Aristotle saith commandeth in his kingdome as a good father of a familie ruleth ouer his children with loue and according to right and iustice Wherefore although all the authoritie of Officers Counsellors Parliaments and Estates dependeth as riuers of a fountaine of the onely power of their king and Prince yet of his fatherly and royall goodnes he granteth them such authoritie that hardly could he do any thing that were very violent or too preiudiciall to his subiects And if some such actions may be noted they come rather through the fault of his Counsellors than from his Maiesty Thus let vs conclude with Plato that the royall gouernment and authority ought to be preferred before all others policies as that which draweth neerest to the diuinitie But it must haue a Senate of good men ioined vnto it after the forme of an Aristocratie as our kings haue alwaies vsed to haue of their natural benignitie which maketh them inclinable to all exercises of vertue pietie and iustice Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tyranny Chap. 58. ACHITOB THe varietie of manners and inclinations to diuers things which is we see particularly in euery one from his birth and generally throughout all nations of the world disposeth without doubt the people as they growe in age and iudgement and according to their bringing vp to like one kind of gouernment rather than another But Frenchmen haue euen to these last times caried away the praise of a more naturall and constant disposition loue obedience and fidelitie towards the maiestie of a king than other nations euer shewed to their forme of estate and gouernment For amongst them all there is not one nation to be found that hath so constantly continued in their lawes and ancient customes without any alteration and change as this flourishing Monarchie which hath also gone beyond them all in goodnes and mildnes of gouernment as we may see better my Companions if we compare with it those sundry sorts of Monarchies which haue been heretofore and doe at this day flourish of which many come as neere to a tyrannie as ours is farre distant from it And to make a tyrannie appeere more odious we will consider the pernitious and miserable estate thereof ASER. As it properly belongeth to a royall estate to gouerne and to rule subiects not according to the sensuall appetite and disordered will of the Prince but by maturitie of counsell and by obseruation of lawes and of iustice so it agreeth with a tyrant to raigne by his absolute will without all regard either of lawes or of the precepts of iustice AMANA A tyrant saith Seneca differeth from a king in effect not in name The one seeketh his owne profite onely and the other the profite of the Common-wealth Now let vs heare ARAM who will teach vs to discerne them well by their works ARAM. Amongst all the Monarchies that euer were or are at this daye among men most of the ancient authors and great Politicks haue noted out fiue sundric sortes of which I purpose heere to discourse particularly with briefe examples that the excellencie of ours may the better appeere ouer others especially ouer those that decline much vnto tyrannye whose shame and infamie I will heere display The first and most ancient kind of Monarchy was that which was voluntarily offered by the people for some heroicall vertue appeering in those men whom they iudged worthie to gouerne them iustly and vprightly And when they continued in this sort to declare themselues benefactors of the multitude in gathering them togither in giuing vnto them territories and in distributing lands among them in finding out of arts in making of warre and in the administration of iustice vnto them their authoritie and power did lawfully descend to their successors who had soueraigne power in time of warre and were chiefe in certain solemn ceremonies of their sacrifices Herodotus Demosthenes Aristotle Cicero and many others make mention of this kind of Monarchy After the floud when the number of men increased Noah perswaded his children and others of his posteritie to disperse themselues in diuers countries to till the ground and to build townes and to this ende he assigned to euery one his Prouince by lot Nimrod the sonne of Cush whose grandfather Noah was abode with his men in the land of the Chaldeans and was their first king and the first king of Babylon He was the first that beganne to extend his bounds by force vpon his neighbours sending whole companies of people into many and diuers countries to laye the foundations of other kingdomes as histories doe giue vs certaine knowledge thereof This is the cause why many establish the first Monarchy in Assyria vnder him We read also in good authors that the first and ancient kings of Egypt kept themselues a long time in this heroical vertue which had procured vnto them their dignitie They liued not disorderedly as those doe who bicause of their dominion iudge their owne will to be a iust lawe for them but they followed
to vsurpe kingdomes empires This reason brought in the Ostracisme amongst the Atheniās which was a banishmēt for a time wherby they brought downe them that seemed to exceed in greatnes This they vsed as Plutarke reherseth against Themistocles Aristides and other excellent men fearing least their authoritie credite and good will of all men should procure them a kingly power with the chaunge of their popular gouernment Many kings and princes that had some of their friends and seruaunts too great were themselues or their children ouerthrowen by them afterward Tyberius making Seian too mightie Commodus Perennius Theodosius the second Eutropus Iustinian Bellisarius Xerxes Artaban were in danger of their estate The vnmeasurable authoritie of the Maiors of the palace and of the Constables chaunged the crowne of France from the race of Clouts to that of Charles Martel and vpon the same occasion it was afterward taken from that line and transferred to another Contempt also is another cause greatly to be feared in euery estate and Monarchie as that which oftentimes breedeth their change and ouerthrow It is very daungerous in two considerations especially first when some are contemned and excluded from publique offices and dignities which they deserue and yet see them wholy in the power and disposition of some particular men Whereupon both the one and the other are mooued to sedition the contemned persones through enuie and desire of reuenge they that haue the great charges in their handes through contempt of the others whome they seeke vtterly to exclude and to driue them further off from all publique honours and authorities Secondly contempt is verie pernitious when inferiours contemne their superiours They are commonly despised that haue neither vertue courage nor fortitude that are not able to profite themselues or others that are not laborious painfull nor any manner of way carefull Where contempt is there no obedience is to be had This maketh the sonne disobedient to the father the wife to the husband the learner to the teacher the seruant to the maister The opinion of prudence iustice constancie knowledge goodnes modestie and of other vertues nourisheth and preserueth the obedience of subiects towards their Princes and the contrarie vices prouoke them to rebellion Therefore as policies prosper when they are gouerned by prudent iust constant valiant and moderate men so they are troubled with seditions through the ignorance cowardlines and intemperancie of Princes or else when they are too familiar with their inferiors or when they are suddenly lift vp from base estate or seem too aged or too yong or poore or miserable all which things breede contempt Wherefore this is set downe as a good rule to preserue the estate of a Monarchy That the Prince must procure to himselfe loue without the contempt or hatred of any if it may be For the obtaining whereof there is no better way than the iust distribution of rewardes The Princes and Lords of France bicause they were contemned by king Lewes the 11. who had none about him nor fauoured any but men of lowe and base estate gaue him battell at Montlhery whereof the battel hath euer since retained the name to the great perill of the Estate and danger of the kings life if he had not appeased the indignation and furie of the said Princes and Lords by his great prudence and policie Moreouer too much encrease and vnproportionable growth is one cause that procureth the change and ruine of Common-wealths For as the bodie is made and compounded of parts and ought to grow by proportion that it may keep a iust measure so euery Common-wealth beeing compounded of orders or estates as it were of parts they must be maintained in concord one with another by equall and due proportion obserued betweene each of them For if one Estate be aduanced too much aboue another dissention ariseth As long as the three Orders and Estats at Rome namely the Senators the Knights the people were caried proportionably their policie flourished but after they dealt one against another through enuie ambition couetousnes diuisions and part-takings began This caused many to commend equalitie so much calling it the nursing mother of peace amitie betweene subiects and contrariwise inequalitie the beginning of all enmities factions hatred part-taking But seeing it is meete that in euery well established policie there should be a difference of rights and priuiledges betwixt euery estate equalitie may continue if carefull prouision be made that one Estate go not too much before the other The impunitie of offences is one cause also from whence seditions and ciuill warres proceede yea it is a matter of very great waight and yet men make least account therof We spake of it before but we must of necessitie often rub vp the remembrance thereof as the wise Hebrew doth by repeating so many times that admonition that we should not be suretie for another not that he forbiddeth charitie towardes the poore but that none should be a meanes to let the wicked escape vnles he will beare the punishment himselfe This is that word which God sent to king Achab after he had saued the life of Benhadad king of Syria that he made himselfe a pledge for another man by suffering the wicked to liue and therefore that it should cost him his life Hitherto we haue seene how the couetousnes of Princes the ambition or desire of honour in priuate men iniurie and reproch feare in the guiltie excesse of authoritie and wealth contempt ouer-great encrease or aduancement without proportion and lastly impunitie of offences procure commonly seditions in Estates and Monarchies Besides all these extreame pouertie and excesse of wealth idlenes and want of feare of the forraine enimie as we haue else-where declared change of Princes and lawes too great licence of seditious Orators and Preachers the naturall disposition of places where men are borne which maketh them more inclined to commotions and seditions as Historiographers haue noted of Genes Florence and Flanders with many other things may be said to be causes of ciuill warres of alterations changes and ruine of Estats and Policies Among which we note that shame is sometime a cause of change in the gouernment of Common-wealths but it is without tumult or sedition Thus it fell out in Herea a towne of Arcadia which was gouerned popularly where men of no account were elected Magistrates by others like themselues whereupon beeing mocked they changed their manner of election into chusing by lot that so they might haue a more lawefull excuse There was seene not long since in the Councell of France such a number of Maisters of Requests and of Secretaries of the Treasure that very shame caused them to be sent away bicause it was not meete to entreat of great and waightie matters before such a multitude Negligence likewise breedeth the change and ouerthrow of a politike Estate There
went about to pull downe Images But I am of this opinion yet readye to yeeld to a better iudgement that if men were honest and vpright and walked in their calling holily they would neuer fight among themselues for religion And if there had beene no other cause mingled therwith in our ciuill wars we should not haue had experiēce of those miseries which daily ouer-whelme vs. The authoritie of a holie and free Councell may by the grace of God end all these dissentious in the meane time let euery one seeke by good life and amendment of manners to serue for a light to those that are out of the way laying aside all part-takings forgetting all iniuries and taking vp againe our first vnitie concord friendship Yea I doubt not but that a Prince embracing with a true zeale the opinion of his religion and neglecting the contrarye would abolish it without force or constraint if God maintain it not For the minds of men resolued in a religion are more confirmed therin if they be resisted but shrinke of themselues if compulsion be not vsed Now for the end and conclusion of our discourse laying a part the causes of seditions and ciuil wars which bring alteration and ouerthrow many times to Estates and Monarchies whereof we haue particularly intreated we will heere comprehend and reduce to a certaine number the causes of the changes of all Common-wealths namely when the posteritie of Princes faileth and the greatest amongst them enter into ciuill warre for the Estate when most of the subiects are extreme poore and a few exceeding rich when the diuision of offices and honors are vnequall or else through extreame ambition and desire of commanding through the reuenge of iniuries through the crueltie and oppression of tyrants through the feare of chasticement which some haue that deserue it through the change of lawes and religion through the greedie desire that some haue to enioy at wil those pleasures which they seeke after lastly through the expulsion of such as defile the places of honor with excessiue and beastly pleasures All these things breede the change corruption and finall ouetthrow of flourishing Estates and great Monarchies and therefore all Princes Gouernors and politike Rulers ought carefully to looke vnto them The ende of the sixteenth daies worke THE SEVENTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of the preseruation of Estats and Monarchies and of remedies to keepe them from sedition Chap. 65. ASER. WIsedome saith Lactantius is giuen of God to all men that euery one according to his abilitie and capacitie might seeke after things vnknowne and examine that which he knoweth And we must not thinke that such as haue gone before vs many yeeres and ages did so possesse and vse hir that she is now lesse forceable in vs. She cannot be wholy possessed no more than the light of the Sunne and as the Sunne is the light of our eies so is wisedome the light of mans hart If your delight thē saith the wise man be in thrones and scepters O kings of the people honor wisedome that ye may raigne for euer Truly she is necessarie prouision for them that would raigne that they may do it woorthily and safely maintaine their estate yea she is no lesse requisite in euery calling For she illuminateth and sharpneth the discourse of reason by the knowledge of things she ruleth and conducteth the will to that which is the true and onely Good Therefore seeing that wisedome which is asmuch to say in regard of vs as the searching out of the truth is both offered and needefull for all men euery one ought to be stirred vp to imbrace it with a burning zeale and affection that he may bring foorth the fruits of perfect charitie by applying it next after the seruice of God to the common profite of men Which thing seeing it hath prouoked our yong and vnexperienced yeeres to vtter our former Morall and Politicall discourses and to handle yesterday the causes that breede change and ruine to Estates and Monarchies although such high matters surpasseth the capacitie of our vnderstanding yet let vs my Companions follow with the same zeale our venturous enterprise and as we haue profited in the schoole of this selfe same wisedome let vs enter into the consideration of those meanes and remedies that are contrary to the causes of corruption in policies and that may serue to their preseruation Albeit they may be knowne by the same causes that corrupt them seeing contrary effects proceede from contrary causes and corruption is contrary to preseruation But the vnderstanding of this matter will be more cleare and profitable heereby to them that will take the benefite thereof AMANA If all callings were content with their owne fortune and goods if they would abstaine from other mens goods and from offering them wrong if they would be more intentiue to amend their owne life than to reprehend others and submit them-selues willingly to the obedience of their Magistrats lawes and ordinances I thinke it would be a meane to cause euery Monarchie to flourishe and to continue happie a longe time ARAM. Equalitie said Solon neuer breedeth sedition in the gouernment of a Common-wealth but is the nursing mother of peace and concord and the maintainer of loue whereby the vnitie of subiects is preserued But as the graue and destruction are neuer glutted according to the saying of the wise man so mens eies are neuer satisfied But the discourse of this matter heere propounded belongeth to thee ACHITOB. ACHITOB. That great louer of knowledge and vertue Ptolomy king of Egypt as he feasted one day seuen Embassadors of the best and most flourishing Common-wealthes in his time reasoned with them about their gouernments that hee might knowe which of them had the best policie and was furnished with the best lawes and moste commendable customes The disputation was long and the matter throughly debated amonge them with manye reasons But Ptolomy being desirous to bee instructed by them in the best and rarest pointes necessarye for the preseruation of an Estate prayed them to propounde euerye one three of those customes and lawes that were moste perfect in his Common-wealth The Embassadour of the Romanes beganne and sayde Wee haue the Temples in great respect and reuerence wee are very obedient to our Gouernours and we punish wicked men and euill liuers seuerely The Carthaginian Embassadour said In the Common-wealth of Carthage the Nobles neuer cease fighting nor the Common-people and Artificers labouring nor the Philosophers teaching The Sicilian sayd In our Common-wealth iustice is exactly kept merchandise exercised with truth and all men account themselues equall The Rhodian sayd At Rhodes old men are honest yoong men shamefast and women solitarie and of fewe wordes The Athenian sayd In our Common-wealth rich men are not suffered to be diuided into factions nor poore men to be idle nor the Gouernours to be ignorant The Lacedemonian sayd In Sparta enuie raigneth not for all are equall
eies those vertuous and learned instructions that are drawen out of the fountains of arts and disciplines This mooued Antigonus king of Macedonia to write thus to Zeno the philosopher I am assured that I excell thee in the goods and fauour of fortune and in the renowne of such things but I know withall that thou art far aboue me and goest beyond me in that true felicitie which consisteth in the knowledge and discipline of studies Therefore I desire earnestly that thou wouldest come vnto me wherein I pray thee denie me not that I may enioie thy conuersation and companie as well for mine owne profit as for the profit of all the Macedonians my subjects For he that instructeth a prince doth also profit as many as are vnder his charge This selfsame loue of knowledge was the cause that all the festiuall ornaments of that great louer of vertue Ptolomie Philadelphus king of Egypt were graue questions as well of pietic as of phlosophic which he propounded to be handled and concluded by those learned men whom he ordinarily maintained in his traine Sir the example of these two noble kings shining wholy in you who greatly loue and fauour learning and the professors thereof and open the gate of that holie and vertuous discipline which was so much cherished by ancient men that they might daily be instructed the better in the dutie of their charges doth promise to your good subjects and vassals that by the grace of God they shall see vnder your raigne the euill of those sinister effects defaced which haue issued from these long troubles and ciuill wars Whereof all men haue conceiued a more certaine hope bicause they see that you labor with a holie zeale and good affection to restore pietie and iustice to their former strength and beautie which were in a maner buried in France and that you haue gloriously crowned that worke which that great king Francis your grandfather did happily begin to the end that arts and sciences might flourish in this kingdome The diner of that prince of famous memorie was a second table of Salomon vnto which resorted from euerie nation such as were best learned that they might reape profit and instruction Yours Sir being compassed about with those who in your presence daily discourse of and heare discoursed many graue and goodly matters seemeth to be a schoole erected to teach men that are born to vertue And for my selfe hauing so good hap during the assemblie of your Estates at Blois as to be made partaker of the fruit gathered thereof it came in my mind to offer vnto your Maiestie a dish of diuers fruits which I gathered in a Platonicall garden or orchard otherwise called an ACADEMIE where I was not long since with certaine yoong Gentlemen of Aniou my companions discoursing togither of the institution in good maners and of the means how all estates and conditions may liue well and happily And although a thousand thoughts came then into my mind to hinder my purpose as the small authoritie which youth may or ought to haue in counsell amongst ancient men the greatnes of the matter subject propounded to be handled by yeeres of so small experience the forgetfulnes of the best foundations of their discourses which for want of a rich and happie memorie might be in me my iudgement not sound ynough and my profession vnfit to set them downe in good order briefly the consideration of your naturall disposition and rare vertue and of the learning which you receiue both by reading good authors and by your familiar communication with learned and great personages that are neere about your Maiestie whereby I seemed to oppose the light of an obscure day full of clouds and darknes to the bright beames of a very cleere shining sunne and to take in hand as we say to teach Minerua I say all these reasons being but of too great waight to make me change my opinon yet calling to mind manie goodlie and graue sentences taken out of sundry Greeke and Latine Philosophers as also the woorthie examples of the liues of ancient Sages and famous men wherewith these discourses were inriched which might in delighting your noble mind renew your memorie with those notable sayings in the praise of vertue and dispraise of vice which you alwaies loued to heave and considering also that the bounty of Artaxerxes that great Monarke of the Persians was reuiued in you who receiued with a cheerfull countenance a present of water of a poore laborer when he had no need of it thinking it to be as great an act of magnanimitie to take in good part and to receiue cheerfully small presents offered with a hartie and good affection as to giue great things liberally I ouercame whatsoeuer would haue staied me in mine enterprise For I assured my selfe thus much of your bountifull roiall greatnes which I craue in most humble maner that you would measure the gift and offer of this my small labor not according to the desert thereof or by the person of one of your basest seruants and subjects who presenteth in vnto you but according to the excellencie of those things which you shall see handled in this Academie and according to the seruiceable and most affectionate desire wherewith I dedicate and consecrate both goods and life to your seruice I beseeth God Sir to preserue your Maiestie in great prosperitie increase of honor and continuance of a long and happie life At Barre in the moneth of Februarie 1577. Your most humble and most obedient seruant and subject Peter de la Primaudaye THE AVTHOR TO THE READER THE PHILOSOPHERS teach vs by their writings and experience doth better shew it vnto vs that to couet and desire is proper to the soule and that from thence all the affections and desires of men proceede which draw them hither and thither diuersly that they may attaine to that thing which they thinke is able to lead them to the enioying of some good wherby they may line a contented and happie life Which felicitie the most part of men through a false opinion or ignorance rather of that which is good and by following the inclination of their corrupted nature do seeke and labor to finde in humane and earthlie things as in riches glorie honor and pleasure But for a smuch as the enioying of these things doth not bring with it sufficient cause of contentation they perceiue themselues alwaies depriued of the end of their desires and are constrained to wander all their life time beyond all bounds and measure according to the rashnes and inconstancie of their lusts And although they reioice for a little while at euerie new change yet presently they loath the selfe-same thing which not long before they earnestly desired Their owne estate alwaies seemeth vnto them to be woorst and euerie present condition of life to be burdensome From one estate they seeke after another so that now they withdraw themselues from the seruice of princes and
generally so manie wonderfull works vnder the cope of heauen I cannot maruell enough at the excellencie of Man for whom all these things were created are maintained and preserued in their being and moouing by one and the same diuine prouidence alwaies like vnto it selfe AMANA There is nothing more certaine than this that all things whatsoeuer either the eie can behold or the eare heare were created for the benefit profit and vse of man and that he was made excellent aboue all things to rule ouer them yea the very Angels are sent to minister for their sakes which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation ARAM. Oh vnspeakable and heauenlie goodnesse which hast created man little lower than thy selfe and crowned him with glorie and worship But tell vs I pray thee ACHITOB more particularly what this great and principall worke of nature Man is to what end his being was giuen him and how he hath shewed foorth the fruits thereof For it â—â—st needes be that there is something in him greatly to be woondered at seeing all things were created to serue and obey him ACHITOB. Truely yee haue reason companions to begin our happie assembly with that knowledge which we ought to haue of our selues as being the storehouse of all wisdome and beginning of saluation wherof we may haue an assured testimonie from that father of Philosophie Socrates who beholding the first precept written at Delphos in that temple of Apollo which was so renowmed throughout Graecia namely Know thy selfe was foorthwith driuen into a very deepe cogitation and being rapt with contemplation of spirit he began from that time forward to doubt and to inquire of himselfe Wherupon contemning that way which all the Philosophers of his time who busied themselues about nothing but onely in finding out the causes of naturall things and in disputing curiously of them he gaue himselfe wholie to the knowledge of himselfe I meane of his soule which he maintained to be in deed man and by disputuation to intreat of the soueraigne good thereof and of vertue By which meanes the gate of wisedome was opened vnto him wherein he profited in such sort that according to the oracle at Delphos he was called of all men the wise the iust the prince of Philosophers and father of Philosophie And surely out of his sayings which being more diuine than humane were written by his disciples all other Philosophers haue drawne their knowledge Heraclitus another excellent man minding to giue out in speech that he had done some notable act woorthy of himselfe said I haue sought my selfe Which beginning truely is verie necassarie for man as being a guide to leade him to the true knowledge of God which is a heauenly gifte of God and peculiar to his And this is learnedly taught vs by the same Socrates where he saith that the dutie of a wise man is to seeke out the reasons of things that in the ende he may finde that diuine reason wherby they were made and hauing found it may worship and serue it that afterward he may enioy it and reape profite thereby Moreouer he addeth that the perfect knowledge of ones selfe which consisteth in the soule is in such sort ioined with the knowledge of God that the one without the other cannot be sincere and perfect And for the same reason Plato his disciple who for the excellencie of his writings was surnamed the Diuins saith that the perfect dutie of man is first to know his owne nature then to contemplate the diuine nature and last of all to bestow his labour in those things which may be most beneficiall to all men Ignorance of a mans selfe saith Lactantius and the want of knowledge wherefore and to what end he is borne is the cause of error of euill of leauing the right way to follow the crooked of wandring out of the plaine way to walke in the ragged and vneeuen way or vpon a dangerous and slipperie mountaine and lastly of forsaking the light to walke in darknes Now if we account it a shamefull thing to be ignorant of those things which belong to the life of man surely the not knowing of our selues is much more dishonest Let vs then consider what man is according to that meane knowledge which by the grace of God we are endued withal not staying in those curious definitions which the Philosophers haue made Man is a creature made of God after his owne image iust holy good and right by nature and compounded of soule and body I say of soule which was inspired of God with spirite and life and of a perfect naturall bodie framed of the earth by the same power of God In this sort man had his beeing of the eternal workmaster of the whole world of whom he was created by his incomprehensible goodnes to be made partaker of his immortalitie and permanent felicitie for this onely ende to set foorth the glorie of his Creator and to speake and do those things that are agreeable vnto him through the acknowledgement of his benefits From which ende man being fallen of his own free wil through ingratitude and disobedience was bereaued of all those ornaments which he had receiued before of God and in steede of righteousnes and holines all iniquitie filthines and vncleannes entred into him wherby he was made the slaue of sinne and of death from whence all those miseries had their beginning wherewith the life of man is ouerwhelmed His soule also was wrapped with infinite hurtfull passions and perturbations which worke in it a continuall disquietnes and his body became subiect to innumerable trauailes and violent vntowardnes Of which corruption the ancient Philosophers had great and assured knowledge but the first and true cause therof which was sinne and the voluntarie fall of man with his restoring vnto grace by the vnspeakeable goodnes and mercie of his Creator from whence he was fallen were alwaies hidden from them as we shall see anon as also from an infinite number of men who liuing holily according to the world neuer had the perfect knowledge of God in his eternall sonne As for any good thing whatsoeuer they vttered or found out it came through earnestnes of studie by discoursing and considering in the reasonable part of their soule of those things which offred themselues to their minde But forasmuch as they were not wholy ouerwhelmed in euery part of reason and yet had no knowledge of the heauenly word Iesus Christ they vttered many things contrarie one to another and in the midst of their great and woonderfull skill according to that saying of the Scripture who hideth his secrets from the prudent and reueleth them to babes they had a continuall troubled spirit wandring here and there aswell in the seeking out of themselues and of the causes of naturall things as of those things which are aboue nature And truely the reason of man naturally ingraffed in his hart which so farre foorth
as he is man and according to his habilitie and maner of life he imitateth and followeth is diuers from that which by speciall grace from aboue commeth to the elect accompanieth them and helpeth them in all their actions This is full of faith and of vndeceaueable assurance of eternal promises the other weake troubled and woonderfully hindred wherin a man can neuer haue any certaine resolution This is that which caused Aristotle who was Platoes disciple and prince of the Peripatetike schoole to say that the more knowledge a man hath the greater occasion of doubting was offred Neither can we iudge otherwise but that the same reason of trouble and doubting mooued the aboue named Heraclitus that great Philosopher to spend his life in continuall weeping howsoeuer he alleageth wisely that it was for the compassion he had of mans nature both for that the life of men consisted in nothing but in miseries as also because all the labours wherein they exercised themselues seemed vnto him to be woorthy of great commiseration and pitie namely seeing that they being farre wide of iustice did yet through too greedie desire make themselues slaues vnto all couetousnes and vainglorie This also was an argument of inconstancie and wauering in Democritus who neuer came abroad amongst men but he laughed vnmeasurably at all their works and deeds Howbeit herein he said truely that the life of man was vanitie and follie and that all their lustes and desires were fonde and woorthy to be laughed at But such extremities of laughter and weeping are not seemely in him who is well instructed in the studie of Philosophie and in the certaine knowledge of himselfe which thing these Philosophers so earnestly laboured to attaine vnto as we shall see anon after we haue learned what other ancient men haue thought of the nature and state of man What other thing saith Pindarus is man than the shadow of a dreame in ones sleepe Whereby he sheweth the vanitie of man by an excellent manner of speaking verie significantly vttering his meaning For what thing is lesse than a dreame yea than the shadow of a dreame Homer hauing compared mortall creatures together both in respect of their continuance as of the maintenance of their life crieth out that of all those which walke on the earth and draw breath there is not one more miserable than man Timon the Athenian detesting much more than al these the imbecility of mans nature vsed and imploied all his skill to perswade his countrimen to abridge and shorten the course of their so miserable life and to hasten their end by hanging themselues vpon gibbets which he had caused to be set vp in great number in a fielde that he bought for the same purpose vnto whose perswasions many gaue place Plinie rehearsing the great miseries wherewith man commeth into this world and the manifold labors wherin he liueth saide that it were good for a man not to be borne at all or else so soone as he is borne to die It was a custome amongst the Scythians to weepe at the birth of their children and to reioice and make a solemne feast at the death of their parents Now as the opinions of these philosophers heere named by vs who being destitute of the light of God and of true religion had no other foundation but their owne humane and weake discourses are to be reiected for inclosing all mankind in such a vile and abiect estate so on the other side we must take heed that we enter not into that presumptuous opinion of many others who endeuour to lead man to the consideration of his dignitie and excellencie as being endewed with infinite graces For they persuade him that through the quicknes of his vnderstanding he may mount vp to the perfect knowledge of the greatest secrets of God and nature and that by the only studie of philosophie he may of himselfe following his owne nature become maister of all euill passions and perturbations and attaine to a rare and supreme kinde of vertue which is void of those affections that being thus exempted and freed from all vice he may lead a most happy and perfect life This did the Stoike philosophers with one consent maintaine and teach saying Whosoeuer receiued their doctrine if in the morning he were very wicked in the euening he should become a very good man if he laid himselfe downe to sleepe being ignorant vicious poore the next morning he should arise wise vertuous rich happie and iust Zeno Seneca Diogenes Chrysippus and infinite mo otherwise endewed with most fruitful doctrine as we shall vnderstand heerafter were of this opinion Insomuch that Chrysippus said that Dion the chiefest man for knowledge in Syracusa was no lesse vertuous than his god Iupiter to whom they attributed perfect diuinitie Seneca also boasted that he had receiued life by the benefit of God but to liue wel from himselfe Thus whilest they granted to mans power such an excellent and diuine disposition they lift him vp in a vaine presumption in pride and trust in himselfe and in his owne vertue which in the end cannot but be the cause of his vtter vndoing We therefore holding the meane betweene these two contrarie opinions as the perfection and goodnes of all things consisteth in mediocritie and continuing to speake of man as we haue alreadie begun do say that the knowledge of himselfe is very necessarie for him and that hauing perfectly attained therunto he hath cause both to be humbled greatly as also to glorie and reioice First to humble himselfe through the sence and feeling of his vanitie peruersnes corruption in which respect he ought to hate and be displeased with himselfe bicause he beholdeth his destruction and condemnation ingrauen in his conscience Secondly he is to glorie in the knowledge of God which inseparably followeth the other after he hath learned this that in the mercie of God he may recouer that which is wanting in himselfe hauing once beene made and fashioned of God who is altogither pure wise true good and almightie to the end he might be partaker of his glorie For the obtaining heerof he had giuen vnto him from the beginning as trustie guides godlines holines and religion godlines to the end he might knowe thereby that he had God for his father holines to yeeld vnto him continuall glorie and praise and religion to keepe him in a continuall meditation of his grace and benefits and to serue him for an indissoluble bond to knit him to his Creator who threatened him with death if he did the contrarie But our first father through ingratitude and disobedience forsaking those heauenlie guides to follow his owne free-will depriued himselfe and all his posteritie of that promise of eternall life that was made vnto him Whereupon being dead to his first life which was most happie and innocent through his offence and peruersnes of his sin he began from that
ought to contemne all things that we may obtaine it after the example of some ancient Sages whom we will alledge Philosophie is a loue or desire of wisedom Or otherwise it is a profession studie and exercise of that wisedome which is the knowledge of diuine and humane things and which properly belongeth to him who onely is sufficient of himselfe and is wisedome it selfe namely to God Pythagoras was the first that gaue the name to philosophie which being diuided as well by him as by other ancient philosophers into diuers and sundrie arts and sciences we may distinguish into two generall parts onely into the Contemplatiue part and into the Morall which som call Actiue We will make two kinds of the Contemplatiue Diuine and Naturall As touching the diuine part it is that highest and most vnchangeable knowledge whereunto we must wholy refer the end of our being and the scope of all our purposes studies and actions namely to be able to know and to glorifie the Creator and preseruer of the whole world Of this eternall knowledge which Socrates called Wisedome we say with Iustin who was both a philosopher and a martyr that all louers of Christian faith ought to endeuor not to be ignorant no not of any point belonging to the knowledge and perfect keeping of God his commandements but especially they must haue in singular recommendation his seruice and true worship As touching the absolute and perfect knowledge of heauenlie mysteries they ought to desire the vnderstanding of them so far foorth as they are able and according to the gift and measure of graces which shall be giuen them from aboue But if the eie of their soule dazell in the consideration of them it shall be sufficient to honor and admire them with due reuerence and to beleeue them stedfastly knowing that mans vnderstanding is not able to attaine to the exquisite knowledge of so high mysteries Naturall philosophie consisteth chiefly in the Mathematiks which are diuided into many parts and particular sciences of which the most of them seeme to manie not greatly necessarie as that which intreateth of the nature of the heauens of the sunne of the moone of their motions measures of the naturall causes of al things Which oftentimes serueth rather to content the curiositie of hawtie spirits than to make them better insomuch â—hat sometimes by speculations and by vaine and friuolous questions they seeke out the naturall causes of things so curiously that in the end they striue to finde out another beginning of all things than God whereby at length they remaine deceiued and confounded in their knowledge as both the writings of so many ancient philosophers and also the life of many in our time do proue vnto vs. Neuertheles there are some parts of the Mathematiks necessarie to be knowen for the great profit that may come vnto vs by them as Physicke Atithmetike Geometrie and others But the subiect of our Academie will not suffer vs to handle all these sciences at this present I will say thus much onely by the way that we ought so to rule and direct the profession of all naturall philosophie that we vse it not before we haue been well and sufficiently instructed in the feare and knowledge of God and of all things that concerne a good and happie life and that vaineglorie should not be the end of that studie but that it should rauish vs more and more in the contemplation of the works of that great maister-builder of the whole frame to the end to glorifie him in greater measure And yet we must aboue all things beware that we fall not into that curse of the prophet which he denounceth against those who being destitute of Gods grace by reason of their sinnes giue themselues to soothsaying and to seeke after sorcerers magitians and calculators of natiuities which things we see are too common amongst vs insomuch that he is iudged as it were miserable that knoweth not his Horoscope from whence so many abuses inuocations and cursed charmes haue proceeded by little and little Let vs shun such vaine knowledge proper to infidels and Atheists and refer our euents and issues which albeit we knew before yet could we not assure our selues that we should auoid them to the onely prouidence and direction of God It remaineth now to intreate of the other part of philosophie called Morall Of this I thinke Socrates the wise man meant to speake when he said that philosophie consisted not in learning manie things or in medling with many arts but in the perfect knowledge of iustice prudence and of all other morall vertues He addeth further that this philosophie worketh two things in our mind the one in purging it as well of perturbations as of false opinions and the other in causing it to returne into the right way by reasons and exhortations drawen from earthly and sensible formes to such as are spirituall which are inclosed within our soules that by them we may be led to God the Idea and paterne of all good This is that morall philosophie which we haue vndertaken to handle in all our discourses and which is so necessarie for the life of man For as the vntamed horse by reason of his ouer-great wildnes is not profitable for any thing so he that is drawen away by his affections which philosophie onely can moderate is vnprofitable and vnworthie of all companie and of all gouernment either publike or priuate It is philosophie that teacheth vs the doctrine of good life and causeth vs to know our miseries and the meanes whereby we may be deliuered from them She it is that frameth in our vnderstanding the iudgement of reason and learneth vs to lead a life agreeable to doctrine shewing vnto vs what true honestie is what perfect beautie and what in truth and in deed is profitable She represseth all euil passions and perturbations of the soule appeaseth the vnsatiable desires therof deliuereth it from all feare and from all earthlie carefulnes filling it with tranquillitie constancie assurance magnanimitie and sufficiencie She purgeth pride presumption ambition choler reuenge couetousnes iniustice and in a word she it is that by the meanes of reason guided by the heauenly spirit which teacheth vs reason and giueth it vnto vs for a law frameth all the maners and behauior of man according to the paterne of vertue by ingraffing it in his setled soule as his onely permanent good and by causing him to do that willingly which others as Xenocrates said do by compulsion and for feare of lawes We are by philosophie instructed at large in that dutie and obedience which we owe to our parents superiors and lawes and taught how much we ought to loue and honor one another our wiues our children our brethren yea al those that are not of our bloud She it is saith Cicero that containeth the discipline of vertue of dutie and of good life she is
vnbeseeming good wits This did Antisthenes giue one to vnderstand who greatly commended Ismenius for an excellent plaier on the flute it is true quoth he to him but otherwise he is good for nothing For else had he not been so good a minstrell So euerie one applying himselfe to some base and vaine art produceth for witnes against himselfe that labor which he hath bestowed about vnprofitable matters to prooue that he hath beene idle and slothfull in learning honest and profitable things And for the last fruit and vse of our speech we see heere what great occasion we haue all our life time to become the disciples of knowledge which is so high and profound and to diminish all pride and presumption of our skill after the example of that wise man Socrates who although he were the learnedest of his time and so iudged to be by the oracle at Delphos yet alwaies said that he knew nothing And when he was demanded any thing he would neuer answer resolutely as if he would haue been beleeued but doubtingly vsed to say I thinke so or It may be so Being therefore desirous to learne with all modestie let vs endeuor to seeke out more and more by trauell and studie the assurance and knowledge of veritie and vertue Of the Spirit and of memorie Chap. 8. AMANA HAuing now discoursed of the greatnes beutie and profit of knowledge I thinke that if we were to wish for two helps very necessarie for the attaining vnto it those ought to be a spirit or mind ready to conceiue and memorie firme to retaine without which two things we shall profit our selues little and much lesse a great many ARAM. Those two things which thou propoundest vnto vs would seeme woonderfull if they were togither For we commonly see that they who haue a readie and quicke wit for the most part want memorie and they that learne with greatest difficultie and paine do best retaine and keepe that which they haue once learned ACHITOB. This talke of the spirit whereunto you attribute the propertie of comprehending and yet speake not of the soule is vndoubtedly worthie of great consideration For euen when we speake of a yong infant we say by and by that his spirit or wit will grow with his bodie and of a crooked old-sire we say that his spirit waxeth old with him which in many we see oftentimes becommeth altogither dul and vnfit for the ordering gouernment of affaires Now that which waxeth old draweth to an end as the scripture it selfe teacheth vs concerning times and seasons which wax old like to mens garments and are to take end And yet we know that the soule is immortall and therefore waxeth not old So that one would thinke that the soule and spirit are two distinct things although we see euery where the one taken for the other But let vs heare ASER discourse of this matter and so we shall learne what the spirit is in the soule ASER. As the works of the diuine power are altogither incomprehensible to the outward sence of man and very hard to be comprehended by reason guided conducted by grace from aboue so we are not to think much if the knowledge of a mans selfe which is most necessary be so hardly found out by him seeing his composition farre passeth all the works of nature that are visible and subiect to sight Now if a man cannot know himselfe how should he hope to comprehend greater matters which are supernaturall and hidden in the heauens And who can rightly boast that he hath the true and perfect vnderstanding of the chiefest part and most powerfull beginning of himselfe namely of his spirite Who am I saide Socrates Am I a subiect compounded of soule and body Or rather a soule that vseth the body as a horseman doth a horse Or is euery one of vs that principall part of the soule whereby we vnderstand discourse and do and all the other parts of the bodie but instruments of this power Or if there be no proper substance at all of the soule by it selfe but that it is onely a temperature and complexion of the bodie so framed that it hath power to vnderstand and to liue am I not a sauage beast more crafty bold and furious than euer was the serpent Typhon Or else am I a meeker and simpler creature pertaker of a better estate and voide of pride All the excellentest philosophers that euer were handled this self same matter aswel as Socrates with incredible trauel and paine that they may attaine to this knowledge of the noblest part in the which is the soule and spirite taking indifferently the one for the other But first of all this wise Socrates spake excellently of the dignitie and immortalitie of the soule saying that in truth the soule is man and not this mortall masse and lumpe of the bodie which of it selfe is no more than a simple and base instrument is in regard of the most cunning workeman of any art of science And for this cause giuing vp the ghost amongst his disciples and being asked by Clito where he would be buried As for Socrates quoth he to him take thou no thought or care For thou canst not stay him whose tombe hath beene from all time readie for him But concerning that which he leaueth here below it is not woorthy to be cared for by him The greatest thing said Periander that may be said to be contained in a little place is the soule in a mans bodie Empedocles speaking of the generation of the soule saith that neither bloud nor the vitall spirit congealed haue giuen vnto vs the substance of the soule and the beginning of life The bodie onely is compounded earthlie and mortall But the generation of the soule is heauenly being sent here below as a passenger and stranger or as one that is banished and sent out of his countrey Whereupon she continually sigheth groneth and as it were drieth away like to a good plant translated out of a good plot of ground into a bad vntill in the end she returne and be receiued into hir immortall habitation after she hath changed hir present life which is vnto hir but as a vaine illusion of some dreame in respect of a true certaine and permanent life Surely these philosophicall speculations are not vaine and friuolous but very necessarie to lead vs to that happie end of our being which we seeke for For if we be well instructed concerning the great and honorable place and condition which the soule enioieth aboue the bodie as well in hir immortall generation as in hir contemplation and action as also that of hir happines dependeth as before we handled it the felicitie of the whole frame of man will we not apply all our principall care studie and diligence in prouiding such things for hir as she desireth and which are meet and healthfull for hir But we haue further thanks be giuen to
the author of all good a second more perfect vnderstanding of the soul than had all these notable heathen men both in respect of the blessed immortalitie and also of the cause thereof We know also that so long as she is detained in this mortall prison of the bodie that we are become new creatures by the grace of God she is diuided into these two partes the spirit and the flesh betweene which there is a perpetual combat Yea the flesh continually offereth to the spirit a thousand temptations to delight it withall For the bodie and flesh consisting of mortall and corruptible matter are but a lumpe of sinne and full of wicked desires whereas the spirit of it selfe vertuous and good and of an immortall essence is of it owne nature enimie to vice and iniquitie so that being ruled and guided by the spirite of God it loueth and desireth eternall happines and reioiceth in iustice puritie and holines And yet the soule is not so freed from the slauerie of sinne but that there remaineth in hir many steps of the earthly man so that she alwaies carieth about with hir the relickes of the flesh whereby hir libertie is so much diminished This is that fight whereof the true children of God haue dailie experience when they are lifted vpward by the spirit and by the flesh turned downeward by the spirit they bend with an ardent desire towards immortalitie by the flesh they are caried astray into the way of death by the spirit they thinke to liue iustly by the flesh they are stirred foreward to iniquitie by the spirit they contemne the world by the flesh they desire wordly delights But in the ende the grace of God causeth the spirit to remaine superiour so that his children walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Whereas if we be left of God to our owne corrupt and peruerse nature we haue not sufficient strength to resist the temptations of this wicked flesh but in steade of commanding it we obey it with shame and confusion And then accustoming our selues to sinne and to consent to the desires of the flesh the diuine part of the soule is so weakened that she hath no more strength or feeling of hir essence which is enimie to vice but hauing forsaken God he forsaketh hir and giueth hir ouer into the power of carnal desires So that by this long dwelling in sinne being as it were altogither dead she taketh no more counsaile of reason but followeth after detestable vices and such as are against nature But on the contrarie side being guided by the grace of God after we haue laboured by fasting watching and praier to resist the vnpure desires of the flesh al the concupiscences therof wil at length be so tamed and forced that the soule shal execute hir office in commanding ouer them absolutely and in choaking them so soone as they shall spring vp Therefore it commeth from the spirit that we aspire continually to our last and soueraign good that with a singuler desire of hart and with all our affection we studie to seeke and finde it out euen with teares and sighes by reason of those continuall impediments which the flesh laieth before vs in following our course Moreouer the spirit causeth vs to imploy all our might in the separation of the soule from the bodie and in dispising pleasure ambition vainglorie and riches that we may offer an acceptable present by yeelding vnto him the soul which he hath giuen vs. Which thing cannot be done saith Plato but by keeping it as much as may be purged cleansed from earthly spots that she may be knowne and acknowledged aboue amongst hir companions considering that no defiled thing shall enter into the kingdome of heauen In this discourse of the soule and of the spirit thus intermingled I thinke we may here set downe some special difference betwixt them although vndoubtedly the one is taken indifferently for the other without any absurditie yea they are one and the same thing The difference may be made in this sort if we say that the soule is common to all things that haue life as we vse to say that all beasts are animated and haue sensitiue soules but that the spirite which is immortall and capable of reason knowledge is proper and peculiar to man onely And it seemeth that Sophocles would teach vs this distinction when he saith that The spirit is the same thing to the soule which the eie is to the bodie Socrates also putting a difference betweene the soule and the spirit saide that as eucrie seditious man is to be banished out of a well gouerned citie so a spirit enclined to all mischiefe is to be remooued from that soule which we would saue Or else we may say otherwise not diuiding any thing that the spirit is the first and principall part of the soule wherein the Minde the Vnderstanding and the memorie are contained which are most necessary for the direction of all good and vertuous actions and which stand in need of preseruation nourishing and exercise and therfore they are said not without reason to increase decrease in the minde of man The minde is as a white paper wherein as a man groweth in age iudgement he writeth his cogitations and thoughts which the studie of letters and learning do affoord him Vnderstanding is framed by the knowledge of reason and lastly memorie followeth preserueth it being the mother of the muses and the treasorie of knowledge Plutark calleth it the hearing of deafe things and the sight of the blinde There is nothing that serueth so much to beget and preserue learning and knowledge as memorie doth whereof we haue many examples among the ancients We reade of Mithridates king of Pontus who was a great enimie to the Romaines that he had vnder his dominion two twentie nations speaking diuers languages all which he learned and answered their ambassadours in their owne toongs Which thing he could neuer haue comprehended without an excellent and happy memorie which also was the cause that Themistocles knew personally and could name all his countrimen by their proper names The emperor Frederick the 11. spake the Greeke Latin Hebrew Arabian Morisko Almaigne Italian and French toong In our time there was an interpreter of Sultan Solymaus named Genusbey borne in Corfou endued with the richest memorie that euer was For he spake perfectly the Greek toong both vulgar learned the Turkish Arabian Moorish Tartarian Persian Armenian Hebrew Russe Hungarian Sclauonian Italian Spanish Almaign Latin and French It is recorded of Publius Crassus that at one instant he heard fiue sundry languages spoken and answered ech of them in the same toong Whereby we see that he was endued with an excellent and quicke spirite apt to conceiue and with a firme memorie able to retaine them altogither and this may be seene in many But the
for their maner of life and for that which they spake did and taught In all which things Alexander approching next vnto them went also beyond them in this that they taught men of good vnderstandings namely such as were Graecians as well as themselues and that without great paine and trauell but this monark sustaining infinite labor and cheerefully sheading his bloud did change into a better estate and reformed the rude maners of innumerable sauage people euen of such as were brutish by nature Now let vs speake of Caesar the first Romaine Emperour Was it not prudence especially that prepared the way for him to so mightie an empire first by reconciling together Crassus and Pompey two of the greatest Romaine Senators by whose fauor he obtained afterwardes the dignitie of Consulship When he was placed therin being desirous to win the good wil of the people knowing that he was alreadie well vnder propped of the Senatours he preserred many lawes in their behalfe Besides he was very sumptuous and popular if euer any Romaine was not sparing any cost vpon plaies turneies feastes largesses and other baits to curry fauor with the meaner sort of the people and to gaine the honor and credire of a man that is gratious and charitable towards the poore And when he was sent to take vpon him the gouernment of the Gaules he warred there ten yeeres being guided by an vnspeakable prudence that was accompanied with diligence and forecast so that by vsing all occasions wisely to purpose he subdued there three hundred sundry nations tooke eight hundred townes in manie battel 's discomfited three millions of men The commentaries which he wrote himselfe declare sufficiently that his own vertue wrought more exploits than all his armie Of this also he gaue proofe enough in the beginning of the ciuill warre betweene him and Pompey wherein he vsed such diligence that comming out of Fraunce he made himselfe maister of all Italy in threescore daies without any effusion of bloud and droue away his enimy And Cicero who as some say conspired his death in an epistle calleth him a monster of prudence and of incredible diligence Was it not prudence whereby he noted two faults in Pompey which after were the cause of his ouerthrow The first in an incounter of their armies wherein Caesar being at that time the weaker had the woorst And when he perceiued that his enimy pursued him not but retired to his campe he said The victorie this day was in the power of our enimies but their captaine could not perceiue it The other fault which he noted was at the battel of Pharsalia where Pompey was quite ouerthrowne because he charged his souldiers being ranged in battell to stand still in their places and so to attend their enimies Then Caesar saide that in so dooing Pompey tooke from his souldiers the vehemencie and violence of giuing the onset which is as a spurre vnto them in their race besides the heate of courage which this speedie running forward worketh in theÌ„ We see then how necessarie this vertue of prudence is in feats of warre which caused Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia after great losses sustained by the violence of Epaminondas the generall captaine of the Thebanes to say to his men that they should not greatly care for the multitude of their enimies but bend all their force against Epaminondas onely bicause none but wise prudent men were valiant and the onely cause of victorie And therefore if they could beate him downe they should vndoubtedly haue the rest at their deuotion As indeed it came to passe in that battell which they fought togither wherein the Lacedemonians halfe discomfited one of those that fled being pursued by Epaminondas turned back and slew him wherupon the rest tooke such courage and the Thebans were so dismaied that the victorie remained with Agesilaus Now if in warfare prudence beareth such a stroake who doubteth but that in ciuil and politike gouernment she is as necessarie or rather more Diuine Plato in his booke of a common-wealth saith that if a man woulde do notable acts woorthy of perfect praise in the administration of the common-wealth he must haue prudence and iustice followed of power and fortune But we may further say that onely prudence hath set aloft and preserued many great estates from ruine and subuersion The Athenians being diuided and banded into three contrarie parts and factions Solon being very prudent and wise would not ioine himselfe to any of them but kept himselfe indifferent to all practising speaking whatsoeuer he could deuise to ioine reconcile them togither again Wherein he behaued himselfe so well that being chosen by them all for the onely pacisier and reformer of their estate he placed it in greater glorie than euer it was in before by his prudent and wise lawes which were receiued as inuiolable The prudence of Lycurgus the reformer and lawmaker of the Lacedemonians was the cause of the maintenance of their estate aboue fiue hundred yeeres so that it was the chiefest in all Graecia both for glorie and excellencie of gouernment from whence they fell not vntill such time as they wholy neglected those goodly ordinances and lawes which he left them A prudent man alwaies gineth good counsalle and vttereth the same freely being also a good and willing helpe to innocencie Phocion speaking his minde one day in the counsell chamber of the Athenians against the enterprising of a certain war and seeing that his aduise so greatly displeased them that they would not giue him leaue to vtter his minde he spake freely vnto them in this maner Ye may peradâ—â—nture O Athenians force me to do that which ought not to be done but ye can not constraine me to speake any thing contrary to my opinion that ought not to be spoken or counsailed Demosthenes knowing the innocencie of a poore woman drawne into iudgement with danger of being ouerthrowne saued hir by his great prudence For two strangers hauing giuen hir a good summe of money to keepe with this condition that she should not restore it to the one except the other were also present within a while after one of them came very sorrowfull faining that his companion was dead and bringing some counterfeit token therof with him Wherupon he so perswaded this poore woman who ment simply plainely that she restored the monie to him Afterwards the other came demanding the money also brought this woman before a iudge who being without hope of escaping Demosthencs answered for hir that she offred to giue him the money so that he brought his fellow bicause as himselfe confessed she ought not to giue it to the one without the other The profite which a prudent man draweth from his enimies is in this that he knoweth and taketh them for spies for enuiers at his life and ioint-labourers with him for honor and glory wherupon he is the more carefull that his dooings
countries as the histories of most nations in the world declare vnto vs and namely of the Germaines who in the time of Tacitus had neither law nor religion nor knowledge nor forme of commonwealth whereas now they giue place to no nation for good institution in all things Let vs not then be discouraged or faint by knowing our naturall imperfections seeing that through labor and diligence we may recouer that which is wanting but happie is that man and singularly beloued of God to whom both good birth and like bringing vp are granted together It followeth now to discourse particulerly of the maner of good education and instruction of youth but this will come in more fitely when we shall intreat of Oeconomy And yet seeing we are in the discourse of mans nature I thinke it wil not be from the purpose nor without profite if to make vs more seuere censurers of our owne faults we note that although our behauior be cheefely known by the effects as a tree by the fruit yet many times a mans naturall inclinatiō is better perceiued in a light matter as in a word in a pastime or in some other free and priuate busines wherein vertue or vice ingrauen in the soule may be sooner espied than in greater actions and works done publikely bicause in these matters shame or constraint commonly cause men to vse dissimulation Howbeit this also is true that the more power and authoritie a man hath when he may alleadge his owne will for all reason the inward affection of his hart is then best discouered For such an vnbrideled licence mooueth all euen to the verie depth and bottome of his passions and causeth all those secret vices that are hidden in his soule to be fullie and euidently seene Whereupon it followeth that great and noble men ought aboue all others to learne vertue and to studie to liue well especially seeing they haue all those requisite helps and commodities through want of which most men are hindred from attaining thereunto Let vs therefore learne by our present discourse to knowe that the nature of all men by reason of the corruption of sin is so depraued corrupted and vnperfect that euen the best men amongst many imperfections carry about them some enuie ielousy emulation and contention against some or other and rather against their verie friends This did Demas a noble man and greatly conuersant in matters of estate declare vnto the councel in the citie of Chio after a ciuill dissention wherin he had followed that part which ouercame For he perswaded those of his side not to banish all their aduersaries out of the city but to leaue some of them after they had taken from them all meanes of doing more harme least quoth he vnto them we begin to quarrel with our friends hauing no more enemies to contende withall For this cause we must fortifie our selues with vnderstanding and knowledge through labor and studie of good letters that we may restraine and represse so many pernitious motions mingled togither in our soules Let vs know moreouer that seeing our nature is assaulted and prouoked by a vehement inclination to do any thing whatsoeuer it is a very hard matter to withdrawe and keepe it backe by any force no not by the strength or feare of any lawes if in due conuenient time we frame not within it a habite of vertue hauing first wished to be well borne But howsoeuer it be let vs endeuor to be well borne through custome and exercise in vertue which will be vnto vs as it were another nature vsing the meanes of good education and instruction in wisedome whereby our soules shal be made conquerors ouer all hurtfull passions and our minds moderate and staied that in all our doings sayings and thoughts we passe not the bounds of the dutie of a vertuous man The ende of the fourth daies worke THE FIFT DAIES WORKE Of Temperance Chap. 17. ASER. THe diuine excellencie of the order of the equall wonderful constācie of the parts of the world aswell in the goodly and temperate moderation of the seasons of the yeere as in the mutuall coniunctiō of the elements obeying altogither with a perfect harmonie the gratious and soueraigne gouernment of their creator was the cause that Pythagoras first called all the compasse of this vniuersal frame by this name of World which without such an excellent disposition would be but disorder a world of confusion For this word world signifieth asmuch as Ornament or a well disposed order of things Nowe as a constant and temperate order is the foundation thereof so the ground-worke and preseruation of mans happie life for whom all things were made is the vertue of temperance which conteineth the desires and inclinations of the soule within the compasse of mediocritie and moderateth all actions whatsoeuer For this cause hauing hitherto according to our iudgment sufficiently discoursed of the first riuer of the fountaine of honestie I thinke we ought to set downe here in the second place although it be contrarie to the opinion of manie philosophers this vertue of Temperance saying with Socrates that she is the ground-worke and foundation of all vertues AMANA As a man cannot be temperate if first he be not prudent bicause euerie vertuous action proceedeth of knowledge so no man can be strong and valiant if he be not first temperate bicause he that hath a noble and great courage without moderation will attempt a thousand euils and mischeefes and will soone grow to be rash and headie Likewise iustice cannot be had without temperance seeing it is the cheefe point of a iust man to haue his soule free from perturbations Which cannot be done except he be temperate whose proper subiect the soule is ARAM. Heroicall vertue saith Plato is made perfect by the mixture and ioyning together of Temperance and fortitude which being separated will at length become vices For a temperate man that is not couragious easily waxeth to be a coward and faintharted and a noble hart not temperate becommeth rash and presumptuous Let vs then heare ACHITOB discourse of this Temperance so excellent and necessarie a vertue ACHITOB. Agapetus a man of great skill writing to the emperor Iustinian amongst other things had this saying We say that thou art truly and rightly both emperor and king so long as thou canst command and master thy desires and pleasures and art beset and decked with the crowne of Temperance and clothed with the purple robe of Iustice For other principalities end by death whereas this kingdome abideth for euer yea others are manie times the cause of perdition to the soule but this procureth a certaine and an assured safetie When we haue considered well of the woorthie effects and fruits of this vertue of temperance no doubt but we will subscribe to this wise mans opinion and to as many as haue written of the praises and roialties of that vertue Temperance saith thagoras is that light which
too carefull to keep themselues But to come to the conclusiō of our discourse we say with Aristotle that concupiscences and desires change the bodie and make the soule outragious that so many as are infected with such a pernicious and damnable vice as intemperance is are no mē but monsters in nature leading a life altogether like to that of brute beasts which being destitute of all reason know nothing better or more honest than pleasure hauing no knowledge of the iustice of God neither reuerencing the beautie of vertue bestow al the courage craft force that nature hath giuen them to satisfie and to accomplish their desires So that if death brought with it an end of all sence and feeling and an vtter abolishing of the soule as well to men as to beasts intemperate folks should seeme to gaine much by enioying their desires and lusts during their life time and to haue good cause to waxe old and euen to melt in their foule filthie pleasures But seeing we know for truely he that doubteth hereof is very ignorant most miserable that sence and feeling remaine after death and that the soule dieth not with the body but that punishment yea euerlasting payne is prepared for the wicked let vs be careful to do the will of our father which is in heauen whilest we haue time that in the triumphing day of his eternal sonne we may not heare to our confusion that sentence of his mouth Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie At which time the iust shall shine as the sunne in the kingdome of God and the wicked shall be cast headlong into euerlasting fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie Chap. 19. ARAM. SOcrates vsed to dispute earnestly and grauely of the manner of liuing as of a thing of great importance For he said that continencie in meate and drinke was as it were the foundation and beginning of skill And truely the minde is much more prompt to comprehend all good reason when the operations of the braine are not hindered by vapours which the superfluitie of meates send vp thither I am of opinion therefore that we handle this vertue of sobriety which dependeth of temperance and is contained vnder the first part thereof namely vnder continencie ACHITOB. To liue well and frugally saith Plato is to liue temperately and as Epictetus saith there is great difference betweene liuing well and liuing sumptuously For the one commeth of temperance frugalitie discipline honestie and moderation of the soule contented with her owne riches and the other of intemperance lust and contempt of all order and mediocritie In the end the one is followed with shame and the other with true and lasting praise ASER. We can not well vse our spirite saith Cicero when we are stuffed with meate Neither must we gratifie the belly and intrailes only but also the honest ioy of the mind For that which is contained in the other parts perisheth but the soule separated from the body abideth for euer Let vs then harken to AMANA of whome we may vnderstand howe necessary sobrietie is for a happie life AMANA If we set before our eies the long and happy life of the Ancients so long as they obserued sobrietie and frugalitie out of doubt we will attribute one principall cause of our so short life and so full of infirmities to the riot superfluitie and curiositie of diet which at this day are seene amongst vs. The life of our first Fathers was it not maintained a long time with fruits milke honie and water Who euer came neere their long and happie daies since those times What preparation of exquisite victuals did those six hundred thousand Israelites thinke to find that came out of Egypt to go into a new land walking fortie yeeres through the wildernes drinking nothing but water and many times wanting that After those first ages the Grecians and Romanes loued sobrietie more than all other nations And as the Hebrewes vsed to eate but once a daye which was at dinner so the Grecians onely supped For this cause we read that Plato being demanded whether he had seene any new or strang thing in Sicilia answered that he had found a monster of nature which did eate twice a day This he spake of Dionysius the tyrant who first brought vp that custome in his countrey In the time of Iulius Caesar the Germaines a strong and warlike people liued onely of milke cheese and flesh not knowing what wheate and wine were nor yet what it was to labour the ground or to sowe Yea how many millions of men are there at this day in the West regions and Ilands who know not what all this superfluitie and daintines of fare meaneth and yet liue long and healthie in all frugalitie the greatest part of them vpon herbs and rootes whereof they make cakes in steede of wheate and others of raw flesh Whereby it is easie to iudge that sobrietie is the preseruation and maintenance of health and of naturall strength and vigor and so consequently of the life of man But when we looke higher and with the eies of our mind marke the excellent glorie and immortall praise deserued by so many Camilli Scipiones Fabriti◠Metelli Catones and by a thousand other famous families which executed so many woorthy acts by their owne vertue and yet in the meane while kept such a simple and sober diet that the most of them were contented with bread herbs and water endured and tolerated cheerefully all iniuries of weather went but homely araied and altogither contemned gold and siluer out of question we will iudge those men very blind and farre from the white of such glorie and honour who imbrace nothing but dissolutenes superfluitie lust dronkennes pride and all such like imperfections that beare sway amongst vs who behold Vice mounted so high that men must in a manner blush as much to speake of Vertue or to be vertuous in a thousand companies as in that happy time of the Ancients they were ashamed of vice or to be vitious And truly I thinke that these men being past shame care but little for the glorie that hath beene in many ages seeing they liue for the body onely after a brutish impietie without all regard of the foule or of the second life What say I for the body Nay rather they are the destroiers thereof seeing it cannot be denied but that sobrietie is a great benefit and helpe to preserue health and bodily strength and to expell diseases and is to be vsed as a good foundation to attaine to a happy old age The experience heereof is well knowne to euery one although there were no other proofe but this that we see the simple sort of people that labor and trauell to liue with bread and water grow old in health whereas our Princes and great Lords being delicately brought vp in idlenes die yoong men tormented with infinite diseases especially when they
imagined For nothing marreth more the behauior simplicitie and natural goodnes of any people than this bicause they soone receiue into their soules a liuely impression of that dissolutenes and villanie which they see and heare when it is ioyned with words accents gestures motions actions wherewith players and iuglers know how to inrich by all kind of artificiall sleights the filthiest and most dishonest matters which commonly they make choice of And to speake freely in few wordes we may truely say that the Theater of players is a schoole of all vnchastnes vncleannes whoredom craft subtletie and wickednes Now let vs speake of those that propound as we said vnto themselves the vainglory of outward shew among the best and men of great calling through friuolous vnprofitable and superfluous expences as in sumptuous and costly apparel precious and rich moueables goodly furniture and trapping of horses great traine of seruing men dogs birds other vanities gifts and presents sent to such as are vnwoorthie thereby to obtaine the good will of them that are most wicked in authoritie to the end to prepare a way vnto high callings and to preferments vnto offices Besides the wasting of their goods hereupon to their shame and confusion which they should imploy vpon charitable works they spend many times other mens goods euen the substance of the poore which they craftily get by vnlawfull meanes This is that which at length as Crates the Philosopher said very well stirreth vp ciuill warres seditions and tyrannies within cities to the end that such voluptuous men and ambitious of vaine glorie fishing in a troubled water may haue wherewith to maintaine their foolish expences and so come to the ende of their platformes Heerof we haue many examples in the ciuil wars amongst the Romanes as namely vnder Cinna Carbo Marius and Sylla Likewise in the conspiracie of Catiline his complices who being of the chiefe families in Rome and perceiuing themselues to be brought to the estate of bankrupts as we commonly say sought by all meanes to prosecute their first deliberation which was alwaies to seeme great and mightie Thus dealt Caesar in procuring to his countrey that ciuill warre which he made against Pompey after he had indebted himselfe in seuen hundred and fiftie thousand crownes to get the fauor and good liking of the people This is that which Heraclitus meant to teach his countreymen when after a sedition appeased and quieted being asked what waie were best to be taken that the like should not fall out againe he went vp into that place from whence orations were made to the people there in steed of speaking began to eate a morsell of browne bread and to drinke a glasse of water Which being done he came downe againe and spake neuer a word Heerby he would signifie that vntill daintines of fare were banished the citie and immoderate expences cut off and sobrietie and modesty brought in their place they should neuer be without sedition If this counsell were euer requisite in a Monarchie it is certainly most necessarie at this present for ours wherein all kind of supersluitie riot and weltring in pleasures curiositie in apparell tapistrie and pictures vessels perfumes and painting of faces aboundeth in greater measure than heertofore it did amongst the Persians which was the cause of their finall subuersion and of Alexanders greatnes who subdued them That which for the space of fiue hundred yeeres and more maintained the Lacedemonian estate being the chiefest in Grecia for glory and goodnes of gouernment was the cutting off and abolishing of all superfluitie in diet apparel moueables and of all strang wares which Lycurgus banished Whereby also forraine merchants the cause of corruption banished themselues as they that seeke not after others but for gaine by selling their nouelties very deere vnto them Neither did the Romane Commonwealth florish more at any time than when those men that caried about them perfumes and sweetesmels and those women that were found swilling like drunkards were corrected with the same punishment This caused Cato being the Censurer of the election of two captaines that one of them might be sent as General of the Pannonian warre to say with a loud voice that he would dismisse Publius his Allie bicause he neuer saw him returne wounded from the war but had seene him walke vp and downe the citie of Rome perfumed What would he haue said of our Courtiers so finely curled ruft and perfumed The Kings and Magistrats of those so happie times were the principall obseruers of their owne lawes and edicts reforming themselues before all others and liuing so austerely that their example constrained their subiects more to follow them than all the punishments which they could haue deuised to propound vnto them We haue a notable testimonie heereof in Agis king of Sparta who in his returne from the warre wherein he had ouercome the Athenians being desirous to sup priuately with his wife sent into the kitchen that was appointed for his band and company for they liued all in common being seuered into quarters to haue his portion But this was denied him and the next morning for this fact he was fined by the Ephories who were ioined in soueraigne authoritie with the kings for the maintenance of lawes and of iustice in which sentence and iudgement of theirs he willingly rested But to returne to our matter how ought we to blush for our riot and excesse in apparell which we maintaine with such glorie What follie is it to imploy the industrie of the soule ordained for heauenlie things in trimming decking and gilding hir enimie hir prison and if I may so speake hir poison the bodie Excesse of apparell saith Erasmus is an argument of the incontinencie of the soule and rather whetteth the eies of the beholders thereof to wicked desires than to any honest opinion and conceite Decke not thy house saith Epictetus with tables and pictures but paint it with temperance For the one is to feede the eies vainely but the other is an eternall ornament and such a one as can neuer be defaced If we make account of things of small importance we despise those that are of great weight but in not caring at all for little things we make our selues woorthie of great admiration That great Monarke Augustus Caesar ware no other garments than such as his wife and daughters made and those very modest Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia neuer had but one kind of garment for winter and sommer Epaminondas Generall Captaine of the Thebanes was contented with one onely gowne al the yeere long Further if we looke vnto their simplicitie and modestie in their traine and followers truely it was woorthie of reuerence being without pride pompe or superfluous magnificence Scipio Africanus that great Captaine going as delegate into Asia to compound and end certaine contentions that were betweene the kings of that countrey was accompanied but
slain by the womans husband whome he abused Roderigo king of Spaine was depriued of his kingdome and life by the Sarrasins who were called in by an earle named Iulian that he might be auenged of his king who had forced his daughter Galeatius Maria Duke of Millan being at masse was slaine by a Citizen who stroke him into the stomack with a dagger faining that he would haue spoken with him The chiefe cause heerof was for a suspition which he had conceiued that this Prince intertained his wife In the time of Philip the faire king of France two knights that were brothers named d'Aunoy were flaied aliue for their whoredomes committed with a Queene of Nauarre and with the Countesse of March daughter to the Countie of Burgundie which twaine also were condemned to perpetuall prison Not long since Peter Lewes Duke of Placentia was murdred for his incests and incredible whoredoms Among other things it is written of him that he forced Cosmes Chers bishop of Valentia whome he caused to be held by his men and after poisoned him least he should haue accused him to the Emperour Also not long ago the cities of Almendine Delmedine were cut off from the kingdome of Fez and brought vnder obedience to the Portingales bicause a yoong woman was taken away by force from hir husband by the Gouernor of them who was afterwards slaine Abusahid also king of Fez was murdered with sixe of his children by his Secretarie whose wife he had abused This is set downe by Leon in the description of Africke In our time and euen amongst vs too many such examples of the pernitious fruits of whoredom haue fallen out Neuertheles it beareth such sway in this desolate France that they are accounted the gallantest men who are the greatest pillers of whoredome Yea the greater sort that ought to be paterns of chastitie to others are bold in the practise thereof thinking to couer their shame to cloke and disguise their whoredome with the maske of vertue accounting it a point of glorie and honor to be the chiefest and most expert in that schoole But let vs know that this visard is but to make them altogither without excuse before him from whom nothing can be hidden and who abhorreth all maliciousnes and shameles impudencie wherwith whoremongers set forth their face And seeing that he whose mercie is endles supplieth the want and infirmitie of his creatures this vice of whoredome is without all colour of excuse before him bicause he hath giuen vs a holie and honourable remedie against it which is mariage permitted to euery one but yet despised of all whoremongers to their ruine and eternall confusion And if they were not wholly blinded through continuance in vice the scourges of ciuill warre of heresie of famine and of rebellion which Fraunce at this day suffereth would be more than enough to vnseele their eies that they might acknowledge the wrath of the Almightie readie to destroy them both bodie and soule Therefore let vs that are better instructed by our Academie learne of Socrates that a wise man ought to passe by pleasures as by the Syrens if he long to attaine to vertue his most happie countrey and dwelling place And for a good helpe heerunto let vs take the counsell of Epictetus saying When thy spirite is drawne with some desire of pleasure beware thou tumble not into some downefall and meditate a litle considering diligently that after thou hast beene ouercome of pleasure there remaineth nothing but repentance and thy hatred against thy selfe Where as if thou abstainest a stedfast and assured ioy possesseth thy hart which wholy driueth away sorow Thus let vs endeuor to decke our selues with puritie chastitie and vprightnes hating in such sort voluptuousnes and lecherie the deere and costlie pleasure whereof passeth away as the winde and leaueth behind it a shamefull remembrance that following the will of our law-maker we shun all dissolutenes tending that way whether it be immodest garments vnchast gestures and countenances or vile and filthie words which may induce others to euill Let vs remember in good time what Archelaus a Greek Philosopher said to a yoong man clothed with superfluous apparell that it was all one in what part soeuer of his bodie he declared his vnchastnes and that it was euermore to be condemned But aboue all things let that diuine sentence sound without ceasing in our eares that no whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Iesus Christ And if being naturally giuen to loue pleasure and to feare griefe we would delight our soule with a ioy that is both profitable and pleasant let vs lift it vp in the meditation of those vnspeakeable and endles riches which are promised vnto it in that happie immortalitie and so we shall weaken and make fruitles that desire of worldlie pleasure which is borne togither with vs. Of glorie praise honor and of pride Chap. 23. ARAM. MEn hauing their eies couered with ignorance vse commonly to say that he hath a great loftie and noble mind who aspireth to honors estats riches and other worldlie vanities Albeit truly if we narrowly looke vnto the end wherefore they direct their intents and actions that way we shall see nothing els in them but a desire of vaine-glorie praise thereby to feede their pride and naturall passions which are so pernitious in the soule that if they be not ruled by temperance and mediocritie and grounded vpon vertue which is the fountain of honor they will bring foorth very dangerous effects cleane contrary to mens desires ACHITOB. They saith Seneca that would make choice of a happy life must not follow the fashion maner of life vsed by the multitude and greatest part of men but such a one as is altogither contrary therunto And this we shall do if we despise the glory honor praise and pride of the world and iudge nothing woorthy to be cared for of vs but onely vertue which is able to bring vs to the fulnesse of true glory and of euerlasting felicitie ASER. The glory saith Pindarus that a man taketh to see himselfe in honor and credite maketh pains to seeme pleasant and trauell tollerable It is the propertie of a stone saith Cicero not to haue any feeling of the difference that is betweene praise and dispraise but it belongeth to a wise man not to be so mooued with all these things as that they should cause him to draw backe from duetie Let vs thā heare AMANA discourse more at large of the matter which is here propounded vnto vs. AMANA Most certain it is that commonly nothing affecteth a man more than the coueting of glory of praise and of honor whereof he is by nature desirous But as all the passions and diseases of the soule are for the most part folowed with those inconueniences which men pretend most of all to eschew so oftentimes they that glaunce at honor as if
miserable passions which depriue vs of true rest tranquillitie necessarie for a happie life let vs be carefull to learne how to discerne true happines from mishap that we may reioyce in that which is good and as readily giue thanks to the author thereof as naturally through a false opinion which we haue of euill we sustaine humaine miseries and crosses vnpatiently First then let vs heare the sundry and notable opinions of many ancient men touching good and ill hap If thou knowest all that ought to be knowen in all things said Pythagoras thou art happy Let them be accounted very happy said Homer to whom fortune hath equally wayed the good with the euill The greatest miserie of all said Bias is not to be able to beare miserie That man is happie said Dionysius the elder that hath learned from his youth to be vnhappy For he will beare the yoke better whereunto he hath been subiect and accustomed of long tyme. Demetrius surnamed the Besieger said That he iudged none more vnhappy than he that neuer tasted of aduersitie as if he would haue sayd that it was a sure argument that fortune iudged him to be so base abiect that he deserued not that she should busie hir selfe about him That man saith Cicero is very happy who thinketh that no humane matters how grieuous soeuer they may be are intollerable or ought to discourage him iudging also nothing so excellent wherby he should be mooued to reioyce in such sort that his hart be puffed and lift vp thereby Yea he is very happy who fitly and conueniently behaueth himself in all things necessary for him Nothing is euil saith Plutarke that is necessarie By which word Necessarie both he and Cicero vnderstand whatsoeuer commeth to a wise man by fatall destinie bicause he beareth it patiently as that which cannot be auoyded thereby increasing his vertue so much the more and so no euill can come to a good man Solon drawing neerer to the truth of sincere happinesse sayd that it consisted in a good life and death and that to iudge them happy that are aliue considering the danger of so many alterations wherein they are were all one as if a man should before hand appoint the reward of the victorie for one that is yet fighting not beyng sure that he should ouercome Socrates speaking rather with a diuine than a humane spirite sayd that when we shall be deliuered from this body wherein our soule is inclosed as an Oyster in his shell we may than be happy but not sooner and that felicitie cannot be obtained in this life but that we must hope to enioy it perfectly in the other life as well for our vertues as by the grace and mercy of God Not the rich said Plato but the wise and prudent auoyd miserie They that thinke sayth Aristotle that externall goods are the cause of happines deceiue themselues no lesse than if they supposed that cunning playing on the harpe came from the instrument and not from Arte but we must seeke for it in the good and quiet estate of the soule For as we say not that a body is perfect bicause it is richly arayed but rather bicause it is well framed and healthfull so a soule well instructed is the cause that both hir selfe and the bodie wherein she is inclosed are happy which cannot be verified of a man bicause he is rich in gold and siluer When I consider all the aboue named wise opinions of these Ethnikes and Pagans I cannot sufficiently maruell at the ignorance and blockishnes of many in our age touching Good and Ill hap bicause they labor to make these words priuate and to tie them to the successe of their affections in worldly matters which if they fall out according to their desire and liking behold presently they are rauished with extreme ioy boasting of thēselues that they are most happy But contrarywise if they misse of their intents by and by they dispaire and thinke themselues the vnhappiest men in the world Do we not also see that most men iudge them happy that possesse riches pleasure delight glory and honour and those men miserable that want especially if after they had aboundance they loose it by some mishap the cause wherof they commonly attribute either to good or ill lucke which they say ruleth all humaine affaires We read that Apollonius Thianaeus hauing trauelled ouer al Asia Afrike and Europe sayd that of two things whereat he maruelled most in all the world the first was that he alwayes sawe the proud man commaund the humble the quarellous the quiet the tyrant the iust the cruel the pitifull the coward the hardie the ignorant the skilfull and the greatest thieues hang the innocent But in the meane while who may doubt whether of these were the happiest that the good were not rather than the wicked if happines according to the ancients to the truth be perfected in good things then it is certain that whosoeuer enioieth al good things shall be perfectly happy Now nothing can be called good but that which is profitable and contrary to euill so that whatsoeuer may as so one be euill as good ought not to be called good Moreouer it must be the possession of some firme stedfast and permanent Good that maketh a man happy For nothing ought to wax old to perish or decay of those things wherin a happy life consisteth seeing he that feareth to loose them cannot be sayd to liue quietly Therefore neither beautie nor strength and disposition of body neither riches glory honour or pleasure can be truely called Goods seeing oftentymes they are the cause of so many euils waxe old and vanish away many times as soone as a man hath receiued them and lastly worke in vs an vnsatiable desire of them How many men are there to whom all these things haue been the occasion of euill And how can we call that good which being possessed and that in abundance cannot yet keep the owner thereof from being vnhappy and miserable Wherfore we may say that happines cannot be perfected by the possession of humane and mortall things neither vnhappines through the want of them but that the true felicitie which we ought to desire in this world consisteth in the goods of the soule nourished in the hope of that vnspeakable euerlasting happines which is promised and assured vnto it in the second life And so we say that none are vnhappy but they who by reason of their peruersnesse feele in their conscience a doubting of the expectation of eternall promises as also they that giue ouer themselues to vice whose nature is to corrupt destroy and infect with the venom that is alwayes about it all things whereof it taketh hold As for the common miseries of mans life they cannot in any sort make him vnhappy whose naturall disposition maners beyng framed and decked with vertue are able to giue to impart to euery
studie and contemplation to make a happie life so that otherwise it is as it were dead and idle what shall we say of that life that is void both of studie and action but that it is more beast-like than humane And how many millions of men are there in the world who liue in this sort and more in France than in any other nation Yea howe many are more idle and lesse carefull than brute beasts neglecting the prouision euen of things necessarie for this present life Amongst the obscure precepts which Pythagoras gaue to his Disciples this was one Take good heede that thou sit not vpon a bushell meaning that Idlenes and Sloth were especially to be eschewed Likewise when we shall enter into the consideration of those euils that issue from idlenes and sloth no doubt but we will flie from them as from the plague of our soules They are greatly to be feared in a Common-wealth bicause they open a gate to all iniustice and kindle the fire of sedition which setteth a floate all kind of impietie Furthermore they are the cause of the finding out of infinite false and pernitious inuentions for the releâ—uing of pouertie which for the most part floweth from the same fountaine of idlenes This mooued the wise and ancient kings of Egypt to imploy their idle people in digging of the earth and in the drawing foorth building of those Pyramides the chiefe of which is by the Historiographers placed among the seuen woonders of the world It could not be perfectly finished before the space of twentie yeeres albeit that three hundred and three score thousand men wrought about it continually The Captaines and Heades of the Romane armies fearing the dangerous effects of idlenes no lesse in their host than in their townes caused their souldiors to trauell in making of trenches when they were not vrged of their enemies as Marius did alongest the riuer of Rhone The Emperor Claudius enioying an assured peace caused the chanell Fucinus to be made that Rome might haue the commoditie of good waters about which work thirtie thousand men were daily imploied for the space of twelue yeeres Adrianus seeing a generall peace within his Empire continually vndertooke new and long iournies one while into Fraunce another while into Germanie sometime into Asia into other strange countries causing his men of warre to march with him saying that he did for feare least they being idle should be corrupted forget the discipline of warre and so be the cause of nouelties And it seemeth that this was the cause why a wise Romane councelled the Senate not to destroy Carthage least the Romanes being in safetie by the vtter subuersion thereof which onely at that time made head against them should become idle But now we may iustly say of them that through a lazie and cowardlie idlenes they haue lost the dignitie and vertue of their forefathers The Ephoryes who were Gouernors of the Lacedemonian estate being mooued with the same reason with which the Romane Scipio Nasica was touched after intelligence had of the taking sacking of a great towne into which their men were entred said that the armie of their youth was lost Whereupon they sent word to the Captaine of the armie that he should not after the same manner destroy another towne which he had besieged writing these words vnto him Take not away the pricke which stirreth forward the harts of our yoong men Gelon king of Syracusa led his people oftentimes into the fields aswell to labor the ground and to plant as to fight both that the earth might be better being well dressed as also bicause he feared least his people should waxe woorse for want of trauell So greatly did these ancient wise men feare the pernitious effects of idlenes and sloth which bring to nothing and corrupt the goodnes of nature whereas diligence exercise in good educatioÌ„ correcteth the naughtines thereof For as close waters saith Plutark putrifie quickly bicause they are couered shadowed standing so they that busie not themselues but remaine idle albeit they haue some good thing in them yet if they bring it not foorth neither exercise those naturall faculties that were borne with them they corrupt and destroy them vtterly And which is woorse as concupiscence saith Plato and luxuriousnes are quenched with great sharpe and continuall labor so are they kindled through idlenes Aretchles and slothfull man can find out nothing that is easie But there is nothing saith Seneca whereunto continuall labor is not able to attaine through care and vigilancie men come to the end of most difficult matters Fortune saith a Poet helpeth and fauoureth them that boldly set their hand to the worke but giueth the repulse to fearefull and base-minded men Let vs beleeue said Pythagoras that laborious and painefull things will sooner lead vs to vertue than those that are nice and delicate And as Hesiodus saith the Gods haue placed sweate before vertue and the way that leadeth vnto hir is long difficult and craggie A good Pilot seeing a tempest at hand calleth vpon the Gods that they would graunt him grace to escape it but in the meane while he taketh the helme into his hand he vaileth the foresaile and bringing about the maine saile laboureth to come out of the darke sea Hesiodus commaundeth the Husbandman to make his vowes to Iupiter and to Ceres before he either ploweth or soweth but he must do it with his hand vpon the plow taile Plato writing his lawes forbiddeth a man to fetch water at his neighbours house before he hath digged and delued in his owne ground euen to the clay and that it be perceiued that no water springeth there In like sort lawes must prouide for necessitie and not fauour sloth and idlenes By sloth we loose that which we haue alreadie well gotten but by diligence we attaine to that which we haue not and which may be necessarie for vs. I passed saith the wise man by the field of the slothfull and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and lo it was all growne ouer with thornes and nettles had couered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe It is sloth and negligence that causeth a man through want of good vnderstanding and iudgement not to care for the getting of that which is needfull for him bicause he feareth least he should loose it Whereupon this would follow which is a very absurd thing that nothing how deare and precious soeuer it be ought to be sought for or desired seeing all things are subiect to chaunge yea knowledge through great diseases and other inconueniences may be lessened and lost Idlenesse and slouth doe not hurt the soule onely but impaire also the health of the bodie Yea that rest which a man taketh by negligence is much more hurtfull vnto him than painfull exercise And they which thinke that health needeth
as Archidamus did very well signifie to one who asked of him what were those gouernours of the Lacedemonian common-wealth by whose means it was maintained in such and so great glory as was then to be seen They are said he the lawes first and next the magistrates obseruing the lawes Moreouer the law must be the rule of Iustice as Iustice is the end of the law In some other place we shall vnderstand more at large by the grace of God what the law is and how we are to obey it where also we will consider particularly of the duetie of magistrates and of their dignitie In the mean time let vs mark well for our instruction the notable sayings and examples of ancient men here mentioned of vs which do sufficiently testifie vnto vs how greatly they recommended the preseruation of this vertue of Iustice Whereof if we beleeue as the truth is that God is the author that he doth continually exercise the same amongst vs by visible testimonies and that he will bring it to a full periode and perfection at the appointed time which is only known to him let vs take good heed that we neither contemne nor violate it Let such as are decked with diademes for the administration of Iustice who neuertheles commit this dutie to others vnder them make choice of sufficient and able men to beare so heauie a charge I meane able both for their learning and also for their good example of life Otherwise let them be sure that this great Iudge will require at their hands the wrong that is offred to innocēcy To meete with which inconuenience to take away the cause of so many abuses naughtie dealings which now a daies are knowen to such as are most ignorant to the vtter ouerthrow of a million of poore families I thinke that this is one of the best and surest means not to leaue Iustice which is so precious a thing to the licence of any whosoeuer will take it vpon him whereby it is set to open sale as it were some merchandise of small account Which dealing that I may speake my mind freely giueth occasion yea constraineth those men to take bribes and to be couetous who according to the counsaile of Iethro giuen to Moses ought to be farthest from it For so long as the places of iudgement shall be vendible and bestowed vpon him that offreth most we shall alwayes see that for mony such as are most ignorant worst liuers vnworthiest will be the first chiefest Now what iustice can be hoped for of such men For after they are once placed therin the chiefest respect is to reape gaine profit and aduantage according to that valew rate of money which they laid out vpon it Did my office cost me so much than it must be thus much worth vnto me For if I had imployed my money else-where I might haue had thus much of reuenues and inheritance Truly this saying full of impietie neuer caused them to blush that haue vttered it sundrie times although it hath wrought the same effect in many that haue heard it The Emperor Alexander and after him Lewes the 12. vsed this speech long since by way of prophecie That buyers of Offices would sell by retaile as deare as they could that which they bought in grosse And for this cause a wise Politician of our time hath written very learnedly that they which set to sale estates offices and benefices sell withall the most sacred thing in the world which is Iustice They sell the common-wealth they sell the bloud of the subiects they sell the lawes and taking away the reward of honor of vertue of knowledge of godlinesse of religion they open a gate to thefts to bribes to couetousnes to iniustice to ignorance to impietie in a word to all kind of vice and filthines Neither do I doubt but that they which buy them are as greatly to be reprooued and blamed as those that sell them bicause they minister life and nourishment as much as in them lieth to this monstrous Hydra of couetousnesse and lucre which sucketh vp and deuoureth the substance of the poore But they will say if we lay not out our money hereupon others wil do it that are as well prouided with coine and yet peraduenture are not so zealous of Iustice as we are What wilt thou doe euill for feare least another should do it before thee Besides if thou considerest thy selfe well what leadeth thee hereunto but ambition or couetousnes And if peraduenture some one among an hundred is touched with a good desire to profite and to serue his countrey what can he do alone amongst ten that are corrupted But let this be spoken without offence to good men who for the most part bewaile their estate and condition being in such company And let not such buiers of offices thinke that bicause of their bought estates they deserue any honor if for other respects they are not worthie which is the reward of vertue only but rather let them know that they deceiue themselues no lesse than those men did who thought to flie with the golden wings of Euripides making that thing of the heauiest matter that could be which ought to be most light The Emperor Aurelianus was so fearfull of placing an vnworthie man in the seat of iudgement that he neuer preferred any to the dignitie of a Senator but with the consent of the whole Senate But to end our speech we will hold this that nothing is more necessarie to guide and to order the life of man to hir proper happy end than the vertue of Iustice which being taken from amongst vs all other vertues sequester themselues far from vs giuing place to the perturbations of our soules which draw vs into ruine and confusion And when as the greater sort being well instructed in their dutie bestow the administration of Iustice vpon those men only that deserue it opening that gate vnto them only for their vertue then do they put in vre the first point requisite for the preseruation of their estates namely the recompensing of good men This will cause euery one to seeke out the way that leadeth to vertue whose propertie it is to bring men to honor And frō this good beginning will proceed the other point no lesse necessary being the intire ornament and preseruation of Iustice namely the punishment of the wicked so that all things shal be maintained in good order to the benefit rest profit and greatnes of this French monarchie Of Iniustice and of Seueritie Chap. 38. ACHITOB AS there is but one onely waye to hitte the white and many to misse it by shooting either higher or lower than is requisite so fareth it with our actions which cannot be good but after one sort but are euill many waies This is that which we noted before in discoursing of three principal vertues called Morall which consist in the midst of two
sonnes head to be cut off bicause he fought agaynst his enimie bodie to bodie contrary to the Edicts and out of his ranke albeit he came away victor The act of Ausidius the Romane was more cruel barbarous than iust when he slew his sonne for withdrawing himselfe to take part with Catiline vttring this speech vnto him I did not wretch as thou art beget thee for Catiline but for thy countrey Such murders and cruelties deface all the commendation of Iustice whose waies ought to be ordinary and vsuall ruling rigor with gentlenes as the rigor of discipline ought to moderate gentlenes that the one may be commended by the other Seneca rehearseth a crueller fact than any of the former committed by Piso the Proconsul who seeyng a souldior returne alone to the campe condemned him to withstanding he affirmed that his fellow came after him At the very instant of the execution his companion came whereupon the captaine that had charge to see the condemned partie executed returned to the Proconsul with both the souldiors But Piso being offended therwith put them all three to death the first bicause he was condemned the second bicause he was the cause of the condemnation and the captaine bicause he obeied not so that he put three to death for the innocencie of one man abusing his authoritie and power in most cruell maner what soeuer rigor was vsed in those times in the ordinaunce of warlike discipline Now to take from vs all taste of such barbarousnesse let vs cal to mind an act of Augustus Caesar worthie of eternall praise who would not condemne one that was accused of seeking his death bicause the arguments and proofes were insufficient but left him to the iudgement of God Let vs learne therfore for the conclusion of our discourse to hate all kind of Iniustice in such sort that euery one of vs seeke to profit his neighbour rating at an high price as Euripi saith the violating of right which is holy and sacred And thus through the good order of magistrates and reformation of euery one by himselfe the wicked shall haue no means to rob to spoile by force to take bribes and to deceiue others when breakers of iust lawes shall be punished Then will the effect of those two sentences take place which are taken out of the holy scriptures and written in a table in the great chamber of the palace belonging to the head citie of this kingdome and which ought to be well engrauen in the harts of all Iudges the first sentence is conteined in these words Execute iudgement and righteousnesse or otherwise I haue sworne by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste The other sentence is this O ye Iudges take heed what ye do for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord and with what iudgement ye iudge ye shal be iudged For truely the crowne of praise and immortall glory is kept and prepared for them that walke in truth and righteousnes but shame and dishonor with eternall fire for those that perseuer in vnrighteousnes Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason Chap. 39. ARAM. SVch is the corruption of our age wherin impietie and malice are come in place of ancient innocencie that vertue seemeth very vnfit to be receiued and imploied in affaires seeing the gate is quite shut vp against hit So that a man might aptly say that whosoeuer should thinke to bring backe agayne amidst the peruerse liues and corrupt maners of this present time the vprightnesse and integritie of ancient behauior he did as much as if he offered fruites out of season which being faire in sight were notwithstanding vnfit to be vsed Neuerthelesse we must not doubt to bring hir in sight and to maintaine hir with all our power who knoweth how to cause hir enimie Vice both to reuerence and feare hir and in the end also to triumph ouer him mauger all the power and vnder-propping which he receiueth from the wicked In the middest therfore of so many trecheries and treasons wherof men glory now adaies let vs not be afraid to paint them out in their colors therby giuing honor to Fidelitie which is a part of Iustice or rather Iustice it selfe which I leaue to you my companions to make plaine vnto vs. ACHITOB. It is impietie to violate faith For God who is truth detesteth all lying and is a terrible reuenger of the contempt of his name To loue or to hate openly saith Cicero doth better beseeme a noble hart than for a man to hide and to dissemble his will and affection ASER. Guile and fraud saith Seneca are meete weapons for a cowardly and base-minded man Therefore we must take good heed as Pittacus said That fame speake not euill of vs to them vnto whom we haue given our faith But it belongeth to thee AMANA to handle this matter AMANA Amongst the famous and great personages of olde time no vertue was more commended or straightlier kept and obserued than Faith and Fidelitie which they affirmed to be the foundation of Iustice the indissoluble bond of friendship and the sure supporter of humane societie Of this Faith we mind now to speake not touching at all that religious and sacred faith concerning the holy mysteries of true pietie which is a singular gift of God his spirit and peculiar to those that appertain to his eternall election This therfore which respecteth the mutuall conuersation and promises of men hath been always kept vnuiolable of honorable men ought to be so amongst vs bicause he that giueth his faith layeth to pawne whatsoeuer is most precious diuine in his soule So that if he forget himselfe somuch as to breake and violate the same he committeth manifest impietie shewing that he careth not to offend God by abusing his name to colour his lying It were a great deale better neuer to take God to witnes than to forsweare him in mockerie seeing the Scripture so often forbiddeth vs to take his name in vaine to sweare falsly by it or in any sort to defile the same It is true that this question hath alwaies beene and is at this daye more than euer in controuersie namely whether a man is bound to performe that which he hath promised and sworne to by compulsion or no And this sentence is receiued approoued of many that nothing but our Will bindeth vs to performe those things which necessitie forceth vs to promise But to speake according to truth and without any particular passion we say that true and perfect magnanimitie suffereth vs not to promise any thing and to pawne our faith thereunto except we were willing to performe it bicause no vertuous and wise man ought to forget himselfe so farre as to do or to promise any thing contrary to his dutie for any necessity no not for death it selfe Neither is there any thing wherby a foole is sooner discerned from
himself but only willeth vs not to be vnthākful for that which it pleaseth him to giue vs. And through this self same fountain of the corruptions of our soule we are bewitched with vnthankful forgetfulnes of those good turns which we receiue from our like yea vpon the least dislike of them which either with or without reason we forge in our braines we say that neuer any did vs good The vassaile for the least deniall or hard countenaunce which he receiueth of his lord forgetteth all the good turnes furtherances and fauours which before that time he had done vnto him The sonne complaineth of the father the brother of the brother the friend of the friend the seruant of the master Alas we see but too many such vngrateful wretches in France who euē betray sel daily them of whom they hold all their aduancement greatnes And if vnthankfulnes be familiar with the meaner sort let vs not thinke that it is farther off from those of higher calling For vpon euery light occasion especially if a man frame not himselfe to that vice which they haue in greatest recommendation they easily forget all the seruice that hath been done vnto them by reason of some new-come guest who will shew himselfe a seruiceable minister of their pleasures This commeth to passe soonest when they grow vp and increase in calling and greatnes bicause commonly as they mount vp in calling not being well instructed in vertue they waxe worse and worse in behauior But let them boldly take this for an infallible rule that an vnthankfull prince cannot long retaine a good man in his seruice For the hope of reward saith Plutarke is one of the elements and grounds of vertue and of that honor bountie and humanitie wherwith the prince recompenceth vertuous men thereby prouoking and alluring them to seeke the welfare of his estate This also is that which procureth the proceedings of Artes and Sciences and that which bringeth foorth notable wits as contrarywise all these things languish that are extinguished by litle and litle through the ingratitude and couetousnes of those that rule The ancients said not without cause that impudencie was the companion of ingratitude For if no beast as they say is so shamelesse as an impudent who is he that may be said to haue lesse shame than an vnthankful body Impudencie saith Theophrastus is a contempt of glory wrought in a man through the desire of vile and filthie gayne and that man is impudent that boroweth some thing of him whome he purposeth to deceiue Are not these the proper effects of the vice of Ingratitude which seeketh nothing else but to drawe away the commoditie and profite of euery one being vnwilling to doe good to any or to requite a pleasure receiued neither caring for true glory and immortall honor which followeth euery vertuous action grounded vpon dutie and honesty And truly it is a very hard matter for them to be answerable to their honor who seeke their owne profit as much as may be For we must know that in equitie and reason there is a difference betweene duetie and that which we commonly call profit yea they are distinct things and separated one frō the other as honestie is from such earthly commoditie This latter maketh men voyd of feare to breake a sunder and to dissolue whatsoeuer was ordeined and ioyned togither both by the law of God and man so that they may gaine thereby But the other cleane contrary causeth them to imploy liberally their goods trauell industrie and whatsoeuer else is in their power that they may profit euery one and that without hope of any recompence albeit they that receiue good turnes are bound to returne againe the like to their benefactors according to their abilitie and to acknowledge their kindnes For this cause amongst the lawes of Draco established among the Athenians there was a commandement that if any man had receiued a benefit of his neighbor and it were prooued against him long time after that he had been vnthankfull for it had ill acknowledged the good turne receiued I say that such a one should be put to death And although no histories are able to shew vnto vs any kings or princes which surmounted yea which matched Alexander the great in munificence and liberalitie or Iulius Caesar in pardoning iniuries yet we read of them that when they had knowledge of an vngratefull person Alexander neuer gaue vnto him nor Caesar euer forgaue him so greatly haue vertuous men alwayes hated ingratitude It is reported of the Storke that as often as she hath yong she casteth one out of the neast for the hire of the house and reward of him that lodged hir O barbarous ingratitude to behold him that hath been lodged serued and brought vp in a house and that with the sweate and labor of another to seeke and to endeuor the spoil of all that is therin euen to the honor oftentimes the life of his host Is it not the same vice of vnthankfulnes that soweth dissentions and quarels between the children the father between brethren kinffolks friends and all for want of acknowledging one towards another that bond of nature wherewith we ought to be tied and that secondary supply of good turns which knit vs vnseparably and make vs daily beholding vnto them if we consider exactly the nature of our estate which cannot stand without the succor and aide of many how great so euer we be But what We see by experience that which one of the Ancients said That all humane things growe to be old and come to the end of their time except Ingratitude For the greater the encrease of mortall men is the more doth vnthankfulnesse augment And yet we may note many examples in histories against this vice which ought to awaken vs in our dutie Pyrrhus is exceedingly commended by Historiographers bicause he was gentle and familiar with his friendes ready to pardon them when they had angred him and very earnest and forward in requiting recompencing those good turnes which he had receiued Which caused him to be grieued aboue measure for the death of a friend of his not as he said bicause he saw that befall him which is common and necessarily incident to the nature of man but bicause he had lost all means of acknowledging vnto him those benefits which he had receiued whereupon he reprooued and blamed himselfe for delaying and deferring it ouer-long For truly money lent may well be restored to his heires that did lend it but it goeth to the hart of a man that is of a good noble and excellent nature if he cannot make the selfe same man that benefited him to feele the recompence of those pleasures which he receiued This caused the ancients not onely to feare the note of ingratitude towards their friends but also to contend with their enimies which of them should do most good and shew greatest
honestie shamefastnes She ware a iewell hanging by a riben about hir necke to signifie that she was bound and put in subiection to hir husband She presented also to hir husband water in one hand and fire in the other Which some interprete thus that as the communication of mans life consisteth chiefly in the vse of these two elements of fire water so there cannot be any fellowship more familiar or neerer linked togither than that of the husband and the wife Now bicause fire and water signifie communication others haue thus vnderstood it that as fire and water are cleane contraries aswell in the first as in the second qualities so are man and wife the one being hot and dry of the nature of fire and the other cold and moist of the nature of water which contrarieties being ioined togither make a harmonie temperature of loue Againe some would haue the dissentions murmurings complaints that are often in mariages signified therby wherin laughter is not without weeping nor rest without labor nor sweete without sower according to the nature of all earthly things in which we cannot taste honie without gall nor sugar without Aloes Many other ceremonies were vsed of the Ancients which for breuity sake as also bicause there is smal instruction in them I omit for this present Therefore to conclude our discourse we learne that the name of a house doth not onely signifie the wals and roofe of a building but that it ought to be taken for a familie gathered togither to communicate one with another in all necessities We learne also that in euery mariage we ought to haue regard to the ordinance and institution of God and to those politike lawes vnder which we liue to the ende we trouble not common tranquillitie that we must auoide all disparitie of goods of houses of age and especially of nature and manners Let vs not suffer our selues to be caried away with any foolish passion but looke chiefly to this that vnder a gratious honest behauiour may shine foorth cleare and euident steps of an vpright and sincere soule void of dissimulation saying with the Wise man Fauour is deceitfull and beautie is vanitie but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised We must also rid our wedding assemblies of all dissolutenes of all kind of allurements to voluptuousnes and nicenes that they may rather seeme to be schooles of honour and chastitie than of intemperancie and loosenes If we lay such foundations in mariages no doubt but God will blesse them and make them happie and prosperous to the glorie of his name and to the quietnes and contentation of vs all Of the particular dutie of a husband towards his wife Chap. 47. ARAM. AS Phisitions stand more in feare of feauers engendred of hid causes gathered togither by little and little of a long time than of those which proceed of very apparant causes so the smal iarres and daily quarrelings of maried folkes being vnknowne to strangers and drawing by litle and little to an incurable hardnes do more separate them one from another than any other cause whatsoeuer Therefore it is necessary that all the rootes of such naughty sprigs should be cut off and all occasions eschewed which might prouoke one another to the least and lightest anger that may be The industrie of the man ought to aime especially at this being called to the honorable estate of Head of a familie looking diligently that he performe such dutie towards hir who is so straightly linked vnto him that such dissentions neuer take their beginning through his default Let vs then my Companions take occasion of this subiect to be better instructed in the dutie of a husband towards his wife ACHITOB. Reioice sayth the Wise man with the wife of thy youth Let hir be as the louing Hinde and pleasant Roe let hir breastes satisfie thee at all times and delight in hir loue continually For why shouldest thou delight in a strange woman or imbrace the bosome of a stranger For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lorde and he pondereth all his pathes ASER. Husbands sayth S. Paule loue your wiues euen as Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it So ought men to loue their wiues as their owne bodies he that loueth his wife loueth himselfe But it belongeth to thee AMANA to handle vs this point at large AMANA Gorgias an excellent Orator commended of Cicero in many places exhorted the Graecians long since to peace and concord by an oration of woonderfull arte Which when he had ended one Melanthus stoode vp before all the companie that was present and sayd My Lordes behold Gorgias who by his eloquent oration exhorteth vs that are in number infinite to concord and yet he cannot playe the Oratour so well as to cause his wife and hir chamber-maide to liue quietly with him in his house wherein there are but they three For ye shall daily see them at strife and continuall dissention Therefore my Lordes I thinke it great rashnes in him to exhort vs to concord when he cannot haue it himselfe in his priuate house And truly besides the vnspeakeable torment that is ioined with such riots ianglings and controuersies in a house it is a shamefull offence when they are knowne to strangers The Ancients had a priuate and houshold God whome they called the God Lar which we may translate into our language the God of the Harth He was had in such veneration that if any man withdrewe himselfe to the harth and house of his deadlie enimie his enimie durst not offer him anie violence as long as he was there the harth being vnto him a sanctuarie and place of immunitie For so we read of Themistocles that being banished from Athens and pursued by some that would haue layed violent handes vpon him he fled to the Harth of his deadlie enimie who for that cause durst not strike him nor offer him any iniurie This Harth was dedicated and consecrated to the Goddesse Vesta and was placed where the chiefe fire of the house was made Nowe I pray you if it were prohibited and accounted an vniust thing for a man to quarrell to iniurie or to offer violence euen to his vtter enimie beeing fled to his Harth howe infamous an acte thinke you and vnwoorthie the nature of man did these men iudge it to be to offer any violence to them that were of the same Harth but chiefly to the wife who is a principall person belonging to the bed table Harth yea to the whole house of the husband and is called by the lawe a companion both of the diuine and humane house At this daie we commonly obserue this not to offend in any sort those that come to see vs and if we haue any occasion of quarrelling it shall not be shewed as long as they are in our house if we haue any care not to be
aliue as after their death by refusing to ouer-liue them Queene Hipsicrates the wife of king Mithridates cōmeth first to mind who bare such loue towards hir husband that polling hir selfe for his sake although she was yong and very faire she acquainted hir selfe with the wearing of armour and rode with him to the war And when he was ouercome by Pompey she accompanied him in his flight through all Asia whereby she mollified the griefe and sorow which he receiued by his losse Triara wife to Lucius Vitellus brother to the emperour Vitellus seeyng hir husband in a daungerous battell thrust hir selfe amongst the souldiours to beare him company and to helpe him both in death and life and fought as well as the valiauntest amongst them When king Admetus his wife sawe hir husband very sicke and heard the answere of the oracle which was That he could not recouer except one of his best friendes died for him she slew hir selfe When the wife of Ferdinando Gonçales a prince of Italy knewe that hir husband was prisoner and in daunger of death she went to visite him and putting on his apparell abode in his place whilest he beyng clothed in hir garmentes saued him-selfe Zenobia Queene of Armenia seeing hir husband Radamisus flie from a battell and not beyng able to follow him bicause she was great with childe besought him to kill hir Which when he thought to haue done she was striken downe with the blowe of a sworde but being taken of the enimie and throughly healed Tyridates the king who had vanquished hir husband maried hir afterward for the great loue that was in hir The princesse Panthea loued hir husband Abradatus so well that when he died in Cyrus campe she slue hir selfe vpon his bodie Artemisia Queene of Caria for the great loue she bare to hir husband that was dead dranke all the ashes of his bodie meanyng thereby to be his sepulchre When Iulia the wife of Pompey sawe a gowne of hir husbande 's all bloodie wherewith he had offered some sacrifice she imagined that he was slayne and so died presently after When Porcia the wife of Brutus heard of hir husbandes death and perceiued that hir kinsfolkes tooke away all meanes of killing hir self she drew hote burning coles out of the fire and threw them into hir mouth which she closed so fast that shee was choked thereby Sulpitia beyng carefully restrained by hir mother Iulia from seeking hir husband Lentulus in Sicilia whither hee was banished shee went thither beyng apparelled like a slaue banishing hir selfe voluntarily rather than she would forsake hir husband Octauia sister to Augustus and wife to Antonius notwithstanding the iniurie that hir husband offered vnto hir in preferring before hir a Queene that was nothing so yong or faire as she bare such great loue towards him that setting aside al intreatie of hir brother she would neuer leaue hir husbands house but stil brought vp his children by his first mariage as carefully as if they had been hir owne Moreouer she sought by all means to reconcile those two emperors saying that it was an vnworthy thing that two so mightie princes the one for the euil intreatie of his sister the other bicause he was bewitched by a wicked woman should warre one against another As this vertuous princes had taken hir iourney as far as Athens where she ment to take shipping to seeke out hir husband being then in war with the Parthians bringing with hir souldiers mony furniture other munitions he sent hir word that she should passe no farther but stay for him at Rome This she performed and sent him all the aboue named things not seeming at all to be offended with him Wheras he in the mean while skorned hir sporting himself with Cleopatra in the sight and knowledge of all men and afterward delt worse with hir when the warre was begunne between him and Augustus For he sent a commandement to Octauia at Rome to go out of his house which she presently obeied albeit she would not therefore forsake any of hir husbands children but wept and bewailed hir mishap which had brought hir to be a principal cause of that ciuill warre Aria the wife of Cecinna followed in a little boate vnto Rome hir husband who was taken prisoner bicause he had borne armes against the emperour Claudius Being there condemned to die she would haue borne him companie but that hir sonne in lawe and hir daughter stayed hir When she sawe that she strake hir head so hard agaynst the wall that she fell downe amazed and beyng come to hir selfe agayne sayde vnto them You see that you can not hinder me from dying cruelly if ye stay mee from a more gentle death They being astonished at the fact and at hir words suffered hir to do what she would who then ran to the place where hir husband was and slewe hir selfe first after she had spoken thus courageously vnto him I am not Cecinna sorie for that which is done but bicause the race of thy life must end When Seneca was condemned to die by Nero and had libertie to chuse what kind of death he would he caused his veines to be opened in a bath His wife Paulina of hir owne accord did the like to hir self in the same bath mingling togither their blood for a greater vnion and coronation of their long and perfect loue Whereof Nero being aduertised presently commanded that hir veines should be stopt constraining hir thereby to liue a little longer in continuall griefe Hipparchia a very faire rich woman was so farre in loue with the Philosopher Crates who was hard-fauoured and poore that she maried him against all hir kinsfolks minde and followed him throughout all the countrie being poorely apparelled barefoote after the Cynick fashion Pisca seeing hir husband pine away daily through a great and strange discase which he had concealed from hir of long time hauing at the length knowledge thereof and perceiuing it to be incurable she was mooued with pitie for the euill which he suffered whom she loued better than hir selfe and therevpon counselled him with great courage to asswage his griefe by death and the better to stirre him vp thereunto she offered to beare him companie Whereunto hir husband agreeing they imbraced each other and cast themselues headlong into the sea from the top of a rocke The king of Persia taking prisoner the wife of Pandoërus whom he had vanquished and slaine would haue maried hir But she slew hir selfe after she had vttered these words God forbid that to be a Queene I should euer wed him that hath beene the murderer of my deere husband Pandoërus Camma a Greekish woman of the countrie of Galatia bare such loue to hir husband euen after his death that to be reuenged of a great Lorde called Synorix who had put hir husband to death that he might marrie hir she gently
bicause it nourished the Iewish Church in the reuerence of God and yet was distinct from true pietie in like maner albeit their Iudiciall law tended to no other ende than to the preseruation of the selfe same charitie that is commanded in the Morall law yet it had a distinct propertie which was not expresly declared in the commandement of charitie As therefore the ceremonies were abrogated and true religion and pietie I meane Christian substituted in place of the Iudaicll law so the Iudiciarie lawes were cancelled abolished without violating in any sort the dutie of charitie So that all nations haue libertie to make for themselues such lawes as they shall thinke expedient for them called of vs ciuill lawes which must be squared according to the eternall rule of charitie and differing onely in forme they must all haue one end commanding alwaies honest vertuous things and contrariwise forbidding those that are dishonest and vitious Nowe of these ciuill lawes there are two chiefe kindes amongst vs The first consisteth in lawes that are ratified established vpon which euery Monarchie and publike gouernment is first grounded and hath his beginning which ought not in any wise to be infringed or changed such are those which we call the lawes of the French-men namely the Salicke law established by Pharamond who was the first that tooke vpon him the name of king ouer them Such lawes also are annexed and vnited to the crowne and therefore the Prince cannot so abrogate them but that his successor may disanull whatsoeuer he hath done in preiudice of them much lesse are subiects permitted to attempt any such matter Yea all those that go about it seeke nothing but to mooue sedition in the estate and to cause subiects to reuolt from their superiours As for the other ciuill lawes as constitutions ordinaunces edicts and customes which haue beene made and receiued according to the condition and circumstaunce of times and places they are in the power of the soueraigne Prince to change and to correct them as occasion shall serue And yet in the general and particular customes of this Realme none haue beene commonly chaunged but after the lawefull assemblie of the three generall Estates of France or else of the particular Estates of euery Prouince not as if the king were necessarily bound to stand to their aduice or might not do contrary to that which they demand if naturall reason and iustice stand with his will And then whatsoeuer it pleaseth him to like or dislike to command or forbid is held for a law an edict and decree and euery subiect is bound to obey it But to speake generally of the lawes of an Estate the changing and gain-saying of them is a very pernitious plague in euery Common-wealth This ancient rule and Maxime of wise Politicks is well woorth the marking That nothing is to be changed in the lawes of a Common-wealth which hath a long time preserued it selfe in good estate what apparant profite soeuer a man may pretend And for this cause in the popular gouernment of the Romanes vnder Publius Philo the Dictator that Athenian edict was receiued and past by force of lawe whereby it was not lawfull for any to present a request to the people without the aduice of the Senate But there was a farre more strict and seuere decree amongest the Locrians For it was to this effect as Demosthenes rehearseth it that euery Citizen that was desirous to bring in a newe lawe should come and declare it publikely before the people with a halter about his necke to the end that if his newe lawe was not thought meete to be receiued and very profitable for the Common-wealth he might presently be strangled as a woorthie reward for his rashnes In euery societie sayth Aristotle that is well instituted and ordained by lawes great care is to be taken that no part of the lawe although neuer so little be diminished or changed yea most heede is to be had of that which is done by little and little For if resistance be not then made it falleth out in the Common-wealth as in the diseased bodie of a man wherein the disease if speedie remedie be not vsed in the beginning thereof increaseth by little and little and that which might easily haue beene cured through negligence is made incurable Men neuer beginne sayed Paulus Aemilius the Romane Consul to alter and chang the estate of a Common-wealth by making their first entrance with some notorious resisting of the lawes And therefore we must thinke that the preseruation of the principall foundations of a politike Estate is left at randon when men neglect the care of keeping diligentlye the constitutions thereof howe light or of small importance soeuer they seeme to be For seeing the lawe is the sure foundation of euery ciuill societie if that fayle it must needes be that the whole politicall building will fall to ruine Therefore Bias the wise sayd that the Estate of that Common-wealth is happie wherein all the inhabitants feare the lawe as a seuere Tyrant For then whatsoeuer it requireth is vndoubtedly perfourmed After the lawe is once established and approoued saith Isidorus we must not iudge of it but iudge according vnto it That is the beste policie sayde Chilon one of the Sages of Graecia where the people hearken more to the lawes than to the Oratours This also was the cause that Pausanias the Lacedemonian made this aunswere to one who demaunded of him why it was not lawefull in their countrie to alter any of their auncient lawes The reason is quoth he bicause the lawes must bee Mistresses ouer men and not men Maysters ouer the lawes Moreouer the antiquitie and profite of lawes are so euident that it is needeles to make any long discourse thereof heere Moses was the first lawe-maker of the Hebrewes Mercurius Trismegistus of the Egyptians Phoroneus the Kinge of the Graecians Solon of the Athenians Lycurgus of the Lacedemonians Anacharsis of the Scythians Numa Pompilius of the Romanes Ten notable men were chosen by the Senate and people of Rome to translate and to expound the lawes of the twelue tables We haue already declared how Pharamond made ours The greatest and best part of the lawes of Germanie was established by Charles the great Emperour and king of France And so all regions haue had diuers lawmakers according to the condition and circumstance of time place and countrie True it is that before the publishing of the law of God there was no law-maker of whome we haue any knowledge and surely not so much as one word of a law is to be found in all the works of Homer or Orpheus or of any before Moses But Princes iudged and commanded all thinges by their soueraigne power which kind of gouernment being more tyrannicall than kingly could not be of any continuance or assurance bicause there was no bond to knit the great with
general end be to set an order and policie amongst vs and not dispute of their reason and cause as long as their iurisdiction extendeth not to our soules to lay vpon them a new rule of iustice Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Law Chap. 56. AMANA WE haue hitherto seene that the preseruation of policies dependeth of the obseruation of the law that the soueraigne magistrate ruleth thereby and vseth it as a bond to reduce to vnitie and agreement all the citizens of one Common-wealth being vnlike in calling and liuing vnder his dominion at which marke euery good politike gouernor ought chiefly to aime Now my companions we are to intreat of this third part of a citie which maketh the politike body perfect and absolute namely of the people and of that obedience which they ought to yeeld to the magistrate and to the law ARAM. The whole Common-wealth fareth well or ill as all hir parts euen to the least are ruled and containe themselues within the compasse of their duetie For all of them togither make but one body whereof the magistrate is the head and the lawe the soule that giueth life vnto it Wherefore it is needefull that these should commaund and the other obey ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer profiteth the whole profiteth the part and that which is commodious to the part is also commodious to the whole and so contrarywise Wherefore to obey well which is necessarily required of the people is greatly auaileable to the whole political bodie Now let vs heare ASER handle this matter vnto vs more at large ASER. In euery discipline the beginning is commonly taken from the least partes thereof Grammer taketh his beginning from letters which are the least things in it Logike from the two least partes thereof namely the Nowne and the Verbe Geometrie from the point Arithmetick from Vnitie Musick from the Minnem and Sembrief which are likewise the least parts therof Therefore hauing seene that Policie is the order and life of the citie and that the citie is a multitude of citizens before we speak of the whole bodie of them we must as I think intreat first of a citizen who although he differ according to the diuersitie of common-wealths yet to take him properly may be said to be euery one that hath right to iudge in his citie hath a deliberatiue voyce in the generall or common councell thereof This definition of a citizen cannot fitly be applied to all citizens of all Common-wealths but only to those that are ruled popularly wherin they are all equall and gouerne themselues by assemblies in which euery one hath libertie to speake his aduise Some define a citizen to be he whose parents are citizens or els to be a free subiect holding of the soueraigntie of an other wherin they adde this word Free to distinguish him from slaues and strangers But generally we may say that whosoeuer may beare offices or magistracie in what forme of gouernment so euer is reputed taken for a citizen and such are all the naturall Frenchmen in this monarchie amongst whom there is not one how base soeuer he be that may not be made noble by vertue or that may not by skill and integritie of life attaine to the greatest estates of iustice of treasurie and of other publike charges This is not seen in all common-wealths For in the Seignorie of Venice it seemeth that none are truely citizens but the lordes and nobles who onely enioy the office of magistracie and may enter into the great councell after they haue attained the age of fiue and twentie yeeres As for the people they intermeddle not with any matter of gouernment this only excepted that they may be Secretaries and Chancellors as Contarenus reporteth The citie of Rome hauing many times sundry gouernments the appellation of a citizen was likewise diuers therein For as long as the first kings rules the common people were altogither excluded from publike honors offices But after when the regall power was changed into the gouernment of a certaine number of men chosen by suffrages and common voyces the people were admitted to magistracies and to the managing of affairs being present at the publike assemblie had in Mars his field which was distributed by tribes wardes companies and centuries to deliberate of the common estate to create magistrates and to decree new lawes where he was reputed for a citizen in deed that was a free man that had both house and tribe and possibilitie to attaine to honor enioying besides many other priuiledges and prerogatiues But when the soueraigntie came into the emperors hands those assemblies continued onely vnder Iulius and Octautus and after were abrogated by Tyberius and translated to the Senate and to the absolute power of the prince taking away al authoritie frō the people in publike matters Now to returne to our former assertion we say that all they are citizens to whom the gate that leadeth to the gouernment of the citie lieth open I mean the whole company of them that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates Such are all the subiects and naturall vassals of our king of whom the people and the nobilitie are the two orders or estates and of them is the estate of the church compounded which maketh one part of the common-wealth of France This self-same distinction of citizens is obserued almost throughout all Europe But besides this general diuisiō there are some more special in many common-welths as at Venice into the Gentlemen Burgesses Common people at Florence before it was brought in subiectiō to a Prince there were the greater sort the middle sort the vulgar or common sort of people And our ancient Gaules had the Druides the Horsemen the inferior people In Egypt were the Priests the Souldiors the Artificers And although Plato labored to make all the citizens of his common-welth equal in rights prerogatiues yet he diuided them into three estates into Gardes Souldiers and Labourers Whereupon we must necessarilie inferre this conclusion that there neuer was nor can be Common-wealth wherein the citizens were equall in all rights and prerogatiues but that some had more or lesse than others and yet so that wise Politikes haue carefully prouided that the meanest should haue no cause to complaine of their estate Moreouer the conueniencie and proportionable agreement of our French estates hath been the cause why this kingdome vntill this our infortunate age hath continued prospered so long amongst other kingdoms both of auncient and late times namely when Goodes Honours and publike charges were ordinarily distributed according to the condition of euery estate and their rightes and priuiledges preserued especially when it was carefully prouided that one estate should not grow too great aboue the other I meane that the nobilitie should not keep the people too much vnder and bring them to a
according to his will that he may enioy prosperitie in this world and eternall felicitie in the blessed life to come Let him be taught to loue vertue as the only good and to hate vice as the onely euil let him know that the one is folowed no lesse with shame and dishonor than the other with glory and honor especially in a prince in whom if vertue take place as it were in a high watch-tower it shineth so cleerely that the brightnes thereof remaineth long after his death As for all worldly pompe antiquitie of petigree images and riches they are but meere vanitie and folly not woorthie to be cared for or to be admired by a vertuous prince Let him be perswaded that dignitie greatnes and maiestie are not to be sought after by the helpe of fortune or by humane means but by wisdome integritie of life maners and by vertuous and noble deeds Plato saith not without cause that a Common-wealth will neuer be happie vntill princes play the Philosophers or Philosophers take the rudder of the Empire in hand Now his meaning is not to cal him a Philosopher that is learned in Logike in naturall Philosophie and in the Mathematicks but him who with an vntamed hart despiseth the vaine shadowes of things and followeth after true goods A philosopher and a Christian differ but in name and a prince wel instructed in piety is truly both the one and the other Therefore he ought to learne nothing sooner next to the law of God than the morall philosophie of the auncients which teacheth all vertue Is there any thing more foolish than to esteeme highly of a prince if he vaute well if he play well at tennise if he be stoute and strong briefly if he be cunning in some things which peraduenture a peasant would doe better than he and in the meane while he is puffed vp with pride he polleth his people and sporteth himselfe in all kind of dissolutenesse and pleasure What honor is it for a prince to go farre beyond the common sort in precious stones gold purple traine of seruants and in other ornaments of the body and in euery thing that is falsly called good and in the meane while to be farre inferior in the true goods of the soule to many of his people and those of lowest calling These opinions as holy and inuiolable lawes must bee ingrauen in the hart of a young prince and must bee as it were the first lines that are to be drawen in the voide table of his soule namely that he must striue that none excell him in the goods of the soule in wisdome magnanimitie temperance and iustice Frugalitie modestie and sobrietie in other men may be attributed either to pouertie or to niggardlines but in a prince they cannot but be a note of tēperance I meane when he vseth goods modestly who hath as much as he will Ancient men called that prudence miserable which was gottē by the experience of things bicause it is bought with publike losse calamity But such kind of experience ought to be farthest off from a Prince bicause the longer it is a learning the greater cause is it of many euils vnto al his people If Scipio Africanus had reason to say that this speech I had not thought it did not beseem a wise man how much more vnseemely is it for a Prince who cannot vtter the same without his great harme and greater to the Common-wealth For as in a voiage the fault of a common Mariner saide Agapetus doth but little hurte whereas the slip of a Pilot bringeth shipwracke so in monarchies the offence of a priuate man is more hurtfull to himselfe than to the Common-wealth but if the prince begin to faile he hurteth euery one This is the cause why the mind of a prince must especially be instructed with good resolutions sentences to the end he may be skilfull by reason and not by vse For then the counsel of aged men will supply that experience of things which is wanting in him He must be giuen to vnderstand that his life is in the face of all the world that he can do nothing that will be hid and therfore if he be good it must needs turne to the great benefit of many if wicked to their hurt likewise bicause the prince is always the very portrature after which subiects conforme themselues He must know that the greater honour is giuen vnto him the more he is to striue that he may be woorthie of it looking more to his owne doyngs and actions than to the prayses that men giue him which he must beleeue and receiue according as he behaueth himselfe For if hee rule well they are due vnto him if ill he is honoured and praised either through constraint or of flatterie or els it is to shew him vnder hand what he ought to bee Let him know that as God hath placed the Sunne and the Moone in the heauens for a resemblaunce of his diuinitie so a prince is the like representation and light in a kingdome as long as he hath the feare of GOD and the obseruation of iustice imprinted in him For these two things make their life diuine and celestiall that are placed in high degree of power and authoritie as contrarywise the contempt of pietie and iustice maketh it beast-like and sauage As God the giuer of all things standeth not in neede of any mans seruice to receiue a good turne of him so it is the dutie of a worthie prince who representeth the figure of the eternall king to profite euery one with-out respect of his owne commoditie and glory As God is not touched with any affections or passions but ruleth and gouerneth all thinges perfectly by his prouidence so after his example a prince laying aside the perturbations of his soule must follow reason onely in all his dooings As there is nothing more common than the sunne which imparteth of hir light to all the celestiall bodies so a Prince must be alwaies readye to profite the Common-wealth and haue within him the light of wisedome to the end that if others loose their brightnes yet he may neuer be ouertaken with darknes As the Sunne when it is highest in the Zodiacke mooueth slowest so the higher that a Prince is lift vp in greatnes and authoritie the more gentle and gratious he ought to be keeping himselfe from dooing any thing that beseemeth not a Prince Therefore let him thinke that nothing is more vile and abiect than for him that is called a king and Prince of free men to become a slaue to riot choler couetousnes ambition other vices of like qualitie which are most vile and cruell maisters He must be so affected towards his subiects as a good father of a familie is towards those of his houshold bicause a kingdome is nothing els but a great familie and a king the father of a great many For although he passe them in greatnes and
he communicateth his waightiest affaires as they fall out and determineth with them of such principall matters as were deliberated of before in the priuie councell and in the councell of the treasurie if they be such as deserue to bee brought thither In the secret councell the letters of princes of embassadors of gouernors and captains are opened resolutions and matters agreed vpon are commended to the Secretaries of the estate gifts rewards granted with the rolles and records thereof letters and commaundements signed with the kings hand The priuie councell is compounded of diuers great personages called thereunto by his maiestie either for the nobilitie of their bloud and greatnes of their house or for their woorthines wisedom knowledge and experience who haue places and deliberatiue voyces in the councell as long as it pleaseth him Sometime the king sitteth among them when any great matter is in question in his absence the first prince of the bloud is President The Constable and Chancellour two chiefe officers of the crowne haue great authoritie therein the one being principall of warre the other of iustice They sit on each side in equall degree being alwayes one right before another This councel is held either for matters belonging to the treasurie or for other things concerning state-affaires of the kingdom and then none enter therein but the Secretaries of the estate the Treasurer of the priuie treasure the Ouer-seers of the treasures appointed to take knowledge of the leuying and laying out of money and the Secretaries belonging to the same or else it is held for parties that is for the affaires of iustice depending of the soueraigntie Then the maisters of the Requests seruing in their turns enter therin who bring in requests informations suites called thither by Iniunctiōs and other waightie matters which the king hath reserued to his owne knowledge or such as cannot be decided else where Somtimes also the parties themselues are heard or else they speake by Aduocates This is greatly to be commended therein that euery one that hath entrie into the councell although peraduenture he hath neither deliberatiue voyce nor place may bring in any mans request aduertise the councell of that which is profitable for the Common-wealth that order may be taken for the same And many times their counsell is first demaunded then the aduice of the counsellours of estate so that the greatest lordes giue their opinion last to the end that freedom of speech may not be taken away by the authoritie of the princes especially of factious and ambitious men who neuer suffer any contradictions but against their wils By this means also they that haue consulting voyces onely prepare the way and make it easie for them that haue deliberatiue voyces to conclude of matters and many times furnish the councell with good and forceable reasons and if they erre at any time they are brought backe againe by the residue without ielousie This priuie councel deliberateth finally determineth vnder the soueraigne will of the king of the complaints of priuate men in matters concerning the estate of the suites of towns and prouinces iudgeth of the appeales made from Parliaments considereth vpon extraordinary dayes of the decrees of Parliaments concerning their order discipline how it is kept dealeth with the transporting of wheate of wines also with all marchandises either brought in or caried out of the realme and with the impostes laid vpon them taketh order for the currant and finenesse of money hath regard to the demaines of the crowne to lones and taxes and other reuenues of the king and to the chief customs prolonging their yeeres abating the rentes of Farmers or discharging thē altogither taking knowledge of their cause and of former informations ioyning therewith the aduise of the Treasurers of the Generals of those charges All matters whatsoeuer being agreed vpon appointed to take effect must be signed by one Secretarie at the least and somtimes also by one of the masters of Requests before it be sealed by the Chauncellor who ouerlooketh and examineth narrowly all matters concluded vpon which maketh his authoritie very great somtimes odious The great councell which at the first institution therof was seldom imploied but about state-affairs was made an ordinarie court of 17. counsellors by Charles the 8. and Lewes the 12. made it vp 20. besides the Chancellour who was President of that court but vnder king Francis another President was appointed This coūcell had the knowledge of extraordinarie causes by way of commission sent from the priuie councell and ordinarily of appellations made from the Marshal of the kings house The court of Parliament was the Senate of France in old time and erected by Lewes the yong according to the truest opinion to giue aduise to the king in which twelue Peeres were established so that the name of the court of Peeres remaineth with it to this day But Phillip the faire made it an ordinarie court and granted vnto it iurisdiction and seat at Paris but tooke from it the knowledge of state-affaires For as we haue alreadie declared there are no counsellors of estate amongst all the magistrates of Fraunce but those that are ordinarie of the priuie councel But besides the councels specified by vs Princes haue alwayes had a strict councel of two or three of the dearest and trustiest about them wherin the resolution of the aduises and deliberations of other councels is had yea many times of the greatest affaires of the estate before others haue deliberated of them Neuertheles this auncient custome of calling the general estates of the realme togither when they saw it necessarie hath been always obserued by kings and princes Our first progenitours the Gaules before either Romanes or kings ruled ouer them assembled togither out of Aquitane out of the prouince of Narbone of Lyons and of other quarters about the number of threeskore nations to take aduise and counsell of their generall affaires Since that tyme our ancient kings of France haue vsed oftentimes to hold the estates which is the assemblie of all their subiects or of their deputies For to hold the estates is nothing else but when the king communicateth his greatest affaires with his subiects taketh aduise and counsell of them heareth their complaintes and griefes and prouideth for them according to reason This was called in olde time the holding of a Parliament which name it retaineth yet in England and Scotland But at this day the name of Parliament belongeth onely to priuate and particular courtes of Audience consisting of a certaine number of Iudges established by the king in sundry of his Prouinces and the publike and generall courtes of Audience haue taken the name of estates The estates were assembled for diuers causes according as matters were offred either to demaund succour and money of the people or to take order for iustice and for men of warre or for the reuenues of the
children of Fraunce or to prouide for the gouernement of the kingdome or for other matters The kinges sate amongst them and were Presidentes except at one assemblie wherein was debated the noblest cause that euer was namelie to whome the kingdome of Fraunce belonged after the death of Charles the faire whether to his cosin Phillip de Valois or to Edward king of England his brother in lawe King Phillip was not President not beyng at that time king and besides a partie No doubt but the people receiue great benefit by this assemblie of estates For this good commeth vnto them that they may drawe neere to the kings person to make their complaints vnto him to present him their requests and to obtaine remedie and necessary prouision for redresse Whereby we may easily iudge that many who haue written of the duetie of magistrates and such like treatises are greatly deceiued in maintaining this That the estates of the people are aboue the prince which laieth open a gappe to the rebellions of subiects against their soueraign so that this opinion can haue no reason or good ground to leane vpon For if this were true the commō-wealth would not be a kingdom or monarchy but a pure Aristocratie as we haue declared heretofore Yea what shew of reason is there to maintaine this error seeing euery one in particular al in general bowe their knees before the king vse humbly requests supplications which his maiestie receiueth or reiecteth as it seemeth best vnto him But in this case we except a king that is captiue beside himself or in his infancie For that which is thē decreed by the estates is authorized as from the soueraign power of the prince Moreouer we may see what great good commeth to the king by the assemblie of his estates in the first speech which master Michael de l' Hospital Chauncellor of France made at the last assemblie of estates at Orleans Where he confuteth at large their opinion that say that the king after a sort diminisheth his power by taking aduise and counsell of his subiects seeing he is not bound so to doe as also that he maketh himselfe too familiar with them which breedeth contempt and abaseth his roiall dignitie But we may aunswere them as Theopompus king of Sparta did his wife who obiected this vnto him by way of reproch that by bringing in the Ephories and minglyng their gouernement with his he would leaue his authoritie and power lesse to his children than hee receiued it from his predecessours Nay said this Prince vnto hir I will leaue it greater bicause it shall be more assured The Emperour Aurelius sayd as much to his mother bicause hee freely heard euery one Besides as we see that in any great perill of sea or fire kindled to the daunger of publike profite no mans seruice or succour is reiected how base soeuer his calling is so it cannot but be profitable for the Estate when it is threatned with ruine and the affaires therof are of greatest importance to receiue the counsell of all that haue interest therein laying the opinions in the balance rather than the persons from whom they come And hereby the soueraigne maiestie and prudence of a Prince is knowen when he hath both power and skill to waigh and to iudge of their aduice that giue him counsel and to conclude with the soundest not the greatest side But to go forward with that which remaineth let so many as haue this honour to be ordinarie counsellors to Princes remember the saying of Solon the wise That they are not called thither to please and to speake to their liking but to vtter the truth and to giue them good counsell for common safetie that they must bring with them for an assured and certaine foundation of their conference about state-affaires a good intent mooued with reason and iudgement to profite him not with passions or desires of vain-glory of couetousnesse of emulation of any other imperfection that leadeth them to their priuate profite that they must at the entrie of the councell chamber vnclothe themselues of fauour towardes some of hatred towardes others and of ambition in themselues and aime at no other marke than at the honour of God and safetie of the Common-wealth To this ende they must necessarilie be furnished with wisedome iustice and loyaltie As for skill and knowledge although it be requisite in counsellors of estate namely the knowledge of the lawes of histories and of the estate of Common-wealths yet sound iudgement integritie and prudence are much more necessarie Aboue all things they must hold nothing of other Princes and Seignories that may binde them to their seruice And yet now a dayes to receiue a pension of them is so common a matter but very pernitious in any estate that it is growen to a custome Agesilaus would not so much as receiue a letter which the king of Persia wrote vnto him but sayd to his messenger that if the king were friend to the Lacedemonians he need not write particularly to him bicause he would also remaine his friend but if he were their enimie neyther letter nor any thing else should make him for his part otherwise affected To bee short let counsellors of estate learne of Plutarch that it is necessarie for them to be free from all passions and affections bicause in giuing of counsell the mind hath most force towards that wherunto the will is most enclined As for feare danger or threatnings they must neuer stay them from doyng their duetie but let them constantly propound and maintaine that which they iudge to be good and profitable for the Common-wealth We read that the Thasiens making warre with great vehemencie against the Athenians published a decree that whosoeuer counselled or spake at any time of concluding a peace between them should die the death Within a while after one of the citizens considering what great hurt his countrey receiued by that warre came one day into the assembly of the people with a halter about his necke and cried with a loud voyce that he was come thither to deliuer the Common-wealth by his death that they should put him to death when they would and that for his part he gaue them counsell to abrogate that law and to make peace which was done and he pardoned Considius a Romane Senatour would neuer be from the Senate no not when Caesar ruled all by violence and did what pleased him and when none of the other Senatours came any more through feare of his force And when Caesar asked him how he durst be there alone to stand against him bicause quoth he my age taketh all feare from me For hauing from hence forward such a short time to liue in I am not greatly carefull to saue my life If kings did correct all those that giue them ill counsell as Solyman did one of his Bassaes who was his kinsman they would not so readily
consent to the passions of great men This Infidell caused him to be hanged bicause he counselled him to put a Gentleman to death vniustly which he had done that he might enioy his wife more casilie Now for the conclusion of our discourse we will here set downe the aunswer of one of the Hebrew interpreters to king Ptolemie who asked him To whome a Prince should trust or commit himselfe To those sayd this wise man that loue him so entirely that they cannot be drawen from him neither through feare gifts or gayne bicause he that aspireth to riches is naturally a traitour Let vs learne that a counsell wel instituted and compounded of good men is a most necessarie point in the establishment and preseruation of euery estate and as the olde Prouerbe saith Good councell is better than manie hands Let vs learne that all those that are called thereunto ought to aime at nothing but at publike profite of which the happinesse and greatnesse of the Prince dependeth who must not contemne the counsell and seruice of the least when they can profite the Common-wealth but heare them willingly and satisfie their iust requests Of Iudgements and of Iudges Chap. 62. ACHITOB WE are now my companions according as the sequell of our speech requireth to consider of Iudgements which I affirmed in the beginning to be one of those two things whereof euery Common-wealth consisteth and that according as they are ordained the affaires of the estate proceed well or ill Therfore I leaue the discourse of this matter to you ASER. No citie saith Plato can truly be called a city if it want iudgements well instituted and consequently iudges to exercise them AMANA Iudgements are lawfull to such as vse them aright and Iudges are to vs the ministers of God for our good as Saint Paule saith Now let vs heare ARAM vpon this matter ARAM. As it is a very dāgerous matter for an estate to wauer daily in deliberations and not to be well resolued touching the affaires thereof or after resolution to leaue them without speedy executiō so the establishment of many good lawes and ordinances bringeth greater peril thā profit to the same estate if they be not seuerely obserued kept For the authoritie of the soueraign magistrate in whose name they are made is so much the more cōtemptible amongst his subiects as they know that they are lesse obeied as though the fault proceeded from his insufficiencie of skil to command He that leadeth well before is the cause why he is wel folowed the perfectiō of the art of a good Querie of the stable consisteth in making the horse obedient in bringing him to good order so the principall effect of the knowledge of a king is to iustruct wel his subiects in obediēce To this purpose the establishment of good iudges ouer thē wil help well that they may take knowledge of such as gain-say and resist the publike lawes and ordinances of his maiestie who is to authorize their iudgements as the chiefe sinewes of the whole body of his estate For nothing euer caused Common-wealthes to flourish so much as the constant keeping of their countrie lawes and the strict execution of iudgements agreeable vnto them And as Cicero saith those estates that are neer their ouerthrow all things beyng in a desperate case fall into this miserable issue that men condemned by the lawes are restored and iudgements giuen are cancelled which things when they come to passe euery one knoweth that their ruine is at hand without all hope of safetie Moreouer forasmuch as the Prince knoweth that he is as it were bound and indebted for iustice he ought to be so much the more careful that it may be rightly administred by those to whom he cōmitteth that office especially seeing he must answer for it himselfe before god to whom he may not say that he charged the consciences of his iudges therwith so discharged his own Wherfore if he adorne his estate with resolute prudent officers who will exactly preserue the bond of the common-welth by the seueritie of their iudgements vpright holding of the balance no doubt but all kind of publike felicitie will issue from the same But let vs briefly consider what iudgement is the diuision of iudgements their administration what manner of Iudges ought to exercise them Iudgement is properly that which is ordained by the Magistrate obseruing the tenor of the law But forasmuch as through the infinit varietie of causes times places and persons which cannot be comprehended in any lawes or statuts whatsoeuer punishments were referred to the will and power of the Magistrates and the dammages of ciuill matters to the conscience religion of the Iudges that which they determine by resolute sentences according to their opinion is also called Iudgement although more properly it may be called a Decree For this cause we say that as there are two principall pointes in euery Common-wealth which Magistrates must haue before their eies that is the law and equitie so also there is the execution of the law and the duty of the Magistrate which consisteth either in commanding in decreeing or in executing Of Iudgementes some are called priuate some publike some criminall others ciuill Priuate iudgements are of bondages prescriptions Gardianships Wardships contracts testaments successions mariages Publike iudgements concerne hainous offences against God man as sacriledge treason restitution of monie or other bribes taken by Magistrats robbery of the kings treasure forgeries theft wilfull and constrained murders Plato speaketh at large of these in his booke of lawes and it would be an infinite matter and smally to our instruction to seeke out the diuers kinds of iudgements which either haue beene or are among men But this is well woorth the noting that amongest the ancient Grecians and Romanes all iudgements both priuat and publike were from point to point followed and with all rigor obserued and they that stood against them were prosecuted and set vpon with fire and sword Among other examples Diodorus rehearsech a storie of the Phocians a people of Grecia condemned by the iudgement of the Amphyctions in a certaine summe of monie bicause they had tilled a great deale of ground that was consecrated to the gods Which summe when they refused to paye they pronounced their countrie as confiscate and consecrated to the gods wherupon arose a warre called the holie warre made by the rest of the Grecians against them and in the ende their vtter ruine subuersion Whosoeuer was once accused of any crime before the Iudges in Lacedemonia although he were absolued yet he abode a certaine time after in that estate of a criminall person during which time enquirie might be made againe of him and newe iudgement giuen according to his desert If the Ephories condemned their kings in any summe yea if it were to death their iudgements were executed with all rigor The
they are to the great preiudice of the whole Common-wealth We are therefore to wish that all valuing and sale of offices especially of iudgement and iustice may be abolished and disanulled that all meanes of fauor and ambition may be taken away that the ancient and happie ordinances of our kings may be restored especially that decree of S. Lewes the king whereby he enacted that all publike offices should be bestowed vpon the election of three persons chosen by the Officers and Citizens of those places to one of which so elected the king was to giue freely without monie the office then void This holie ordinance hath since that time beene often renued by king Phillip the Faire Charles the Wise Charles the 7. Lewes the 11. and Charles the ninth that dead is when his Estates were held at Orleans So that if the King and his Councell would aduisedly consider of these things in the establishing of Iudges and Magistrates in his kingdome and would strengthen them in the execution of their iudgements the obedience of his subiects would be greater and the foundation of all good order and policie more sure Of Seditions Chap. 63. ARAM. AS it is necessarie that all things which haue a beginning should end which encrease should diminish and waxe olde some sooner others later according to the disposition of that matter whereof they are compounded and through the influence of the heauenlie bodies from which nature woorking in them by hir author this continuall and mutuall succession of generation and corruption proceedeth so are publike estates first instituted encreased maintained lessened changed destroied turned returned one frō another by the disposition of God Those that are best grounded in religion and iustice haue their power most assured and are of longest continuance but none are perpetuall although their policie and manner of gouernment be neuer so good For we see them al corrupt in processe of time and in the end perish through their own vices that follow and accompanie them being first mooued and stirred vp by nothing so much as by sedition and ciuill warre This bringeth to light all euill that lurketh in those members of the politike body that are most pernitious vntill the infection be wholy spread and hath taken hold of the noblest parts thereof whereby it is brought to extreame miserie without hope of remedie Nowe although euery one of vs haue sufficient feeling heereof in himselfe by his owne harme yet we may know it better by taking occasion vpon this subiect to discourse of the nature of seditions of their common effects that we may haue them in greater detestation and bring euery one of vs his hart and mind to helpe this Estate if there remaine neuer so little shewe or meanes whereby the subuersion thereof may yet be kept backe But I leaue the discourse of this matter to you my Companions ACHITOB. All sedition is euill and pernitious although it seemeth to haue a good and honest cause For it were better for him that is author of sedition to suffer any losse or iniurie than to be the occasion of so great an euill as to raise ciuill warre in his countrie ASER. Nature saith Empedocles vseth no other meanes to destroy and to ouerthrow hir creatures than discord and disiunction and sedition as Thucydides saith comprehendeth in it all kind of euils Let vs then heare AMANA who will prooue this sufficiently vnto vs. AMANA If we consider how God minding to punish Adam for his ingratitude and disobedience made his owne members rebell against the spirite vnto which they obeied before whereby he became captiue vnder the lawe of sinne no doubt but we may say that after the same manner he chastiseth Kings Princes and Heads of Common-wealths that haue no care to obey his commandements and to cause others to keepe them by the rebellion of their owne subiects not without great danger of depriuation from all authoritie by them and of receiuing the law at their hands to whome they should giue it as it hath beene seene practised in many Estates and gouernments Religion and the loue of God bringeth with it all vnion and concord preserueth Kingdomes and Monarchies in their integritie and is the nursing mother of peace and amitie amongst them But the contempt of religion bringeth discord and confusion ouerturneth all order treadeth vertue vnder foote giueth authority to vice and soweth quarrels and dissentions amongst men from whence seditions and priuate murders proceed and in the end ciuill and open wars which are as flaming fires to take hold of and to consume most flourishing Estates For without doubt if men had in them the true loue and feare of God which cannot be without the loue of our neighbour no such effects would euer proceed from their works and actions Politicks haue labored infinite waies to maintaine the people in peace and to cause ciuill iustice to flourish They haue made many Lawes and Edicts many Statutes appointed many punishments to bridle the boldnes of seditious fellowes to represse extorsions wrongs and murders but bicause they built without a foundation that is without the feare of God all their labour taken therein was fruitles It is the feare of God onely that causeth swords to be broken and turned into mattocks and speares into siethes as Isaias and Micah speake that is to say which breedeth humanitie and gentlenes mollifieth mens harts and causeth them to suffer much to auoide strife and debate in a word which is able to vnite in one with vs most strange and barbarous nations Besides it is the profession of godlines to suffer and not to offer violence neither can it bring foorth euill effects contrarie to their cause This deserueth to be handled at large but our present subiect leadeth vs to discourse of the nature of seditions and to set before our eies the euils that proceede thereof both by reasons and examples referring the consideration of their causes vnto some other time heereafter Sedition then being taken generally is nothing else but ciuill warre so hurtfull to all Estates and Monarchies that it is the seede of all kinde of euils in them euen of those that are most execrable It engendreth and nourisheth want of reuerence towards God disobedience to Magistrates corruption of manners change of lawes contempt of iustice and base estimation of learning and sciences It causeth horrible reuenging forgetfulnes of consanguinitie parentage friendship extorsions violence robberies wasting of countries sacking of townes burning of buildings confiscations flights banishments cruell proscriptions sauage murders alterations and ouerthrowes of Policies with other infinite excesses and intollerable miseries pitifull to behold and sorrowfull to rehearse Sedition armeth the father against the son the brother against the brother kinsman against kinsman men of the same nation prouince and citie one against another Heerupon the fields which before were fertile are left vntilled sumptuous and rich houses
all ioyned togither against the house of Fraunce durst not take in hand after the taking of Frauncis the first and the losse of that famous battell Not one of them durst enter into Fraunce to conquere it knowing the lawes and nature of this Monarchie For as a building layd vpon deepe foundations and made of lasting stuffe well knit and ioyned togither in euery part feareth neither windes nor stormes but easily resisteth all assaults and violence so this kingdom will not easily admit any alteration and change as long as all the members continue vnited and ioyned togither vpon the foundation of their lawes Therefore let the king princes their councell great and small euery one in his place take order that God may be truly knowen and sincerely serued according to his iust and righteous will that honest behauiour may be maintained the authoritie of lawes kept iustice administred magistracie duely exercised rewards and punishments distributed equally that vertuous men may be honored and the wicked corrected Otherwise if we cōtinue long diuided into companies with defiances passing repassing if we persist in our wonted inuectiues and riots referre not all our actions to some good ende let vs not looke for lesse than for a generall desolation and pitifull ouerthrow of our countrey appeering already in many places thereof or at least for some horrible mutation and change of the estate Of the causes that breed the change corruption and finall ruine of Monarchies and Policies Chap. 64. AMANA AS long as the Physition knoweth not the cause of his Patients disease it is impossible for him to remedy the same to prescribe a medicine to the sicke partie A disease knowen saith the Prouerbe is in a maner cured So fareth it with Estates and Monarchies that are changed marred and in the end brought to ruine by diuers causes which if they were wel knowen to their princes and gouernors might easily be preuented by prudence and reason and fit remedies then applied to those euils that dispose lead thē to mutation when the natural corruptiō that is in them as euery thing hath his proper inward corruption of which it is eaten and consumed beginneth to spread it selfe to the best parts to marre all Go to then my companions hauing seen the nature of seditions let vs seek out the causes that stirre them vp whereby Estates and Monarchies are changed marred and in the end ouerthrowen ARAM. The diuision that is between subiects of one and the same prince ariseth for the most part of discontentment where-with some are mooued vpon iniurie or contempt or else of feare that men haue of the light or to auoyd some euil or of great idlenesse pouertie and neede ACHITOB. There are as I take it two causes intermingled which breede this franticke Feauer of our Fraunce the one proceeding from the Estate the other from religion But let vs heare ASER to whome the handling of this subiect offered nowe vnto vs belongeth ASER. There is no beginning of any thing whatsoeuer so small which through continuance perseuerance is not soone made great and strong if vpon slight account thereof it be not stayed Euery euill as Cicero saith in the first sproute thereof may be easily stopped but being inueterate is more strong and vneasie to be suppressed So that if it be mette withall before it appeare and breake foorth the danger is lesse although it proceed first from the necessitie of naturall corruption which is in all things that are created and is to be seene euen in things without sense as Mil-dew in wheate rottennesse in wood rust in brasse and iron yea euery thing is corrupted by it own euill howsoeuer it escapeth all outward harmes Therefore as a good Phisition preuenteth diseases and if one part be suddenly touched with raging payne asswageth the present euill and then applieth remedies to the causes of the disease so a wise prince or gouernor of a Common-wealth ought to preuent as much as is possible the ordinarie changes of all estates which ouer-take them either by outward force or by inward diseases When they beginne he must stay them whatsoeuer it cost him and then looke what the causes are of those diseases that are farthest from effect and apply conuenient and apt remedies vnto them Now it is certaine that if a man would throughly meet with all hurtfull things or otherwise cure any such euill when it happeneth hee must know their causes whereof the effect dependeth which is the very entraunce to all good helpes and remedies what so-euer Fore-seene mischiefes as the Poet saith hurt not so much as those that come vnlooked for A wise man premeditateth all that may happen but it falleth out contrary to fooles And if we haue neuer so small an in-sight into the condition and state of worldly thinges wee can not in any wise doubt of this that euery Common-wealth after it is come to the toppe of persection which is the flourishing estate thereof hath but a short tyme of continuance whether hir ouerthrowe proceedeth from the violence of hir enimies when shee thinkes hir selfe safest or whether she waxe olde through long tract of tyme and so ende by hir inward diseases or whether she sodainly decay and fall downe with hir owne waight by reason of some other hidden cause Which chaunges of Common-wealths beyng matter sufficient to make a great booke we are according to the sequele of our discourse to consider chiefly of the causes that for the most part stirre vp sedition and breed the alteration and finall ouerthrowe of Estates and Monarchies The Philosophers propound foure causes of euery thing the efficient the materiall the formall and the finall cause The efficient cause of seditions is double the one neere the other remooued a farre off The neere or next cause are the authors of seditions by whose counsell direction and helpe they are stirred vp and brought to passe By the cause remooued a far off I meane those things for which men are prouoked to raise seditions and of which we are chiefly to intreat in this place They are the matter of seditions against whome they are raised as princes and magistrates who are superiours and sometime their subiectes beyng inferiours The forme of sedition is the stirring vp of the people noyse out-cries batteries murders ciuill warre the taking of townes spoyling of countreys burning and banishment If it bee of subiectes towardes their lordes and superiours it is called rebellion if betweene subiectes or equals it is called a faction The ende of seditions is that for which they are first mooued and stirred vp Aristotle setteth down foure ends of seditions namely profit honor with their contraries losse dishonor For men are commonly mooued to sedition either through hope of profit honor or else through feare of losse and dishonor towards themselues or their friends so that they desire the one
are two sortes of negligence the one in those that call chuse or receiue into any great office such men as are vnwoorthie and care not for their charges or that suffer such persons to ascend to the chiefest places of Magistracie that are enimies to that forme of Common-wealth as if the chiefe men in Bearne shoulde chuse an Auoyer which office is contrarie to their manner of liuing or if the Venetians should chuse a Duke or the Cardinals a Pope that were not of their religion or if the King of Fraunce should create a Constable or Chancellour that liked not a Royall and Monarchicall Estate The other kinde of negligence which is much more common is in them that are called to a dignitie office or Magistracie and shewe them-selues retchles in that administration and exercise as we see that moste Bishops and Prelats neglect the dutie of their charges to imploie or bestowe their tyme in worldlie affaires for which cause they growe into misliking and contempt From hence haue proceeded great offences and maruellous troubles which may more easilye bee lamented than taken away or reformed being such abuses as haue taken deepe roote Moreouer the alteration of policie is bred by other meanes by little and little as when through dissimulation or otherwise men suffer some part albeit neuer so little of the lawe or politike Estate to be cut off Changes seldome fall out all at one time if they are not very violent but for the most part go on by litle and litle as the seasons of the yeere slide away softly from great heates to hard frosts and from the frost and cold of winter to the heate of sommer A lingring feuer afflicteth the patient so easily that he hardly perceiueth himselfe therin but if it be suffered to continue without redresse in due time it will turne to a hectick feuer and so consequently become incurable So fareth it with an Estate and Policie whose authoritie waxeth contemptible and is lost by little and little when men are negligent in preuenting the same in due time He that will consider the alteration happened in France within these thirtie yeeres shall find it to be very great aswell in regard of religion as of manners and lawes which neuertheles came by little and little and so continueth still greatly threatning a change of the estate Heere therefore I will distinguish betweene the chance of lawes customes religion place which is properly but an alteration and the change of an estate which is when the soueraigntie goeth from one into the power of another Dissimilitude also is the cause many times of sedition and of change in the Common-wealth which commeth to passe when the Inhabitants of a place are not of the same nation but many strangers are receiued into it who perceiuing them-selues to be the stronger part haue many times thrust the naturall Citizens out of their towne whereof Aristotle alleadgeth many examples that fell so out in the Grecian cities At Sienna at Genes at Zurick at Cullen the strangers being multiplied draue out the Lords of those places and slew most of them bicause they were ouer-charged with exactions euill entreated and excluded from bearing of offices They of Lindauia slew the Lords of the countrie and changed the Aristocraty into a popular Estate and so did the Inhabitants of Strausborough who hated the Nobilitie in such sort that they would not suffer any of them to enioy the great estates and publike charges vnles he prooued that his grandfather was one of the baser sort of the people These examples mooue naturall Inhabitants many times to ouer-runne strangers when they see the number of them waxe ouer-great amongst them One example heereof we may note in the citie of Geneua into which when many strangers aswell Frenchmen as others retired for religion the naturall Citizens could neuer brooke them although they were very profitable to the citie making it rich and populous whereas before it was poore and smally inhabited but conspired many times to driue them out as namely that conspiracie of one Perin in the yeere 1556. which began to be put in execution when Caluine ranne into the midst of their naked swords to appease the tumult as Beza writeth in his life The same feare mooued Pharaoh when he sawe the Hebrewes encrease ouer-fast amongst his subiects to decree that the Midwiues should from that time forward kill the male children at their birth Now in receiuing of strangers regard must be had to the number that it be not ouergreat and that their authoritie be not vnmeasurable For otherwise it is necessarie for trafficke sake and for many other publike commodities that some be receiued of others Many other kinds of dissimilitude are found in common-wealths as dissimilitude of linage betweene the Nobilitie and Common-people of offices betweene Iudges Treasurers Souldiors Priests of professions betweene Lawyers Phisitions Diuines and Philosophers of occupations betweene Bakers Butchers Shooemakers Painters Smithes Carpenters without which dissimilitudes no Common-wealth can consist Therefore they are not to be taken quite away but onely the disorder that groweth amongst them that so they may be reduced to a conuenient agreement like to that which is betweene the diuers parts that are in the constitution of the world of man We may also call a dissimilitude that difference which is of religions as of the Iewes Christians Mahomists Caphrans Armenians Grecians Latines Iacobites Ethiopians then betweene the Christians themselues as Catholiks Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists Many haue said and are yet of this opinion that the chiefe cause of ciuill warres in France proceedeth from this diuersitie of religion And to say truth there is nothing that carieth men away with such vehement passions as zeale of religion for which they fight more willingly thā for their liues goods wiues and children Through the diuersitie heereof they that are neerest of kinne loose their naturall loue they that are of the same country and language persecute one another as mortall enimies and sundry nations abhorre one another for the same These things are too well knowne amongst vs to require proofs thereof And truly in respect of sedition and tumult nothing is more dangerous than for subiects to be diuided in opinion whether it be in matters of estate or of lawes and customs or for religion For if they be of diuers opinions some labour for peace and seeke to make others agree vnto it who wil neuer agree amongst themselues And in truth it is a very hard matter to maintaine publike exercises of any religion whatsoeuer when it is contrary to the religion of the people or of the most of them who many times cannot be kept within compasse neither by lawes nor Magistrats vnlesse the force appointed to keepe them in bee very great For we saw that Thomas Emperour of Constantinople was cruelly slaine by the people amidst a great congregation in the Church bicause he
vpon no other vse than vpō the paiment of his men of war as also to keepe that money apart from his ordinary receipts But bicause this is not duely obserued the people are doubly vexed for they pay their money and yet are polled on all sides Notwithstanding all these ordinarie charges the poore pesants would thinke themselues happie if they were discharged by erecting victualing tents for the men of warre as they haue been forced to doe of late yeeres Now what good issue can be hoped for when the souldiors through an vnbrideled licence sack spoile and burne the poore subiects This hath alwayes been seene that houses families kingdoms and Empires haue come to ruine and pouertie bicause the poore were contemned and the subiects giuen ouer to the robberies of souldiors The immoderate licence of the Pretorian souldiours who were to the emperors as the Ianitzaries are to the Turke and of other men of warre was no small helpe to ouerthrowe the Romane Empire For taking vpon them to elect Emperours at their pleasure one was chosen in one armie and an other else-where and presently murdered by those that had elected them Their insolencie also caused seditions and ciuill warres whereupon those kingdoms and countreys that were vnder the Romane obedience reuolted And it commeth to passe oftentimes that their vnruly behauiour incenseth the people in such sort against them that their destruction followeth As it hapned to all the Frenchmen that were in the I le of Sicilia in the yeere 1281. vpon Easter day at the first peale to Euensong at what time they were all put to death by a secret conspiracie for their insolencies and whoredoms whereupon this prouerbe doth yet remaine amongst vs The Sicilian Euensong There is no corner of this kingdom where the people being halfe mad through the iniuries receiued from the men of warre haue not committed infinite and cruell massacres We may not here forget to propound the wise and warlike discipline of Bellizarius lieutenaunt generall to the Emperor Iustinian who for valure and temperance was equall to the ancient Romanes as histories testifie of him which was the cause that he reconquered all Italy possessed by the Barbariās Not long since during the warre of Piemont which was a very schoole of vertue and of warrelike knowledge the pesaunt husbandman and artificer were suffered quietly at their worke the warre continuing betweene warriours onely for the possession and not the ruine of the countrey And as the people were then glad to receiue amongst them such armies so they dispaire no lesse at this day bicause all warlike discipline all policie both diuine and humane is in such sort extinguished yea all kind of humanitie and societie which is to be seen amongst barbarous people that it is lawfull for Frenchmen to sacke spoile and put to ransome Frenchmen that are many times of the same side faith and condition and that without punishment But let vs not looke for prosperitie and good successe in our enterprises before there be some other order and discipline obserued The ende of the seuenteenth dayes worke THE EIGHTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of the office and dutie of a Generall Chap. 69. ASER. THose men commonly prosper in their affairs that vnderstand them throughly and manage them well diligently considering aduisedly what hath beene heretofore that they may in some sort iudge of that which is to come bicause all worldly things haue euermore some agreement with the ages past Which commeth of this that beyng the works of men they haue had and will alwayes haue like formes and therfore must of necessitie haue like effectes But the cause of the good or euill successe of men in respect of mans nature consisteth in this that the meanes and maner of proceeding iumpe with the time wherein the very condition therof and the occasion offred is diligently to be obserued And if this consideration taketh place in all priuate affaires it is much more necessarie in warre wherein a light fault oftentimes procureth losse ouerthrow to a whole armie whose good or ill happe dependeth of the head and leader therof according as he is either woorthy or vnwoorthy of his charge My opinion therfore is my companions that we alleage in this place whatsoeuer we know belongeth to his duetie and office I propound now the discourse of this matter to you AMANA Men disdaine commonly to obey such as know not how to commaund well Therfore euery Generall of an armie ought to labour carefully that men may behold and see a certaine greatnes magnanimitie constancie in all his doings ARAM. A Generall must be had in estimation of his souldiors and of that reputation that they may giue credite to his prudence otherwise an army doth quickly become rebellious and troublesome to be guided But let vs learne more amply of ACHITOB whatsoeuer concerneth this matter ACHITOB. Lamachus a great Athenian captain sayd that no man must offend twise in warre bicause the faults are of so great waight that for the most part they bring with thē the ouerthrow of the state or losse of life to those that commit them and therefore that it was a hard and daungerous matter to haue experience thereof So that Prudence gotten by vse ought to bee hastened forward bicause it is deerly bought so long a cōming that oftentimes death preuenteth it It must be hastned forward by the diligent enquirie of those things that haue fallen out both before since our time that we may become wise by other mens perils For this cause it is very necessarie that whosoeuer taketh vpon him the honor of guiding an armie should exercise his minde as much in science and in the knowledge of histories as he doth his body in all martiall actes that so he may diligently obserue the deedes of famous personages see how they gouerned themselues in warres and examine the causes of their victory thereby to flie the one and to follow the other And bicause it is against reason that a well armed man should obey him that is vnarmed or that they should take the rudder out of the Pilots hand to saue the ship in a storme that haue no skill in sea-faring matters it is very requisite that whosoeuer vndertaketh to commaund an army should first haue gotten a good report of all men for his valure and greatnesse of courage whereby his authoritie will be reuerenced as being bestowed vpō one that is woorthy of it forasmuch as titles of dignitie do not honor men but men are an ornament to titles Now if souldiors haue conceiued a good opinion of the desert and valure of their captaine it will be as a sharpe spur to pricke them forward in well doing and cause them to honor to loue his commandements For true zeale of vertue that is to say the desire to imitate it is not imprinted in mens harts but through a singular good will reuerence towards that
are to be vsed in seruice but onely how a great number may be had And many times he that is knowen to be a bold murderer and giuen ouer to all wickednesse shall be preferred to an office before an honest man and which is more we despise our owne countrey-men whome the welfare of our countrey concerneth as well as our selues and rather trust strangers and hirelings who seeke nothing but destruction so that we our selues also bewaile but too late the mischiefes that haue light vpon vs. For this cause I propound vnto you my companions to discourse vpon the election and choise which is to be considered of in taking such men of war to whom a man may safely commit himself if you thinke good you may speak somwhat also of the maner of exhortatioÌ„ to fight vsed by the ancients bicause I touched it by the way in my former discourse lastly how victory ought to bee vsed which commonly followeth good order and discipline of war wherof we haue hitherto discoursed ASER. Forasmuch as the chiefe force of an armie consisteth in the sincere and constant good will of the souldiors towards him for whom they fight it is not to be sought for else-where than in his owne naturall subiects to whome prosperitie and good successe is common with the Prince AMANA My friends quoth Cyrus to his men of war I haue chosen you not bicause I haue had proofe heretofore of your manhood but bicause from my yong yeeres I haue known you ready to doe those things which we in this countrey account honest and to eschew all dishonestie This cannot be truely said of strangers neuer seen before who come out of their countrey to inrich themselues with the ouerthrow of their neighbours But it belongeth to thee ARAM to handle this matter here propounded vnto vs. ARAM. If we consider diligently of the causes from whence came the ruine of the Romane Empire we shall find that those meanes which the wisest Emperors inuented for the safetie and preseruation thereof turned in the end to the destruction of it First the ordinary armies placed by Augustus neere to Rome in the borders of his estate ouerthrew many of his successors euen the empire it self which they would sometimes set to sale deliuer vp to him that gaue most for it Next the translation of the empire which Constantine the great made from Rome to BizantiuÌ„ afterward called by his name Constantinople therby to make it more sure against the Persians other people of Asia greatly hastned forward the ouerthrow of the same For when he caried thither the chief strength and wealth of Rome diuided the empire into the East and West â—e weakned it very much so that the West was first destroyed and then the East which if they had continued vnited and knit togither might for a long time and in a maner for euer haue resisted all inuasions Thirdly when the Emperours thought to strengthen themselues with strange hired forrain power called to their succour as namely the Gothes thereby weakening their owne forces and naturall strength of the Empire they put ere they were aware Rome and Italy and consequently the other Prouinces into the hands of the Barbarians Yea we find that the greatest calamities that euer happened to Common-wealths diuided was when the Citizens were seuered among themselues and called in strangers to helpe them who vsing often to goe that way at the last made themselues maisters ouer them The Germanes called by the Sequani to their succour against those of Autun compelled them to deliuer halfe their land vnto them and at length they drooue away all the naturall people of the countrie and became Lordes of the greatest part of the Gaules territorie But not to go so farre off it is high time for vs to grow wise by our owne perill The factions of the houses of Orleans and of Burgundy called in the Englishmen into France who by this meane sette such footing therein that they possessed a great part therof a long time after What lacked in our time why the Frenchmen blinded caried away with partialities and God grant they may throughly knowe it did not bring their countrie to that extremitie of miseries as to submit it to the seruice and slauerie of a strange yoke vnder the colour of begging helpe at their handes What letted why there was not plaied among vs of vs and by vs the cruellest most sorrowfull tragedie that euer was when men came hither from all quarters to behold the sight Would not a man haue thought that both great and small had wittingly purposed to ouer-throw the goodliest most noble kingdome of the world and themselues withall and so in the end haue shamefully lost the glorie and renowne which their Ancestors had woorthily gotten for them Now if any good hap hath turned this tempest from vs against our wils at the least let vs call to mind the danger whereinto we had willingly cast our selues and let vs not forget the admonition that was giuen vs by those barbarous fellowes whose Captaines and Counsellors asked vs why we called them in when a little before their departure out of this kingdome they were complained vnto for the extorsions and cruelties which their men practised What thinke you said they is the intent and purpose of our men in following vs but to enrich themselues with your ouerthrow Agree among your selues and neuer call vs more except ye minde to taste of that which shall be woorse But let vs enter into the particular consideration of the perill and hurt that commeth by forraine and mercenarie souldiours that we may knowe whome wee ought rather to vse The armes where-with a Prince defendeth his Countrie are either his owne or hired of strangers or sent to his succour by some Prince his friend or else mingled of both togither They that maintaine that it is necessarie for the prosperitie and preseruation of euerie happie Common-wealth not to vse forraine helpe say that hired force and succour of strangers is woorth nothing but rather dangerous and that if a Prince thinke to ground the assurance of his Estate vpon forraine force he cannot safely doe it For they agree not easily togither they doe all for profite and will be neither well ordered nor obedient On the other side they are not ouer-faithfull they are all in their brauerie amonge friendes but hartlesse amonge enimies They neither feare God nor are faithfull to men The reason heereof is this bicause no loue nor anye other occasion holdeth them but paie and hope of spoyle Which is no sufficient cause to mooue them to die willingly in his seruice whose subiects they are not and whose ruine they desire rather than his increase The last destruction of Italy came by no other thing than bicause it trusted a longe time to forraine and hyred forces which brought some thinges to passe for some men
the guiding of them be giuen to good vertuous and expert Captaines ledde onely with a desire to doe their dutie to their King and Countrie this kingdome will be feared of strangers and without feare it selfe of their assaults and enterprises Especially if in the Prince his absence the soueraigne authoritie of commanding absolutely in the armie be committed into the hands of a Captaine woorthy his charge as we haue discoursed who is able to win the harts of men and to prouoke them to their dutie by liuely and learned reasons as namely That all men must die and therefore that it were too great follie in a man to refuse to die for publike profit which bringeth vnto vs immortall glorie seeing he must once of necessitie yeeld vp his life that a glorious death is alwaies to be preferred before a shamefull life stained with reproch briefly if he can ground his exhortations vpon the occasion of taking armes of time place estate and condition of the enimies and of the good that will come to them if they obtaine the victorie But in all these things the iustice and equitie of the cause of war is that which most of all maketh good men courageous who otherwise neuer ought to fight We may read a million of goodly Orations made in time of warre set forth in one volume with which euery wise and prudent Captaine may helpe himselfe according as occasion is offred Now if that ancient order discipline of which we haue hitherto discoursed and which may be learned more at large in their excellent writings were renued imitated by our armies as the late vse and practise of Armes exercised at this day is apt and fit for the same being more terrible than that of the Ancients who had no gun-powder no doubt but great obedience of souldiors towards their Captaines would arise of it whereas now a daies in steede of commanding they haue nothing left but an humble request to be vsed towards their souldiours who neuertheles turne it into contempt and want of courage But if true obedience were ioined with good order the hope of prosperous successe in our enterprises would be farre greater Nowe when our affaires succeede happily so that wee haue our enimies at aduantage or haue gotten some victorie wee must beware least insolencie blind vs in such sort that trusting to our good happe we goe beyond our bounds and loose the occasion of a certaine and sure benefite through hope of some greater good as yet vncertaine Hannibal after the discomfiture of the Romanes at Cannas sent men to Carthage to carie newes of his victorie and withall to demand a newe supplie Whereupon the Senate was long in deliberating what was to be doone Hannon a prudent old man was of opinion that they were to vse the victorie wisely and to make peace with the Romanes which they might obtain of them with honest conditions and not to expect the hazard of another battell He said that the Carthaginians ought to bee satisfied with this declaration alreadie made to the Romanes that they were such men as could stand against them and therfore seeing they had woonne one victorie of them they should not venture the losse of it in hope of a greater This prudent counsell was not followed although afterwarde the Senate did acknowledge it for the best when that occasion was lost Alexander the Great had already conquered all the East when the Common-wealth of Tyrus being great and mightie bicause the Citie was situated in the water as Venice is and astonished at the greatnes fame of that Monarches power sent their Embassadors vnto him to offer what obedience subiection he would require vpon condition that neither he nor his men would enter into the Citie Alexander disdaining that one citie would shut their gates against him to whō the whole world was open sent them backe again without accepting their offer went thither to pitch his Campe against it After he had continued the siege 4. moneths he thought with himself that one onely Towne would shorten his glorie more than all his other conquests had done before wherupon he purposed to try an agreement by offering that vnto them which thēselues had required before But then the Tyrians were waxen so lustie and bold that they did not only refuse his proffers but also executed as many as came to conclude with them Whereupon Alexander being mooued with indignation caused an assault to be made with such heate and violence that he tooke and sacked the towne put some of the Inhabitants to the edge of the swoord and made the residue seruants and slaues Agreement and composition is alwaies to be preferred before continuance of warre And howsoeuer a man may seeme to be assured and as it were certaine of the victorie yet ought he to doubt the vncertaintie of humane things That courageous and valiant Hannibal being called out of Italy by his Countriemen to succour them against the Romaines by whome they were besieged when his armie was yet whole demanded peace of them before he would enter into battel bicause he saw that if he lost it he brought his Countrie into bondage What then ought another to do that hath lesse vertue and experience than he But men fall into the error of vnmeasurable hope vpon which staying them selues without further consideration they are ouerthrowne Sometimes when we contemne our enimie too much and bring him into a desperat estate we make him more venturous to vndertake and violent to execute any dangerous matter Despaire said Tubero is the last but the strongest assault and a most inuincible tower For this cause the ancient Romane Captaines were very diligent and carefull to lay all kind of necessitie to fight vpon their men and to take it from their enimies by opening vnto them passages to escape which they might haue shut vp against them K. Iohn bicause he would not make peace with the English host which desired to escape onely with life was taken and caried prisoner into England and his armie consisting of fortie or fiftie thousand men was discomfited by ten thousand Englishmen some say more some lesse Gaston de Foix hauing woonne the battell at Rauenna and following after a squadron of Spaniards that fled lost his life and made all that a praie vnto the enimie which he had conquered before in Italy Ancient histories are full of such examples and namely of small armies that ouercame those that were great and mightie Darius against Alexander Pompey against Casar Hannibal against Scipio Marcus Antonius against Augustus Mithridates against Sylla had greater forces without comparison than their enimies Therefore good Traian said that to accept of warre to gather a great number of men to put them in order to giue battell appertaineth to men but to giue victorie was the worke of God onely so that great armies preuaile but litle against the wrath of the Highest If
be ioined with knowledge What want of prudence is The pernitious effects of ignorance All ignorant men are euill The effects of ignorance both in rich poore Common effects of ignorance The spring of all errors The reasons which mooued the heathen to beleeue that there was a diuinitie Nicias feared an eclipse of the moone Caligula and Domitian Otho 1. Anaxagoras saying against the superstitious feare of celestiall signes Cleander a traitor to Commodus his Lord. The hase mind of Perses being ouercome of Emilius What malice and craft are Vertuous men seeke after honest not secret things Satan the father of malice and subtiltie The malice of Nero. Tiberius Math. 10. 16. We must not denie or hide our ignorance Math. 12. 35. Pro. 17. 27. 28. 1. Per. 3. 10. A double speech or reason How speech is framed Words are the shadow of works The foundation and scope of all speech Of Laconicall speech A pretie saying of Pittacus Of graue and eloquent speech Against prating pleaders The toong is the best and woorst thing that is Isocrates appointed two times of speaking Apelles speech to a Persian lord How great men ought to speake Apelles speech to a shoomaker Alexander gaue money to a poet to hold his peace Nothing ought to be written without great deliberation Notable and pithy letters of ancient men A good precept for speaking The praise of silence Hyperides Examples of mischiefes caused by the intemperancie of the toong Of concealing a secret Examples of the commendable freedome of speech The constancie of Gordius Prudence requisite in a friend No outward thing is to be preferred before friendship Nothing more rare or excellent than a friend The principall cause and end of all true friendship What friendship is The difference betwixt friendship and loue What things are requisite in friendship The common practise of flatterers What maner of man we must choose for our friend How we must prooue a friend How we must shake off a false friend How Alcibiades tried his friends The meanes to keepe a friend Friendship must be free Phalereus How many waies we owe dutie to our friend How we must beare with the imperfections of our friend Against the plurality of friends He that hath neuer a fo hath neuer a friend The best and most excellent friendship is betweene one couple Pisistratus letter 〈◊〉 his nephew Titus Flaminius Nothing better than to liue with a vertuous man Three things necessarie in friendship Man is mutable One of the greatest fruits reaped in friendship A notable custome of the Lacedemonians A friend compared to a musitioÌ„ Agesilaus How we must vse reprehension Time bringeth as many things to good order as reason doth We must correct in our selues those faults which we reprehend in others Sundry instructions how to admonish wisely Reprehension is the beginning of good life Solons good aduice for counsailors to princes Philosophers ought to be conuersant with princes Solons counsell giuen to Craesus Why Plato went into Sicilia to Dionysius Arrogancie dwelleth in the end with solitarines Notable counsell for princes Demetrius Traians letter to Plutarke How Philoxenus corrected Dionysius tragedie The free gird of a peasant giuen to an Archbishop The like giuen to Pope Sixtus the 4. by a Frier Prou. 27.5 Gal. 6. r. Mediocritie must be vsed in all actions The difference of good and bad consisteth in mediocritie Against curiositie in knowledge A notable saying of Socrates The death of Aristotle and Plinie through too much curiositie The burning of Aetna Two generall kinds of curiositie Against the curiositie of seeing strange nations One euident cause of the ruin of Fraunce Lycurgus for-bad traffick with strangers Fiue vices brought out of Asia by the Romanes Why Fabius would neuer go on the water Plato and Apollonius were great trauellerâ— Of curiositie in seeking to know other mens imperfections The curious are more profitable to their enimies than to themselues Curiositie in princes affaires is perilous How we must cure curiositie Examples against curiositie Against lightnes of beleefe Faults whereinto curious men commonly fall Wittie answers made to curious questions Rom. 12. 3. Natural vertues according to the Philosophers who had no knowledge of mans fall The diuision of nature What nature is The propertie and light of nature The corruption of nature Three things neceâ—â—arie for the perfection of 〈◊〉 The difference between philosophers and the common people Three things coâ—curâ—e in perfect vertue The defect of nature is holpen by good education The weaknes of our naturall inclination to goodnes A similitude Lvcurgus example of two dogs Socrates and Themistocles were by nature vicious but by education vertuous The Germaines much changed by institution A mans naturall inclination may be espied in a small matter Great men ought especially to learne vertue The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Pythagoras and translated of the Latins Mâ—ndus and of vs World signifieth a comely order No vertue can be without temperance The true marks and ornaments of a king What temperanceis What Decorum or comelines iâ— The definition of temperance What passions are ruled by temperance Fower parts of temperance The commendation of temperance Woonderfull examples of temperance Scipio Africanus Alexander Cyrus Architas Xenocrates Isaeus C. Gracchus Antigonus Pompeius F. Sforce The temperance of Pompey against ambition Pittacus Pedaretus Scipio Torquatus Fabritius Aimaeus Amurathes Charles 5. Soüs Lysimachus Cato Rodolphus Socrates Predominant passions in intemperance Some sinnes are punishments of other sinnes Rom. 1. What intemperance is The difference betweene an incontinent and an intemperate man A fit similitude The companions of intemperance Intemperate men resemble mad folks Heliogabalus Nero. Commodus Caligula Proculus Chilpericus 1. Xerxes Epicurus Sardanapalus Antonius Boleslaus 2. Adrian Iohannes a Casa The Temple of Diana was burnt by Erostratus Or Stupiditie Luke 13. 27. The cause of the long life of our Elders and of the shortnes of ours Dionysius a monster and why The sobrietie of old time and corruption of ours compared togither Sobrietie preserueth health There is more pleasure of the creatures in sobrietie than in superfluitie The belly is an vnthankfull beast The counsell of Epictetus concerning eating How wise men in old time feasted one another Against vaine delights in feasts The bellie a feeding beast When musicke is most conuenient The custome of the Egyptians at bankets The custome of the Lacedemonians The manner of drinking in old time The sobrietie of Alexander Against excessiue drinking Cyrus Porus. Phaotes Alphousus Agesilaus Good cheere keepeth baâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on â—â—â—peius M. Cate. Epaminondas C. Fabritius Scipio Masinissa Mithridates Hannibal Vespasianus Daniel Iohn Baptist. Maxentius Socrates feast Darius in his thirst iudged puddle water to be good drinke Tokens of the wrath of God The chiefest cause of destruction to Common-wealths is excesse in delights Pleasure the end of superfluitie Of the delicate life The seed of diseases Of the shortnes of mans life The soule of gluttons
labour by all meanes to end the contentions of their subiects They must not be parties in their subiects quarrels The thirteenth The fourteenth Fiue necessary things for the preseruation of euery common-wealth All liuing creatures loue the place of their birth It is the dutie of euery subiect to defend his countrey The nobilitie is the ornament of a Common-wealth Of the law prosapia To whom the defence of a countrey chiefly belongeth What order is The end of order What gouernment is Ignorance is no sufficient excuse for a magistrate What prudence is What a christian empire is We must spare no cost to help the common-wealth Ephe. 4. 5. 6. All things stand by proportion Six sundry callings of men necessary in euery good common-wealth No nation but adoreth some diuinitie The sacrifices of Christians Three sorts of sacrifices Of priests and pastors Wherein the office of true pastors consisteth Esa 56. 10. 11. Against dumbe dogs and couetous sheep-heards Tit. 1. 7. 8. 9. The qualities of a good pastor 1. Pet. 5. 2. 3. Vices to be auoided in a pastor The dutie of a good magistrate consisteth in foure things Iustice distributed into 7. parts Of armes and of the necessitie of them What nobilitie is Three kinds of nobilitie Which is right nobilitie Macrines letter to the Senate of Rome touching nobilitie Malach. 2. 10. When nobilitie of birth is to be esteemed Of riches and burgeises Riches are the sinewes of war They are necessary in a Common-wealth The exceeding riches that Dauid left to Salomon The number of workmen about Salomons temple Augustus maintained yeerely 44. legions of souldiors The limites of the Romane Empire in the time of Augustus Of Artes and Artificers What an Arte or occupatiō is Arte is an imitation of nature Three things necessary for the life of man The vse of Aliments The vse of houses The vse of garments The dutie of all artificers Artificers of one Science ought not to dwell all togither Of Aliments labourers The prayse of husbandry The antiquitie therof Men haue been always more inclined to husbandry than to any other vocation Princes haue forsaken their diademes to fall to husbandry Cyrus Dioclesian Profit and pleasure are ioyned togither in husbandry The countrey fitter for students than the citie The dutie of husband men Three things necessary for them Euery common-wealth must be always prouided against all euents both of peace warre Rom. 12. 18. Col. 3. 15. Leuit. 26. 3. 6. 14. 15. 25. Lycurgus referred all his lawes to warre appointing the Ilotes onely to deale with occupations Numa referred all his lawes to peace The keeping of Ianus Temple shut was a signe of peace among the Romanes The discommodities of a long peace Excellent comparisons betweene the composition of the world and of euery happy Common-wealth How the vertues are knit togither and depend one of another Peace is to be preferred before warre The effects of peace The effects of warre What kingdom is happie Warre maketh men cruell and peace gentle Archidamus letter to the Elians Cato misliked Caesar for breaking of peace Wherefore and when we must begin warre Phocion disswaded the Athenians from warre The fruits of vniust warre When a warre is lawfull Traian neuer vndertooke vniust warre Antigonus testimonie of the iniustice of warre Caesar Famine and the plague follow warre Malcontents are glad of war Causes why the exercise of arms must alwaies continue Augustus kept 40. legions in continuall exercise of warlike discipline Constantine the Great Good considerations for a Prince It is not the weapon that maketh a warriour From whence valure proceedeth Three things necessarily required in men of warre Good will commeth from good institution Reuerence from the wisedome and experience of Captaines Obedience is wrought in them by the diligence of the Heads The vertue of the Captaines is much in war The ancient order of the Romane armie The Romanes diuided their armie into three parts The benefite of this Romane order The wisedome of the Switzers fighting on the Frenchmens side Frenchmen loosing the first encounter loose also the victorie Some armies are furious and yet keepe good order Good order in armies is neuer without hope of victorie In the French armies is furie without order The ancient warlike discipline of the Romanes What manner of campe the ancient Romanes had Of the ancient obedience of souldiors to their captains Of the execution that was shewed vpon souldiors that offended The tithing of armies was most seuere How Captaines were punished if they offended Aurelius letter to a Tribune touching warlike discipline The corruption of warlike discipline in these dayes Aurelius punished adulterie and theft committed by his souldiors with death True payment of souldiors redresseth many disorders amongst them The vnrulines of the Pretorian souldiors The Sicilian Euensong Bellizarius The mild wane of Piemont The crueltie of these late French warres Time and occasion are diligently to be waighed in all matters The good or ill successe of an army dependeth of the captaine A captaine must not offend twise in warre Prudence gotten by vse must be hastened forward by knowledge No man ought to be generall before he haue obtained the renowne of a valiant man Cimon preferred an army of Harts before an army of Lions What captains are woorthiest of their charge Coruinus Oration to his souldiors Captains vsed in old time to make Orations to their souldiors Captains ought to make much of their souldiors The benefit of making Oratiōs to souldiors A good captain must be alwayes furnished with munitions and victuals Cyrus Oration to his captains A good captain must neuer suffer his army to be idle Warre ought to be speedily ended A good captain must not be ouer venturous A General must not rashly hazard himselfe When he ought to venture himselfe Antoninus preferred the life of one citizen before the death of a thousand enimies Scipio would haue all wayes tried before the sword were vsed in warre When Augustus would haue battell giuen Narses always wept the night before he gaue battell Two faults to be eschewed of euery captain A good General must alwayes seare the worst I had not thought it a dangerous speech in a captaine A good captain must haue skill to discerne the situation of places The benefit of Geometry in a General Philopaemenus in time of peace studied the discipline of war Cyrus resembleth his going to warre to hunting Hunting is an image of warre P. Decius C. Marius neuer gaue his enimies occasion to force him to fight The captains of an armie must be very secret I. Caesar very secret in tyme of warre L. Metellus Affaires of war must be debated by many but concluded by few Vrgent occasions in warre require short deliberation Cato a notable paterne for all captains to folow Pompey How Cato diuided the spoiles One godly man in a campe is in place of many Souldiors ought to begin their war with prayer and end with praise thanks-giuing Why a
Clemencie examples of great clemencie in princes 324. c. it preserueth the thrones of Princes 411 Common-wealth a sure token of a desperate common-wealth 407. 600. 690. the spring of corruption in Common-wealths 550. the description of a mixt common-wealth 583. how a corrupt common-wealth must bee corrected 699. when common-wealths begin to alter 717 the causes therof 739 Commandement the 5. commaundement onely hath a special promise annexed vnto it 538. there is a shew of commanding and obeying in all things 575 Comparisons 33. 38. 46. 47. 55. 64. 70. 105. 150. 176. 191. 212. 286. 338. 339. 343. 360. 371. 378. 383. 4â—6 446. 448. 487. 513. 550. 589 641. 687. Communitie Plato established a communitie of all things in his common-wealth 490 the confutation therof 491 Concupiscence the fruites of concupiscence 238 Conscience the force of conscience in the wicked 68. examples of tormented consciences 68 Constancie the wonderfull constancie of Socrates 348 Correction nâ—â—â—ssarie for children 534. the lawe Falcidia touching the correction of children 551 Councell what a councell is with the profite of it 677. of the councell of sundrie countreys 679. c Counsellors qualities requisite in counsellors of estate 687 Counsell good counsell for counsellors 155. and for princes 157 Countrey examples of the loue of heathen men towards their countrey 60. 98. c Couetousnesse is neuer satisfied 445. the fruites of couetousnes 446. examples of coueiousnes 449. what magistrates are best liked of couetous princes 456 Coward Agamemnon dispensed with a rich coward for going to warre 284. what vices proceed of cowardlines 285 Creation the end of the creation of al things 92. Creatures all creatures are sociable by nature 594 Curiositie against curiositie in knowledge 161. two kindes of curiositie 162. against curious inquirie into other mens imperfections 166. curious persons profite their enimies more than themselues 167. wittie answeres made to cuâ—ioâ—â— questions 169. curiositie in princes affairs perilous 168 Custome a notable custome of the Lacedemonians 150. custome in sinning is dangerous 69 D Death the feare of death doth not astonish the vertuous 60. what death Cesar thoght best 262. no man ought to hasten forward his death 293. what it is to feare death 294. the comfort of euery true Christian against death 805. Definition the definition of ambition 224. of anger 312. of a body 20. of charitie 321. of a citie 595. of a Citizen 605. of comelines 181. of confidence 300. of duty 94. of enuie 458. of fortune 468. of friendship 138. of a house 490. 492. of iealousie 505. of iustice 390. 391. of intemperancie 190. of iudgement 691. of liberalitie 435. of the law 596. of malice and craft 123. of man 13. of meekenes 321. of nature 172. of Oeconomie 523. of policie 523. of passion 30. of Philosophy 40. 390. of prudence 104. of patience 310. of pleasure 236. of sedition 705. of societie 480. of the soule 23. of temperance 181. of vertue 52. of vice 65. of wedlocke 480 Democraty the description of a Democraty with the sundry kinds of it 528 Desire the effects of desire 36 Diseases the end cause and remedie of bodily diseases 29. the cause of the diseases of the soule 33. the seede of diseases 211 Discipline the ancient warlike discipline of the Romanes 769. the corruption thereof in these daies 769 Discord all things are preserued by agreeing discords 19 Diuision of Citizens 606. of a Common-wealth 579. 583. of dutie 94. of a house 492. of iustice 393. of the law 596. of nature 171. of Philosophy 40. of passions 31. of speech 127. of the soule 23. of sciences 76 Dowries why the dowries of women haue alwaies had great priuiledges 486. Lycurgus forbad all dowries 493 Drinke the manner of drinking in old time 203. against excessiue drinking 204 Drunkennes hurtfull effects of drunkennes and gluttony 213. examples of drunkennes 214 Duarchy what a Duarchy is 617 Dutie wherein the dutie of man consisteth 12. dutie and profite are distinct thinges 429. the duty of a wise man 12. what duty we owe to God and what to our neighbour 94. fower riuers issue out of the fountaine of duty 96 E Eclipse Nicias feared an eclipse of the Moone 120 Education helpeth the defect of nature 175. examples therof 177. naughtie education corrupteth a good nature 551. how Plato would haue children brought vp 552. of the education of daughters 554 Emperours there were 73. Emperours of Rome within 100. yeeres 223. what this word Emperour importeth 624 End the proper end of all things 477 Enimy how one may reape benefite by his enimies 112. 383. why men are beholding to their enimies 379. the common behauiour of men towards their enimies 380 Enuy is a note of an ambitious man 225. the nature of enuie 457. the fruits of it 458. it hurteth enuious persons most 459. a good way to be reuenged on the enuious 464 Ephoryes why the Ephoryes were appointed in Lacedemonia 581 Equality two sorts of equalitie 737 Equity is alwaies one and the same to all people 601. the equity of the Morall law ought to be the end and rule of all lawes 602 Error the spring of all error 119 Estate euery Estate and policie consisteth of three parts 578. the opinion of Politicks touching a mixt Estate 625. examples of mixt Estates 626. what it is to hold the Estates 685. a rule of Estate 723. choise custome of seuen flourishing Estates 732. meanes to preserue an Estate 734 c. it is dangerous to an Estate to call in forraine succours 785 Euent wee must not iudge of enterprises by the euent 305. we must be prepared against all euents 306. the euent of all things is to be referred to the prouidence of God 42 Euill what we ought to call euill 63 Exercise what bodily exercise is meete for youth 557 Expences a good law e to cut off the occasions of idle expences 221 F Fables who delight most in reading of fables 462 Family there must be but one Head in a family 509. the progresse of a family before it come to perfection 525 Father why many fathers set not their children to schoole 72. the storie of a father appointed to execute his owne child 535 Fauour the punishment of one who solde his maisters fauour 411 Feare two kinds of feare 278. the feare of neighbour enimies is the safetie of a Common-wealth 279. good feare is ioined with the loue of God 280. examples of wary feare 280. a strange effect of feare in one night 284. examples of feare which is the defect of fortitude 281 Feast how wise men feasted one another in old time 202. Socrates feast 208 Fidelitie a description of fidelitie 414 Flatterie the common practise of flatterers 139. good counsell for Princes against flatterers 462 Flesh the works of the flesh 20 Foe he that hath no foe hath no friend 145. Looke Enimie Fortitude the woorkes of fortitude must bee grounded vpon equitie and iustice 251. it is a good
euill manners and loue the welfare of their soules by endeuouring to bring them backe againe into the path way of vertue vntill we see that all hope of remedie is taken away by reason of their long setled habite and continuance in vice for then we are to shunne altogither the hurtfull conuersation of such forlorne men Let vs take heede that wee please not our selues in detracting and backbiting or in speaking rashly of any without aduisement taken of whome to whome and what we speake Let vs not be giuen to lying or to harken to slanderers but following the counsell of the Scripture let vs laye aside all malitiousnes and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and all euill speaking and as newe borne babes desire the milke of vnderstanding which we may as it were boast that we haue in the true and right knowledge of Iustice which is to render to God that which is due to him according to pietie and to our neighbours whatsoeuer belongeth to them according to the dutie of charitie which is gentle not easily prouoked to anger nor enuious nor reioycing in iniquitie but alwaies in the truth Of Fortune Chap. 44. AMANA IF I bee not deceiued my Companions wee haue hitherto sufficientlye discoursed of the foure Morall vertues being riuers that flowe from the fountaine of dutie and honestie as also of all the partes that belong vnto them and of their contrarie vices Therefore from hence foorth we are to make choice of some other matter and to applie that which we might haue learned in the discourses of our Morall Philosophie vnto Estates charges and conditions of life whereunto euerie one of vs may be called during this life yea let vs assaie to giue aduice and councell to superiours according to the measure of our iudgement But bicause as I thinke the entrie to so high a matter requireth some leasure to thinke vppon it I am of opinion that we were best to deferre this point vntill the next dayes worke and in the meane tyme for the spendinge of the reste of this after-noone looke out some matter subiect apt and fit to recreate our spirites withall which bicause naturally they delight in varietie and diuersitie of thinges cannot haue a more conuenient matter than to make sport with the diuers and sundrie effects of Fortune which according to the saying of the Ancients is very constant in hir inconstancie Further let vs consider howe we may vse this word of Fortune which is so common amongst vs and not abuse it ARAM. To him saith Cicero whose hope reason and cogitation dependeth of Fortune nothing can be so certaine or assured vnto him that he may perswade himselfe it will abide by him no not one day But he is most happie that is of himselfe sufficient in euery respect and that placeth the hope of all his affaires in himselfe in regard of men ACHITOB. I am she sayth Vertue speaking in Mantuan that surmounteth Fortune and the scourge that punisheth sinnes Vice and Vertue sayth Plutark haue no maisters to rule ouer them and they are very blind who calling Fortune blinde suffer themselues to be guided and ledde by hir But we must learne of thee ASER what we are to thinke of this counterfet Goddesse ASER. If we are perswaded that he who is Iustice it selfe and the essentiall truth maketh Princes contemptible as it is said in the Scripture and causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way raising vp the poore out of miserie and making him families like a flocke of sheepe there is no doubt but that Fortune being an Epicurian worde rather than an Heathenish is nothing else but a fayned deuice of mans spirite and an imagination without truth vpon which as Plutarke sayth a man can not settle his iudgement nor yet comprehend it by the discourse of reason So that we must confesse that all things are guided gouerned by the prouidence of God who knoweth and ordereth casuall thinges necessarily Which albeit we easily cōfesse with the mouth as also that prosperitie and aduersitie depend onely of the will of God yet we may daily note in many of vs effects cleane contrarie to the worde in that when we deliberate about our affayres we presently cast our eie vpon humane meanes to come to the ende of them although they are but second causes casting behind our backes that helpe which is from aboue And when we want the blessing of God through his anger and iust indignation which we care not to appease and so for the most part stumble vpon the cleane contrarie of all our platformes and goodly enterprises then we accuse not our ignorance and ingratitude towardes his Maiestie but the vnfortunate mishap and chance of humane thinges which through the common error of men we attribute to Fortune Nowe knowing that we liue and mooue and haue our being in God onely that his mysteries are great and woonderfull and such that if we should go about to sound the bottom of them it were all one as if we sought to pearce the heauens after the manner of the Giants set foorth vnto vs by the Poets that our way is not in our power and that of our selues we cannot direct our steps that it is the Lorde that offereth a man into his handes who vnwittingly killeth him with the heade of his Axe slipt from the helue that lots cast at aduenture fall out according to his iudgement and that generally all things are done by the ordinance of God I say knowing all these things yet bicause the order reason ende and necessitie of those thinges which are so strange vncertaine and mutable in the world are for the most part hidden in the counsell of God and cannot be comprehended by the opinion and reach of man we may well call them casuall and chancing in respect of our selues The like we may both conceiue of all future euents holding them in suspence bicause they may fall out either of the one or the other side and yet being resolued of this that nothing shall come to passe which God hath not ordained and also note them out by this worde Fortune not attributing thereunto any power ouer the inconstancie and continuall alteration of humane things especially seeing they are so changeable that it would be a verye hard matter speaking after the manner of men to comprehend them vnder a more proper and fit word The definition also which the Ancients gaue of Fortune is very agreeable to the effect of the thing signified and of that wherof we haue daily experience namely that there is no other final end of chang alteration in man than that of his being Plato saith that Fortune is an accidentall cause a consequence in those things which proceed from the counsell of man Aristotle saith that Fortune is a casuall accidental cause in things which being purposely done for some certaine end haue no apparant cause
man must vse his own subiectes in warre Three causes from whence proceeded the ruine of the Romane empire The diuision of the empire weakened the same Dangerous to an Estate to call in forraine succours As appeereth by the Sequani By the Frenchmen The end that forraine souldiours propound to themselues Reasons why forraine force is woorth nothing The cause of the last destruction of Italy The discommoditie of bringing in hired Captaines Dangerous for a Prince to call in a Potentate to succour him Examples of the change of Estats by meanes of forraine succour Charles the fift bound by oath not to bring any forraine souldiors into Germany Charles 7. made decrees for French souldiors What inconueniences France is fallen into by hiring Switzers Francis 1. established seuen legions of footmen How a Prince may vse the succours of his Allies How a Captain should exhort his souldiors How victory is to be vsed Examples of such as knew not how to vse victorie wisely and to take opportunitie offered The Tyrians besieged and subdued by Alexander It is not good to fight with desperate men Iohn king of France taken by the Englishment Gaston de Foix. Small armies that ouercame great Victorie commeth only from God Valiant men are full of compassion No true victorie without clemencie Ringleaders of euill are to be punished and the multitude to be pardoned Humane sciences are but darkenes in regard of the word of God Psal 84. 4. 5. 11. Iohn 17. 3. Of the loue of righteousnes Leuit. 19. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 15. 16. Holines is the end of our calling Christ is a paterne of righteousnes vnto vs. Malach. 1. 6. Eph. 5. 26. 30. Col. 3. 1. 2. 1. Cor. 6. 19. 1. Thes 5 9. We must alwaies striue to come to perfection What the dutie of euery faithful man is Rom. 12. 1. 2. What it is to consecrate our selues to God Gal. 2. 20. True loue of God breedeth in vs a dislike of ourselues Matth. 16. 24. Fruits of the deniall of our selues Selfe loue is the cause of the most of our imperfections The definition of charitie 1. Cor. 13. 4. The effect of true charitie towards our neighbour The naturall inclination of men Corruptible things are no sufficient recompence for vertuous men Rom. 8. 28. Matth. 16. 24. 25. Rom. 8. 17. How God teacheth vs to know the vanitie of this life We must not hate the blessings of this life Psal 44. 22. The comfort of the godly in the midst of troubles Math. 25. 34. Isai 25. 8. Apoc. 7. 17. The summe of our dutie towards God The true vse of temporal things Wherein a happy life consisteth Gen. 2. 17. Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 5. 21. Temporal death is the way that leadeth the godly from bondage to blessednesse Heb. 9. 27. Ecclus 7. 36. The comsort of euery true christian against death Rom. 8. 22. Against Atheists and Epicures that deny the immortalitie of the soule Plato prooueth that there is a iudgement to come and a second life How good men are discerned from the wicked The afflictions of the godly in this world prooue a second life Three kinds of death Apoc. 20. 6. Why the faithfull ought to desire death What the life of man is Phil. 1. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 50. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 2. Cor. 4. 14. Phil. 3. 20. 21. Col. 3. 3. 4. 1. Thes 4. 13. 14. Heb. 2 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 10. Iob 19. 25. 26. 27. Iohn 12. 17. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Who they be that feare not death A comparison betweene this life and that which is eternall Phil. 1. 23. Titus 2. 13. Luke 21. 28. How death can not hurt Psal 116. 15. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS CONTAINED IN THIS ACADEMIE A ADmonition sundrie instructions how to admonish wisely Pag. 153 Aduersitie who are soonest thrown downe with aduersitie 301. the cōmon effects thereof 345. the Romanes were wisest and most constant in aduersitie 347. examples of constancie in aduersitie 348 Adulterie the miserable effects of adulterie 240. the punishment of adulterers among the Egyptians 241. Zaleucus law and the law of Iulia against it 240. testimonies of Gods wrath against it 241 Age hath no power ouer vertue 61. the diuision of the ages of man 563-564 Ambition two kindes of ambition 224. the cause of ambitious desires 225. the effects of ambition 224. 229. examples of mê void of ambition 186. ambition breedeth sedition 225. ambitious men full of selfe-prayse 226. examples of ambitious men 227. c. they cannot be good counsellours to Princes 231 Anger the crueltie of Theodosius committed in his anger 316. Valentinian brake a veine in his anger 317 Apparell against excesse in apparell 219. examples of sobrietie in apparel 219 Archbishop the free gird of a Pesant giuen to an Archbishop 158. the Archbishop of Magdeburg brake his neck in dancing 216 Armes Armie the exercise of armes must alwayes continue 762. the auncient order of the Romane armie 766 Arrogancie dwelleth in the ends with solitarines 157 Aristocratie the description of an Aristocratie 579. the estate of Lacedemonia was Aristocraticall 580 Artes and Artificers the necessitie of artes and artificers in a common-wealth 750. artificers of one science ought not to dwell all togither 751 Authors how much we owe to good authors 45 Authoritie what authoritie a prince hath ouer his subiects 670 B Backbiting the prudence of Dionysius in punishing two backbiters 388. when backbiting hurteth most 460 Bankets the custome of the Egyptians and Lacedemonians at bankets 203 Beard what vse is to bee made of a white beard 572 Belly the belly an vnthankefull and feeding beast 201. 202. it hath no eares 212 Birth the follie of birth-gazers 42 Biting what biting of beasts is most dangerous 460 Body the wonderfull coniunction of the body and soule of man 19. the conceptiō framing and excellencie of the body 21 Brother he that hateth his brother hateth his parents 542. the benefite that brethren receiue by hauing common friends 544. examples of brotherly loue 545 C Calling callings were distinct from the beginning 478. sixe sundry callings necessary in euery common-wealth 744. holinesse is the end of our calling 795 Captaine the losse of a captaine commonly causeth the ruine of an armie III. how captaines were punished if they offended 768. a captaine must not offend twise in warre 773. what captains are woorthiest of their charge 784. the captains of an armie must be very secret 781. two faults to be eschewed of euery captaine 778. how a captain should exhort his souldiors 790 Cheere good cheere keepeth base mindes in subiection 206 Children must loue feare reuerence their father 533. the dutie of children towardes their parents 541. examples of the loue of children towards their parents 541 Choler whereof choler is bred 314. how the Pythagorians resisted choler 315. magistrates ought to punish none in their choler 316 Citie what Citie seemed to Clcobulus best guided 264 Citizens who are truly citizens 606