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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16237	The true order and methode of wryting and reading hystories according to the precepts of Francisco Patricio, and Accontio Tridentino, two Italian writers, no lesse plainly than briefly, set forth in our vulgar speach, to the great profite and commoditye of all those that delight in hystories. By Thomas Blundeuill of Newton Flotman in Norfolke. Anno. 1574.	Blundeville, Thomas, fl. 1561.; Patrizi, Francesco, 1529-1597. Della historia diece dialoghi.; Aconcio, Iacopo, d. 1566. Della osservationi et avvertimenti che haver si debbono nel leger delle historie.	1574 (1574)	STC 3161; ESTC S104654	14,877	67

from the beginning to the ending Thus much touching the order of vvriting Hystories VVhat order and methode is to be obserued in reading hystories WHo so is desirous to know hovve hystories are to bee readde had neede first to knovve the endes and purposes for vvhich they are vvritten VVhereof though there be diuers as some to vvinne fame to the vvriter and some to delighte the readers eares that reade only to passe avvay the time and such like yet in my opinion there are but three chiefe principall First that vve may learne thereby to acknovvledge the prouidence of God vvherby all things are gouerned and directed Secondly that by the examples of the vvise vve maye learne vvisedome vvysely to behaue our selues in all our actions as vvell priuate as publique both in time of peace and vvarre Thirdly that vve maye be stirred by example of the good to follovve the good and by example of the euill to flee the euill As touching the prouidence of God vve haue to note for what causes and by vvhat meanes hee ouerthrovveth one kingdome setteth vp an other For though things many times doe succeede according to the discourse of mās reason yet mans vvisedome is oftentymes greatlye deceyued And vvith those accedēts which mans vvisedome reiecteth and little regardeth God by his prouidence vseth vvhen he thinketh good to vvorke marueylous effects And though he suffreth the vvicked for the most part to liue in prosperitie ▪ and the good in aduersitie yet vve maye see by many notable examples declaring asvvell his vvrath and reuenge tovvardes the vvicked as also his pittie and clemencie tovvardes the good that nothing is done by chaunce but all things by his foresight counsell and diuine prouidence Humane vvisdome hath three principall partes the first vvhereof teacheth vs rightlye to iudge of all thinges vvhat is to be desired and vvhat is to be fled The seconde hovve and by vvhat meanes vve may best attayne to the things which vve desire The thirde teacheth vs to take occasiō vvhen it is offered and to foresee all peril that may hap And the first part requireth tvvo consideracions First to knovve by the examples of others vvhyther those thinges vvhich vve desire and seeme to vs good be good in deede or not and secondlye vvhat the obtayning therof vvill cost For manye tymes those things vvhich seeme good haue bene cause of great euil as riches ▪ honour and greatnesse vvhich euill proceedeth either of the nature of the things themselues or by euill vsing the same as for example by theyr ovvne nature honour and greatnesse causeth enuie And riches sometyme causeth both enuie murder and robberie Againe riches by euill vsing them doe cause the ovvner manye times to be disdaynfull prowde arrogant to leade a dissolute lyfe hating all vertuous exercises Contraryvvise those thinges that seeme euill are manye tymes causes of great good partly by their owne nature and partly for being vvell employed and turned to good vse As pouertie of hir ovvne nature maketh a man industrious Agayne if a man bee defamed or slaundered by hys foes hee taketh occasion thereby to correct his ovvne faulte and so turneth theyr slaunder to his great gayne and commoditie The other consideracion of the fyrst parte of humane vvisedome is as I sayde before to consider hovve much the thing vvhich vve desire vvill cost For the cost maye be such as vve vvere better to be vvithout our desire than to haue it And therefore in valueing this cost vvee haue to consider our labour and traueyle our expenses and losse of tyme also vvhat perilles displeasures and griefes myght chaunce vnto vs by hauing it and vvhat commodities vve may enioye in being vvithout it Againe to vvay the certaintie of the euills vvheron vve venter and the incertayntie of obtayning the good vvhich vve seeke vvhich is made manifest vnto vs by the examples of many vvhich haue long sought deare bought and yet obtayned naught Moreouer it shall be needefull to compare the long time of our traueyle and great charges vvith the short tyme of enioying the thing vvhich vvee are to obtayne It importeth also not a little to remember that many tymes things doe seeme vnto vs more precious and more goodly vvhy lest vve seeke them than vvhen we haue gotten thē And in seeking them by vnlavvfull meanes vvee haue to note what reuenge God is vvoont to take of such doinges and hovve short a tyme vvith what trouble hee suffereth vs to enioye them So cōtraryvvise vve haue to note vvith hovv small trauell and vvith hovv little charges a most great good benefite is many tymes obtayned As touching the second part of humane wisedome sith some easily and some hardlye doe attayne the thing vvhich they seeke It is needefull in reading Hystories to obserue vvell euery thing that hath bene done by vvhom to vvhat ende and vvhat meanes vvere vsed for the accomplishment thereof and vvhyther suche endes by suche meanes are alvvayes or for the most part or seldome or neuer obtayned and vvhither all men dyd vse therein lyke meanes or diuers if diuers vvhich tooke effecte and vvhich did not and vvhat maner of thinges those be vvithout the vvhich the ende cannot be obtayned And by vvhat accidents the same is hindered and vvhich are vvoont to chaunce often and vvhich more seldome also vvhich may be forseene and vvhich cannot And of euery meane vve haue to consider all the qualities and circumstaunces that make to the purpose from vvhence euery one sprange vvhither of industrie or of chaunce In the obseruing of meanes to attayne the ende it is meete to marke vvell the order of those meanes and hovve they are linked togither vvhich order may proceede three maner of vvaies that is eyther in beginning vvyth the verye first thing that tendeth to any ende and so forvvarde from one thing to an other vntil you come to the last or else contraryvvise in beginning vvith the last meane next to the ende and so backevvarde from meane to meane vntill you come to the first or leauing both these vvaies you maye take the thirde which is to deuide all the meanes into their general kinds and to consider of all the meanes contayned in euery kinde apart by themselues of all which three vvayes lo here the examples in one selfe matter of vvarre had vvith some forraine Nation VVherin if you do first note the establishment of truce and peace vvith your mightie neighbours vvith those that might harme you at home and then the prouision of mony and of armour the choise of chiefetaines the leauiyng of souldiours the order of their gouernement in marching in incamping and in fighting and so forth from one meane to an other euen to the victorie you shall follovv the first order but if you begin at the victorie and cōsider the next causes thereof as to haue fought vvith more valiauntnesse or vvyth greater force or vvith more aduauntage eyther of place time or occasion then

¶ The true order and Methode of wryting and reading Hystories according to the precepts of Francisco Patricio and Accontio Tridentino tvvo Italian writers no lesse plainly than briefly ▪ set forth in our vulgar speach to the great profite and commoditye of all those that delight in Hystories By Thomas Blundeuill of Nevvton Flotman in Norfolke Anno. 1574. ¶ Imprinted at London by VVillyam Seres Firmo Appoggio HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE 1574 To the most Noble Erle of Leycester KNowynge youre Honor amongst other your good delyghtes to delyght moste in reading of Hystories the true Image and portrature of Mans lyfe and that not as many doe to passe away the tyme but to gather thereof such iudgement and knowledge as you may therby be the more able as well to direct your priuate actions as to giue Counsell lyke a most prudent Counseller in publyke causes be it matters of warre or peace I that haue no other meane to shewe my thankfull mynde towardes your Honor from tyme to tyme but with yncke and Paper thought I coulde not wryte of anye thing more pleasing or more gratefull than of those preceptes that belong to the order of wryting and reading Hystories which preceptes I partly collected out of the tenne Dialogues of Francisco Patricio a Methodicall writer of such matter and partly out of a little written Treatyse whych myne olde friende of good memorie Accontio did not many yeares since present to your Honor in the Italian tongue of whych my labour and good wyll I most humbly beseech your Honour to allowe ▪ wyth that fauourablle iudgement which you haue alwayes heretofore vsed towards me and therwith to continue my good Lord vntyll I shall deserue the contrary Most bounde to your Honor Thomas Blundeuill The true order and methode of writing and reading hystoryes c. AN Hystorye ought to declare the thynges in suche order as they were done And bycause euery thing hath hys beginning augmentacion state declinacion and ende The writer ought therfore to tell the things so as therby a man may perceiue and discerne that which apparteyneth to euery degree and that not onely as touching the Countrie or Citie but also as touching the rule or dominion thereof For the beginning augmentacion state declynacion and ende of a Countrie or Citie and of the empire thereof be not all one but diuers things Foure things would be disparsed thoroughout the history that is to saye the trade of lyfe the publique reuenevves the force the maner of gouernement By knowing what trade of lyfe the Countrie or Citie in euery tyme and season hath vsed we learne howe to haue lyke in like times Agayne by knovving the reuenews and what things haue bene done therwith we come to know vvhat the Countrye or Citie is able to doe The force consisteth in Souldiours in the maner of the militar discipline in the Nauies in Munition and instruments of vvarre And the vvriter must not forget to shew vvhither the souldiours be hyred foreners or home Souldiours for lacke whereof Polibius hath giuen great cause of woonder vnto thys age because all Italie at this present is not able to leauie the tenth part of the number of Souldiours which the Romans leauied in his tyme enioy●ing all that tyme neyther Liguria Lombardie Romania nor Marcapianarite And yet as the foresayde Polibius vvryteth they vvere able to set forth foure score thousande footemen and three score thousand horsemen And in their firste vvarres agaynst Carthage being only Lords of Italie they dyd sende a nauie to the sea of three hundred and thirtie great Gallyes called Quinqueremi and novv the Turke for all his greatnesse is scant able to sende to the sea so many small Gallyes The vvriter also muste shevve vvhat kinde of gouernement the Countrye or Citie had in hir beginning augmentation state declynation and ende And whither there vvere any chaunge of gouernemēt for vvhat cause and hovve the same vvas done and vvhat good or euill ensued thereof Hystories bee made of deedes done by a publique vveale or agaynst a publique vveale and such deedes be eyther deedes of vvarre of peace or else of sedition and conspiracie Agayne euery deede be it priuate or publique must needs be done by some person for some occasion in sometyme and place with meanes order and vvith instruments all vvhich circumstaunces are not to be forgotten of the vvriter and specially those that haue accompanyed and brought the deede to effect Euery deed that man doth springeth eyther of some outvvarde cause as of force or fortune vvhich properlye ought not to be referred to man or else of some invvard cause belonging to man of vvhich causes there be tvvo that is reason and appetite Of reason springeth counsell and election in affaires of the lyfe vvhich not being letted do cause deedes to ensue Of appetite doe spryng passions of the mynde vvhich also doe cause men to attempt enterprises Agayne of deeds some haue sometimes such partes as be also deeds and sometymes parts that be no deedes And bycause that euery deede is done by some person for some cause in tyme and place vvith meanes and instrumēts vve vvill therefore suppose that to be alvvayes true as vvell in the principall deede as in the meane and smallest deedes of all And as the qualities offices and placyng of the members of a mans body be diuers and yet tende all to one ende that is to saye to the preseruation of lyfe and of the vvhole body euen so all meaner deedes ought to be applyed to the accomplyshinge of the principall deede And if there be a principall deede vnto the vvhich all other inferiour deedes ought to be referred as to their finall ende there muste needes be also a principall doer vvhome all other inferiour doers must obeye Agayne if there be a principall dooer there is also a principall cause ruling all other inferiour causes and also a principall time place meane and instrument And as deedes haue outvvardly belonging vnto them all the foresayd circumstances so invvardly they doe comprehende three speciall thinges vvhich doe runne thoroughout all the circumstaunces from the beginning to the ending And they be these possibilitie occasiō and successe VVhich things the vvriter must declare euen as they vvere And as touching the dooer to be knovvne vvhat he is and to be knovvne as chiefe dooer is tvvo things and requireth tvvo maner of proceedings For vvee learne vvhat hee is and vvhat maner of man by knovving hys name the name of his family the countrie vvhere hee vvas borne and bredde and such like things but he is knovvne as chiefe doer by his povver skill and industrie For these three things doe bring to effect the possibilitie occasion and successe of the deede For the povver ability of the doer causeth the thing vvhich is possible to be done in deede Againe his skill causeth him to take occasion vvhen it is offered and to vse the meetest meanes to bring it to

passe Finally hys industrie earnest follovving of the matter bringeth the successe of the deede to perfection Povver consisteth chieflye in three things that is in riches in publique auctoritie and in pryuate estimacion Skyll also consisteth in bodily force in the boldnesse of naturall courage in the sodayne motions of affectes and in the stedfast habytes of the minde For let no man thinke to doe anye vvoorthie enterprise or to bring any notable thing to good effect vnlesse he be mooued therevnto by all or some of the qualities aboue sayde vvhich the vvriter must declare at the full if he mindeth that others shoulde receyue any good by his vvriting And as it is not meete that the vvryter fayle in describing the deede and the doer togither vvith all those partes vvhereby the deede vvas brought to effect Euen so it behooueth in any vvise that amongest the reast of the chiefest outvvarde partes he consider well the cause that mooued the doer to enterprise the deede to declare the same accordingly And note here that by the cause I meane the ende For the matter vvheron the doer vvorketh is the deede of peace of vvarre or of sedicion And the shape or forme thereof is the meanes and maner of doing vvhich the doer vseth therein And the cause efficient is the doer himselfe Affections also haue a fynall cause as the ende of vvrath is reuenge of loue the fruition of the thing beloued and of mercy the ende is helpe and comforte Novve as touching the tyme the vvriter ought to shevve the very moment as vvell of the beginning as of the ending of the deede to the intent that the reader may knovve the continuance of the principall deede and also of the inferiour deedes And for the better knovvledge of the opportunitie of affayres It shal be needefull sometyme to note the daies according as they be eyther vvhote or colde cleare or clovvdye drye or moyste vvindye or snowye holy dayes or vvorking dayes and vvhither it be in the morning at noonetyde or in the euening and likevvise the nights togither vvith the differences of the tymes and seasons thereof and fynally the very houre For as the houre importeth much for doing of the deed so it is very necessary that vve knovv the same The place may be eyther generall especiall or particuler as England Norfolke Norwich The meanes be diuers for euerye thing is done eyther secretelye or openly orderly or vvithoute order And hereto appertains all meanes and vvayes that be vsed in gouerning states in making lavves in creating Magistrates in deliberating in iudging in appointing places in prouiding victuals in gathering vp the publike reuenues and a thousande such lyke thynges of all vvhich things it behooueth that the vvriter haue consideracion vvhen neede is that he declare the same at large And in speaking of conspiracies he must tell hovv the conspiratours came togyther hovv they got fautours and hovv they ended their enterprise hovv they vvere chastised or hovve perhappes they escaped free and such like And in matters of vvarre he must shevve in vvhat sort the same vvas made and hovv the Souldiours vvere leauyed payd exercised and gouerned and hovv the hoste vvas ordered in marching through the Countries in being incamped in skirmuching in fighting battels eyther in playne field or in place strongly trenched or othervvise fortified and hovv they passed Mountaynes Riuers and Marrishes hovv they conueyed their cariages artillerie and munition all vvhich things are very necessary to be knovvne for to auoyd all euill happes that may hereafter chaunce in like cases Of instruments vvhereby mans lyfe is mayntayned in tyme of peace yea and also in tyme of sedition there be in a maner infinite kindes but of such as men vse in tyme of vvarre there are but foure principall that is footemen horsemen armour and nauye all vvhich according to the diuersitie of tymes and countries are diuersly vsed For the Macedonians Grecians Persians and Romaynes dyd vse these things diuersly in diuers tymes and dayly as occasion tyme and place required chaunged the maner of their armour asvvell offensyue as defensyue and vve doe the like at this present vvherfore it is necessarye that the vvriter declare all such particularities at the full VVhose lyues ought to be chronicled ALl those persons vvhose lyues haue beene such as are to bee follovved for their excellencie in vertue or else to be fledde for their excellencie in vice are meete to be chronicled And if they vvere publique personages or gouernours then they are to be considered in as many diuers vvayes as there be diuers kindes of gouernement VVhereof according to Aristotle there be sixe that is a kingdome a Tyriannye the rule of many good men the rule of few mightye in povver a common welth and the rule of the base sorte of people for euery one of these gouernements hath his excellencie proper to himselfe diuers one from an other It is meete that the lyues of Princes should bee chronicled that it may appeare hovv things vvere gouerned vnder euerye kinde of Prince vvere he good or bad To gouernement belong tvvo ciuill vertues Prudence and Iustice and tvvo mylitar vertues that is prudence and fortitude And vvhosoeuer by meanes of the tvvo mylitar vertues hath done any notable actes good or euill is meete to be chronicled but the tvvo ciuill vertues are othervvise to be considered of For iniustice the contrarie vice to iustice if it be open and manifest it is of small force in ciuill actions and the greater it is the lesse povver it hath to hurt Againe on the other side mere iustice without prudence and fortitude doth fevve things vvorthie of memorie but if both the ciuill and mylitar vertues be ioyned togither they bee of great force and doe bring to passe vvorks of excellencie vvorthie of fame and memorie and they may be mixt or compounded three manner of vvayes for eyther they are both in the person of vvhome the hystorie is made or else in the gouernement of the citie or cōmon vvealth or else the one in the one and the other in the other Amongst the ciuill sort are to be reckened Princes and Lordes of states as Kings and Tirants and also the Magistrats of common vveales And as touching the vvarryours they be of tvvo sorts for eyther they bee home Souldiours bredde and borne in the same countrye or else forryners that serue for hyer In vvriting the lyfe of anye man you ought first to shevv his proper name the name of his familie and of vvhat countrye he is and then to declare his actes and deedes And vvhatsoeuer enterprise any man taketh in hand he doth it being mooued and prouoked therevnto eyther by some outvvarde principle or by some invvarde principle if outvvarde it is eyther by destinie by force or by fortune if invvarde then it is eyther by nature by affection or by choyse and election and such electiō springeth eyther of nature or of some passion of the

minde of custome or else of the discourse of reason The acts vvhich vve doe being forced by outvvarde occasion deserue neyther blame nor prayse neyther are they to be follovved or fled sith they proceede not of our ovvne courage or covvardlynesse And therefore it shall suffice to make mention of these so farre as they may eyther further or hinder those actions that spring of invvarde causes vvhich actions are most vvorthye to bee vvritten I meane those actes vvhich the person of whom you vvrite dyd himselfe and not the actes of his Auncetours or that vvere done parhaps in his tyme hee deseruing to haue no parte thereof neyther are all his actes to be vvritten but those onely vvhich are notable and may serue to some good example And as touching the invvarde causes I meane here by nature that inclynacion vvhich a man hath from his cradle by affections I meane certayne liuelye motions as anger loue hatred put in execution For so they bring foorth actions eyther by sodain motions vvithout electiō or else by some passion bred by custome and growne to hab te Some agayne doe spring of bare and simple discourse accompanyed neither vvith passion or custome And some doe spring of discourse accustomed eyther to vice or vertue And therefore the vvriter in tellyng the actes and deeds ought to shew of which of these causes aboue sayde suche actes proceeded specially those that vvere done vvith choyse and election And to doe this vvell he ought to consider that though the discourse and affectiō from whence the action springeth proceedeth for the most parte of nature yet they be somtimes greatly increased and augmented by other things that are not naturall ▪ as by the educatiō and nurture vvhich man hath frō his tender yeres or by the studies exercises hereto he is giuen in his ripe age And these two things do vvorke three effectes First they do confirme a man in that vvherein hee hath bene trained exercised brought vp Secondly they frame his affections therevnto And finally they breede by custome suche a perfect habite in the minde as being once gotten is vvorthie eyther of prayse or disprayse To bring therefore into a briefe summe those things vvhich are chiefly to bee considered by the vvryter vvho hath to chronicle any mans life I saye that they be these The name of the man his familie his parentes and his Countrye and also his destinie fortune and force or necessitie if they seeme manifestly to appertayne to the action his nature affections and election proceeding eyther of vvisedome passion or custome his education exercises deedes and speaches and also the age and time vvherein euery notable acte was done and the qualities of his bodye vvhither they vvere signes and tokens of his mynde or else helps to the actions And as the vvriter is bounde to shevv the educatiō of the person chronicled and those exercises and studyes vvhereby hee hath formed hys maners so also he is bounde to tell euery deede vvorde signe or token that maye signifie eyther his maners his nature his affections thoughts or any maner of motion of the mynde For sith that the minde is the fountayne and father of all actions it behooueth vs to knovv that as perfectly as is possible to the intēt that in measuring therby his deeds and speaches both profitable and hurtfull vve may be able to iudge of their goodnesse or naughtinesse both by that vvhich is honest or dishonest profitable or hurtfull in deede and also by the apparance thereof And sith that to profite others vvee obserue in mans lyfe none other thing but deeds speaches It is needefull not onely to consider the thinges that go before vvhich vve haue heretofore rehearsed but also those things vvhich of necessitie doe accompany such deeds or speaches that is to save the doer the causes the tyme the place the meane and instrumentes and such lyke in such sort as the vvriter in duelye obseruing these circumstances may set foorth a true and lyuelye Image of both lyfe and man whereof he maketh his hystorie VVhat Profite hystories doe yeelde EVery Citie or Countrye standeth vpon three principall pyonts vnto one of vvhich all publique actions doe appertaine that is peace sedition and vvarre the first is the ende of the tvvo last ▪ in the vvhich ende the happinesse of our lyfe cōsisteth and the accomplishment of three desires vvhich we naturally haue first to lyue secondly to lyue contentedly or blessedly and thyrdly to lyue alvvayes in that happinesse so far as is possible to mans nature vvhich three things the latt●ns doe briefly vtter in this sort Esse benè esse semper esse And as touching peace first it is meete to knovve the vvay vnto it And then to follovve that vvaye that vve maye attayne it And by this vvord peace I meane not onely that vvhich consisteth in outvvarde actions but also inwardly in the mind For the outward peace thanks be vnto God to our most gracious Queene vvith hir honourable Counsell vve do quietly enioy here in Englande at this present and haue done manye yeares But the invvarde peace of the heart and mynde hovv small it is God knovveth best The vvay to come to that peace vvherof I speake is partly taught by the Philosophers in generall precepts and rules but the Historiographers doe teache it much more playnlye by perticular examples and experiences and speciallye if they be vvritten vvith that order diligence and iudgement that they ought to be And as the true peace standeth chiefly vppon the contentment of the mindes of the Citizins as vpon hir proper foundacion euen so that cōtentment is grounded vpon the ciuill discipline education laws offices and duties of euery order and companye in the Citie And such peace is broken eyther by some invvarde cōmotion or else by outvvarde vvarre If by invvarde sturre then the cause thereof is sometime the lacke of things necessarie for the maintenaunce of lyfe as of foode apparell and habitacion or dvvelling vvherevvith those that are pinched doe ryse eyther agaynst they owne Citizens that doe abounde and haue plentie or else against theyr neighbours and borderers And somtime the cause of such sturre may be for that they be not suffered to participate of the honors and dignities of the Citie or cōmon vveale And sometyme they rise for excessiue tributes paymēts leauied by the chiefe heads Agayne sometime for iniuries and vvrongs done by one to another all vvhich occasions being taken avvay the peace is easilye preserued vnto vvhiche ende all good lavves orders decrees ought to tende so as a man may rightly say that peace vvholy consisteth in lavves vvell made and vvell kept And as for outvvard vvarre to be offered by the straunger it is eyther open or by the waye of treason The vvaye to be preserued from treason consisteth in hauing good espyall and true intelligence in vvell revvarding the discouerers of the treason in sharpely punishing the

Traytours Open vvarre is eyther made to defende or to offende vvhich vvee ought alvvayes to flee vnlesse in not beginning it one way wee shoulde be forced to begin it a nother waye to our disaduauntage Agayne in open vvarre vve haue to deale eyther vvith those that be stronger or those that be weaker then our selues or else that be of equall power force to our selues The weaker we neede not to feare nor yet greatlye our equalls vnlesse some other accidente chaunce Wherefore we haue chiefelye to withstande those that are more mightie than vve be Against whome we haue to worke so as eyther they may not assayle vs or else in assailing vs that they may not hurte vs The first is to be done eyther by loue or by feare by loue as when we procure peace by payeing some trybute and by acknovvledging their superioritie in receyuing such impositions as they vvill laye vpon vs or by appeasing them vvyth pleasures vvith guyftes and revvardes or with graunting traffique and trade of marchaundise by marriage and such like We shall driue them from assayling vs by feare in preparing or in seeming to haue prepared all thinges necessary as well to offende as to defende Againe if the enimie do assayle vs he will eyther beate and waste our frontires or else enter into the mayne lande Against both vvhich daungers it shal be needefull to make the frōtires strong and to fournish them vvell with men and Munition so as he shall not be able to enter at all or at the least in entring he shall haue small assuraunce of himselfe leauing his enimies behinde at his backe And being entered we haue to vvithstande him two vvays that is eyther by famine or by fraude otherwise called wily pollicie for by force we can not hauing all ready presupposed his force to be greater than ours The action of vvarre consisteth in three principall points that is in lodging or incamping in marching and in fighting To incamping do belong foure considerations that is that the place be commodious for vvater for victuall for safetie and for health In marching vve haue to passe eyther through our ovvne countrie or through a straunge countrie the inhabitants whereof are eyther our friendes our foes or suspecte yea and sometime perhappes hauing our enimyes at our backes Of fighting there be also three kindes that is skirmuching a pitched fielde or the assaulting of some fortified place be it campe or tovvne which also are woont to be defended by some or by all of these three vvayes that is eyther by nature by art or by force of men And as all other things that haue a beginning haue an ende so likevvise hath warre For by one of these foure meanes all vvarres for the most part are ended eyther by victorie by great ouerthrovve by accorde and agreement or else by pouertye and for lacke of povver force chauncing eyther to the one side or to both and so at length warre resorteth againe to peace as to his finall ende Novve as touching sedition it is alvvayes mooued eyther by the inferiour sorte vvhich seeke to be made equall to their superiours or else by those that being equall vvoulde be superiour to the reast vvhich sedition is to bee suppressed eyther by fayre meanes or by fovvle meanes by gentlenesse or by sharpnesse as vvhen the faultours and first beginners thereof are sharplye punished eyther by the Magistrates according to lavve or else by the force of the other Citizens Agayne such sedition may be appeased by gentilenesse tvvo maner of vvayes that is eyther by the authoritie of some graue personage that is beloued and had in admiration amongest the people or else by graūting them the things vvhich were the cause of their rising These be the three generall actions of any Citie Prince or common vveale and be deuided into many particuler parts which vve ought diligently to obserue in histories vvith such consideracion as vve may learne thereby hovv one selfe effect springeth of one selfe cause and hovv the cōtrarie proceedeth of his contrary And the like of his like for the diuersitie of things being a thing infinite can not be obserued Of the dutye and office of hystoriographers and what order and disposition in writing hystories they ought to vse OF those that make anye thyng some doe make much of nothing as God dyd in creating the Worlde of naught and as Poets in some respect also doe vvhilest they faine fables and make thereof theyr poesies and poeticall Hystories some agayne of more doe make lesse as keruers grauers of Images and other such like artificers some of little doe make much of muche little as the Oratours vvhylest sometyme they extoll small things sometime abase great thinges And some doe make of so much asmuch as true Philosophers and Hystoriographers vvhose office is to tell things as they vvere done vvithout either augmenting or diminishing them or svvaruing one iote from the truth VVhereby it appeareth that the hystoriographers ought not to fayne anye Orations nor any other thing but truely to reporte euery such speach and deede euen as it vvas spoken or done In hystories things vvoulde be disposed according to their owne proper nature and therefore sith in euery action there must needs be a dooer or vvorker the hystorie muste first make mention of hym and then shevve the cause that mooued him to doe to what intent and ende in vvhat place and vvith vvhat meanes and instruments And bycause tyme doth accompany all maner of actions and euery action hath his proper and peculier tyme the vvriter must giue to euery action his devve time accordingly And if the deede or action be compounded of dyuers partes vvhich be also actions the like order is to be obserued in euery such part as ought to be kept in one simple action and specially vvhen the parts follovve one after another But if many actions appertayning as partes to one selfe ende shal be done in one selfe tyme sith it is vnpossible to tell them all at once they muste needs be tolde one after another And synce they may be declared eyther broken by peece meale or else whole togither it is best to tell them vvhole noting in euerye one the tyme vvherein such deede vvas done For to tell them othervvise vvoulde breede both darcknesse and tediousnesse to the reader If many actions are to be vvritten vvhich do belong to one selfe ende and are some vvay lynked togither one vvith an other the vvriter ought first to bring one alone to such termes bounds as vvithout feare of causing anye darckenesse or troubling the readers memorie he may fitly staye there vntill he hath brought euery one of the other actions to the like tearmes and then begin againe vvith the first proceeding so orderly from one to an other vntill he hath made an ende of all But hauing to tell diuers actes not tending to one self end then vvho doubteth but that he ought to tell euery acte entyer as it is euen

vvhat vvas the cause or causes of that vvhereof euery thing proceeded returning still backevvard euen to those things vvhich in the first order vvere first to be considered you shall obserue the seconde order But if you examine euery thing by it selfe as the establishing of peace and cōfirmacion of leagues and truces with neighbours the prouision of mony men Munition the order of Marching incamping and fighting and so all the reast of the meanes reducing euery thing to his generall kind without obseruing vvhat vvas first or last done so as you comprehende in youre diuision nothing but those meanes that appertayne to the obtayning of the victorie then you shall obserue the thirde order The first order properly belongeth to him that laboureth to come to some ende and is meete for the first reading of any Hystorie sith all thinges are vvoont to be tolde in suche order as they were done The seconde order is very necessary to iudge of euerye thing vvhat is vvell or euill done and to consider better aftervvarde of those thinges vvhich vvere not easye to be well cōsidered of at the first Also vvhen a thing vvas not to be obtayned by one meane vvhither it might be obtayned by an other meane or not and vvhere want is what meane vvere most mete to supply eche others place But if so much knovvledge were not to bee gathered oute of that tale or Hystorie then to cōsider by vvhat meanes the lyke ende had bene obtayned else vvhere VVherby you shall see that one hath brought a thing to passe by one meane vvhiche an other coulde not doe the like by an other meane In vsing this consideration in many like causes declaratiōs you shal be able quicklye to discerne vvhich meanes bee good and vvhich be not to bring anye thing to passe The third order is good for him that hath obserued the tvvo first orders to reduce all things in to a briefe summe that he may the more easily commit them to memorie or vvhen he hath to put any thing in execution as to make diuers prouisiōs or to distribute to diuers persons diuers charges and offices But vvho so euer doth consider and examine euerye thing that is of any moment or importance by all these three orders aforesayde cannot choose but reape of his labour great benefite And bycause vve finde manye tymes that like meanes haue bene vsed to the obtayning of like endes as vve suppose yet not vvith like successe we ought therfore diligently to cōsider the diuers natures of thinges and the differences of tymes and occasions and such like accidents to see if vve can possibly finde out the cause why mens purposes haue taken effect at one time and not at an other And by noting all that hath bene sayde touching the nature and propertie of anye thing ▪ vve shall learne vvhich accidentes are vvoont to accompanie togither and vvhich not Thus much touching the first and seconde part of humaine vvisedome Novv to the thirde part vvherby we are taught not only to note the taking and leauing of all occasions and opportunities vvhereby anye good hath bene procured but also all the daungers of euills that eyther in tyme haue beene vvyselye foreseene and fled or into vvhich for lacke of foresight men haue headlong fallen hauing therein regarde to euery mannes state condicion facultie profession and other such like circumstaunces to the intent that vve our selues may learne thereby to doe nothing vnaduisedly And as the examples of prosperous successes vvhich God hath gyuen as iuste revvardes to those that vvoorke according to vertue the great good will and loue that all men haue tovvardes them their fame glorie praise sounding in all mens mouthes and finally their immortalitie in being chronycled for their noble actes do chiefely serue to sturre vs to verteous honest and commendable doinges Euen so nothing is more meete to dravve vs from vice and dishonest dealing than the examples of euill successes vvhich God hath giuen to the vvicked as punishments for theyr euill deserts their shame infamie the hatred enmitie that they procure to themselues not onelye vvhilest they lyue but also after their death the Infamie which they leaue to their familye posteritie countrie vvhose secrete wycked deeds are layde open to the world by vvritten Hystorie in such sort as men vvill not for shame once name those persons vvhiche in their life time woulde be honored as Gods. Moreouer to this thirde part doe appertayne all the great labours expenses and perils that noble minded men haue sustained eyther in following that vvhich is good and commendable or in fleeing that vvhich is euill detestable And to the intent that in our reading vve omitte nothing vvorthie to be noted vve maye not make ouer much haste but rather reade ley surely and vvith Iudgement that remembring euerye thing meete to be obserued vvee may fitly applie the same to some good purpose and make it to serue our tourne vvhen neede is And though vve seeke by reading Hystories to make our selues more wyse asvvell to direct our ovvne actions as also to counsell others to sturre them to vertue and to vvithdravve them from vice and to beautyfie our ovvne speache vvith graue examples vvhen vve discourse of anye matters that therby it may haue the more aucthoritie waight and credite yet there is some difference of consideracion to be had when by examples wee mynde to profite oure selues when vve minde to profite others For manye tymes a thing of small importaunce maye eyther quicken or confirme in our selues a part of vvisedome of great importaunce but in counselling others if wee woulde haue our woordes to be of force and efficacie vve muste vse those examples that be of waight and importance And therefore vvhen we finde any such in our reading vve must not onely consider of them but also note them apart by themselues in such order as we may easily finde them when soeuer we shall haue neede to vse them And the order of such examples would not be altogither according to the names of the persons from vvhence they are takē which order some writers do commonlye vse in the tables of theyr bookes but rather according to the matters purposes vvhereto they serue Neyther is it sufficient in this behalfe to haue onely common places of vertues and vices or of thinges commendable and not commendable but other places also besydes them meete to be applyed to euerye one of those partes of obseruacion vvhiche vvee seeke vvhich places are to be founde ordered and disposed not before vvee begin to reade but whylest wee continue in reading and in obseruing all kynde of matters euery day vvith better iudgement than other And by considering vnder what title euery example is to be placed for the ready finding thereof vvee shall greatlye helpe our memorie But novve to conclude as he that maketh these obseruaciōs in reading Hystories shall reape in my opinion that fruite which is proper to that kynde of studye and bee able therby greatly to profite both himselfe and his commō vvealth So I can not tell vvhyther I may deryde or rather pittie the great follie of those vvhich hauing consumed all theyr lyfe tyme in hystories doe knovv nothing in the ende but the discents genealoges and petygrees of noble men and vvhen such a King or Emperour raigned such lyke stuffe vvhich knovvledge though it be necessarie and meete to be obserued yet it is not to be cōpared to the knovvledge that is gotten by such obseruacions as vve require be of greater importaunce to the obtayning vvhereof I vvish all readers of Hystories to employe theyr chiefest studye care diligence FINIS