amorous daughters for whilest they are prouiding dowries to bestow them in marriages of such as they like and thinke fittest for them they prouide themselues of Paramours such as they list to fancie But for him that should take to wife her that hath beene her fathers wanton were not such a one well sped he should be sure to haue Gaule to his Sugar sowre soppes to his sweete meate he were better to marrie a milke-maide then to marrie a fathers fondling one that is called her fathers ioy his iewell his dearling that is brought vp in pleasure in pride in idlenesse in audacious boldnesse for that is growne to a fashion and this is the cause that women in these dayes haue forgotten to blush It may be that such a one will bring a great portion but let him that shall marrie her make full accompt that her vanitie will farre exceede her marriage good And for euery hundred poundes in money she brings a thousand vanities a thousand fitts a thousand follies a thousand fancies a thousand new-fangles To day she must keepe her chamber sicke of a quotidian fitte of follie to morrow the Coach must be made readie she must amongest her acquaintance to listen out for new fashions the third day alas she breedes child and then we must looke about for dainties and farre fet and deare bought they say is fit for Ladies the Prouerbe is olde and it may be true that as knights grow poore Ladies grow prowd But this foolish nicitie that is in this common request amongst women it is got into the bone and it will neuer out of the flesh and let it sticke there still for a nice conceit best becomes a pretie soule She did well expresse it that wept so bitterly to thinke how much ashamed she should be at the day of iudgement when shee should stand starke naked before so great an assembly as she heard say would be there present I haue runne my selfe beyond my bounds my purpose was but to haue spoken a litle of these faults that are committed in knitting vp of these wicked and vngodly marriages and that in such a generall sort as almost there are no other made I haue a little glaunced by the way at the folly of those fathers that doe loue their children with more affection than wit If I should now take vpon me to speake of the ingratitude of children towards their parents I might write a greater volume then my leysure might well permit But they say it is a wise childe that doth know his owne father I say againe that in many places he is a wise father that doth know his owne child And there is not a better Item whereby to discern a Bastard then to see a brat vnnaturall and vnkind to him that is taken for his father Nature her selfe hath taught this and Nature cannot erre And therefore that sonne that both against the law of God and the law of Nature becommeth vngratefull to him whom he supposeth to be his father if he be not a Bastard I say he is worse and pittie the earth should beare so vngracious a burthen I will conclude with this caueat to carelesse parents beware of those that doe gape for your lands after your death and desire the managing of your goods during your life But it is true Nature may be peruerted and there is no knowledge in the world which is not corrupted nor any learning art or science which is not abused It were too great a presumption in me to meddle with Diuinitie no it is too high a stile for a Souldiers penne and I haue learned long since Ne sutor vltra crepidam Yet to speake a little with humilitie and reuerence I will not implore the assistance of the Muses or Apollo but of the high and most mightie God Whatsoeuer is certaine of it selfe needeth no demonstration then in Diuinitie the dignitie of the subiect may suffice for where the obiect is God the ground-worke is infallible still permanent and irreuocable Diuinitie hath beene from the beginning yea the word was before the world for the worde was God Diuinitie is a heauenly law confirmed by antiquitie sealed by God the Law-giuer written and set downe by the finger of God and deliuered by those that were inspired by his holy spirit It hath pleased God from the beginning to raise vp Patriarkes and Prophets to teach and gouerne his people and after in the Kingdome of our Sauiour he ordeined the Ministrie of the Gospel appointing it perpetuall to the end of the world and hath further taught vs to pray that labourers might bee thrust into the haruest But I am sorie now to speake of our Ministrie and but according to the trueth how manie doe make themselues blind by seeing too much such as can set the holy Scriptures at a iarre who curiously searching out the vertue of words doe carelesly subuert the words of the truth What is it that they cannot vtterly ouerthrow with their fierie blasts of thundring words by Ingins of Definitions Distinctions Diuisions Silogisms Figures Allegories then they haue so many Generals and Specials with such glosing and expounding that they will presume euen to measure gods worde and his workes with their Logicall Sophismes One holds of the Letter an other would haue vs to search out the meaning contained in the letter another stands vpon the bare worde another of the sense another of I know not what but it is a miserable vngracious studie that doth nothing else but learne how to erre The puritie of diuinitie is enspired from aboue and not to be comprehended by diuiding defining compounding nor by any other Sophisticall contending In a great part of the world euen at this day Mahomet is worshipped who was the Authour of a verie foolish Religion and the Iewes are yet looking after their Messias but amongst vs Christians it is strange to see what disagreement there is amongst our Cleargie-men about rites about ceremonies about worshipping about apparell about Discipline and about I cannot tell what Yet this is especially to be wondred at aboue the rest that they doe thinke by these contentious matters to ascend into heauen for the which in times past Lucifer was throwne downe into hell I might speake of others that can content them selues with knowing vntruths without searching out of the truth but he that will be a steward of much must yeeld an account for much and of him that hath receiued fiue Talents the Lord will looke for an increase of fiue Talents The Ministers of Gods worde are these Stewards of God appointed to dispense his holy Ministeries They are the Ambassadours vnto vs with glad and ioyfull tidings they bring vnto vs the worde of our saluation they are our fathers that doe beget vs vnto Iesus Christ by preaching the Gospel of peace they are the light of the world to shine before men in all godly example of loue of charitie of humility
of temperance of chastitie of sobrietie of integritie of life of honest conuersation and therefore worthie of double honour Such they should be and of such without doubt there be a great number And for mine owne part I protest I know a great many more that be good then I doe of those that be bad And I would to God that those of the better sort would themselues looke into the demeanour of some that are a slaunder and reproach to that honourable function that can baite his hooke with grauitie till he hath caught a Benefice and then the Surplesse must serue to couer a most vngodly carcase Those vices are most of all daungerous that are masked vnder the visour of Vertue and there is lesse hope in these counterfeit holy Hypocrites then there is in the Publicane or Harlot but for their sakes that be good I will speake no more of those that be ill I might likewise spare my labour in speaking of Philosophie because the studie of wisdome is now out of fashion And although there are not many faults to be picked out against the Philosophers of this age the number being so small yet I will glaunce a little at some errours committed by those men that haue beene especially extolled and renowmed for their Philosophie Philosophie is a strict inquisitor of the soule and it will diue into many naturall causes but the cause of all causes Philosophie knowes not The Philosophers that haue so much busied themselues to search out the causes beginnings of things could neuer find out God the Creator and maker of all things They could speake many good words concerning maners and conuersation amongst men but of God they spake nothing but dreamingly neither dreamed they of him but ouerthwartly how many grieuous incounters haue there beene amongst the Philosophers themselues and that of the grauest sort concerning the principles of naturall things whereof there are many matters that doe yet hang before the Iudge not fully decided Thales Milesius one of the wise men of Greece beginning to look into the generation of al things for the soule hee thought it immortall for the world he concluded it to haue his beginning by water Anaxagoras trusting in his owne opinion fabled that the Sunne was composed of bright iron and that the heauens were of stone wonderfully knit togither lest they should fall Euripides his scholler he feignes that the Moone had valleyes and mountaines in her and that the minde was the beginner of all motion concluding that all creatures had their creation of earth fire and water whereunto had he added the other Element of aire I thinke it would neither haue bin dissonant from reason nor repugnant from true Philosophie For the creation of the earth Archelaus will haue it of liquid water inflamed by the heate of fire and by resolution turned into dust Heraclitus he thinketh all things to haue their originall of fire concluding with Aristotle that the generation of one thing is the corruption of an other Democritus Crisippus with the rest of their coherents imagining somewhat but yet concluding nothing they referre the originall of the worlde to a litle Nothing and making vp a Something of this Chaos conclude it to be the subiect of corruption wherin they harped on a truth in their error confirming the vanitie of our Metaphisickes who wading past their reach concluded something they knew not what Vulgar Philosophers seeing the marueilous workes which bruit beastes doe performe affirme and hold no cause of maruell because they doe it by a naturall instinct Galen seeing a yong Kid but newly fallen from the damme which being sette vpon the ground it beganne to goe as if it had beene tolde and taught that his legges were made to that purpose and for further experience setting before him sundrie platters with wine water vinegar oyle and milke after the kid had smelt to them all hee fed onelie of that with milke which being beheld by diuers other Philosophers they all cryed out with one voyce that Hippocrates had great reason to say That soules were skilfull without the instruction of any teacher Galen againe woondering to see the frame of mans body considering of the seuerall parts how they were seated euery one applied to a proper vse and office by it selfe after admiration hee grew to conclude it was not possible a vegetiue soule neither yet the temperature could fashion a workmanship of such singularity but it was first vndertaken by a most wise vnderstanding In the time of Aristotle it is recorded of certain children who immediately after they were borne spake certaine wordes distinctly and plainely yet afterwardes were silent as other children of their age the Philosophers of that time not being able to coniecture the naturall cause of this effect imputed it to the diuell Aristotle much offended with this construction vndertooke of himselfe to search out this secret of Nature which although he laboured with great diligence was not able to apprehend Plato admired how it might come to passe that of two sons begotten by one father the one shuld haue the skill of versifying without any teaching and the other toyling himelfe in the Arte of Poetry could neuer beget so much as one verse I see no great cause why Plato shoulde so much wonder at that when Nature hath euermore excelled Arte yet I know there hath beene contention about this superioritie some vpholding Arte some other maintaining Nature But to speake a little of the affinitie betweene Arte and Nature wee are to consider with the Philosophers what Nature is Tully in his Offices hath this saying If wee followe Nature as our guide we shall neuer erre esteeming Nature for a god by whome our chiefest good fortunes do happen vnto vs. Aristotles Interpreters diuide Nature in twoo formes calling the one Natura Naturans and the other Natura Naturata this nature which natureth is that which Tully accompteth for a god Then if Art be compared with that which perfecteth al things it should striue with his Founder but compared with his Equall it perfecteth that so that Nature is it which presenteth the subiect and Art it that perfecteth the subiect But Art perfecteth Nature in some things and Nature excelleth Arte in many things and yet haue these two so striuen together that in Protogynes table were as faire grapes in colours as in Natures gardine they were in substance for Nature indeede not onely affecteth the sight but also the sences when Art in setting out of colours presenteth a Shape without a Substance but so are these two knit together that if Nature alow no fewel Art can make no fire and if Nature allow no colours we can haue no painting The Philsopher woulde needes tie God to the lawes of Nature who was the first creater of Nature which is nothing else more of it selfe but whatsoeuer it pleaseth God to commaund God created Nature and gaue it a lawe which lawe he will haue
payeth them in the end with more grieuous punishment than that which is obiected to our eyes or that which is inflicted vpon the body But would you see one example of the secret iudgements of God Titus the Emperour had intelligence what Christ had prophecied of Ierusalem that one stone should not be left standing vpon an other see nowe the secret iudgementes of God that the same man that persecuted the Christians at Rome goeth now to Ierusalem to reuenge the death of Christ vppon the Iewes that had crucified him drawne heereunto without doubt by his owne passion but ouer-ruled by God to be the executioner of his Iustice who many times looseth the reines of bloud to runne vpon bloud drawing one sinne to doe execution on an other one murtherer to kill another one wicked Cittie to afflict another and one prowd nation to chase and persecute another For the seauen liberall Sciences Grammar Logicke Arithmetike and the rest if I should take vppon mee to speake in their commendations I might happen to speed as he did that would needs take vpon him to speake in the praise of Hercules and to that purpose had whetted the strength of his wit to haue made a long Oration But a Philosopher hearing this needelesse commendation very prettily interrupted him and asked him Whie who discommends Hercules and I doe thinke there is not a greater argument of folly then for a man to vndertake the praise of that which is more excellent of it selfe than any other commendation a man can render vnto it For those that are professours of the Artes if there be any that are of a contentious wrangling spirit they are vnto such a one like a sword in a madde mans handes more apt to doe hurt than good The Grammarian his subiect is but wordes teaching vs to bring the diuers partes of speach in one congruitie and to this purpose they doe many times tire and martire themselues more than needes Logicke teacheth how to sift out the troth from a number of falshoodes howe to frame an argument it setteth downe rules and precepts how to define distinguish diuide conclude and how to iudge and argue But there be too many that with this little mist of knowledge will seeke to peruert and deface all knowledge and sometimes by wresting the weapons of reason will mannage them to the confusion of Reason it selfe Rhetorike by her rules doth beautifie the speach with pollished words fine phrases and gratious colours whereby to stirre affections which is fitter to adorne a leasing than to set forth a serious troth which the Apostle well proueth where he saieth Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach and that not in wisdome of words lest the crosse of Christ might proue in vaine Which woordes the Apostle vsed to the end the Gentiles should not thinke his exhortation to be but a well cowched leasing such as their Orators were accustomed to perswade by the force of their Arte for those haue most neede of artificiall speeches who with pleasing words doe go about to couer dishonest deedes The country-man is more afraid of the serpent that lieth hidden in the grasse than of the wilde beast that feedeth openly on the mountaine The mariner is more endaungered by hidden shelues than knowne rockes and more perrill in a secret ambush than in a ranged battell A naked tale doth most truly set foorth a naked trueth and veritie then shines most brightly when she is in least brauery A good cause bringeth credite it needeth not the help of Art and to vse superfluous eloquence in a matter of sufficient excellencie is a greater shew of a pregnant wit than of a perfect wisedom yet eloquence is one of the greatest graces whereby the popular sort are best perswaded and thinke that a man hath much wisedome and knowledge if he can speake with great eloquence and hath a sweete tongue with pleasing wordes Aristotle writte with such slender ornament of wordes with such simple manner of deliuerance and with such obscuritie of stile but yet his Axiomes Problemes and all his sentences being opened they held such lineaments and proportions of rare admiration that some ignorant expositours would needes conclude that Aristotle had deliuered his writings in this sort but of sette purpose rendring this reason because hee would that his workes should passe with the greater authoritie he writ vnder Riddles They might haue saide the like by Plato who with no lesse harsh breuitie obscureth his reasons and many times darkeneth his writings by the ill placing of the parts of his tale but yet Cicero praising his eloquence saide That if Iupiter should haue spoken Greeke hee would haue spoken as Plato did Musicke hath his proceeding from the concordance and agreement of soundes I would I could praise it but halfe so well as I loue it but yet for all that for him that hath his head troubled with too many crochets I would rather wish to haue his cunning than his wit Arithmeticke proceedeth but from a vnite yet by addition multiplication and the rest of her partes it comprehendeth things that be infinite Geometry hath likewise his proceeding but from a pricke but the knowledge of it is excellent and serueth for diuerse purposes both for peace or warre But wee haue Geometritians in these dayes some that if they can but drawe three lines with a Compasse will vaunt themselues to haue as much cunning as euer had Euclides Astrologie for the Science it selfe it is a high mysterie Mary amongst the Professors there is great variety I will not speake of incertainty because there is one thing certaine which I my selfe can assure and that is whilest the Astrologian is calculating for others hee knowes not what is hanging ouer his owne head The Letters are the first instruments of the arts and Grammar Logicke and Rhetoricke are onely entries into the rest of the Sciences and may be called the Artes of well speaking Learning is the Ladder whereby to climbe to heauen it raiseth men from earthly vanities to the contemplation of things celestiall and diuine A man that is enlightned with knowledge grasps after vniuersalities and Science it is that stretches it selfe to the heauens it meditates of eternity and makes steppes whereby to ascend to the throne of Glorie A man without Learning is but an immortall beast he hath being with blocks life with plants and sence with beasts but as Aristotle saieth that the reasonable soule partaking of the same generall nature with the Angells is ashamed to behold her selfe placed in a body which hath but fellowship with beasts And as Socrates hath defined a man that is destitute of knowledge if hee be amongest the best hee may be saide to bee a man amongest beasts but amongst the learned the best you can repute of him is to be but a beast amongest men There is nothing then so much to be sought for as
those Commonwealths euer prooued where those haue beene preferred that were better skilled in taking than in executing Alexander Seuerus both punished and deposed as many as had bought their offices saying they solde deerer by retale than they bought in the grosse I will not say that it is preiudiciall vnto the Common-wealth that Offices should be bought and solde for money But this is true that Princes ought to bee very circumspect by whom they are mannaged because being to continue in the same during their liues the holders are the lesse subiect to correction And being bought and sold for money they are the more subiect to corruption Offices that were wont to be painfull toiles for men of honestie and care to be heedefull of are now become gainfull spoiles executed by those that endeuour their owne commoditie exacting their owne gaine by the spoile both of Prince and Countrie But in that Common-wealth where Officers are made to do their dueties and no more than appertaineth to iustice and right they will giue as much to be rid of an Office as they will doe now to buy an Office Pollicie is a speciall parte of gouernement and the state and pollicie of the time is not for priuate men to deale withall and Pollicie that is legittimate first begotten by Wit and then fostered by Honestie is not to be neglected but that which more respecteth profit than it doth the soueraigne Pollicie prescribed by Gods lawe is it which the Apostle speaketh of The wisedome of the fiesh is enmitie to God He dooth not say an enemy for an enemy might be reconciled but enmity it selfe can neuer be reconciled and therefore he addeth further The wisedome of the flesh is death And although the name of Pollicie at the first sight doth carry a great and glorious shew yet being estranged from that Pollicie before spoken of commanded by God it doth not reach vnto that perfection of true christian gouernement that many haue seemed to perswade The drift of worldly Policie is to do litle good but to the end to doe a great deale of harme for Pollicie and Profite haue euer marched arme in arme in one ranke and how many Princes haue bin abused yea and sometimes dishonoured vnder those plausible pretences Profite being diuorced from Honestie begetteth but a bastardly progenie and it is a very dangerous doctrine to teach that Profite may be separated from honestie when there is nothing profitable vnlesse it be honest He therefore that maketh diuision betweene profite and honestie peruerteth Nature and hee seeketh but his owne shame that seeketh but his owne profite All Policie therefore is to be reiected that tendeth not to publique profite or that preferreth the vaine policies of men before the infallible policie reuealed in the worde of God for these Polititians for the most part doe neuer consider that the principal things that do bring miseries and disorders to whole Countries Kingdoms are such offences as are counted directly against the Maiestie of God Looke into histories and you shall find no states-men more pestilent to a Common-wealth then these Polititians that squared out their gouernment by the rules of their owne wits Looke into the two Catoes the one with his frantique accusations disturbing the whole Common-wealth of Rome and the other going about ouer-wisely to protect it did vtterly subuert it yea and Cicero with all his eloquence was as troublesome amongst the Romanes as Demosthenes was amongst the Athenians There be many other of these great polititians which might be named that with their peeuish disciplines haue disturbed the quiet of states so that in mine opinion there is not a more pestilent thing then this plague of policy which diuides it selfe from the policie prescribed by the rule of Gods word When the humour of preferring our countrie before any other thing was had in request there was no man so meane but if he could endeuour his Countries good his reputation was aduanced and his wisdom was not suffered to go away emptie-fisted then men might speake freely so they spake truly but after the Polititian he that hath but a Mammon for his God and Machiuell for his ghostly father had once gotten the mannaging of Common-wealth affaires they haue so prohibited this libertie of free speaking for their Country with their prescription of Quod supra nos nihil ad nos that the meanes whereby the Romanes the Grecians many other florishing estates wrought their greatest woonders in aduauncing their Common-wealths were long sithence taken away vnder the colour of Policie and pregnancie of wit We are priuileged by our Country and vnder the ensignes of her authoritie it is not onely lawfull for vs to spend our liues but it is like behoueful to vndertake any thing that may be for her safetie and the good of our Prince Curtius for the good of his common-wealth leaped into the Gulfe Sceuola burned his hand because he missed the killing of Porcenna Horatius fought against the whole armie of the Tuscans whilest the Bridge was broken behind his backe But these dayes are past for many that did then striue who should exceed in Vertue do now contend how the one might excell the other in Vice and that feruencie of zeale that we should beare to God to our Prince and to our Countrey it is growne cold and it is conuerted to this olde Adage Euerie man for himselfe and God for vs all as they would haue it but I say If euerie man be for himselfe the Diuell for vs all for so we shall find it I must here craue your gentle patience that you would please to giue me leaue to Lie a little and yet a little time would hardly serue my turne for if I should lie but according to the truth I meane if I should tell all that is reported a whole Resme of Paper would not suffice my little wit to set it downe at large but if they be lies they shall cost you no money you shall haue them cheape inough in conscience I will not aske with the Lawier for euerie lie a Fee no keepe your money till you haue need of Lawiers helpe For mine owne part I haue had little to doe amongst Lawiers but for those few that I do know and haue had to deale withall I dare protest them to be Gentlemen of that honest life and conuersation euerie way as there is no exceptions to bee taken against them The Text that I haue now taken in hand is to speake of Faults The innocencie then of those that be good must not be a shelter to those that be bad and all the ill that I haue to speake is but by report but Report is a lier and let him be so still A man for all that may tell a lie by report I wil proue it I hope the Lawiers themselues will vpholde the cause that are driuen in their proceedings at the Bar to vent a great number of lies but as
they take them by report from their foolish Clients here is now all the difference the Lawier is well feed for his lie and I sell you mine for nothing Then first I acknowledge the Law it selfe to bee worthie of all honourable repute being leuelled and proportioned according to the first institution for the end wherevnto Law hath relation is to profit the good to perfect the commonwealth to relieue the oppressed to minister iustice neither is there any vice which is not by Law bridled yea where God himselfe was not knowne Law ministred equitie and the power of excesse by it hath beene restrained By Law good disciplines are prescribed the Common-wealth gouerned and all policies to the maintenance of peace both begunne continued ended In the commendation of the Law what can be said more They haue relation first to Religion next to Determination thirdly to prescription and custome and pleas whatsoeuer hauing past the asperitie of the Law may yet be ordred by conscience So that if aught be neglected by error may yet be relieued by equitie in the Court of Chauncerie But if the Law be certaine why should iudgement be delayed if bent to do right why are so many poore men wronged if grounded on conscience why should it be partiall But I reproue not the Law nor yet find I fault at the honest Lawier but alas how should they chuse but erre when their accusations bee but other mens reports and their whole pleadings nothing else but hearsayes maintaining but what their Clients will enforme them But this doth not excuse all for there be many others by whom the Law that of it selfe intendeth nothing but right is yet made the verie instrument of iniurie and wrong they haue Lawe to ouerthrow Lawe and there is no Lawe be it neuer so legitimate or truely begotten which with wrested gloses and subtil expositions they cannot bastardize They make their plea according to the pennie not according to the trueth when amongst them hee that hath most money hath commonly most right they coyne delayes for priuate aduantage they make streight crooked and crooked right they are open mouthed against the poore mans processe who shall sooner finde his purse emptied than his suite ended And where they shoulde be the Ministers of light they hunt after continuall darkenesse concluding the trueth within a golden cloude They are pugnantia inter se when amongst them there is no agreement but what they confirme to day to morrow they will frustrate this clause annihilated by this Iudge that distinction by another And although the text of the Lawe of it selfe be briefe yet they obscure it by their too many glosings and how many are there that doe checke the course of Iustice by dilatory pleas and how many Petty-foggers that doe nothing but set men at variance and a pox take Iohn a Nokes and Iohn a Stile for those two flie companions are made the instrumentes of a great deale of mischiefe And woe againe to all those Lawyers that are but like to Aesopes Kite that whilest the Mowse and the Frogge were at controuersie for superioritie in the Marsh he deuoured them both When a man comes to commense a suite in the beginning hee shall be entertained with a hope to obtaine and being entred they consume him by delayes and whilest hee hath meanes to beare out the charge they assure him his right is good but when they haue spent him that he is not able longer to giue they do pronounce Sentence against him and hee that is not well stored with money wherewith to corrupt shal want no sorro w wherof to complaine How many myracles are assigned to Saintes to whom we do go in pilgrimage we protest vowes yeeld worship and of whome we doe craue giftes Women likewise are not without their women Saints as Lucina whose help they implore when they would haue children and Iuno of whom they doe begge to bee reuenged on their angrie husbands there is almost no kinde of griefe that hath not his Physition amongst the Saints which as it is imagined is an especiall cause why Phisitions can not gaine so much as Lawyers because there is no controuersie be it neuer so litle so iust or so honest that hath either he Saint or she Saint to defend it They say it is an argument of a licentious common-wealth where Phisitions and Lawyers haue too great commings in As I haue not endeuoured any priuate accusation so I will not enter into any particular praise I might else in this place without any suspition of flattery take occasion to speake in the commendation of many worthy Professors of the Lawe not onely of some that sit Roahed on the Bench but also of others that are Pleaders at Barre The Professor of the Lawe hath Relation to leade him Conscience to direct him Iustice to counsaile him and Honour to reward him All happinesse may be saide to be in that common-wealth where Lawes be not only good but wbere they are likewise duely obserued and kept without wresting The materiall cause of the Lawe is that it consistes of such cases and for the correcting of those disorders as accustomably befall in the Common wealth not of things impossible or such as do but seldome times happen The finall cause is to order the life of man and to direct him what he is to doe and what to forbeare What else are the great number of Lawes amongst vs but authenticall Registers of our corruptions and what are the manifolde Commentaries written vppon them But a verie corruption of the Lawes themselues and what do they witnes vnto vs But as the multitude of Phisitions doe in a Cittie that is to say the multitude of our diseases Good Lawes do proceede from the wickednes of men for it is offences that doe beget lawes for where there is no law there can be no breach of law Good lawe vnexecuted were better vnmade yet sharpe and rigorous lawes were rather made to terrifie then to destroy men And the seate of a Iudge that is too seuere seemeth to be a Gibbet alreadie erected Those Princes that haue Policie to attire Auarice and Crueltie vnder the pretence of establishing lawes they do therby exact their own commoditie for where there be many Lawes there must be many offenders the multitude of transgressors are the riches of the Prince when they make forfeyture as well of their goodes as of their liues Warre is the Minister of the wrath of God when hee is displeased no lesse greeuous to the worlde where it lighteth then the loathsome plague of pestilence The effect of Warre is the destruction of countries the desolation of noble houses and the sacking of opulent Citties The Action dependeth vpon fortune or misfortune vpon oportunities delayes expeditions frowardnesse and vntowardnesse of a number of vaine headed followers if discipline be not the better respected Warre is a minister of Gods Iustice eyther