somwhat for his defence Augustus made an ende of his expostulation sayde thus Cinna I gyue the ones ageyne thy lyfe before I gaue the it beinge myn ennemie I giue it nowe to the beinge a traytour and a parricide From this day forthwarde lette frendeshyp begin betwene vs lette vs two contende whyther thou mayste shewe me more pleasure for perdonynge the thy lyfe or I more gladde that I saued the. And thus by and by Cesar began with hym and made hym consul Cinna was from that daye forwarde as true a frende vnto Cesar as one man myght be vnto an other in so moche that he made Cinna his heyre ¶ The kinge our moste gracyous soueraine lorde myghte commemorate his benefyttes towarde all his subiectes I wolde doo it for hym but that I knowe I am farre vnmete to take vppon me the handelynge of soo weighty a mattier His grace woll I doubt not folowe the clemency of Augustus He seeth his noble progenytours haue ofte punished rebelles and done no more but cut awey the branches of sedicion for their tyme. His highnes intendeth to pull aweye the roote He seeth it is not possible to cure this sore which in dede Plato calleth the greattest syckenes that can come to a comune welthe excepte he serche out bothe where it ariseth and what thing moste nourisheth it and then do as phisicions are wont whiche oft tymes laye not their medicines to the parte that is diseased but to that rather from whens the disease first came and is like to come stylle onelesse it be there stopped As for exaumple when the eies be soore first they seke whether the disease grow in the eies or is sent from some other place nighe the eies as from the heed or els some other place further of as the stomake If it be not in the eies prīcipally but cometh either from the heed or from the stomacke they begynne not at the eies but firste pourge the stomacke and so the roote cutte awaye the disease nowe no more maynteyned can in no wyse longe tary behynde It is very true that Zamolsis king of Thrace was wonte to saye Loke sayth he as the eies can not be clensed excepte ye fyrste clense the heed neyther the heed without ye pourge the hole body euen so neither the bodye without the mynde be firste netted This kynge sawe it lytell auayled to rydde the body of noughty humours oneles also a man so brydell his appetyte that afterwarde he can forbeare suche thinges as dydde hurte hym before and wyll do ageyne excepte he moderate his affectiōs The bote man I thinke lacketh moche wyt and loseth moche labour that standeth all daye with a dis she ladinge out water that nedes must come in agayne oneles the bote be amended The faut is in the breache of the bote and not in the water Surely if it were any thing lyke to be brought to passe it shulde be moche better to fynde a waye that none might haue wylle to rebell then to trusse vp rebellious people Wolde god some high wytte some man borne to do suche good for his countrey coulde aswel bryng this to passe as I thinke it myght nowe very lyghtly be done For if euer the cause of rebellion may vtterly be taken awaye we haue a prynce god wyll we maye haue his grace longe we haue a prynce that sayth the tyme is now Al men ought to endeuour them selfe here to occupie theyr wyttes that suche a thynge myght take effecte I for my parte wylle do what I can which I know is very lyttell how be it if I do it not so well as my desyre is I truste good intent shall soo make myne excuse that loue of my countrey shall not moche hurte me ¶ Some say pouertie is the cause that men come to be thenes murderers rebelles But I thynke nothynge so For I knowe dyuers realmes where pouertie raygneth moche more than in Englande yet rebels there be none The rote is lower dygge deper ye maye perchaunce fynde it Education euyll education is a greatte cause of these and all other myschefes that growe in a comune wel the. For where so many lacke honest occupatiōs wherby al men that can not otherwise lyue by their landes ought to maynteyne them selues howe canne we lacke any kynd of mischief No man is borne a craftis mā youth must be beter brought vp or euer the olde lyue welthely The lacke the lacke of honest craftes and the habundauncie of ydlenes all be it they be not the hole cause of sedicyon yet as they brede theues murderers and beggers so not a lytle they prouoke men or thynges lyke men to rebellion There is a parte in man whiche is named the mynde that is of this nature yf it be galyarde and lusty either to do moche good or cōtrary to do moche hurt If this lacke good institutiō if this be not handeled and ordered as it shulde be men maye lacke sedition but they can not lacke a thynge within them to styre them to sedition This must be so taught that there be no rebellion within our selfes we muste conquere our lustes and compell the appetites to obeye all suche statutes as reason and honestie shall thynke worthye to be enacted Euery man some wyll say can not clyme to suche perfection Euery man can not be kept at skole I graunt But yet I thynke al y e lordes sonnes and also the better parte of gentlemen myght be as well brought vp as it is necessary they be if they had suche teachers as oughte to instructe the nobles of a realme These wel brought vp I wold nothynge doubte but eyther we shulde be welthier than we be or els moche better content with that that god shoulde sende vs all be it we had moche lesse then nowe we haue I longe haue supposed that as the bryngyng vp of y e nobles is the saulfegarde of a comune welthe so theyr euill education is the ruyne therof For as noble men be so theyr seruantes are The mayster gyuen to ryot the seruant must nedes thynke that there is no thriuyng for hym excepte he shewe hym selfe a ruffler So that though the seruaunt be good of hym selfe yet to wynne the fauour of his mayster he muste coūterfaite their condicions that his maister most lyketh Thus in vsynge theym a monethe or two he maketh theym his owne He nowe dissembleth no lenger he is as they be whom he hath longe folowed I must nedes saye more if the nobles be euyl taught in poyntes concernyng religion as if they be popyshe to put one exaumple for many Howe can theyr seruauntes chose but be so to Howe can theyr tenantes whiche muste haue theyr lordes fauour be of a nother religion then theyr lorde is Howe can they agre with their neighbours if they bothe be not of one faythe and one beleue The kynges grace shall neuer haue true subiectes that do not beleue as his grace doth For howe can they loue hym as
and worthy his name when euery one is content with his degree gladde to do that that he may laufully doo gladder to do that whiche he seeth shal be for the quietnes of the realme all be it his priuate profite byddeth hym doo the contrary The shypman sayleth for other mens profyt as moche as for his owne but yet he sturreth the sterne and turneth the sayle as hym lusteth he casteth the shotte anker when he wyll and not when they bydde hym that are in his shyp The phisition is called to do more good to other then to hym selfe and in dede oftymes he saueth the sycke and taketh the disease hym selfe but yet he dieteth his pacient not as the paciente desyreth but some tyme kepethe hym from meate when he is hungry some tyme from drynke when he is ful thursty seldom geuynge hym that he calleth for Gouernours in a common welthe muste loke to the comons profyte but they muste rule or elles howe can they gouerne They must make lawes and not suche as euery man wolle neyther esteme that to be profytable to a fewe whiche bryngeth damage to the hole They onely oughte to be offycers that are knowen to be discrete polytique wyse and of suche stomake that yf nede be they can sette lyttell the hatrede and malyce of theym that seldonie loue suche as are in greattest auctoritie and not onely sette lyttel by them but also contemne their owne profyte welthe ye and lyfe to sooner than to seke prayse at their tonges that for the moste parte loue they wote not what and hate they wote not why ¶ Anthistenes seing the lyghtnes of the people of Athens came one day amonges theym and gaue them counsayle that they shulde plowe their lande aswell with asses as with horses They lawghed at hym and sayd Asses were nothyng fytte for the tillage of the erth Than let me laugh to sayth he at you which woll haue them rulers in the cōmon welth that so lytell can skyll of thaffaires therof ¶ Demosthenes whan he was banysshed by the consent of the people of Athens in his departure he turned towardes the citie and made this exclamation O Pallas howe is it possible that thou shouldest beare suche loue vnto these .iii. beastes the nyght owle the dragon the people He was also wont to saye If I had knowen the enuye the feare the false reportes the iniust accusatiōs that they must susteyne whiche gouerne where credite is gyuen to the fals iugementes of people if of .ii. I muste nedes haue done the one I wolde sooner haue broken my necke than haue had to doo in the common welthe of Athens ¶ One tolde Antisthenes The people speke moche good of you why saythe he what hurt haue I done as who shuld saye they seldome prayse but such as do euyl I dare boldly affirme y t there was neuer ethnicke more worthy lyfe than Socrates was the people wolde nedes haue hym deed Who knoweth not that knoweth any thynge howe moche Rome was bounde to Scipio This worthye Capitayne dyed out of his countrey banyshed by them whom he ofte had saued I lette passe Phocion Aristides and many mo whom all hystories bringe in to shewe the lyghtnes and lewde iudgement of communes Dante that good Italyane poet sayth full truely of them It is seldome sene that the people crie not Viua la mia morte muoia la mia vita That is Let lyue my dethe lette dye my lyfe lette that go forthe that bryngeth my distruction lette that be banyshed that is my welthe and safegarde Geffrey Chauser sayeth also somewhat in theyr prayse beare it ▪ well away and lawde theym as ye fynde cause O sterne people vniuste and vntrewe Ay vndiscrete and chaungynge as a fane Delytynge euer in rumours that be newe For lyke the mone euer waxe ye and wane Your reason halteth your iugement is lame Your dome is false your constance euyll preuith A full great foole is he that on you leueth ¶ What can be more agaynst their profyte than to obteyne that they moste desire They be angry that vertue shulde be rewarded whan she cometh to men that had no lordes to their fathers They wyl that none rule but noble men borne Let them haue that they require whome towcheth this soo soore as them selfe and al their posteritie What doo they leaue vnto theirs whan they also take away the possibilitie of better fortune I may saye trouth and without blame thanked be the knowlege of our mooste gratiouse soueraygne lorde the kynge whiche hath euermore welle declared that trewe nobilitie is neuer but where vertue is and hath euermore frome the fyrste of his reygne hytherto bothe by his owne great studye to atteyne lernynge wysedome and other pryncely qualities and also in gyuyng offices dignities and honour well testified that he woll all his subiectes to contende who may obteyne mooste qualities mooste wytte moste vertue and this onely to be the way to promotion and here nobilitie to consyste In all other thynges it lytell auayleth whose sonne a mā be At runnynge he hathe not the beste game that leyeth for hym My father ranne faster than any other dyd nor he that taketh a fall at wrastlynge hath that his father was wonte to haue whan he gaue the fall They muste nedes here and almoste in all other thynges contente them selfe with that they be able to do of what parentage so euer they be There was one whiche sayd Princis and noble men were moche more bounde to theyr horses than to many of their frendes A horse if the lorde ryde not well layeth hym in the duste and tellethe hym playnely he muste lerne to ryde better if he wyll take noo falle All thynges telle trouthe but man The bowe shooteth wyde yf ye holde it not streyghte The arrowe saythe I muste nedes be shorte excepte ye shote me hoome I muste nedes be goone yf ye shote me to farre They canne not flatter they can not saye My lorde ye shote nygh excepte ye shote nygh in dede It is no great hurte to fayle here it is smalle losse if a lorde ▪ shoote not well or at the least the losse hurteth but hym selfe But gyue the gouerment of commune wealthes into theyr handes that can not skyll therof howe many must nedes go to wracke The hurte towcheth to many to be but smally regarded Agayn what desyre shall good wyttes haue to employe them self to the knowlege of thynges and to passe thother whome slouthe woll not lette growe any higher whē good euyl be equally estemed what shall we nede to endeuour our selfes vnto whenne what so euer we do we must be tryed by our byrth and not by our qualities That comon welthe can not longe stande saythe Plato that vertue is not moste honored in Any Citie saythe he that wyll be longe saufe and in prosperitie muste distribute these two thynges well Honour Shame They be well distributed when the chiefe and prime honour is
geuen vnto qualities of the mynde the seconde to the bodye the thyrde to external thynges as nobilitie possessions and ryches If ye breake this order and put th one in thothers place that is if ryches be chiefly estemed the body next and vertue laste of all here can be noo welthe This cytie can not longe contynue sayth Plato Nowe as there is a difference in these thynges so muste we put also a difference in men that ar endewed with them They must best be estemed that haue moost gyftes of the mynde that is they that do excell in wysedome Iustice temperauncy and suche other vertues they nexte that haue moste gyftes of the body as helth strength quycknes beautie They thyrdly that haue ryches and possessions the lawes not withstandynge hauynge euermore theyr full strength that is no man presumynge of what qualities so euer he be to preferre hym selfe to any offyce or landes but as the gouernours or lawes shall call hym to Iustyce muste be in euerye acte And therfore me thynke Plato dydde wonderfull wel to entitle his boke that he writeth of a comon welth de iusto that is of Iustice Euery man must be sure of his owne and be cōtent that his neyghbour haue more than he if that by honest wayes he can atteyne vnto more For welthe can not be where rape is permytted ne rape lacke where order is broken A comune welth is as I thynke no thynge elles but a certayne nombre of cities townes shires that all agre vpon one lawe and one hed vnyted and knytte together by thobseruation of the lawes these kept they must nedes florishe these broken they muste nedes perisshe The heed muste rule if the body woll do well and not euery man make hym selfe ruler where only one ought to be Thynges be not doone in this worlde by chaunce neyther ought to be gouerned by rasshenesse God maketh kynges specyally where they reigne by successyon God toke awaye prynce Arthure wold king Henry the eyght to be our heed and gouernour Woll we be wyser than god wol we take vpon vs to know who ought to gouerne vs better than god God made hym kynge and made also this lawe Obey your kynge Howe can ye obey hym that refuse his lawes that seke his dishonour that hate theym whom his grace can not chose but loue whome also ye wolde loue yf ye dyd not sooner vppon false reportes than iuste cawse hate Who shall doo the kynge trewe seruyce who shall desyre to stande mooste in his fauour if atte the malycious requestes of fonde and lyght people his highnes shoulde without any other cause put downe them whom his grace with the rest of his counsayle thynke moste worthy fauour we be but men many of vs ignorant many without knowlege let vs thynke that we knowe moch worse then god who ought to be our gouernour Let vs cōtent our selfes that he rule whom god made our kynge whome god preferred in takynge away Prince Arthure his gracis elder brother If we woll this to be our prince heed gouernour than we must also lette his grace gouern vs by suche officers as he shall knowe to be beste for vs and not we to appoynte hym suche as we shall thynke metest that seldome eyther see what is good for vs or who most entendeth our profite ¶ A comune welthe is lyke a body and soo lyke that it can be resembled to nothyng so conuenient as vnto that Nowe were it not by your faythe a madde herynge if the fote shuld say I wyl weare a cappe with an ouche as the heade dothe ▪ If the knees shulde say we woll carie the eyes an other whyle if the shulders shulde clayme eche of them an eare if the heles wold nowe go before and the toes behind This were vndoubted a mad heryng euery man wold say the fete the knees the shoulders the heles make vnlaufull requestes and very madde petitions But if it were so in dede if the fote had a cap the knees eies the shulders eares what a monsterous body shuld this be God send them suche a one that shall at any tyme go about to make as euil a comune welth as this is a body It is not mete euery man to do that he thynketh best The Locrians had a very good custome amonges them no man might there come to speke agaynste a law that was constituted by suche as had auctorite to make it except he came to the disputation therof with a corde about his necke If he proued the lawe to be naughte then he caste of the corde and was highly commended but yf he dyd attempte it and after fayled of his pourpose he was forthwith truste vppe They thought hym worthy to dye that dyd but speake ageynst a lawe albeit he also thoughte therby to doo good vnto his countrey in speakynge agaynste that that he iudged moche hurtefull to the comune welth ¶ Plato gyueth lesse lybertie to his cytezens he wyll no man shall dispute any lawe in the presence of youthe or comon people that hath lytel iudgement in suche thynges It is noo parte of the peoples play to discusse actes made in the parliamēt Euery man dothe well in his office euery thynge standeth well in his place Socrates fyndeth this to be the only welth of all realmes that euery man setle hym selfe to his owne affayres and busines and intermedle with no other mannes office The handes are content the fete go the tethe pleased that the tongue tell the hole tale the eare doth not desire to see nor the eie to here a payre of shoes of viii d. dothe better seruice to the fete than a cappe of .v. s. though ye put theron a fether of forty pēce a payre of gloues of lamme skynne dothe moche better fytte the handes than a payre of breches of right satyn a frese cote dothe better on his backe that hath to do at the carte or at the plowe than a gowne of veluet furred with sables To my purpose Lordes must be lordes comunes must be comunes euery man acceptynge his degree euery man contente to haue that that he laufully maye come by We must if we pourpose euer to come to welthe whiche we ofte lese in wronge sekynge for it all agree that the lawes haue their place It is but an easy remedy that maketh the sore greatter He knoweth not the way to quenche fyre that powreth oyle into it Chese is no medicine to driue awaye rattes neyther sedytion a meane to make men welthy What ende of myserie shall there be where no man wexeth ryche but a nother is made a begger Where no man is mery but .ii. or .iii. be sadde for it what ende of robbynge and spoylynge shall there be if the poore maye euermore rob the riche If the stronger may pulle from the weaker Must not you abyde the same lawe that you make your selfe must not you whan you haue spoyled them that are ryche and so made your selfes welthy suffre
they shulde do whiche beynge in errours them selfe in darkenes and ignorancy suppose his grace to be in a wronge faythe and soo to seduce them whiche entendeth nothynge so ernestly as the sauyng of their sowles Howe can these obey his highnes as it behoueth them to do whan they thynke in obeyenge his commaundementes they disobey goddis This foreyne heed that is in Rome y e body being in England hath brought the sely braynes of many a poore manne into depe errours Alas what greatter ignorauncye can there be then to take hym for hede that neuer was with the body Hym for the heed that hitherto hath done nothynge but consumed the membres The kyng is our heed though popyshe say nay yet lette vs beleue the prophete Samuel Lo saythe he vnto kynge Saul God hathe anoynted the and made the prince of all his inheritance I pray you think you that priestes monkes friers and byshops be not a parte of goddis inheritaunce Hath god no tytle no right vnto them If god haue the kynge also whom god hath made his holle heyre muste nedes haue He is theyr prynce and yet not heade some say Samuell is a prophete he sayth yes he saythe vnto Saule Nonne cum paruulus esses in oculis tuis caput in tribubus factus es He that sayth in the Tribes I pray you doth he not meane in all the Tribes He that is mayre of London is he not mayre of all London Yet there is Pasce oues ▪ sayde to Peter and not to the kynge Soo they saye that alledgeth but that that maketh for them But you se that god sayd to kynge Dauid Tu pasces populum meum Thou shalt fede my people and thou shalt be theyr guyde I shal speke of this matyer perchaunce a nother tyme at more leysure And in place more conueniente Nowe I wyll not go from my purpose We muste agree in in religion we must serue but one mayster one body wyll haue but one heed It is not possible men to agree longe that dissent in relygion No more than it is possyble christen men to agree with turkes Howe be it who wyll not thynke it moch better to dissent then that we all agree vpon pernytious errours Whiche haue noo defence but this onely that they haue reygned long and that men hath long ben subiecteto them The nobles muste be of one beleue of one fayth of one religion they must all agre vpon one heed The gentylmen wyll folowe the comunes can not tary longe behynde And where I sayde before youthe muste be welle brought vp specially in opinions of religion here I say the olde muste begynne It is harde for the sonne to be agaynst his father in matters of faith No we se this thynge onely to be a defence for all argumentes I beleue as my father did before me Vndoubtedly if the child lerne one thyng at scole or of the preacher and here his father at home not onely saye but see hym also doo the contrary wordes are forgotten dayly exaumple worketh faste specially when it is euylle Clitipho saythe as all yonge menne wylle saye My father byddeth me lerne of other honest mē what becometh me to do he commaundeth me to folowe them but when he hath well dronke what shamfull actes dothe he tel of hym selfe when he sayth he hath doone thus Can I thynke vppon that he byddeth me do and not sooner do as he hath done No no he telleth a tale to one that hath no eares that commaundeth the yonge to do well when they see the aged do euyll I haue ofte meruailed to see the diligencye that the Iewes vse in bringynge vp their youthe and bene moche asshamed to see howe neglygente christen men are in soo godly a thynge There is neyther man woman nor chyld of any lauful age but he for the mooste parte knowethe the lawes of Moyses and with vs he is almost a good curate that knoweth .vi. or .vii. of the .x. commandementes amonges the Iewes there is not one but he can by some honeste occupation gette his lyuyng There be fewe idell none at al but such as be riche ynough and may lyue without labour There is not one begger amonges thē All the cities of Italy many places in Eecilia many bourges in Germany haue a great nombre of Iewes in them I haue ben longe amonges them that are in Italy I neuer harde of a Iewe that was a thefe neuer that was a murderer No I neuer hard of a fraye betwene them I am ashamed to saye as I nedes muste saye They maye well thynke their religion better than ours if religiō be tried by mens lyues Nowe if Moyses lawe lerned in youthe and but carnally vnderstande can so steye them that fewe or none fall into other vice than vsury whiche also they do thynke permytted by Moyses lawe so y t they vse it not one iewe to an other as in dede they do not but a Iewe to a straunger Might not we lerne so moche of Christis lawe as were able to kepe vs from rebellion Maye not poore mennes chyldren come to the sermons maye they nothere preachers can they here goddis lawes ye though they be but easily preached and not abhorre sedycyon and rebellion Who harde euer that the Turkes rose against their prince it is it is vndoubted one sorte of relygion though also it be not ryght that kepeth men in concorde and vnytie Turkes goo not agayne turkes nor Iewes agaynste Iewes because they bothe agree in theyr faythe Christen men do so varye Englande is so deuyded that I wonder rather that sedicion sprange vp no sooner than that nowe men begyn to rebell Englande is lyttell bounde vnto them that at the fyrst deuyded it so madly This North and south east and west is a good particion of the hole worlde it were wel in Englande if we were all called Englyshemen of this countrey or that as of Yorke of London and suche other and not these northern men these southerne these western The very name maketh fooles out with theym that they neuer sawe The northorn can not but beare haulfe a grudge to the southern ye for no nother cause then that they be thus called In Italie Fraunce Spayne Germany there is both north and southe est and west yet they iudge nothynge by these but the wynde In Oxford I know the name of the northorn and southorne proctour hath ben the cause that many men haue ben slayne They that shulde rule thother are out or euer they entre into their office We can not get out of Paules churche but we muste passe by the northorn dore or by the southern Christen men are to soore diuided The fryers of saynt Fraunces skace loue the domynycans the Iacobites loue not the Brigetines or if they doo loue they wolde loue moche better if they were al of one sort I do knowe good men of what order so euer they be they wyll do well But the euyll be
mo in nombre they bere the swynge thother be sofewe that skace they be sene in the chapiter howse It is only Christis religion that can make Christē men one of vs loue an other as we shulde do The preceptes of philosophie and good education coude make many of the Grecians mo of the Romans not only to forsake riches to banyshe pleasures to put them selfes in a thousande perilles but also to dye for their coūtrey And can not the knowlege of the worde of god the swete adhortations the hyghe and assured promyses that god maketh vnto vs kepe christen men from contempning the iudgemente and lawes of god frome vndoinge theyr coūtrey from fyghtyng against theyr prince If we were any thing wel instructed in the ioyes that are prepared for them that obey god and their prynce in the ioyes that neyther mans eloquence can expresse neyther harte fele nor thought compasse Who wyll thinke that soo many of theym coude so frankely offre vp theyr liues and that we shall not abhorre suche as eyther wyll dye theym selfe or bringe their countreye to ruine ¶ Who can prayse Themistocles soo well but he maye seme to haue lefte out a greatte parte of his prayse Who dyd more for his countreye then he Who coude be worse rewarded then he was that was not only banyshed his countrey but also driuen to seke succour at Xerxes hande whom he had not longe before dishonored in batayle who had a greatter cause to fall out with his countrey than he who more commoditie to haue reuenged suche ingratitude But se what good education can do Se what is to be loked for of them in whose brestis vertue and desyre of honeste fame lodgeth Xerxes interteyned hym highely and shewed him all the fauour that a myghtie prynce could shewe vnto one whom he best loued He gaue hym great possessions in soo moche that Themistocles was wonte to saye I had ben vndone except the Atheniās had vndone me Yet al this being thus when Xerxes wold haue sent hym agaynst his countrey with an hoste of men he forgot all theyr vnkyndenes he forgot they had exyled him and put him in ieoperdy of his lyfe and thought it moche better to slee hym selfe than to be a capitayne agaynste his countrey And thus at the laste beinge weried with ofte callynge on of the kynge and seynge no remedy but eyther to kyll hym selfe or to fyght against his countrey he chose of two the lesse hurt and with a drafte of Bulles bloudde finysshed his life I wyll not speake of Thrassibulus Codrus Ancurus Decii and manye other whiche all thought the welthe of theyr countrey to be preferred to their lyues I can not thinke but if Christis lawes were well preached they be well preached whan the preacher sayth as the gospel is and doth as the gospell saith I can not thinke but if Christis promyses were surely prynted in our hartes that we shulde be and that a great sorte to testifie the worde of god to be of moche more puissaunce then vaine fame Goddis worde is potente and to saye as I thynke almost omnipotent if it be well handeled and of suche as it shulde be It is moch that good men maye do In Florence the people were set parte agaynste parte as we were latelye here in Englande The syde that hadde the better hande came to set a fyre the palaice of their aduersaries Capitayne called Pagolantonio Soderini As chaunce was this capitaynes brother the byshop of Volterra was than in his howse whiche as soone as he harde theyr noyse and perceyued where about they wente cast on his white rochet and so came downe amonges them he spake but few wordes but by and by al that were in that rout caste awaye theyr fyer brondes There was none so lewde that coulde in so honeste a prelates presence do any hurte This Machiauellus wryteth as a thynge wonderfull howe be it if people were as obedient as they ought to be and byshops in suche reuerence as they haue ben in tymes past for their good lyfe and lernynge this wolde be no wonder who was lesse beloued in the northe than my lorde Cardynall god haue his sowle before he was amonges them Who better be loued after he had ben there a whyle we hate oft tymes whom we haue good cause to loue It is a wonder to see howe they were turned howe of vtter ennemyes they became his dere frendes He gaue byshops a right good ensample howe they myght wyn mens hartis There was fewe holy dayes but he wolde ride .v. or .vi. myle from his howse nowe to this paryshe churche nowe to that and there cause one or other of his doctours to make a sermone vnto the people He sat amonges them and sayd masse before al the paryshe He sawe why churches were made He began to restore them to their ryght and propre vse If our byshops had done so we shuld haue sene that preachyng of the gospell is not the cause of sedition but rather lacke of preachyng of it He broughte his dinner with hym and bad dyuers of the parish to it He enquired whether there was any debate or grudge betwene any of theym yf there were after dinner he sente for the parties to the church and made them at one Men say wel that do wel Goddis lawes shal neuer be so set by as they ought before they be well knowen Howe shall poore men knowe them excepte they be syncerely preached We must fyrst lerne to kepe goddis lawes or euer we ernestly passe of the kynges statutes All be it he that kepeth th one wylle also kepe thother He that can fynde a better way to auoyde sedition than fyrste to brynge in the worde of god which our most lerned kyng and true lieutenant of god in this realme of England hath holly intēded this many yeres Secondarily the mynd welle pourged that is restored into the good and pure nature that fyrst god made it in to purge as Zamolsis thought best the body He that can fynd a better way shall do ryght wel to shew it I fynde none Men after that the mynde is wel instructed must se that the body haue also a way to mainteyn it self Euery mā must haue an honest occupation wherby in trouth he may get his lyuyng without doinge iniury to his neyghbour Idelnes ydelnes must be banysshed It can not be chosen but men wylle steale thoughe they be hanged excepte they may lyue without stelyng How it may be brought to passe that no man haue cause to stele me thinke I haue eyther shewed it or elles gyuen occasion to some other to shewe it ¶ Now that we content our selfes with that whiche god shal send vs or with that we by our owne industry shall laufully gette me thynke a greatte parte lyeth in the prelates of the Churche They muste begynne thother can not leade this daunce If religious men begyn laye people wyll folowe as soone as they