are fastened to be melted by that very Sunne that gaue them their first warmth and light and by their fall to be left an example to the world to terrifie others And in case for some especiall respect Kings shall resolue with themselues that all the beames of their greatnesse shall illighten and giue life to one particular person let the foundation of their fauours bee layed vpon those qualities desarts and seruices which ought to concurre on those persons on whom they purpose thus to particularize Kings likewise are to consider the Petitions of those that sue vnto them which is my second obseruation and taught by Christ himselfe Mark 10.38 Potestis bibere calecem quem ego bihiturus sum Can ye drinke of the cup that I drinke of Iudging by himselfe in this demand which hee makes to these his Fauourites who so rashly and vnaduisedly came vnto him to petition him for the two principall places that for to possesse them they should haue all sufficient and requisite necessaries vpon which point Christ examines them and the like examination ought Kings to make of those qualities specified by vs touching both Pretenders and Fauourites The third thing which I recommend to your consideration and which Christ teacheth Kings is the great caution and warinesse which they are to vse in not being too facile in granting all that their Fauourites shall require of them Which is to bee gathered out of the last words of this his answer Non est meum dare vobis It is not mine to giue Which to my seeming soundeth thus It will not stand with my truth and iustice to giue for kindreds-sake or other humane respects that which my eternall Father hath prepared for those which deserue best Kings ought to bee very circumspect in promising and not ouer easie in granting for if he shall be facile in granting what others shall desire hee may haue cause to repent himselfe and if he promiseth hee looseth his liberty A great gentleman of qualitie whom King Philip the second much fauoured for his worthy parts and great abilities talking one day with him and walking a good while with his Maiestie after that hee had discoursed with him of diuers things to the Kings so great good content and liking that hee thought with himselfe that there was now a faire occasion offered vnto him to propound vnto him as he did a businesse of his owne He told a friend of his anon after that hee came from him that is that very instant he proposed it he cast such a strange an dainsterâ— looke towards him as if hee had neuer seene him before Which was no want of affection in the King towards him for hee had had many sufficient testimonieâ— thereof but because it was fitting for so wise and prudent a King to haue that circumspection lest this his affection might minister occasion vnto him to call his discretion in question in granting or not granting that which either is not or at least shall seeme vnto him not to be conuenient for him For Kings must haue recourse to these two things To haue a good and safe conscience with God and intire authoritie and good opinion with men For with none doth that holy and prudent counsell of Saint Paul suite more properly then with them 2. Cor. 8.21 Prouidemus bona non solum coram Deo sed etiam coram hominibus Prouiding for honest things not onely in the sight of the Lord but in the sight of men Which cannot be when as Fauourites either doe all what they list of themselues or get their Kings to doe it for them When the Sensitiue appetite effecteth whatsoeuer it affecteth the vnderstanding which is the soules king remaines oppressed and disgraced and with that foule note which the kingly Prophet Dauid giues it Homo cum in honore esset non intellexit Psal 49.12 comparatus est inmentis insipientibus similis factus est illis Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding he is like the beasts that perish And therefore when Kings out of their particular affection or for the auoiding of trouble and the fulier inioying of their case and pleasure shall giue absolute power to their Fauourites to doe and vndoe as they please presently one blot or other which they will hardly euer get out will bee laid vpon their royall persons Nor need wee herd to relate the hurt which comes thereby and the occasion which it giues vnto the Subiects neither to thinke nor speake of their Princes with that respect which is fitting especially when the Fauourites are none of those which helpe to beare the weight and burthen of businesses but shake them off from their owne shoulders and lay them vpon other that are fitted to their hand and of whom they rest well assured that they will doe nothing but what they will haue them to doe working their will and pleasure in all that they are able And this is not that which Kings and Common wealths need but it much importeth that their Fauourites should bee of that good and quicke dispatch in businesses that all the people might loue them for it for from the contrary great inconueniences are wont to arise When the Shechemites were so vnmannerly and vnciuill in their language against their King Abimilech amongst other things which they vttered and alledged against him they said this in scorne of him Nunquid non est filius Ierobael Iud 9 28. constituit Principem Zabul sernum suam super viros Hemor patris Sichem cur ergo seruiemus ei Who is Abimelech that we should serue him Is not he the sonne of Ierubbaal and Zebul his Officer why should wee serue him c. They tooke it very ill that the King should raise his seruant Zabul to that heighth of honour and greatnesse that he should be made Prince as it were ouer all the people of Hemor and Sichem And howbeit the naturall obligation which Subiects owe to their Kings is so great that they are bound to obey them in all that which is not against God And that it is a token of great noblenes to suffer with a good courage whatsoeuer burthens be they neuer so heauy which they lay vpon them yet notwithstanding they haue no such obligation to their Fauorites For they may for their pleasure or their profit substitute other their Fauourites and oblige the people that they either negociate with or buy out their negociation of them The History of King Don Iâ—â—n the second of Castile doth affoord sufficient examples of the great persecutions that followed by letting that his Fauourite haue so great a hand in businesses For the people seeing their King so led by the nose as it were and to yeeld to all that he would haue him doe were verily perswaded that he was bewitch't for he had such power ouer the will vnderstanding of the King that he neither vnderstood what he gaue not knew not how or at least had not
better our selues much and those principall Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie are much increased and augmented For our Faith increaseth when we petition God by acknowledging him to be the vniuersall Lord of all things who onely can fulfill our requests and desires According to that of Saint Paul super abundanter quà m petimus aut intelligimus Ephes 3.10 That is able to doe exceeding aboundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke c. Likewise Hope and Charitie receiue thereby an Increase because we hope for a good end of our petition And for this cause doe we likewise loue God from whom wee hope to receiue the good we desire And this hath the greater force and truth with it when wee craue spirituall goods And of these spake our Sauiour when hee sayd Pettite accipietis And the Apostle S. Iames saith Iames 1.5 if any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him But it is conditionall and bounded with a Nihil â—aesitans That he aske in faith and wauer not Which may likewise be vnderstood of Temporall goods as they are ordayned to a spirituall and super-naturall end But to aske of men produceth farre different effects And therefore we are to consider that for one of these two ends men may aske temporall things Either for to raise themselues or to remedie themselues Of the latter of these who demand their pay and satisfaction for their seruices for the remedying and relieuing of their necessities wee haue already said that they are not to bee blamed but in conscience and Iustice wee are to helpe them and make them due satisfaction in that which of right belongeth vnto them Of the former who seeke to rayse themselues they stand crouching and kneeling with cap in hand to obtaine their purpose being very dextrous and diligent in doing courtesies obsequious in their outward behauiour kissing the hand and making Congies downe to the ground and prostrating themselues at the feet of those who they thinke may doe them good dawbing their Compliments with base and seruile flatteries Of which kinde of men the Holy Ghost saith Est qui nequiter hâ—miliat se interiora eius plena sunt dolo Eccl. 19.25 There is some that being about wicked purposes doe bow downe themselues whose inward parts burne altogether with deceit Being like vnto your birdes of rapine who though it be naturall vnto them to flye vp and downe in the ayre yet are content to stoope and abase themselues the better to seaze on their prey Which is euen to a letter or as they say to a haire the very same that Kings Dauid sayd Psal 10.10 Inclinauitse cadet cum dominatus fuerit pauperum He crowcheth and boweth and therefore heapes of poore doe fall by his might Or as it is in the Originall vt dominetur pauperum He humbles himselfe that thereby he may grow great and come to domineere and swagger ouer the poore For all their reuerences and adorations serue to no other end but to raise themselues vpon the wings of their ambition that when they are in a good place they may stoope the freer to their pray So that those who but yesterday had them at their feete see them now towring ouer their heads and loose the sight of them whom they adore thus raysed as those before adored them when but lately like poore snakes they licked the dust with their tongue and trayled their belly on the ground And growing now warme in the bosome of greatnesse sting those most who did most foster and cherish them And these men though they negociate well with men and get what they pretend yet doe they not obtaine any thing at Gods hands who neuer grants vnto them what they desire for such like ends Iam. 4.3 According to that of Saint Iames ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might lay the same out on your pleasures Howbeit sometimes it is granted vnto them for their further punishment and chasticement For as S. Austen affirmeth August Multa Deus concedit iratus quae negaret propitius God grants many things in his wrath which he denyes in his loue And that which is recounted of Augustus Caesar is not much amisse from the purpose who being importuned to bestow an Office vpon one who with great instance begged it of him would by no meanes giue it him but conferr'd it on another that neuer sued for it but did better deserue it And he alleadging the perseuerance of his petitions and complayning that he hauing beene so long and earnest a suitor he should bestow it vpon one that had neuer sought vnto him for it Caesar made him this answer Tu eras dignus qui peteres ille qui acciperet Thou wast worthy to sue for it but hee to haue it There are some things which may be receiued which may not so well be sued for so saith Vlpian in a certaine Law of his Vlpian l. 1. Versâ— Quadam enim ff de vâ—rijs extraor Cognitio Pompinius l. 2. ad finem ff de Orig. iuris Quadam enim tametsi honestè accipiantur inhoneste tamen petuntur There are certaine things sayth he which albeit they may be honestly receiued yet may they be vnhonestly desired Kings are to bestow their fauours but others must not sue for them Hoc non peti sed prastari solere saith another Law it is fit good turnes should be done but not sued for to be done And it was the same mans saying Inuitum non ambientem esse ad rempublicam assumendum That he that was vnwilling to receiue honour not he that did ambitiously seek after it was to be preferred in the Common-wealth And trust me I cannot search into the reason why it should become a Custome not to giue but to those that aske For neither they that giue doe gaine thereby nor they that aske are bettred thereby For to giue is so much the more worthy prayse and thankes by how much the more liberally and freely it is giuen And the Prouerb faith Bis dat qui citò dat He doubles his gift that giues quickly Whereas he that stays looking and expecting to be sued vnto seemeth to giue with an ill will and not so freely as he should For as Seneca truly saith there is not any thing that costes a man dearer then that which is bought by intreaties and petitionings And therefore as often as either offices or Rents are bestow'd on those which deserue them without making suite for them the whole body of the Common-wealth doth commend and indeare the rectitude and iust dealing of the Doner And all good and vertuous men take heart and incouragement thereby and are fill'd with good hopes and those which are otherwise ashamed and confounded and becomes the meanes many times of making them turne ouer a new leafe and leaue their former lewd course
himselfe liberall solicitous peaceable patient louing kinde and courteous towards all All of them qualities that conserue a Kings fauour and gaine the peoples good will A Fauourite must be modest affable and affoord a courteous hearing vnto all men Besides it is a part of Iustice so to doe and a very necessarie meanes to come to the knowledge of all things and to be the better prouided against whatsoeuer shall occurre Whereas on the contrary to looke to be intreated and sued vnto and not easie to bee spoken withall argues a kinde of pride and statelinesse which all abhorre This is the doctrine of Tacitus citing the example of Seianus the Emperour Tiberius his great Fauourite who being growne into grace with him the better to conserue himselfe therein forthwith endeauoured to fauour and pleasure all your principall and noble persons in their pretensions For in all occurrences he conceiued hee might expect more kindnesse from them then from the baser and meaner sort of people whereby he came to bee loued of the one and feared of the other and by all of them to be serued and obeyed Insomuch that there was not any one who did not seeke vnto him to mediate and make intercession for them with Tiberius And howbeit he was not ignorant that hee was superiour to them all and inferiour to none yet did he neuer grow neglectfull of his humble carriage and reuerent respect to his Prince and a due regard vnto all Hitherto hee proceeded fairely and went on well and may serue for a patterne and example for Fauourites but in the rest for a prouiso and admonition for Kings For after that ambition and couetousnesse entred into his heart that consuming moath and deuouring worme of all goodnesse he presently procured the charge or place of Praefectus Praetorius or Captainship of the Guard and within a short time grew to be so absolute therein that he became as it were Lord and Master of his Prince and crusht all that stood in his way or might be of any impediment to his priuacie He sought alwayes to bee with him lest others might creepe in betwixt him and home and possesse his place still humbly beseeching him that he would imploy him in businesses of greatest danger and trouble and such as might redound most to the benefit of the Emperours life and state A maine point wherewith to oblige his Prince vnto him and to make him the more acceptable in his sight For those that are nearest about Kings and are in greatest fauour with him ought in the greatest dangers to set their foot formost and to be the forwardest aduenturers He did seeke to ouercome Art by Art inducing Tiberius to retire himselfe to places of pleasure that were remote and farre from Court to the end that whilest he was recreating himselfe abroad he might dispose of him as it pleased him He told him that solitude was the best and onely course for the resoluing of the graue and weighty affaires of the Empire which otherwise by diuersion might receiue the same hurt and hinderance as they were wont to haue heretofore And what with this and with giuing him to vnderstand that he would quit him of all the ordinarie cares and troubles of Court most men vsually desiring to shunne trouble and to take their ease and pleasure hee perswaded him to go to Capri that hee in the meane while might rule and gouerne all And in the end grew to be so great and powerfull and to take such state vpon him that hee would not giue audience to any reducing them to those tearmes that they should speake and negociate by writing to the end that nothing might bee treated or resolued of without his priuie saying That by reducing businesses to papers and memorialls answer might bee giuen vnto them with more deliberation and better consideration then by word of mouth A meere Artifice cunning trick of his own inuention to make himselfe absolute Master of all and which is more of the heart of his Prince God deliuer vs from such ambitious interessed and couetous Ministers whose maine care is their owne particular and to heape vp riches for himselfe and his and make it their whole study and onely end to keepe and continue themselues in their kings grace and fauour and to deale with their Prince as the Ante doth with the corne which that it may not grow againe and that hee may the better and more conueniently make profit thereof presently eates out the heart of it God likewise free Kings from this base subiection and insensibilitie and from men of that qualitie and condition which desire to rule and command all For the one cannot escape a storme and the other must runne great hazard of being drowned therein Let the last aduertisement bee the example of a great Fauourite whose name is Aurelius Cassidorus borne in the Prouince of Calabria and highly aduanced in Magistracies and Gouernments of both Empires Rome and Constantinople who being renowned for his cheualrie and noble feates of armes defended the Islands of Sicily and Calabria from many and those very powerfull enemies In his younger yeares he attained to all the liberall arts in that perfection that hee made the present and succeeding times to admire him And for his great parts and abilities was entertained by Theodoricus King of the Ostro-Gothes hee was receiued into his seruice and grew so farre into his fauour by reason of his vnderstanding wisedome and dextrousnesse in treating businesses that he first of all made him his Secretarie in which Office he behaued himselfe so well that by degrees he went climbing vp to the high Offices and dignities in the State which in those dayes were not conferred out of fauour but meere desert From being Secretary he came to bee Lord Chancellour and Senatour in the Citie of Rauenna being honoured besides with diuerse offices in the Kings Court Afterwards he was made Viceroy of the Prouinces of Sicilia and Calabria and for addition of honour had the title of Patâ—â—â—â—e giuen him which in those dayes was in great esteeme Hee was Lord Treasurer and Master of the Palace which was as it were a superintendent ouer the Palatines being an order of Knights and Gentlemen that had Offices and other preâ—etainences in Court He held the dignitie of Prafectâ—us Praetorius being as it were the second person of the King to whom the weightiest businesses of peace and warre were remitted and what therein he determined and resolued vpon was receiued as an oracle that could not erre Though now adayes little credit is giuen to the words of great persons and powerfull Ministers and not without cause for that many of them say and do not promise much and performe little And your Fauourites which haue great both place and power about their Kings are in such good opinion and credit likewise with the world that they presently beleeue whatsoeuer they say and see what they professe is approued by them as if it were
to the eternitie of such an estate as we yet know not what it shall be the extreames being as we see so farre distant All that hath beene hitherto said both in generall and particular concerning a Monarchie and kingdome shall not be fruitlesse nor the time lost that hath beene spent in the writing or shall be spent in the reading of this Treatise if it be well and truly considered For by the perusall thereof Kings and Princes may come to know a thousand seuerall semblances of Ministers and disguised countenances of hypocriticall Courtiers and the diuers dispositions and humours as well of the ambitious as the couetous their affections conditions and naturall inclinations whether they be by nature of great and vnâ—â—uly spirits or whether they bee by fortune put into great places For this without doubt changeth man from his first estate and apparrelleth him with other particular affections And in the true knowledge of these consisteth the augmentation conseruation and good gubernation of kingdomes and commonwealths as also the reputation credit opinion and authoritie of Kings In a word they may out of these doctrines and aduertisements collect and know how at one time the naturall dispositions customes and manners of the vulgar stand affected and how at another time those that are not so vulgar and of so low a ranke and how at all times to make vse of this knowledge for the better increasing and inlarging of their power and greatnesse and how and in what manner they are to carry themselues towards them as also those other that are to aide and assist in gouernment For there is not any thing of more price or more to be valued by Kings then this knowledge of the affections as well for the discerning those of others as the moderating of their owne And as it were to make a iudgement and to prognosticate by them the end of the actions of those that are about and where they intend to make their stop and set vp their rest be they foes or friends And by the actions of those that are present be they Confederates Ministers and dependents their ends designes and pretensions And particularly in those who cleaue closer to their Kings fortune then his person Points whereon doth hang the hinge and wherein are included and shut vp all both the particular and generall passages of gouernment and of that art and science which they call by the common name of Reason of State And although I know for certaine that there will not such be wanting that will laugh and scoffe at these my Politicall Aduertisements some because they would be accounted the onely men seene in this Science and would make themselues the onely admired men amongst the vulgar and that there is not any one that is a professour in that Art that vnderstandeth their plots and designes Others lesse malignant as being ignorant of the secrets of this Science iudging it to be an Art full of impossibilities will not trouble themselues therewithall nor looke into the Mysteries thereof as if by the effects they were not able to iudge of the causes of things and by the carriage and successe of former businesses to diuine of the ends and designes of those which are now on foot And others farre worse then these who although they come to know this truth deny the same and seeke many colours both for the disgracing of it and the Author and for no other reason in the world but because they are professed enemies to whatsoeuer counsell that is not of their owne hatching fearing that it might quit something of the glory of their ambition And for that they will haue nothing thought to be good but what issues from forth their owne braine they blaspheme saith Saint Iames and speake euill of that which they know not and not onely not admit and receiue that good which is propounded vnto them but as that kingly Prophet saith because they will neither vnderstand nor heare it like the Adder they stop their eares with the taile of their ignorance fearing lest they should be charmed by some superiour wit and better vnderstanding Yet notwithstanding fall backe fall edge come what will of it I haue cumplyed with my desire and which is more with my obligation And if it shall proue to be of any vse profit and seruice for Kings and for the great Councellours and Ministers of their kingdomes which haue most need thereof to whose seruice it goes especially directed and perhaps may be vsefull for those which are not in that nature And though haply it may not bee auaileable for amendment yet may it serue for a desenganno and dis-deceiuing of those that are in an errour And in case it shall not take this effect there will be no harme done by committing it to the Presse though it bee afterwards buried in the dust as it hath befallen other farre better things then these And Time which couers what is past and discouers what is to come will in it's time discouer this and such other things as are not yet come to light And for this cause they called Archimedes the Syracusan The Inuenter of new Things and the Register of old And certaine it is that amongst the Ancients there was a great agreement and Artifice in the gouernment of some commonwealths as was that of the Aegyptians of the Athenians of the Allmanes and aboue all of the Romane Commonwealth Which Saint Austen did so much admire And men looking no further then to that which is before them haue in a manner quite forgotten that and therefore it is fit that there should bee some Remembrancer that by putting them in minde of that which is past they may the better performe things for the present and prouide for that which is to come For as Plato said though in another sence all our knowledge is but a Recordation of things past and therein he said well For a great part of those nouelties which are daily introduced are but old things that haue layen long in obliuion and that which is done to day we finde is forgotten to morrow And in the reuolution of time comes in after ages to represent it selfe for new And this amongst many others was the maine cause which moued me to write this Treatise and which may incourage me to go on further though I must confesse that my penne hath out runne my intention finding that I haue thrust my foot deeper into the stirrop then I thought to haue done hauing made a volumne of that which when I first put pâ—â— to paper I purposed should haue ended in a short and little Tract But who can put a bridle vnto loue or restraine zeale and more especially when it is so naturall and proper as that which all and euery one doth or ought to beare vnto his owne King and Lord. Adding thereunto mine owne particular respect in regard of my nearer reference to his Maiesties seruice And no small spurre hereunto was my honest true meaning heart and the assurance of a good conscience whose whole studie and desire in this my labour hath beene to hit as right as I could vpon that which might be most conuenient for the augmentation conseruation reputation authoritie and greatnesse of Kings as likewise what I thought would bee most necessarie for the wellfare and good gouernment of kingdomes and particular Commonwealths For this doth depend on that Though I conceiue there be few that thinke thereon For most I feare me treate onely their owne businesse making that the principall and all the rest accidentall Howbeit they will not sticke to say and publish to the world that they onely attend the conseruation of their Kings and Commonwealths Would to God that it might not be said of them which he himselfe said by the mouth of that his Prophet and Prince of his people They honour mee with their lip Cor autem corum longè est à me But their heart is farre from mee God I beseech thee of thy infinite mercy that the hearts of Kings and their Ministers may not be farre off from thee nor thou from them but that thou wilt vouchsafe to bee euermore neare at hand vnto them and to fauour them and direct them in all their wayes to thy honour and glory Amen Laus Deo FJNJS Errata Page 7. line 26. A Certar reade Acertar p. 13. l 31. his family r. it 's family p. 17. l. 35. denotate r. denotateth p. 24. l. 26. though r. thought p. 33. l. 29. wootst r. wot'st p. 34. l. 34. men r. man p. 53. l. 19. sapientio rerit r. sapientior erit p. 71. l. 20. su spasses r. sus passos p. 87. l 9. wise r. the wise ibid. l. 13. of force r. of the force p 135. l. 1. Regular r. Regalar p. 136. l. 15. goodnesses r. goodnesse p. 151. l. 22. content to r. to content p. 156. l. 9. subiect r. subiects p. 157. l. 20. sa soga r. la soga p. 175. l. 24. this answer r. this I answer p. 142. l. 18. careesse r. carelesse p. 245. l. 3. seuerietie r. seueritie ibid. l. 32. are that r. that are p. 261. l. 17. impostoures r. impostures Ibid. l. 32. nistad r. mistad p. 273. l. 30. cabines r. cabinets p. 287. l. 14. therein r. there is p. 294. l. 30. requencie r. frequencie p. 320. l. 27. or iudgement r. or that iudgement p. 323. l. 11. inionyed r. inioyned p. 344. l. 12. deliaces r. delicasies p. 352. l. 19. of much r. much of
because in it's administration it is an Office so full of difficulties the Apostle S. Paul admonisheth all the faithfull that they alwayes make earnest Prayers for them which is still vsed to this day in all your Catholike Churches Moreouer that the name of a King is the name of an Office Refran El beneficio se da por el oficio it is confirmed by that common saying Beneficium datur propter Officium And therefore Kings being so greatly benefitted not onely by those great Tributes which are giuen them by the Common-wealth but likewise by those which they receiue from the Benefices and Rents of the Church it is an vndoubted truth that they haue an Office and of Offices the greatest and for this cause the whole Kingdome doth so freely and liberally contribute vnto them Which is specified by S. Paul in a Letter of his which hee wrote vnto the Romans Rom. 13.6 Ideò tributa praestatis c. For this cause pay you Tribute also For they are Gods Ministers attending continually vpon this very thing c. Kingdomes doe not pay their taxes idly and in vaine So many sessements so many Subsedies so many impositions so many great rentes so much authoritie so high a Title and so great a Dignitie is not giuen without charge and trouble In vaine should they haue the name of Kings if they had not whom to rule and gouerne And therefore this obligation lyes vpon them In multitudine populi dignitas regis The honour of a King is in the multitude of his People So great a dignitie so great reuenewes such a deale of Greatnesse Maiestie and Honour with a perpetuall Cense and rate vpon his Subiects Lands and Goods binde him to rule and gouerne his States conseruing them by Peace and Iustice Let Kings therefore know that they are to serue their kingdomes being they are so well payd for their paines and that they beare an Office which tyes them necessarily to this trouble Rom. 12.8 Qui praeest in solicitudine saith S. Paul He that ruleth with diligence This is the Title and name of King and of him that gouernes Not of him that goes before others onely in his Honour and his pleasure but of him that excells others in his solicitude and his care Let them not thinke that they are Kings onely in name and representation and that they are not bound to any more but to bee adored and reuerenced and to represent the person royall with a good grace and to carry themselues with a soueraigne kind of State and Maiestie like some of those Kings of the Medes and Persians which were no more then meere shadowes of Kings so wholy neglectfull were they of their office as if they had beene no such manner of Men. There is not any thing more dead and of lesse substance then the image of a shadow which neither waggs arme nor head but at the Motion of that which causeth it Exod. 20. God Commanded his people that they should not make any grauen Image nor any feigned Pictures or counterfeit paintings which shew a hand where there is none discouer a face where there is none and represent a body where there is none expressing therein actions to the life as if the Image or Picture did see and speake For God is no friend of feigned figures of painted men nor of Kings that are onely so in shape and proportion being in fashion like vnto those Psal 135. 16. of whom Dauid sayd Os habent non loquuntur oculos habent non videbunt c. They haue mouths but speake not eyes haue they but they see not They haue eares but heare not and hands haue they but handle not And to what vse I pray serues all this They are no more then meere Idolls of Stone which haue no more in them of Kings but onely an externall representation To be all name and authoritie and to be Men in nothing else doe not sute well together Woe to the Idoll Shepheard saith Zacharie that leaueth the flocke Zach. 11.17 The sword shall be vpon his arme and vpon his right eye His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be vtterly darkeneds it is written in the Reuelation Nomen habes quod viuas Apoc. 3.1 mortuus es Thou hast a name that thou liuest and art dead The names which God setteth vpon Kings are like vnto the Title of a Booke which in few words containeth all that is therein This name of King is giuen by God vnto Kings and therein includeth all that which this their Office tyes them to doe And if their workes and actions doe not answer with their name and Title it is as if one should say yea with his Mouth and by making Signes say no with his head What a iest and mockerie is this How shall such a one bee truely vnderstood It were Cosenage and deceit in that Golde beater who writes vpon his Signe Heere is fine gold to be sold when indeed it is but Orpine and base gold for Painters The name of King is not an Attribute of Idlenesse A person regall must haue reall performance As his name soundeth so let him serue in his place it is the people that proclaime the King but it is the King that must proclaime his loue to the people Hee that hath the name of ruling and gouerning a Gods name let him rule and gouerne They are not to be Reyes de anillo as it is in the Prouerb that is to say nominall Kings only praeter nomen nihil hauing nothing else in them In France there was a time when their kings had nothing but the bare name of Kings their Liuetenants Generall gouerning and Commanding all whilest they like so many beastes did busie themselues in nothing else but following the delights and pleasures of Gluttonie and Wantonnesse And because it might be known and appeare to the people that they were aliue for they neuer came abroad once a yeare they made shew of themselues on the first day of May in the Market-place of Paris sitting in a chaire of State on a throne royall like your kings amongst your Stage-players and there in reuerence they bowed their bodies vnto them and presented them with giftes and they againe conferred some fauours on such as they though fit And because you may see the miserie whereunto they were brought Eynardus in the beginning of that Historie which he writes of the life of Charles the Great says That those Kings in those dayes had no valour in them in the world made no shew of Noblenesse nor gaue so much as a tast of any inclination thereunto but had onely the empty and naked name of King For in very deede they were not Kings nor had actually and effectually any hand in the gouernment of the State or the wealth and riches of the Kingdome for they were wholly possessed by the Praesecti Palatij whom they called
Bases which the most wise King Salomon placed in the Temple 1 Kings 7.29 hee commanded Lions Oxen and Cherubins to be ingrauen in signification of so many the like qualities which Kings ought to haue who sustaine the whole weight of a kingdome He must be in perpetuall labour signified in the Oxe he must be endued with courage expressed in the Lion and he must abound in knowledge notified in the Cherubin Wherfore Cicero likewise maketh mention Cicero in Orat. pro lege Manil. Hae sunt saith that Heathen Orator virtutes Imperatoriae Labor in negotijs Fortitudo in periculis Industria in agendo To assist in businesses to be stout and valiant in dangers to be dextrous and wise in acting and aboue all to haue a liberall will without subiection and readily disposed for execution are vertues befitting an Emperour For to gouerne well great strength great courage great wisedome great power and a great willingnesse will be required For though a King know much and can doe much yet if he will not exercise his knowledge nor make vse of his power it is all one as if he neither knew nor could doe any thing The Leaper said to our Sauiour Christ Domine si vis potes me mundare If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And Christ made him answer not in word onely but in deed Volo mundare I will be thou cleane CHAP. VI. How Kings ought to carry themselues in those businesses which their vnderstanding comprehendeth not IN regard that the Vnderstanding is amongst all other faculties the Noblest it is that without doubt which doth least render and yeeld it selfe but is most sencible of the offence it receiueth in submitting it selfe Whereupon oftentimes it sticketh close to it's opinion and what it hath once intertained it obstinately maintaineth and defendeth And therefore the Philosopher said Amicus Plato sed maior Veritas Plato is my friend but the truth more In confirmation whereof we daily see that the dearest and neerest friends and that are one and the same in their will and affection in their vnderstanding and opinion are diuerse and different Each of them maintaineth his owne particular Tenet and yet without offence continew still good friends In a word in matter of Knowledge and Vnderstanding because it is a thing that cannot be measured out by the yard or meate out by inches there is not that Man that can indure Maioria or that another should goe before him or get the start of him in that kinde Euery one resteth satisfied with his owne Vnderstanding and conceiues that his reason is the best and few will bee brought to acknowledge that they are in an errour And in a manner all men flatter themselues with their owne opinion and thinking they are in the right they are so farre from yeelding that they stiffely maintaine what they haue vndertaken you shall not beate them out of it as being perswaded that they haue the better end of the staffe in their hands And hence arise those earnest contentions and endlesse questions in your Consultations and debating of Causes those crosse incounters and differences in determining great businesses persisting violently in their opinion though it bee neuer so contrary vnto reason And though this be a common infirmitie and a generall fault in all of what state and condition soeuer yet your great persons in this point runne the greatest perill For as the sonne of Sirach saith all doe approue and celebrate their sayings not in that onely wherein they speake home to the purpose but when they speake foolishly and vtter things not to bee spoken Eccl. 13.23 Locutus est diues omnes tacuerunt verbum illius vsque ad nubes perducent When a rich man speaketh euery man holdeth his tongue and looke what he saith they extoll it to the cloudes For opinion being now as long since Mistris of the World shew ouerswaies substance and authoritie checketh reason It is not Goodnesse but Greatnesse that strikes the stroke But if a Prince would bee so holy and so zealous of the good of his Kingdome haue hee neuer so able a braine neuer so much Knowledge and Vnderstanding acknowledging what a large extent of Wisedome is required for the gouerning of a Kingdome as it ought to be gouerned that hee would be pleased to receiue some helpe and assistance hee hath very secure and certaine remedies in this case and all of them ordred and ordained by the Holy Ghost The first is To begge of God and that with a great deale of faith and Confidence Light and Wisedome Conforming himselfe to that of S. Iames Si quis vestrum indiget sapientia postulet à deo Iames. 1.5 qui dat omnibus affluenter non improperat dabitur ei If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God that giueth to all men liberally and vpbraideth not and it shall be giuen him And for asmuch as in Kings this acknowledgment is vsually more difficult for that they are free and without dependance on any in their owne kingdomes so much the more acceptable in this kind are their prayers vnto God As King Salomon exemplifieth it vnto vs who confessing the shortnesse of his vnderstanding and his want of Wisedome for to gouerne so great a people that could not bee numbred nor counted for multitude acknowledging himselfe to be but as a little child and that hee knew not how to goe out or come in and humbly beseeching God that hee would be pleased to supply this defect he found so much fauour in his sight that he appeared vnto him after a solemne sacrifice and said Postula quod vis vt dem tibi Aske what I shall giue thee 1. King 35. And this young King with a great deale of thankefulnesse and submission sayd Domine deus tu regnare fecisti servum tuum c. O Lord my God 2. Chron. 1.10 thou hast made thy Seruant King in instead of Dauid my father c. And thy seruant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen a great people c. Giue therefore thy Seruant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and bad and be able to goe in and out before thy people And howbeit this discreete young King saw the doore of Gods mercie set thus wide open vnto him and what a liberall offer he had made vnto him to bestow fauours vpon him according to the measure of his owne desire yet did hee neither set his eyes nor his heart vpon Gold Siluer Riches or long life but as one that knew so well how to aske desired that he would out of his grace and mercy giue him the gift of Wisedome that hee might know how to gouerne his State and Kingdomes and to conserue them in peace and Iustice And God was so well pleased with this his Petition that he did not onely bestow that vpon him but many other blessings with it and
Common-wealth where Corruption liues vncontrolled And because this Vice goes daily taking deepe roote and grows still stronger and stronger inuenting new impudencies new slightes and subtilties it is needefull that Kings should hunt Counter and finde out some new Tricke to take these olde ones in the Trap. And this one me thinks would be a pretty remedy for this disease That a Law were made That of all those that should be nominated for Ministers and Officers publike and particular in any Tribunall or Ministry what soeuer as well of Iustice and gouernment as of the publike Treasurie there should an Inuentorie be taken by some deputed for that purpose of all their rents and goods moueable and vnmoueable and when they are to take their oath as the fashion is at their entrance into their Office the said Inuentory should be presented in open Court and there they made to sweare and take a solemne oath that this is a true Inuentorie and that their Estate is thus and thus neither more nor lesse or much there abouts to the end that when their states come to be increased and their wealth makes a great noyse in the world it may vpon better inquirie be knowen how and which way they came by it For experience daily teacheth vs that your Iudges your Exchequer men and other publike Officers enter into the Office with little and goe out with much And I would that the Kings Atturney generall or one of like nature should enter an Action against all those Augmentations of their Estates whereof they should not be able to render a good Account I could likewise wish that they might be sworne to that Law of Theodosius That they neither gaue nor promised by themselues or by any other person or persons Bald. in l. 1. c. de haered vel Actione vendit Diseque el fisco tiene Accion contra los toles bienes Bel delito ded coecho qualquiera puede seracusado durante el Officio y despues 2. ff de Calumniatore any thing at all for the foresaid Offices Neither that they shall receiue any thing of free gift be it offred with neuer so good a will Which oath the Ancient Romans swore vnto And if at any time it shall be proued against them that they haue either giuen or taken that they incurre the punishment of priuation of Office and Confiscation of goods And this Course being taken these cannot offend againe and if their dealing hath beene vpright and faire as good men will not refuse a iust tryall but rather out of loue to goodnesse imbrace it God forbid but they should bee well rewarded by the State for their good and faithfull seruice And this is no new doctrine but shall finde it if we looke backe to former times practised long a goe And the Emperour Antoninus Pius did likewise ordaine that all Liuetenants and Gouerners before they went to serue in their Residencies and Offices they should bring in an Inuentorie of all they had that when the time of their Gouernment was expired by coating and comparing the one with the other they might see how and in what manner they thriued thereupon Audistis saith he Praefectum Praetorij nostri antè Triduum quà m fieret mendicum pauperem sed subitò diuitem factum Vndè quaeso nisi de visceribus Reip. qui ob hanc causam Prouincias sibi datas credunt vt luxurientur diuites fiant c. You haue heard that our Praetorian Praefect some few dayes since was a very beggar but now sodainely become rich Whence I pray should this come but from out the bowells of the Common-wealth who for this cause thinke Prouinces are committed vnto them that they may therein riot and grow rich Setting at nought the Lawes the respect vnto their Kings their feare towards God and the shame of the world Truly saith Plato that publike Minister may be had in suspicion who in his office is growne rich For he that only gets by lawfull meanes can hardly liue at so high a rate as some of his fellowes doe build such sumptuous and costly houses and leaue so faire and great an estate behind him to his Heyre And he who heerein does more then he can will likewise do more then he ought For he that will seeke to out-doe his meanes will not sticke to out-doe his honestie In a word gifts haue euermore bred a iealousie of Corruption and in Iudges esteemed the foulest fault Oh of how little worth is a lâ—ttle gift and yet what a great hurt to a Ministers honour Nazian in Orat. 23. A gift saith Nazianzene is a secret Tyrant which doth subdue and tread all vnder foote And to giue is of all other the greatest Tyranny and the greatest violence It is Senecas Counsell That he Seneca de Benefi that will inioy his owne freedome must not receiue anothers benefit Fot to giue is to in-slaue And the receiuer is the giuers slaue Gifts are but Gyues and chaines wrought of strong linkes The ending of one being the beginning of another And where the first ends the second begins And this as they say dispone la trabaion para otros muchos serues but as a Timber peece to couple and fasten many others Take heede therefore saith the Emperour Iustinian of receiuing giftes which quit our libertie In Auth. Vt Iudices sine quoque § 2. blinde our vnderstanding incline our wills and defame our honour But make thou much of cleane hands for he that shall keepe his hands cleane and shall not suffer himselfe to be corrupted by priuate Interest shall haue much honour and fame in this life and a great place prouided for him in that other Qui excutit manus suas ab omni munere iste in excelsis habitabit Regem in decore suo videbunt oculi eius hee that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes hee shall dwell on high Isay 33.15 And his eyes shall see the King in his beauty All this and more shall they attaine to that are truly of pure heart and cleane hands All this say they that you say is true We confesse as much But withall we must tell you That that which we receiue is subsidium gratuitum a free gift a meere gratuitie with a great deale of loue and good liking of the Giuer And we affirme That all for the most part that is giuen is respectiue and is in that Predicament which the Logicians tearme Ad aliquid Whereby he that receiueth a courtesie is bound to returne a courtesie And those which giue hope to receiue from such Ministers that which they cannot iustly giue them With these conditions a gift is lawfull and esteemed to be lawfully receiued when it comes free vnclogg'd disinteressed without pretension and without respect of requitall or reference to any recompence or retribution That is a gift which goes dis-roabed of all respects which is neither a friend nor kindsman nor kindswoman of the party that giues
Councels wherin vsually there are many which scarce know the first Principles of that wherof they are to treate must be guided directed by those which are taken out of that Councell which is acquainted with these kind of businesses Or if they will not confesse this by their ignorance and by their Competition they deferre at least if not vtterly ouerthrow the resolution that should be taken in the businesse For being as they are composed of different Tribunalls they neither loue nor trust one another neither know they how to yeeld each to other but grow stiffe obstinate and attend onely to shew their wit learning vpon those that are vnuerst in those affaires Whilest in the meane while it succeedeth with mens businesses as it doth with those diseases and sicknesses which are discust and debated by many Physitians who whilst they are diuided in opinion and one would haue this and another that the time of the cure is past Fiftly for the credit and authoritie of the King as also of the Councels themselues for when that which belongs to these Counsailours and their President is taken out of their hands by artifice and cunning and is recommended to others in no hand can be excused the note and suspition that either the King hath erred in the Election which he made of these his Counsellours or that they do not do their duty because that which did properly appertaine vnto them is taken from them and put ouer to others And as it should be a fault in a Prince not to trust his Ministers if they deserue to be trusted so is it likewise if they dismerit that trust to continue them in that place And therefore that Minister from whom there can be had no good satisfaction let him be put out of his Office For to keepe him in it argues either weaknesse in a Prince or an euill Conscience Sixtly That that may not by your Discoursists and Wits as they call them whereof Kings Courts are full diuine afore hand what is treated in those Iuntas which are no sooner had but the end of them is knowne a thing which cannot but be of infinite inconuenience for all affaires and more particularly in those which as they are of more importance so doe they require more reseruednesse Seuenthly because Ministers may haue time and place for to heare Negotiants which they cannot haue nor be able to remedy matters nor to vnderstand them vnlesse they may haue the hearing of them And though this complaint be without fault on the Counsailours part I am sure it is not without punishment of those that are to negociate with them And lastly because it is a great errour and intolerable burthen to tye two or three to the dispatch of many businesses of peace and of warre of the Exchequer of the state and of diuers other things which dayly offer themselues for as experience teacheth reason requireth and inconuenience proclaimes it it is impossible to giue a good issue and dispatch to all nay scarce to the least part of businesses For a man is not made of brasse that hee should be able to indure the trouble of so many Iuntas at least his spirits will be so spent that he will be able to doe little seruice in those that are last treated Counsailours know not like Angels Diuino intuitu but as Men by way of discourse and in this they are tyred out and ouer-wrought and it is not possible that at the latter end of the day they should be so quicke and nimble as at the first hower after they haue taken paines all the day long For this vertue is granted to spirits which know and comprehend things without measure or wearisomnesse Maâ—s vnderstanding is finite and hee said not ill that said The sence which is occupied in many things is weakened by euery one of them And in that repartment and diuision which that Euangelicall father of his familie made of the Talents amongst his seruants he gaue vnto euery one of them Secundum propriam virtutem He measured their abilities and conformable thereunto imposed a charge vpon them How many doe groane vnder the burthen of those offices which they beare without being able to vndergoe them yet will not they leaue these because their ambition does not leaue them But rather applying themselues to the gust and Palate of their King and out of a disordinate desire they haue to grow still greater and greater they are well content with loade vpon loade and neuer cry Ho because they neuer thinke they haue enough And so not complying as indeed they cannot with their obligation businesses are retarded and goe not on in that good way as they should and both they themselues and they that put them into these places liue with little or no securitie of conscience But if it be the Kings will and pleasure and that hee thinke it fit for his greater satisfaction that some one particular man that is eminent in the profession of that businesse which is to be treated shall treate thereof and shall see and peruse it a gods name if he will haue it so let his will be fulfilled yet with all let his Maiestie take his opinion as of a particular person and hauing receiued it let it be disputed discussed and debated by the body of the Councell such as haue beene beaten in these kinde of businesses and are throughly acquainted with these matters for by this meanes that which is pretended shall the better be effected and many the fore-mentioned inconueniences be excused Amongst those Ancient Romans when that Common-wealth was sole Mistris of all the world and when it was likewise vnder the Empire and Command of one onely Monarke we neuer read that it euer admitted of more then the Ordinary Councells for the dispatch of businesses Augustus Caesar a Prince of excellent prudence and his great Minion Mecaenas in matter of Counsaile can sufficiently confirme this Doctrine being that he himselfe was one of those that treated businesses in the ordinary Councells And he had a respect and consideration thereunto in that extraordinary cause of Piso touching the death of Germanicus Corn. Tacit. wherein the iudgement of the people and the Senate was so much interessed Tiberius the Emperour who was one of the subtilest and craftiest Princes that euer the Roman Empire knew would not for all his great strength of wit cunning dissimulation wherein he was his Arts-Master venter vpon any innouation farther then this to passe ouer his opinion to this or that other Councell but neuer appointed any particular Iunta for the same as one who knew very well that onely in so doing he should haue but laded his own shoulders with the weightinesse of the Case and the successe of the Cause Onely your Iuntas are to be vsed vpon some great and extraordinary occasion and not vpon euery trifling businesse as is now and hath these many yeares beene in vse much more time being
this hee alleageth that which passed betwixt good old Isaac and his two sonnes Esau and Iacob who by reason of his olde age fayling very much in all the rest of his senses that of his hearing continued still in it's full perfection The other deceiu'd him Gen. 27.22 and this onely told him the Truth Vex quidem vex Iacob manus autem maâ—â—s sunt Esau The voyce is Iaecobs voyce but the hands are the hands of Esau Wherein he was out In Gods Schoole where faith is professed great reckoning is made of Hearing Quia fides ex auditu Because faith comes by hearing Rom. 10 17. For a man may heare and beleeue though he cannot see But in the Schoole of the world we must haue all these and all is little inough We must see heare and beleeue And when Kings haue both seene and heard and throughly informed themselues of the whole State of the busines that they may not be deceiued in their iudgement then let them presently proceede to touch it as we say with the hand to fall roundly to worke and in that maner and forme as shall seeme most fitting to finish and make an end of it Psal â—02 19.20 Dominâ— de coeli in terram aspexit vt audiret gemitus compeditorum c. The Lord looked downe from the height of his Sanctuary Out of the Heauen did the Lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death This looking downe of the Lord from the highest Heauens and from the throne of his glory vpon the earth to heare the grieuous groanings and pitifull complaints of poore wretched creatures which call and cry vnto him for iustice should my thinkes be an admirable good lesson for Kings that they should loose somewhat of their sportes and recreations and of that which delighteth the eye and the eare to bestow them both on those who humbly petition him that he will be pleased to both see and heare their cause Of Philip King of Macedon though some put it vpon Demetrius it is reported by Plutarke in his life that going one day abroad to take his pleasure and pastime an olde woman came vnto him besought him to heare her and to do her Iustice But he excusing himselfe and telling her he was not now at leysure to heare her shee made answer Proinde neâ— Rex quidem esse velis Sir if you be not at leysure to heare your subiects will not giue them leaue to speake vnto you leaue to be king for there is no reason he should be a king that cannot finde a time to cumply with his dutie Conuinced with this reason without any more adoe he presently gaue a gracious Audience not onely to her but many moe besides For Kings which doe not heare by consequence do not vnderstand And not vnderstanding they cannot gouerne And not gouerning they neither are nor can be Kings The Cretans painted their God Iupiter without cares because he was that supreme king that gaue lawes and iudged all And therefore ought to cary an equall eare indifferently to heare all parties after one and the same selfe manner Other some did allow him eares but so placed them withall that they might heare those least that were behinde him Which was held a fault in their God as likewise it is in Kings not to heare any but thosse that stand before them or side by side are stil weighting at their elbow Kings should heare as many as they possibly can and which is the onely comfort of suitors in that gratious and pleasing kinde of maner that no man should depart discontented from their feete being a maine fundamentall cause to make all men to loue reuerence and esteeme them and likewise to oblige Princes to lend the more willing and patient eare to their subiects And of this subiect Pliny in commendation of his Emperour Traiane tells vs that amidst so many cares of so great an Empire as his was he spent a great part of the day in giuing Audience and with such stilnes and quietnes as if he had beene idle or had nothing to doe And that he knowing the content that his subiects tooke in their often seeing of him and speaking with him so much the more liberally and longer he afforded them occasion and place for to inioy this their content For nothing doth so much please and satisfie the heart of a Prince as to conceiue that he is beloued and generally well affected of all his subiects Let a King then this course being taken perswade himselfe that his people loueth him and desireth to see him and to speake dayly if it were possible with him And that they take a great deale of comfort that they haue seene him and he heard them And that of two things which all desire To wit To be heard and relieued The first intertaines and comfortes the suitor and makes him with a cheerefull minde to hope well of the second Let him heare though it be but as he passes by from place to place and let him not let any day passe without giuing ordinary Audience at a set hower and for a set time And in case any shall require a more particular and priuate Audience a gods name let him grant it them For euery one of these to conceiue the worst cannot deceiue him aboue once And it is to be supposed that they will not be so vnciuill or so foolishly indiscreete as to craue the Kings priuate eare but in a case of necessitie or where there is some especiall cause or extraordinary reason for it And I farther affirme that Audience being giuen in this maner things will be carryed more smoothly and with more ease on either part For that which breakes down your Damn's in your riuers is the detention of the water And the detayning of a Subiect from the presence speech of his King is that which doth dishearten and deiect the mindes of your negociants and supplicants And when they see they so seldome haue Audience and are put off from day to day and that it costes them so deare before they can be heard they will while they may make vse of that present occasion and then they talke world without end and neuer giue ouer because they are afraid they shall neuer haue the like opportunitie againe But when those suitors shall know that they shall haue ordinary hearing on such dayes and such a set houre and for so long a time they will content themselues with giuing much lesse trouble to their owne tongues and his Maiesties eares In a word no man will denie but say with me that it is iust and meete That he that is to rule and remedy all ought likewise to heare all and that all men should know as much for for the good and hope thereof they principally obay and loue their King And besides a great part of that concurse and tedious trouble of Negociants will by this
vphodeth Kingdomes without which they cannot long last and continue For God will most iustly punish them by taking those from them which they haue if they dissimulate iniustices and if they suffer themselues to be carryed away contrary to all right and reason and permit notorious faults to passe without punishment Other faults are not so much risented in Kings and Kingdomes are content to tolerate them be they neuer so great But should they haue neuer so many other good partes if they be faulty in this which is of so great importance they shall presently see and perceiue a publicke face of sorrow and a generall discontent in all their subiects And God oftentimes makes it a meanes for the punishment and amendment of Kings and Kingdomes It is the saying of Iesus the sonne of Syrach That by Counsaile Eccl. 10.8 and Iustice Kingdomes are maintained And for default thereof Scepters and Crownes are lost and Kingdomes transferred from one people to another And those brought to serue which were borne to command But the King that administreth Iustice without respect of persons shall haue his succession perpetuall for that is the very ground and foundation of a Throne royall Prou. 25.5 Aufer impietatem de vultu regis et firmahitur Iustitia thronus eius Take away the wicked from the King and his throne shall be established in righteousnes That is His Issue his House and his Kingdome Iustice is that which foundeth Kingdomes which enlargeth them and conserueth them That which establisheth peace and resisteth warre Without it there is neither King nor Kingdome nor Common-wealthe nor Citie nor any other Communitie which can be conserued And all whatsoeuer that haue beene ruined and destroyed hath beene for want of Iustice For this cause the Kings of Egypt and in imiâ—â—tion of them some others did which all good Kings ought to do sweare their Presidents Ministers and Magistrates that they should not obay their mandatums nor execute their orders and decrees if they found in them that they commanded any thing contrary vnto Iustice and the Lawes of the Kingdome Philip the Faire King of France and his successor Charles the seuenth enacted a Law that the Iudges should make no reckoning of the Kings Letters nor those his royall scedules vnlesse they seemed vnto them to be iust and lawfull The Catholike Kings Don Fernando and Donna Isabella and their Nephew Charles the fift by their well ordained Lawes Magistracies and Tribunals of so much power and authoritie exceeded all before them that fauoured Iustice Which were augmented and inlarged by King Philip the second who was more particularly zealous of Iustice And his sonne King Philip the third was a great fauourer and louer of Iustice and obseruer of the Lawes submitting vnto them his person and his goods Who might very well say that which the Emperour Traiane said conferring great power on his Gouernour in Rome Thou shalt vse this sword in our name and for Vs as long as we shall command that which is iust and against vs if we shall command the contrarie For it is alwayes to be presumed of the Intention of Kings that they euermore command Iustice to be done but neuer the contrary though it make against themselues Dauid gaue thankes vnto God that hee had set him in the way of Iustice that is That he had giuen him an vpright heart and informed his vnderstanding with so right a rule that it inclined his disposition to doe iustice though it were against himselfe The cause saith Diuus Thomas why God for so many yeares did inlarge the Empire and Monarchie of the Romanes with so much power so much treasure and so many great victories was for that their rectitude and iustice which they obserued towards all But in that instant that they fell from this their Empire likewise began to fall Of these Examples all Histories both humane and diuine are very full yet all will not serue the turne they doe little or no good Let Gods mercie supply this defect and worke this good And let not the poore bee discouraged and disheartened but let them comfort and cheere vp themselues with this that their righteousnesse and their patience shall not perish for euer God hath spoke the word and he will keepe it Psal 10.17.18.20 The poore saith the Psalmist shall not alwayes be forgotten nor shall the hope of the afflicted perish for euer For he will take the matter into his owne hands and will breake the arme of the wicked and malitious and will helpe the fatherlesse and poore vnto their right that the man of earth bee no more exalted against them Woe vnto those that are rulers of the people Woe vnto those that are vniust Kings Which make Lawes like Spiders cobwebbs whereinto little starueling flies fall and die but your fat Bulls of Basan breake through and beare them away in triumph on their hornes But that wee may touch no more vpon this string we will here holde our hand and and goe on in treating of Iustice and it's parts A matter no lesse profitable then necessary for Kings and their Ministers CHAP. XXI Of the Parts of Iustice in common and in particular of Iustice commutatiue D. Tho. 1. p q. 21 artic 1 â— 2 q. 61. art 3 â—oâ—o de Iustitia iust lib. 3. Arist 5. Ethic. cap. 2.1 Mat. 5.20 6. 1. TO the end that we may proceede with more distinction and clearenesse in this Chapter we are to presuppose with Diuus Thomas and others that Iustice may be sayd to be in Common two manner of wayes First of all vnder this generall name of Iustice is comprehended all kinde of vertue thereof in this sense saith the Philosopher that Iustitia est omnis virtus Iustice includeth in it selfe all sortes of vertues whatsoeuer so that a iust Man and a vertuous man is all one And in this sense Christ conceiu'd it when he said Nisi abundauerit Iustitia Except your righteousnesse exceede c. And in another place Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus Take heede that yee doe not boast your righteousnesse before men to be seene of them Of iustice considered thus in the generall we will not now treate of in this place for in rigour and strictnesse this is not true iustice though it haue some similitude therewith Now Iustice is taken after another manner for a particular virtue To wit that which is one of the foure Cardinall vertues which hath for it's obiect and end as we shall tell you by and by to giue vnto euery man that which is his right and his due Of this which is properly Iustice do we here meane to treate of whose Excellencies all bookes are full and whereof the Ancients said That it is a celestiall and diuine vertue seated by God in the mindes of men Vlpian saith That it is Constans et perpetua voluntas quae tribuit cuique suum A constant and perpetuall Will
22. Aug. lib. 5. de Ciuit. cap. 24. Isid lib. 3. Sent. cap. 52. S. Th. 2. 2. q. 137 art 2. ad 2. what remedy in this case is to be vsed Saint Ierom and Saint Austen are of opinion that a King by his owne person is to punish and premiate to execute chasticement with iustice and to mitigate it with mercy Nor is it vnworthy our consideration nor lyable to inconueniencie that a King should represent two persons so contrary in shew as iudging with Iustice and Mercie For two vertues cannot bee contrary And as the Saints and holy Doctors say and they are in the right Mercie doth not hinder the execution of Iustice but it moderateth the crueltie of the punishment And it is very necessary in a good Iudge that hee should haue a true and faithfull paire of balance in his hands and in either scale to put rigor and equitie that hee may know how to correct the one by the other The Kings of Portugall especially Don Iuan the third did vse to iudge Capitall crimes accompanied with his Councell and were alway accounted fathers of the people because with them Iustice and Mercie walked hand in hand shewing themselues iust in punishing the fault and mercifull in mitigating the punishment By which meanes they were of all both feared and beloued And let not Kings perswade themselues that this doth lessen their authoritie and take of from their greatnesse but giues an addition and the oftner they sit in iudgement they shall doe God the more seruice and the Kingdome more good And in conscience the surest and safest course for that reciprocall obligation which is between the King and his subiects For they owe obedience seruice and acknowledgement to him as their Lord and Master And he vnto them Iustice Defence and Protection For to this end and purpose doe they pay him so many great Tributes and Taxes Nor is it enough for him to doe it by others but he must also doe it by himselfe For neither that great Gouernor of Gods people Moses nor any other after him is in all the whole body of the Bible to be found that euer yet condemned the occupation of iudging the people to bee vnworthy royall Maiestie nor contrarie to the reputation of a King I know no other preiudice in it saue that it is impossible for one sole man to vndergoe so great a taske And this impossibilitie ariseth from the multitude of subiects and in that case they aduise That a King should not wholly take away his hand from the doing of Iustice but that the lesser and more ordinary businesses hee should remit and referr them to different Ministers and the weightier causes take to his owne charge and be present in person when they come to be sit vpon and determined as formerly haue done the wisest and greatest Monarkes that euer were in the world Who did euer equall King Salomon in wisedome greatnesse and Maiestie yet did hee hold it no disgrace vnto him to humble himselfe to heare suitors iudge their causes and to doe them Iustice The Kings of the Hebrew people were called Iudges because they did glorie in nothing so much as to heare and iudge the people And in all Nations this hath alwayes beene the principall Office appertaining vnto Kings And the Holy Ghost saith That the King Prou. 29.14 that faithfully iudgeth the poore his throne shall be established for euer §. III. That it much importeth Kings to haue the good Loue and affection of their Subiects KIngs as already hath beene sayd are the Heads of their Kingdomes Their Estates serue them as Members Without which it is impossible they should be that which their name speakes them And therefore it is not onely conuenient but necessarie that they should seeke to gaine the good wills of all suting themselues though they force their owne to the nature of their subiects and beholding them as if they were his children Which is the best course to keepe them well affected and contented and to be beloued and obayed by them Which they may easily doe if they will but thinke themselues that they are sheepheards and fathers of those people which God hath recommended vnto them easing them of those wrongs and grieuances which they vniustly suffer laying no more vpon them then they are able to beare suffring them when reason shall require to take their ease and their quiet and helping to sustaine them when they grow poore and are decayd Plato tells vs That for a Prince to be good and to be beloued of all hee must bestow all his loue and his whole heart vpon the Common-wealth his will on the Gods his secret on his friends and his Time on businesses For by thus reparting himselfe with all he shall haue a part in all by all of them comming to vnite themselues with him Onely in this good Correspondency of Loue betweene Kings and their subiects wise Periander placeth all the safetie and good fortune of Kings and Kingdomes Agesilaus King of Lacedaemon was once askt the question How a King might liue secure For that it is oftentimes seene that neither multitude of seruants nor a guard of Halbardiers can defend them from violence To which demand hee returned this answer Si suis populis ita imperet vt parentes filijs If he so rule ouer his people as a father doth ouer his children The King that loueth his subiects and is againe beloued by them neede no guarde they are his guard For Loue where it is true and faithfull plainesheth the knottiest peece of timber smootheth the roughest and most vnhewen disposition and makes all faire safe and peaceable It is a most strong wall and more durable yea then Kings themselues With this no difficulty can offer it selfe vnto them which they may not ouercome no danger whose impetuousnesse they may not oppose no command which they will not obay For as Kings desire no more of their subiects but to be well serued by them so subiects pretend nothing from their Kings but to be beloued by them And indeede the one dependeth on the other For if a King loue not his subiects he shall neither be well serued beloued nor obayed by them And as little if he loue himselfe too much For the more care he takes of himselfe and attends his owne particular so much the more his subiects loue departs from him For the harmonie of a Common-wealth consisteth in that all should liue by the Kings fauour and they by their subiects loue For they ought to be vigilant in all that belongs to their seruice and Kings most watchfull in that which concernes their generall good So that none is to haue lesse part in the King then the King himselfe And because it is impossible to content all by reason not onely of their different but contrary natures it is necessary at least to content the most There are two differences of States or two sorts of people to be considered in a
and discouer a thousand weakenesses to the world the concealing whereof did import them very much and neerely concerne them King Salomon sayth in his Prouerbs Much more strong is that man which ouercomes himselfe and subdues his owne affections then hee that getteth great victories ouer his enemies Suting with that vulgar saying Fortior est qui se quà m qui fortissima vincit moenia And therefore it not so much importeth Kings to conquer others and to make themselues Lords of new Prouinces and Kingdomes as not to become perpetuall slaues to their proper gustes appetites For this doth not fit and sute so well with the greatnesse of their Office nor is eating in it selfe so generous an Act that they ought so much to prize and esteeme it In the booke of the Iudges Iudg. 9.8 we finde a Parable of the trees who hauing resolued with themselues to choose a King to whom all the rest should owe homage they came first to the Oliue afterwards to the Fig-tree and lastly to the Vine intreating them that they would be pleased to take the Crowne vpon them and to raigne ouer them The first answered That he could not leaue his fatnesse to goe to be promoted ouer the Trees The Fig-tree hee excused himselfe in the like manner saying Hee could not forsake his sweetnesse and his good fruite for the inioying of a Crowne And the Vine he plainly told them that he would not leaue his wine which cheereth God and Man to become a King The purpose and intent of Parables according to the doctrine of glorious S. Austin and other holy Doctors is to infold in them the truth And in this is it giuen Kings to vnderstand that excesse in their Tastes and delicious meates is not compatible with their Estate nor doth it become a Crowne Royall that wee may say all we can though we somewhat exceede from the obiect of the Tast to loose it's time in pleasures and pastimes but that in that very instant wherin Kings take them they should as sodainly leaue them in regard that they haue so many and so great businesses committed to their charge wherein if they should bestow all their time they haue scarce time enough Which requiring so much as it doth the assistance and obseruation of kings if they should mis-spend this time in sports and intertainements they must of necessitie want time for that which is more necessary be driuen considering that there is not any thing that doth cause a greater relaxation and distraction in the vnderstanding and that more abateth the edge and vigor of graue and weighty consideration then sports pastimes and pleasing of their owne gustes and palates to neglect State-businesses vnlesse they will be pleased to vse them seldome and with moderation Insomuch that they being to repart and diuide the time betweene themselues and the Common-wealth they should so employ it that it might not be wanting vnto them for their businesses nor super-abound vnto them for their Vices Yet for all this doe not I pretend it being the least part of my meaning to take from Kings their intertainments but rather much desire that they would take them with moderation and without neglecting businesses of State and after that they shall haue fully cumply'de with the Common-wealths affayres To the end that all the world may see that these their pleasures are not as principall but accessary and as an ayuda de costa an ayde and helpe the better to beare their trouble to wade through that wearisomenesse which the continuall assistance on graue and weighty occasions causeth Intertainments and sports must be like vnto salt wherewith if your meate be sprinckled but a little and in a moderate kinde of manner it makes them sauoury and seasons them in that good sort that they doe not onely relish but digest the better and breede better nutriment But if your band be too heauy and that you lay on loade as they say without measure or moderation it marrs your meate and makes it sower and vnsauory And for mine owne part I am of opinion that there was neuer any time wherein Kings had more cause or greater obligation to moderate their pleasure then at this present it being the onely thing that is now in request amongst your great persons and the onely talke that passeth amongst them how they shall passe the time My thinkes that time is here represented vnto me which the Apostle Saint Paul 2 Tim. 3.1 inspired by the Holy Ghost did prophecie foretell vnto vs That in the last dayes perillous times shall come which are now wholly and truly ours wherein men shall be louers of their owne selues and their pleasures more then louers of God and shall regard more their owne particular then either their neighbour Iustice or the cōmon good In a word they shall take more care to fulfill their lusts and their delights then to please God and therefore shall fall into innumerable sinnes The Apostle Saint Peter and Saint Iude doe much indeare the great euills which vsually arise from corporall pleasures the terrible chasticements which are reserued for those that giue themselues ouer vnto them The vniust sayth Saint Peter the Lord will reserue vnto the day of iudgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2.9 but cheifly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of vncleannesse that are presumptuous Iude 1.4 selfe willed c. And Iude hee pronounces condemnation against those vngodly men that turne the grace of God into lasciuiousnesse c. And this hath and doth still increase dayly in such sort that the madnesse and dotage of those wicked times seemeth to be againe renewed in the world Wisd 2.1 mentioned in the booke of Wisedome where a companie of gallants and boone Companions banketting and making merry amongst themselues vttred this Epicuraean Exiguum cum taedio est Tempus vitae nostrae Our life is short and tedious and in the death of man there is no remedy Ibi. 6. neither was there any knowen to haue returned from the graue c. Venite ergò fruamur bonis quaesunt Come on therefore let vs inioy the good things that are present Let vs eate and drinke quaffe and carowse and be merry and let vs speedily vse the creatures like as in youth Ibi. 7. Vino pretioso vnguentis nos impleamus Let vs fill our selues with costly wines and oyntments Let vs be puruayours and Caterers to our owne bodies let vs prouide the pleasingest obiects for our eyes the sauourest meates for our tastes the sweetest Musicke for our eares the softest silkes for our feeling and the daintiest perfumes for our smelling Ibi. 8. Corone mus nos rosis antequam marcescant nullum pratum fit quod non pertranseat luxuria nostra Let vs Crowne our selues with rose-budds before they bee withered And let no flower of the spring passe by vs. Let none of vs goe with out his part of
a wise man which receiueth instruction from the Lord when he ought to speake And the Scripture saith Vir sapiens tacebit vsque ad tempus A wise man will holde his peace till hee see his time Nay Christ himselfe that King of Kings saith of himselfe by the Prophet Esay Isay 50.4 that his eternall Father gaue him an exceeding wise and prudent tongue Dedit mihi Dominus linguam eruditam The Lord God hath giuen me a learned tongue Or as the Hebrew renders it Eruditiorum The tongue of the learned Not an ordinary tongue but such a Tongue wherin was to be found the wisedome and prudence of all the wise men of the world and from whence all might learne Vt sciam sustentare eum qui lapsus est verbo That I may know how to vphold him that hath slipt in his word Or as the 70. translate it Vt sciam quando oporteat loqui verbum That I should know how to speake a word in season to him that is weary So that a wise discreete and prudent Tongue and such a one as is giuen by God is that which knowes when to speake and when to hold it's peace Teaching Kings who are in a manner Gods at least Gods Liuetenants should in this particular imitate him That they should haue a wise Tongue to know when to open the doore of the lips and when to shut them what to vtter and what to conceale For this is the Learning and wisedome of the Tongue either to speake or be silent as shall fute best with time and occasion Tempus tacendi tempus loquendi It is Salomons Eccl. 3.7 A time to keepe silence and a time to speake And in Kings this is so much the more important by how much the more graue and weighty are those businesses which are treated with them For it doth not onely benefit them in not hauing their purposes preuented not their designes ouerthrowne but likewise winn's them much authoritie and credit For the world will stand as it were astonished and amazed and men will wonder at that which they both doe and say and out of euery kinde of gesture or word of theirs will make a Mystery deliuer their iudgements and draw thence a thousand discourses all which are but cranes and pullyes to make them mount higher in opinion and reputation Likewise when Ministers shall take notice that their King knowes how to heare and how to hold his peace and in it's due time to execute his intentions they liue in a great deale the more awe and feare lest such and such things wherein they doe amisse might come to his knowledge And when they see that he knowes how to conceale a secret till it 's fit time and season it keepes them within their Compasse and is the only bridle that restraines them from doing ill either by way of oppression whereunto great Ministers are too much subiect or otherwise And therefore it shall much concerne a King not onely to be secret in those things which might cause some inconuenience if he should speake of them and make them knowen but also in those things which bring no profit by their publication For if they shall once perceiue that their King cannot conceale what is deliuered vnto him vnder the seale of silence in preiudice of this or that particular party no man will date to informe and aduise him of that which may redound to Gods seruice and the good of the Common-wealth And so like bad gamesters they will for want of keeping close their cardes let their contrary winne the game by discouering their hand A Kings heart should be so deepe and profound that none should be able to pry into it not to know what is hidden there And therefore he must haue such a secret heart as S. Austen speakes of August Psal 63. ver 7. Coraltum That is Cor secretum or as others reade it profundum an inscrutable heart or so deepe that none shall be able to diue into it And some compare a kings heart vnto punctum a little point or pricke which to diuide or to draw any thing out of it is if not impossible at least very difficult The heart of a king must be closed and shut vp like this punctum whence there shal be an impossibility or at least a great deale of difficulty Prou. 21.1 in extracting any one word or secret recōmended vnto him Salomon sayth That the hearts of Kings are in the hands of God and are guided directed by him And that therfore their secretes mysteries are not to be divulged and made common no not to his neerest Minions and Fauourites when at most but to some one particular priuado and that vpon very good iust cause Our Sauiour Christ once vpon necessary occasiō discouered a secret to his great Priuado or fauourite S. Iohn but it was with these circumstances That hee told it him in his eare forbidding him to speake therof vnto any And because neither by signes or any other outward demonstration he might make it knowen he bound vp all his senses in a deepe and profound sleepe to the end that by none of them he might expresse that which it behooued him to conceale Great is the importancie of secrecie the authoritie which it giues to the iudgements motiues of those that gouerne For if all might know the causes which moue a Prince to make this or that prouision to giue this this or iudgement to pardon or to punish to craue or to giue many censures wold passe vpō it it might cause many scandalls alterations in a Cōmon wealth And therfore it much concerneth so supreme a Maiesty not to suffer the secret which is shut vp in his bosome to be published to the world And in some cases it may come to be a mortal sin when such things as are aduertised a king such Memorials as are giuen him firmed signed with this or that mans hand he shal shew them to the parties whom they touch and concerne be they Ministers or fauourites in regard of the great hurt opposition and dissention which there-fro may arise But hee may doe this in case it may well sort with the secret it selfe to take out the pithe and substance of it and without shewing any firme or vttring any word whereby the Author may be knowen and shew it to the Delinquent if so he thinke fit for his correction and amendment And when hee findes that to be true which hath beene told him and that it cannot be denyed let him apply a due and fitting remedy For many times Dissimulation in the Prince not seeming to take notice of a fault causeth but the more dissolutenesse in the subiect This is so farre forth as concerneth Kings Caelius Lib. 13. Lectio antiq c. 5. for whom may suffice that aduice of Caelius Rodiginus who tells them more at large how considerate they ought to be in this particular For many
Cities and Kingdomes haue beene lost and ouerthrowen for want of secrecie But let vs now begin to speake of Ministers and Secretaries of State in whom vsually lyes the greater fault And to whom by their Office secrecie more properly belongs The name it selfe expresing as much For out of that obligation which they haue to be secret they are called Secretaries and are the Archiues and Cabinets of the secrets of the King and the kingdom Though this name through the soothing and flattery of your suitors He means the Escrinanos and Notaries of Spaine hath falsely extended it selfe to those which neither keepe secret nor treate of such businesses as require secrecie And it is fit that these names should not be thus confounded or that that Honor and Title should be giuen to him to whom by Office it not appertaineth Secretaryes I say shut vp with that secrecie Apoc. 5.1 as was that booke of those secret Mysteries which Saint Iohn found sealed with seuen seales which none Tobit 12.7 but the King himselfe could open Sacramentum Regis bonum est sayd the Angel Raphael to Toby opera autem Dei reuelare honorificum est It is good to keepe close the secret of a King but it is honourable to reueale the worke of God Which is as much to say as that the determinations of a King should be kept secret but that the effects and execution of them should be published and made manifest when it is fitting for the seruice of God and the Kingdome For a Kings secret is his heart and till that God shall moue him to expresse it by some outward worke there is no reason that any one else should discouer it To reueale a secret is by the Lawes of God and Nature and by all men generally condemned and all Lawes and Nations doe seuerely punish the same for the great hurt and many inconueniences that may follow thereupon The Lawes they are defrauded the resolutions of Kings they are hindred their enemies they are aduertised their friends they are offended mens mindes they are perturbed kingdomes they are altered peace that is lost the delinquents they are not punished And lastly all publicke and priuate businesses are ouerthrowen And there is not any thing that goes crosse or amisse in a State or that miscarryes or is lost but by the reuealing of the secrets of Kings and of their Counsells As that great Chancellour Gerson told the King of France touching the ill successe of some things in his time for that some of his Ministers did publish that which was treated and determined at the Counsell-Table And the like befell Enrique King of Portugall Who because hee was deafe they were faigne to speake so loud vnto him Valer. lib. 2. Mirabi Caepola Simancus de rep lib 7 cap. 14. cap. 15. that all men might heare what they said Valerius Maximus much commendeth the secrecie of the Romane Senate and says that for this cause that Consistorie was held in high esteeme and that it was a great occasion of inlarging their Empire And they and the Persians did keepe with that faith the secrets of their Kings that there was no feare of plumping them or being able to draw any thing from them no not so much as the least word whereby to discouer the businesse Vse together with the feare of punishment and hazard of their liues had so settled and confirmed this silence in them For they did punish no offence with greater rigour then that of vnfaithfullnesse in matters of secrecie and with a great deale of reason because it is in so neere a degree vnto Treason and I thinke I should not say amisse if I stiled it in the highest Oser lib. 8. de Regis institutione Regis proditor Patriae euersor astimandus est saith Osorius such a one is to be hled a Traytour to the King and a subuerter of the state A Law of the Partida sayth Ley. 5. Tit. 9. p. 2. in fine Ibi. Faria traycion Excepto encaso detraycion y heregia culo qual por dottrina de santo Thomas se puedes dist 21. dist 10. q. 2. artic 3. q. 1. ad 2 L. 5. Tit. lib. 2. That those Counsellours which reueale their Kings secretes commit treason yea though secrecie be not inionyed them nor they charged there with But hee that takes an oath to be secret and reuealeth any thing contrary thereunto besides that he is a periur'd and infamous person hee sinnes mortally and is bound to satisfaction of all the harme that shall happen thereby and incurres the punishment of depriuation of his Office For if hee be sworne to secrecie or bee made a Secretary and hath silence for the seale of his Office he is iustly depriued thereof if he vse it amisse And the Law of the Recopilation saith that hee is lyable to that punishment which the King will inflict vpon him according to the qualitie of the offence or the hurt thereby receiued And the Imperiall Law chapter the first Quibus modis feudum amittit that hee shall loose the see which hee holdes of his Lord. Plutarke reporteth of Philipides that he being in great grace and fauour with Lysimachus King of Lacademonia begged no other boone of him but this That he would not recommend any secret vnto him As one that knew very well that saying of one of the wise men of Greece That there was not any thing of more difficultie then to be silent in matters of secrecie As also for that it being communicated to others though it come to be discouered by anothers fault and none of his yet the imputation is laid as well vpon him that was silent as on him that reuealed and so must suffer for another mans errour And in case any man shall incurre any iust suspition thereof let the King withdraw his fauour from him dismisse him the Court and put another in his place that shall be more secret for that which they most pretend is their fidelitie in this point And howbeit they haue neuer so many other vertues and good abilities yet wanting this they want all and are of no vse no more then were those vessells in Gods House which had no Couers to their mouthes For such open vessells are they that cannot keepe close a secret and altogether vnworthy the seruice of kings The substance and vertue of your flowres goes out in vapours and exhalations of the Lymbecke And heate passeth out through the mouth of the fornace and a secret from betweene the lipps of a Foole it being a kinde of disease amongst those that know least to talke most and to vent through their mouth whatsoeuer they haue in their heart In ore fatuorum Eccl. 21.26 Cor illorum sayth the Wise man in corde sapientium os illorum The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in their hearts Cogitauerunt Psal 72. et locuti sunt Looke what a Foole hath
men for a man to liue all his life time according to the sauour and guste of his palate Consuetudinem nullam peiorem esse quà m vt semper vinat quis ad voluptatem There is not any custome so bad as that of a mans liuing according to his owne pleasure Such men are rather to be pittied then enuied for there is not that hâ—â—res of their contents and delightes which doth not pay it's tribute of teares and sorrow Onely for to please and satisfie this sense and to recreate that of the sight haue so many Artes beene inuented so many sorts of Trades and Trades-men set a worke so much varietie of fashions and costly cloathes such a world of curious Silkes Lawnes Cambricks and Hollands such large beds rich bedding sumptuous bed-steds so sensuall and so ouer nice and dainty that it may well be questioned whether is greater the costlinesse or the curiositie the richnesse or the ryot occasioned by them Nor which is the miserie of it is it yet known whether or how farre this Humour will extend it selfe But sure I am that thereby houses are disordred much monyes consumed ancient Inheritances solde away and a thousand other inconueniences introduced And to say the truth this sense hath not neede of so much nicetie but abuse hath now brought it to that passe that it hath no sooner a liking to a thing but it greedily runn's after it as a beast that is put into a fresh ground runnes vp and downe smelling out the choice grasse and will not bite but at the sweetest But he that doth Regalor and pamper vp this sense most doth most of all make it his enemie Which will neuer giue him ouer till it haue vndone him This is so large a Theame and so copious a subiect that if I should heere write and set downe all that which in this kinde would fairly offer it selfe I must be driuen much to inlarge my pen. But it is not my Intent to set my cloath on the Tenters nor in this little Loome to weaue large Histories and long discourses but onely to giue a short touch and away of the effects which this sence causeth and of the miseries and misfortunes which are incident to Touching and that all the worke paines which it does and takes for it's friends and best well-wishers is not so freely bestow'd nor that good assurance giuen thereof but that this it 's momentary pleasure makes quick payment in groanes in diseases and in Temporall and Eternall Death The condition of the obligation being drawen and signed by no worse a Scriuener then Saint Paul Rom. 8.13 Si enim secundum carnem vixeritis moricimui For if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye Wee haue examples of Kings good store and of ancient and moderne Kingdomes forraine and domestick The first shall be of Charles the 8. King of France in whom voluptuousnesse and delights wrought so great an alteration in that his most fortunate and happy entrance which hee made into Italy where without putting hand to his sword hee became Master of all the whole Kingdome of Naples and did so amuze and affright all the World that the Great Turke was afraid of being ouer-runne by him and many of his Commaunders which had the keeping of his Fortes on that Coast forsooke them and fled And if that King had but well followed that Enterprize hee had beene Lord of all Greece But being a young Gentileman hee suffered himselfe to be ouercome by the Dainties and Delicacies of that Countrie spending his Time in delightes banquets shewes maskings dancings and feastings So that hee who had so soone â—â—ed the world with feare was as soone ouercome by yeelding to the pleasure of this sense For hee and his did so glut themselues with the fruites of that Country and so followed the delights of the flesh that hauing entred victorious they became subiect and were subdued by that now and loathsome disease which possesseth the whole body and to dissemble it's name they call it Corrimiento which in plaine English is the French Pocks There and then it was where and when it first began to rage and from thence spred it selfe hither and thither and now is so generally knowen in all parts of the world and which by Touching oneâ—y cleaues close vnto man And this had it's 〈◊〉 land beginning in carnall delight as it was resolued in a Consultation of Physitians which King Don Alonso called together in Toledo which is another notable Example who hauing wonne that Citie from the â—owes and many other places Don Alons the sixt of Castile and Leons Vide Fernan Perez lib. 2. Tit. 4. cap. 5. ioyning themselues in the victorie layd aside their Armes and gaue themselues in that manner to their pleasures and delights that within a few dayes they were growen so lazye and so weake that they were not able to fight nor to beare armes against the enemie and being forced to take them vp in a certaine skirmish which they had neere vnto Veles they were ouerthrowen and shamefully put to flight leauing dead in the place the sonne of their King Who being very sensible of this so great an infamie consulted his Physicians what should be the cause of this so great a weakenesse both in the strength and courage of his soldiars who in the first incounter hauing shew'd themselues as fierce as Lyons in this last conflict seemed as fearefull as Hares Who answered him with that will â—hâ— Pliny speakes of the Romans Plin. nat Hist lib. 2. cap. 3. who fell from their ancient greatnesse because in their meate drinke and apparell and in the delicacies of their bathes and companie keeping with women they exceeded all those whom before they had ouercome And therefore Vincendo victi sumus Wee are ouercome by ouercoming And thereupon that good King forthwith commanded the oathes to be destroyed together with the houses of pleasure gardens and other the like places of recreasion wherewith that dammage was in part repayred In these two things daintinesse in diet and wantoning with women the Diuell imploies his utmost strength and force that hee may quit those of it and vtterly dis-inable them that giue themselues thereunto And this was that Counsaile and Aduice which that member of Satan and false Prophet Balaam gaue to the King of Moab That in those places through which the children of Israel were to passe hee should appoint certaine of his fayrest women to be there in readinesse to receiue and intertaine them to cherish and make much of them and to inuite them to eate and drinke with them as the onely meanes to draw them on to their destruction as it afterwards fell out Num. 25.1 This is pointed at in Numbers but set forth more at large in Iosephus Ioseph de Antiq. lib. 4. cap. 5. Where it is added That those are not to be feared which giue themselues to the like gustes and delights for in waxing weary of
not to affoord a good looke on him that shall not imitate and follow his fashion For there is no man such a foole that will loose the fruite of his hope for not apparelling himselfe after this or that manner as he sees the Prince himselfe is contented to go Let Kings amend this fault in themselues and then his Peeres and other their inferiours will not be ashamed to imitate them I pray tell me if men of the baser and meaner condition should onely be those that were vicious in their meate and clothes who would imitate them therein Assuredly none All would be Noblemen or Gentlemen or at least seeme to be so in their fashion and apparrell howbeit they would bee lesse curious and dainty if they saw those that were noble or gentile go onely plaine and handsome That ancient Romane pure neate cleane and comely attire of those who conquered the world did then wholly loose it selfe when your great and Noble persons of that commonwealth left it off For in all things but more especially in those that are vicious men seeke to make a fairer shew then their estate will beare and thereby procure to content and please their Kings vnder whom they liue knowing that there is no intercession or fauour like vnto that as the fimiliancie of manners and the kindred which this doth cause Let Kings by their example cut off the vse of costly clothes and sumptuous banquets and whatsoeuer in that kinde is vicious and superfluous and they shall straightway see how a great part of the greedinesse of gaine and couetousnesse of money will cease and many other euils and mischiefes which proceed from thence which would not be sought after nor esteemed were it not for the execution of the appetite and fulfilling of our pleasures And for this end and purpose money is kept with such great anxietie and trouble but procured and sought after with much more because it is the master and commander of all pleasures and delights whatsoeuer For which we will buy and sell and giue all that we haue The second point concerning vices and sinnes common and publike the hurt that comes thereby is well knowne both to God and man and is harder to be reformed then the former That is moderated either with age or necessitie but this neither necessitie nor time can lessen but with it increaseth and shooteth forth new sprigges and suckers neuer before seene nor vsed in the world against which neither suffice Lawes nor Statutes And that doctrine of Tacitus is now come to bee verified That there is not any greater signe of corruption of manners then multiplicitie of Lawes And we now liue in those dangerous times whereof Saint Paul speaketh and I know not whether I may be so bold as to say That it is likewise an argument or signe that the Subiect is neare it's end or at least daily growes decaying wherein these signes and tokens are to bee seene One disorder begetting another which is the order which Nature keepes with things that are to perish till at last all comes to ruine and this vniuersall fabricke sinkes to the bottome neuer more to be repaired I wot well that whilest there be men there must be vices and sinnes and that few or none will cease to bee that which they are in regard of humane weakenesse and mans propension and inclination to sinne and that there are not any remedies which will serue and turne wholly to cure and cut them off it being a thing impossible for that their beginning and cause doth proceed from Nature it selfe being corrupted That which the worth and wisedome of Kings and their Ministers may be able to effect is That they may daily proue lesse and lesse preiudiciall to the publike and that the dissembling of abuses in the beginning before they take head be not a cause of seeing our selues brought to that estate which Salust writeth Rome was found in in Catilines time there being so good cause for to feare it As also that they will draw after them Gods comminations and chastisements When a kingdome saith hee comes to the corruption of manners that men doe pamper and apparell themselues in curious manner like women and make no reckoning of their honestie but deale therewith as with any other thing that is vendible or set out to sale and that exquisite things for to please the palate are diligently sought after both by sea and land that they betake themselues to their ease and sleepe before the due time of their rest and sleepe be come that after their bellies be as full as euer they can hold they neuer cease crauing and cramming till it be noone that they doe not forbeare from eating and drinking till they be either hungry or thirsty not that they ease themselues out of wearinesse or keepe themselues warme against the extremity of the weather but that they do all these things out of viciousnesse and before there is neede well may that Empire be giuen for lost and that it is drawing neare to its last gaspe For the people thereof when their owne meanes shall faile them for to fulfil their appetites out of a thirsting and greedy desire of these things what mischiefes will not they moue or what villanies will not they attempt For the minde that hath beene ill and long accustomed to delights can hardly be without them And that they may enioy them by hooke or by crooke by one meanes or another though neuer so vniust and vnlawfull they will make a shift to get themselues into money though they spend it afterward idly vainly in that profuse and lauish manner for which they did intend it Let euery good King begge of God and let vs all ioyne in the same prayer that in our times it may not come to these termes and that Kings will striue and studie to quench these sparkes before they breake forth into a flame and to put out the fire whilest it is but newly kindled lest it take hold on the whole building and helpe come too late And because there are so many sortes of vices that it is not possible to procure an vniuersall cure for them all that which is likeliest to doe most good will bee that selfe same medicine mentioned before in dyet and apparrell to wit the good example of Kings and in imitation of them that of the great Lords of the land and those that are nearest in Court about their persons ioyning herewith the feare of their disfauour letting them both see and know that the vicious fall backward and the vertuous come forward in honour and that onely vertue is the true meanes and surest way to bring men to great place and preferrement in the commonwealth Let Kings hate these idle droanes these honey-suckers of other mens labours that liue all vpon the waste and spoile Which kinde of people euen in reason of state are not good for the quiet of a kingdome in regard of the euill cogitations and
dangerous deuises that are bred in their mindes and in their time breake out I would haue this imitation to bee the remedie for this so great an ill for neither penalties nor feare of punishment will doe any good vpon them For hee that will not forbeare to sinne for feare of Gods Law will hardly refraine from mans Let Kings therefore say and doe those things that they would haue their Subiects say and doe And let their fauourites and those that are nearest about them runne the like course and let it extend to the better sort and those that are of ranke and qualitie for by this meane it will descend to those likewise that are of meaner condition and then shall they see how much more good it will worke then either lawes or punishment And this is the more naturall of the two for the one is founded vpon imitation and the other grounded vpon feare And men doe more easily imitate those better things which they see actually put in execution then depart from those worser things which they either heare or know to be prohibited And when they shall see that their superiours and those that are in place and authoritie command one thing and doe another they neither dread their threatnings nor obey their commandements For perceiuing that they doe but imitate their actions they perswade themselues that none can without blushing punish the same sinne in them Salust did aduise Caesar in the entrance to his Empire that if he would order his commonwealth aright he should first of all begin with reformation in himselfe and his as Pliny saith Vita Principis censura est eaque perpetua ad hanc dirigimur Plin. Jun. lib. Epist ad semp Rufum ad hanc conuertimur The life of a Prince is a perpetuall censure and according thereunto doe we guide and gouerne our selues And let it not seeme vnto any that this remedie of the imitation of Kings is slow and long and will aske a great deale of time for where there is met together as it were in it's center whatsoeuer may corrupt and hurt that which is capable of being corrupted when as neither Kings nor their Lawes are able to hinder it in vaine is it indeuoured or to be imagined that that may bee cured in a few yeares which hath layen sicke so many But till such time as men grow vp like new plants and haue accustomed themselues to vertue to the end that through the tendernesse of their youth they may not grow awry Being therein likewise holpen by the example of their betters for there is not any Artifice so powerfull and effectuall as that of imitation which I now speake of for it being a cure so conformable vnto nature it will worke by degrees whereof we shall not know the benefit till we haue enioyed it And because there are both diseased persons Chrysost hom 19. in Gen. and diseases as Saint Chrysostome hath obserued which are neither remedied by sweet potions nor purged away by bitter pills A maine reason whereof is because they themselues are not willing to be cured nor will admit of the example of Kings nor the feare of their Lawes it is fit this other remedie should be vsed of punishment and chastisement without dissimulation For many times the motiue of sinning is the facilitie of forgiuing And it is a knowne case that people by punishment become obedient but by pardoning proud and insolent The ill and vicious are so possessed and inabled in their vices by their long continuance that if Kings should not shew some mettall and courage they would possesse the world and carry all things away before them in that violent manner that the good should not be able to liue amongst thē Bald. in l. Prouinciarum C de ferijs By chastising the bad saith Baldus the good liue in safety And for this cause and not in vaine according to Plato and others were Lawes instituted and regall power the stroke of the sword the discipline of the Clergie and the common hangmans whip all of them as necessary for mans life as those 4. Elements by which we liue breathe Let Kings take this from me and beleeue it That that commonwealth is in great danger where the Kings reputation goes decaying and the force of Iustice looseth it's strength For thereby vices assume licence vnto themselues and their owners perseuere and go on in them Here a remisse Prince is a sharpe sword and doth neuer more grieuously punish then when hee doth most pardon Punishment and chastisement onely offend the delinquent but remission la ley al Rey y la Grey the Law King and people By remission Lawes and Kings grow in contempt and the whole commonwealth infected Whereas by chastisement the Law is obeyed and kept the King feared and honoured and the kingdome maintained in peace and iustice I doe not treat here of those cruell and rigorous punishments which some seuere Iudges inflict for remedies and cures of so much rigour are violent and do sooner kill and make an end of their Subiects then heale and recouer them by little and little Wherefore in point of correction a commonwealth must vse a great deale of caution and prudence And for that hee who pretends by maine strength to resist the furious current of a swift riuer or by roughnesse to tame a head-strong horse shall shew himselfe as insolent as impertinent rigour with gentlenesse and iustice with mercie will doe well which if they go not hand in hand and kisse each other they are both but the occasion of greater corruption For it is an erronious discourse in those that thinke that publike conseruation consisteth in the execution of cruell chastisements and sharpe and rigorous sentences bee they of death or otherwise For these doe rather dispeople and desolate then correct and amend a kingdome And as it is a signe of bad Physitians or of a corrupt and infectious aire to see many fall sicke and dye so likewise is it of carelesse Ministers and ill preuention and of a contagious corruption of vices and euill manners when there are many criminall iudgements many punishments and cruell chastisements And who is he that knowes the principall cause thereof it may bee this or it may bee that or all together howsoeuer I am sure it is all ill And in a word so great so vniuersall and so pernicious an ill that if Christian Kings carry not a very watchfull eye ouer their Subiects manners in not suffering them to flie out they shall not when they would be able to refraine them and remedie what is amisse for euill custome being once habituated according vnto Galen and others is an acquired nature and engendreth an habite which being mans naturall inclination carries him along after it and so great is his inclination to delights and so many the prouocations and ill examples which draw him thereunto and poure oyle as it were vpon that fire that if there be not the
that their King and Master cannot liue and subsist without the assistance of their wit and that there is not that fault they commit but must be forgiuen them out of the necessitie of their seruice Forgetting in the meane while that their King may imagine them to bee dead and how that in such a case though it grieue him yet must hee prouide himselfe of others Let Kings therefore bee beaten from this their errour for he that shall otherwise aduise them and seeke to be the onely man in their fauour and seruice and take vnto himselfe both the right side and the left thrusting all others from thence and gouerning both high and low letting nothing escape his fingers which hee pretendeth out of the necessary vse of his person and so absolutely to become Master of their wills and to haue that hand ouer their Kings that they must not looke vpon any but with their Fauorites eyes such a Fauourite I say pretends to tyrannize a kingdome and by little and little will go crushing the Princes of the bloud the ancient Nobilitie and such as are of power to stand in their way thrusting this man out of Court to day and that other to morrow that hee alone may rule all without any contradiction or opposition in the world Let euery man say or thinke as they list for mine owne part I am perswaded that this is his maine end and drift And the cause thereof is his feare of falling knowing besides his owne consciousnes that there are not onely one or two but many in Court that are able to supply his place and farre better deseruing then himselfe Your Alchymists make gold But how Onely in the colour they will not let it come to the Touch nor any other reall Essay neither will they endure to haue it compared with any other minerall gold for feare lest it should bee discouered that theirs hath no more but a bare shew and apparence Let Princes therefore assure themselues that those Fauourites are but Alchimists that will not admit of any other companie as being priuie to themselues that their vnderstanding is not such pure gold that it can abide the Touch nor any reall Essay But say it should passe for currant and that their mindes were all made of pure gold me thinkes they should aduise and consider with themselues that those that are ingenious and wise men will therefore the rather desire that there should be many for by comparing the one with the other the true light shineth the more and makes it selfe knowne whether it be so or no. And onely your fooles and such as are vnworthy of that they possesse are iealous of that good which they feare to loose when by comparing they shall come to be knowne God did not in vaine place so many members in mans bodie and most of them double had it not beene thereby to teach vs that many are needfull in humane actions and that one is not able to doe all without an infinite deale of toyle extraordinary spending of his spirits and the sudden wasting and consuming of his body And here will suite very well to this our purpose that which Tiberius affirmed when feigning not to bee willing to accept of the Empire hee said going about the bush to discouer the mindes of the Romane Nobilitie and Senate that he alone of himselfe was not sufficient nor yet with the helpe of another for so great a gouernment Whereupon Salustius Crispus taking his Qu a great Fauourite of his starts mee vp and makes me a long Harenga or artificiall oration shewing that Signiorie and Empire could not well consist without being conferred vpon one particular person which is the maine foundation and ground-worke of the good and safetie of a Monarchicall gouernment and that therein himselfe if no body else would take the paines would bee as it were another Ioseph his faithfull Vice gerent lest the resolution of things depending on the will of many it might cause a distraction in businesses either by way of competition or of passion In conclusion after Tiberius had heard this and had throughly sounded their mindes he tooke occasion to tell them That in such a Citie as Rome was sustained and vpheld by so many and such illustrious persons it was not fit that the businesses of State should be remitted to one man alone for many would much more easily execute the offices and affaires of the commonwealth by a fellow-bearing of the burthen For as vnitie in some degrees is both profitable and pleasing so in other some it is hatefull and preiudiciall And therefore out of this consideration I say That a King as the supreme person and principall Head of a kingdome ought to be one alone For the couetousnesse of ruling being insatiable and the nature of power incommunicable it is not possible that two Princes of equall authoritie should continue any long time but both of them suffer in the end or at least the businesses that are committed to their charge But for Fauourites there may bee two or three or more the vnitie remaining reserued for the greater and supremer person And likewise this pluralitie will not be much amisse for if any one of them shall by some accident faile there be others whom the King knoweth and they know him that are fit for his seruice and that haue good experience and knowledge of businesses and all such matters as are current and passable in the commonwealth without being driuen to seeke out new Ministers or to instruct them what to doe in a time of necessitie when things go not well but stand in ill Tearmes laying otherwise hold on the first that offer themselues vnto them to the ouerthrowing of the businesses in hand and the proper hurt and dammage of their Lord and Master at whose cost and by meere erring in great matters they must come to get their learning Let Kings a Gods name reserue for themselues those businesses that are of greatest importance for in this likewise must there bee a setled course and order as is in all well gouerned kingdomes Referring as we said before to the ordinary Councells and Tribunalls ordinary businesses consulting with their Kings those that are of most importance And these Kings by themselues as before mentioned ought to dispatch if therein they be not hindered by default of their health and not to remit and referre them to their Fauourites who in matter of Iustice were it but distributiue should haue no kinde of power For thereby they oppresse those Tribunalls and seates of iustice together with their Ministers and Officers who for that they know they must haue much dependancy on the Fauourite if he shall haue a hand in Courts of Iustice and distribution of Offices cannot but remaine much oppressed and debarred of their libertie and the more if they haue any pretension for their owne interest or increasing of their estate and honour And the reason of all this will plainly appeare if wee
the free vse of mans faculties and senses not suffering him to doe any thing that is good And though it bee true that there are other vices of greater offence to God and more hurtfull to a mans neighbour yet this hath I know not what mischiefe in it and more particularly in publike persons which doth shew it selfe more openly then all the rest and doth breede and nourish other sinnes as the roote doth the tree Radix omnium malorum cupiditas Quidam appetentes 1. Tim. 6. errauerunt à fide Couetousnesse of money is the roote of all euill Which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and tangled themselues with many sorrowes Ex auaritia profecto saith Saint Ambrose septem nequitiae procreantur Ambr. in Apelog cap. 4. scilicet Proditio fraus fallacia periurium inquietudo violentia contra misericordiam obduratio There are seuen kinde of sinnes that proceed from couetousnesse viz. Treason Fraud deceit Periury Inquietude Violence and which shuts the doore to all pitie and compassion Hardnesse of heart Vpon this foundation of couetousnesse is built whatsoeuer tyrannicall imagination and many through it haue and doe daily loose the faith and that loyaltie which is due vnto God and their Kings Auri cupiditas saith the same Saint materia est perfidiae The loue of gold is the cause of the losse of faith When this pulls a Fauourite it easily drawes him aside and carries him headlong to all these vices for it is of more force then the Load-stone and drawes him more after them then that doth the iron And is holpen on the more by the winde of vanitie and ambition The Philosopher Heraclitus saith That those that serue Vanity and Couetousnesse suddenly depart from Truth and Iustice and hold that onely for iust and most right which is directed aright to their owne priuate interest And this onely doe they make their aime in all whatsoeuer they aduise their King as was to be seene in that so often repeated case of King Assuerus with his great Fauourite Aman of whom hee demanded what grace and fauour should bee showne to that Subiect whom for his good seruices hee desired to honour Whereupon the winde of vaine-glory working in the head of him and thinking this could be no man but himselfe shewed himselfe very magnificent and liberall in ordaining the honours and fauours that were to be done vnto him The vaine conceit of a couetous man cuts out for himselfe large thongs out of another mans leather And when hee growes a little warme in the King his Masters bosome poore snake as hee was with a false and feigned loue hee goes hunting after his commoditie and this failing his loue also faileth For his heart stretcheth it selfe no farther to loue then what his hands can come to take hold on Elpan comido y la compania desecha saith the Prouerbe No longer Cake no longer company Of such friends as these the Prophet Michah bids vs beware For no friend Micah 7.6 Arist lib. 8. Ethic. cap. 4. that seeketh his owne gaine can euer according vnto Aristotle be faithfull and loyall to his King Let Kings I say consider once againe and haue an especiall care that those Fauourites whom hee maketh choice of for his friends be out of his owne proper election and approued by his owne minde and by the opinion and fame of their vertue and not intertaining them at any time by the sole intercession of others especially such as are great and powerfull nor let them suffer themselues to be carried away with the secret considerations of those familiar and particular persons which are about them nor by the insinuating and soothing perswasions of your flatterers and Sycophants Who as they are men worke vpon discourse and corporall meanes altogether framing them in order to their owne ends Let them not giue beliefe and credit vnto them but to the common fame and good report that goes of them and thereon let them place their eares and their vnderstanding For as Tacitus saith that is it which vsually makes the best choice For it is not to bee doubted but that concerning such a ones vertues or goodnesse we ought rather to giue credit to the generall report then to the voices of one or two For one may easily bee deceiued and deceiue others by his tricks and his particular interest but neuer yet could one deceiue all nor is it possible that all should in that their approbation deceiue another As for those other seruants which are to attend and waight vpon the Kings person more for dignitie of place and for outward apparence and ostentation of greatnesse then for vse and conueniencie which likewise in their kinde are very necessarie let Kings a Gods name receiue them into their seruice either vpon the intercession of others or out of other particular respects For in this there is little hazard and may easily chop and change them if they proue not good and fit for their turne But in the choice of the former a great deale of care must be taken for the chopping and changing of them is very dangerous and vnlesse there be very great cause for the doing of it it breeds an opinion of inconstancie which as it cannot but be hurtfull vnto all so is it of great dishonour vnto Kings much weakening their authoritie But say there be iust cause of remouing them why it is but as a Vomite which howbeit it be true that it remoueth the malignant humour and expells it from the stomacke yet withall it carries the good likewise away with it and makes an end of that Subiect it works vpon if it be too often vsed For our horses wee seeke bits and bridles wherewith to make them to go well and handsomely and if with those they do not raigne and carry themselues according to our mind we take others and when we finde once that they are fitted as wee would haue them we neuer chop nor change but still vse the same In like manner it is not good to chop and change either Fauourites or priuie Councellours too often but to seeke out such as are fit for their turne and to carry such a hand ouer them as to bridle their insolencie and to reyne them in hard if they finde them head-strong For being that they are those horses which guide the chariot of a Monarchie if they bee not well bridled of a gentle and tender mouth and an easie reyne they will play the iades and breake both their owne neckes and their Masters In a word euery King hath or at least representeth two persons one publike the other priuate And therefore his actions ought likewise to be of two qualities In those that are particular let them proceed therein as they will themselues according to their owne guste and pleasure but in those that are publike as shall make most for the publike good Hauing still an eye to it's conseruation and augmentation and to the common
approbation of the people And those qualities which formerly wee required in Councellers of State wee here likewise conclude that all of them are necessary for Fauourites And if Kings peraduenture in regard of humane imperfection cannot meete with men so perfect let them bee as absolute as they can possibly light vpon at least let them haue these two qualities of loue and an vnspotted life And let not Kings content themselues that they haue them in a mediocritie but in all perfection For without these two there are not any Statuae◠so vnprofitable as are such men being not good enough to be staues or to serue in the basest and vilest offices about a house much more vnworthy to be Fauourites and priuie Councellours And because the heart of man which God hath hid out of sight to the end that he might reserue it to bee the seate and mansion of his loue is hard to bee knowne and the thoughts thereof very secret and hid for that by one and the same instruments it worketh and expresseth it's conceits be they false or be they true it is necessary that by some meanes the truth or deceit of it's words may be knowne for to difference thereby the true loue from the false Amongst other signes and coniectures whereof Kings may make vse for to know the minde of those that are to hold so great and neare a place about their persons and to treate and communicate with them as it were the secrets of their soules let them consider and obserue very well in what kinde of manner they do proceed and haue proceeded with those with whom they haue formerly held friendship and to whom they stand indebted and obliged for curtesies already done if they shall see they carry themselues well towards them and performe all offices of true loue and friendship then may they be induced to beleeue that shewing themselues louing and thankfull to others they will be so towards them And he that loueth not him whom hee ought to loue out of this or that other respect will not loue his King do he neuer so much for him For this difference of more or lesse altereth not the substance nor condition The true loue of Fauourites they being such as they ought to be consisteth as we said already in louing their King dis-interessedly and to aduertise him of all that which is fitting and conuenient for him and that all or the most desire that in their workes and actions for their greater perfection there should be credit and estimation And lastly of all that which according to the more common opinion requireth reformation and amendment for onely the workes of the most high can be wholly inculpable And of that which may in some sort withdraw his Subiects loue from him and aduising him thereof worke so with him for to gratifie them in this or that publike benefit whereby to wedge the peoples loue the faster vnto their Prince and Soueraigne But false and feigned loue that runnes a contrarie course it alwayes hunts after it's owne commoditie it commendeth all whatsoeuer his Prince doth he excuseth it in his presence and qualifies it for good iust and conuenient Which being no other but a tricke of Court-cunning and though they may well march vnder the standard of vnknowne enemies yet are they esteemed and rewarded as friends And notwithstanding all this their Kings backe is no sooner turned but they murmure at him or set others a worke to doe it for them Complaining that in regard of the naturall ill disposition of Kings and great Princes cares facile enough to heare smooth flatteries but too harsh and hard to hearken to the truth they dare not for their liues tell it him nor aduenture to giue him the least distaste though it concerne him neuer so neare and that they plainly see the not doing of it cannot but redound much to his hurt And the true reason thereof is for that the former loue more the person of their Prince then his fortune and let him take it ill or well all 's one they will treate truth especially in those things that may concerne his safetie or the good and quiet of his kingdome and their good minde true heart and plaine-honest meaning make them bold to speake without fearing to offend in that their good aduice which they shall giue him But this second sort of Fauourites loue not his person but his fortune And these for their owne proper interest and that they may not hazard their hopes dare not speake the truth though they see the danger before their eyes as persons that would easily alter their faith and loyaltie and take part with him whose sword is strongest and therefore care not though their King fall so as they may stand And of such it may bee suspected that they desire a change like those which in gaming liue by Baratos who for their owne benefit would haue fortune turne from the one to the other their good wishes no longer following their first man as not hoping to haue any more from him then what they haue already receiued not caring to see them blowne vp one after another so as they may get by the bargaine And most certaine it is that those who so much loue themselues and their owne proper interest there is no trusting of them for they haue no loue left either for their owne Lord and Master or any body else For such base soules and vngenerate spirits drowned and swallowed vp in those muddy materialls of Interest and Auarice cannot loue any other thing with excellencie and in a noble fashion And therefore it importeth much that Fauourites bee dis roabed and stript quite and cleane of all that which goes vnder the name of proper or selfe-loue priuate interest vsefull friendship faction or kindred and that they should bee clothed with a wise and discreet kinde of goodnesse which nor knowes nor can nor will fauour ought but vertue and Iustice and that which is good and honest It is likewise spoken by way of Prouerbe Quien ama à su Rey ama à su grey He that loues his King loues his flocke And he that is in the place of a Fauourite and so neare about his Kings person ought to bee as a common father to all his Subiects treating them as if they were his children and procuring that not any one of them may depart discontented from his presence which would be the the onely Load-stone to draw all their loue and affection towards him So did that great Fauourite of the King of Syria Naaman whom all the people with a full and open mouth called Father corresponding with him in the loue of so many sonnes or children For those that are seated in so high a place haue great cause for many reasons to procure publike loue and together with the grace of their Prince to haue the good wills and affections of the people for this makes the other to be more durable and firme For this
estate and complexion of the man and according thereunto to make vse thereof and of it's vertue And therefore hee that hath by his Kings fauour the supreme disposall of all let him consider and know either by himselfe or by others that are his confident friends being as free as free may bee from naturall affections the dispositions and inclinations of men and together with this the qualitie of the offices and persons which are to gouerne and bee gouerned and let him imply euery one in that for which hee shall bee found fit and good And keeping this course he shall cumply with his owne inclination and naturall desires And shall therein do his King and countrey good seruice But for a conclusion and vpshot of all that is past let those aduertisements serue which follow in the subsequent Chapter CHAP. XXXVII The Conclusion of the former Discourse with some Aduertisements for Kings and Fauourites ALL those that write of the qualities of a good Prince doe agree in this that he ought to haue his will free independent subiect onely to God and his diuine Law without subiecting or submitting it to any other loue For it booteth little that he be Lord of many kingdomes if he be a slaue to that which hee extremely loueth That he ought to bee of a good courage and of a sound and setled iungement not suffering a superiour or equall in his gouernment For as wee said in the beginning of this Discourse kingdomes are by so much the more sustained and augmented by how much the more neare they approach to the gouernment of one Whereas on the contrary they runne much hazard when the reynes of the Empire are diuided and put into seuerall hands The Romanes neuer enioyed so much peace and plenty as after that Augustus Caesar was declared sole Lord of the Empire without dependance on any other Which aduise amongst many other good instructions the Emperour Charles the fifth gaue likewise vnto the King his Sonne to wit That he should be a very precise louer of Truth That hee should not giue himselfe ouer vnto Idlenesse And that he should alwayes shew himselfe a free and independant King not onely in apparence but in substance For it is very proper vnto Kings to rule not to be ruled And to administer their kingdomes themselues by their owne will and not by anothers For he will not be said to be a King who being to command and correct all should easily suffer himselfe to be led away and gouerned by others And therefore it is fit that hee should alwayes stand vpon his owne bottome and in none of his actions expresse himselfe to depend on the aide and opinion of others For this were to acknowledge a Superiour or a Companion in gouernment and to discouer his owne weaknesse Infirma enim est potentia saith Patritius quae alienis viribus nititur Patri to 2. li. 21. Tit. 3. That 's but a poore power that must bee vnder-propt by the strength of others In stead whereof I would haue him to sit in Councell and to treate and communicate businesses with such persons to whom it appertaineth as heretofore I said Saying onely now That that King is in a miserable and lamentable case that must depend on anothers helpe Vpon a certaine occasion Alexander the Great said Se malle mori quam regnare rogando That he had rather die then raigne by supplicating and intreating And no otherwise doth that King raigne who shewes himselfe a Coward and suffers the excellencie of his courage to bee ouerwhelmed and carried away with the current of hard and difficult things which many times offer themselues leauing the resolution of all to the mercie and fauour of others by whose helping hand it seemeth that he liueth and raigneth This said the Emperour Vespasian is to dye standing And as that King is dead which leaues that to another which hee can doe himselfe and which doth properly appertaine vnto his office and as he shall not truly cumply with his obligation if he should go about to draw solely to himselfe the gouernment of his whole kingdome much lesse in like manner shall he cumply therewith if hee should cast off all care from himselfe and relye wholly vpon others For Extreames in all things are ill And an extreme thing it were that hee should take vpon himselfe the whole weight and burthen of businesses and to haue all things passe through his owne hands it being likewise no lesse if he should shift off all from his owne shoulders and put his hand to nothing as did Vitellius and Iouinianus who did in such sort dis-loade themselues of their offices and ridde their hands of all matter of gouernment that all was ordered and gouerned by other mens arbitrement and none of theirs Of the former it is reported that he forgot that hee was Emperour And of the other that hee intended nothing but eating and drinking gaming and whoring So that both of them came to such miserable ends as their retchlesse and carelesse kinde of liuing had deserued Childericke King of France and third of that name is and not without iust cause condemned by the writers of those times for that hee did wholly quit himselfe of businesses and led so idle and vnprofitable a life that he tooke care of nothing recommending all to his great Fauourite Pipine who did rule and gouerne him as hee listed And there was not any meeting or conuersation throughout the kingdome wherein men did not mutter and murmure at it For their nimble and actiue nature could by no meanes indure that their King should be but the shadow of a King and stand for a Cypher sheltering himselfe vnder the shade of another Which could not choose considering how vsuall a thing it is but put spirit into Pipine and adde mettall to his power For it is very proper to the condition of men the more high they are in place and dignitie to desire the more honour and the more wealth There are but few of your great and powerfull persons which are not hydropicall and doe not thirst after new honours and new aduancements And some haue proceeded so farre in their pretensions that they haue presumed as this Fauourite did to quit the King of his Crowne Willingly hearkening vnto those flatterers about him which did whisper this in his eare and egge him on vnto it It likewise began to bee treated of amongst the great Lords of that kingdome How much better command and rule were in one Head then in two And how that all kingdomes had euermore a desire to haue but one Prince And that all prudent and wise men haue in reason of State held this gouernment to be the best and surest and that it was not fit that the vniforme body of a commonwealth or kingdome should bee subiect and obedient to two Heads To wit that one should enioy the name and title of King and the other possesse the power And that it were
diuided through diuers parts of the world by seas and enemies in the midst thereof should striue and indeauour by all possible meanes to make himselfe likewise Lord and Master of the sea for thereby shall he come to bee Lord and Master of the Land And an absolute dispenser of those things wherewith we sustaine our selues and liue For by the helpe of Nauigation we passe from one part to another and communicate of what they haue by way of commerce or otherwise And by this meanes is made of many Prouinces and kingdomes yea euen of the whole world one sole Citie and commonwealth This was the counsell of Themistocles and Plutarch makes it good saying Let no man deceiue himselfe in imagining with himselfe that Armies will suffice for to conserue himselfe and to make himselfe Lord of those kingdomes and Prouinces that haue the Sea to friend For if he be not likewise prouided and well furnished with a strong fleete at Sea howbeit hee may with a Land-armie ouercome the naturalls of those kingdomes or Prouinces yet it is impossible for him without the other to make an intire conquest and to go through with that which hee pretendeth That disposeth the Land to his will and giueth Lawes thereunto The Carthaginians saith Polibius were not ignorant of what great consequence this was for all kinde of businesses and therefore aduiseth That that which a Prince ought to procure whereby to come to be a great Monarch is by a strong Nauy to make himselfe Lord of the Sea For there are not any forces that worke such strange and great effects or so much import as these And all your Ancients held it for a Maxime that without the command at Sea there was nothing safe or secure on the Land Archidamus a great Captaine and King of the Lacedemonians was wont to say That those that are to deale with a strong enemie being powerfull at sea need not to put themselues vpon the ficklenesse of fortune but to place all their care in maintaining their Nauie for with this alone will they be able to wearie out the enemie to quit him of the succour of their friends to debarre him of Nauigation and of the commodities thereof and vtterly by this to vndoe him And which may seeme a thing impossible be able to beleaguer and girt in a whole kingdome and to take it forcing it by famine and other wants as if it were onely one single Citie that were besieged For that as Tacitus saith a strong fleete at sea is the Castle and Magasine of victualls And therefore the Empire and Signiorie of the Sea by a powerfull and commanding Nauy is held to bee of much more power and safetie then your Land-armies or Citie-garisons which of force must in the end yeeld vnto him which shall become Master of their ports and thereby hinder them of all commerce and traffique and humane communicatâ—on And this was the aduice which that great Monarch and Emperour Charles the fifth gaue likewise vnto his sonne to whom hee left so many and such great kingdomes so farre distant and diuided one from another with such large and deepe seas Hee saith he that is or will bee Master of them must haue his fleetes still in a readinesse well fitted and furnished as well with good tall ships well rigg'd and mann'd and all other necessary prouision as with store of Gallies for the safeguard and defence of his subiects as also to resist and offend Turkes Moores and Pyrats because he cannot repose any confidence or assurance in those Leagues and Truces which he shall make with them With this shall hee keepe them all in awe when they shall see his great forces at Sea by which he may as it were in an instant from all parts send succours and reliefe and whatsoeuer else shall bee needfull And it will bee no lesse then a hard rayne and cruell strong curbe for to bridle and restraine the sinister intents and vaine pretensions of such as shall plot strange proiects dangerous designes and scandalous attempts And vtterly to discourage them from vndergoing any enterprise or to vndertake any action of aduenture with hope of recouering such Townes or Prouinces as they haue lost or by landing of their men to encroach vpon new And say they should serue for no other vse saue to hinder the excursions of Pyrats and Sea-rouers in these our seas onely in regard of that it could not choose but bee a matter of mighty consequence and of wonderfull great importance considering the daily incursions losses flaughters the continuall captiuatings and robberies which they vsually commit vpon these our Coasts so that if there were not a fitting preparation and sufficient defence of ships and Gallies it were impossible for vs to occurre against those necessities and to bee prouided against those new and strange accidents which may offer themselues in those Estates kingdomes and Signiories Seas Coasts frontiers ports promontories Castles and forts which we hold in them Which by this our continuall nauigation and prouision of good shipping are well man'd and victualled and sufficiently prouided of armes munition and whatsoeuer else is necessarie in fit and conuenient both time and manner against all occasions Whereby the enemie perceiuing how well they are prouided for them dare not approach those places nor touch vpon them Besides this easie and short aduice there are many other causes that may moue vs not to be wanting herein In a word it will put the enemy into a continuall care and driue him to take a different resolution in those his ill-grounded motiues and pretensions And howbeit it be true that the charge is great so likewise great losses are thereby excused and some such sometimes as can neuer bee repaired So that there is no passing to and fro without nauigation and the vsing and maintaining of these fleetes They are the words of that victorious Emperour which no King for want of experience should dis-esteeme And for the better and fuller prouision in this kinde it is very fit that these Fleetes should haue their particular rent approprietated vnto them and that it should not vpon no occasion whatsoeuer be spent or laid out in any other thing For a set and deputed treasure for this purpose or the like is that which most importeth for the good dispatch of businesses and that they may bee done in their due time and with lesse charge and more profit This course did the Grecians take and after them the Romanes And of Augustus Caesar both Suetonius and Dyon report that he was the first inuenter of a perpetuall militarie treasure raised out of a certaine kind of Tributes which out of his owne curiositie he had sought and found out For Souldiers and warlike prouisions in your great Empires require a particular treasure wherewith to be payed which must not in any hand be otherwise imployed nor go intermixed with those other expences Hauing persons of much experience and honestie appointed for the good
managing and ordering of it vsing their best care and helpe that it may bee preserued and continued and that it may not be exhausted and drawne dry And more particularly Kings themselues the Grandes and Peeres of the kingdome as also the commonwealths and your Cities should carefully looke hereunto Being that they do most participate of the profits which issue from a warre And most certaine it is that nothing is more necessarie in a Monarchie then this particular treasure or that causeth more respect in our friends or feare in our enemies Or that with more commoditie and conueniencie puts in execution all plots and proiects in this or that other enterprise of what qualitie or condition soeuer they bee And to this aduice I shall adde that which followeth All wise and prudent Princes in Empires that are runne out to waste and decrease of wealth haue euermore held it for the onely remedie of their reparation and conseruation to excuse vnnecessarie expences And that their Ministers take this businesse into consultation and to cast vp all accounts and to see what the Kings rents and in-comes are for the defraying of the charge he is at and by comparing one with the other and seeing how they will answer each other if they finde the expence to exceed the In-come to cast about which way it may be best spared and to husband the businesse so that there may be some ouerplus still remaining for the publike treasurie For if by disorder ill gouernment the Kings coffers shall come to be emptie it will bee if not impossible at least very hard to fill them againe For if there be daily more spent then is to be or can be had that stocke will in a short time decay and come to nothing as wee see it fareth in euery other humane subiect that hath not fresh supply Which lauish and vnproportionable spending not liuing according to the rate of their rents hath been the vndoing of many particular houses families as also the impouerishing and ouerthrowing of Empires kingdomes And therefore to auoide this inconuenience was that booke of Accounts or Memoriall made which the Ancient called Breuiarium Imperij a briefe abridgement of the Empire which Augustus Caesar left to his successours written with his owne hand wherein was particularly set downe in a true and iust account the full number of all the kingdomes and Prouinces of the whole Romane Empire As likewise the number of all the Citizens and Souldiers which were in euery one of them together with their forces and strength and to what quantitie came all the rents and tributes that hee had what aide-money and other helpes hee receiued from his Confederates and the whole charge he was at As also his Councels ordained by him either for the inlarging or shortning of his hand in these his expences So that hauing still before his eyes the wealth and substance of his Empire he might alwayes see how the world went and how to make his best benefit thereof for the conseruing and vpholding of his Empire Such a Register or rent-roll as this much importeth Kings It is said of that wise and prudent King Don Philip the second that in his time he had such another as was this And the like ought all Kings to haue and at all times but more especially when their power is lessened their rents diminished their forces wasted and those of their enemies augmented For we see the like care to bee taken in particular houses and therefore ought much more to bee looked into in Monarchies which are composed of all those houses and families amongst which that which spends beyond it's meanes consumes it selfe For supposing such â—one hath an 100. V. Ducats of rent or set reuenue and that euery yeare ten thousand more is spent then the rent comes to in a few yeares all will come to nothing and by running still on in debt and taking no course to come out of it by liuing still at the same height he must bee inforced in the end to sell and deliuer ouer the luster maiestie and greatnesse of his house to other families which were before little better then dust taken out of the dunghill And most certaine it is that they that will not cast vp their accounts and looke throughly into their estates and see in what state they are must bee either men that are willing to vndoe themselues and their whole posteritie and must bee either Atheists or almost as bad if not worse meere Epicures who carry in their mouths and in their hearts those words of your vnthristie gallants Comedamus bibamus cras enim moriemur Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye Your Atheists they propose an end vnto themselues thinking by this their prodigalitie to procure vnto themselues an immortalitie of fame But these and the like who so inconsiderately runne out of all are carelesse and negligent euen of this taking care onely to eate and to drinke and to feast one another without so much as thinking that there is another world or any honour or fame in this And spending their whole life in belly cheare and bezeling they are neuer satisfied but call in still for more till their crawes be ready to cracke And notwithstanding the excessiue rents which some Kings haue and the great store of treasure that comes to their coffers besides the Tributes Taxes Imposts and Subsedies that are duely payed them they are neuer out of debt the Crowne-land lying impawned for the payment thereof and that for no small summes of money Ordinary expences are ill husbanded extraordinary worse payed The Cities they are consumed Trading decayed the Subiects out of breath and purse and by hauing too much imposed vpon them are growne like ouer-laboured oxen so poore and so weake that they are no longer able to beare so great a burthen And yet all this to them though the Subiect infinitely suffer is no more then a drop of water throwne into the sea nor makes no more shew Which sea though it swallow vp all the fountaines of the earth all the brookes and all the great and principall riuers and lesser springs and this daily and hourely and at all times yet we see the Sea is neuer a whit the more increased nor growes greater one yeare then another But what should bee the cause of this let your Naturalists and your Kings render such reasons as pleaseth them in their excuse of mine owne part I am of opinion that the Kings Exchequer is not well ordered making him not onely a small but a bad account That there is a great deale of disorder in the laying out of those monies whereof much might bee saued if there were some orderly course taken for the dispending of them and imploying them for their Kings best aduantage And I feare me which I could wish were causelesse that a great part of this water which should come directly to the Kings owne cisterne passeth through
is the naturall miserie of great and powerfull persons that Enuie and Greatnesse go alwayes hand in hand the one still accompanying the other And there is not any poyson like vnto it which moues and stirres vp such violent pangs and passions in the stomacke and more especially if it worke vpon the priuacie and inwardnesse of Fauourites with their Kings as if that it selfe were not a true and sufficient strong poyson Seeing that it is held for certaine that one word of a King nay which is more one angry looke or bended brow hath sent many a Fauourite to his graue For as Salomon saith the life of the Subiect depends on the countenance of the King And if we will not beleeue him let vs see and obserue how many Fauourites escape which doe not dye of that wound or the feare thereof and more particularly with those Kings which are of that condition as one said that there is not two fingers breadth betweene their smile and their sword to the end that this their priuacie might bee had in the lesse esteeme For your best Fauourites are but like your better sort of fruits which are soonest subiect to be worme-eaten For Enuie is a very worme and hath the same qualities as a worme hath and spreads it selfe so farre that it extends it selfe euen to those that haue beene benefited by the Fauourite the couetousnesse and risentment of that which they doe not receiue working more vpon them then the Law of thankfulnesse or of a gratefull acknowledgement for that which they haue receiued So that wee may say That few are they who loue those from whose hand they haue receiued some good because it was no greater And those that haue receiued none that they are therein iniured and wronged So that to qualifie and temper this inconuenience it shall be wisedome in Fauourites and it will concerne them to vse all the meanes they can deuise to effect it to procure to bee wellbeloued And no lesse in Kings to seeke out such as are modest louing affable vertuous honest well beloued and of a gratefull and thankfull disposition CHAP. XXXV How Kings ought to carry themselues towards their Fauourites FOr to resolue this Question and to giue satisfaction to that which is here proposed in this Chapter it being a matter of so tender and dangerous a touch I will first lay for my foundation a true point of doctrine in naturall Philosophie celebrated with that sentence of the glorious Saint Austen Amor meus pondus meum illo feror quocunque feror The plummet which peaseth man and the wings wherewith the heart makes it's flight is loue which doth leade the dance to all the other passions of the soule And as those that saile in a deepe sea with full sailes runne on their course without any danger but when they draw neare the shore they take them downe and ruffle them that they may not runne their ship vpon some shelfe or split it selfe against some rocke so likewise when the heart is lifted vp vnto the loue of God which is infinite goodnesse it may without perill plough the seas of this world and with full sayles cut the Maine without danger of shelues quick-sands or rockes For according to that saying of the glorious Saint Bernard as the cause of our louing God is God himselfe so the measure of louing him is to loue him without measure Causa diligendi Deum Deus est modus dilectionis fine modo diligere As the cause of our loue is infinite so must it be without taxe or limitation wherein there can be no excesse But when the heart drawes but little water and touches too close vpon these things of the earth which haue their goodnesse much limited it will be high time and very fit and conuenient to strike the sayles of our loue and to go on with a great deale of caution and consideration lest this our vessell should sticke in the sands neuer to bee gotten out againe or fall vpon some rocke or other of vnaduisednesse and indiscretion And this is so certaine a truth that albeit the loue to our parents be so naturall and obligatory and so giuen vs in charge by God with the promises of so many blessings on those children which shall cumply with this loue and with so many threatnings on those that shall faile therein yet notwithstanding God himselfe will that therein there should be a limitation and moderation Mat. 10.37 Qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me non est me diguus He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me And the common old Adage saith That friendship must go no further then vsque ad aras and stop there And howbeit some would haue the limit which is here put to loue to be Death I say that it's limit is Reason and obedience to Gods Commandements For when our Loue shall come to encounter with them it is to make a stand and go no further Our second ground or foundation whereon we shall build is this That in Kings next vnto the loue of God and his Christian Religion no loue ought to be like vnto that which they ought to beare vnto their kingdomes and common-wealths for the end for which Kings were first instituted and ordained was the common good of their kingdomes And as children haue a naturall obligation to loue their parents because from them they haue receiued their naturall being so Kings owe the like to their kingdomes and Commonwealths because next vnder God they gaue them their being of Kings and that power and authoritie whereby they were to protect defend and augment them Vpon these grounds and foundations must that loue and friendship be laid which is to be held with Fauourites Louing them and giuing them power and authoritie conformable to that which for this end shall be thought most conuenient Senec. lib. 1. Epist 3. For albeit they as Seneca saith keepe the key of their Kings heart and in matters of secresie and benefits are preferred before the rest yet this must be done with a Christian kinde of prudence and discretion Hauing euermore an especiall care that the force of his loue be not so violent and so boundlesse that to giue content to one sole Fauourite hee discontent all the rest of his Subiects and to shew himselfe faithfull and true vnto him breake that faith and truth which he owes vnto God and his diuine Law And that he proceed likewise therein with that freedome and libertie that his Loue may not passe the bounds of reason nor bee like some ships that are runne on ground so surely setled that he cannot get off when hee will and to turne that loue into hatred and a full determination and resolution of punishment when the faults of a Fauourite shall deserue his iust displeasure Non habitabit in medio domus meae Psal 101.7 qui facit superbiam c. Whoso hath a proud looke and an