which they are brought to passe From the beginning of the world such a day was ordained for such a battell and such a people borne to become soldiers to go to warre Yea men themselues are liable herevnto yet but in part for the will of man hath a preheminence all mortall men are subiect vnto destiny whether you regard their birth or their continuall mutabilitie so that they cannot auoide or alter it by any aduise or helpe the fatall disposition of the diuine prouidence cannot by any prudent counsell or aduised remedie be either ouerthrowne or reformed And is there any man that presumeth so farre of himselfe to thinke he is able to bridle and ouer-rule the destinies No not if they were foretold him for those things which are preordained by destinie cannot be shunned although a man be forewarned according to that Greeke saying A man cannot by any art driue backe nor auoid that which is appointed to happen from aboue neither will he giue credit to him that should admonish him thereof by likelihoods No not if prodigious monsters should forewarne him O how vaine are the aduises and friuolous the woonders which seeke to stay the destinies what are ye little gods that go about to warre against destinie For the inuiolable law of necessitie will neuer suffer nor permit the wisest mind to iudge aright of these prodigious signes This souereigne and diuine essence when it intendeth to change the fortune of men doth then take away their vnderstanding and corrupt their counsailes We see it chaunceth daylie that who so the destinies do lay hold on their sences doe become blockish and dull which is the reason a thing greatly to be lamented that what so commeth to passe seemeth to be allotted vnto vs deseruedlie and that the thing which happeneth by chaunce seemeth to proceed from our owne default I adde further that of tentimes thinking to slie from destinie we meet with it * Many fearing destinie do fall therein The dread of future danger hath put many into maniâ—old perils You will then say what course shall I take Shall I do nothing but leaue all to destinie Poore foole that is euen the readie path to lead thee vnto it and that likewise by destinie Doost thou desire to lead a happie life and to attaine vnto felicitie take pains and labour for the fauour and helpe of God is not purchased by womanish vowes and supplications only but by watching and painful trauell all things succeed prosperously Neither do thou hope or expect that fortune or victorie shall be throwne in thy lap from aboue as thou sittest idle * God selleth vs riches for the price of labour And in this sence it is true that God aideth the valiaunt and couragious The like reason holdeth in miseries and calamities Thou sayst God will remedie these things but he will not discend from heauen for thee It is to be required that he giue vnto thee an vnderstanding mind that thou thy selfe mayst take order with them I will speake no more of this great deapth which a 〈◊〉 ought to attempt and trie but not wade too farre therein What profit reapest thou by this discourse Surely this that thereby thou maist become truly religious and follow destinie that is to say God For what is the part of an honest man but to obey destinie * We must of necessitie suffer that which God sendeth and couragiouslie that which commeth from our enemies * The best is pattently to endure that we cannot better nor amend and to follow God without grudging by whose appointment all things do happen He is no good soldier that marcheth vnwillingly after his captaine CHAP. V. Of Conscience another ornament of Pietie The definition and diuision the reof The trouble and torment of a wicked and peace and ioy of a good conscience NOw Conscience as I sayd is another ofspring of pietie and it is euident that she taketh her beginning from the roote of the worship of God For where the seruice of God is of force and flourisheth such plight is she in where it waxeth withered and languisheth such is her estate likewise And in whose soule soeuer there is no religion nor feare of God there the seed of a good conscience is verie small and as it were choaked and oppressed by bad ground Now Conscience is a remaine and sparkle of right and perfect reason in man iudging and manifesting good or euill deeds For which cause it consisteth of two partes of approuing and reprouing the one of good workes the other of bad Howbeit the force thereof is more common and ordinarie in the later as vices in cur life are most rife which is the reason that it doth still as it were retaine the generall name of Conscience For we commonly say Conscience is a pricking and sorowfull remembrance to haue violated the diuine god nead not to haue worshipped and serued it as we ought And this feeling or sense being rooted and fixed in man lasteth while he liueth and is not extinguished neither by force nor fraud we haue receiued this conscience of God which cannot be taken from vs. And this profit we reape thereby at is a correctresse of our affections and schoole mistresse of our soule A scourge after sin because the enormitie thereof is manifest so soone as it is committed A bridle before sinne because the detestation therof which nature hath condemned is inherent in vs. And surely the power thereof is great in both kinds to the end that they which are not faulty might be without feare and they which haue offended might imagine their punishment to be alwayes in their sight So that a good conscience neuer dreadeth nay rather it is alwayes ioyfull Doest thou desire neuer to be sad nor pensiue leade an honest life But an euill conscience is euer troubled and tormented euen in solitarinesse for it may so happen that a wicked liuer may hide him selfe yet shal he still doubt of him selfe But how can he be vnseene sith he alwayes beareth his witnesse in his breast which neither deceiueth nor is deceiued Hold this for firme Euery man his soule giueth him hope according to his conscience * O miserable wretch that thou art if thou makest no account of this witnesse nay rather of this executioner which burneth which beateth which tormenteth and that with so much the more paine that he yet suffereth thee to liue This Greeke saying is true the conscience is a scourge to the soule and that with a continuall and secret stroke for a corrupt and impure soule contemned of the world and hated of God cannot be at rest neither waking nor sleeping in such wise doth the conscience eat consume an vnquiet mind Yet so we liue at this day that verie many feare their
is it lawfull when thou art wronged forthwith to raise warre but where as there are two wayes to debate ones right the one by way of disputation the other by force for so much as the first is proper vnto man the other vnto beasts we ought onely to haue recourse to the latter when we haue no meanes to vse the former Obserue this rule For as often as any man submitteth himselfe to iudgement there ought to be a surcease of warre and according to the opinion of the king of a worthie nation It is not lawfull to moue warre against him who is ready to do right and make satisfaction as to one who is iniurious to thee But if he refuse it and withhold that which belongeth to thee what may preuaile against violence but force and might In this cause this saying is of force that that warre is iust to those who are compelled thereunto by necessitie and those weapons are sacred to those who haue no other hope left but in their weapons Now there seemeth another inuasion to be lawfull albeit no wrong be done as against the Barbarians or those who do altogether abhorre our manner of life and religion especially if they be mightie and eyther haue or do inuade others The reason hereof is the punishment and correction of euill Saint Augustine sayd very elegantly From whome the libertie of sinne is taken away he is ouercome for his owne benefit And againe With those that worship God aright euen those warres are without offence which are vndertaken not thorowe couetousnes or crueltie but thorowe a desire to make peace and to the end that wicked persons may be kept vnder good men may be relieued I vtterly renounce all other causes and do adde this as touching the end which euen in a good cause may fall out to be bad What if thou set before thee reuenge What if thy intent be glorie or a kingdome Thou doest erre neither are armes to be directed to any other end if thou desire that they be iust but to peace and defence Let vvarre be vndertaken that nothing but quietnesse may be sought thereby * Wise men make warre that they may haue peace and endure labour vnder hope of rest CHAP. V. Temeritie ought to be excluded from the beginning of warre and summarilie what things ought to be considered in the enterprising thereof I Haue sufficiently according to my power debarred thee from iniustice now I will likewise driue thee from Temeritie For I would not haue thee rashly and vpon euerie iust occasion enter into this field of Mars It is a matter of great importance that requireth deliberation and that with leasure For know this that a warre is easily begun but verie hardly left off and the enterprising and end thereof are sildome in the power of one person And like as thou maist easilie cast thy selfe into a well but canst with great difficultie withdraw thy selfe from thence euen so it is in warre which may be begun by any though he be a coward but cannot be left off but at the pleasure of the conqueror Wherefore if thou art wise take aduise of euerie thing which may happen in warre contrarie to thy exspectation before thou enter into it * Weigh with thy selfe both thine owne strength and the force of fortune and that Mars is common in warre * That there will be on either side weapons and men and that the successe of matters do neuer answer our exspectation lesse then in vvarre * Although thou carrie with thee all the strength of Greece although that thy armed soldier do spread themselues farre and ne are yet the Fortune of vvarre is euer doubtfull She hath sure great force in worldly matters but especiallie her power is seene in martiall affairs Wherefore albeit thou trust in thy riches thou oughtest not to change things certaine for matters vncertaine * Neither is it fit to trouble a happie state What shall it auaile thee to fish with a golden hooke * The fortune of one hower may ouerturne those things thou alreadie possessest and the honour thou hopest for Herevnto ad the mischiefs which do necessarily follow war the comming whereof is not onely miserable but euen the feare thereof doth bring calamitie * The Plough is then in no account and other necessarie tooles lie cankred rusty the husbandmen being fled * Then mischiefe walketh thorow euery house without limitation or end Neither doth any wickednesse want example And that which is worst of all what shedding of blood and what murther is there it standeth in the temple and the sâ—â—pperie vermilion stones are moist with much slaughter There is no respect of age * And when the weapons are thorow hot what is free from their slaughter what is it that seemeth not lawfull to rage and when the hand is armed and liâ—ted vp what dare it not vndertake These are publike euils but what if thy priuat mishap be ioined to them is not thy treasurie drawne drie and all thy monie conuerted to the vse of soldiers Thou offerest thy selfe to perils yea and to reproches For nothing is capable of slaunder and of hard words so much as war Wherevpon one writ When war is once begun it is necessarie for Princes to heare euill speeches passe on them and to be blamed for the losse that is done And trulie this is no indifferent condition of war that all men challenge to themselues those things that fall out prosperouslie and what so happeneth crosse and contrarily they impâ—te it to one alone Which things if thou thorowly coÌ„sider wilt thou not confesse that vvar although it be iust is to be detested especially of a godly and christian Prince who according to the law of God ought to spare other mens blood as his owne and knoweth that man ought not to vse man prodigally Therefore hate and contemne those Courtiers who are the furics and firebrands of war In which number sometimes the Nobilitie who thinke to be in ouermuch seruitude in time of peace may be put But very often these fierce turbulent fellowes whom thou maist say are borne to this end neither to be at quiet themselues nor to suffer others to take their rest Many times likewise strangers and exiles are of this number who thorow hope or feare do set forward and entice them to take arms who are slow and slacke therin For as the poet sayth Their priuat cause doth forcemen to enter into wicked war I say their owne priuat cause not thine nor the cause of thy estate bee not thou deceiued herein But why doest thou credit them Be sure of this that in such a case euery one will giue his aduise but few will put themselues in danger
the diuine godhead doth take a view of all our actions and doth not slightly passe ouer our good or euill deedes but agreeable to their different nature and qualitie recompenceth the good and punisheth the bad It is he which gouerneth all things the massie and immoueable earth which tempereth the windie and tempestuous sea and his power descendeth euen vnto hell * neither doth he like a sluggard sleepe and take rest * but he is alwayes watchful with a perfect sense and memory ruleth and gouerneth all things It is not onely requisite for vs to know these things but most necessarie for indeed the first cause of the transgressions of miserable mortall men is the ignorance of the nature of God Which neuerthelesse we must seeke after with modestie this saying being likewise true that it is more holy and reuerent to beleeue the wonderfull workes of God then curiously to enquire why he hath done them CHAP. III. Of the worship and seruice of God the second member of Pietie The definition thereof That this worship is two fold Many instructions concerning religion I Proceed to intreat of the seruice of God which is no other thing then the worship of the knowne godhead consisting in the obseruation of certaine lawes and ceremonies For God requireth to be worshipped of vs and to that end man is borne This is done by double seruice internall and externall The first is that which conceaueth in the hart and vttereth from the hart praiers praise and thanksgiuing vnto God The latter is that which expresseth the same things but by certaine rites and gestures These two we do commonly call religion and that not vnfitly concerning the which receaue some sound and wholesome lessons euen from those who otherwise were ignorant themselues of the true knowledge of God Religion hath great power ouer the mindes of men and our life is established and assured thereby * We are all forciblie affected to religion and such as we haue receiued it from our fathers we do beleeue we ought to keepe and obserue it inuiolablie Wherefore whatsoeuer religion we are brought vp in we are hardly induced to change it because euery man his religion seemeth best vnto himselfe iudging thereof not according to reason but by affection We ought then diligently to obserue it as well publikely as priuatly for all things fall out for the best to them which worship God aright and crosse and contrarie to them which contemne his seruice Wherefore we ought to haue great care and regard thereof in either state of life and to take heed least holy rites and ceremonies accustomed in aduersitie be not left off and neglected in prosperitie But we ought still to vse a mean least the people fall to superstition which is an vtter enemie to religion Wherevnto being enclined by default of nature we are the rather drawne by those to whom it bringeth profit and commoditie Neither doe great ones hinder this because they are certainly persuaded nothing hath more force to range the multitude in better order then superstition which we ought to eschew and auoid for after it hath once ceased â—n our harts we are neuer at rest this difference being betweene religion and superstition that the religious person doth loue God the superstitious dreadeth him This saying is well spoken if it be well vnderstood we ought to be zealouslie not superstitiously religious Now in this seruice of God it behooueth vs to bend alwaies to that which is internall and to consider that this seruice of him ought to be of the best sort most chast most holy to the end he may alwaies be worshipped with a pure entire and incorrupt hart and mouth Imprint this golden sentence in thy mind the best sacrifice we can offer to God is a pure hart And yet we must not altogether contemne externall things although the most part of them as one will haue it pertaine rather to custome then to the substance of religion But a wise man will obserue them as emoined and commaunded by lawes not as acceptable of themselues to God if they be not manifestly wicked and impious otherwise we ought to yeeld to religion and not stubbornly reiect the vse and custome allowed of in the common-wealth wherein we liue Moreouer take not too much delight in vaine words friuolous questions but set forward in the way of well dooing for the whole religion of Christians consisteth in liuing without blame and reproch Listen vnto Moyses the Aegyptian who sayth concerning a man his faith he giueth credit rather to his eyes then his cares But I will end this discourse for me thinks I heare Plato murmuring that these speeches are of hard disgestion and dangerous which is a most true saying in this our age CHAP. IIII. Of Destinie a dependent of Pietie What it is and whence it proceedeth what force and vse it hath I Haue husbanded Pietie now I purpose to set two grafts which do spring vnder this tree or rather out of it Destinie and Conscience Of the which this plainlie taketh his beginning from beleefe that other from Worship For if God gouerneth and guideth hee likewise foreseeth and decreeth of all things and that as he is eternall from all eternitie eternallie and this is Destinie vnder whose law the setled course of worldly affaires is ordered which is no other thing as an auncient writer sayth then A sentence and decree * and as it were the voice of the diuine go ahead * These holy words haue a mightie and immutable poise and waight and destinies do obey the heauenly voice And whereas some doe affirme that Destinie is in the things them clues which neuerthelesse haue their influence from the Planets and others do refer the same vnto the beginning and linking together of naturall causes they do fouly erre we deriue it from the principall cause which is God of whome all things do depend and from whome are the causes of causes * All things created march forward in their order and do hold a setled course proceeding from their first mouer This opinion liketh me being construed in this former godly sence that all things are preordained by destinie from the beginning * And let them deccaue themselues so long as they list who are persuaded that worldly matters are turned about driuen by chance and vncertainly as for me I beleeue that euerie thing by an immutable law followes the order prescribed and established by an eternall appointment constitution and binding together of hidden causes long before preordained and decreed to the which all humane things are subiect Destinies do gouerne the world and all things are tied to a certaine law yea euen our actions and the circumstances of them that is the time and the means by
chaine of consparators How wilt thou vntie and breake it By this clemencie I haue spoken of and principally by our third aid Innocencie which is that by ouer ofteÌ„ displeasing others thou doest not giue cause to hurt thy selfe Power doth make a bad trial what force it hath by the contempt harme of others And by proofe we see that the most trustie gard a Prince can haue is his own innocencie Now do I present vnto thee Destinis the fourth shield Poore wretch why doest thou so torment thy selfe If destinie so please thou must yeeld thy faire white necke to the sword and when thou hast done all thou maist thou canst neither rid thy selfe of thy murtherer nor successor If it please not destinie thou art safe God euen God in whom we liue and moue and are he will be by thy side and will keepe thy feet that thou be not taken * It is he who hath care of a good prince Put thy trust in him I wil vndertake these vowes for thee but vpon this condition I do deale with him to keepe thee safe and sound if so thou preserue others * If thou gouerne the common wealth aright and to the common profit of all * If otherwise thou do then that he may turne his eyes from the custodie of thy body forsake thee in thy praiers thou pourest out openly I haue finished to entreat of Conspiracies Now Treason a secret and dangerous mischiefe is to be drawne out of her denne * Bringing no lesse discommoditie to mankind then faith doth profit and safetie And it alwaies threatneth our ouerthrow for so much as commonly our enemies are within the walles and in the middest of the citie To the which especially couetous men are enclined who do prefer their gaine before their good name before faith finally before all other things Openly they are honest secretly and in their hart they are faithlesse and deceitfull couering their couetousnesse and lust Likewise these temporising wits that is to say being light and wauering depending vpon the doubtfull change of times As though that faith ought to stand as it were vpon fickle fortune And last of all those that are secret and dissemblers who according to that saying of Homer Do vtter in words very goodly things inuenting mischiefe in their heart So that thou shalt not discerne a traitor before thou be betraied Yea to the end they may the more easily beguile they extoll faith aboue all things Obserue this Deceipt procureth credit before hand in small trifles to the end that when occasion is offred it may with the more aduauntage beguile vs. By the which note thou maist best discouer them For it is naturally ingrafted in men by how much more that the things they do are full of guile so much the more often they commit them Thou seest the mischiefe it selfe and the doers therof but how wilt thou auoyd them By this double means of Enquirie and Punishment which I haue foretold thee In the first I alter nothing in the latter somewhat because I am of opinion it ought neuer be differred and wicked treason ought to be reuenged with speedie punishment What doest thou dread in this case Things are manifest yeâ— it behooueth not to bring such persons to iudgement but it as lawful to execute them suddenly as open enemies and to punish them alwaies In my iudgment here is no place for pardon if thou do pardon them take heed least this pittie and mercie cause not thine own miseric They that are traitors to their countrie to whom and when will they euer be honest neuer hope for it they are to be cut off and that not so much in regard of reuenge as that thou maist for the present withdraw wicked subiects by feare from enterprising ought against their countrie and set downe an example for those that come after that none go about to 〈…〉 such madnesse Likewise a cruell punishment is to be inflicted on them euen such if thou giue care to Plato as was appointed for sacrilegious persons O ye iudges quoth he let like execution be done vpon these as vpon church robbers They deserue no lesse doth not our countrie hold the second place next vnto God but the same thorow their wicked complot and counsell commeth into very great danger therefore there can no sufficient crueltâ—e be shewed in punishing so outragious and detestable a wickednesse A wickednesse which the verie enemies abhorre neither is it good to them that receiue good thereby Traitors are hated euen of those for whom they employ themselues I confesse sometimes they receaue recompence but surely it is not that they are deemed worthie that honour but thereby to draw on others They loue the fact but not the executor thereof and Augustus spoke very fitly I like of the treason but do not approue nor allow traitors And likewise before him Philip sayd that he loued those that were to be hetraied but not the traitor CHAP. XI Of a double vice the ouerthrowe of kingdomes and first of hate the euill whereof is set before our eyes Those things are to be auoyded which induce thereunto yea the very snowe and shadowe of them such as are in Chastisements Tributes Censuring of manners A precept how the Prince should behaue himselfe in euery one of these THou seest that mischiefe is present and an ordinarie follower of force which as our poet sayth doth weaken and ouerthrowe the wealthiest But be thou sure that it is more frequent with Vice though it be longer a comming which I define to be An euill disposition of the King or against him hurtfull to the state This Vice is twofolde Hate and Contempt which oppose themselues to as many vertues that establish a Kingdome the one is a bad affection towards the King the other an euill opinion of him For Hate is an obstinate and harmeful malice and offence in the subiects against the King and his estate For I do not in this place vnderstand that common and ciuill hate wherewith we do maligne all those that are wicked but a sharper passion springing of feare with a desire of reuenge For the people do dread the mightie men in regard of the iniuries or harmes they may do them vnder couler of chastisement and they are grieued and do desire to be reuenged for the iniuries they haue already receaued So of a very euill mixture Hate as bad a broode is sprong which if it be once ingrafted and imprinted in the hearts of men it is incredible what power it hath to do euil For how can any thing be firme that proceedeth from feare It is but a bad master of diuturnitie * There is no force of any Empire so great which being oppressed
with feare can be of any long continuance The cause hereof an ancient poet declareth Whome they feare they hate and who so they hate his destruction they desire Surely by certaine degrees they detest thee they attempt against thee they â—ppresse thee What shall let them to do it they haue many hands and thou but one necke * Occasion will be taken and they which are not able to exploit so much with their riches I know not yet what fortune and fit time they expect To be short all this secret hidden hate doth suddainely burst out Alas thou knowest not how great a rabble will rise where hate is increased aboue measure Gather thy strength to thee defend thy selfe keepe thy guard about thee thou shalt well feele that it is not the substance of any one that is able to resist the hate of many For thou art exposed to so many perils as thy selfe art danger to many * Neyther canst thou with assurance behold those wicked hands to whose safegard thou hast committed thy selfe Fly then from hate or thy kingdome will flye from thee nay euen thy life But how wilt thou shunne it Surely if thou doest auoid those things by which it is gotteÌ„ First vices then the very opinion of them Vices are of three sorts repugnant to those former instruments which purchase loue Cruelty Couetousnes rigor For who is he so vnwise that knoweth not or so impudent that denieth that these are noy some and hurtfull to the state Wherfore I do not only instruct thee but warne thee to eschue them insisting so much the longer herein by how much thou mayest receaue greater domage hereby For we know that men are no lesse led with an opinion and report then with some certaine reason either to feare or hate For the opinion of Vices proceedeth from those things which haue some affinitie neighberhood to those I spoke of before of which sort Chastisements Tributes Censuring of manners are Which of themselues are laudable yea very necessary in euery kingdome yet they looke with an vnlawfull show countenance except they be handled with skill and pollicy Do but looke how litle Chastisements do swarue from cruelty for there is no sparing of bloud Tributs from couetousnes for money is greedely gathered together Censuring from rigor for a bridle meane is laid vpoÌ„ them by constraint And surely such they should be if the end which openly tendeth to the safety of the subiects did not make a distinction betweene theÌ„ Wherefore to the end thou mayest proceed warily and prouidently herein thou oughtest to be very circumspect First in Chastisements and take heed that thou do not vnsheath the sword of iustice carelesly but in such sort that spare be made euen of the most base bloud 1. I say thou oughtest slowly to be drawne thereunto For it is likely that who so condemneth suddainely doeth it willingly Let this sentence not be forgotten of thee It is better to heale the vnsound parts then to cut them off 2. Nay be thou neuer brought to it but wheÌ„ the coÌ„mon profit shall persuade thee thereto Doest thou regard thy priuate affaires thou doest erre For all the care of him that punisheth any man ought to be referred not to himselfe but to the benefit of the common wealth But if sometimes as it cannot but happen in principalitie that thine own estate is in danger dissemble it show a countenance as though thou wert forced to punish against thy wil with great sorrow * Nor so much to make away those who haue offended as to feare others least they perish 3. All things are to be intended for example not for reuenge wherfore anger especially is to be restrained in punishing For doth any man hate his owne members wheÌ„ he is forced to cut theÌ„ off I adde further who so commeth to punish in choller shall neuer hold that meane which is betweene ouermuch ouer litle 4. Likewise we ought most of all to abstaine from taking pleasure therein or from the least suspicion thereof It is a rage proper to brute beasts to reioyce in shedding bloud in tormenting And the Poet spake wisely that he is cruell who delighteth in punishmeÌ„t and seemeth to attribute to himself the reueÌ„ge of the laws This thou shalt get thereby that albeit thou vsest mercy towards those that are guilty and haue deserued to be executed yet will they not beleeue it is done for the profit of the common wealth but to satisfie the cruelty of some one 5. Thou oughtest to take heed that punishmeÌ„t be inflicted according to the vsuall customs for it ought to be vsed according to the custom of the countrey Whatsoeuer is newly inuented or ouermuch herein is hurtful they are rightly called cruell who haue cause to punish but vse no meane in punishing 6. Care ought to be had that there be equalitie herein and that for one and the selfe same cause some be chastised and others not so much as called in question or that some be more hardly handled others more gently which is a hatefull thing except it be towards Noble men For I see that all Phisicions although bondmen in matter of sicknes do nothing differ from those that are free yet are the free men vsed more mildly and gently 7. Last of all beware that thou do not call vpon executions neyther be thou a beholder of them for euen Nero withdrew his eyes and commaunded mischiefe to be done but was no looker on The decree of a worthy personage pleaseth me well It behooueth a Prince when any punishment or execution is to be made to commit the matter to others when recompences and rewards are to be geuen to vndertake that himselfe Thou hast those instructions which do sufficiently mitigate vulgar and vsuall punishments But what is to be done in strange and new punishments As pose the case that a great many and they being mightie men haue offended of whome thou wilt hardly rid thy hands without great hatred Here first I would persuade not to make them a way by peecemeale or by pauses but altogether as it were with one stroake In showe this seemeth more sharpe but in effect there is more mildnes therein For that reâ—terated and often reuenge doth suppresse the hate of a fewe and stirre vp the malice of all Make incision at once of that which is to be cut away and then lay vnto the sore these two mollifying plaisters First in doing good to others as a witnesse that they being taken away thy lenitie is encreased Next turning as it were another way in punishing the ministers of those mischiefes Some will thinke this a wicked deede but what of that this hath ben vsed in times past of seueare Dukes who