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A11619
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A table-booke for princes Containing short remembrances for the gouernment of themselues and their empire. Wherein also respectiuely the seuerall members of state, and all sorts of subiects, may finde matter worthy their obseruation. By Patricke Scot, Esquire.
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Scot, Patrick.
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1621
(1621)
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STC 21860; ESTC S116871
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57,840
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236
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A TABLE-BOOKE FOR PRINCES CONTAINING SHORT Remembrances for the Gouernment of themselues and their EMPIRE Wherein also respectiuely the seuerall Members of State and all sorts of Subiects may finde matter worthy their obseruation By Patricke Scot Esquire Nihil recte inchoatur nisi post Deum fauerit Imperator nec quenquam oportet vel meliora scire vel plura quam principem cuius doctrina omnibus potest prodesse subiectis Veget. in Prol. LONDON Printed by BERNARD ALSOP dwelling in Distaffe-Lane at the Signe of the Dolphin neere Olde Fish-street 1621. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES the hopefull Prince of Great Brittaine France and Ireland c. SIR IF PHILLIP of Macedon did yeelde no lesse thankes to his false gods that his Sonne Alexander was borne in the time of Aristotle then in blessing him with so hopefull a child your Highnesse hath iust cause to celebrate the Name of the true God that you are the Sonne and Heire of a Mightie King and of a Religious Wise and Learned Father who besides the appointing of godly and learned Tutors in his owne person exceeding Aristotle both in the Theoricke and Practicke of Gouernment hath so seasoned your Highnesse tender yeares with the Giliadlike odoriferous Balme of Diuine and Morall instructions as the sweete perfume thereof hath already rauished the hearts of all loyall Subiects with the extreamitie of ioy and one day by Gods Grace will make knowne to the World the happinesse you haue in your birth-right but the perfection of happinesse in such a Father who hath so emptyed the profound Ocean of Diuine and Humane learning that except borrowed from the rich Treasure of his store nothing that belongs to the true institution of young Alexander can either be found or added Wherefore SIR I humbly beseech your Highnesse to censure these lame Essaies of my barren braine or rather crums falne from the Princely Table of your more then Salomon-like Father as the Widowlike Symboll of my deuotion pleadge of my Faith or Subiect to try your Highnesse clemencie in pardoning or Iustice in condemning of me who haue rashly persumed to prefer my home-spun labours to so powerfull a Mecenas whose approbation or dislike may enrich me with the fulnesse of content or expose me vpon the dangerous Rockes of vntimely sorrow But SIR either in life or death I shall be Your Highnesse humble and true Seruant PATRICK SCOT TO THE GENEROVS READER KNowing Generous Reader that these ill digested labours of mine shal be as well exposed to the byting censure of base and enuious Criticks whose peruerse and obstinate disposition hath taught them to detract from others and forget their owne obliquities as to the view of High borne true Noble and generous Spirits whose birth and education inuites them to looke with a more fauourable aspect vpon the weake endeuours of good meaning For thy better satisfaction I am to aduertise thee that at my first seizing vpon this Subiect a task I grant farre aboue my reach I did not iealously suspect but altogether distrust my owne insufficiencie and therefore did make choyce rather to loose my thus spent time and commit my confused Papers to a fiery tryall then to be the Herald of my owne ignorance hut when I had better aduised I did finde that the Supreame King is well pleased with the least dram of true deuotion that his Vicegerents many great Monarches and braue Princes haue taken in good part the smalest oblations of their meanest Seruants that euery good subiect amongst whom in loyaltie I am inferior to none are by the most strict bonds of allegiance tyed to communicate their talent to the seruice of their Prince and Countrey then I say I did recall my fire-threatning sentence and was content that this obortiue birth should come vnto the world But vpon assurance least thou should expect more then I promise that the Tytle of a Table-Booke might be Charactered vpon the front is piece thereof which very name enforceth rather a necessitous vse for memory then an elaborat intire debating or methodicall disposition of the matter Sith then I hold vp my hand at the bar of thy iudgement I intreate that this ensuing Treatise blemished with the impollished ornaments of Art may be sheltered vnder the wings of thy fauorable censure and the rather because this subiect is more neerely aliyed to truth and sinceritie then to art and affectation So shall I remaine Thy constant welwiller P. S. AVTHOR LIBELLO EIa age nunc roseasque genas frontemque serenam Ostendas Coelo licet immaturè nec omni Parte satis vel comptè sinus collecteue pulchram Caesariem in nodum tamen hand fortasse libelle Monstrum immane tuens te libertatis amicae Munere te placitâ donabit sepe salute Magnanimus Carlus magni generosa propago Patris qui Centum numerans ab origene Reges Omnes sceptriferos omnes decora alta ferentes Bis fese quartum adiungit Bodotria solum Quem dominū Tamisisque colit piscosaque bannae Flumina tu gratum venies caput omnibus illis Queis magè sana bonus finxit praecordia Titan Et non Antyciras opus est dare lintea verum Momorum damnanda bonisque aduersa propago Et qui vipereum spirant ex ore venenum Zoilous atque Theon te sannis omnibus vnum Excipient durumque prement liuoris acerbi Morsibus Interea tu quâ licet vtere sorte Suppliciter venerare atque admirare potentem Parcere Subiectis debellare superbos Et si quem solum submisso poplite Carlum Qui quanuis talem vultu haud dignatur amico Cernere te Charis grates hinc soluere amicis Sis memor labes veteres fractique vigoris disiectum robur non inficiatè recedas Denique quae Momus iaculatur spicula sorti Sperne animo neque vim quae ea dextra mittat atundo Vel spacium euadet totum vel perforet ictum THE TABLE Sect. 1. OF the condition and true happinesse of Princes Sect. 2. What benefit commeth to a Prince by good education and learning Sect. 3. Of the vertuous life of Princes of the election of their Councellours Officers and Seruants Sect. 4. What generall obseruations the happy and quiet Gouernment of a Prince requireth Sect. 5. By what meanes the generous minds of Princes are knowne Sect. 6. Of Nobilitie Sect. 7. Antidotes against the poysoning of vaine glorie and ambitious thoughts that intoxicates the minds of young Princes Sect. 8. How Princes ought to moderate their power Sect. 9. Whose Image good and bad Princes represent by what Epithetes they are knowne and of their seuerall actions Sect. 10. By what meanes a Prince may secure himselfe in his Kingdome and obtaine the loue of his Subiects Sect. 11. Princes ought to be easie in giuing accesse and ready to heare the complaints of the oppressed poore Sect. 12. Of the necessity of Princes knowledge in the affaires of their Empire and presence so farre as is possible
hatred of vice for there is nothing more certaine then that thereby a man becoÌ„meth more then a man and participates in the diuine nature on the other side Plut. de educa puer if he be left to his naturall ignorance he degenerates to all wickednesse and simpathiseth rather with the most sauage and rude beasts then with reasonable men Lucurgus the Spartan law-giuer made manifest the powerfulnesse of education by the diuers effects of two puppies Duo catuli ijsdem parentibus orti caeterum diuersam vitae consuetudinem assecuti alter gulosus alter venator euasere Secondly although Princes so exceed all others in the abundance of all things Eras 3. apo that learning may seeme either to serue them to small vse or not necessary at all yet for many weightie considerations the more powerfull they are Principes opus habent multis praeceptis vt sanctè viuant vt veterem cum suis ad fectibus Adamú rerum copia luxuianteÌ„ coerceant ne voluptatibus franfrangantur insolescaÌ„t ad interituÌ„ Gregor moral the lesse able they are to gouerne either themselues or their people without knowledge and learning being more ready to decline from the right hand of vertue vnto the left hand of vice then to keepe the sure way neuer knowne to the ignorant and vnlearned Learning is that strong guard that defendeth Princes against the deceitfull inticements of prosperity power honour riches and whatsoeuer else praecipitates greatnesse blindfolded in the Cimerian darkenesse of ignorance to an irrecouerable downefal a Prince ought not to measure his happinesse by those false goods of fortune but by the true riches of his minde Polib lib. 7. Gorgias being asked whether he did thinke the Persian King happy or not answered he did not know how vertuous and learned hee was for said hee there is no happinesse in these things that may be taken away Libri muti magistri nescientes erubescere non conniuent vt dignos haeroâ—s laudibus euehuÌ„t ita prauos dente theonino roduÌ„t Quint. de lect lib. Thirdly learning stirres vp and excitates the minde and loue of a Prince to the reading of bookes wherein hee may learn al things needful for himselfe or subiects These dumbe masters will praise him if he be worthy or without feare with the Prophet tell him Thou art the maÌ„ They wil finally without blushing admonish him of those things his Courteors eyther will not or dare not The want of learning is the cause that Princes reiect the counsell of their friends and contemne the power of their enemies ignorance caused Cambises cruelly to murther the son of Praxaspes his seruant Senec. de ira for his faithful councell Tyrannous Dionisius to checke Plato for his louing aduice Plut. apo verba tua inquit Dionisius otiosorum senum sunt tua inquit Plato tirannum sapiunt These the like Phalarisme examples of tyranny Reinh. Lor. prooue that the knowledge of learning is necessary for good Princes that thereby they become so much better that they willingly embrace vertue and come to the knowledge of themselues Omnes boni principes de quibus legitur vel fuerunt per se studiosi vel habuerunt sapientes ad instruendum eos Fourthly although by discent nobility of blood and indulgence of fortune Princes are emineÌ„t yet to adde a more shining brightnesse to their externall splendor Eccles 21. learning is necessary Doctrina est ornamentum aureum prudenti quasi brachiale in dextro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 learning is an honour to all men Ex Doct. Gerh. nomam saith Meander many famous Princes at home and abroad haue beene more reuerenced for their learning then honoured for their greatnesse Fiftly learning onely brings with it lasting Cicero in Senec. and Prince worthy pleasures the rest are but deceitful momentary baits to insnare them Gaudia falsa non remanent sed fugitiua volant quod leuius videretur si fugientia non relinquerent at ergo venenum These false pleasures are rightly named by Architas the most destroying plagues inflicted vpon men Martial l. 2 Aristotle was wont to admonish his schollars not to looke vpon pleasures at their comming but in their going for in the one said he they shew faire in the other they leaue sorrow and repentance On the contrary the delights that are begotten of learning and vertue are true ioyes permanent pleasures the ornaments of youth the crowne of age They adorne prosperity vphold aduersity Cicero pro Arch. at home are the best stewards abroad the best interpreters in peace the vshers of idlenesse in warre the Marshals of campes in company the ministers of discourse and alone priuate and true Councellours 2. offic Noble Affricanus vsed oft to say that he was neuer lesse solitary then when solitary A Prince of Athens being demanded what he did profit by Philosophy Diog. Laert. answered That at all times hee could without offence conferre with himselfe and in euery discourse drawe a conclusion consonant to reason Besides sayd hee the knowledge of Philosophy makes mee loue wise learned honest men detest flattering Parasites and fooles Sixthly Gelli l. 13. learning adornes a Prince with curtesie clemency and meekenesse The first begetteth inseparable loue the second humane admiration and the third diuine applause The loue of subiects is the wall of kingdomes Mercy establisheth the throne of a King and meekenesse deifies him Horat. 2. Epist Omnis eruditio mansuetos facit nemo enim adeo ferus vt non mitessere possit si modo doctrinae patientem praebeat aurem Seauenthly in most desperate diseases by learning a Prince findes matter of comfort and present helpe This was the medicine that Marcus Tullius did minister to his friend Epist Famil lib. 6. O Balbus said hee if I could prescribe better medicine for our equall griefes Siquidem studia vt optime foolicitateÌ„ extollunt ita facilime calamitates minuunt Senec. de consol ad Albinum I would such as I can I will let the study of good letters which for our delight we haue formerly embraced bee now the comfort of our miseries and last health as they did aduance our better fortunes so they will mitigate present sorrowes cure our wounds and so expell melancholy passions that the sorrow of humane miseries shall haue no further entry then to the gates of our weakest sences Since therefore humane miseries are no lesse incident to Princes then poore men they ought by learning to arme themselues against the violent batteries of aduerse fortune If Craesus had participated either in learning or aduise with Solon Quanto maior est fortuna tanto minor est secura Arist ethni in his flourishing estate he had found more comfort thereby vpon his tragicall theater then in the millions of his golden treasures Dionisius nothing inferiour to Craesus in tyranny or presumption Licet Regi affectu