a Lambe that haunteth a Foxes den for how righteous so euer his cause be yet the poore sutor is sure to sing before his matter be ended Law measures right with toyle expence and griefe There are many stoppes before a matter come to iudgement and many nyce quillets to ouerthrowe a good matter so that if the countrie man wil direct his controuersie by this following compasse hée shall finde more profite in the same than in the counsell of the best Seriaunt and first of all I wish him to way the working of giftes by this sequele A poore man once a Iudge besought to iudge aright his cause And with a glasse of Oyle salutes this iudger of the lawes My friend quoth he thy cause is good he glad away did trudge A non his wealthy foe did come before this partiall iudge A Hog well fedde the churle presents and craues a straine of law The hog receiud the poore mans right was iudg'd not worth a straw Therewith he cri'de O partiall iudge thy dome hath me vndone When Oyle I gaue my cause was good but now to ruine runne Poore man quoth he I thee forgot and see thy cause of foile A Hog came since into my house and brake thy glasse of Oyle Learne friends by this this read of me smal helpes a righteous cause When giftes do catch both Gods men friendship endeth laws This example is no other than a Morrall fore-warning vnto the inferiour sort to forbeare controuersie with men mightier than themselues least after much expence of mony they make but a badde ende of a good cause we are counselled in holy Scripture not to go to Lawe with men mightier then our selues least we be more discomforted with an vnsentence than with an iniurious oppression Lawe is the supporter of all well gouerned Common weales necessarie for al men but not behoueful for the poore to follow in great mens controuersies a néedful instrument in poore mens wrongs a remedie too violent Iudges and other mynisters of the Law in the due administration of their callings deserue great honour reuerence and reputation for that Periurie Oppression and all manner of deceit goeth before them that their eyes may beholde their actions of whose forfatures they are iudges and in their footesteps Vertue Truth and good Conscience ready with the following multitude familiarly to conuerse but sinne which with the first fall of Adam rose hath made gaine so swéete and corruption so bolde as now before a great number of them vpright-dealing in vaine continually knéeleth for intertainement and in their liueries all manner of deceit squareth among the multitude Good and profitable Lawes were so wrested in Glebulus time a great Philosopher and one of the seuen sages as hee saide Lawes were like vnto Copweâ—…bes through which great Harnets broke when the little flies were menshed Pythagoras compareth Lawe vnto a backe sworde which smote the greater powers with the blunt and the meaner sort with the eadge By the wresting of Law and other partiall workings wee haue in Englande these by sayings Might mastereth right The Law is ended as a man is friended A good purse is better than a iust cause c. The wise Cato made this aunswere to one that woulde haue the pleading place in Rome to bee couered with Canuas like vnto the Theators for that the heate of the sunne was verie hurtefull for the pleaders and their Clyantes heades Nay quoath Cato for my parte I rather wishe that all the wayes to the place of pleading were cast ouer with Galthropes that the féete of such as loue so well pleading shoulde feele so much paines of those prickes in going thither as their heades doe of the sunne in tarrying there He meant they were but idle whot heades busie bodies and troublesome men in a Common wealth that did so nourish pleading Good labourers and quiet men coulde bée content to ende their matters at home by iudgement of their neighbours and kinsefolke without spending so their money vppon procurers and aduocates whom wée call Attorneys Counsellers Sergeants and generally men of Lawe Those hée accounteth profitable Citizens who attende their honest labour and businesse at home and not stande wayting and gaping vppon their Rolles and Processe in the Lawe as for the other by his iudgement it was no matter what mischiefe they suffered This the graue learned man Sir Thomas Smith writeth in his booke De republica Anglorum and further saieth That these busie heades and inuentours of trouble are men euen permitted of God like Flyes Lyse and other vermine to disquiet them who woulde imploy themselues vppon better businesse and more necessarie for the common wealth These men are hated and feared of their neighbours loued and aided of them which gaine by Proces and waxe fatte by the expence of others In the blame of these make-bates as our English phrase is farre is it from my intent as in sundrie places I protest to scandilize the most necessarie vse of Lawe or to reproch the good Lawiers For if necessitie inuentris of all Artes Polycies and Mecanicall craftes giueth honour to the Phisition of our corporall bodies no doubt shée commaundeth a more larger regarde and reuerence to bée giuen to the Phisition of the politicke body who is the Lawier Notwithstanding as the Medicine is of more auaile that preserueth health than that which cureth sickenesse Euen so the meane that kéepeth neighbours in loue peace and Charitie is more profitable than the authoritie that accordeth controuersies is necessarie For as after the healing of a wound there remaineth a scarre euen so after the agréement of Law there abideth mallice which lying hidde like fire vnder ashes kindleth fresh mallice and neuer intertaineth faithfull amitie It is then greatly to be pittied that these simple men for the matter of fiue shillings should be vexed arested brought vp to Westminster Hall and halfe vndone at the suite of troblesome persons of the spoyles of these good men a great number of the swarmes of Attourneyes and petifoggers liue The gratious pollicie of this Realme for the ease of these poore men hath appointed in euerie countie Courtes and giueth libertie to Lords of Manners to holde Plea of actions vnder fortie shillings debt but the corruption of those Courts are such and the comming of these persons so pleasing as almost euerie sunday Latitates prie about Countrie Churches for poore men whereof many owe not the price of the Proces and before the sute be ended it oftentimes falleth out that the plaintife and defendant are both losers and that these daungerous make-bates liue vppon their goodes and painefull labours This mischiefe woulde bée much eased if charitie raigned among neighbours or a godly care among the ministers of the Church in trauailing to appease the discords of their parissioners but especially as I here before haue saide If the better sort of Gentlemen and Iusticers of Peace woulde take paines in this godly exercise whose perswasions
build vpon sacred morall and politike counsels the admonitions are set downe by holy Prophets Apostles learned Philosophers and graue common wealthesmen The collection and labor to place them as they may serue for a generall instruction is only due vnto me and with your honorable fauors I thinke the law of the Aegyptians which I take for my platforme is a most sure defence against Enuy for by this lawe of King Amazis which was that euerie man shoulde put his name in a common booke and at the yeeres ende shoulde acquainte the Gouernour neere his abiding with the trade and order of his liuing Idlenesse and excesse the great nourishers of Enuy were either banished or punished euery man entertained a setled vocation and no man enuied the pomp of another mans calling which he knew not how to gouerne and certainly if men would indifferētly consider of all vocatiōs they should find there is no calling so base but that the vse therof is profitable of honest credit in a common wealth and withall no dignity so hye but vnto the same is annexed a number of displeasures and therevpon it is rightly said That the chiefest place in the administration of iustice is to the executioner a bondage your wisdoms know the same better by experiēce then I by obseruance so that whatsoeuer the booke cōtaineth of graue gouerment I acknowledge might better haue been deriued from your liuely vertues then frō other mens writtē counsels but for that men can hardly praise the liuing without flattery and the dead without an honest zeale I haue made choise to labor more for my credit then aduantage for albeit I am in a maner vnknowne to most of you graue Maiestrates that liue of which in this respect I am glad that being vnworthy of your knowledge for any speciall quality I am at no time brought Coram vobis for any criminall trespasse yet those worthy personages which in my time are deceased haue had the second life of their vertues bruted by my Muse but as my trauels heerein cōmended the dead and instructed the liuing with the like hope I haue builded this fortresse against Enuy of the counsels of the dead applied to instruct the liuing in their proper vertues Vertue as Diogenes saith only withstandeth Enuy yea vertue conquereth Enuy and vertue set apart no pollicy preuaileth against the stratagemes of Enuy. To withstand this common foe of prosperitie I labour by the grauest mens directions to acquaint euery man with the vertues of his vocation but principally I do beseech God to blesse them with his feare the beginning of wisedome and confusion of Enuy and all wickednesse vnto whose gratious protection I humbly commit your right honorable Lordships and all other godly Maiestrates whatsoeuer at whose commandement I faithfully remaine George Whetstons Induction to the Reader ALbeit that peace is a most precious blessing of God a large testimonie of a gratious Prince and the perfect image of a well gouerned common wealth yet the euill which abuse whatsoeuer is good as the Spider draweth hony from the purest flower of these good causes beget such foule effects as God in reward of his blessings is dishonored persecuted and blasphemed The gratious Prince for his or her protection is neither dutifully reuerenced nor truely obeyed and what is sowen for publike benefite groweth to the ruine of the Countries prosperitie Vpon the experience of the good gouernement of Athens and other florishing Commonwealthes corrupted or to speake more properly confounded by such vile persons as their principall Cities fostered warranted the graue Socrates being demaunded what increased the wealth of a Commonwelth to answere that peace was the inricher thereof being demaunded on the contrarie part the chiefe cause of pouertie in a Common wealth semblablie aunswered that peace was the meane thereof Being asked his reasons said that in the time of peace Armes giue place to Lawes and good Lawes administreth both plentie and prosperitie to such Countries as receiue and obay them on the other side he alledged that wealth the blessing of peace bread many vices in her owne bowels of the nature of Mothes in cloath or canker rust in yron which by the consuming of their suckers destroy themselues and questionles the wheele of peace painted on either side with these fiue spokes Peace bringeth plentie Plentie causeth pride Pride raiseth enuie Enuie soweth sedition and Sedition hatcheth pouertie is rather the deuise of some Philosophers setled iudgement than the toy of a Painters variable fancie the Embleame so truely portrayeth the change of all happie gouernements But some more quicke of wit then in discretion perfect will suggest that where Law hath her full voyce these Cankers can neuer grow to the consumption of the heart to which question I thus aunswere that Law may haue a free passage and yet Iustice scanted of her due course for Lawe will not or cannot punish an apparant trespas without an open presentment and Iustice would chasten the concealed fault if she could commaund the Law and such is the cunning of pollitike Lawe breakers that where the ignorant are hanged for stealing of a sheete they will haue the Lawe to strengthen them in the robbing of a mans inhearitance and therefore is Lawe likened to a backe sworde eadged and sharpe to chasten the simple offender and blunt when the subtill shoulde bee corrected Vppon which reason quoth Diogines what auaileth it to haue profitable Lawes when the good readeth them not and the euill corrupt or care not for them but although Diogines spake truelie as touching the naturall humors of men for vnto the good their Consciences are in steede of Lawes and with the lewde no bridle is a restraint from euill Yet grounding my reasons vppon larger authorities I graunt Necessitie inuentris of all policies hath founde good Lawes so necessarie as I holde those Realmes Regions Cities and Townes which are not gouerned by Lawes rather to bee forrestes of wilde beastes than places habitable for men for there where Lawes are musled Iustice goeth masked might mastereth right Theft is reputed honest gaine and murther lawfull reuenge Treasou woulde enter the priuie Chamber and to bee short the wealthie shoulde go to wracke and the inferiour would order vntill they had disordered all good gouernement These open outrages are suppressed by the paines of Lawe although the awe of chastisement cannot keepe some raskall persons from offending in secreat Heraclites saith absque legibus nullo pacto possit ciuitas esse incolumis sed absque menibus possit without Lawes a Cittie by no meanes can be in saftie but without walles it may And Forteskew saith Lex est sanctio sancta Iubens honesta prohibens contraria Law is an vncorrupt holines commaunding things that are honest and forbidding those that are contrarie Therefore I doe reuerence good Lawgiuers and as deuine Plato saieth repute all Lawes that are made for the wealth and sauegarde of mankinde to bee of GOD although they
the earth as in the sea and beyond the power of nature beautified with a deuine knowledge I prie into the qualities of the heauens and prognosticate what they promise or threaten on earthly creatures therefore haue good cause to aduance my thoughts and to thinke well of my selfe The ambitious hath this vaile or shadow I see qd hc that vertue her selfe attyred with pouertie is ouerblowne with light regard her seruants slaues to varlets in credit so that he is an enemie to his owne prosperitie that in bare estate presenteth any good parte for that he is sure to incounter the malice of the ignorant who fearing their owne fortunes with enuie suppresse his perfections and the good although they embrace vertuous endeuours at the first sight iudge by the outward habit as the noble Titus did by his good friende Gissipus till necessitie discouered who he was And therfore saith the ambitious I holde authoritie the readiest ladder to aduancement The flatterer thinketh that to reproue mens faultes is a meane to fire the faultie mans heart with malice and thereby shoulde encrease his friendes euill and endanger his owne welfare where the wisest are not so wise but that they open both their eares to heare their owne prayses and therefore sayth he blame he that liste I will breath in no mans face other then good wordes not onely these but all other infections of the minde haue such like sophisticall reasons to giue colour to their errors neyther are they so past cure but that there is a hope of reformation Now concerning the infirmities of the bodie the pestilence is most dangerous the plurisie most sodaine and the leprosie most odious notwithstanding if delay haue not wrought ouer much defect in nature physicke hath a medicine for euery of these maladies But this hiddeous Monster enuie lyeth open to all reproche and as a moth in cloth or canker rust in iron dyeth with the destruction of his follower who burst out of the entrayles of the olde serpent to so we hatred betwéene God and man for the enuie that the Deuill bare at the Almightie Maiestie of God raysed a desire in Adam and Eue to be as their Creator in knowledge and so brought sin vpon the face of the earth and through sinne swadled all their posteritie in the heauie displeasure of God with this bitter curse was she hatched and with the sacke of Common weales and bloud of innocentes she hath euer since bene fostered A man gouerned by other detestable euils be it murther theft periurie and so foorth if he be not soone cut off with the sworde of Iustice yet is he continually chastened with the scourge of his conscience but lawe and iustice net easily fasteneth on the enuious for he hydeth his conspiracies vntill he be strengthened with a multitude whose furie breaketh forth in the flame of faire cities and is quenched with the bloud of many thousandes and therefore enuie may well be compared to brandes raked vp in ashes which are vncouered to set mightie blockes a fire In the conscience of the enuious remorse hath no place for that his thoughts are continually busied with diuelish imaginations as well as his forces are bent to the ruine of his neyghbours A man without much blushing will confesse himselfe a couetous voluptuous or cowardly person for that the needeful foresight of the great charge of children the dayly harde fortunes which happen and the costly cure of sickenesse wherevnto all men are subiect are colours for coueteusnesse Agayne the blame that is layde vpon a nigarde the contempt wherein men haue mecanicall liues she hastie death that followeth care are reasons to make men be pleasant and merrie with their owne The perill of life the griefe of woundes and the daunger of lawe are sufficient excuses for a coward But if he be enuious he dare not recyte so much as the name of enuie the reason is this passion is so sowle and infamous as it stincketh in the opinion of him that is infected therewith and good cause why for that the others grow as langors and malladies of nature and enuie proceedeth of a malitious and froward consent of our owne will without any ground or reason saue such as would make the worst infidell blush to defende and the weakest Christian abhorre to heare his inticementes are so farre from grace humanitie and naturall pittie All other passions of the minde may growe and spring from such hard temptations as they which yeelde vnto their affections doe giue cause both of pittie and lament as necessitie may make men steale tyrannie in Princes may so we sedition among subiectes hardnes and crueltie in parents may cause disobedience in children and so of others which although the offences ought to be chastened yet their causes may with charitie be bemoned But this feinde enuie is onely tempted with the bountie of God for as our sauiour saith the eye of the enuious is for no other cause euill but in that it beholdeth that God is good which considered the enuious is to be condemned much more then the impatient yea when affection leades him to murmure and rage against God for the impatient may be so sharpely pressed with Gods heauie iudgement as charged aboue the sufferaunce of nature reason shall be forced to giue place vnto furie and when the hearte is at this libertie the tongue will not let to disgorge blasphemies sufficient if it were possible to fire the heauens but if the enuious vnbowelleth his griefe when he commeth to dispoyle his heart he can alleage or pretend no other cause of sorrow but that God is too good too mercifull and too liberall towards his creatures In giuing to some great authoritie to others aboundance of riches to this man store of friendes to that man inlargement of honours c. On the contrary part if he reioice it is in beholding of most sad and lamentable chaunces as in discorde among friendes iealousie betweene man and wife their children disobedient their seruants theeues or in such like hauocke of their neighbours prosperitie and as among beastes some nourisheth themselues with euill odours some with poison and some with filthie carrion euen so the enuious is fatned with the curse miserie and death of his brethren Basile in his sermon of enuie compareth the enuious properly vnto flyes which leaue the sounde partes of our body and liteth vpon a scab or sore the iuyce or filth whereof giueth thē a sweete and pleasant taste euen so vertuous and good men afflicted with exile imprisonment losse of goods or such like ordinarie calamities giue comfort reioycing vnto the enuious Seneca rightly compareth enuy vnto a Panther who so rageth at the presence of a man for the maiestie he presenteth as presently he imployeth all his forces to dismember his beautifull limmes and not only is agrieued with
the liuely countenance of man but wheresoeuer he beholdeth his painted image he is not in quiet vntill he hath defaced his face euen so the enuious are not satisfied in giuing vntimely deathes vnto good men but to burie the remembrance of their vertues if it possible were committe inhumane outrages vpon their ingraued bones and condemne their learned and necessarie bookes vnto the fire so that it is apparaunt that there is no possibilitie howe any other euill should matche enuie in euill for that their extreamest reuenge stretcheth but vnto death when the malice of enuie searcheth the graue which considered the enuious are more hurtfull then the Crocadile who although she hungerly prayeth vpon a liuing man yet if shee finde his dead carkase she lamenteth ouer it and with her warme teares washeth his face yea so extreame diuelish are the qualities of the enuious as Socrates likeneth enuie vnto a Viper who so soone as they haue engendered the female murdereth the male because she wil not liue as his inferiour againe the young ones eate themselues forth of their dammes intrayles because they will not be bound vnto the obedience of nature And questionlesse Socrates in the qualitie of this venimous beast rightly figureth the condition of the enuious who to compasse the desire of his defiled heart treadeth vnder foote care of his countries welfare duetifull obedience vnto his parentes and naturall affection toward his kinffolke and friendes yea which is most against kinde the enuious often times committeth wilfull outrage vpon himselfe to beholde a greater vpon his enemie according to the saying of morrall Esope The enuious desired of Iupiter to be spoyled of one of his eyes that the couetous man might lose both To which purpose many examples in my following discourses shall be shewen whereas if any other passion entiseth a man vnto euill it flattereth him with the hope of a profitable ende Moreouer though a man malice deadly yet there may be satisfaction or meanes of attonement But where there is enuie there is no hope of reconciliation whereupon is set downe for infallible experiments that there was neuer loue but enuie betweene Cain and Abell Isacke and Ismael Loth and Abraham Iacob and Esau Ioseph and his brethren the Kinges of Iuda and Israel and the Apostles the Turkes and the Persians the Romaines and the auncient Spartians the French men and English men and so consequently betwéene neighbour countreyes betweene whome there can be no perfect amitie not for that the one is vnable to repaire the wrongs done vnto the other but for that the one without enuy cannot endure to beholde the glory of the other For which cause Timon of Athens was called dogged because he grinned at the felicitie of man yea if we well considered their effectes the actions of the enuious may well bee tearmed deuilishe in that they repine at the glory of God and bend all their forces to suppres vertue and her followers which in these following discourses shall be more largely shewen CHAP. 2. The originall of Paricide and other inhumane murders by Enuie MURDER the monster of inhumanitie was hatched by this accursed Enuie through whose motions the reprobate Caine slew his iust brother Abell only because that Abels oblations were better regarded of God then his owne Enuie caused Romulus to committe the like outrage vpon nature in slaying his brother Remus because hee participated with him in rule and soueraignetie which inhumane fact Machiuel doth thus excuse It was needefull saith he that it shoulde be so for that other wise the Romaine Empire might haue ended in the beginning being at one instant gouerned by two kinges of seuerall disposition and direction But allowe the reason to be good the good which fell vnto the Common wealth cannot wash away the stayne of Romulus bloudie offence otherwise then the freedom that the Romains gayned ouer their tyrannous Kinges cleared proude Tarquinius of the rape committed on chaste Lucretia for if any good as ofteÌ„times doth come of a naughtie cause God is to be praised for his prouidence and the Authour is to be chastened for his euil intent And questionlesse Romulus entente was so foule as exceeded the crueltie of the rauening Wolfe which nourished him and therefore worthie to liue in this reproche Vnkind thy Damme thee suckerlesse did leaue gainst kind a VVolfe thee fostered with her teate VVhose kinde was thee with bloudie iawes to teare thou most vnkinde to sit in Soueraigne seate Vnkindly slewst Remus thy brother deare So outragious was the enuy betwéene Polineces and Eteocles as old Oedipus their father scratched forth both his eies because he could not endure to behold the murthers and other deadly mischiefes inflicted vpon the poore Thebanes in sustaining their vnnaturall quarrels and as some histories make mention when they had sheathed their swordes in each others intralles the enuy of their life appeared after death whose heresies being ioined together the flame of the funeral fire violently sundered theÌ„ with the selfesame venemous malice which is naturally impressed betweene these vnpolitike creatures the Eagle the Dragon the Cocke the Lyon the wild Bore and the Eliphant diuers other bruite creatures who so disagrée in nature as being dead by no meanes their â—…louds wil mingle together an exaÌ„ple of waight to teach men to beware of their enuious enemies in whose heartes disdaine malice are so mortally enbleamed as neyther giftes praier nor good vsage are of power to worke a true attonemeÌ„t This monster enuy imboldned wicked Nero to violate the bendes of nature by the murdering of his mother to see the place of his cursed conception as in his best excuse is alleadged But the true cause was this he hastened her death for that her life by the charge of nature bounde him to a duetifull reuerence for his thoughts raigned ouer all men though his life deserued to be loued of no man With this viperous childe may be coupled the vngratious Commodus sonne of the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius who encountring fouretéene or fiftéene gentlemen Romaines vpon a bridge ouer Tiber demanded of the gentlemen wherevpon they so sadly deuised the gentlemen simply answered that they talked of the good Emperor Marcus Aurelius whose life was beautified with such diuine vertues as his death hath charged Rome with an endles sorrow Whereupon as a murtherer of his fathers renowne hee commaunded his garde to throwe them all into the riuer of Tiber alleadging that they coulde not prayse his father without the blaming of him Wherein though Commodus did euill he spake truth for the commendation of vertue is euermore a reproch to vice and without doubt as the good Emperour Aurelius inlarged the monumentes of his predecessours in example to those that shoulde succeede him so the vngratious Commodus exceeded all his ancestours in euill and left no possibilitie for his heires to be worse of whome is
whome shée thought that the enemye coulde not afflict so much as the inhabitauntes of Rome but how so euer it was Alaric commaunded vpon payne of death that no man should hurt anye person that fledde to the Churches for safety which was obserued the rest of this Citye with an innumerable sorte of people were consumed with fire and swoord The Emperour Honorius laye all this while at Rauenna with out taking care for the reliefe of distressed Rome In derision of whome the Gothes ledde a young man vp and downe a whole daye attyred lyke the Emperour and the next daye likewise ledde him cloathed like a slaue This was the first time that Rome since her prosperity fell into the handes and power of straungers but after this sacke by the Gothes the greatnes both of the city and Empyre decreased yea manye tymes was destroyed and subiected The successe whereof briefly to touch I hold it necessarye that the Reader maye vnderstande the frailtie of kingdomes and worldlye powers About forty yéeres after the Gothes had thus sacked Rome outraged Italie the Vandals vnder the conduct of their king Genserick entred Italie without any resistāce tooke Rome the greater part of the inhabitaunts being before fledde who for the space of foure dayes spoyled and in manye places fired the Citye Twentye and seuen yeeres after the conquest by the Vandals Odoacrus king of Euryles and Toringnes came before Rome with a great power whome the Citizens not able to resist receaued louinglye and in peace who naming him selfe king of Rome raigned foreteene yeeres afterwards Theodoric king of the Gothes beeing in friendship with the Romane Emperour to recouer Rome incountred Odoacrus with a great power and not onelye chased Odoacrus from Rome but also foorth of Italie Theodoric vpon this victorye made him selfe king and raigned thirtye yeeres in peace After whose decease his sonne Artalaric with his wife Amalasonte raigned about tenne yeeres Afterwardes the Emperour Iustinian comming to the Empyre the Gothes returned againe into Italie with their most cruel king Tottil vnder the Emperour Iustinian the two moste valiaunt and hardy Captaynes Bellisarius and Nassettus gouerned in Italie who in manye moste cruell battailes foyled Tottill besiedging of Rome In fine by the treason of one of the inhabitauntes Tottill gat the Citie and although at his first entraunce by the intercession of Pelasgus then Bishop of Rome Tottill moderated his furye yet in fine vpon an vnpleasing aunsweare from the Emperour Iustinian he furiouslye destroyed the greatest part of the Citye and left not the third part of the wall standing but to be briefe after Tottill had an other time taken Rome by the valiauntnesse of the most worthy Captaine Narsettus both Tottill the whole power of the Gothes were chased out of all Italie within a while after the Longebards came into Italie who making them selues Lordes of Gawle Cilsapine of whom it hath euer since beene called Lombardie who about three yeeres after the chasing of Tottill vnder the conduct of king Clowis besiedged Rome to the great dammage of the neighbour Townes but Rome out helde both that besiedging and also an other most dangerous siege by Atanlfus likewise king of the Longebards by whose furye Rome had beene leuiled with the ground if that Pepin king of Fraunce had not succoured her distresse Further in processe of time in the time of the Emperour Lewis the Mores and Sarizins Disciples of Mahomet besieged and entered Rome who prophaning the Church of Sainct Peter and burning a great part of the Citye with many riche spoyles retourned vnto their ships But the moste greate ruine of Rome was in the time of Pope Gregorye the seuenth and Henrye Emperour of Almaigne betweene whome there was mortall warres in whose quarrelles there was at one time two contrarye armies in Rome burning and wasting the Citye But in fine the Normans in the behalfe of the Pope were victors But their conqueste made Rome almoste desolate that where there are now Uineyardes Gardens and large waste places shée was before beautified with goodly Churches and other sumptuous buyldinges And for laste example euen of late time the Emperours armye vnder the leading of the moste worthy Prince Charles Duke of Burbon Rome was taken and although the Duke vpon the enteraunce was slayne yet his souldiours as victors spoyled a great parte of the Citye These often and sharpe punishmentes hath Rome suffered as a wonder and warning to the whole worlde and which is much to be regarded there is almoste the people of no Nation which shée here to fore had subiected but at one time or other were at the sacking and spoyling of her beauty For the further and necessarye inlarging of this historye I haue adioyned this Chapter of the enuious humors of the Popes of Rome CHAP. 6. How the Popes of Rome enuiyng the soueranityes which the Emperours had in the election and confirmation of them and their successours by sundrye shiftes wrought them selues foorth of this obedience and by the aduantages of time grewe to vsurpe authoritye to approoue and confirme the election of the Emperours them selues with a supreame power to depose and establishe annoynted Kinges from and in their kingdomes A Chapter for the varietie of the matter worthy the regarde LArge and vnreprooueable are the testimonies which witnes that the bishops of Rome vnder many tirannous emperours truly professed sincerely preached the Gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ and to confirme the Euangelicall doctrine patiently and constantly imbraced many sharpe persecutionsand martyrdomes but O the venime of riches she no sooner entered into the Church then she poysoned her pastours and ministers with enuie pride ambition heresie idolatrie and all abhominations the riches liberties and great possessions with which Constantine the great endowed the Bishops of Rome although they eternize his name with the tytles of a good zealous deuoute and christian Emperor yet were they the causes which haue bread these soule effects or iniquities in the greater number of the Popes of Rome True it is that before the Emperours were christians the Bishops were chosen by the christian Priestes in Rome neither did any seeke that office by other meanes then vertue But after the Emperours became Christians as a witnesse that the soueraigne Bishoppe of Rome was the subiect of the Emperour the election of the Pope appertained to the cleargie ioyned with the voyce and consent of the people which done they were driuen to send to Constantinople to bee confirmed by the Emperour this was the first order of the election of the Popes after Constantinus the great which approueth a souerainitie which the Emperous had ouer them but by little and little to wind themselues out of this subiection they first made suit to be confirmed by the Emperous deputies in Rome after wardes Pope Pelagius the second administred this office without the confirmation of the Emperour but being afraid of the
wicked practises haue compassed the death of a great many with all which procéedinges the Cronicles will largely acquaint the Reader And certainely if outward actions of barbarous crueltie may condemne the blasphemie of the Pope his ministers in Fraunce Flaunders and Scotland haue already sent the same vnto hell haue elected him to be the Archtyrant of the earth For where was there a more sauage crueltie euer coÌ„mitted then the massacre of Paris where by the traine of amitie the celebration of a marriage betweene the King of Nauarre and the Kinges sister which in outward appearaunce promised much peace and honour to the long afflicted realme the peeres of bloud and nobilitie of the religion to honour that wished accorde repaired vnto the Court where the good Admirall was slaine and by that stratageme or rather deuice of the Deuill many a thousand innocent and fearelesse Protestants in Paris and other cities of Fraunce were cruelly murthered which monstrous massacre although many other trecherous murthers in Fraunce reproch the Papistes with the extreamest name of crueltie is remembred with the blame and exclamation of the cruellest Pagans in the worlde This traiterous and butcherly warfare waspractised with the murther of the King and many noble men of Scotland The pretence of the tyrannical gouernment of the Spaniards in the low Countries and contrary to the auncient lawesof priuiledges â—…he said Countries at their first entraunce their killing and destroying of the principall nobilitie and persons most worthie of gouernement was coloured with the maintenance of the Romish religion but what excuse by religion haue they for the destroying and dishonourable murthering of many Romaine Catholiques among whome the right noble County of Egmond was that wayes especially affected euen forsooth some such reason as the theefe had who said he robbed none but Papistes when he spared not any that had a crosse in his pursse which crosse he tooke to be the marke of a Papist so the Spaniardes tooke these noble men for Protestants because they were of honourable dsspositions maintainers of their countries liberties and louers of vertue which are not the ordinarie markes of Papists the riches of these countries by common estimation aunsweared the vallew of the king of Spaines Indias and from this root procéedeth all their ruines The proud Spaniardes enuied the greatnesse of these Lordes and the prosperity of the people and to féed their owne wastefull humours they hungred after absolute dominion and possession of their riches In all matters of obedience that appertayned vnto the king they serued his maiestie with all faithfulnesse so that the Spaniard could pickt no quarrell of disloyaltie They were driuen to square about the Pope though these people obeyed the king they charged them with Catholicke disobedience vpon this cause as they alleadge more then these twenty yéeres the insolent Spaniardes with swoorde famine and many other cruell maners of death haue afflicted and destroyed the naturall people of those countries and haue ransacked spoiled the most of their fayre and rich cities And yet these proud Spaniardes vpon a true account haue neither gayned honor nor profit by the ruines of these most rich countries While the godly Prince of Orange liued the Spaniardes had many foyles and few honorable victories the compassing of whose death with the worthy destruction of their own mur thering instruments testifie the tiranous spirites both of the Pope and the king of Spaine that neither obey the lawes of God honor nor humainitie by working by anye meanes the deathes of their enemies After the good Prince of Orange was traiterouslye slaine the order whereof is vniuersallye knowne and condemned the afflicted people of these countrys by their increasing calamities soone missed the benefite of his graue counsels But God be praised for the life and happines of her sacred maiesty euen good Quéene Elizabeth who with a mercifull eye and a Princely hand hath both beheld and giuen large sucker to their afflictions to the afflictions of these appressed people of the low countries to them I say with royall defence publicke succour and to the persecuted ChristiaÌ„s of all nations as their calamities required her sacred maiesty euen her onely zeale and vertue hath preserued Scotlande from forraine outrage and ciuill destruction the yonge kinge of Scots whom God blesse with deuine and heroicall vertues confesseth her maiesty to be his mother by whom next vnder God he liueth and raigneth she hath giuen him a kingdome in redéeming of it foorth of the tyranny of straungers and disobedience of awelesse subiects Her mediation hath much pacified the furies of Fraunce and her clemencye hath refreshed the woundes of Portugall her mercy is the Phisition of forraine afflictions and her holinesse the sure grounde of Englandes peace and prosperity England at this day and from the first hower of her maiesties blessed raigne the wonder of nations England I say of absolute gouernments onely in peace onely in prosperity onely free from féeling the vengeance of enuy many enemies be thou thankful for this deuine protectioÌ„ Englande or rather Englishe men be you counceled by the ouerthrowes of the fore recited monarchies kingdomes and common weales I haue presented you with these conquestes of enuy that you may be fore warned of your worst enemy euen this monster enuy which euer more contendeth against peace and prosperity you are plentifully blessed with both the blessinges and vniuersally besieged with enuy It is miraculous that you haue escaped the mischiefe of all her stratageames and dangerous war The Athenians were ignoraunt of no pollicy to withstaÌ„d their enemy yet could find no defence against enuye but to tame and kéepe vnder their prosperitye they yéerly banished their noble men not such as had offended the law but those which the common people woulde haue banished their wisedomes made the common weale to florishe but neither their wisedomes nor force could banishe enuy out of the hartes of the people they feared this passion more then Alexanders power and good cause why for her venime poysoned Alexander her pollicy murthered Caesar and quelled most of the worthies We néede not search forraine examples to teach vs the power of enuy she destroyed the house of Brut at whose gouernment we begin our Englishe cronicles for Ferrex his brother Porrex striuing for sole soueranitie sought each others confusion Porrex slew Ferrex and their mother murthered Porrex in his bedde in whose deathes the linage of Brute was ended Enuy was the cause of the chaunges of gouernment by the Saxons Danes Britans and lastely the enuy betwéene Harold and his brother after the death of king Edward the confessor was the meane that crowned William the conqueror with the Diadem of England The mischief which enuy sowed in king Richard the secondes dayes brought forth continuall murders ciuill warres and deadly quarrelles during the raignes of sixe kinges that succéeded him To be short this passion since
the conquest hath bene the onely hurtfull enemy of Englande Yea as I haue showne the conqueror of conquerors and subuerter of former monarchies whose conquest I haue set foorth much to the glorye of her maiesties peaceable victories who armed with grace only with a Lawrell bow in many daungerous conflicts hath ouercome her mortal enemy enuy whose wonderfull conquestes I haue in my second booke orderly registred that her maiesties louing subiectes may comfort them selues with this assurance that God is her strength and the defence of her people and that her wicked abiectes séeing their dayly confusion may be intised by her excéeding mercy to loue and reuerence her maiesty or by continuance of their ouerthrowes may be brought to feare and dread Gods vengeaunce and so giuing honor and praise to his holy name I end this first booke of my English mirrour contayning the conquest of Enuie FINIS ¶ THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE ENGLISH Mirrour intituled Enuy conquered by Vertue Publishing the blessinges of peace the scourge of traitours and glory of Queene Elizabeths peaceable victories accompanied with manie other comfortable regardes for good subiectes A Sonnet of triumph to England England reioyce the foes of thy welfare The foes that made the former monarkes bowe VVrath warre discorde and enuy fettered are Elizabeth euen with a lawrell bow Hath vanquished them that foyled Caesars band Vpon thy portes to feare thy forraine foe Destruction standes with blouddy swoord in hand VVithin thy Coast in townes and Country goe Plenty and peace armde with a hasell wande Thy subiectes true on mylke and hony feed Thy abiectes false consume like flames of reed Malgre To the right reuerend Lordes the Bishops and other the deâ—…ines of England accomplishment of all holy desires MOst reuerend Lordes and deuines hauing composed this English mirrour of selected counsels in sacred scripture and graue censures of morall gouernours applyed to a generall instruction where in the good maye see the large rewards of vertue the bad the seuere scourges of wickednesse The booke with a fearefull boldnes I haue armed with the shield of her Maiesties royall protection who is the liuely example of Dauids righteousnesse Salomons wisedome Augustus clemency and what vertue so euer is els contained in a religious gouernment at whose feet rather by deuine miracle then worldly policye enuye and her worst enemies fall so that in effect her excellency is a figure of the whole worke and the worke the iudgementes of religion honor and iustice Religion containing the godly counsels of the Cleargie honor the fortitude of the Nobility and Iustice the wisedome of temporall magistrates the three chiefe members of this blessed gouernment whereof her Maiestie is the heade and glorye The first part containing the conquest of Enuie next vnder her Maiesty who containeth the whole I haue directed to the right honourable nobilitie to whom appertaineth the swoord the second part containing Enuies ouerthrow by vertue or more properly her Maiesties peaceable victories I reuerently present to your reuerende Lordships as coÌ„quests gained by grace The last part containing a fortresse against Enuy instructing euery estate with sacred and moral counsels in the offices and disgraces of their professions I humbly present vnto the temporall magistrates vpon whose wisedomes all good gouernments are buylded The part which I submit vnto your graue censors I hope will be well accepted containing so holy matters as peace godly gouernment deuine prouidence c. Peace is your visible attyre the beauty of Gods Church and of temporall blessinges the most precious Saint Paule among the offices of a Bishop forbiddeth him fighting yea perswadeth him to abhorre it in others and by circumstaunce or lawfull imagination counselleth him to protect and defende peace I need not priuiledge my boldnes in numbring the manifold benefites thereof you Reueren de deuines dayly preach them and by grace and your godly labours England possesseth them God continue his peace which passeth all vnderstanding among vs. To which good God I zealously pray for the prosperity of his church the welfare of your Lordships and all other true preachers of his word with what title so euer they be adopted At whose commaundement I reuerently remaine George Whetstone Induction to the Reader FRiendly Reader the good Oratour Demosthenes pleading the iniuries of a poore Widdowe before the Athenian Iudges was of the sayd Iudges so lightly regarded as he left his purpose and told them that he had a strange tale of the shaddow of an Asse to deliuer the Iudges eares were by and by quickned and with great earnestnesse desired Demosthenes to tell on his tale Demosthenes by this pollicie hauing got full audience openly rebuked the follie and iniustice of the Iudges who had their eares better prepared to heare the tale of the shaddow of an Asse then the oppression of a poore VViddowe and so through verie shame obtained iudgement in the VViddowes behalfe and certainely a pleasing enterance and vnexpected varietie many times causeth tedious tales to be fully hard and long Bookes to be throughly read which otherwise how good so euer they be the one might be smallie regarded and the other lesse perused But friendly Reader I salute thee not with this following Epistle of the Athenian Senate with this bare respect that thou mightest with expectation of nouels bee drawne to reade out the blessings of our English peace and the diuine and heroycall vertues of our most good Queene ELIZABETH when with the fulnes of thy owne benefites thou hast large cause hourely to contemplate of the one and the admiration of the whole world to allure thee to gaze on the other but rather writing of so diuine a subiect as Peace I thought no commendation the holie Scriptures reserued so excellent as the iudgement of the Athenian Senate who set light of the verie gaine of warre in regard of peace and by semblable iudgement arose this proue be that vnlawfull peace was to be preferred before lawfull warre For one other especiall regard I commend this graue letter vnto thy censure which was the high accompt that the Athenian Senates made of the renowmed Philosopher and good common-wealthes man Euxin that with like reuerence thou mayst honour loue and obeie our capitall Magistrates and common wealthes men placed by God and her Maiestie in Authoritie as the pillers and strength of this happie Gouernement for thy further instruction I referre thee to the letter it selfe which with the cause thereof followeth Betweene the Athenians and the Lacedemonians arose a most cruell warre about a contention for certaine townes seated vpon the riuer of Milin the day of battaile was assigned and bloodelie fought on either part but in the end the Lacedemonians were defeated and ouercome by the Athenians The vanquished demanded truce of the victorers and the more easely to obtaine this grace they sent as Ambassador the renowmed Philosopher Euxin who before the Senate set foorth the commendations of peace with such eloquence
and withall approoued his message with such grauitie learned and sounde reasons as he not only obtained a truce from the Athenians but ouercome with the power of Euxins Oration they gratified the Lacedemonians with the gift of the confynes which they had but lately conquered and of long challenged as their owne right by Euxin as assuraÌ„ce of loue amitie returned this leter The Senate and people of Athens greeteth the Lacedemonians with a hartie desire of health and peace WE call the Gods to witnesse that through the passed battaile we haue sustained more greefe to see you so bloodely vanquished then we haue receiued pleasure to behold our selues conquerours vpon iudgement that in the end the effects of war are such that to the vanquished the dammadge is certaine and to the vanquisher the profite doubtfull we would haue beene right glad that you had ouercome vs with Euxins words before we had vanquished you with our swords What pleasure would it haue beene to either if the chance had vnfortunately falne vpoÌ„ vs both sitheÌ„ce the rule is infallible that all that which the Gods haue ordayned may not be forestood by mans wisedome iudgement or power euen this you shoulde haue lost much by this war and we should haue gained no good by your losse You demaund of vs a truce for three monthes to this end that during this space there may be treatise of an accord betweene vs we answere you that the Senate of Athens haue not accustomed to make a truce afterwards to begin war againe but haue an auncient law either freely to accept of cruell warre or freely to accord to a perpetual peace we indeuour in the time of peace to attire our Accademies with wise men to strengthen vs with their counsell in the time of war and by theÌ„ are now aduised to graunt no truce vpon suspitious conditions and it seemeth to vs that their counsell is good for a dissembling peace is much more dangerous then open war The Philosopher Euxin your Ambassador hath so eloqueÌ„ly spoken in this Senat as it should be an vnreasonable thing to deny him what he demaÌ„deth also a more honest graunt sealeth a peace required with words then demanded with the launce Now we say and giue you to vnderstand that our Senate accordeth vnto you Lacedemonians with a right good will a loyall peace deliuering you withal from the suspition of war And to this end we do it that the world may know that the Athenians are so strong harted against the ouerproud and so great louers of wise men as they know how to chasten the foolishe Captaines and suffer themselues to be coÌ„manded of the wise Philosophers You know that all our contention is sprong for the possession of the townes seated vpon the borders of the flood Milin By this letter we certify you and by the immortall Gods sweare vnto you that we renounce and render vnto you all the right that we haue or pretend to haue in the said confines with charge that on the contrary part you bestow on vs Euxin your Ambassador for the happyâ—… Athenians esteeme more of a philosopher in their Academy then of a whole prouince for their common wealth And you Lacedemonians repute it not an act of lightnes to haue exchanged the Empire and segniory of many for the liberty to command one only man for this Philosopher shall teach vs to liue well where the possession of that Countrey may giue occasion to die euill And sithence of such auncient enimies we declare our selues such perfect friends we will not only deliuer you of this war and send you peace but in aduantage we will giue you councel to coÌ„serue the same for the medicin which preserueth health is of far more excellency then that which chaseth away sicknes now regard the remedy Vvhereas you greatly desire that your yong men should be exercised in armes so be you diligeÌ„t that your infants be in time instructed in good letters for as the one with blooddy launces raiseâ—… war so the other with sweete words obtaine peace Thinke not Lacedemonians that we perswade you this without cause for in neglecting the councell of the wise and in suffering idlenesse to grow among the people the same engendreth seditions and ciuill warres and so death to the one and other Vve would not that you should repute vs louers of much talke for our auncient father Socrates ordayned that the fyrst lesson that the tutor reade to his disciple in the Academie should be that he should not in two yeares after dare to dispute for it is impossible that anie should be prudent in speach that is not patient to holde his toong Let it then please you that Euxin remaine with vs and imagine you that if we hope for profite in his presence you may be assured that of the counsels which he giueth vs you shall receyue no dammage for it is a verie auncient lawe in Athens that the Senate may make no enterprise of warre vnlesse the Philosophers first examine whether it be iust No more vnto you but that we praie the immortall Gods yours and ours that they will prouoke both you and vs and that it will please them for euer to preserue vs in this peace for that only is euerlasting which is confirmed by the will of the Gods MIRROVR Lib 2. CHAP. 1. Of the blessings of Peace the scourge of ciuill warre and renowne of peacemakers PEace of the morall vertues is the soueraigne Queene Peace the christiline mirror is wherin is science seen Peace is the fountain next Gods word from whence doth goodnesse flowe Peace is the holie ground wheron all earthly blessings growe Peace is the trompe 〈◊〉 toong of law peace setteth iustice vp Peace measures right to euerie man yet with a seuerall cup For peace doth chastice wicked men and cherisheth the good Peace executes the paines of law but suckes no guiltles blood Peace open sets the citie gates that plentie enter may Peace leades and guides the traueller in safetie all the day Peace brings the Marchants wandring ship into the wished port Peace safety seales vpon the dores where strangers do resort Peace hangeth armor by the wall that men may ply the plowe Peace doth sustaine the poore mans neede that liues by sweat of brow Peace bringeth victuall to the towne for such as haue money Peace where she raignes makes the land to flow with milke hony Peace lends releeues and freely giues and keepes ynough in store Peace heapes these riches on the good and many blessings more Peace sheelds the wise from souldiers force and virgins vndeflowrd Peace lets the flocke to feed at large and saues them vndeuowrd The Citie of the mightie God sackt through his peoples crime Of blessed peace was Salem cald vntill king Iebus time God would not haue his Temple built but in the time of peace Christ was not borne vntil that war throughout the world did cease Christ his Apostles thus doth
and knowledge that he might worthelie iudge the people Plutarke and Aulus Gelius recite that when Alexander was borne king Philip his father wrote in this manner vnto Aristotle I thanke not God so much for that I haue a sonne as for that he is borne in the time of Aristotle c. to whose instruction Philip committed him and truely his worthy actions bewrayed the wisdome of his education This Alexander shewed the loue he bare to learning when hearing that Aristotle had written certaine bookes of naturall Philosophie hee wrote vnto him in this manner Truely Aristotle thou deceiuest my desire in publishing of this speculatiue philosophie which I thought should properly haue honored my selfe for know thou I had rather exceed all men in knowledge and learning than in riches and dominions Antigonus king of Macedone to be instructed in wisedome knowledge by his letter thus saluted the Philosopher Zenon The king Anty gonus wisheth health to the Philosopher Zenon I know well that I passe thee in riches and fauours of fortune but I must confesse that thou farre passest me in the true felicitie which consisteth in the knowledge discipline and studie of the lyberal sciences Alexander afore named so loued Homers Illyads as he appointed the magnificēt Iuel box of Darius to kéepe the same Cesar the best Captaine that euer was by his singular learning raised a question whether he was more honored with the lance or the penne Certainly they be both so necessarie as without the knowledge and vse of either a royal prince is maymed The multitude as Sophocles saith is a beast with many heads and therefore to gouerne such a monster requireth many pollicies in which the works of learned men will liberally instruct a prince but to acquire perfite knowledge the principall induction is the feare of the Lord which as Salomon saith is the beginning of wisedome The prince that will haue good subiects ought chiefely to instruct them with the example of his owne good life for for the most part the manners of the people incline to the affections of the Prince The noble prince ought to shake the flatterer from his eare and to raise the oppressed that fall at his féete for the one lieth in waite to disgrace the good and the other by opening their wrongs discouer the bad Hard and bitter words of a prince is the cause of much murmuring discontentment in the subiects where the prince is noted to be temperate no man wil be so hardy as to demand a wicked vile request O happy art thou Marcus Cato saith Cicero of whom no man dare demaund a wicked thing He is worthy of a kingdome and soueraigne rule and giueth hope of a good prince that pursueth the wicked hateth the intemperate reiecteth the lyars as the pestilence flieth the counsels of voluptuous persons for who so effecteth the desires of such counsellers his infancie wil be shameles his youth effeminated and his age infamous The preacher saith wel is thée O thou land whose king is come of nobles whose princes eate in due seasō for necessity not for lust king Lamuels mother counsaileth to giue the king no wine nor princes strong drink least in being drunken they forget the law and administration of iustice When king Alexander became a drunken Epicure in his drunkennesse he slewe his deare friends and by misgouernment hastened his owne death King Balthafar in his general banquet to his thousand Lords when he was drunken with wine commaunded his vessels of gold and siluer which his father Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the Temple at Ierusalem to be brought vnto him that he his wiues concubines might drink in them in contempt of the liuing Lord. but in the middest of his banquet the vengance of God with a visible hand wrote his destruction vpon the wal Dronkennes containeth all vices and the least vice is a great blemish in a prince Temperance in dyet bredeth sobrietie in manners reposed words are the glory of a Iuditial throne The sound safetie of a king is in the cherishment of religion and maintenance of his Lawes for the one vpon pain of damnation kéepeth subiectes in loyall obedience the other for feare of temporal punishment brideleth the dispositions of the wicked it is not ynough for the honor and maiestie of a prince to administer the vertue of all these vertues to his subiects alone but as Xenophon in his Cyropedia writeth a prince well quallified ought so to vse his enimies as his enimies may become his friends Pompey the great hauing vanquished Tygranus king of the Armenians hée established Tygranus againe in his kingdome saying that it was as Magnanimous a thing to giue a king his kingdome as to take it from him but the magnificent clemencie of Philip Maria Duke of Mylaine toward his vanquished enimies deserueth more than mortall honour This Philip Maria by victorie in a battaile vppon the Sea tooke Alfonsus king of Aragon and Sicile with two of his brethren Thierry king of Nauare the Prince of Tarent and three hundred men of great reputation all which he sent backe freely into their owne countries and where by the Law of Armes he might haue taken great ransomes of these Estates such was the honour of his mind as hée gaue vnto euerie one of them rich presents The senate of Rome deliuered 2700. Carthagenian prisoners without ransome I coulde resite manie of the like examples but small perswasions instruct the wise the vertuous desire glorie rather by their owne Actions than by the examples of other men And aboue all men a Royal Prince ought to be bewtified both with diuine and heroycall vertues for that the names dispositions and doing of the meanest princes are regestred in the Capitols of the whole world writers so narrowly search the doings of Princes as the prudēt Emperour Alexander surnamed Seuerus would oftentimes say that he stoode in more feare of one writer than of a hundred souldiers for that the wound of a pen remaineth after death when the sharpe stroke of a launce bereaueth a man but of life it is not onely conuenient that a Prince doe exercise pietie Iustice Temperance and all other offices of vertue for his honour and good renowne but it is néedfull that he do the same for his owne safetie for albeit there be no penall Law to chasten a Royall king yet Tyrannie is so odious to God and man as we seldome reade of any that raigne long and of as few that die peaceablie A number of whose ignominious deathes briefely to touch I hold not impertinent that other Princes may by the terrour thereof be feared and warned from Tyranny The Tyrant Abimelech slew 70. of his brethren and in the end a woman from a hie tower tombled a stone vpon his head the wound being mortall he willed his Page to runne him through with his sword that it might not be said a woman slew
to bring him to the agréement of his pleasure Necessitie maketh many of these conclusions contrarie to the law of charitie and good conscience which the diligence and charge in duetie of these popular Maiestrates would administer to the glorie of god and generall peace and commoditie of men CHAP. 6. Of the worthy reputation of the godly Lawier and the especiall benefite of his seruice in the common wealth THE enuious that raise mispleasing questions of the most morrall institutions as the Spider draweth poison out of the swéetest flower are like inough to slaunder my honest intent concerning the former Chapter with a suggestion that I couertly reproue Lawiers and reproch the vertue of the Law but their reasons censured by the wise will proue as vaine as their heads are void of vertue no man that hath sense will say that to prescribe rules of health it is any discredite to Phisicke or dishonour to the Phisition when the health of man sheweth the reputation of either as weake is his iudgement that saieth a perswation to concorde and quietnesse among neighbours is either a reproch to Law or blame to Lawiers when the commendation of the one and office of the other is to administer publike peace and prosperitie The pollicy of this gouernement hath made especiall choise of Lawiers to be Iusticers of Peace and for their profession they are abled for this commission albeit they cannot spende the yearely lande contained in the statute Fortescue saieth that humaine Lawes are no other than rules that instruct men to do Iustice it then followeth that Lawers are the principall instruments and amners of iustice yea so necessarie is the studie and knowledge of the Lawe as a man can hardlie discharge his duetie to God his Prince and countrie that is ignorant in the Lawes of the Realme The Romaines when they had banished their Tyrannous kings and had erected their Aristocratia or Decemuirate gouernement they trusted to the strength of their Lawes the which faire written in tenne tables they caused to be set vp in the market place to the intent that ignorance might be no plea for any man that trespassed against the weale publicke In all good gouernements there is a common Maxime Non excusâ—…t ignorantia iuris The ignorance of the Lawe excuseth not And in this blessed gouernement that euerie man might knowe his duetie the greatest part of the penal lawes ought to bée plainely opened vnto the multitude by the Iusticers or Iustices of Peace at their quarter Sessions and the like is the charge of Stewards in their Leates that the people may knowe the Lawes which they are bound to obey so that it were an vnexcusable folly to reproch the Lawe which according to the iudgement of Fortescue is an vncorrupt holinesse and a daungerous madnesse to enuie generally against Lawiers who are honored with right reuerende dignities in the common wealth and yet with fauour let the Trueth bee spoken from thinges of the greatest vertue the worst vices are growne Religion is the holiest of holy things and yet Heresie of sins the most damnable procéedeth of the wresting of holy scriptures Euen so Lawe which in trueth containeth the verie iudgements of Iustice vnto couetous and naughtie persons openeth an hundred gappes to robbe and vndoe their poore neighbours and truely vpon the temptation of their opressions a man sauing the honor of the good may say by lawyers as Cicero did by Poets when he alowed the sentence of Plato and yet Cicero honoured good Poets as appeareth by his Oration for the Poet Archias in which he perswaded the Citizens to receiue him as one that would greatly honour and benifite the Citie The like reputation and reuerence I and all good men ought to giue to godly lawiers how be it my censure is that next vnto the heriticke the wicked Lawier is the most daungerous person CHAP. 7. Of the honest reputation of the Yemonry or husbandmen the commoditie of their seruice their aptnesse to rebellion with a direction for their quietnesse and commoditie WHO so shall consideratiuely looke into the necessarie seruice of the Yemen and husbandmen of England he may with the graue Cato rightly cal them Aratores optimos ciues in republica Tyllers of the ground and best Citizens in a common wealth and as their trauell and continual labor profiteth or more properly féedeth the whole Realme so their inconstant and seditious humors are apt vppon euery light temptation to worke the disturbance of the whole Realme and therefore the pollicie of our gouernment within the compasse of euery foure or fiue mile in most shires hath appointed some one of the better sort of the Gentlemen to be a Iusticer of peace among them who as is before showne is bounde to haue an eye vnto their behauiours and an eare readie to heare and appease their murmurings and truely if any good counsaile may take place among the stubborne multitude besides the admonition of sacred Scripture which in maniâ—… places commaundeth obedience and forbiddeth rebellion the assurednesse of their myserie vndoing and vtter confution forbiddeth them to runne from the motion of sedition as swift if it were possible as the fearefull Hare doth from the hungrie Grayhounde for their daunger is farre more apparent the Hare many times saueth her selfe by the recouerie of some woode but the poore and popular rebell lyeth open to all destruction Noble men Gentlemen and the better sort if they sée themselues in perrill as they are neuer safe that rebell they haue swift horse secreat friends and many couerts to shrowd them but the shiftlesse countrie men haue no sucker but the princes mercie which they neither deserue nor yet haue friends to acquire the same if there were not innumerable examples to proue that they headlong runne vppon their destruction and swiftly flie from their safetie and profite it were a thing almost vnpossible that the meanest sort of men would be drawne into rebellion I haue in many places of my booke shewen sundrie examples of their vnconstancie and therefore heere will onely set downe what Chauser writeth of their dispositions vnder Osterne people vniust and vntrue Ay vndiscreete and chaunging as a fane Delyting euer in rumors that be new For like the Moone you euer wax and wane Your reason halteth your iudgement is lame Your dome is false your constance euil preueth A ful great foole is he that on you leueth But questionlesse this mutabilitie and anke-ward disposition of the multitude would be much reformed if the Maiestrates and godly mynisters would sufficiently remember them of their dueties towards God their Prince and countrie It is great pittie that such profitable members in a common wealth should runne into daunger of disloyaltie for lacke of good instruction yea it is great pittie vnlesse in time of warre that they should be carried farre from their labor a poore countrie man that vseth a Lawâ—…ers chamber is in as great a daunger as