be sufficient to declare vnto you foure principall causes onely The first and principal cause of the first creation did procéede vpon the maruellous wisedom in the ordring and disposing of things which the people did perceiue to begin to shine and appeare in some one Citizen at whose excellencie greatly maruelling being caried away with the same iudged him most woorthy the administration and gouernement of their common welth Beholde loe one of the chéefest reasons of the institution of Kinges was as I say bycause that some one by his ciuil prudence and integritie of life begoon first to exhorte and induce the people being yet rude and barbarous to the obseruation of certaine lawes and humaine pollicies by whiche meanes they did sée hée did the more happily establishe their common wealth and the better rule and order the estate of their liues Which Iustinus that graue hystorian did wel vnderstaÌ„d when hee writ that the first institution of Kings and Princes did not take his beginning of a glorie or popular ambition as some haue written but of a maruellous excellent wisedome gentlenesse and vertue appearing in some one man The seconde cause which did mooue the people to create their Kings and Princes was a frée and louing affection which they had to acknoweledge the good actes that any one had done to their Commonwealth as if any man by his magnanimitie woorthinesse and puissance of Armes had deliuered them from the seruitude and bondage of any Tyranne or had any wayes amplified their limits or broughte any other prouinces subiecte or contributorie vnto theirs or by the institution of any good lawes had made their liues more happie and quiet they not willing to shewe themselues vnthankefull for the same but rather to gratifie such desertes alwayes aduaunced and called these to the Dignitie Royall and by a common consent and accorde made them chéefe gouernours and ministers of their prouinces As it chaunced to Scipio Affricanus who after that hee had destroyed and ouerthrowen new Carthage and vanquished their captaine Hasdrubal in Spaine was called King as Plutarch wryteth although hée with a maruellous modestie refused it knowing that that tytle among the Râ—maines was most odible And in like manner Cicero hauing deliuered Rome from the conspiracie of Cateline was called Father and Patrone of the Common welth And this hath not bene practized onely among Painims and Ethniks but also among the people of God who when they perceiued that same deuine myracle of Chryst of the multiplication of fiue loues and twoo fishes would haue created and made him a king but hée whiche was not come to that ende that any shuld minister to him but that hée would minister to others refused such honor as they would haue giuen him The third reason wherefore Kings and Princes were first created and receyued vpon the Earth grew vpon necessitie which did enforce the coÌ„mon people to search out a way and meane by the which they might correct the furious and oppresse the violeÌ„ce of the wicked bicause that of nature wée are prompt and inclined to do euel and always some there are found so far out of order that by their wickednesse they confound and trouble al humaine deuise and policie and spoile contrary to al equitie their neighbors of their goods and therefore to restraine such rashnesse and to brydle such outragiousnesse to the ende to maintaine and conserue the estate publike in tranquillitie and peace they were constrayned to make one chéefe heade which should coÌ„maund them all maintayne the good in their wel doing and likewise chastise the insolencie of the wicked And this self reason hath caused vs to beleue that kings were first ordayned euen fro the beginning of the world euen as it were incontinent after our first father was cast out of Paradise terrestial for such autoritie prehemineÌ„ce was more requisite at that than any other time bicause violence opression couetousnesse began then to raign among men And S. Paule that faithful truÌ„pet and minister of the glory of Iesus Christ in his Epistle to the Romaines hath taught vs what obedience we owe to Princes and Kings and to al our Superiors where among other matters he giueth a reason for the same that is bicause they correct and punish the wicked Let al persons saith hée be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of god those that be apointed of God wherfore he that resisteth autoritie resisteth Gods ordinance and those that withstand the same procure daÌ„nation to theÌ„selâ—es for Princes are not to be feared for well doing but for euell doing therfore if thou wilt not feare authoritie do wel and thou shalt receiue prayse of him for the Prince is the seruant of God for thy commoditie but if thou do euel feare him for hée carrieth not the Sworde in vaine but is the minister of God to do iustice to the terror of those that do euel And therfore wée ought of dutie to bée obedient to them not onely for feare but for conscience sake Beholde loe a maruellous doctrine of Sainct Paule touching the obedience we ought to haue towards Kings and Princes and other Superiors Let vs also marke the testimonie of Sainct Peter touching the sayde matter who doth wholy confirme the same that Sainct Paule hath sayde before Be you subiect to all maner of ordinances of man sayth hée for the Lordes sake whither it bée vnto the King as vnto the chéefe head or to the Rulers as to them who are sent of him aswell for the punishment of euell doers as for the laude and praise of that doe well And Cicero the Ethnike in his second boke of Offices hath shewed the same manner of Institution of Kings where hée sayeth It is not very like that Kings and Princes haue onely béene chosen and instituted out of the meanest sorte as Herodotus hath written but of others the most wise and aunciente to the ende they might haue iustice the better exercised For the meane people being vexed and opprest by the rych and wealthiest were constrayned to haue their refuge to some one that excelled the others in vertue to this ende that hée should not onely defende them the poorer and weaker sort from the iniurie and violence of the wicked but also conserue the one the other in equitie and iustice The fourth cause that hath moued the people to the Election of Princes and Kings was for the great magnanimitie and woorthinesse of Armes they sawe to appeare in some one that did deliuer them from their enimies or else it did procéede of some publike proclamation or edict by the which it was ordayned that hée who could deliuer them out of some seruitude or tyrannie shoulde for recompence thereof bée made King which was the cause and meane to prouoke euery one to shew themselues famous and woorthie to the ende that being stirred vppe with
a fewe in numbre amongest them as Augustus Vespasianus Tytus Anthonius Pius Anthonius Verus and Alexander Seuerus whoo haue very well shewed them selues in their gouernementes thou shalte finde a number of others all imbrued with vices and tyrannies and that so many that the euell Princes haue muche surpassed the vertuous and good And if thou bée desirous to reade the gestes of the Assyrians the Persians Gréekes and Egyptians there will appeare more of such as were euil and wicked Princes than of those that were good and vertuous I hope nowe that no man is of the opinion that I doe pretende by these examples any thing to abase or diminishe the Royall dignitie of a Prince vnto whose obedience I doe wholly yéelde my body and life for the woorthinesse and excellencie therof but I desire most chéefely therby to admonishe Kings and Princes in God of their duetes and office and that principally in respecte of so many soules so dearely boughte of whome they bée protectoures and defenders And I truste no man will no more blame mée or thinke my good will straunger héerein than they will doe hys which doth admonishe any man who is to trauaile thorowe straunge Countreyes that he shoulde take héede of the perillous and daungerous places which be in hys way and of théeues that lie by the wayes to robbe and spoyle him or to warne those whiche doe committe them selues to hasarde of the Seas that they should eschue and shunne certaine Rockes vpon the whiche if by chaunce they should fall they might bée in daunger of shippe wracke And so I haue none other meaning héerein but onely to exhorte Kings and Princes and all others that be called to any dignitie and Gouernment to haue their saluation in remembrance and to be vigilant and carefull to order and directe all their actions and doings in the feare of God bicause their dysorders are more notable and more perillous than the common sort of people And that by these examples of the wicked sorte which wée haue rehersed here in this booke they should haue good regard not to followe euen as he that séeth another fall before him ought to take good héede with all diligence to eschue the lyke danger and peril And contrary the examples of the good and vertuous which wée haue also spoken of héere may so induce them to vertue that they may leaue an eternal memorie after them of their good and vertuous liues Which we ought to leaue to our heires rather than to leaue them great numbers of treasure and riches as the wise man sayeth the good renoume is more to be praysed than precious oyntment And likewise he sayth in the booke of wisdome that the memorie of the good is immortall before God and man But when hée maketh mention of the iudgement that the posteritie shall haue of the wicked sorte he sayth they shall be cut of from al good reporte and fame and shall be alwayes in opprobrie amongst the deade where they shall lamente and wayle and the memorie of them and their séede shal be forgotten as though they had neuer bene but the good and vertuous sayth he shall liue from generation to generation their glorie shall be for euermore and the same shall bée declared and manifest in their children ¶ The fourth Chapter Hovve that those vvhich shall commaund others ought first to master them selues and so suppresse and moderate their affections passions that by their good liues they may induce those that be subiect to them to vertue and godlinesse WE haue sufficiently proued by the reasons aforesayde that vertue was the chiefe and principall cause why Kings and Princes were in the beginning elected established and therfore seing it is so that they bée called to suche dignitie for the noblenesse and vertue whiche is founde in them more than in others they ought to labor and enforce themselues to excel in that which is the cause of their honour and dignitie for it is writen of Saule in the booke of the Kings that he was in the beginning of his reigne both noble and vertuous and there was not a better man to be founde among the children of Israel although in the ende by his insolencie and ambition hée loste the grace of the Lorde his god And Cyrus King of the Persians vpon a certaine time hauing conference with his wyse and learned Phylosophers touching the vertues meete and requisite for a King sayde vnto thē that hée was vnwoorthy to bée an Emperour or King whose vertues did not excel his subiectes Certain men being enuious of the honor that was giuen to Lyuie King of the Sparthians had him in disdayne and sayd he was made of the matter and substance that they were and was no better than others and that hée deserued not to haue any estimation in this worlde otherwise than in respect of his Royall dignitie To whom he answered with a maruellous discretion and comelie modestie If I had not bene better than any of you sayd hee I should not haue bene chosen vnto this dignitie Royall And Solon one of the most renoumed for wisedome in al Greece being demaūded what maner of person ought to haue the Gouernement of the people such a one sayde hée as knoweth howe to gouerne and subdue himself before he take vpon him to rule ouer others He that shall commaund others ought first to knowe howe to commaund and rule himselfe for as the wise man sayth howe can he be good to others that is euill to himselfe And Philip King of Macedon doth giue vs very well to vnderstande what a Prince ought to bée in the aunswere that hée made to his sonne Alexander when he found himselfe gréeued with his father for hauing the companie of so many women and that he had by euery of them issue fearing leaste by the number of so many children hée might be defrauded of the kingdome seing that thou knowest sayde hée that there bée so many that desire to succéede me in my Empire frame thy selfe to that good order in al thy doings and vse such wisdome and prudence therein that by thy vertue and good desertes and not by my fauoure and grace thou mayest bée founde méetest to bee Lorde and King which Alexander who afterwards not only succéeded his kingdome but also in his wisdome did kéepe well in remembrance this his fatherly doctrine for being demaunded euen at the very time when he felte in his bodie the most furious bitter anguish of death by one of those whome he best loued and fauoured whome he woulde after his lyfe to succéede hym and inherit his kingdome the same sayde hée that shall bée most woorthiest iudging by this answere that hée is vnworthy to rule and gouerne whose vertues are obscure and vnknown Al Princes therfore that desire to rule and commaunde others ought to haue this lesson specially in remembraunce which shall serue them as
of his life after the ordinance therof and a Tyrant folowing the frailenesse of his owne wil breketh and violateth the Law and is not gouerned by any other puissance than by his vnbrideled desire and apetite by the which being prouoked he peruerteth and corrupteth al order of Iustice After he ioyneth that which foloweth worthy certainely of perpetuall memorie And if thou wilt sayth he consider Man in his dignitie and perfection he is the most meruellous most excellent most noble of all other creatures but if thou wilt consider him being at libertie and without the vse of the law thou shalt find him the most monstrous and abhominable of al others And Cleobolus one of the wisest men of al Greece sayth he ought to vse least libertie that hath more than another A Philosopher of Persia by a briefe answer that he made to King Cambises giueth a worthy example of the difference betwene a King and a Tirant King Cambises asked him if it were lawefull for hym to ioyne in mariage with his Syster there is sayde he no Lawe that doth permitte it neuerthelesse Kings and Princes do what pleaseth them An other Mynion of the Courte desyrous to flatter and please King Antigonus sayde vnto hym that all thynges were lawefull and honest for Kings yea sayde the King verye well to the barbarous and ignorant people but to vs that haue pollytike knowledge apt vnderstanding capable of Prudence and Iustice and that are instructed and nourished in good letters there is nothing lawefull to vs which shall not be both good honest and vertuous I will tell you one notable thing more of this King seeing it is in purpose to speake of him being a puissant Ruler in Asia and the successor of Alexander on a tyme he fell sicke was so euil handled by the rygour of his disease that there was thought no hope of his life but after that he was amended of his sicknesse hys friendes began to reioyce of his health to whome he sayd well my friends let no man lament the euill lucke of my sickenesse for amongst other incommodities whiche it brought me it dyd me one specyall good turne in making me to know that I am a mortal man and so farther it hath made me to vnderstande that for that greate prosperitie and puissance that I haue had I ought not to looke so hyghe nor to exalte my selfe as I haue begon bicause that this prosperitie is no permament thing But to returne againe to our purpose Kings ought to be the first to put to their handes vnto the worke and giue vs example by their good liues in what reuerence and estimation we ought to haue their Lawes statutes for in so dooing they shal be honored and feared of their subiectes they will haue them in such greate admiration for their good works that they wil not be so hardy to offende or commit any notable crime for there is nothing that dothe more prouoke and styr the common people to vertue than when they do sée their chiefe and Prince the firste that putteth himselfe in exercise of well doing who is as it were a Theatre and glas that al the world should behold or as common fountaine wherat al the world should drawe water or as a lampe that should giue lighte to al men But to th end that we shuld not séeme to speake these things without authority mark the sayings of the wise man in the Ecclesiastiques who sayth as the Gouernour of the citie is such are the inhabitants therof the foolish King shall loose his people and the Cytie shall be well inhabited when it is gouerned by the wise if we wil enter into the secretes of the Scriptures we shal finde that there haue beene many wicked Kings which haue béen cause of the ruine destruction of their people And that this shal be found true you may read that Ieroboam king of Israel setting vp calues of gold did cal his people from the honoring of God and caused them to commit Idolatrie by meanes whereof these poore people became wicked and for the same his wickednesse his owne house was pulled vp by the rootes and vtterly made ruinate vpon the face of the erth and so the people of Israell walked in al those ways of wickednesse that Ieroboam did set forth Let vs go a little farther we shal finde that many Kings of Iuda as Achas Manasses and Amon by their euill example caused the people to commit Idolatrie and for their execrable offences the Lorde promised them to diuert and ouerthrowe Ierusalem and to sende grieuous persecutions vpon the people of Israell which he did afterwards Beholde loe how euill guides be as the trumpets that do stirre al strife and the torches that do set on fire the poore people to all vice and wickednesse And if by chaunce there be any founde amongs the people which are not so far gone astray as others bée and that will not be induced to wickednesse by the euill conuersation and example of their Prince yet neuerthelesse perceiuing their King and Prince to be a vicious and wicked person they will not giue him the obeysance and honor that is due to him for wickednesse and sinne carieth ordinarily with it this commoditie it will cause him that doth commit the same to be counted an abiecte and to be contemned of all men But to the contrarie there is neyther Scepter Diademe Purple or other worke of Nobilitie that shall make the Prince to be more estéemed and his subiectes to bée more prompt and apte to obey him than the integritie of life temperature of manners and brightnesse of vertue ¶ The sixth Chapter Hovve that a Prince for his better perfection in the ordring and directing of his life ought specially aboue all other things to be learned and also to haue continuall conference and Counsel vvith sage and vvise mē vvhich shal be as the sinnevves and life vvherby his Realme shal be sustained and maintained vvherin also is made diuers and many discourses of the honour and reuerence that Princes in the olde time haue borne tovvardes learning and knovvledge EVen as we for our part desire wish that the Prince for his better perfectiō shuld be endued with vertue and godlynesse alwayes embracing the same as a dayly cōpanion So is it expediente for him that he be enriched beutified with Lerning and science that by the aide therof he may be made more apt and méet to rule and gouern his Subiectes Vegesius in his booke of the Arte of warre among other things willeth that a Prynce shoulde haue singular knowledge and vnderstanding in all Sciences and learning and the same is confirmed by the wise man where he saythe that the sage and learned Prynce is the stay supporter of the people likewise he writeth in the prouerbes that the wise and learned man shall enioy the gouernement It is then very needefull for a
Persians the Meedes the Grekes nor of the Romanes who were called the Garramants and he béeing very ambitious of suche matters minded to visite them in his iourney and when he arriued in their Prouince he commaunded that the wysest and sagest amongs them should come and speake with him that he might vnderstande the maners customes and order of liuing of those people who séemed vnto him to be men farre estraunged from the fashions and dooings of the common vsage of other men whereof when the Garramants were aduertised without any more deliberation sent vnto hym presently an olde man frée and franke in words and stoute in his countenaunce and one that had neuer ben feared for the presence of any Prince Emperour or Monarche who béeing arriued afore him after that he had made his due reuerence began to beholde him with a Philosophers eye and knowing very well Alexanders humor that he was not come into their countrey for any other intente but to make him selfe Lorde and Prince thereof firing his countenaunce immoueable vppon his face lyke a man that had ben halfe in an extasie sayde to him Tell me I pray thee O thou Alexander what wouldest thou haue what is thy meaning what is thy will and purpose doest not thou sufficiently giue knowledge to the face of the whole world that thou arte possessed with an insatiate greedynesse and an inordinate couetousnesse which for a transitory ambition that vanisheth away as the smoke arte not afearde to pouerishe many to make thy selfe onely riche nor arte not ashamed of the complayntes and lamentations of the poore widows and of an infinite nuÌ„ber of wretched myserable people which thou hast dispossessed of their lands to make thy selfe vniuersall Monarche of the whole earth nor hast thou no regard of the effusion of the bloud of so many poore Innocents but thus with infamy to make thy name euerlasting and immortalize thy selfe for euer yet if thou couldest by thy cruel battels bloudie victories enioy the lyues of them which thou doest kill to increase prolong thyne owne lyfe as thou doest inherite their goods to augment thy renowne although it were wicked yet it were tollerable But to what purpose serueth it thée to take away their liues when thou thy selfe lookest euery houre that the Gods shall take thyne Oh Alexander yet if thy desire had any ende and that it were bordered and limitted as the kingdomes bee which thou doest conquere thou wouldest then giue some hope to the people of thy amendemente to come but know thou oh Alexander to what ende this will come vnto the Gods shall giue for a penaunce vnto thée and to all suche ambitious hearts as thine is which are neuer satisfied nor contented that assoone as death is ready to close vp your mouths and when you are at the last poynt of life you shall haue so great an vnquietnesse of conscience for those things which you haue so vniustly heaped gathered togithers that it shall be more gréeuous and harder for you to digest than if ye should suffer a thousand deathes togithers And so this old man hauing ended al his discourse stoode still immoueable for a space before Alexander aspecting some answere of him but Alexander féeling him selfe touched inwardly was tossed with many imaginations at the reasons of that wise sage philosopher and in such sort that this spirits were ouercome and vanquished not able to vtter the effect of his minde to make him any answere by reason whereof béeing confounded and condemned in him selfe for his enterprises he returned from thence immediately without hurting or any wayes annoying the Garramants The Emperour Tiberius a cruell man in all his doings was not moued when it was told him that many did murmure and speake euill of his cruelties and tyrannies but answered to them that perswaded him to bée reuenged vppon those that so murmured agaynst him that he coulde very well occupie him selfe otherwise and saide that mens tongues ought to be frée in a frée Citie Moyses that great law giuer of the Lorde hath lefte vs also maruellous testimonies of pacience modestie who although he was many times tormented vexed with his people yea euen that they were ready to stone him to death yet whatsoeuer assaults these sturdy people did make against him they could neuer driue him from his humilitie nor put him out of pacience but to the contrary he dyd by his continuall prayers which he made to the Lorde appease the malice and furie which they had vniustly conceyued agaynst him The Historiens doo wryte that two olde women dyd addresse them selues to a king and an Emperour the one to king Demetrius the other to the Emperor Adrianus praying theÌ„ instaÌ„tly that they might haue iustice ministred for a certen violence which one had don to them But these Princes being occupied with other affayres did aunswere them that they must for a time deferre the matter for that they could not intende it at that present whereat the women beeing gréeued sayd vnto theÌ„ that then they ought to giue vp their Empires to others for princes muste sayde they be at all times of the day ready to protect defende the afflicted and euer willing to render iustice and righte to eche one and with that charge yée doo receiue your dignities and kingdomes And yet notwithstanding al these words neither of these Princes were moued or angrie and they perceyuing the earnestnesse of these matrons began to smile and presently gaue them audience and did them iustice And Ioseph that great Patriarke beeing so cruelly handled at his brothers hands in stéede of reuenging him selfe he delyuered them from famine which did oppresse them so muche that they knew not where to haue any succour or helpe Denis the Tyraunt king of Siâ—ilia by force who hath borne a gret name of crueltie amongs others and a man hated almoste of all persons vsed neuer the lesse curtesie towards an old woman suche as foloweth As he was vppon a time aduertised that she prayed vnto the Gods dayly for hys long lyfe and health where to the contrary he knew that all the rest of the people wished his death and ouerthrow as the very pestilence of their common wealth did commaunde hir to be called before him and he dyd earnestly require hir to tell him for what cause she prayed so often to the Gods for his lyfe seeing that he knew very well that all the rest of the people desired his death This olde woman who knew not how to counterfeyte did discouer vnto him hir meaning therein and sayde My soueraigne Lorde when I was a yong woman this Prouince was gouerned with a cruell Tyraunt whose life was so noysome to me that I did continually wishe his death and to the ende my desire might take place I prayed hartely to the Gods in the Temple that they would deliuer the people from the bondage of that Tyraunt and that they would sende
to master them selues and so suppresse and moderate their affections and passions that by their good liues they may induce those that be subiect to them to vertue and godlinesse Chapter 4. Fol. 41. How that if the Prince desire to haue his Common welth to be well gouerned it is most meetest and necessarie that he him selfe obeye and obserue the lawes that by his good examples he may teache the vulgare and common people to do the like and liue in feare and obedience towardes him Chapter 5. Folio 48. Howe that a Prince for his better perfection in the ordering and directing of his life ought specially aboue all other things to be learned and also to haue continuall conference and Counsell with sage and wise men whiche shal be as the sinnewes and life wherby his Realme shall be sustained and maintained wherin also is made diuers and many discourses of the honour nd reuerence that Princes in the olde time haue borne towards learning and knowledge Chapter 6. Fol. 57. How that Kings and Princes ought chiefly and most principally to haue the state of christian Religion in greate reuerence and estimation and to shewe themselues louers of the same and that they ought also to be very diligent and carefull to punish the blasphemers and cōtemners therof and withal to purge their dominions and realmes of all heretikes and Sectaries for the which there is shewed many examples of erronious sectes together with the false doctrine of Mahomet his life and death and by what means and suttletie he hath suborned and seduced so many people and how many Emperours kings and princes after they had persecuted the faithfull of the Churche of God did not escape the sharp vengeance of his wrath but dyed in the ende of some shamefull and horrible death Chapter 7. Fol. 82. Howe that Princes ought to eschue and put away all furiousnesse and pryde and that they oughte not to truste to muche in their force and mightinesse with a declaration of the humaine miseries and to how many accidentes of misfortune our liues are subiect with also diuers examples howe manye descended of a meane and vnknowen bloud haue ben aduaunced to the estate of Kings Princes and Emperoures and how contrarywise many taking their originall of noble bloud and progenie when they were in the full complement of all prosperitie haue ben through their wicked and abhominable doings by the deuine permission shamefully ouerthrowen and driuen out of their kingdomes and dominions Chapter 8. Folio 106. How that clemencie and gentlenesse are vertues most meete and conuenable for Kings and Princes with many examples alleaged confirming the same Chapter 9. Folio 128. What Iustice is and what profite and commoditie the same bringeth to gouernement and how that without the vse thereof Kingdomes can not be called kingdomes but dennes and receptacles for theeues and robbers Chapter 10. Folio 142. How that crueltie and tyrannie are cheefe enemies to Justice where also is shewed wherin the good Prince differeth from the tyrannous Prince with sundry examples confirming the same gathered as well out of the Greeke as Latine Authors which will bring great pleasure and contentation too the Reader Chapter 11. Folio 147. A Treatise of Peace and Warre and the difference of the one from the other things necessarie to be red by Princes and magistrates that haue the gouernement of Realmes and Common wealthes Chapter 12. Fol. 155. How hurtfull incontinencie is to Princes and how that the same hathe ben the cause of the ruine and destruction of manye realmes and kingdomes with also a Treatise of the dignitie and excellencie of the honourable state of Matrimonie Chapter 13. Fol. 179. The ende of the Table Peter Bouaisteau to the Reader GEntle Reader thou shalte vnderstande that this presente Auctoure whose translatiō I prefer here vnto thee doth not folowe others of the Greekes and Latines that haue entreted of the like matter bicause they alway wryting any instructiōs for their Princes were accustomed to aduertize them how they ought to gouerne themselues in mariage and also to admonishe them that they shoulde flee from the companie of euill and wicked women and to be vigilant and careful to cleanse their dominions of all such infections as the onely things that tended to the vtter decay and ruine of them Neyther doth he make any mention here howe Princes ought to eschue wars and embrace peace a thing so necessarie as without the which Gouernement is altogether imperfect and maymed He hath likewyse omitted to exhorte Princes to bannish out of their Courtes al Flatterers and other such kinde of vermine that do nothing else but fyl their eares with vnnecessarie pleasures and delights whose exercise is onely to watche apte houres and tymes to feede them with toyes and fantasies wherin they do so well play their partes that in the ende they corrupte them although they be very good of nature and well inclined And if thou be curious to knowe the occasyon why the Authour hath suppressed and kept in silence in the discourse of thys Booke things so necessarie for Regimente seing he hath so wel entreated of the rest I can not tell any reson therfore other than as I suppose that he was preuented by death being in purpose if he had liued longer to haue performed those points And the cause that doth leade mee thus to be persuaded is for that there was founde of his doing after his decease one Booke of Geographie and another of Greeke Epigrams that were imperfect and vncorrected which are at this presente in the Kings Librarie to be sene And in place therof I am enboldned trusting vpon the good interpretation thou wilt make of these my labours to ioyne vnto it these three treatises beforenamed of mine owne inuention for the better and more perfect adourning of this worke assuring thee that I haue not so wel trusted in myne owne habilitie nor presumed of my selfe so much but that I haue vsed therin the ayde of certein famous Latin Authors and specially in the Treatise of Peace and Warre as thou mayest perceyue by the reading thereof And as touching the other two I haue perfourmed them rather by myne own labor and trauayle than by any other meanes which neuerthelesse are not to be condemned although as the Comicall Poete sayeth there is nothing presently there spoken that hath not bene sayd long before The fyrste Treatise which is agaynste Parasites and Flatterers thou mayest reade in my Prologue and that of the excellencie of Mariage and the other of Peace and Warre be the last two Chapters of this present Boke Besydes these things before named I haue gathered oute of many good Authoures by the persuasion of a friend of mine the life maners religion and death of that monster Mahomet and shewed by what meanes and subtiltie he did seduce and cary away with him so many people Al which things I praye thee fyrst reade wyth good deliberation before thou do iudge and then I
carefull where hée sayth goe your wayes you slouthfull and ydle persons to the little Antes and marke well their doings and take good héede thereto for they althoughe they haue no Prince Gouernour or Ruler yet alwayes they do prepare in the Sommer time their meat and do during their haruest lay vp great stoare for their liuings in the Winter And in like maner wée are secretely taught by a hidden exhortation of Nature to beholde the conditions of these brute beasts and to take good héede to their order and manner of liuing to the ende that wée endued with reason may learne of them that are without reason how wee ought to leade this our humain societie and by what prouidence Kings and Princes oughte to gouerne their subiectes and contrariwise what obeysance and reuerence is due to them For all men by nature reason although they sometimes faile therin are bound to loue and obey him that ruleth and gouerneth them a puissance so great of nature that she extendeth her force likewise to brute and sauage beastes And Zenophon introduceth Socrates his master that hée had in gret admiration why man was found more ingrate to hys gouerner and ruler than the brute beast for it is not seene commonly sayth hée that any other beast how brutish so euer hée bée to abuse them that nourishe him nor doth refuse to obey to his pastour and feeder as man doth For the Shéepe folow the voice of their shepherd the Swine followe their swineherde the Birds loue them that féed them although they bée insensible and fearful and there cannot be shewed any other reson why the dominion of the Persians endured so long as Socrates sayeth but bicause they aboue all people did alwayes honour the Maiestie Royal and had it in a most singular estimation and reuerence and thus hée doth conclude that sometimes it is most méete for vs to endure beare the imperfections of Princes and that for a litle enormitie wee may not lose so great a benefit Wée will nowe make an end of those things bicause that wée do speak more amply of them in our nexte Chapter And it is not without great cause that I haue ioined these little Antes and Bées together bicause amongs all other kinde of beasts they bée the most industrious and most diligent as Aristotle witnesseth Furthermore the Cranes bee foules that flock and companie together as S. Ierome writeth when hée sayth that insensible beastes followe their Captaines as amongs the Bées there is an head the Cranes followe their companions in good order Whereby hée séemeth to proue that it is méete that there bée one chéefe and head among al creatures as in a Ship one gouerner And Rome could not suffer two brethren to raign together but by the effusion of the bloud of the one the other tooke place Likewise in the wombe of Rebecca the two brethren Iacob and Esau coulde not accord but fought together And S. Ambrose in his Hexameron setteth out more at large this which S. Ierome hath sayde briefly The Cranes sayeth hée choose themselues one head or Captaine and follow after him in the rearewarde they doe appoynt certayne which by their crying shal stay the whole troup they watch by course and they that watch do holde stones in their féete to the ende that when they bée ouercome with sléepe the stones falling from them they might awake by the noyse therof the others hauing theyr heads vnder their wings do sléep and take their rest standing one while on one legge and other whiles vpon the other and their chéefe and Captaine being awaked doth foresée all daunger and gyueth warning to the rest Thus it is nowe sufficiently made playne and manifest vnto you aswell by the testimonie of the Ecclesiastical as the Prophane hystories that Nature a most excellent woorker whoo hath made nothing in vaine hath giuen a certaine mark caracter and token of preheminence and Royaltie euen among brute beasts to the end that being mooued and prouoked with the maruellous contemplation of these things wée should bée the more apte to receiue instructions how to yéeld obedience to our Princes Superiours and Gouernours ¶ The second Chapter Hovve that the first beginning of Kings and Princes is very auncient and that immediatly after the creation of the VVorlde the people beganne to choose and elect Kings and Princes MEN being guided by nature instructed by reason and lead by deuine inspiratioÌ„ did elect and choose Kings and Princes shortely after the creation of the Worlde to the ende to lead and continue the state of their liues together wyth the greater felicitie peace tranquillitie For wée reade that Caine after the murthering of his brother builded a Citie and called it Enoch after the name of his sonne in the which as it is like to bée true hée ordained one chéefe and Prince who had the whole gouernement of the Empire yet it may bée that hée was not called a King for that suche name was not then in vse But for as much as wée haue no certaine testimonie by the Scriptures that Caine did institute any King in his Citie it shall bée necessarie for vs to examine and serch out more diligently thinges that passed after that time by the discourse whereof the Beginning and Originall of Kings and Kingdomes shall bée more manifest vnto vs A while after the Deluge and that the greate aboundance of water was by God poured downe to wash and purifie the earth defiled and polluted by the wickednesse and abhominable sinnes of mankinde Belus the first king of the Assirians in the time of Thares the father of Abraham did gouerne the earth as Eusebius doth recount in his Chronicles and during this age the force of Arms and mightinesse of Kingdomes wherof the hystories make mention did beginne to appeare as the Assirians Sâ—â—â—heans Egiptianâ— and Bracteans which doth giue vs certaine testimonie of the Originall and beginning of Kings and Kingdoms that did increase after the floud afterwards without any intermission were dispersed vpon the face of the earth here and there and haue so wel continued and prospered hitherto that the memorie of them is eternall The holie hystories make mention that in the time of Abraham there was a King of Salem called Melchisedech after it maketh mention of foure Kings whoo hauing vanquished fiue other Kings and dyspoiled them of their victualles and booties were afterwardes againe vanquished and destroyed by Abraham who did set vpon them with a great number of his seruaunts And so thys which wée do alleage héere concerning all these Kings tendeth to none other point but to prooue and declare vnto you the antiquitie of Kings which did appeare shortely after the creation of the world It nowe resteth for vs to shew the causes why they were created and chosen to this dignitie royall and although the histories do affirm and produce diuerse causes and many in number yet it shall
the hope of suche a name as a King they mighte trauaile to atchieue to the same by some commendable actes or vertuous exploites And of such Edictes and Proclamations wee haue examples and sufficient testimonie in the holie Scriptures Caies in the booke of Iosua made Proclamation that hée whoo would beséege the Citie of Cariathstopher and take it hée woulde giue him his daughter Axam to his wife which hée did accomplish in Othoniel who hauing taken the same Citie did receiue his promise Wée haue an other like example in the fift boke of the Kings where it is written that the same lump of flesh Goliath the Philistine who was of so monstrous a bignesse that all the armie of the Israelites did greatly feare little Dauid did triumphe ouer him and retourned victor hauing vnderstanding before that hée which coulde vanquishe hym shoulde bée honoured of King Saule and receiue great riches and should haue his daughter to his wife and also his fathers house should bée made frée in Jsrael Wée haue likewise such an other example of the same Dauid in the second booke of the Kings where hee promiseth a great aduancement to him that should ouerthrow the Jebusites that hée shoulde in consideration therof bée made chéefe and Captaine of the armie And bicause Iacob put to flight his enimies and possessed Jerusalem hée gaue him the chéefest place in his armie Now it resteth for vs too prooue that the Lorde hath bene the authour of this royall dignitie and that hée himselfe hath confirmed the same as it is manifestly shewed vnto vs in Deuteronomie when hée instructed the people of Israell by what meanes they ought to institute their Kings wher it is writteÌ„ When thou commest intoo the lande that the Lord thy God hath giuen thée and that thou doest possesse it and remaine there thou shalt say I will haue a King ouer mée as all the people haue that is aboute mée then thou shalte choose ouer thée that King which the Lorde thy God shall choose oute amongs the middest of thy brethren thou shalt not set ouer thée a straÌ„ge man which is not thy brother Furthermore when the time of the Iudges was expired and that the people of Israel with great pertinacitie and stubbornesse did demaund of the Lord to haue a King ouer them hée himselfe did choose and ordeine Saule whom hée found a man according too his hearts desire which should not haue bene thus auctorized and appointed if Royall puissaunce had mysliked him But why do wée bring forth any further matter to prooue the authoritie of Princes seing Iesus Christ himself was appointed King by his father vpon the holy hil of Sion according to the Psalmist And S. Iohn in the Apocalips confirmeth the same saying Hée hath written on his thigh and in his garment his name thus King of Kings Lord of Lords Ruler of Rulers and whose kingdoÌ„ is eternall as it was likewise shewed too Daniel in his visions And all those that are appointed chosen into the dignitie Royal be Lieutenants of the great Monarch Iesus Christ whose wil was to be knowne at that time when the vniuersall computation of the world was made by Augustus to the ende that his parents should pay tribute and that they should acknowledge the earthly Princes for their superiors S. Mathew doth write the like of Iesus Christ that when he hys disciples came into Capernaum these that did receiue the â—ol came to Peter demaunded of him doth thy master pay tribute and he aunswered and sayd yea when he was in the house Iesus Christ came to Peter sayd Simon the Kings of the earth of whom do they take tribute or tol is it of their children or of strangers and Peter sayd to him of strangers the children then bée free sayd Iesus Christ yet bicause wée will not offend them sayd hée go to the Seas side and cast in thy booke the first fish that commeth take him and open his mouth thou shalt finde a grote therin take that pay it for thée mée As likewise in an other matter hée commanded to pay to Cesar that which was due to Caesar And note Paul to the Romaines Al persons sayth he are subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God after hée concludeth pay to Princes their tributes for they be the Ministers of God employing themselues therein therefore giue them all that which is due vnto them To whome tribute belongeth giue tribute to whome toll giue toll to whome feare giue feare and to whome honour giue honour And Paule thought it not sufficient onely to make mention of this in diuers and sundry places but to the ende hée woulde the better beate it into our heads and that hée would not haue Princes defrauded of that which is due to them hée chieefely recommendeth the same vnto Timothe where he layth I doe acmonish you aboue all things that there bée common prayers supplication and thankesgiuing made for al those that bee put in authoritie that they may leade a peaceable and quiet life in all holinesse and godlinesse whiche shall bée pleasing and acceptable before god And further Baruch the Prophete reciteth that the Iewes being in captiuitie vnder the Babilonians did write too their brethren that were at Ierusalem that they shoulde pray for Nabuchodonezer king of Babylon and for the life of his sonne although they were both Idolaters And S. Paule did knowe that Festus Prouost of Judea did fauor the Iewes in that hée brought his cause before Cesar when he appealed before too him and being broughte before Nero then Emperour of the Romaines Paule did so wel defende his iust cause that hée was deliuered and set at libertie And nowe therefore if the Iewes haue prayed for an Idolatrous Prince and S. Paule hath bene deliuered from this mischeuous enimie of our Religion by meanes of Festus principalitie who will doubt then but thâ—â— our Lorde is author of principalitie and would not haue instituted thesame but onely for the comforte and profite of man But to make an ende of this my long processe if you wil beholde and mark well the order of the Scriptures aswel in the olde as in the newe Testamentes you shall fynde an infinite number of authorities aswell of the Prophets as Apostles which do plainely wytnesse howe Kings and Princes are instituted by the mouth of the Lorde our God and by him selfe approoued confirmed and auctorized ¶ The third Chapter VVhat the Dignitie Royall is and hovv the same cannot be supplied vvithout great trouble and danger vvith a declaration vvhat kinde of gouernement is best for the people to liue happily and quietly BY these things before rehersed wée haue declared and prooued that the preheminence and Dignitie Royall is maruellous auncient and that it was receyued of the people euen at the begiÌ„ning of the world and afterward approoued
to qualifie by Iustice the strifes and discentions of the people as Dion Cassius doth witnesse in hys wryting of him I coulde wyth these fewe in number reherse many others as Iustinianus Anthonius Commedus Saracula Frederick and Marcus Aurelius of whome the memorie is eternal amongst men Plutarchus reherseth in his Apothegms that Alexander was so singularly affected to the seat of iudgement as that on a time amongst others when a Promotor accused a certeine man of an heynous offence he began redely to stoppe one of hys eares and being demaunded why he dyd so he aunswered sayd I wil reserue the other eare to heare the party accused Phillip his father being in the seate of Iudgement ther came a certaine man before him which had a plée agaynst one called Machetas and hée not giuing good eare to the matter dyd very lyghtly condemne Machetas without hauyng any good consideration of his cause this Machetas thinking that hys cause deserued not such a Sentence and sawe withall hymselfe deceyued in the Iudgement thereof knowing also the great wisedome of Phillip was greatly astonied and sayd I doo appeale from this youre Sentence noble Emperour wherewith the Emperour entring into choller demaunded of him before whom thynkest thou to appeale from this my Sentence for it was an odyous thyng to appeale from the sentence of the Emperour I doo appeale sayd Machetas before thy selfe that it woulde please thee to consider better the truth of my cause Thys good Emperour béeing moued wyth his persuasion began attentiuely to consider and vnderstand better the effect of his processe and finding that hee had fayled in the iudgement thereof hée woulde not reuoke his sentence but payed Machetas out of his owne Coffers the sum of money that hée condemned him to pay Beholde loe the vertuous exercise of these auncient Emperours and Kings And Virgilius also the first latin Poet doth speake of Priamus howe hee himselfe did syt in place of iudgement and shewed iustice to al men that came before him And Agesilaus that was King of the Lacedemonians did accustome to do the lyke And thys vertue in rendring Ryght and Iustice thus to al men dyd wynne suche glorie to those aunciente Emperours and Kings and dyd so beautyfie them that the Persians woulde not receiue any King to raigne ouer them that did disdayne to sit in Iudgement as Philarcê° hath wrytten in Theneus And Hesiodus an auncyent Gréeke Poet writing of those things sayth that there is thrée manner of people in this worlde of the which one sorte of them are indued with good wit and vnderstanding and are able of themselues to imbrace the good and lawefull things dispose the present and foresee thyngs to come without any instruction of others and these sorte of people do kéepe the firste place in perfection and are counted most excellent amongst men The seconde kynde of men are of a more weaker and debile nature and not of so subtil a spryte as the others nor are not able to gyue iudgement of any thing of themselues but the mettal of them is very good plyable they haue discretion to obey the good counsel of others to followe the opynion of the wyse and sage personages and wyll moderate and rule themselues after their aduise and counsell and though they be not of so excellent a degrée of wit as the first yet nature hath framed them to do some thing that is good and they kéepe the seconde place of honoure and prayse The laste kâ—nde bée those whiche are altogether carelesse and wyll not learne any thyng no nor haue pacyence that any man shall instructe or admonysh them of their profit nor will not haue accesse to any bookes or other knowledge whereby they maye learne to bée more wise and discrete And these laste kynde of monsters be vnprofitable and vnnecessarie for the vse of the workes of nature and so hée concludeth they are the very worst of all people and thus Hesiodus by this hys doctrine meaneth none other thing but to condemne those whiche passe their liues as it were in a shadowe and féede them selues wyth Idlenesse nourse of all vice and wickednesse where otherwayes they might imploy their time to studie to atchiue to learnyng and knowledge in the which béeing well instructed they myght bring some singular profyte in theyr Countrey and common wealth But to returne agayne to our purpose it is a maruellous thyng to reade in what estymation and honoure she auncyent Emperours Kings and Monarches haue had learning and knowledge and in what honoure and reuerence they alwayes had the learned and wyse men It is founde in wryting in the lyfe of the Emperor Anthonius of whom wée haue spoken héeretofore that hée gaue to Apianus so many Duccats of golde as a greate booke whych he made of the properties and natures of Fyshes dyd contayne lynes The Emperoure Traianus did so greatly honour Dyon the Philosopher that whensoeuer hée went into the campe hée alwayes had him with him in hys owne charyot and so woulde bring him home agayne with that estimation euen into Rome entring there with all his triumphe The Emperour Gracianus readyng certayne Verses of Ausonius preferred him to the Consulshipppe whiche was the greatest dignitie next vnto the Emperour Octauianus the Emperour in that great warres that he had against Marcus Anthonius in Egipt woulde not destroy Alexandria one of the most famous cities in the world and when his fréends demauÌ„ded of him wherfore he forbare to destroy the same for two causes sayde he the one bicause Alexander did builde it the other for the loue of the Philosopher Arrie which was there this Emperor was so affected towards good letters that he made Cornelius Gallus Trybune of the people only for that he was an eloquent Poet. Arianus for a certaine historie which hée wrote of the gestes of Alexander was created Consul by the Emperor Adrian And Anthonius Suetonus writeth a thing almost incredible in the life of Vespasianus that although he was a man all ouercome with Couetousnesse yet he fauored Arts Sciences so much that he gaue to the master of euery schole yeerly a thousande fiue hundred Crounes Atheneus wryteth in hys booke Synosophistes that Aristotle for hys booke that he wrote of the nature of beasts had of Alexander viij hundred Tallents of gold which were worth after the computatioÌ„ of Bede in the book of Asse foure hundred fourscore thousand Crounes which Plinie doth confirme in saying that Alexander vppon a feruent desire he had to sée the same booke ended sent many thousandes of men through out al Greece Asia and Affrike with expresse commaundement that al men shold obey them in al those things that they desired touching fouling fishing hunting hanking other such like exercises and all to the ende the properties and natures of al beasts might bee the better searched out And if Homer the only Phenix
of Antioche to conuert them to their law And this thing was had in vse and obserued immediately after the beginning of the world by Abraham who did send into Mesopotamia the most auncient of his Seruauntes to entreate of the mariage of hys sonne Isaac as it is written in Genesis Balaac also Kyng of Moab sent the most sagest and eldest for Embassadors to séeke Balaam to cursse the people of Jsrael as it is written in the booke of Numbers And as Dennis Halicarnaseus wryteth likewise that Ethuriens willing to intreate of peace with Tarquine chose out of euerye towne one auncient man for the accomplishment of their Legation Abraham that good Patriarche knowing very well that wisdome and sagenesse did for the most part accompanie white heares ordayned for chiefe of his house the eldest and auncientes of his seruauntes The auncient Romaines in the election of their Magistrates did alwayes preferre the most eldest Solon the lawmaker of the Atheniens did forbid them to receiue any young men to the rule of their common wealth And Cicero in his booke De Senectute writeth that they did vse the like in Macedonia in the I le of Taâ—rabanum they do not choose their kings of the ofspringes of Nobilitie as we do accustome but they choose him for their Prince that is most auncient wyse and sage The Arrabians likewise assoone as their King is dead they choose the most auncient men to rule and gouerne theyr Prouince as writeth Diodorus Siculus Iulius Frontinus writeth also that L. Paulus did wishe for the publike profite and coÌ„modite that Emperors and the chiefe of armies should be auncient men Philostrates in the life of Pelonius writeth that Vespasianus beyng of the age of .lvj. yeares did excuse himselfe when he was chosen to receiue the gouernment of the Empire and sayd he was euer yong thinking that his yeares were not sufficient to execute so great a charge And is it not written in the Ecclesiâ—stes that cursed is that laÌ„d that hath a Child to their king and amongest other threatnings that the Lord sendeth by Esay to his people he promiseth to giue them yong kings as though he would say I wyll sende you destruction ruine Fulconius Nicomachus made a continuall prayer to his Gods wherin he prayed them that they would defend the land froÌ„ a yong king And it is a maruelous and straunge thing to behold that brute beastes euen by the prouidence of Nature will rather obey to the old than to the yong as Pliny a great searcher of the properties of Beastes doth witnesse to vs when he sayth that amongest the Elelephantes that most auncient doo guide and leade the troupe and the other go after acknowledge them for their heades and chiefe Aelianus the Greeke Historian writeth likewyse that the little Antes going into the fieldes to make their prouisions for the winter suffer the moste auncient to go afore and are contented to be guided by their order and aduise Now the Prince being thus instructed by such a number of histories here before rehearsed in what reuerence and estimation the auncients had alwayes old age and that they haue happily bene ayded by their councels it is necessarye then that they do not determine of any waighty matter with out their aduise councell and assistance following therein the councell of the Prophet Iob which saith that wysedome and sagenesse doth remayn in the old and auncient men and in the pluralitie of yeares consisteth experience and sapience as contrarie in youthe lyghtnesse inconstancie euer prompt and enclyned to all euill who when they once goe astraye into wantonnesse and insolencie they do not only animate themselues but likewise they do infecte those that followe their aduice and counsell What happened to Roboam in reiecting ouer lyghtly the councell and aduice of the olde and aged men admitting yongmen but euen the losse of the better parte of his Realme and Kingdome we haue also an other example of two Kings of Juda the one Ieconias being counseled by Ierimie obeyed thereunto and found it verie profitable for him and the other Sedecheas verie obstinate woulde not beléeue him but béeing hardned in his malice was cause of the ruine of his Citie generally of al the people We could more easely alleage an infinit nuÌ„bre of examples by the which yée vnderstand of many subuertions strauÌ„ge accidents that might haue falne vppon many Kingdomes and Empires bycause they did lyghtly and without good consideratioÌ„ commit themselues to be gouerned and ruled by the aduice and councell of youth But forasmuch as it is not our principal intent so highly to magnifie olde age that we should therby séeme to deface and cut off all hope from yong men to be called into Princes seruices and to cause them to loose therby the celestiall gyftes that the Lorde our God hath imparted to them I will aleage an infinte number of yong men as well out of the sacred scriptures as other prophane authors that haue painefully trauelled in the administration of the common wealth and which by their worthye and famous actes haue merited to be preferred before the aged is that yong Prophet Ieremie who was ordained by the Lord ouer people and kingdomes to pul vp by the rootes destroy make waste to build and plante and that yong infant Daniel which was in his yong years made a Iudge and Scipio Affricanus was not afraide in his yong yeares to demaund the dignitie of the Aedilicial to whome it was sayde his capacitie was not sufficient nor his yeares agréeable for the same who answered he had yeares sufficient if the Senate would dispence therwith as he made it very well to be knowne afterwards for where vertue is liuely imprinted and rooted the few numbre of yeares can not darken it Likewise Caesar made it to be vnderstanded that prudence was not to be measured by yeares who was sodeinly cut off by death before he coulde performe al his deuises and purposes And Rullius Decius Coruinus Sulinus Flaccus Manlius Torquatus Germanicus and an infinite numbre of other rulers of common wealths euen as obortiues and maugre their yeares were chosen and set vp in dignitie but with suche a testimonie and ornature of their vertues that they haue left good cause to their posteritie to iudge that the aduauncements of the common wealthes hath not consisted only in the white haires of olde and auncient men The Atheniens beare good witnesse thereof who were deliuered from the crueltie seruitude of the Lacedemonians by the worthinesse noblenesse of Iphicrates béeing but of the age of .xxv. yeres who aboue the hope that was loked for of one of his yeares did restore them to that state that many aged and valiant captaines loosing their trauayle and labour coulde not by any meanes accomplish And we leaue to speake of Alexander béeing but onely at the age of .xxxiij. yeares the
that was prepared for thē in this miserable world We reade the like of the Indiens Cesiens Cautiens Gymnosophists Brokmans and Thracians who did praise that day of the death of those that haue liued vertuously and not the day of their natiuitie as the Greke Poet doth shewe vnto vs in his Boke of Epigrams as foloweth Aboue all lawes and orders of olde dayes Whereof the mynde to this day is not worne The Thracian worlde J most commende and prayse That bad men weepe when children there were borne As token true of woe in lyfe to come But on that childe whom once the graue had wonne They bad men ioy when suche a one was ded As witnesse iuste that all his wo was fled Plato the moste worthyest of all the Ethnike Philosophers vnderstanding the little affinitie that the body hathe with the soule doth call it the Sepulchre wherein the soule is buried and sayth that death is nothing else but the very porte of immortalitie who did so well dispute of the miseries of this transitorie life and of the felicities that are prepared for vs in the other that many reading his Bookes of the immortalitie of the soule did maruellous willingly séeke their owne destructions some casting them selues downe headlong from a highe rocke into the sea to the ende they might taste and enioy the celestiall riches which are promised for them in the seconde lyfe as it is confirmed by a Greeke Epigram of Cleombrotus Cleombrotus that from a highe Mountayne Threw him selfe downe to breake his necke thereby What was the cause but that he thought it playne Myserie to liue and happie life to dye Grounding him selfe on Platos minde and skill That sayes the soule abides immortall still Adding hereto that Socrates had taught How that this life is to be set at naught But these matters would not sée no vnto vs any thing straunge nor maruellous if wee would consider how that S. Paule béeing stirred vp with a Spirituall affection desired to bée dissolued from this terrestriall prison to triumph in heauen with Iesus Christe his Captayne and redeemer And that great prophet Ionas who prayed the Lord that he would separate his soule from the body bicause sayth he that death séemeth better to me than lyfe Marcus Aurelius Emperour of the Romanes no lesse to be accounted a Philosopher than he was a worthy Emperour hauing proued al the passions rigours and calamities wherevnto the whole life of man is subiect did confesse frankely of him selfe that in 50. yeres which he had liued he neuer found any thing in this world wherwith he was satisfied or cōtent saith thus I will confesse this one thing although it shal be some infamie vnto me but peraduenture hereafter profitable to some others that in 50. yeres of my life I haue tasted all the wickednesse and vice of this world to see if there had bene any thing that could satisfie the humane malice affection And after that I had proued al I found that the more I did eate the more I did hunger the more I slept the more desirous I was to sleepe the more I drunke the thirstier I was the more I rested the more I brake the more I had the more I desired the more I searched the lesse I found and in conclusion I neuer desired any thing but hauing it once in my possession I found my selfe maruelously anoyed withal and incontinently wished some other thing so that this our lyfe séemed vnto me so piteous and miserable that as I thinke if any old man that doth leaue this transitore life wold make vnto vs a whole discourse and rehersal of his life past from the time that he passed out of his mothers wombe vntil the houre of his death and the body should recount all the sorowes that it hathe suffered and the soule discouer all the assaultes of fortune that it did abide bothe the Gods and men would maruell at the body that had endured so muche and at the harte that did dissemble the same This doctrine vpon the miserie of mans life thus alleaged by vs is not vnprofitable for it may serue as a myrrour or example to beate downe the hautinesse and high minde of Princes and great Lords when they feele them selues stirred or prouoked to vayne glory for if they would consider the common beginning of all the firste matter whereof we are made and how we bee all continued of lyke Elements bought all with one bloud hauing one common enimie I meane Sathan nourished and fed all with like Sacraments al incorporated in one Churche fighting all vnder one Captayne which is Iesus Chryst trusting in one onely rewarde all subiect to vices and passions and all indifferent to death they would then thinke there is no difference betweene the most vilest creatures of the earth and them selues but only in a litle dignitie caducall transitorie which shall vanish away as the smoke And let vs now mark how the prophet Ozeas doth condemne the insolencie and pride of them that do magnifie and exalte themselues of their mightinesse and great birth Their glory sayth he is all vppon their mothers womb of their conception and birth And the prophet Malachie sayth haue we not al one father are we not created of one Lord and God wherfore is it then that eche one contemneth his brother willing to let vs vnderstande by this their doctrine that this name of noblenesse is a vayne title giuen to men the desert wherof is of none account in the sight of god The wise man writeth in the booke of wisdome in this sort Beeing borne into this world sayth he I receiued the lyke ayre that other men did I was cast vpon the earth hauing the same voyce cry that others had and I was nourished and brought vp in the like paynes and sorowes and there was neuer king or prince vpon the earth that had euer any other beginning in his natiuitie we haue then one beginning one ende S. Iohn Chrysostome one of the most renoumed Doctors among the Grekes vpon thexplication of these words Our father which art in heauen trauelling to pull vp by the rootes these smal sparkes of glory which reigne amongs these great lords princes by means of the glory that they haue in their noblenesse and birthe exhorteth them in this maner Hearken sayth he you ambitious men how the Lord doth name him selfe our Father not father in particular of this man or that mā but willing to introduce one common charitie amongs all men and to conioyne vs all in a celestiall noblenesse had no regarde herein either to riche or poore master or seruant iudge or minister king or man at armes Philosopher or vnlearned wise man or foole but called him selfe father of vs all And S. Augustine vppon the Sermon made of the Mountayne confirming this authoritie sayth that we are admonished by this our cōmon prayer that beginneth
Kings or Princes but that they were first descended of bond men nor fewe bonde men that were not firste descended of Princes Saule and Dauid the first kings of the Jewes were shepherds Abdolin that was a digger of gardens was by Alexander instituted king of Sydonic for his woorthinesse and so to all others who he did cause to aspire to any dignitie he said he neuer had regarde to their birthe or of what race they were extracte but only to their vertues Agathocles king of Cicilia was the sonne of a Potter who for a remembrance of his beginning wold al his life time be serued in none other vessels but of earth But amongs all other Empires of the world the Romaine Empire was the most passing and yet we finde many Emperors as well Romaines as others that were descended of a base parentage who by valiantnesse obtained the Emperiall dignitie as Maximianus the sonne of a locke Smithe Martius also the Emperor was a Smithe himselfe who assoone as he was chosen Emperor spake before the people as foloweth I know right wel my frends sayd he that you may reprehend me and caste me in the téethe with my olde occupation whereof you are all witnesses but lette all men say what they liste By my will I woulde alwayes be handling Iron and not leade my life idelly in banketting and dallying with women and in suche other voluptuousnesse and pleasures as Galline my predecessoure did who was vnwoorthie the glory and fame of his predecessors and let they say further of my Fathers crafte what they will so that straungers as the Germaines Almaines and other nations my neighbors may perceiue and taste that I loue iron and that they haue to do with an Iron nation so much to their daunger that they do feare in vs cheefely the Iron I am content they say their pleasures And as for youre partes I wil wel you know that ye haue chosen an Emperor to gouerne you that will neuer handle any other thing but iron all the dayes of his life to your great commodities and comfortes Galerius also surnamed Neatherde bicause bothe he and his parentes were alwayes rurall men was likewise chosen Emperor Elius Pertinax in like manner Emperor of Rome was a Marchant of Wode which estate he exercised with suche trauaile and paine that he was in that respecte Pertinax And Dioclesianus the Emperor who did make Rome to wonder at his triūphal victories was but a seruaunt and the sonne of a Booke binder Bonosus likewise Emperor was the sonne of a Scholemaster Aurelianus whose renoume is immortall was borne of so base a stocke that in the Histories can not be founde the place of his birth And Valentianus was the sonne of a Shomaker And thus with these numbres that I haue brought forth I coulde alleage many others as Augustus Vitellus Traianus Opilus Machroneus Posthumius Carausius Iustinius Balbinus and a great numbre moe of which Suetonuis and other Aucthors make mention that were sprong out but of base vnknowne and obscure houses We coulde also bring foorthe many Bishops of Rome who being issued out of pore parentages and of small reputation came to the like dignitie As Bishop Iohn the .22 was the sonne of a Shomaker borne in Fraunce Bishop Sextus the fourthe was a graie Frier and the sonne of a mariner Bishop Nicholas the fifth was the sonne of a Poulter S. Peter was a Fisher and of many others of whome we will make no mention at this present for suche dignities are not gotten by noblenesse of birth but by vertue and holinesse of life We haue by other Examples going before very amplie declared that they were very wicked and miserable persons that wold suffer themselues to be caryed away by inordinate ambition that vanisheth away as smoke seeing Fortune dothe imparte hir fauors to whom shée pleaseth raising sometimes vp the poore vnto the rule and gouernment of realmes and kingdomes And nowe the better to performe our sayings it is expedient for vs to declare how shée dothe also abase and put downe when it pleaseth hir those that be sette in the moste highe degree of all felicitie and make them to become so miserable that often times they giue occasion of pitie euen to their very enemies The riche Cressus king of Lidia hathe good proofe thereof who euen when he thoughte he had bene the moste happiest Prince vppon the earthe sawe by liuely experience that all the riches and giftes which he had of fortune was not suffitient nor coulde not deliuer him from the furie of Cyrus who being vanquished and ouercome by him did féele and taste as well the burning flames of his ire as he did of the fire wherin he was burned Darius that great king of Persians vanquished by Alexander bounde by his owne houshold seruaunts bereft of his wife and children banished his realme and hurte in many places of his body perceyued very well that there was not so highe a degrée of honor but that it might be sometime ouerthrowne and bette downe to the ground Perseus king of Macedonia féeling the most furious stripes of fortune could wel iudge how vncertaine and caducall the hope of worldly dignities was when that Paulus Emilius a captaine of Rome did triumph ouer his goodes and caused him to die in a most vile and dolorous prison and his sonne the very inheritor of his kingdome by euil intreatie brought to suche pouertie that he was forced to gette his liuing by the exercise of handie craft Denis Syracusanus likewise banished out of his realme shall be a faithfull witnesse of the inconstancie of fortune who being pressed with an extréeme pouertie was in the ende constrained to teache children for his liuing at Corinthe a piteous metamorphosis of a Prince so rich to become a master of children Polycarpus king of the Samyens who as Valerianus doothe witnesse that had neuer in all his life tasted of the rigoure of fortune was at the last vanquished by Darius king of the Perseans and after by hys owne prouost crucified vppon the top of a mountaine Valerianus emperoure of the Romaines being ouerthrowne by Saport king of the Persians ended the rest of his life in suche seruitude that he serued for a footestoole to Saport when he mounted on horsbacke and bowed his shoulders thereunto in stéede of a foote stoole Caligula likewise after he had receiued .xxx. wounds of Cornelius Sabinus and his confederates lost moste miserably in the ende his life Dioclesian hauing lost his Empire died of poyson that was prepared for him Domitian Emperor being banished oute of Rome died poore and miserable Falarius king of Licyla died wretchedly vpon the tortures where he had caused other to die Marius being falne into a maruellous desperatiō presented his head to Pontius Tolesinus to the ende he shoulde cut it of Scilla his chéefe enimie was eaten with lice could neuer finde meanes to helpe him selfe thereof The
Emperor Tiberius was stifeled with a pillowe and died amongs his owne seruaunts Nero that butcher and mortall enimie to humaine nature hiding himselfe in a ditche to eschue the iust ire and vengeance of the Romaines that did pursue him would haue killed him selfe but God did permit he shoulde finde him selfe so vnable that his strengthe did faile him to execute his sacrifice and was cōstrained therfore to require aide of others to aduaunce his deathe And thus with these smal numbre I could produce many other Princes Kings Emperors Monarches and other great Lords who hauing had as it were the winde in the poope and vsing with full saile the flatterings of Fortune that afterwardes turning her whéele vppon them fel into such miserie and wretchednesse that the memorie thereof is pitifull to rehearse For this cause Ephyston that was so well beloued of Alexander willing vppon a time of his great liberalitie to haue giuen to certaine of his fréendes the kingdome of Sydon they knowing it was an easie matter to receiued a kingdome but hard to rule the same did with a maruellous constancie of minde refuse it Wherat Ephyston being greatly astonied to sée them refuse willingly that which others did séeke fiersly by fire and swoord was moued to say Oh most happie nation which arte the firste that hathe learned that it is no lesse commendable to refuse a kingdome than to receyue it For if the ambitious man will measure with a iuste yarde and weighe with euen Ballances the pleasures and honoures with the cares and troubles of the minde that doothe accompanie a Crowne and an infinite numbre of perilles bisides as well domesticall as foraine he shoulde finde for one ounce of Honey tenne pounde of Wormewoorde wherefore the greate king Antiochus is greatly commended in the Histories amongs the Romains for when they had taken away from him the better parte of his Realme he sayde vnto them with an inuincible constancie O ye Romaines in leauing me so small a parte of my Realme and vsurping the moste greatest parte thereof as you doe you cause me to occupie my minde on other matters and you doe so muche the more disburthen me of the cares which did ordinarily enuiron my soule and held it besieged Valerius Maximus in his histories dothe rehearse that the firste time the Crowne was presented to the same king Antiochus before he wold put it vpon his head he did for a good space fal into contemplation afterwardes he cried oute with a loude voice and saide O Diademe more happie than noble If the moste parte of the Princes of the earthe woulde consider diligently the miseries and cares that doe accompanie them they woulde not be greatly willing to couet them but woulde rather disdaine to lift them from the earthe We haue as it were the like Example in the Histories of a Tirannous king who being on a time more pensiue and sadde than he was accustomed one of his Courtiers woulde gladly haue made him merrie and saide vnto him Wherfore arte thou so sorie and pensiue O king and séest thy Realme prosper and flourishe in all things But this Tirante feeling the anguishe of his sinnes in his heart answered nothing to him But afterwards caused a feast to be prepared of all sortes of delicate and delitious meates wiih such ornaments as were requisite for the celebration of such a great feast This done he caused a naked sweard to be hāged and tied with a thred ouer the place where he should sit and called for this Courtier and commaunded him very straightly to sit him self in that place which was prepared for him This miserable mā being thus set had no will either to eate or drinke but was alwayes afraid of death and that the sweard should fall and kil him This tirant deliting to sée him put in such feare said vnto him Behold loe the very true purtraict of my royal dignitie behold the prosperities and plesures that my estate is subiect vnto behold also the iuste occasion of my continuall heauinesse and sorowe In all which examples before rehersed we say for a full resolution that althoughe all things be subiect to mutation after the common law and course of nature yet there is not one thing more mutable and subiect to change thā Princes and kings are bicause that fortune doth most willingly take hold of such as be of an high estate and touch to triumph ouer their spoiles Wherfore those that be called to such honor and dignitie ought so to direct their actes and dooings that they may be alwayes found readie when the Lord and God shall call for them The ninthe Chapter Hovv that clemencie and gentelnesse are vertues moste meete and conuenable for Kings and Princes vvith many examples alleaged confirming the same FOr the better garnishing the Prince with suche things as are moste méetest for his Maiestie and dignitie we desire as is said in the Chapter before he should be indued with modestie and temperācie to serue him as meanes to season all hys actions and doings Least that being at any time ouercome with extremitie of choler he shoulde be ouer rashe and quicke in his iudgements in the execution wherof it is to be wished he should rather be more prompt to remit the cryme that without discretion before the matter be well considered and wayed to punish the offender for commonly sodayne determinations do bring with them suche boyling and sorowfull repentance that it maketh vs to desire that same death to our selues that we oftentimes procure to others As we reade of Alexander the great being on a time in a maruelous furie caused Cletus one of his beste beloued to be slayne the death of whom did heape such gréefe and anguish in his heart that after reason had ouercome his furie he would haue murthered him selfe with his owne hands for a satisfaction of his offence But for as muche as we will referre these matters to the Chapter where shall be intreated how muche crueltie is enimie to Princes we will cease to procéede any further therein and intreate of clemencie gentlenesse and mildenesse which are requisite for Princes and be things of so maruellous an efficacie to winne the harts of their subiects that there is nothing that doth more prouoke the people to loue them and honour them than meekenesse and gentlenesse nor by which meanes they may more frankly make requeste to them of any thing without repulse or deniall to be made therein Cicero in his Academicall questions doth persuade all Princes rather to communicate with the poore than the riche for sayth he they can not learne any thing of the riche but to be couetous to augment their estates and dignities and to maynteyne them selues in all pleasure and delicatenesse but with the poore sayth he they shal learne to be pityfull and mercyfull For pouertie is none other thing but a Schole of clemencie and pitie The Emperour Traianus is greatly
dishonour the name of the Lord than the hatred thou hast agaynst thy neighbors That his kingdome should come how are we so bolde to pray for the comming of the kingdome of Iesus Chryst when that Dauid the wise Prince feared in such causes to present him selfe before God we rather oughte to desire that the mountaynes should fall vpon vs to couer vs than to appeare before the iustice of God béeing so polluted with the effusion of the bloud of our neighbours That his vvyll should be done in earth as in heauen he did driue the Angels out of heauen for their disobedience agaynst him and beeing vppon the earth he preached none other thing but peace and yet thou arte enimie to thy neighbour thou doest pray that he woulde giue thee this day thy dayly breade How darest thou demaunde breade of the father of heauen when thou burnest the Wheate and Houses of thy brethren Thou eatest hys trauell and yet thou destroyest hys substaunce but oh good Lorde why do we not tremble when we desire hym he would pardon vs our offences as he wold we shold forgiue others when wée be so far from forgiuing that we go to murther oure brethren Wée praye to him also that he woulde deliuer vs from temptation and yet we oure selues tempte oure brethren and put them in great peril And lykewise we pray to him to deliuer vs from euill and go dayly aboute nothing else but wickednesse and mischief Hauing now shewed certaine principall poynts of such things as appertained to the declaration of the commoditie and profit that peace dothe bring I will nowe declare what warre is and what glory and fame they carry awaye that do exercise it to the ende that comparing the one with the other you may iudge how damageable and pernicious it is to mankynd Will ye vnderstand what warre is thinke that you sée before your eyes a great company of men assembled togithers with pale and drousy faces hydeous and horrible with barbarous cry eyes al burning and flaming prouoking wrath and anger the noyse and ratling of armour with an horrible thundring of cannons then a furious assault all full of rage and fiercenesse a slaughter of the dead some dismembred other some lying vpon their felowes half dead the fleldes all couered with dead carkases the flouds and riuers all stayned with humaine bloud one brother oftentymes fighting against an other kinsman against kinsman fréende against fréend all set on fire one to slay the other and yet scarsly haue any cause of enmitie betwéene them Wilte thou vnderstande further the very spectacle of the warres howe pitifull it is Haste thou séene the conflict betwéene the Beare and the Lyon or any other beasts of contrary kynde what fretting and foming what crueltie is it to sée them dismember and pull in péeces the one the other how muche more straunge is it to sée man ageynste man so furious one ageynst an other and as it were transformed into a brute beaste and all to exercise his rage and crueltie vpon his neyghbour besides an infinite numbre of other euils and mischefes that depend thervpon and those poore simple people who haue buylded made and garnished so many faire and beautifull Cities haue gouerned and ruled them and by their trauell and labour haue enriched fortified and maynteyned them Euen by reason of these outragious warres and controuersies they sée them sometymes in their owne presence made ruinate defaced and throwen downe their cattall taken from them their corne and fruite of the earth before it is ripe cutte downe their townes and villages brente and that whiche is more cruell and inhumaine oftentimes they bée killed and slayne And when there is preparation made for the warres euery manne is afrayde and in continuall daunger and when the same is in execution there is no famylie that doothe not lament and weepe and tast the miserie thereof For then the handycrafts waxe colde the poore be constrained to fast and die of hunger or else to haue refuge to vnlaufull exercises to help and sustein their liues the virgins be violated the chast matrons remayn bareyn in their houses the lawes be still humanitie is extinct equitie is suppressed religion is cōtemned the sacred places are prophaned the people pilled the poore olde men bée captiue and sée their children slain before their eyes the yong men are out of order giuen to al kinde of wickednesse yée shall fynde an infinite number of Widowes and as many fatherlesse children the Prince is enuyed and the common people béeing oppressed with taxes and subsidies conceyue hatred agaynst him and all is full of murmures and curses And I pray you mark with what difficultie they entertaine so many strangers men of war what prodigalitie is vsed in expenses for the preparation to the warres as well vppon the sea as on the lande what laboure and toyle is there vsed in making of Fortes bulwarks and rampiers clensing of dyches preparing tentes carrying munitions charyots cannons armoures and other suche diuellishe deuises for the warre continuall making of watches and setting foorthe of scoutes and suche other like exercises of warre not without continuall feare and perill wheresoeuer they bée and yet speaking nothing of the infinite trauell of the poore souldiers and their maner of liuing whiche is so austere and cruell that euen the very beastes are not so muche troubled as they are For the sely beastes hyde themselues the night tyme in the caues of the earth but the poore souldier watcheth almoste continually and if by chaunce he taketh his rest it is eyther at the signe of the Moone or the signe of the rayne frost snow or wind and he must always haue his eare at the grounde to harken and watche as the aspis doth least he be surprysed he endureth hunger heate and cold and when he vnderstandeth the heauie token of the battell he dothe thinke to himselfe that he must eyther receiue sodein death or else kil and murther his neyghbour and thus for vj. Crownes in the moneth he bindeth himselfe to the hazarde of the blowe of the Cannon so that amongs all the seruitudes and slauerie of the worlde there is none like or to be compared to the miserable lyfe of a souldier Alas was it not sufficient that nature had created man poore and miserable subiect to many calamities and miseries but further we our selues must adde warres for a more burthen or mischief so straunge and pernicious that it passeth all others a mischief so plentifull fertile that it comprehendeth in it self all kinde of euil a mischief so pestilent and contagious that it doth not only afflict the euil and wicked men but also layeth his most cruell blowes vppon the poore innocentes Plinie that graue aucthor and many other haue lest vnto vs in writing that notwithstāding two thousand yeres past the physitions had discouered thrée hundred kindes of diseases or more wherevnto mans body is subiect and
therwith continually afflicted besydes other newe diseases that did appere dayly not accompting amongs any of them the insupportable burthen of olde age a disease incurable nor making mention of any towns in Asia Europe and Aâ—rike which are soonke with their inhabitants some ruinated by tempests some swallowed vp into the intrayles of the earth by emotions and sodain quakings of the same some oppressed by the falling of the mountains other some drowned and eaten awaye by the violent incursions of the seas nor naming an infinite numbre of venims poysons and pestilences wherwith our liues are beséeged and continually threatned yet for all these afflictions and miseries which haue and do dayly fall vpon vs we spare not to pull in péeces to dismembre mangle and search the death one of other and that with suche vehemencie that our crueltie is abhorred amongst the very Ethnikes And yet if oure rage were exercised vppon the barbarous and heathen people it might be the better borne withall and the victorie thereof might bring some contentation to the conqueror But Oh good Lord will we know what be the glories and triumphs of them that are victorious amongs vs Their safegard and conseruation is the ruine of their neighbors their riches are the pouertie dispoyling of others their ioy is the sorow and lamentations of others their triumphs are infelicitie of others And yet oftentimes it is the victorie of Cadmus where as well the victors as those that are vanquished in the ende doo wéepe and lament For there was neuer warre so happie that in the ende euen the conqueror himselfe did not repente if he had any sparke of humanitie in him which hath appeared euen amongs the very Ethnikes themselues who haue acknowledged the same by their owne testimonies as that good Emperour Marcus Aurelius who vppon a day receyuing his triumph for a greate victorie that he had gotten ageinst the enimies of the Empire féeling in his conscience the wrong that hée had doon to his neyghbor when he was caryed in his Charyot to receyue his tryumph began too saye to hymselfe what more greater follie or vanitie maye happen to a Romain Emperoure than when he hath conquered many townes disturbed the quiet destroyed Cities razed fortresses robbed the poore enriched tyrantes shedde muche bloud made an infinite numbre of widowes and orphans then in recompence of all these iniuries to bee receyued with triumph and glorie Many are slayne many haue trauelled one only hath caried away the glory After hée addeth these woordes By the liuyng gods sayde hée when I was ledde into Rome in suche tryumphe and sawe the poore caytiues captiues in yrons and vnderstoode the lamentations of widowes behelde caryed before mée an infinite treasure euill gotten and remembred the poore innocentes slayne if I did reioyce outwardly I did wéepe wyth greate droppes of bloud in my harte and began to exclaime against Rome to my self and sayd Come hither Rome come hither O thou Rome wherefore dooest thou reioyce at the Infortunate chaunce of others arte thou more aunciente than Babilon more beautiful than Helyâ— more richer than Carthage more stronger than Troye more peopled than Thebes more enuironed with ships than Corinth more plesant than Tyre more happie than Numance that were decked with so many notable things and kepte with so many good and vertuous men and are nowe all perished and destroyed thinkest thou to remayne foreuer flowing with so many vices and inhabited with so many vicious men Take this one thing for certein that the glory that is at this houre vppon thée hath ben vpon them and the destruction that is falne at this present vppon them shall afterwards happen to thée Marke O Christians what vertues what oracles be vnder the barke of the woordes of an Emperour who not being any wayes lightned with the light of the gospell yet he had neuer rest in his conscience but felt those bitter gnawings of the worme that Esay speaketh of that neuer dieth but terrifieth and crucifieth the soule incessantly with suche strength and force that euen the Paynims themselues that haue no knowledge of God do taste thereof And lette vs searche a little further and wée shall fynde that this Warre ouer and besydes the euyls and mischieues beforesayd engendreth and carrieth with it two other mortall enimies to mankinde which are famine and pestilence the very scourges of the iuste indignation of the wrathe of God as it is amply wytnessed in the Booke of Kings For the fieldes béeing abandoned of their ordinary husbandry through the incursions of the wars they bring no more the fruits of the earth but remaine desolate which is the cause that the poore people haue not wherwith to be norished and being oppressed with famine eate of al sortes of pease rootes other vnholsome things for mans body which doo so putrifie that in stede to turne to nutriment they do ingender in theÌ„ corrupt venomous humors wherof the pestilence other contagious diseases take their roote beginning And for this cause the Lorde shewing to his disciples the euils that should happen after that he had fortolde to them that one nation should rise against an other kingdome against kingdome he added incontinently how that one shuld be infected of an other and that there shuld be pestilence great famine throughout al prouinces of the earth Behold lo the triumphs behold the commodities the discoÌ„modities of the wars which are so familiar at this day amongs yong Princes that they will warre one vppon an other euen vppon reporte and without any reason probable that they can yéelde for their hatred but that the English man hateth the Scotte bycause he is Scotte the Spaniarde the Frenche bycause he is a Frenche man the Almane is no enimie to the Frenche man but for his name But oh miserable men that we are wherfore haue not we rather regarde to the marks of Iesus christ with the which we are al alike marked the riuer of Renâ— doth somewhat separate France froÌ„ Almane but it can not separate one christian from an other the hilles of Pyrenees do seperate Spayn froÌ„ Italy but they are not of puissance to separate the coÌ„munion of the church The sea separateth the english men from the french but it can not deuide the vnion of religion the apostles were greued to heare such contention amongs christians to say I hold of Apollo I of Cephas and I of Paule least that such parcialities shold seperat the vnion of Iesus Christ But al things well coÌ„sidered there is no affinitie prouince or other thing that ought to be more déere to vs or that toucheth vs neerer nor that doth more straightly binde and knit vs togethers than the societe and vnion of Iesus Christ being all bought with one bloud all brethren come out of one like stock all regenerate by one only baptisme nourished with like sacrameÌ„ts iudged by one Iudge trusting to
great Emperor Cesar who saide that the good shephearde doothe neuer pull the skinnes of the shéepe but taketh only the fléece And call to your remembrance Oh ye Princes that they are men as ye are free as ye are Christians as yée are boughte with the same bloude and shall be iudged by the same iudge that yee are issued all out of one stocke and roote and that you differ in nothing but in a litle transitorie dignitie which shall vanishe away as the smoake and you shall haue no preheminence before god Remembre the voice of your great king Iesus Christe who dothe exhorte you to embrace peace Beholde with your pitifull eyes the poore widowes with a great numbre of Orphanes whose lamentations dothe pierce euen to the throne of god Remember also how that we all shall be accomptable of our liues and shall all appeare before one iudge who will not lose one haire of oure heades but hathe saide vnto vs that from the bloude of Abell the first that was slaine euen vnto the laste man he will not lose one drop of bloude that shall not be accompted for before him by those that haue cruelly shed the same The thirtenth Chapter Hovv hurtfull incontinencie is to Princes and hovve that the same hathe bene the cause of the ruine and destruction of many realmes and kingdoms vvith also a Treatise of the dignitie and excellencie of the honourable state of Matrimonie THe obseruation of all the things before written are not sufficiente to make a Prince apte and méete to gouerne anye Empire or kingdome if further he be not deliteful and careful to clense his court of one kind of vice which hath bene in time past so familiar amōg Kings princes and Emperors that it hath bene wholly the cause of the ruine of thē selues and their subiectes Which vice bicause it is a matter that procéedeth of nature and that it dothe something please and bewitch our senses the cure thereof is the more difficile and daungerous to be practised and specially vpon yong princes who as yet haue not experimented the rigoures and assaultes of Fortune Wherfore there must be vsed great paine and diligence in the beginning to resist and fight against the same for after it is once in full possession of vs euen those that be moste best armed for it shall sometimes finde themselues impeached and troubled The vice which I doe intende to speake of is the incontinēcie that is vsed with women to which if the Prince or any other gouernor dothe once giue himselfe in pray he can not chuse in this world a more redier way to destroy bothe him selfe and his people And bicause the doctrine heerof may be better learned how to eschue the same we wil lay before your eyes by examples the greeuous punishments that the Lord our God hath sent to suche Princes and Prouinces as haue bene defiled with this wicked vice And we wil begin our discourse by the afflictions specially wherewith he hath plaged and tormented his owne people for this abhominable sinne of incontinencie First of all whoredome and other horrible filthinesse vsed amongs the people was the cause of the vniuersal floude and that God did poure downe his wrathe vpon earthe Fiue famous Cities as it is wrytten in the Bookes of Moyses in the olde Testament were destroyed for their wantonnesse and dissolute life In the Boke of Numbres is shewed for the like offences twelue Princes were hanged and foure twentie thousande men died In Leuiticus yee may see howe that the Chananians were ouerthrowne for their incest and filthinesse In the Booke of the Iudges you shall reade that all the tribe of Beniamin were destroied for the adulterie committed with the wife of a Leuite In the booke of kings also you shall perceiue greuous plages were sente to Dauid for his adoultrie Salomon likewise for the same cause did commit Idolatrie and was giuen vp to a reprobate minde The Prophet Ieremie dothe say that the chéefe cause of the ruine and destruction of Jerusalem was for adultrie And many realmes and kingdomes haue suffered chaunge and alteration of their gouernment and haue bene transferred to others for the causes aboue named Troy the proude for the rauishment of Helen was destroyed Thebes the populous for the rape of Chrisippus and for the incest of Oedippus was punished The gouernement of kings were banished out of Rome for the rauishment of Lucretia And Aristotle in his Pollitikes doth say that whoredome and adultrie be the principal causes of the ruine and destruction of realmes and kingdomes Pausanias that great renoumed Prince for that he did defloure and afterwardes kil the daughter of Bizance was aduertised by a spirite oute of a piller of his ende and deathe at hande a thing very prodigious that wicked spirites shall giue acknowledge of the confusion and paine that is prepared for wicked men which thing was founde to be true afterwardes in him for he died as the piller had foresaid to him These smal numbre of examples by vs thus manifested I doe thinke shoulde be sufficient to pull backe and withdraw yong Princes and all other that haue giuen them selues to incontinencie from the inordinate affection thereof And as touching Olde man S Augustine a zealous rebuker of vices in his Ciuitate Dei dothe teache them how they should tame this slipperie desire and lust of the fleshe where he sayth althoughe lecherie be detestable and horrible in all ages yet it is most abhominable and monstrous in olde age Afterwardes folowing his discourse he wryteth this that foloweth to the vtter cōfusion and ignomie of all old leachers Thinke sayth he howe muche it displeaseth God to sée an olde man that hathe a graie heade his féete full of goute his mouthe without téethe his raines charged with the stone his face writhled his eyes holowe his handes shaking his head séeming none other than the head of a drie Anatomie and that which is woorse one that looketh euery houre that deathe the earth and the woormes shoulde sommon him to appeare before the dreadfull iudgement seate of god And yet neuerthelesse in despite of all these and his yeares wil leaue the briole to his incontinent minde and filthie luste and wil kindle his icie hart maugre this age which things truely are a testimonie of reprobation and a certaine argument that the moste gréeuous parte of hell are reserued for them For he hathe neither nature nor other prouocation of the fleshe that dothe leade or induce him to suche incontinencie but a very disordinate custome that he is falne in in the which withoute any feare of the iudgement of God he will continue euen vnto his graue And it was truely spoken of S. Paule the true louer and aduauncer of chastitie wryting to the Ephesians when he sayd that there can be no greater punishmente for an adulterer than to be blinded in his filthinesse that he cannot sée the iudgements and
day against vs before God the iust iudge and searcher of all secretes FINIS ê™ Iames Chillester Bookes bee Iudges without feare or affection Fearefull friendes Those that doo flatter Princes and lead them to wickednesse Thâ— desâ—ription of the arte and industrie of the flatterers of the court Many common weales haue bene made ruinat by adultery Philosophers are rebukers of wickednes Alexander for hys perfection desireth to bee like Diogenes The tyrans themselues doe honour learning Nero a murtherer of hys dere frends The cruell death of Seneca Zopyrus a deare friend to Darius Philosophers gouerners of Princes Ieremie 1. Esaie 58. The trueth ought freely with al libertie to be pronounced openly Ezechiel A medicine for such as do offende and wil not be reprehended openly Tom. 6. Ho. 15 vpon .5 Luke A maruelous puissaunce of the remorse of conscience Deuterono 28. Wicked men be vexte and troubled as the waues of the Seas Nero Caligula tormeÌ„ted in the night wâ—th passions God causeth euen the very reprobate too taste of â—yâ— Iudgementes Iohn 3. The worm of the conscieÌ„ce of the wicked neuer ceaseth gnawing and byting Esay 66. Epicurus patriarch of the Athiests Epicurus coÌ„strayned too confesse the remorse of conscience The conclusion of the woorke The reuerence due too Superiours Leuit. 19. Ecclesiast 18. Exodus 22. 1. Pet. 2. Jn reading the actes of the wicked men are called from doing wickednesse Luke 10. The dâ—finitioÌ„ of a King. Kings and Princes are the â—â—nely Jmages of god Psalm 2. Kings and Princes are Gods Lieutenantes vpon the earth Similitudes of kingdomes and common wealthes appeare in al things The imperial Heauen is cheefe of all the others The Sun is the cheefest and Prince of al the lightes in heuen The Fire is more excellent than all the other Elementes although some be of contrarie opinion The East part is more noble than the others The temperat zone best Asia better and more noble thaÌ„ other parts of the earth Golde is the Prince of all mettals Bees haue their King. Plin. lib 11. The king of the Bees exceedeth the other in gretnesse and in beauty The king of the Bees hath a Sting not to hurte but for defence A maruellous obedieÌ„ce of Bees to their King. Funerals bee obserued amongs Bees Bees if they any way offend the king they kil them selues The PersiaÌ„s kil theÌ„selues after they haue offeÌ„ded A maruellous affectioÌ„ of beastes that they wil die for their Kings Mapheus Vegeus Men may receiue instructâ—â—â—â— of Beasâ—es Man more ingrate vnto his Ruler than brute beasts Cranes haue their captens and leaders Genesis 25. The watche of the Cranes The first murder committed in the worlde The first citie that was builded Genesis 1. The beginning of kingdomes Narration What time the fâ—â—ce of armour was first knowne Kings and Princeâ— wâ—re ordeined immediatly after the begiÌ„ning of the worlde The firste cause why Kings and Princes were chosen and instituted Kings and Princes tâ—kâ— not theâ—â— first beginning of gloriâ— and ambition as some iudge The second cause Scipio Afrianus Rome deliuered from â—he conspiracie of Cateline by Cicero Iohn 6. The third cause Nothing is auncienter than Sinne. Testimonie of Scripture for obedience of kings and Princes Haue a good regard to the meaning of Paule for he is very obscure in thâ—se wordes I haâ—e transâ—ated this â—câ—â—â—inâ— to the Gr ke word 1. Pet. ca. 8. Herodotus reprooued Reward promised giueÌ„ for vertue The fourth cause Iosua 13. Histories of the olde Testament 1. Reg. 17. 2. Reg. 5. God the first authour of Kings The Lorde himselfe dyd choose a king 1. Regum 9. Apoc. 19. Dani. 7. Math. 2. Christ payed toll Mat. 17. Mat. 22. Paule commaundeth to make prayer and supplications for kings and princes Baruch 1. Paule pleads his cause before Nero. The earthly kingdoms in many things doe accorde with the heauenly kingdome A notable question Monarchia is the gouernment executed by one DemocratiaÌ„ coÌ„monwelth AristocratiaÌ„ coÌ„monwelth The Aristocratian common wealth preferred by some opinioÌ„s Solon Licurgus Demostenes Cicero Many common wealthes haue bene ouerthrowne by the Aristocratian Gouernement The excellencie of the coÌ„monwealth of Venice 1200. yeares since the Venetians begaÌ„ their first gouernement The councell of Appolonius to Vespasianus The councell of the coÌ„mon people is like to a brushe that is vnbound and throwen abrode or to a Riuer that is runne out of the chanel Such as haue bene euill enintreated in their owne Countries Socrates Metellus Hanibal Camillus Licurgus Valerius Solon Monarchia preferred before any other common wealth Homere Aristotle All things ruled by one The Prynce is the soule of the Citie A testimony of Nature The scepter and crowne accompanied with many thornes A King is a lampe which shineth and giueth light vnto all the worlde Saule a good man in the beginning of his kingdom The raigne of Salomon Caligula Nero. Methridates Of .22 kinges of Iuda there were but six good The Kings of Israel wer wicked men Good Emperors of Rome The AssiriaÌ„s Persians Grekes Egiptians The entent of the auâ—or The doings of the publike members of the coÌ„mon wealth are more notable and perillous than of the coÌ„mon sorte Princes instituted chiefly for vertu 1. Kings 9. Plutarch in his Aposth The Gouerner ought alwayes to be better than his subiectes Kingdomes ought to be gotteÌ„ly wisâ—â—m and not by sauor and affeâ—tion Alexanders iudgement at his death Prouerb 26. Agesilaus king of the Lacedeâ—â— mans He that sinneth◠〈◊〉 aâ— bonâ—◠〈◊〉 Nero. Alexander a drunkarde Hercules ouercom with enuie and hâ—ordome Micheas 7. In his Economiques Our sinns be our châ—efe enimies Pet. cap. 2. Boetius Horace in his Odes Plutarch mayster to Traiane the Emperour Plutarchâ— epistle The Prince ought to obey the lawes Augustus Cesar an ernest obseruer of Lawâ— A iust cause of anger of in Cesar A great loue of the Father towardes the Sonne Zeleucus Valerius Maximus Such Prince suche Subiectâ—â— Antigonus writeth to Zeno. Herodianus A meruelous abstenence of Alexander Act. cap 1. Math. cap. â— Roma 2. Aristotle The Tyrant gouerneth none otherwayes but by his vnbrideled desire Aristotle in his politiques A vertuous aunswere of A exander in a Flatterer Sicknesse is the cause ofteÌ„ times that meÌ„ do knew theÌ„selues There is nothâ—ng that do the more stir and prouoke the common people to vertue thaÌ„ to sâ—e the Prince the first to put it in execution Eccle. â—0 1. Kings cap. 13. Euil wicked Princes haue alwayes ouerthrowne their people 4 Kings cap 25. VVised 6 Knoweledge requisite for Princes Salomon The Prince is the eye of the common wealth Salomon VVised 6. The staye of the common wealth doth consiste in the wisdome of the Prince Prouerb 8. Cursed bee that Realme whose prince is a Child Deutre 17. Plato The law-makers Augustus Emperour and Iudge Sueto ca. 33 The Emperour ought to die with trauell Philostraâ—es li. 7. Suetonuâ— vpon his life Dion Cassius Emperors Judges
Vaâ—pasâ—anus Domitianus Traianus Adrianus Aurelius Anthonius Maximius Commodus Pertinax Seuerus Saracula Iustinianus Fredericus Charles the gret haue al exerâ—â—sed the s ate of Judgement Machetas did apeale to the sentence â—f the Empeâ—or beâ—â—â—e hims lfe ReformatioÌ„ of Sentence Bâ—oke 17. of his Eneidos Plutarque vppon his life The Kings of the Persians did alwayes iudge the causes of the people ExcelleÌ„t meÌ„ The meane sâ—â—â—â— Men of a pâ—râ—â—rsâ— naâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Amarpelous liberalitie of an Emperor Jn what eâ—â—â—matâ—â—n lâ—â—rning was â—moâ—gst the auncients A maruelous liberalitie of a couetous man. 480. thousaÌ„d Crounes geuen for one booke Alexander mâ—de 〈◊〉 pillâ—we of the Jliad 〈◊〉 â—f Hoâ—eâ—e A singuler honour that Pompeius gaue to Possidonius Seuen Cities were in controuersie for the bones of Homer The verye Tirants did fauour learning Demostenes Josephus captiue Alexander not conteÌ„ted that Aristotle had published hys bookes Letters of king Antigonus to Zeno the Philosopher Julius Caesar passing ouer a certaine floud swymming held his workes in his haÌ„d that they shoulde not be lost Themistocles Methridates All the most famous captaines of Grece were louers of learning Paulus Emilius A great nuÌ„ber of Emperours that did compose bookes By knowledge learning men shal procure to them selues immortalitie 1 Kinges 3. SalomoÌ„ surpassed al men in wisedome The Quene of Saba Counsell of wise graue men is good for Princes Prouerb 3. Esay 5. Roma 22. Many kingdomes maintained in great honor by councel of the wise A marueylous affiance in a friend Antipater fri nde to king Philip. A greate affiance that Alexander had in Ephesteon Alexander bestowed vpoÌ„ the funerals of Ephestion his deare frend ten thousand talents of gold which is after the accoÌ„pt of Bude sixe millions of gold Plutarque Armanus Theodorus affirme the same The incredible amity of Zopirus to Darius his Master A subtile inuention to deceiue the enemy The like histories for the Romanes Sextus Tarquinius did beate himselfe with roddes to decâ—iue the Gabinets Light credence is noysome Alexander gelous of the glory of Achilles This whichâ— is here attributed to Alexander by others is referred to Augustus Caesar as Suetonus doth wytnes in the lyfe of 12. emperors Pliny and Horace The desire of AgamemnoÌ„ Homerus lib 2. An Epilogue of the thinges before sayd Testimonies of the holy and sacred scriptures Num. 11. Hester 1. Vertues of the said Alexander Prouer. 19. The councell of yonge men perillous to Princes Aristotle S. Ierome Plato in hys Sympose Wherefore old men be more feareful thaÌ„ yong men Plutarche Embassadors ought to be auncieÌ„t wise men Macha 5. Cap. 24. Nume 22. Denis Halicar Genesis 29 Solon The Romaines Atheniens Lacedemoniens Stobeus sermon 122. The prayse of aged and auncient meÌ„ Plinie lib. 8. cap. 5. Age honored among brute beastes Cap. 12. Kings 3. Iechonias Sedechias Kinges 12. Ieremy a yong man Daniell a yong man Ieremie 1. Daniel 3. Sc pio Affricanus a yong man. Yong menns preferred before old men Jphicrates being of the age of xxv yeares was chosen captaine of the Atheniens ageinst the Boetians Holynesse and pyetie towards god and religion is required of kings and Princes Josias one of the most worthy Princes that euer bare scepter Paralipo ca. â— Deuine instructions of Princeâ— Deuteron 2.7 solue ca. 1. Wisdom 7. The prosperitie of princes lyeth in the â—â—lfâ—â—ling the lawe Daniel ca. 2. A profitable exhortation of Daniell geue to princeâ— The threaâ—nings of Gâ—d to wicked Pâ—inâ—â—â— Wâ—s â—iaâ— 1. Kings 2. Kingdomes doo alwayes prosper when they are gouerned by good and vertuous princes 3 Kings 3. Idolatrous kings and contemners of religion Hospitalles oughte to bee had in remeÌ„braÌ„ce amoÌ„gst kings and princes 1. Macha 4. 1. Esdras 3. The churche shall sucke of the brests of princes Kings nurses of the church Esay 6. The christiaÌ„ churche is figured by Iâ—rusalem Iob. 14. The seconde thing required at christeÌ„ princes handes is to punish the blaâ—phemies and periuries amongs the people Blasphemers muste be stoned to death Daniel 3. Blasphemers by tâ—â— lawe of good king Loys was made thrusting throgh the tung 5. Ambro 54. Heresies must be punished by Princes The persecutioÌ„ ageinst the faithfull hath endured from the â—â—â—e that Jeâ—â—â— Christ ascended into Heauen vntill Conâ—â—â—â—tine the Emperour which is 300 yeares or there abouts Greate persecution of the Church Ydlenesse nurâ—e of all hereâ—ie The maiesty of God is dâ—praued in this Alâ—gâ—on Abdola and Imina the pareÌ„ts of Mahomet A naughty life argueth an obâ—â—â—â— race and family Imina the mother of Mahoâ—â—t dâ—scended of Jsmael sonne of Abraham Mahomet had coÌ„fereÌ„ce with wicked spirits A turkish dreame Mahomet saluted of stones beastes and trees Mahomets pardon Axa Mahomet his chief darling Mahomet his beast called Alborach The angell Gabriel foot man to Mahomet Adam Noe. Abraham Ioseph Moyses S John Baptist Iesâ—â— Christ Fiue prerogatiues giuen to Mahomet What trash Mahomet had gathered in his Alkaron The subtile policie of Mahomet A more true opinion of Mahomet than the first Mahomet sent in the vertue of the sworde The lawe of Mahomet mainteâ—â—â—d by the sword and bloud The greatest miracle that euer Mahomet did A policy to couer his lotâ—some infirmitie Mâ—que It is at this day an hâ—ynous offence to kill a pâ—geon Sergius an Apostata SuÌ„dry kinde of heresies of which Mahomet framed his Alkaron Alkaron a colâ—ectioÌ„ of chapters Am trueâ—â—â—e reuerence come to their Alkaron A fantasticall hell of Mahomet A ridiculous Paradise Of this matter rede the foure bookes of his Alkaron translated out of the Araby tong into the latine The aucthors that iâ— treate of this matter Platina P. Laetus Sabellicus P. Iouius Pope Pius Beâ—on P. Messia Arnoldus Romianus Crispus FloreÌ„tinus Franciscus Barnardus in his camologe of heretiks Mahomet died beiÌ„g 34 yeres of age The priest that was a traueller sheweth it in his geographie The good chastened for the euill Peter Messâ—e in his forest A meruellous perswasioÌ„ of a tiraÌ„t that he said he was sent of God vpon the earth to punish his people Mahomet the most greatest enemie of the church of God that euer was The church of God shall endure for euer Martyres for the word of God. Jesus Christs keper spouse and hed of this Church The infants of god be not orphaÌ„s Iesus Christ will assist them at all times Esay ca. 50. I say witnessed by J say An exhortatioÌ„ to princes gathered of the things before rehersed Psalme 138. Psalme 100. Ezechias a chief enimie to Jdolaters 4 Kings 8. Josias burnt the Idolles 4. Kings 23. Anger proceding of vertue Two murthers committed by Mathathias for Jdolatrie 2. Macha 3. The angells do chasteÌ„ Jdolatrie Pompeius was plaged for his offeÌ„ce Marcus Crassus Pharao Exod. ca. 14. Senacherib 4. Kings 16. The father killed by his owne childreÌ„ in the teÌ„ple Antiochus eaten with lâ—ce beeing aliue 2. Macha ca. 19. The death of Herod Act ca 12. CoÌ„stantine the yonger Cassiodore Olimpus