one like Cyrus many that had long heads in Athens and yet not one like Pericles Aristotle the Philosopher writ vnto his M. the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arist prâ—s ad Alex Plut. in Demet. AlexaÌ„der of another likenes that should be in a Prince that it was more Princely for a King to haue a noble mynde endued with noble vertues then a gallant body furnished with gay Garments like Demetrius who had more care of his Astrologicall cloake then of his Kingdome to hang the world on his backe then to thinke in his minde of his people Like Nero who ware no Garment twise but dayly new-inuented Garments Or like Caligula who ware Sacras Deorum Vestes to set foorth the greatnesse of his Authority These were Reges ex Vestibus non ex Virtutibus For the most part of Heathen kings studying how to please the people with outward shew and pompe would paint their faces and anoynt their eyes to seeme to bee of greater Maiestie with their Subiects So the Kings and Peeres of Ethiopia were wont to bee anoynted with Vermillion that they might seeme young and fayre to be amiable vnto the people The Kings of Assiria vsed to anoynt their eyes and Alex. lib. 6. cap. 6. to paint their faces with like policy to entise blind and coÌ„mon people to esteeme them rather gods then men according to king Cyrus Decree for that they held their Crownes vnder Cyrus For then the Persians had all other kings vnder their obeisance as the Romanes had afterward And therfore Cyrus made a Lawe that the great Kings of Persia in any Feast or Triumph should anoynt their faces adipe Leonino that they might seeme more manly and more Princely to allure the people to accept their greatnesse and to ad nyre the Maiestie of their presence They write that Augustus Caesar was instructed with Augustus Caesar Cyrus Lawes for in his third Tryumph he vsed the like whether it was for loue or for feare his countenance terrified the Army of M. Antonius in the Battayle of Actium And yet among these Heathens there were many that despised those externall shewes and pompe Such a one was Agesilaus among the Lacedemonians Epaminondas among the Thebanes and Fabricius among the Romanes It is historied that Germanicus the Emperour was so amiable and louing in sight because in sight he seemed Germanicus so plaine a Prince in Apparrell so plausible so gentle in speache for that hee was a singular wise Prince that they that saw him and heard him were so addicted vnto him that he was so beloued of his Subiects so magnified of his Nobles that it was neuer heard that Germanicus was eyther hated of the one or enuied of the other Such is the force of Vertue Si cerni potuit oculis sayth Plato that it would mooue much affection and loue in men by looking the like sayth Cicero the Report of vertuous men whom wee neuersaw doeth Cic. de nat Deo li. 1. breed such affection that good men are desirous to see them The presence of a good and a godly Prince is great and so great that the Prayer and presence of king Abia 2. Chron. 〈◊〉 13. 14 ouerthrew 500000. Israelites The Prayer and presence of king Asa ouerthrew Zerath the Ethiopian king 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. in Apophth with his great Army of ten hundreth thousand and therefore Antigonus hearing one of his Lieutenants and Captaynes saying that the enemies king Ptolomey his Army were more in number then they Antigonus seemed to bee angry and said How many doest thou number me for Alexander was euer wont to say in any danger by Sea or by Land to his Souldiers Alexander is heere Habetis Alexandrum So often would Caesar say in any peril Ye haue Caesar his fortunes with you so he said to Amyclas his pilot It was an vsuall speache of the people of Sparta to aske where the enemyes were and not to aske how many they were But we leaue those Princes to Fortune Qui plura Fortunae quà m virtuti tribuunt The greatest praise and commendations of Christian Princes must not be attributed to the Actions of Fortune as the Heathen Princes doo but to the benfites of Vertue who by the greatnesse of their wisdome and vertue haue their authority from God For the Crowne the Scepter and the Kingdome it selfe is from God who made them so great that he called them Goddes saying Ye are Gods on earth but how Pietate et iustitia saith Augustine And so in Plato a King is called Deus quispiam humanus and yet in Homer a King is called but Pastor populi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the King of Kings is called the great Shepheard for a king ought to haue as great care ouer his people as a shepherd ouer his sheep Adrian the Emperor said Rempub. non esse suam sed se Reip. For as without a King neither towne city country or kingdome can stand so ought a King to gouerne and rule his subiects that he may deserue the name of a King not of a Tyrant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. ped 9. for it is fit saith Cyrus that a Gouernour must farre excell those whom he gouerneth in vertue wisdome Such as Caleb was with Iosua and such as Iethro was with Moses and such as Nathan was with Dauid If such wise Counsellers attend vpon Kings in Court that Court shall flourish and that Common-wealth shall prosper Wise men in Court with Princes are as Preseruatiues kept for a sicke body That made Salomon to aske for wisdome onely to gouerne his people That made Vlisses to crie out in Homer to Minerua Si te Diua Minerua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Odyss vtar If I can haue thy company O Goddesse I esteeme not who wil be against me That made Pericles to forsake his youthfull companies to haue sage and wise men about him wheÌ„ he in Athens succeeded Themistocles in publike gouernmeÌ„t of the Athenians And that made Dion to speak of Plato hauing had proofe of Dions speach of Plato Platoes wisdom counsell Mallem vnum Platonem quaÌ„ mille Antimachos For Plato gaue such counsell to Dion not to please but to profit Dion Such couÌ„sel gaue Solon to the Athenians Non quae suauissima sed quae optima But good counsel is often reiected Ieremy gaue good 3. Reg. cap. 12. Good couÌ„sell counsell to King Zedechias but hee reiected it Lot gaue good counsell to the Sodomites but they regarded it not The Elders of Israel gaue good counsell to Rehoboam but hee esteemed it not Wisdome crieth out in the streets offreth her seruice free vnto Princes and yet some Princes regard her not But truely that Prince is happy where wisdome may say Habito in consilijs That wisdom guided Noah in the Arke that wisdome instructed the Patriarkes before the Law to liue vnder the Law Iephtha
God saue 2. Sam. 17 King Absolom as though he had refused and forsaken king Dauid and was become an obedient seruant to Absolom By this meanes he ouerthrew Achitophel and his counsell and afterward Absolom Samuel dissembled his comming to Bethlehem to anoynt Dauid king ouer Israel pretending that he came 1. Sam. 16 to do sacrifice as the Lord commaunded So Dauid fayned himselfe madde lest he should go 1. Sam. 21 with king Achish to fight against Israel Dissimulation therefore may be vsed yea euen in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. de Rep. 5. Courts as Plato sayd that Princes may dissemble to preuent greater harmes to their subiects and may vse such policies as the Phisician doeth to his patients to put poyson in his drugges to heale his patients Yet I remember Augustines saying of dissimulation that there be many kinds of dissimulatiō in some of these saith Augustin Non magna culpa non tamen sine culpa Aug. in 5. Psal Likewise Licurgus held it necessary that both dissimulation and ambition should be sometimes vsed to offend in the least Iustice to performe a greater Iustice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plu. in Pol. and yet not allowing that but palliata Iustitia and that for necessities sake So Cato dissembled and suffred sedition in his house among his seruants Where the Lyons skin saith Lysander reacheth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plu. in Cat. it must be sowed to the Fox skyn So that Princes must be of the nature of the Lyon and yet be as wise and as wary as the Fox So Hanibal by a flattering stratagem said that those that would go to the enemyes to learne and to know Front lib. 3. cap. 3. the counsell and seruice of the enemyes were not to be called Traytors but the onely expert Soldiers most worthy to be esteemed Then were they more bold and went the next night as they had appointed The Romanes hauing often times vnderstanding of the subtilty of Hanibal tooke them and cut off their hands and sent them to Hannibal without hands Diodorus hauing a garryson in Amphipolis suspecting Diodorus garrison at Amphip two thousand Thracians which were seditious in the towne fearing some conspiracy against Amphypolis fayned that certayne ships of the enemy sayled at the next shore which should be a great spoyle to the Thracians and most easie to obtayne The Thracians being greedy and seditious Souldiers gathered their company together and set out of Amphipolis with great hope of a good pray who as soone as they were out of the City the Captain commaunded the Gates to be shut and kept them out so they cleered Amphypolis Such policyes must be vsed against false seditious people to finde them out to ryd and cleere them from honest people By such dissimulation through sedition Hanibal got Tarentum So Marcellus by corrupting of Sosistratus wanne Syracusa So Philip of Macedon by the Cic. do diuinat 2 like got Samos of Apollonius He could so Philippizin with Pythia as Demostenes sayth that none might haue accesse to Apollo but Philip of Macedon But Philip being admonished by the selfe same Pythia to take heed and to looke to Quadriga though hee Cic. de Fate caused streight all the Coaches waggons and Chariottes within Macedonia to be taken asunder and with all care shunned auoyded the place in Booetia called Quadriga yet Philip could not auoyd that Quadriga which was written vpon the hylt of Pausanias sword with the which Philip was slayne Iulius Caesar practised no such policy for he quieted a Legion of seditious Souldiers with one word Num vos pudeat Quirites Are ye not ashamed you Romans of your seditious practice They suspecting that Caesar had intelligence of their practice they were presently reconciled and pacified with that word with the sight of Caesar With the like word Demades an Orator of Athens being taken captiue by Philip of Macedon with many more poore captiue Greekes ouer which Philip so tryumphed daūcing feasting with Garlands Crowns and taunting them with spitefull words Demades spake boldly vnto him Nonne te pudeat Philippe cùm fortuna tuate Agamemnonem fecit tein tuis opprobriis esse Tharsitem The saying of Demaedes Art not thou ashamed king Philip whom Fortune made equall with Agamemnon thou to make thy selfe in scoffing equall to Tharsites Vpon which words Philip dismissed the poore Captiues and entred in league with the Athenians But Alex Seuerus clean contrary to Caesar perceiuing as Caesar did many seditious souldiers conspyring together dismissed them out of the Army cleered his Campe and said Discedite Quirites deponite arma for he was as glad to be ryd of such Souldiers as they were glad to be ryd of so seuere a Captaine Cornelius Gracchus a very eloquent Romane but alwayes so factious so seditious that he was euer wont to haue secretly behind him one of his seruants a Musician with an Iuory Flute to mooue to stirre and to Cic. de Orat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plat. de leg giue life to his Masters speach to mooue sedition This Gracchus little esteemed Platoes lawes who iudged euery way a seditious man worthy of death as the law was Si quis priuatim pacem bellumue fecerit capitale esto yet had Gracchus rather be slain among seditious men him selfe being chiefe seditious then to liue in peace and to mayntaine peace in his country at Rome How much better was Egesias a Phylosopher in Cyraena who not onely perswaded against factious and seditious men but also inueyed againstal wickednes of life exhorting to abhorre vice and to loue vertue Such counsell gaue Egesias to the Cyraenians as Solon gaue to the Athenians whose precept was alwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laere 〈◊〉 Sole Consule quae optima non quae suauissima By which perswasion he so mortified the Cyraenians that they thought it better to dye then to lyue But that good practise of this Phylosopher was by Ptholomei king of Egypt put to silence lest too many became honest and vertuous Such a Phylosopher to perswade and such a Preacher to teach mortification were wel worthy of a golden Laert. in Aristip Image were it not that som kind of people would esteeme more of the Image then of the man as Dionisius made more of Iupiters golden Garment then of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter more of Aesculepius golden beard then of Aesculapius It was euer his speach for money Seditious men euer esteemed the golde of the Temple more then the Temple the gold of the Altar more then the Altar they be like the Moabites alwaies 4. Reg. 3. ready for the spoyle These bee they which Iohn Baptist calles Prognies Math. 3 Viperarum It may be sayd of these wicked Practisers that they know not of what spirit they are as Christ sayd to Iames and Iohn when they would haue fire from
purged and purifyed of these factious and seditious men not as Naaman the Syrian was purifyed by washing in I ordan neyther as Ezechias purifyed the Temple of Ierusalem but by a Militaty purification and to sacrifice such fellowes by decimation as Tamberlaine and Xerxes did It is in Homer written of three kindes of purification the one by fire the other by water the third by ayre where mention is made of Vlisses how hee commaunded Odess 21. that offences and great faultes should bee purified with Brimstone and fire and with the slaughter of hogges for a sacrifice to the Gods The like is of Orestes who after hee slew his mother Clitemnestra was so vexed with furies that hee wandred like a madde man vntill he was purified with water sent for from the Tracenians and had from seuen seuerall riuers and being put all together into a vessell and washed ouer his body with that water to purifie clense him ex materna caede of his mothers murthering It should seeme that Homer was acquainted with the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian in the floud Iordan of his leprosie for they liued almost in one age In purification and purging of false deceitfull and seditious Souldiers the Generall the Coronelles the Captaines and all the souldiers all crowned with Laurell The purging of Campes should in Martius field make such supplications sacrifices as Ser. Tullius the third King of Rome had then constituted which was a sheepe a Goate a Sowe and a Bull at which time the Army should haue a certaine portion of corne pro cuiusque contubernio for euery tenne Souldiers being of one company and euery one should haue a peece of money called Drachma with other such military rewards as were fit for euery company to offer ioyntly their oblation sacrifice for the purifying of their Army In like sort if any great earthquake lightning or thuÌ„dring were for the purifying purging of their Countries from seditious and mutinous people either in the field amongst Soldiers or in their Cities amongst Citizens or in their Nauies vpon the Sea they vsed many ceremonies The banishing and purging of such trecherous and seditious people in Nauies on Seas differed nothing The purifying of Sea-Souldiers but in some ceremonies which was that many altars should be made vpon the shore and that altar which the water of the Sea had sprinkled the Priestes vpon that altar should sacrifice the offenders then part of the sacrifice should be throwne into the Sea the other burned vpon the shore this was the olde maner of the Romans in purifying and purging of wicked false men from good men They were so carefull or rather superstitious that if either an Owle or a Wolfe had bin within the TeÌ„ple of Iupiter in the Capitoll sacrificium peculare should bee vsed Many such night-Owles and many day-walking Wolues come not onely into our Temples but into our houses Scipio Emilianus at what time hee was Censor made Scipio Emilianus no other supplication to the gods but only for the prosperity of the city of Rome and for purging of seditious men out of the city of Rome But Nero in his sactifice supplication to the gods made only mention of himselfe and of the people but not of the Senators and Magistrates Too many are Nero. of Neroes nature which would faine feed the peoples humours to moue sedition and mutinies but generally they haue the like end as Nero had Supplications and prayers were made amongst the Pagans for any victories or good successe to any kingdome Alex. lib. 5. cap. 27 or countrey A decree was made in Rome that the Citizens for fifteene dayes should offer sacrifice and supplications to the gods for the good successe that Iulius Caesar had in his warres against the Gaules So did Cicero being then Consull cause all the Senators Patricians Tribes with all the Citizens of Rome Matrons wiues young and old by themselues crowned to offer supplications and sactifices in their The purification of good successe and victories Temples celebrating solemne feastes in token of great ioy and triumph that the conspiracy of Cateline was found out by Cicero and his confederats vanquished by Luc. Antonius then Consull with Cicero The like did Cicero for the victories and happy successe of Oct. Caesar So did Dec. Brutus for the ioy and gladnes of the ouerthrow of Marc. Antonius at the battell at Mutina The Grecians commonly neuer vsed supplication for any happines or fortunate successe but playes and feasts but if it were some great victory ouer the enemy or sauing of their city from the enemy theÌ„ they would with great pompe solemnity in their Temples offer sacrifice and oblations sing Hymnes and Meeters in yeelding thankes to their gods The Athenians had also saith Theopompus euery fifth yere as the Romans had their L 〈…〉 so had they their The â—â—roâ— of 〈…〉 i 〈◊〉 in Athens Panegyrys their meeting in a Session to giue thankes to their gods with one coÌ„sent for the defending of AtheÌ„s against the enemy at which time they made supplication for the people of Platea their next neighbors and of Chios to the gods to maintain the prosperous estate of their countrey with banning and cursing of Philip and all his countrey Macedonia with supplications to destroy his Nauies on the sea his Army vpon the land Alex 〈◊〉 5. cap. 77 his children and his family as most detestable enemies vnto Greece See the cate and loue the Heathens had of their countrey The Greekes had also instructions of Epimenides to purify their Cities in this sort to let two sheepe the one blacke the other white out of the townes end and some man appointed to follow them and where they would stay or lye there would the Greekes offer oblations and sacrifice to their gods this was their care for their countrey and such should be the care of all good men towards their Countrey to purge to purify and to weed all trecherous and seditious men as are neuer well but either inuenting or doing some euill to their Country not much vnlike to the purification of Moses which you shall read hereafter When the old Gaules purified or cleansed their Cyties or Townes their custome was to feed one man Of purification among the Gaules most daintily for one whole yeere and being full sed and fat they led him round about the Citie or Towne vpon a solemne feast day and after brought him without the City and stoned him with stones to death as a sacrifice to purify their people Such a custome as it seemeth had the Iewes when Pilate would haue had Christ deliuered and let Barrabas the murtherer dye according to their Lawes the Iewes cried Crucify Christ they had rather haue Barrabas a murtherer then Christ a Sauiour It seemed by Xerxes which by lot of Decimation slue that Souldier and deuided his bodie vnto two parts to purify the army that the Persians vsed that kind of purging and cleansing of their people which the Gaules did and the Macedonians The like law obserued the Iewes that one yeerely should dye to purify the people as it seemed by Pilates speach when Barrabas was set free and Christ died So Elizeus the Prophet willed Naaman the Assyrian to goe and wash himselfe seuen times in the riuer Iordan Elizeus and so he should be clensed of his Leprosy but some practise with Gehezi to deceyue their masters What shal be their reward The reward of Gehezi the leprosy of Naaman for euer Moyses was commanded from God to put his owne sister Miriam out of the host for seuen dayes vnul she Moyses was purifyed by the Lawe before she should be receiued againe into the army In another place Moyses was commaunded that the Israelites should abstayne froÌ„ their wines their clothes washed before they should approach neere the hill So Christ in the new Testament willed the ten Lepers to goe and shew themselues vnto the Priest according to the law of Moses but as they went they were healed and one came only to giue thanks vnto Christ I doubt much that neither Elizeus Moyses nor Christ himselfe can heale a nomber of their leprosy where men are so false that they can neither be true to their Prince nor to their Country Where shall men finde faith What fire what water can do good when the fyre of heauen can not purify and the water of life can not wash them The maner of purification by Moses was to kill a liue Moses purification Sparrow ouer a fountaine of water the Priest should take Caedar wood a Scarlet lace and Hyssop should dip them with the liuing Sparrow in the bloud of the slaine Sparrow and sprinkle vpon him that was vncleane and so to bee purified He that was cleansed and purified by Moses Law should wash his clothes and shaue off al his haire of his head of his beard and of his browes and wash himselfe in water and wash his clothes and be kept seuen dayes from the Camp But concerning purification by the Law of Moses of blacke spottes scabbes and vncleane issues you may read the Leuiticall Lawes how God would haue his people cleane pure and sound both outward and inward Leuit. 14. The Heathen were so superstitious in their ceremonies of purifycation purging that if any great earthquake thunder lightnings or any monstrous kind of births of men or of beasts were in Rome they should be throwne into Tyber or should be slaine to be sacrificed to appease their countrey gods There are many monstrous births in diuers places and countries that might be as well throwne into their owne country Riuers as the Romanes did into Tiber and ought farre better to bee drowned in their owne countryes then the children of the Hebrues out of their countrie by the Egyptians in Nylus Where I leaue vntill I haue further time to write FINIS
shewed himselfe a wise man and gaue wise Iephtha counsel to his Captaines how they might find out the false Ephramites from the true Israelites by pronouncing of the letter Shiboleth and that before the Ephramites Iud. 12. should passe ouer Iorden lest they should gather head against the Israelites againe Great wisdome it is to looke in time to such and to cut off the heads of them that would willingly haue many heads like Hidra I wish there were no heads of Hidra yet lurking in any English Laerna Thus was Iephtha called from the land of Tob and Gedeon from the Barne-threshing to kill and destroy Gedeon these wicked Madianites and false Ephramites which were scattered and dispersed into all partes of the world Was not Dauid called frō a Shepheard to be anoynted Dauid a Shepheard king in Israel by Samuel while yet Saul liued for the sinnes of Saul and to ouerthrow the house of Saul for all the practice and policy of Saul to the contrary Was not Ieroboam the seruant of Salomon called Ieroboam a seruant anoynted king in Israel by the Prophet Ahias in the time of Salomon of his sonne Rehoboam and to take ten of the twelue Tribes from Salomon And was not Iehu from a soldier called and anoynted king by Elizeus Iehu a soldier seruant while Achab yet reigned in Israel to destroy Achab and all his posterity for the Idolatry of Achab The iust iudgement of God against wicked Princes And so in other like practisers that seek by policy to ouerthrow kingdomes Saul with all his policy with his sonnes his seruants and his daughter that he maried to Dauid onely to deceiue Dauid could not preuent Dauid of the kingdom It was the purpose of God Salomon for all his wisedome and royalty and his friends could not hinder Ieroboam his seruant from the kingdome It was so determined Achab with all his gods and Idols could not preuent Iehu nor take reuenge vpon Elizeus no more thē Benhadad king of Syria could feed his wrath vpon Elizeus no policy no practice no coūsel against the Lord. Elizeus looking in the face of Hazael said that hee should be king after Benhadad in Syria withall wept knowing how he would strangle his master Benhadad the king and how Tyrant-like he would plague Israel during the time of his cruell gouernment Many had cause to weepe if men knewe as Elizeus did what policies are practised in many mens hearts And therefore had olde Osiris king of Egypt the Osiris his scepter likenes of a mans eye in the vpper end of his Scepter to signifie that kings should be circumspect and wise to see vnto the policy and practice of wicked men for against such wise and godly Princes no policy can preuaile no more then a little cloud can darken the brightnes of the Sunne And as the Sunne with his brightnes lighteneth all the Sky so doth a vertuous Prince with his wisdome his subiects for so Aristotle sayth Vnica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Polit. sola virtus Principis prudentia The only vertue of a Prince is to become wise to chuse such Wise Counsellers as Moyses did of graue godly wise men which counsell was called synadrion to help to ayd him in the gouernmēt of 600000. men that in a wildernes By counsel Commonwealths Kingdomes stand So in Salust it is sayd vnto Caesar Quò magis Imperium cò maior cura So long shal kingdoms prosper while good Counsel gouernes Dum apud eos vera consilia valuerūt For sayd Plato All good and godly Counsayles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred according to that which Christ sayd Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I among them It is neyther sayd Scipio to Micipsa strong armies treasures nor goldē Scepters that vphold kingdoms but truth wisedome and Counsayle So Aristotle Pro. 20. sayth vnto the great Alexander that Counsel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. ad Alex. Suet. cap. 25. Augustus saying most diuine in matters of states for that hee was euer careful to haue Alexander gouerned by counsaile knowing well the greatnesse of his minde the conquest which he took in hand Many perish for want of counsayle and many more for not accepting of counsell Wise counsayle and the reward thereof was more giuen in Sparta to the Captayne that subdued the enemyes by policy and counsell then by the sword for that attempt sayd Augustus is not to bee enterprised where more feare is in losing then hope in getting the victory The Carthagineans so esteemed wise counsel that if any of their Captains had done any thing but by wise counsel though they had obteyned great victories the law in Carthage was that they should die Great Captaynes wanne more by counsaile then by the Sword Pluraconsilio quà m vi magnos Duces perfecisse Wise Princes must be like Ianus looking backward as well as Tacit. 11. Ann. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forward It was Sertorius saying to Pompey the great Quod respicere magis quà m prospicere oporteat Ducem That a wise Gouernor looketh backward as well as forward But Ambition sayth Seneca neuer looketh backe but forward Plut. in Serto. how hee may enterteyne factious and seditious men to hold him vp They neuer thinke of their owne liues when they imagine to preuent others of their liues Sedition therfore is as dangerous to Kings in their kingdomes as to Commaunders in Field in the Army For so Seneca said Idem ius habet aduersus imperia atque aduersus imperantes Sectio 2. SERVIVS GALBA vnder pretence Oros lib. 5 cap. 21. of doing of some great good vnto the Lusitanians assēbled the chiefest men the gallantest Youths of three great Cities to the nomber of seuen thousand whome hee most trecherously and falsly slewe which mooued great Sedition and tumult in Spaine against the Romanes Hastrubal intending vnder the colour of hunting to inuade Numidia being resisted by the Numidians told them hee came but to hunt Elephants By the like policy of hunting Hanibal got Tarentū Such a hunter was Nymrod that hunted kings and kingdomes and therefore he was called The mighty Gen. 10. Hunter Ninus was a great hunter of kingdoms countries So may it be said of Cyrus and of Alexander so great hunters were they that they died in their hunting out of their kingdomes Hunting is a military exercise which made Sertorius Plut. in Serto. to vse hunting and to trauaile the hard rockes of Affrica and that he and his soldiers thereby might better indure labour and payne against the Romanes hee acquainted them so much with hunting that they were able to sustayne any hardnesse The cause therefore why Brasidas compared hunting to warre was for that the like stratagems are often inuented and executed in warres against soldiers as the Hunter doeth against diuers kindes of beasts specially
Gen. 31. the company of his brother Esau a wicked man Whilestany of the seditious house of Saul liued amongst the Iewes the plague neuer ceased in Israel but when at the request and petition of the Gibionites 2. Sam. 21. Dauid hanged them vp the Plague ceased The like is historyed of Phinees that for killing of Numb 25 Zymri and Cosbi for their whoredome in the camp the Plague ceased Elizeus being asked of Hazael why he wept I weep said the Prophet knowing the euill thou shalt do to the children of Israel in burning their houses and Cities 4. Reg. 8. slaying their yong men with the sword in that thou shalt dash out the braines of their sucking children and all to teare their women with child Such factious and seditious men qui ex fraude fallaciis et mendaciis c. as sayth Cicero haue diuers tymes the like intent as Hazael had to Israel A seditious person seeketh mischiefe in his heart Pro. 17. There was a letter writtē vnto Caesar climing for the Empire of Rome raging in his fury against his countrey willing him not to giue too much care to such as are greedy seditious men desirous of slaughters and neuer satisfied with bloud who coūselled Caesar to that purpose that the City of Rome being taken they might take rape and spoyle and vse their lust for a Law Against these such like the Prophet Ezechiel doth pronounce famyne plague warre deuouring beasts Ezech. 7. to try if it be possible whether ill and wicked people wil mend and become seruants to God and subiects to their King for sayth Salomon of such men if they had Pro. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called for knowledge and sought for wisdome as they sought after money or had they digged for celestial wisdome as they did for earthly treasure then should they vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God but such seeke spoyles and prayes they onely muse how they might come by money vita et sanguis eorum pecunia Yet Dionisins after hee had robbed the Temple of Proserpina among the Locresians and robbed Iupiter Olympius of his golden Garment in Peloponesus and robbed Aesculapius of his golden beard in Epidaurus Cic. lib. 3. de Natur. without any resisting of him for that the people thought that he should be punished as Xerxes was once in Greece that eyther Proserpina would haue plucked out his eyes or Iupiter would haue kild him with thunderbolts or Esculapius would haue tortured him with plagues and long sickenes supposing Dionisius should not haue so escaped free for his sacriledge no more thē Xerxes who for burning their gods and their Temples in Greece their gods haue so plagued him that three hundred thousand Persians were slaine in Greece and Cic. de leg 3. Xerxes himselfe murthered by his Nephew Artabanus and therfore went they to the Temple of Eumenides which were Vltrices et vindices facinorum et scelerum to yeeld thankes to these Furyes for the reuenging of the violating of their Temples their Altars their gods Sectio 9. THEAGINES leading an Army against the Magarians his army would know of him whē he would put them to martch in order of battell Theagines answered at Megara and in the mean season sent secretly certein Horsmen like the enemyes to set vpon them on the sodaine and to assault the Athenians which being done Theagines marked how euery souldier was forward took place to fight I promised you said Theagines this morning to put you in array at Megara march now forward and be as ready for the enemy at al times as now and seeke not to know the secret purpose of your Captaine but be ready at a becke for as Clearchus the Lacedemonian said good Souldiers ought to be more carefull of their Captaine then of their enemies Now Theagines did this to finde out false and seditious Souldiers from the true Licinius Crassus being asked when he would remoue his Tents answered Doest thou meane to sleepe that thou wouldst know whē they remoue Vereris ne tubam Front lib. 1. cap. 1. exaudeas So Metellus answered the like question being asked what he thought to do the next morning I wold burne my Coate sayd Metellus if I thought my Coate could tell it How many thinke you are of Metellus mind which would that none should know their policy neither the time of their practise they will not onely burne their coates and their shyrts but their skinnes and their flesh and yet often times their practises are descryed In Egipt such seditious and trecherous men for their secret practise doe worship and also sacrifice vnto the dumbe Image of Harpocrates that all secret practises might be kept close In Rome they do sacrifice vnto Angerona whose finger is alwayes on her mouth in token of silence In Persia they offer also sacrifice vnto that Image of silence whose lippe is sealed vp with a signet with the which the Persiās vse at the chusing of any of the kings Counsell to lay the kings signet on their lips But to whom doe they sacrifice their tongue To the dumbe Deuill that stoppeth their tongues from praying vnto So did Alex. to Ephestion God and to the deafe Deuill they sacrifice their eares because they will not heare the Word of God for thereby should their policy and practice bee knowne The Romanes to preuent these secret practisers brought vp Dogges which are quicke of sent in high Arneb li. 6. aduers gentes Towers fed Geese in the Capitoll which are quicke of hearing that by the barking of the Dogges warning might be giuen of the enemies comming and by the gaggling of the geese men might be waked out of their sleepe as Manlius was to saue both Rome and the Capitoll from the Gaules So did Masinissa king of Numidia bind great dogges in his bed-chamber to watch practisers But Christ gaue vs a better lesson and a sounder watch Vigilate orate Watch and pray the Deuill is that Dogge that commeth in through the windowe Our Sentinel is our conscience which should bee a brydle to curbe wicked men from trechery from sedition and from conspiracy The seditious man sayth Cicero Panam semper ante eculos versari vidit Paulus Emilius commaunded his soldiers to be vnarmed in their watch for that they should not sleepe and be more carefull of their watch Xenoph in Paed. So Cyrus would not haue his soldiers to be idle lest they should become quarrellous and seditious I may not omit a rare example of Manlius the father to correct his yong sonne Manlius who fought a battell against the enemies with good successe of victory yet against his fathers rule and therfore was to be Front li. 4 cap. 1. punished with stripes and by his father to be slaine according to the military discipline vntill the souldiers tooke part with young Manlius against the father Sedition
grew hereby in the eampe that young Manlius to auoyd this sedition made meanes to the army that he might be punished to satisfy the law and his fathers commaundement This was a rare example but we speake of such as neither esteemed parents nor Prince neither King nor countrey such a one was Iudas Galilaeus so seditious Iudea plagued by sedition that he brought a multitude of the Iewes like himself to follow him and promised them that the Romanes should be by him fully vanquished But Felix the Romane President made ready certayne Romane soldiers to ouerthrow them and put them all to the sword in the wildernes Straight after this ouerthrow another seditious prophet came from Egypt to Ierusalem professing the name of a Prophet promising the people if they would follow him to moūt Oliuet fiue furlongs from the City they should see the walles of Ierusalem at his commaundement to fall downe as the walles of Iericho did at the blowing of Rammes hornes by the Iosh 6. commaundement of Iosua that thereby they might easily enter the City These were such priuate seditious men as Atonges a Shepheard and after him Barcosbe who kept the people in hand and made the Rabbins themselues to beleeue that by his policy and practice they would make an end of the Romane warres Thus from one seditious man to another the multitude was led like a Flocke of sheepe to the slaughter that when Festus succeeded Felix he found all Iudaea full of such Robbers Cooseners Magicians yea Coniurers and deceyuers of the people that Festus cut them off by degrees as Felix did before Festus who met with Ioseph lib. 20. cap. 6. this Egyptian and his fellowes slew foure hundred and tooke foure hundred aliue yet these being destroyed and cut off like Hydraes head they still multiplyed so seditious were the Iewes In the time of Antiochus many wicked men went out of Ierusalem and moued much people saying Eamus et disponamus testamentum Gentibus Let vs go make couenant with the Heathen This practise pleased the people well so that at Ierusalem was an open Schole of the Heathen against whom Amos the Prophet cryed Vae qui opulenti estis in Sion et considitis in Amos. 6. montibus Samariae Wo be vnto you which are rich in Sion and trust to the mountaines of Samaria wo be vnto them that depart from Bethel to Bethauen from God to the Deuill from their friends to their foes Another Magician named Theudas professed him selfe to be a Prophet and for proofe therof willed the Iewes to follow him to Iordan they should see him do as much with a word at Iordan as either Elizeus did with Elias mantle or as Moyses did with a white sticke at the red Sea that as the red sea deuided it selfe and gaue place to Moyses to passe through dry so should Iordan do to Theudas But Festus the Roman President hauing knowledge of Theudas practice armed certein Romanes slue the seditious and brought Theudas head vpon a long pole from Iordan to Ierusalem Such seditious men and the like euer practised policy to mooue the people to tumults mutinyes they are neuer quiet but when they practise such policies then they thinke they haue Gyges ring in their hands that no men see them and they suppose them selues as fortunate if they effect their purpose as Polycrates did of his Ring that hee threw into the sea and found it againe yet Polycrates fortune was to hang afterward as Iudas and Theudas were slaine There is another kind of politike practisers euen with kings in Court called Syrenes aulae much made of and esteemed but they also practise in a glasse so fickle that slattery endureth no longer then the glasse wherein it is practised for when the glasse of any wicked practice is broken the practicer is also betrayed But Cicero gaue a caueat to the Senators that they should bee carefull whome to beleeue Nihil subito credendo sed semper omnia cauendo and so writes to his friēd Atticus Take heede whome you beleeue Nisi vultu fronte Another cryeth out aloud from Greece that nothing is more profitable to many men then diffidence as sayth Euripides Few can be excused if accusation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will serue Auris non fides prabenda said Maecenas to Augustus It is written of the Emperour Constantine amongst Constant many vertues hee had this fault that hee permitted pickthanks alwayes to haue accesse vnto him Of such men Nero was called Princeps delatorum who allowed the fourth part of the goods of thē that were accused to the accusers and therfore were these accusers called in scorne Quadruplateres Tyberius the Emperor when the Senators thought good to abrogate these great rewards graunted to accusers Tiberius his saying sayd Iurasubuerti si custodes legum amouerentur So did Vitellius punish certain Mathematicians with death by meanes of such secret dangerous accusers without licence to answere the accusers Domitianus gaue attentiue eare to such as would accuse secret faults of men being true or otherwise insomuch as one accuser accused another being so many that Rome was full of these pickthanks while these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist poli 5. cap. 15. Emperours reigned no better then Dionisius the Tyrant who appoynted certaine men whom he himselfe named Sagogidas to inform him what euery man spake and did Benhadad the king of Syria was much vexed in his mind and suspected some of his chiefe seruants sayd vnto them Who betrayeth mee to the king of Israel It was answered by one of his chamber that king Benhadad could neither speake nor doe any thing in his 4. Reg. 6. priuy chamber but Elizeus the man of God knew it at Dothan It is a true saying that he that is God and Man doth he are our wicked blasphemies and seeth our trecherous practises which if he say Quis decipiet Achab vt cadat there shall want no lying spirits to practise policy and to deceiue such 3. Reg. 22 But againe to pick-thanks Vespasianus and after him his son Titus so hated such Promoters that they caused these fellowes to be scourged and whipped round about the Theaters in the sight of the people Antonius surnamed Pius decreed that priuy and secret accusers that could not prooue euidently their accusation to be true should dye for it and if their accusation were prooued they had what the law permitted them and so dismissed them cum ignominia The like is sayd of the Emperour Opilius Macrinus that he could not abide to heare the name of a Pick. Alex. lib. 4 cap. 22. thanke Such busy secret accusers are like Crates the Theban who was surnamed the Dore-opener for that hee would rush into euery mans company to heare what was sayd and to see what was done Many such are both in Courts and Countreyes Placida loquentes praua struentes such haue ouerthrowne many kings and princes
not be named within Asia hee vsed the lawe of Amnestia by Thrasibulus made in Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So did Cate then Consull cleare all Sicilia from Vsurers and Monopolies these be Sorices Reip. the Rats of a Common wealth these be the Moths that eate mens clothes on their backs these be the Wormes that breed in the Bee-hiues that deuoure all the hony There be others that be ambitious practisers more dangerous which hunt for to become Magistrates and Officers against these the law of Ostracismos was put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in execution in Athens and the law Petalismes in Syracusa and euery where such were banished Igne aqua these be clymers and practisers how to be mighty and to be aduaunced vnto greatnes these were of the monsters of Athens Noctua populus Draco of whom Demosthenes speaketh In the time of Alexander the great none would he suffer great besides himselfe in all the earth In the time of Antiochus none great in all Asia but hee And amongst the Romanes none but one Pompey the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in these dayes many practise their policy to become great against the rule of the Philosopher who saith Neminem vnum magnum facere c. The Lawyers also haue their glasse where they may see Balaam ryding on his Asse Balac attended on The Images of kīgs of Iudges and of Iustice with Moabites Madianites with bribes and rewards in their hands to haue Balaams counsell which might put them in remembrance of corrupt Iudges and greedy Lawyers In this glasse they shall see also Moloc with a reaching hand But there is a better sight in this Glasse the Images of Iudges without hands the Images of Kings without eyes and Iustice it selfe pictured without a head to signify that Kings should be without affection and Iudges without corruption Ne gratia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precio odio vel timore eludi possit Iustitia The vse of Glasses were made to this purpose to reforme and to instruct men of outward and inward faults Such a Glasse had Plato to reforme Drunkards and furious hasty men that by beholding of themselues Platoes glasse in Platoes Glasse they might see how they were depryued of all their sences and left without any humane part that should be in reasonable men and that by looking in this Glasse they might reforme themselues Ad hoc vtile est nobis Speculum A Glasse is necessary herein Such a Glasse had Socrates to shew his Schollers that they which were most beautifull and goodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plu in Timokon wanting no comely forme of body might learne by Socrates Glasse not to deface that Beauty or deforme that body with any foule vice or filthy fault of the minde And if they were lame crooked or any way deformed in the same Glasse Socrates taught them how to amend and to counteruaile the deformity of the body with wisdome knowledge and vertue of the mind Ingenii cultu morumque probitate pensarent This was the vse of the Glasse sayd Seneca to amend faults and not to learne faults not to learne Idolatry as Nestorius did to make Mirrors of men or like Narcissus to flatter our selues Narcissus glasse Archimedes Glasse was much more commended in Syracusa to deceiue the Romanes his enemyes by his Glasse then we by our owne Glasses to deceyue Archimedes glasse our selues It was lawfull for Archimedes to practise policy to burne Townes Cyties and Shippes by his Glasse to destroy the enemyes of Syracusa Next this Glasse of flattery commeth in the practising Glasse of Idolatry If Nestorius and Narcissus deceiued themselues others what wonder is it that Zeuxes painted a Bitch on a Table so liuely that Dogges at the sight thereof barked Or that Parrhasius painted a Mare in such sort that Horses neighed at the lookng on it Neither of that picture which Praxiteles made which was the Image of a beautifull comely woman of Marble to stand in a Temple at Gnydos that some youth Aelian 2. de var. hist Plin. li. 36 cap. 5. of that citie supposed the Image to bee no lesse a woman then the Dogges that barked at Xeuxes Bitch or the Horses that neighed at Parrhasius Mare or the Bull that lowed at the brasen cow in Syracusa but I thinke not so of the woodden Cow of Creet the mother of Monsters But these are things naturall and easie to be beleeued in Beasts because they are beasts but for people of reason and vnderstanding to loue Images and pictures to honour worship them is more beastly then beasts them selues because they should not be beasts Rome of all kingdoms and countries was beholden to Images for when Camillus had ouercome the Veients Plut. in Camil. one of Camillus Soldiers asked Iunoes image Vis migrare Romam Who answered Libenter velo So the Image of Fortune in Coriolianus time at the dedication of her Temple gaue great thankes vnto Plut. in Camil. the Matrones of Rome and sayd Recte me dedicastis Matronae The citie of Rome being vexed with a long plague was admonished by Sybillaes books to send to Epidaurus for Aesculapius image who followed the Ambassadours Oro. lib. 3. cap. 22. in forma Serpentis from Epidaurus to Rome and healed the Romane plague so that Rome was so full of Images that Cicero sayd Quot linguae hominum Romae tot nomina Deorum In Athens were but fewe lesse in number then in Rome they had as many Images in Athens as they had Poets to faine thē or Painters to paint them they had so many Images that they had an Altar ignoto deo that some Philosophers thought good to banish all Poets and Painters out of Athens In Egypt the mother of Idolatry were the Images of all kinde of Beasts of Serpents of Fowles of fishes worshipped as gods O seculum Daemoniorum non Deorum And therefore Iehu vsing this stratagem to destroy these Idols fayned a day of great solemnity and sacrifice The stratagem of Iehu 4. Reg. 10 to Baal and called al the prophets priests frends of king Achab to this solemnity saying that he would as Achab had done before sacrifice to Baal and hauing them all within the Temple commaunded certayne soldiers to inuade and kill them So God taught Moses such stratagems in Egipt against Pharao and to Iosua at Iericho and at Ai to destroy the enemies of God Ergamenes king of Ethiope vsing the like policy as Iehu did to make an end of all the priests of Ethiope who by their Lawe had authority to elect a King so Dioder 〈◊〉 4. cap. 1. long to raigne as pleased those priests to suffer him dissembled the like policy as Iehu did to solemnize a sacrifice to their gods where he slue them euery one So is dissimulation lawfull in such and like actions So Chusa dissembled with Absolom and said