The Corinthians saw before their eies their cities raced to the ground bicause they had offered violence to the Romane Embassadors contrarie to the lawe of nations The Emperour Iustinian receiued infinite losses and dammages for breaking his faith with the Barbarians and for violating the peace which he had made with the Bulgarians Which thing procured him so great hatred of his owne subiects by reason of the vnluckie exploits of warre which followed after that being returned to Constantinople Leontius vsurped the kingdome vpon him sending him into banishment after he had cut off his nosethrils Rastrix Duke of Cleaueland hauing falsified his faith with Lewes king of Germanye was put to the woorst and vanquished and being prisouer his eies were put out for a marke of his faithles dealing But what need we search in antiquitie for testimonies of the fruits which commonly proceede from the breach of faith seeing examples are daily before our eies to our cost What do we behold at this day but a doubling yea a heape of all miseries bicause faith which is so pretious exquisite a thing that it admitteth no comparison hath so often beene valued at so small a price The historie heereof is but too common and the truth too apparant to the great hurt of euery one to stand vpon the proofe thereof whereas it ought rather to be buried from all memory if it were possible as well to deface all spots of infamie for which we are blamed of nations farthest of as to take away the distrust that one hath of an other which is so great amongst vs that it hath been one principall cause of kindling the fire of diuision so often in this desolate kingdom But to leaue such a pitifull matter subiect let vs consider what honor and entertainment men in old time gaue to traitors who are now adaies so welcome to the greatest Lasthenes hauing holpen Phillip king of Macedonia to become master of the citie of Olynthum whereof he was an inhabitant and complaining to the king that certain called him traitor he receiued this only answer that the Macedonians were naturally rude and grosse calling a spade a spade and all things els by their proper name When Caesar Augustus heard Rymetalces king of Thracia who had forsaken Antonius to ioyne with him boast of his fact the monarch drinking to others said with a loud voyce I loue treason well but I loue not traitors And in truth what man of any good iudgement will trust him He that betraieth his prince his benefactor his citie his countrey his kinsfolks and friends into their hands to whom he is nothing so much bound how may not he betray them also another time This did Agis sonne of Archidamas king of Sparta very well signifie to the Ephories who had commanded him to take the yong men of the citie with him and to go to the countrey of one whom they would make knowen vnto him who had promised to guide and bring them within the castel of his citie What quoth he vnto them is it a reasonable matter to commit the safetie and life of so many valiant yong men to one that betraieth his countrey Pausanias captaine of the Lacedemonians hauing receiued 500. talents of gold of king Xerxes promised to betray the citie of Sparta vnto him But his enterprise being discouered Agesilaus his father pursued him into a temple where he thought to haue saued himselfe and causing the gates thereof to be walled vp suffred him to die there of hunger and afterward his mother cast his bodie to the dogs and would not burie it The like befell to Cassius Brutus who would haue sold Rome his father handling him after the same sort Darius king of Persia caused the head of his sonne Ariobarzanes to be cut off bicause he sought to betraie his armie to Alexander Brutus did the like to his children who had conspired against their countrey that king Tarquinius might reenter into Rome Mahomet hauing taken Constantinople through the cowardlines and treason of Iohn Iustinian of Genua after he had made him king according to promise he cut off his head within three daies A meete recompence for such a wretch who was the cause of so great a plague to Christendome whereby the Emperor Constantius the Patriarke and all the Christians were slaine The Empresse with hir daughters and with the noblest damsels she had were led before Mahomet and after a thousand vilanies offered vnto them their bodies were cut in peeces True it is that Histories are diuers touching this fact of Iustinian For some say that perceiuing himselfe to be hurt in fight he fled whereupon most of the men of warre were discouraged and that after he had saued himselfe in the I le of Chios he died either of his wound or for griefe sorow bicause he was the chiefe cause of so great a mischiefe to Christendome Neither may we passe ouer in silence the heroicall fact of Sultan Solyman the last that died but propound it to Princes as a paterne of the hatred and punishment of periurie and treason For sending a Bascha of his into Valona to passe into Italy both by sea and land this Generall landed at the hauen of Castro where at the inhabitants being astonished yeelded themselues vnto him vnder his othe and fidelitie whereby he promised that they should depart their liues saned with bag baggage Neuerthelesse this Barbarian slew them all except those whome he saw were fit to serue for slaues But after his returne to Constantinople the great Seignior being aduertised of his disloialtie caused him to be strangled sent backe all his prisoners with their goods into Italy Truly an act woorthie such a Prince who if he had beene endued with the true knowledge of God and of his Church deserued the first place amongst the great ones of his time Now to end our discourse let vs learne to know the excellency of faith which is such a thing that whosoeuer laieth it in pawne bindeth his safetie his honor and his soule to him vnto whome he giueth it and committeth manifest impietie against God whē he breaketh and violateth the same vnles he had vowed it for the performance of some wicked deede with which both diuine and humane law dispense Let vs know also that it is the beginning and foundation of a great and notable vertue to be giuen to truth that it was of such credite amongst the Ancients that in Cato his time when any man rehearsed a strange thing and hard to be beleeued this prouerbe went of him bicause he was knowne throughout the whole course of his life to be a louer of truth This is not credible although Cato himselfe should speake it And thus by the examples of so many famous men let vs in such sort be stirred to hate lying whereof Satan is the father and author that following the counsell of S.
might refer all to the glorie of the diuine maiestie and to the profit and vtilitie as well of themselues as of their country And yet in the meane while these noble toward youths were not depriued of other exercises meete for them which as the diuine Plato saith are very profitable for this age and helpe much to quicken the spirits of yoong men and to make their bodies which are weake by nature more strong and apt to sustaine trauell as namely to ride horses to run at the ring to fight at barriers to applie themselues to all kind of weapons and to followe the chace of beasts All which exercises this wise and ancient Knight did intermingle with their earnest studies by way of recreation himselfe standing them in steade of a maister For in such exercises he was as fully furnished as is to be wished in a man of valure and actiuitie insomuch that he was more expert than many of our time who make no other profession Now this schoole hauing been continued for the space of sixe or seauen yeeres to the great profit of this nobilitie of Aniou the fower fathers on a day tooke their iournie to visite this good old man and to see their children And after the vsuall welcome which is betweene kinsfolks and friends they discoursed togither of the corruption which then was in all estates of France wherevpon they foresawe as they said some great storme at hand if euerie one did not put to his helping hand for the correction and reformation of them but chiefly the secular power authorised of God for this purpose They alledged for witnes of their saying many examples of ancient estates common-wealths and kingdoms which were fallen from the height of glorie and excellencie into a generall subuersion and ouerthrow by reason of vices raigning in them vnpunished And thus continuing their speech from one thing to another they fell in talke of the corrupt maners that might particularly be noted in all and those maintained by authoritie and with commendation insomuch that both great and smal endeuored to disguise vice with the name of vertue In fine they were of opinion to heare their children discourse heervpon that they might know and iudge whether they had profited so wel in the institution of good maners the rule of good life by folowing of vertue and by the knowledge of histories the patterne of the time past for the better ordering of the time present as their maister who was present at the discourses of these ancient gentlemen did assure them by intermingling the praises of his schollers in the midst of their graue talke and vaunting that they were well armed to resist the corruption of this age For truly vertue purchased and gotten by practise is of no lesse power against all contagion of wickednes than preseruatiues well compounded are of force in a plague time to preserue in good helth the inhabitants of a countrie and as heeretofore that famous physicion Hippocrates preserued his citie of Coos from a mortalitie that was generall throughout all Grecia by counselling his countrymen to kindle many fires in all publike places to the end thereby to purifie the aire euen so whosoeuer hath his soule possessed and his hart well armed with the brightnes and power of vertue he shal escape the dangers of corruption and eschew all contagion of euill maners But returning to the intent and desire of our good old men bicause they had small skil in the Latine tong they determined to haue their children discourse in their owne naturall toong of all matters that might serue for the instruction and reformation of euerie estate and calling in such order and method as themselues with their foresaid maister should thinke best For this purpose they had two howers in the morning granted vnto them wherein they should be heard and as much after dinner which was to each of them one hower in a day to speake in You may ghesse gentle readers whether this liuely youth did not bestow the rest of the day yea oftentimes the whole night vpon the well studying of that which they purposed to handle and with what cheerfulnes of hart and willingnes of mind they presented themselues before the honorable presence of their fathers who were so greatly delighted in hearing them that for the most part in stead of fower howers a day before mentioned they bestowed sixe or eight For after they had heard the two first discourse one morning they had not the patience to refer the rest of that matter vnto the afternoone when the other twain of their children should be heard but commonly commanded them presently to enter the lists and to proceed as being iealous ouer their glorie in regard of their companions In this commendable maner of passing their time they continued certaine daies But the sudden and sorrowfull newes of the last frantike returne of France into ciuill war brake vp their happie assemblie to the end that these noble youths betaking themselues to the seruice due to their prince and to the welfare and safetie of their countrie might make triall of their first feates of armes wherein they wanted neither readines nor valure of hart which being naturally in them was also increased by the knowledge of philosophie The studie whereof resembling as Plato saith to a separation of the soule from the bodie standeth wise men in stead of an exercise to die without feare when dutie requireth it and causeth them to esteeme of death as of the cause of the true and perfect good of the soule For which reason Socrates Xenophon Architas Thucidides Thales Epaminondas and a million of other famous men learned philosophers and historiographers hauing charge of armies neuer doubted or feared in any sort to offer themselues cheerfully vnto all perils and dangers when the question and contention was for publike benefit and safetie and in a iust war without which a wise man neuer ought to fight Yea I dare boldly say that the greatest and most famous exploits of warfare were atchieued for the most part by them and their like Which serued well for a spurre to our yoong Angeuins to cause them to vndertake this iournie with ioy and cheerfulnes of spirit being resolued to follow with all their might the examples of such great and notable personages as histories the treasurie of time did call to their remembrance When they were in the campe each of them according to his particular affection ranged himselfe vnder sundry cornets of great Lords and good captaines But as we said in the beginning after news of the peace proclaimed which was so greatly looked for and desired of all good men they labored foorthwith to meete togither knowing that their ioint-returne would be acceptable to their friends especially to that good olde-man by whome they were brought vp Moreouer they deliberated with themselues as soone as they were arriued at the old mans house to giue their fathers to vnderstand thereof to the end
which did all intreat of vertue out of which men may reape infinite profite especially out of those that intreat of a common-wealth or of lawes In these books that he might not seeme vngratefull towarde his master Socrates who would neuer write any thing he bringeth him in rehearsing that which at other times he had heard him speake Stilpo the philosopher being in his citie of Megara when it was taken spoiled by Demetrius king of Macedonia who fauouring him asked if he had lost any thing that was his made this answer No sir quoth he for war cannot spoile vertue And indeede this is that riches wherwith we ought to furnish our selues which can swim with vs in a shipwrack and which caused Socrates to answere thus to one who asked him what his opinion was of the great king whether he did not thinke him very happy I cannot tell quoth he how he is prouided of knowledge vertue Who may iustly doubt whether vertue alone is able to make a man happie seeing it doth not onely make him wise prudent iust good both in his doings sayings but also commonly procureth vnto him honor glorie and authoritie It was through hir meanes that Alexander deserued the surname of Great by that experience which she gaue him in warre by his liberalitie in riches by his temperance in all his sumptuous magnificence by his hardines and constancy in fight by his continency in affections by his bountie and clemencie in victorie and by all other vertues wherein he surpassed all that liued in his time Yea the fame and renowme of his vertues procured a greater number of cities countries and men to submit themselues willingly vnto him without blowestriking than did the power of his armie Wherein this sentence of Socrates is found true that whole troupes of souldiers and heapes of riches are constrained oftentimes to obey vertue What said Darius monarche of the Persians when he vnderstoode both what continencie Alexander his enimie had vsed towards his wife who being exceeding beautifull was taken prisoner by him and what humanitie he shewed afterward in hir funerals when she was dead The Persians quoth he neede not be discouraged neither thinke themselues cowards and effeminate because they were vanquished of such an aduersarie Neither do I demand any victorie of the gods but to surmount Alexander in bountifulnes And if it be so that I must fall I beseech them to suffer none but him to sit in the royall throne and seat of Cyrus Will we haue testimonies of the inuicible force of vertue and of hir powerfull and praisewoorthy effects in most sinister and vntoward matters Histories declare vnto vs that amongst all the vertuous acts which procured praise and renowme to the men of old time those were the notablest most commended which they shewed foorth at such time as fortune seemed to haue wholy beaten them downe Pelopidas generall captaine of the Thebans who deliuered them from the bondage of the Lacedemonians is more praised and esteemed for the great and notable vertue which he shewed being prisoner in the hands of Alexander the tyrannous king of the Phereans then for all his victories gotten before For at that time his vertue was so farre from yeelding any iot to his calamitie that contrariwise with an vnspeakeable constancie he recomforted the inhabitants of the towne that came to visite him exhorting them to be of good courage seeing the houre was come wherin the tyrant should be at once punished for his wickednes And one day he sent him word that he was destitute of all iudgement and reason in that he vexed his poore citizens caused them to die in torments who neuer offended him and in the meane time suffered him to liue in rest of whom he could not be ignorant that escaping his hands he would be reuenged of him The tyrant maruelling at his great courage asked why he made such great haste to die To this end quoth he that thou being yet more hated of God and men than thou art mightest the sooner be destroied Philocles one of the most famous Athenian captaines of his time who caused this law to be made that the right thombe of all prisoners taken in war from that time forward should be cut off that they might not handle a pike any more but yet might serue to rowe with an oare being taken prisoner with three thousand Atheniens in one battell which Lysander admirall of the Lacedemonians obtained against him and al of them being condemned to die was demanded of Lysander what paine he iudged himselfe worthie of for counselling his country-men to so wicked and cruell a thing To whom he made this onely answere with an vnmoueable vertue Accuse not those who haue no iudge to hear know their cause But seeing the gods haue shewed thee this fauour to be conqueror deale with vs as we would haue done with thee if we had ouercome thee Which being said he went to wash and bath himselfe and then putting on a rich cloke as if he should haue gone to some feast he offered himselfe first to the slaughter shewing the way of true constancie to his fellow citizens Anaxarchus the philosopher being taken prisoner by the commandement of Nero that he might know of him who were the authors of a conspiracie that was made against his estate and being led towards him for the same cause he bit his toong in sunder with his teeth and did spit it in his face knowing well that otherwise the tyrant would haue compelled him by all sorts of tortures and torments to reueale disclose them Zeno missing his purpose which was to haue killed the tyrant Demylus did asmuch to him But what is more terrible than death Notwithstanding when did vertue better shew hir greatnes and power then when death laboured most to ouerthrow hir as being resolued of that saying of Cicero that all wise men die willingly and without care but that the vnwise ignorant are at their wits ende for feare of death If many who haue not knowne the true and perfect immortalitie of the soule and some onely led with a desire of praise worldly glorie others touched with duty and kindled with a loue towards their countrey haue shewed the increase of their vertue in the horrors and pangs of death what ought they to do who expect certainely an euerlasting life Phocion after he had beene chosen generall captaine of the Athenians foure and fortie times and done infinite seruices to the common-wealth being at length through certaine partakinges and diuisions ouercome with the weakest side which he had mainetained and being condemned to drinke poison was demaunded before he dranke whether he had no more to saye Whereupon speaking to his sonne he saide I commaunde thee to beare the Athenians no rancor and malice for my death And a little before this speech beholding one of those that were condemned to
imagined For nothing marreth more the behauior simplicitie and natural goodnes of any people than this bicause they soone receiue into their soules a liuely impression of that dissolutenes and villanie which they see and heare when it is ioyned with words accents gestures motions actions wherewith players and iuglers know how to inrich by all kind of artificiall sleights the filthiest and most dishonest matters which commonly they make choice of And to speake freely in few wordes we may truely say that the Theater of players is a schoole of all vnchastnes vncleannes whoredom craft subtletie and wickednes Now let vs speake of those that propound as we said vnto themselves the vainglory of outward shew among the best and men of great calling through friuolous vnprofitable and superfluous expences as in sumptuous and costly apparel precious and rich moueables goodly furniture and trapping of horses great traine of seruing men dogs birds other vanities gifts and presents sent to such as are vnwoorthie thereby to obtaine the good will of them that are most wicked in authoritie to the end to prepare a way vnto high callings and to preferments vnto offices Besides the wasting of their goods hereupon to their shame and confusion which they should imploy vpon charitable works they spend many times other mens goods euen the substance of the poore which they craftily get by vnlawfull meanes This is that which at length as Crates the Philosopher said very well stirreth vp ciuill warres seditions and tyrannies within cities to the end that such voluptuous men and ambitious of vaine glorie fishing in a troubled water may haue wherewith to maintaine their foolish expences and so come to the ende of their platformes Heerof we haue many examples in the ciuil wars amongst the Romanes as namely vnder Cinna Carbo Marius and Sylla Likewise in the conspiracie of Catiline his complices who being of the chiefe families in Rome and perceiuing themselues to be brought to the estate of bankrupts as we commonly say sought by all meanes to prosecute their first deliberation which was alwaies to seeme great and mightie Thus dealt Caesar in procuring to his countrey that ciuill warre which he made against Pompey after he had indebted himselfe in seuen hundred and fiftie thousand crownes to get the fauor and good liking of the people This is that which Heraclitus meant to teach his countreymen when after a sedition appeased and quieted being asked what waie were best to be taken that the like should not fall out againe he went vp into that place from whence orations were made to the people there in steed of speaking began to eate a morsell of browne bread and to drinke a glasse of water Which being done he came downe againe and spake neuer a word Heerby he would signifie that vntill daintines of fare were banished the citie and immoderate expences cut off and sobrietie and modesty brought in their place they should neuer be without sedition If this counsell were euer requisite in a Monarchie it is certainly most necessarie at this present for ours wherein all kind of supersluitie riot and weltring in pleasures curiositie in apparell tapistrie and pictures vessels perfumes and painting of faces aboundeth in greater measure than heertofore it did amongst the Persians which was the cause of their finall subuersion and of Alexanders greatnes who subdued them That which for the space of fiue hundred yeeres and more maintained the Lacedemonian estate being the chiefest in Grecia for glory and goodnes of gouernment was the cutting off and abolishing of all superfluitie in diet apparel moueables and of all strang wares which Lycurgus banished Whereby also forraine merchants the cause of corruption banished themselues as they that seeke not after others but for gaine by selling their nouelties very deere vnto them Neither did the Romane Commonwealth florish more at any time than when those men that caried about them perfumes and sweetesmels and those women that were found swilling like drunkards were corrected with the same punishment This caused Cato being the Censurer of the election of two captaines that one of them might be sent as General of the Pannonian warre to say with a loud voice that he would dismisse Publius his Allie bicause he neuer saw him returne wounded from the war but had seene him walke vp and downe the citie of Rome perfumed What would he haue said of our Courtiers so finely curled ruft and perfumed The Kings and Magistrats of those so happie times were the principall obseruers of their owne lawes and edicts reforming themselues before all others and liuing so austerely that their example constrained their subiects more to follow them than all the punishments which they could haue deuised to propound vnto them We haue a notable testimonie heereof in Agis king of Sparta who in his returne from the warre wherein he had ouercome the Athenians being desirous to sup priuately with his wife sent into the kitchen that was appointed for his band and company for they liued all in common being seuered into quarters to haue his portion But this was denied him and the next morning for this fact he was fined by the Ephories who were ioined in soueraigne authoritie with the kings for the maintenance of lawes and of iustice in which sentence and iudgement of theirs he willingly rested But to returne to our matter how ought we to blush for our riot and excesse in apparell which we maintaine with such glorie What follie is it to imploy the industrie of the soule ordained for heauenlie things in trimming decking and gilding hir enimie hir prison and if I may so speake hir poison the bodie Excesse of apparell saith Erasmus is an argument of the incontinencie of the soule and rather whetteth the eies of the beholders thereof to wicked desires than to any honest opinion and conceite Decke not thy house saith Epictetus with tables and pictures but paint it with temperance For the one is to feede the eies vainely but the other is an eternall ornament and such a one as can neuer be defaced If we make account of things of small importance we despise those that are of great weight but in not caring at all for little things we make our selues woorthie of great admiration That great Monarke Augustus Caesar ware no other garments than such as his wife and daughters made and those very modest Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia neuer had but one kind of garment for winter and sommer Epaminondas Generall Captaine of the Thebanes was contented with one onely gowne al the yeere long Further if we looke vnto their simplicitie and modestie in their traine and followers truely it was woorthie of reuerence being without pride pompe or superfluous magnificence Scipio Africanus that great Captaine going as delegate into Asia to compound and end certaine contentions that were betweene the kings of that countrey was accompanied but
Cicero are miserable And many forget iustice after they are fallen into a desire of glory empires and honors Go to then Achitob let vs vnderstand of thee more at large what are the effects of this vice ACHITOB. Eudoxus a Greeke Philosopher desired of the gods that he might behold the sunne very neere to comprehend the forme greatnes and beautie therof and afterwards be burnt of it as the Poets report that Phaeton was such a hardie and bold passion to vndertake most difficult dangerous things is the desire of enioying any pleasure whatsoeuer This may chiefly be spoken of ambition which is the most vehement strongest most disordred passiō of all those desires which so sore trouble mens minds and fil them with an insatiable greedines of glory and with an vnbrideled desire to rule But to handle it more profitably we will make two kinds of ambition the one respecting priuate mē only that liue vnder the power and gouernment of heads of estates and pollicies the other shal be of the heads themselues of monarchs and gouernors of peoples and kingdoms In the meane time we may thus generally define ambition calling it an vnreasonable desire to enioy honors estates great places Further it is a vice of excesse and contrary to modesty which is a part of temperance For that man as Aristotle saith is modest who desireth honor as he ought and so farre foorth as it becommeth him but he that desireth it more than he ought and by vnlawful means is ambitious and caried away with a perturbation of intemperance Ambition neuer suffreth those that haue once receiued hir as a guest to enioy their present estate quietly but maketh them always emptie of goods and full of hope It causeth them to contemne that which they haue gotten by great paines and trauel and which not long before they desired very earnestly by reason of their new imaginations and conceites of greater matters which they continually barke foorth but neuer haue their minds satisfied contented And the more they growe and increase in power and authoritie the rather are they induced and caried headlong by their affections to commit all kind of iniustice and flatter themselues in furious and frantike actions that they may come to the end of their infinite platformes and of that proud and tyrannicall glory which contrary to all dutie they seeke after These imperfections happen vnto them bicause from the beginning they studied to hoord and heape vp externall mortall and hurtful riches before they had laid a good foundation of reason through knowledge and learning thereby to direct aright their purposes and doings according to comelines and honestie And therfore oftentimes they are deceiued and misse of their intent and euen loose that which they might haue had because they sought ouer boldly to laie hands on that which they could not so much as touch So that we may wel say with Timon that the elements matter of mischiefs are ambition auarice which are found both together for the most part in the same persons But to enter into a more particular consideration of the nature of euery ambitious mā he hath commonly this propertie to enuie the glory of others whereby he becommeth odious and stirreth vp against himself the enuy and ill will of euery one Moreouer this his ielousie ouer another mans glory is so much the more hurtfull vnto him in that he might being set in high estate and authoritie vse the helpe and company of such as are vertuous and noble minded in the execution of great matters if in stead of taking them for his aduersaries in the pursuite of vertue he fauored them and drew them neere vnto himself Whereby we may iudge that there is none so pernitious a plague for the ouerthrow of vertue as ambition bicause it is neuer without contention for glory and honor euen against the greatest friends from whence in the end proceed the greatest enmities Cicero also saith very well that whatsoeuer hath this qualitie that many things of the same kind cannot be excellent thereof ariseth for the most part such strife that it is a very hard matter to obserue holy society For equitie is not easilie kept inuiolable when one desireth to be greater than all the rest It commeth through the fault of ambition saith Aristotle that many seditions arise in cities For the mightier not the vulgar sort contend for honors and promotions But if as Plato writeth there were a Common-wealth of good men you should see as great strife for the auoiding of offices as now men contend to command and rule Also the honor of a good man saith Plutark to Traian consisteth not in that estate or office which he presently inioieth but in his former deserts so that it is to the office wherunto men giue new honor as for the person he hath but a painful charge Out of the sayings of these great Philosophers we will draw this conclusion that we must labor more to deserue estates honors than dare to procure them and account that thing vnwoorthie and vnbeseeming vs which is obtained by vnlawfull meanes Now as the ambitious man is intollerable in all his actions so especially he bringeth himselfe in derision and reproch through this burning desire of glorie and praise which he looketh that others should yeeld vnto him and wherein he taketh vnmeasurable delight Now if he perceiueth that he cannot be commended for his doings that are vnworthie of honor the thirst of glorie wherewith he pineth away compelleth him to borow of himselfe by his owne commendation against all seemelines which is neither more nor lesse than if the bodie of a man in time of famine not receiuing nourishment elsewhere should take of it owne substance against nature Further if we should go about heere to make recitall of those notable euils and mischiefs which the ambition of some particular men hath brought vpon Monarchies cities and Commonwealths and generally vpon all those persons which were vnder their bloudie raigne the whole life of one man would not suffice to describe them But to touch this point briefly we may note in all ancient histories that the greatest plagues of flourishing estates and oftentimes their vtter subuersion came from ciuill warres and dissentions stirred vp by ambitious men desirous to command and to be preferred before others What did at any time procure the ruine of Grecia flourishing in armes and sciences so much as the ambition of those men who sought to bring the publike offices into their owne hands as Leosthenes Demosthenes and many others did who were not afraid to kindle the fire of domesticall diuision not caring what would be the issue of their damnable enterprises so they might make waie for their deuised platformes How many mischiefs did Alcibiades procure to his countrey being an enimie to peace and giuen to all kind of nouelties and seditions Who vsed to say that
such as wil cause thē to buy the violating of so holy a thing very deerly seeing they spare not him who calleth himself equitie iustice it selfe Further if as histories teach vs some haue been so wretched miserable as to giue themselues to the Art of Necromancie and to contract with the deuill that they might come to soueraigne power and authoritie what other thing how strange soeuer it be will not they vndertake that suffer themselues to be wholy caried away with this vice of ambition It is ambitiō that setteth the sonne against the father and imboldeneth him to seeke his destruction of whom he holdeth his life Henry the fift by force depriued his father from the Empire caused him to die miserably in prison Fredericke the third after he had raigned thirtie yeeres was miserably strangled by Manfroy his bastard sonne whom he had made prince of Tarentum And after he had committed this Parricide he poisoned his brother Conradus lawfull inheritor to Fredericke that he might make himselfe king of Naples Antoninus Geta brothers successors in the Empire to Seuerus their father could not suffer one another to enioy so large a Monarchie for Antoninus slew his brother Geta with a dagger that himself might rule alone Solyman king of the Turkes grandfather to him that now raigneth when he heard the loud acclamations and shoutes for ioy which all his armie made to Sultan Mustapha his sonne returning out of Persia after he had caused him to be strangled in his outward chamber and presently to be cast out dead before his whole armie he made this speech to be published with a loud voice that there was but one God in heauen and one Sultan vpon earth Within two dayes he put to death Sultan Soba bicause he wept for his brother and Sultan Mahomet his third sonne bicause he fled for feare leauing one onely aliue to auoid the inconueniencie of many Lordes These are but of the smaller fruits of this wild plant of ambition in respects of those that cause men to put innocents to death that themselues may take surer footing to growe vp and encrease And no doubt but for the most part iust punishment for example to mē foloweth such an ambitious passion whereof there are infinite examples both in the Greeke and Latin histories Marcus Crassus a Romane Consul and the richest man in his time not contenting himself with many goodly victories gotten by him but burning with an excessiue ambition and desire of new triumphes and being iealous of Caesars glory obtained by his great feats of armes presumed at the age of three score yeeres to vndertake the warre agaynst Arsaces king of the Parthians contrary to the will of the Senate feeding himselfe with vaine hope which led him to a shameful death ioyned with publike losse and calamitie For being ouercome and his armie discomfited he was miserably slaine with twentie thousand of his men tenne thousand taken prisoners Marius hauing passed through al the degrees of honor and been six times Consul which neuer any Romane before was not content with all this would notwithstanding take vnto himselfe the charge of the warre against Mithridates which fell to Sylla by lot euen then when he was weakened with olde age thinking with himselfe to get the Consulship the seuenth time and to continue that soueraigne authoritie in his owne person But this was the cause of his vtter ouerthrow of that slaughter wherby all Italy Spaine were imbrued with bloud by Sylla the popular estate brought in the end to extreme tyrannie Spurius Melius a Senator of Rome was murthered for his ambition and his house rased by Cincinnatus the Dictator because he sought by meanes of a certain distribution of wheate to make himself king of Rome Marcus Manlius was also vpon the like occasion throwen downe headlong from the toppe of a rocke Therefore it appeereth sufficiently vnto vs how pernitious this vice of ambition is in the soules of great men and worthy of perpetuall blame And although the matter be not of so great waight when they that follow this vicious passion are but meane men and of small account yet we are to know that all they depart farre from dutie and honestie who for the obtaining of glorie and renowne shew themselues inflamed and desirous to excel others in all those things which they ought to haue common together for the mutuall aide and comfort of euery one Onely we must seeke without pride and enuie after excellencie and preferment in that which is vertuous and profitable for humain societie contenting our selues notwithstanding with that which we are able to performe so we shall neuer be blamed but iustly may we be condemned if we vndertake that which is aboue our strēgth Especially let our desires and passions giue place to the benefit of the Common-wealth as heretofore Cretes and Hermias two great men of Magnesia delt one towards an other Their citie being besieged by Mithridates themselues hauing before been at great strife for honor preheminence Cretes offered Hermias to let him haue the charge of captaine generall in the meane time he would depart the citie or if he had rather depart that he should leaue that office to him This offer he made lest if both of them should be together their ielousie might breed some mischief to their countrey Hermias seeing the honest offer of his companion and knowing him to be more expert in feats of war willingly surrendred the authority of cōmanding vnto him Now to end our present discourse let vs learne to know their outragious folly who for imaginarie honors and those of so smal continuance that the wise mā compareth them to smoke dispersed of the wind desire nothing more than to run out the race of their days in continuall miseries and calamities trauels and cares depriuing themselues of all libertie and which is worse pawning their soules to an eternall and most miserable thraldome Thus let vs detest ambition which is an infinite euil and companion of pride so much hated of God and men Let vs consider a little that point of Philosophy which we find written by Traian to Plutarke I enuie sayd this good prince Cincinnatus Scipio Africanus and Marcus Portius more for their contempt of offices than for the victories which they haue gotten bicause a conqueror is for the most part in fortunes power but the contempt and refusall of offices and honours consisteth onely in prudence Let vs marke well the example of the emperor Flauius Vespasianus who being admonished by his friends to beware of one Metius Pomposianus bicause it was a common rumor that he should one day be emperor was so farre from procuring him any harme or displeasure or from hating or enuying him as it is the propertie of ambitious men to feare aboue all things least their estate be touched bicause they would raigne alone that
recouering any victuals were taken from them To whome they made this onely answer that forasmuch as they had liued for the space of 338. yeeres in freedom they would not die slaues in any sort Whereupon such as were most valiant assembled togither and slew those that were most growne in yeeres with women and children Then they tooke all the riches of the citie and of the temples and brought it into the midst of a great hall and setting fire to all quarters of the citie each of them tooke the speediest poison they could find so that the temples houses riches and people of Numantia ended all in one day leauing to Scipio neither riches to spoile neither man or woman to triumph withal For during the whole time wherin their citie was besieged not one Numantine yeelded himselfe prisoner to any Romane but slew himselfe rather than he would yeeld Which Magnanimitie caused Scipio to bewaile the desolation of such a people in these words O happie Numantia which the Gods had decreed should once end but neuer be vanquished Now albeit these examples and infinite other like to these are set foorth vnto vs by Historiographers as testimonies of an excellent Magnanimitie whereby they would teach vs both to be neuer discouraged for the most tedious trauels and irkesome miseries of mans life and also to stand so little in awe of death that for feare thereof much lesse for any other torment or griefe we neuer commit any thing vnbeseeming a noble hart yet notwithstanding no man that feareth God and is willing to obey him ought to forget himselfe so much as to hasten forward the end of his daies for any occasion whatsoeuer This did Socrates knowe very well when he said that we must not suffer our soule to depart from the Sentinell wherein she is placed in this bodie without the leaue of hir Captaine and that so waightie a matter as death ought not as Plato saith to be in mans power But if it be offred vnto vs by the will of God then with a magnanimious hart void of al starting aside in any thing against dutie we must set free this passage being staied and assuredly grounded vpon that consolation which neuer forsaketh a good conscience not onely through the expectation of a naked and simple humane glorie which most of the Heathen propounded to themselues but of that life which abideth for euer following therein the constancie of Alcibiades a great Captaine of Grecia who hearing the sentence of his condemnation to death pronounced said It is I that leaue the Athenians condemned to die and not they me For I go to seeke the Gods where I shall be immortall but they shall remaine still amongst men who are all subiect to death Socrates also hauing a capitall accusation laid against him wrongfully directed his speech to the Iudges and said vnto them that his accusers by their false depositions might wel cause him to die but hurt him they could not adding further that he woulde neuer leaue his profession of Philosophie for feare of death I â—m per swaded quoth he in Plato that this my opinion is very good namely that euery one ought to abide constantly in that place and trade of life which either he hath chosen himselfe or is appointed him by his superior that he must account that for the best and hazard himselfe therein to all dangers without feare either of death or of any other thing whatsoeuer And therfore I should erre greatly if obeying the Generall of warre which ye appointed vnto me in Potidaea Amphipolis and Delos and abiding in that place wherein he set me without feare of death I should now for feare of death or of any other thing forsake that rancke wherein God hath placed me and would haue me remaine in as I alwaies beleeued thought namely that I should liue a student in Philosophie correcting mine owne and other mens vices Now if I should do otherwise I might iustly be accused for calling my selfe a wise man not being so indeed seeing to feare death is to thinke that to be which is not But neither I nor any other man ought to do all that we may either in iudgement or in warre to the end to auoid death For it is very certaine that he who would in time of battell cast downe his armour and flie away might by that meane auoid death and the like is to be vnderstood in al dangers perils if he were not afraid of infamie But consider O countreymen that it is no very hard matter to auoid death but farre more difficult to eschew wickednes and the shame therof which are a great deale swifier of foote than that is O speech woorthie of eternal praise and such a one as instructeth a Christian notably in a great and noble resolution namely to run the race of his short daies in that vocation wherunto God hath called him and that in the midst of tortures torments all agonies of death From which whilest we expect a happie passage we ought to be no more destitute of an apt remedie in all those things which according to the world are most irkesome and desperate but sustaine them with like constancie and woorthines not departing from the tranquillitie and rest of our soules which is a more noble act than to hasten forward the end of our daies that we may be deliuered of them But howsoeuer it be let vs alwaies preferre a vertuous and honest death before any kind of life be it neuer so pleasant And seeing that one and the same passage is prepared aswell for the coward as the couragious it being decreed that all men must once die the louers of vertue shall do well to reape to themselues some honor of common necessity and to depart out of this life with such a comfort Now to come to the second commendable effect of this vertue of Magnanimity wherof Heroical men were so prodigall heeretofore for the benefit and safetie of their enemies we can bring no better testimonie than the courteous fact of Fabritius the Romane Consul towards Pyrrhus who warred against him and whose Physition wrote vnto him that he offered himselfe to murder his maister by poison and so to end their strife without danger But Fabritius sent the letter vnto him and signified withall that he had made a bad choice of friends aswell as of enemies bicause he made warre with vpright good men and trusted such as were disloiall and wicked whereof he thought good to let him vnderstand not so much to gratifie him as least the accident of his death should procure blame to the Romanes as if they had sought or consented to end the warre by meanes of treason not being able to obtaine their purpose by their vertue Camillus a Romane Dictator is no lesse to be commended for that which he did during the siege of the citie of the Fallerians For he that was Schoolemaister to
the chiefest mens children amongst them being gone out of the citie vnder colour to 〈◊〉 his youth to walke and to exercise themselues along the wals deliuered them into the hands of this Romane Captaine saying vnto him that he might be well assured the Citizens would yeeld themselues to his deuotion for the safetie and libertie of that which was deerest vnto them But Camillus knowing this to be too vile and wicked a practise said to those that were with him that although men vsed great outrage and violence in warre yet among good men certaine lawes points of equitie were to be obserued For victorie was not so much to be desired as that it should be gotten and kept by such cursed and damnable meanes but a Generall ought to warre trusting to his owne vertue and not to the wickednes of others Then stripping the said schole maister and binding his hands behind him he deliuered him naked into the hands of his schollers and gaue to ech of them a bundle of rods that so they might carye him backe againe into the citie For which noble act the Citizens yeelded themselues to the Romanes saying that in preferring iustice before victorie they had taught them to choose rather to submit themselues vnto them than to retaine still their libertie confessing withall that they were ouercome more by their vertue than vanquished by their force and power So great power hath Magnanimitie that it doth not onely aduance Princes to the highest degree of honor but also abateth the hart of the puissant and warlike enemie and oftentimes procureth victorie without battell Truly we may draw an excellent doctrine out of these examples which make all those without excuse that spare nothing to attaine to the end of their intents and deuices making no difficultie at the destruction of innocents but exercising all kind of crueltie so they may ouerthrow their enemies by what meanes soeuer vsing commonly that saying of Lysander Admirall of the Lacedemonians that if the Lions skin will not suffice the Foxe his skin also is to be sewed on But let vs resolutely hold this that treason neuer findeth place in a noble hart no more than the bodie of a Foxe is not found in a Lions bodie Further it is notoriously 〈◊〉 that the Ancients striued to procure all good and profit to their enemies vsing clemencie and humanitie towards them when they had greater occasion and meanes to be reuenged of them Heereof we may alleadge good examples when we discourse heereafter particularly of those vertues that are proper to a noble minded man who ought to hate crueltie no lesse than treason We are therefore to looke vnto the last effect and sound proofe of Magnanimitie Generositie heere propounded by vs which we said consisted in the contempt of earthlie and humane goods Wherein truly resteth the very perfection of a Christian who lifteth vp his desires to his last and soueraigne Good in heauen Now because there are but few that loue not themselues too much in those things that concerne the commodities of this life and fewer that seeke not after glorie honor as a recompence of their excellent deeds and that desire not riches earnestly to satisfie their pleasure in these three points also a noble minded man causeth his vertue to appeere more wonderfull bicause he doth not iudge thē to be a worthie reward for the same but rather altogether vnwoorthy the care of his soule for which principally he desireth to liue This is that which Cicero saith that it is not seemely that he should yeeld to couetousnes and concupiscence who could not be subdued by feare or that he should be ouercome by pleasure who hath resisted griefe but rather that these things ought to be shunned by all possible means togither with the desire of money seeing there is nothing more vile abiect than to loue riches nor more noble than to despise them This also is that which Plato saith that it belongeth to the duetie of a noble hart not onely to surmount feare but also to moderate his desires concupiscences especially when he hath libertie to vse them whither it be in the pleasure of the bodie or in the ambitious desire of vain glory honour and power In this sort then he that hath a right noble and worthie mind will no more waigh greatnes among men and estimation of the common sort than he doth griefe and pouertie but depending wholie vpon the wil of God contēting himself with his works wrought in him he will not that any good thing vpon earth can be taken from him And bicause he aspireth to those things that are best highest and most difficult he abideth free from all earthly care and griefe as being long before prepared for all dolors through the contempt of death which bringing an end to the greatest and most excessiue pangs serueth him for an entrance into eternall rest We haue already alleaged many examples of ancient men fit for this matter which now we speake of and the sequele of our treatises will furnish vs with mo when we shall come to intreat of riches and worldly wealth whereof we are to speake more at large But here we will propound Aristides onely to be imitated who was a woorthy man among the Athenians whose opinion was that a good citizen ought to be alwayes prepared alike to offer his body mind vnto the seruice of the common wealth without hope or expectation of any hired and mercenary reward either of money honor or glory And so with an vnspeakeable grauitie and constancie he kept himselfe always vpright in the seruice of his countrey in such sort that no honor done vnto him could cause him either to be puffed vp in hart or to be more earnest in imploying himselfe as it is the maner of some to do seruice according as they are recompenced neither could any repulse or deniall which he suffred abate his courage or trouble him or yet diminish and lessen his affection and desire to profit his common wealth Whereas now adayes we see that the most part of men with vs vpon a smal discontentment labor to make publike profite to serue their desires and passions in stead of giuing themselues to the good benefit of their countrey Now concluding our present discourse we learne that true and perfect Magnanimitie and Generositie is inuincible and inexpugnable bicause vpon this consideration that death is the common end of mans life and that happy passage to life euerlasting she despiseth it altogither and maketh lesse account thereof than of bondage and vice sustaining also with a great vnappalled hart most cruel torments not being mooued thereby to do any thing that may seem to proceed of the common weaknes and frailtie of mans nature Further we learne that this vertue maketh him that possesseth hir good gentle and curteous euen towards his greatest enimies against whom it suffereth him not to vse any couin
in Rome that the greatest and most pleasant fruit which he gathered of his victory consisted in sauing daily the liues of some of his countrymen who had borne armes against him as in truth he did so And for a great proofe of his meekenes and gentlenes that speech may serue which he vttred when he vnderstood that Cato retiring into the towne of Vtica after the losse of the battell had killed himselfe O Cato sayd this monarch beyng then very pensiue I enuy thee this thy death seeing thou hast enuied me the glory of sauing thy life I neuer yet denied clemencie sayd that good emperor Marcus Aurelius to him that demaunded it of me much lesse haue I euil intreated or offred dishonor to any that trusted in me Neither can any victory be called a true and perfect victorie but that which carieth with it some clemencie To ouercome is a humane thing but to pardon is diuine Hereof it is said the same vertuous prince that we esteeme the greatnesse of the immortall gods not so much for the punishment as for the mercie which they vse The clemencie and bountie of Dion the Syracusian is woorthy of perpetuall memory For hauing brought to ruine the tyrannie of Dionysius the yonger recouered the libertie of his countrey one of his greatest enemies named Heraclides being a very pernitious felow fell into his hands whereupon all his friends gaue him counsail to put him to death Vnto which Dion wisely answered that other captains and heads of armies vsed commonly to imploy most of their studie in the exercise of armes and of warre but as for himselfe he had long since studied and learned in the schooles of the Vniuersitie to ouercome anger enuy and euery euill affection and will the proofe whereof consisted not onely in behauing himselfe well towards his friends and towards good men but also in pardoning and in the exercise of gentlenes and humanitie towards his enemies so that he had rather excell Heraclides in bountie and curtesie than in power worldly glory And although quoth he mens lawes auouch it to be more iust to reuenge an iniurie receiued than to offer it to another yet nature teacheth vs that both the one and the other proceed of the same imbecillitie and how soeuer that man is hardly altered who hath gotten an habite of wickednesse yet are there few men of so brutish vntamed a nature or so sauage in reclaiming that their peruersnes cannot in the end be wel ouercome by beneficence when they see that men returne good turnes againe and againe into their bosome By these learned discourses it appeareth that Dion forgaue Heraclides and bestowed vpon him great benefits Lycurgus the reformer of the Lacedemonian estate by whose meanes that common-wealth so long tyme florished doth yet passe all those before alleadged through the goodnes and mildnes of his gentle nature This graue and gratious personage hauing receiued such a blow with a staffe that one of his eies was put out in a sedition stirred vp against him in the citie bicause of the rigor of those lawes which he had established there after the sedition was appeased had the offender deliuered into his handes to punish him as he thought good But he not hurting or displeasing him at all kept him in his house and instructed him in all vertue good discipline and within the yeeres ende he brought him foorth into the publike assembly being no lesse vertuous and well nurtured than before he was vicious vsing these words vnto the people Behold I restore him vnto you beyng mild gratious and fit to do you seruice whom ye gaue to me proud outragious and dissolute O acte beseeming the soule of a christian rather than of an Ethnike which ought to make thē greatly ashamed who for the least wrong receiued of another would not stick to slay not one mā only but a thousand yea ten thousand rather than their worldly honour should be hurt or touched which pretence of honour they vse verie often to colour their brutishnesse withall Now leauing here the ancients of whom we haue a million of testimonies in the reading of histories I thinke we shall do well to propound here vnto our princes beyng too much inclined to reuenge iniuries the clemencie of king Lewes the 12. who succeeding Charles the 8. in the kingdom would neuer reuenge himselfe of any outrage or iniurie done vnto him euen than whē he was but duke of Orleance In so much that beyng incited by some to punish one that was his great enemie during the life of his predecessor he answered That it would not beseeme a king of France to go about to reuenge iniuries offered to a duke of Orleance Neither ought we to let passe in silence the goodnes and clemencie of that great king Frances who goyng in person to chastice the rebellion of the Rochelers forgaue them and put not one to death saying That albeit he had no lesse occasion to reuenge this iniurie than the Emperor Charles who punished very cruelly those of Gaunt yet he had rather encrease his prayses by preseruing than by destroying his subiects After his example king Henry the 2. hauing giuen in commission to the duke of Montmorencie Constable to chastice the rebellion of the countrey of Guyen and especially the inhabitants of Burdeaux afterward gaue out a generall absolution and forgaue the racing of the Town-house the paiment of two hundred thousand pounds the defraying of the charges of the armie wherein they were condemned And truly as it belongeth to the sun to lighten the earth with his beames so it appertaineth to the vertue of a prince to haue compassion vpon the miserable Yea so many as stand in need of mercy and beyng woorthy therof craue for it ought to find harbour in the hauen of his excellencie Now to come to the end of our present discourse if by so many examples which we haue touched and innumerable others of which histories are plentifull we may note amongst the famous noble and courageous men of old tyme such effects of meekenesse gentlenes bountie mildnes clemencie and humanitie towards their enemies no doubt but they endeuored to do much more for their friends brethren and countreymen for whose safetie they feared not many times to die as heretofore we haue seene examples thereof and may see more hereafter And how much lesse would they haue failed to succor them in all other duties and charitable offices So that if we be men and not monsters in nature let vs learne what are the fruits not onely of true Christians but also of true humanitie and of nature not being wholy depraued and corrupted to the end that framing our maners mild gentle and gratious to the succor benefite and profite of euery one and following the steps and traces of the vertue of Fortitude and Magnanimitie which is neuer churlish idle or proud we may liue a happy life directed to hir
the Cannibals who yet spare domesticall blood But God the iust Iudge would not that such an execrable wickednes should be long concealed vnpunished For when it could not be found out by any inquirie of man one of the murderers touched with the hand of God and taken with an extreame sickenes being as it were mad and as Cain was in times past disclosed his sinne of himselfe the hainousnes whereof so troubled him that he said he could hope for no mercie Afterward recouering his health he was taken vpon his owne confession and being conuicted of the fact accused all the authors thereof of whome some are executed and the rest expect no better euent That couetousnes causeth subiects to rebell against their couetous Princes and that oftentimes to their ouerthrowe we haue an example in Mauritius the Emperour who was depriued of the Empire and had his head cut off besides the death of his fiue children of his wife by reason of the ill will of his people and men of warre which he had purchased who could beare no longer his couetousnes whereby he was mooued to winke at spoiles and murders and to keepe backe the pay of his souldiors In the time of S. Lewes the king the people of fiue cities fiue villages of high Almaigne which at this day we call Switserland raised such a great tumult sedition that they put to the edge of the sword all their Princes Lords and Noble-men the chiefe cause therof was their couetousnes which made them oppresse their subiects with vniust exactions The niggardlye sparing of king Lewes the eleuenth mooued strangers greatly to contemne him and was in part the cause of the rebellion of his subiects For hauing put away in a maner all the Gentlemen of his houshold he vsed his Tailor alwaies for his Herald of Armes his Barber for Embassador and his Phisition for his Chancellour and in derision of other kings he ware a greasie hat of the coursest wooll We find in the chamber of accounts a bill of his expences wherein is set downe 20. souse for two newe sleeues to his olde dublet and an other clause of 15. deniers for grease to grease his bootes And yet he increased the charges of his people three millions more than his predecessour had done and alienated a great part of his Demaine Sparing may well be vsed which at this daye is more necessarye than euer and yet the maiestie of a king nothing diminished neither the dignitie of his house and without the abasing of his greatnes Likewise those men who after they haue hoorded much treasure are so besotted and blinded with a couetous loue of their wealth that they will not vpon any necessitie imploy it can no more auoid their destruction than the other before mentioned This doth the historie of Calipha king of Persia teach vs who hauing filled a Tower with gold siluer iewels and pretious stones and being in warre against Allan king of the Tartarians was so ill succoured of his owne people bicause he would not giue them their pay that he was taken in his towne and by Allan committed prisoner in the said Tower with these words If thou hadst not kept this treasure so couetously but distributed it amongst thy souldiors thou mightest haue preserued thy selfe and thy citie Now therefore enioy it at thy ease and eate and drinke thereof seeing thou hast loued it so much And so he suffered him to die there of hunger in the midst of his riches The punishment which Dionysius the elder king of Syracusa laied vpon a rich couetous subiect of his was more gentle but woorthie to be well noted being full of instruction For being aduertised that he had hid great store of treasure in the ground he commanded him vpon paine of life to bring it vnto him which he did although not all of it but retained part which he tooke with him went to dwell in another citie where he bestowed his monie vpon inheritance When Dionysius vnderstood thereof he sent for him and restored all his gold and siluer saying vnto him forasmuch as thou knowest now how to vse riches not making that vnprofitable which was appointed for the vse of man take that which before thou wast vnwoorthie to enioy And to speake the truth there is no reason wherewith the couetousnes of such men may be coloured For if they say that they spend not bicause they care not for spending it is a point of great follie in them to labour to gather more wealth than they want But if they desire to spend and yet dare not for niggardlines do so nor enioy the fruite of their labour they are a great deale more miserable Whereby it appeereth vnto vs what a goodly and commendable thing it is to be content and satisfied with a little which freeth vs from the desire of vnnecessarie things Now if we are to take those things for superfluous which we will not vse we ought for the reasons already set down to make no lesse accoūt of those which we would abuse in riot and superfluitie The couetousnes of Darius king of the Persians was beguiled and laughed to scorne through the subtile inuention of Nitocris Queene of Babylon some attribute it to Semiramis who being desirous to welcome hir successors that were touched with auarice which she abhorred aboue al things caused a high sepulcher to be erected ouer those gates of the citie through which there was most passage with these words ingrauen therein If any king of Babylon that shal come after me find want in his treasurie let him open this tombe and take as much as he will Otherwise let him not open it for it will not be best for him After many ages were past and none of the kings of Babylon had touched the said sepulcher Darius conquering the kingdom caused the coffin to be opened thinking to find there that which was promised Neuerthelesse he found nothing there but a dead body with this writing If thou wert not insatiable and very couetous thou wouldest not haue opened the tombe of the dead Moreouer that couetousnes oftentimes blindeth men so farre as that it causeth them to take away their owne life without feare of condemning their soules many examples thereof are left in memorie of whom some through griefe for some great losse of goods others to leaue their children rich haue voluntarily procured their own death Cassius Licinius was of this number who being accused attainted conuicted of many thefts and briberies and beholding Cicero President at that time about to put on the purple gowne to pronounce sentence of confiscation of goods and of banishment he sent word to Cicero that he was dead during the processe and before condemnation and presently in the field he smothered himself with a napkin hauing no other meaning therein but to saue his goods for his children For then the lawes concerning the punishment of such as had
good and iust but if to an ill ende namely to the particular profite of such as commaund they are euill and vniust Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office Chap. 54. ACHITOB WE commonly say that that thing is rightly done which is done according to the order and institution of policie Neither is right any other thing amongst vs than the order of that estate vnder which we liue the soueraigntie wherof is the sure foundation vnion and bond of all the particulars in one perfect body of a commō-welth And when iudgements are exercised by the magistrates when the wil of iustice is declared by the exposition of the lawes of right and when we direct our actions vnder iustice thē is the order of ciuil societie duly obserued Hereupon in our last discourse we said that the estate of a common-wealth was compounded of 3. general partes of the magistrate of the law and of the people Thus followyng our purpose let vs intreat particularly of these parts wherof euery common-welth consisteth first let vs consider of the chief magistrate and of his authoritie and office ASER. All ciuil superioritie is a holy and lawful vocation before God And as iustice is the end of the law and the law a worke of the magistrate so also the magistrate is the image of God who ruleth and gouerneth all according to which mould and paterne he must fashion himselfe through the meanes of vertue AMANA As in a man that is well disposed both in bodie and soule according to nature not corrupted the soule ruleth and commandeth with reason being the better part and the body with the affections thereof serue obey as the woorse part so is it in euery humane assemblie It belongeth to the wisest to rule and to such as are lesse aduised to obey Therefore the Magistrate must aboue all things labour that he be not vnwoorthie of that person which he sustaineth But let vs heare ARAM discourse of this matter which is heere propounded vnto vs. ARAM. God being carefull of all things euen of the very least and comprehending in himselfe the beginning end and midst of them according to his good pleasure and making all in all by his onely spirite respecting the common good of this whole frame and preseruation of humane societie hath from time to time distributed to sundry persons distinct and different graces that in exercising diuers estats charges administrations offices handicrafts and occupations they might through mutuall succour and interchangable helpe preserue and maintain themselues This is that which we see in cities amongst ciuill companies which is asmuch to say as a multitude of men vnlike in qualities conditions as rich poore free bond noble vile skilfull ignorant artificers labourers some obeying others commanding and all communicating togither in one place their arts handicrafts occupations exercises to this end that they may liue the better and more commodiously They obey also the same Magistrates lawes and soueraigne councell which Plato calleth the Anchor head and soule of the citie which naturally tendeth to some order and rule of dominion as that which tooke beginning and increase from persons acquainted with a gouernment that resembleth the royall regiment as appeereth in euery well ordered familie and hath already beene touched of vs. The first soueraign gouernment was established either by the violence of the mightiest as Thucidides Caesar Plutarke and others write and the holy historie testifieth the same vnto vs and putteth this opinion out of doubt where it is sayd that Nimrod Chams nephewe was the first that brought men into subiection by force and violence establishing his principalitie in the kingdome of Assyria Or if any will beleeue Demosthenes Aristotle and Cicero the first soueraigntie was instituted vpon their will and good liking who for their owne commoditie rest securitie submitted themselues to such as excelled most in vertue in those times which they called heroicall Who knoweth not saith Cicero in his oration for Sestius that the nature of men was sometime such that not hauing natural equitie as yet written they wandred vp and downe being dispersed in the fields and had nothing but that which they could catch keep forceably by murders and wounds Wherefore some excelling in vertue and counsell knowing the docilitie vnderstāding of man gathered the dispersed togither into one place brought them from that rudenes wherein they were vnto iustice gentlenes Then they established those things that belonged to common profit which we call publike appointed assemblies afterward called cities walled about their buildings ioined togither which we cal townes hauing first found out both diuine and humane equitie At the same time the authoritie of Magistrats tooke place who were instituted by the consent of the people for that excellent heroicall vertue which they saw in those first Rectors and Ordainers of ciuill societie to whome was committed the iurisdiction of lawes or receiued customes and the disposition of written equitie to rule and gouerne their people thereafter But not to staye long about the diuersitie of those opiniōs which we haue heere alleadged for the establishment of the soueraigntie this is out of question that the foundation of euery common-wealth dependeth thereupon that it is the absolute perpetual power of the Common-wealth is not limited either in power or charge or for a certaine time This soueraigntie is in him or them that are chiefe of the Estate a little king is asmuch a soueraigne as the greatest Monarch of the earth For a great kingdome saith Cassiodorus is nothing else but a great Common-wealth vnder the keeping of one chief soueraigne But before we intreate more amply of his authoritie and office it behooueth vs to render a reason of the name of Magistrate which is heere giuen vnto him This word Magistrate hath beene taken of the Ancients in diuers significations and Plato maketh seuenteene sortes of them calling some necessary Magistrats others honourable Aristotle said that they ought chiefly to be called Magistrats that haue power to take counsell to iudge and to command but especially to command And this doth the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently declare as if he would say Commanders and the Latine word Magistratus being a word of commanding signifieth to maister and to exercise dominion Also the Dictator who had the greatest power to command was called of the Ancients Magister populi Therefore albeit the name of Magistrate hath been heeretofore and is yet giuen to all that haue publike and ordinarie charge in the Estate yet we will as it were abuse this name a little by transferring it to the Soueraigne of all of whome all Magistrats lawes and ordinances of the Common-wealth depend Now let vs see whether this vocation of the Magistrate be lawfull and approoued of God We
passe to the detriment of the realm notwithstanding any letters of commandement whatsoeuer Among other things the king may not alienate his crowne reuenues without some cause knowen to the sayd officers of accounts and to the parliaments And which is more publike treaties with neighbour states edicts and decrees haue no authoritie before they are published in the high courts By which moderation his power is not lessened but made surer more durable and lesse burthensome to his subiects being wholy separated from tiranny which is hated of God and men as we may haue further knowledge by discoursing thereof particularly So that ouer and besides those fiue kindes of monarchies mentioned of vs tiranny may be put for the sixt which we may call that wherein the monarch treading vnder foote the lawes of nature abuseth the libertie of free subiects as if they were slaues and other mens goods as his owne Among the auncients the name of tyrant was honourable and signified nothing else being a Greeke worde but a prince that had gotten the gouernment of the estate with out the consent of his subiects and of a companion had made himselfe a master whether he were a wise and iust prince or cruel and vniust And in deed most of them became wicked to make sure their estate life goods knowing that they were fallen into many mens hatred bicause they had inuaded the soueraigntie In this respect therfore was this dominion rule called tyrannical bicause it gouerned in lord-like maner without right ouer free men compelled and forced to obey But generally we may call that a tirannie when the prince accounteth all his will as a iust law and hath no care either of pietie iustice or faith but doth all things for his owne priuate profite reuenge or pleasure And as a good king conformeth himselfe to the lawes of God and nature so a tyrant treadeth them vnder foote the one striueth to enriche his subiects the other to destroy them the one taketh reuenge of publike iniuries and pardoneth his owne the other cruelly reuengeth iniuries done to himselfe and forgiueth those that are offered to others the one spareth the honour of chaste women the other triumpheth in their shame the one taketh pleasure to be freely admonished and wisely reprooued when he hath done amisse the other misliketh nothing so much as a graue free and vertuous man the one maketh great account of the loue of his people the other of their feare the one is neuer in feare but for his subiects the other standeth in awe of none more than of them the one burtheneth his as little as may be and then vpon publike necessitie the other suppeth vp their bloud gnaweth their bones and sucketh the marrow of his subiectes to satisfie his desires the one giueth estates and offices to meete with briberie and oppression of the people the other selleth them as deare as may bee and careth not for the oppression of his subiectes the one in time of warre hath no recourse but to his subiects the other warreth against none but them the one hath no garde or garrison but of his owne people the other none but of straungers the one reioyceth in assured rest the other languisheth in perpetuall feare the one is honoured in his life tyme and longed for after his death the other is defamed in his lyfe and rent in pieces after his death Examples hereof are in euery mans sight And therefore Diogenes the Sinopian meeting one day in the citie of Corinth with Dionysius the younger tyraunt of Syracusa who was then brought into the estate of a priuate man banished from his countrey and fallen from his dignitie spake thus vnto him Truely Dionysius thou art nowe in an estate vnwoorthie of thee The tyraunt standing still withall made him this answere I like thee well Diogenes bicause thou hast compassion of my miserable fortune What replied the Philosopher doest thou thinke that I pitie thee I am rather grieued to see such a slaue as thou who deseruest to growe olde and to die in that cursed estate of a tyraunt as thy father did to take thy pleasure in suche safetie and to passe away thy tyme freely amongst vs without feare And to say truth tirannie is suche a miserable condition that euen they that practise it and glorie therein are constrained manie tymes to confesse with their owne mouth that no kinde of life is so wretched as theirs This selfe tyrant Dionysius when hee was in the greatest glorye of his estate declared as much to Democles one of his familiar friendes who had sayd that he was most happie Wilt thou quoth Dionysius to him enjoy my felicitie but for one day onely Whereunto when Democles agreed hee caused him to be serued at the table as himselfe was woont to be with all the magnificence that could be deuised hanging in the meane while a sworde right ouer his head which was tied to the roofe aloft onely by one haire of a horse taile When Democles perceiued that he was well contented to make a short dinner and to passe away the rest of the day in his former estate Loe quoth the tyraunt then vnto him how happie our life is which with all our armed garde hangeth but by a little threed Moreouer the raigne of tyraunts beyng without measure and reason and guided onely by violence cannot be of any long continuaunce This is that which Thales the wise man sayde that there was nothing so straunge or rare as an olde tyrant And albeit they liue miserablie in perpetuall distrust of euery one yea of their neerest kindred yet their ende is more wretched For there were fewe of them that died not a cruell and extraordinarie death most of them being slayne and murdered and others persecuted with straunge griefes died like mad and desperate men through the remembraunce of their corrupt life and of the cruelties which they had committed In auncient time tyrannie was so detestable that euen scholers and women sought to winne the reward of honour by killing tyraunts as Aristotle the Logitian did who slew a tyraunt of Sycionia and as Thebe who killed hir husband Alexander tyrannt of the Phereans Thirtie tyraunts were slayne in one day in the Citie of Athens by Theramenes Thrasibulus and Archippus who had but three-score and tenne men to execute that enterprise Leander tyraunt of Cyrena was taken aliue and being sewed into a leather bagge was cast into the sea Aristodemus tyraunt of Cumes tooke Xenocrita by force beyng a wealthie citizens daughter whome he had banished and keeping hir with him as his wife shee stirred vp Thymoteles and others to recouer the libertie of their countrey who beyng safelie let into the tyrants chamber by hir slew Aristodemus Besids the auncientes had appoynted great rewardes and recompences for the murderers of tyrauntes namelie titles of Nobilitie of Prowesse of Chiualrie images and honourable titles to bee shorte the goodes
with him in the Capitoll neere the Temple Whereupon hatred and rancor increasing openly amongst them infinite murders followed and many of the chiefest euen the Consuls were slaine the contempt of lawes and iudgements ensued and in the end open war armies troupes one against another with incredible thefts and cruelties At last Cornelius Sylla one of the seditious persons seeking to redresse one euil with another after these dissentions had continued about 50. yeeres made himself prince ouer the rest in many things taking vpon him the office of a Dictator who was woont in former time to be created in the greatest dangers of the common-wealth only for six moneths But Sylla was chosen perpetuall Dictator bicause necessitie so required as he said himselfe After he had practised much violence he continued in quietnes like a conquerour and was thereupon surnamed the Happie After his death seditions began a fresh and reuenging of those cruelties which he had committed vntil Caius Caesar laid hold of the Seignorie and principaltie hauing discomfited ouercome Pompey to whome he was before allied For when they twaine sought by their plat-formes and deuises to commaund all they could not abide one another within a while after Pompey being vnwilling to haue an equall and Caesar a superiour Afterward Brutus and Cassius beyng mooued with desire either of rule or of publike libertie slew Caesar whereupou the seditions grew greater than they were before and the triumuirate warre was opened against them which preuailing for a time was it selfe dissolued and brought to nothing For Octanius only of the three remained a peaceable possessor of the Romane Empire beyng happy in all things and feared of all men leauing heyres of his race to rule the Monarchie after him Augustus beyng dead the estate began vnder Tyberius his successour a voluptuous prince to decline by little and little from the periode of hir greatnesse vntill in the ende there remayned no more than that which we see inclosed within the limites of Germanie Alexanders Empire beyng the greatest that euer was vanished away as a fire of Towe through the diuision and disorder that was amongst his successoures The Empire of Constantinople through the part-takings of Princes is brought vnder the tyrannous and miserable power of an Ethnike and barbarous Turke We read in Iosephus that the kingdome of Iudaea became subiect and tributarie to the Romanes through the ciuill warres between Hircanus and Aristobulus who were brothers For Pompey being of Hircanus side tooke the citie of Hierusalem and led away Aristobulus and his children prisoners with him after the countrey had suffred infinite calamities by their domestical diuisions Which when Onias a holy man did wel foresee he with-drew himselfe into a secret place and would not take part either with the one or the other side And being taken by Hircanus his men they required him that as once he obtained raine by his prayers in the tyme of a drought so he would now curse Aristobulus and all those of his faction but he contrarywise lifting vp his hands to heauen vttred these wordes O God king of the whole world seeing these men among whom I stand are thy people and they that are assailed thy Priests I beseech thee humbly that thou wouldest harken neither to these men against the other nor to the other against these for which holy prayer he was stoned to death such was the poisoned rage of this people one against an other Was there euer any folly or rather fury like to that of the Guelphes and Gybellines in Italy of whome the one side held with the Pope and the other with the Emperour The Italians vpon no other occasion but only in fauour of these two names entred into so extreme a quarell throughout the whole countrey that greater crueltie could not be wrought between the Infidels and Christians than was committed amongst them This contention continueth yet insomuch that murders are euery where committed in the townes euen between naturall brethrē yea between the father and his sonnes without all regard either of bloud or parentage Their goods are spoyled their houses razed some banished others slain whilest euery one feareth least any reuenge should be layed vp in store for him or for some other of his side they kill many times litle infants whom the most barbarous men in the world would spare These two factions fought continually togither through mortall hatred so that they could not dwell togither in one citie but the stronger always draue out and expelled the other They knew one another by feathers by the fashion of their hose by cutting of bread slicing of orenges and by other markes which is a very pernicious thing and hath procured great destruction of people and ouerthrow of townes The Italians say that this fire was first kindled at Pistoya between two brethrē the one called Guelph and the other Gibellin who quarelling togither diuided the towne between them whereupon the Gibellins were driuen out This separation like to a contagious disease vpon no other occasion was spread ouer all Italy insomuch that afterward all that were at contention any where were diuided into Guelphs Gibellines The Germains thinke that these names came from thir countrey and language and that the emperor Frederike the second in whose time this diuision began called his friends Gibellines bicause he leaned vpon them as a house doth vpon two strong walles that keep it from falling and those that were against him of the faction of Pope Gregorie the ninth he called Guelphs that is to say Wolues What did England suffer by the deuision of the houses of Yorke and Lancaster that gaue the white and red Roses in their armes Which contention although it began when Henrie the 4. who was duke of Lancaster and earle of Darbie vsurped the kingdom vpon his cosin Richard the second whom he caused to be slaiue in prison after he had compelled him to resigne his kingly power and crowne of England yet it was hottest in the raigne of king Henry the 6. who succeeding his father and grandfather was at Paris crowned king of England and France Afterward fauouring the house of Lancaster against the house of Yorke they that held with the red Rose tooke armes against him so that in the end he was depriued of his estate and shut vp as prisoner in the Tower of Londō where he was after that put to death These factions and ciuill warres as Phillip Cominaeus writeth indured about 28. yeeres wherein there died at sundry battels and skirmishes aboue 80. persons of the bloud royall with the flower of the nobilitie of England besides an infinite nūber of the valiauntest men and best warriours among the people Many lordes were put in prison or banished leading the rest of their liues miserably in strange countreys the ancient pollicie of the kingdom corrupted iustice cōtemned and the Iland impouerished vntill
are two sortes of negligence the one in those that call chuse or receiue into any great office such men as are vnwoorthie and care not for their charges or that suffer such persons to ascend to the chiefest places of Magistracie that are enimies to that forme of Common-wealth as if the chiefe men in Bearne shoulde chuse an Auoyer which office is contrarie to their manner of liuing or if the Venetians should chuse a Duke or the Cardinals a Pope that were not of their religion or if the King of Fraunce should create a Constable or Chancellour that liked not a Royall and Monarchicall Estate The other kinde of negligence which is much more common is in them that are called to a dignitie office or Magistracie and shewe them-selues retchles in that administration and exercise as we see that moste Bishops and Prelats neglect the dutie of their charges to imploie or bestowe their tyme in worldlie affaires for which cause they growe into misliking and contempt From hence haue proceeded great offences and maruellous troubles which may more easilye bee lamented than taken away or reformed being such abuses as haue taken deepe roote Moreouer the alteration of policie is bred by other meanes by little and little as when through dissimulation or otherwise men suffer some part albeit neuer so little of the lawe or politike Estate to be cut off Changes seldome fall out all at one time if they are not very violent but for the most part go on by litle and litle as the seasons of the yeere slide away softly from great heates to hard frosts and from the frost and cold of winter to the heate of sommer A lingring feuer afflicteth the patient so easily that he hardly perceiueth himselfe therin but if it be suffered to continue without redresse in due time it will turne to a hectick feuer and so consequently become incurable So fareth it with an Estate and Policie whose authoritie waxeth contemptible and is lost by little and little when men are negligent in preuenting the same in due time He that will consider the alteration happened in France within these thirtie yeeres shall find it to be very great aswell in regard of religion as of manners and lawes which neuertheles came by little and little and so continueth still greatly threatning a change of the estate Heere therefore I will distinguish betweene the chance of lawes customes religion place which is properly but an alteration and the change of an estate which is when the soueraigntie goeth from one into the power of another Dissimilitude also is the cause many times of sedition and of change in the Common-wealth which commeth to passe when the Inhabitants of a place are not of the same nation but many strangers are receiued into it who perceiuing them-selues to be the stronger part haue many times thrust the naturall Citizens out of their towne whereof Aristotle alleadgeth many examples that fell so out in the Grecian cities At Sienna at Genes at Zurick at Cullen the strangers being multiplied draue out the Lords of those places and slew most of them bicause they were ouer-charged with exactions euill entreated and excluded from bearing of offices They of Lindauia slew the Lords of the countrie and changed the Aristocraty into a popular Estate and so did the Inhabitants of Strausborough who hated the Nobilitie in such sort that they would not suffer any of them to enioy the great estates and publike charges vnles he prooued that his grandfather was one of the baser sort of the people These examples mooue naturall Inhabitants many times to ouer-runne strangers when they see the number of them waxe ouer-great amongst them One example heereof we may note in the citie of Geneua into which when many strangers aswell Frenchmen as others retired for religion the naturall Citizens could neuer brooke them although they were very profitable to the citie making it rich and populous whereas before it was poore and smally inhabited but conspired many times to driue them out as namely that conspiracie of one Perin in the yeere 1556. which began to be put in execution when Caluine ranne into the midst of their naked swords to appease the tumult as Beza writeth in his life The same feare mooued Pharaoh when he sawe the Hebrewes encrease ouer-fast amongst his subiects to decree that the Midwiues should from that time forward kill the male children at their birth Now in receiuing of strangers regard must be had to the number that it be not ouergreat and that their authoritie be not vnmeasurable For otherwise it is necessarie for trafficke sake and for many other publike commodities that some be receiued of others Many other kinds of dissimilitude are found in common-wealths as dissimilitude of linage betweene the Nobilitie and Common-people of offices betweene Iudges Treasurers Souldiors Priests of professions betweene Lawyers Phisitions Diuines and Philosophers of occupations betweene Bakers Butchers Shooemakers Painters Smithes Carpenters without which dissimilitudes no Common-wealth can consist Therefore they are not to be taken quite away but onely the disorder that groweth amongst them that so they may be reduced to a conuenient agreement like to that which is betweene the diuers parts that are in the constitution of the world of man We may also call a dissimilitude that difference which is of religions as of the Iewes Christians Mahomists Caphrans Armenians Grecians Latines Iacobites Ethiopians then betweene the Christians themselues as Catholiks Lutherans Zuinglians and Caluinists Many haue said and are yet of this opinion that the chiefe cause of ciuill warres in France proceedeth from this diuersitie of religion And to say truth there is nothing that carieth men away with such vehement passions as zeale of religion for which they fight more willingly thā for their liues goods wiues and children Through the diuersitie heereof they that are neerest of kinne loose their naturall loue they that are of the same country and language persecute one another as mortall enimies and sundry nations abhorre one another for the same These things are too well knowne amongst vs to require proofs thereof And truly in respect of sedition and tumult nothing is more dangerous than for subiects to be diuided in opinion whether it be in matters of estate or of lawes and customs or for religion For if they be of diuers opinions some labour for peace and seeke to make others agree vnto it who wil neuer agree amongst themselues And in truth it is a very hard matter to maintaine publike exercises of any religion whatsoeuer when it is contrary to the religion of the people or of the most of them who many times cannot be kept within compasse neither by lawes nor Magistrats vnlesse the force appointed to keepe them in bee very great For we saw that Thomas Emperour of Constantinople was cruelly slaine by the people amidst a great congregation in the Church bicause he
but as soone as another stranger came they shewed what they were Heereuppon it came that Kinge Charles the eight easily ouer-ranne all Italy with chalke as we vse to speake that is to saye that without resistance he sent before to take vp his lodging bicause they that shoulde haue withstoode him and were called in to keepe the Countrie did of their owne accord take his parte But there is a further matter Strange hired Captaines either are excellent men or haue nothing in them If they be valiant the Prince is not to trust them For out of doubt they will seeke to make themselues great either by his ouerthrowe that is their Maister or by destroying others against his will And if the Captaines haue no valure in them he cannot hope for any thing but for the cause of his owne perdition Succour is moste hurtfull to an Estate when some Potentate is called in with his forces for aide and defence Those souldiours may well be good and profitable for themselues but are alwaies hurtfull to such as call them in For if a man loose the fielde he is ouer-throwne if he winne it he is their prisoner Such succour is a great deale more to bee feared than hired strength which obeieth the Prince that calleth them and requireth their helpe But when a man receiueth in an armie vnited and accustomed to obeye the Captaine that conducteth and bringeth them in his destruction is alreadie prepared and cannot be auoided who openeth the doore of his owne house to let in an enimie stronger than himselfe Therefore it were expedient for euerye Prince to trye all waies before he haue recourse to such men for helpe and succour And whosoeuer shall reade and consider well the times that are past and runne ouer the present state of things he shall see that whereas one prospered well an infinite number were deceiued and abused For a Common-wealth or an ambitious Prince coulde not wish to haue a better occasion whereby to get the possession of a Citie Seignorie or Prouince than when hee is required to send his armie to defende it But what The ambition desire of reuenge or some other affection of men is so great that to accomplish once their present will they forget all dutie and cast behind them the care of all danger and inconuenience whatsoeuer that may light vppon them The Herules Gothes and Lumbards by these meanes became Lordes of Italy the Frenchmen of the Gaules Countrye the Englishmen of greate Britaine the Scots of Scotland after they had driuen out the Britons and Picts who called them in for succour The Turks made themselues Lords of the East Empire and of the kingdom of Hungary being likewise required of help by the Emperours of Constantinople and by the States of Hungary Not long since Cairadin a Pirate being called by the Inhabitants of Alger to driue the Spaniards out of the fortresse after he had vanquished them he slew Selim Prince of the towne and made himselfe king leauing the Estate to his brother Arradin Barberossa And Saladine a Tartarian Captaine being called by the Calipha and Inhabitants of Caire to driue the Christians out of Soria after the victorie slew the Calipha and became absolute Lorde thereof The foresight which the Princes of Germany had of the perill and hurt that all strangers bring to an Estate caused them to bind the Emperour Charles the fift by the twelfth article of conditions vnto which he sware before he receiued the Imperiall crown that he should not bring in any forraine souldiors into Germany And yet through the great number of Spaniards Italians and Flemmings that came into the countrie beeing called in against the Protestants there wanted little of changing the Estate of Almaigne into an hereditarie kingdom Which had bene soone doone if king Henry the second had not staied it by his French power for which cause he was called by books published and arches erected in their country Protector of the Empire and deliuerer of the Princes who since haue concluded amonge themselues that they will neuer chuse a forraine Prince Charles the seuenth king of France hauing by his great good successe and vertue deliuered France of Englishmen and knowing well that it was necessarie for him to be furnished with his owne forces instituted the decrees of horsemen and of the companies of footemen After that king Lewes his sonne abolished his footemen and began to leauy Switzers which being likewise practised by other kings his successors many men haue noted that by countenancing the Switzers they haue caused their owne forces to degenerate and growe out of vse disanulled the footemen and tied their horsemen to other footemen insomuch that since they haue been vsed to fight in company of the Switzers they think that they cannot obtaine the victorie nor yet fight without them Therfore the prudence of king Francis the first must needes be honored with exceeding great praise in that he established seuen legions of footmen accounting 6000. men to a legion so that there could be no better deuice for the maintenance of warrelike discipline nor more necessary for the preseruation of this kingdome if those good ordinances that were made to this end be wel marked Neuertheles they were abolished in his raigne established againe by Henry the second his successor and after that abrogated I am of opinion that if these ancient institutions both of horsemen and footemen were reuined they would be a good mean whereby we might alwaies haue men of warre to defend this kingdom to conquer that which is taken from it and to helpe our friends whereas nowe we are faine to vse the seruice of vnskilfull men that are made Captaines before euer they were souldiors or else of necessitie compelled to begge and to buy very deare the succour offorraine nations My meaning is not that a Prince should neuer vse the helpe of others but alwaies take his own forces collected among his subiects Nay I say to the contrary that it must needs be profitable for him to vse the succors of his Allies so that they be ioined with him in league offensiue and defensiue For by this meanes he doth not onely make himselfe stronger but withall taketh away both that aide from his enimie which he might otherwise haue drawne from thence and occasion also from all men to make warre with the one except they will haue the other also their enimie But aboue all things let no Prince trust so much to the succours of his Allies except himselfe with his subiects be of greater strength And if Allies are to be feared when they are stronger in another countrie what assurance may a man haue of forraine souldiors that are at no league either offensiue or defensiue with vs Now if vpon the due consideration of these things souldiors be carefully trained vp in good discipline of warre which may be collected out of many institutions that are extant and if
of the Phocians Of the iudgements of the Romanes Who were Iudges amongst them and how they were chosen Three kinds of Pretors in Rome Of the reuerence and honor which was giuen to Magistrates An excellent way to decide all controuersies betweene parties at discord Of the ancient reputation of iudgements in France The iustice of France fallen from the ancient glorie Tokens of a corrupted Estate The proceeding of iustice in France from time to time The officers of the Court of Parliament in Paris The preâ—â—â—te state of the Paeliament Of the ancient estate of the Parliament Ferdinando forbad that any Lawyers should go into the West Indians The springs of all corruptions of iustice The Areopagites iudged by night and in the darke The Switzers forbid their Iudges to take any thing for iudging The saying of a Peasant to three Lawyers Of the miserie which length of suits bring with it The great abuse of iustice in France How a corrupt Common-wealth must be corrected When it is lawfull to seeke after publike offices Iudges ought to be such old men as haue experience ioined with their knowledge Magistrats must not be couetous The chiefest point of Philosophy A corrupt making of Iudges The statute of S. Lewes concerning the election of officers No earthly thing perpetual No Common-wealth perpetuall No iniurie is a sufficient cause for any man to moone sedition The originall of all sedition The cause of vnion and concord in kingdoms The fruits of the contempt of religion Peace and concord effects of the feare of God Isaias 2. 4. Micah 4. 3. What sedition is The fruits of sedition Matth. 12. 25. 2. Sam. 24. 14. What communitie Plato required in his Common-welth Two kinds of warre The fruits of ciuil warre among the Grecians Demades reprocheth the Athenians Agesilaus bewaileth the ciuil dissention of Graecia The prudence of Englishmen Traians letter to the Senate of Rome The Romane Empire decaied through seditions The original of the Romane seditions M. Coriolanus being banished contrary to right tooke armes against his countrey T. Gracchus the first that was slaine in Rome by sedition Sylla made himself perpetuall Dictator The Romane Empire began first to decline vnder Tiberius Diuision ouerthrew Alexanders Empire The cause of the ruine of Constantinople The cause of the subiection of Iudaea to the Romans Onias prayer Ciuil warres in Italy between the Guelphes and the Gybellines The great crueltie of the Guelphes and Gybellines By what tokens they know one another The originall of this contention The diuision of the houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the 6. depriued of his Kingdom by the house of Yorke The vnion of the houses of Lancaster and Yorke Of ciuil warres in Spaine The great iurisdiction of Spain Of ciuil dissention in Italy Germany vexed with ciuil warre Hungaria lost by ciuil dissention Persia was subdued by the dissention of two brethren Dinan and Bouines subdued through dissention France much troubled with ciuil warres Women in Champagnie made their husbands noble Cruel warre between the house of Burgundie of Orleans The cause thereof Henry the 5. proclaimed king of France Ambition and desire of gouernment the chiefe cause of the troubles in France The ancients limites of the French monarchie A comparison Good counsell for all kings and soueraigne princes A disease known is almost cured The causes of diuision between subiects Two causes of the franticke feauer of French diuisions Corruption is naturall in all things A Prince compared to a Physition To know the causes of euils is the readiest way to cure them When Common-wealths begin to alter Foure causes of all things The efficient causes of seditions The materiall cause of seditions The formal cause The difference between a rebellion and a faction Fower final causes of seditions Couetousnes a principall cause of sedition 1. King 12. 14 16. Which are publike goods When couetousnes is committed in publike goods God requireth restitution of oppressors Great seditions began vpon a small occasion Couetousnes cause of the death of the nobilitie in Switzerland 1. Sam. 8. 5. Ambition the second cause of seditions Honor the only reward of vertue Onely vertue ought to open the gates of honour Iniurie the third cause of sedition Why Cvrus reuolted from his grandfather Astyages Coriolanus Childeric slaine by Bodilus Iustine 3. Feare the fourth cause of seditions Catiline What maner of men are afraid of peace Feare was one cause that mooued Caesar to seek the empire Excesse in authoritie power is the fist cause of seditieÌ„s What the Ostracisme among the Athenians was Many kings ouerthrowen by suffring their seruants grow too great Contempt is the sixt cause of seditions Who are most subiect to contempt Contempt brecdeth disobedience Causes that mooue subiects to contemue their Princes A rule of Estate Lewes the 11. fought withall by his Nobles bicause he contemned them Ouer-great inequalitie betweene Estates in a Common-wealth is the sâ—uenth cause of seditions Equalitie the mother of peace Impunitie of offences the eight cause of seditions The meaning of this precept Be not suretie for another 1. King 20. 42. Other causes-of sedition Shame is sometime cause of alteration of Estates Negligence a cause of chang Two sorts of negligence Bishops neglecting their charg to deale in worldly affaires bring themselues into contempt An Estate is not changed all at one time but by little and little Dissimilitude a cause of chang Examples of strangers that haue expelled naturall Citizens out of their townes The Inhabitants of Geneua conspired against strangers in their citie Caluine hazarded his life to appease a tumult in Geneua Exod. 1. 16. Diuers kinds of dissimilitudes in Common-wealths Whether diuersitie of religion be a cause of ciuill warre Diuersitie of opinion among subiects dangerous in an Estate Thomas Emperour of Constantinople slaine for pulling downe of Images The causes that brcede the change of all Common-wealths Why Wisedom is giuen of God Wisd 6. 21. The praise of wisedome Contrary causes bring foorth contrary effects Prou. 27. 20. Choice customs of seuen flourishing Estates Discontentment is the spring of all vices The effects of couetousnes The contented mind of Magistrats is the first meane to preserue an Estate Exod. 18. 21. Why Tiberius would not change his Lieutenants A notable custome vsed by Seuerus in making vnder-gouernors The second meane to preserue an Estate The third meane Of whome a Prince holdeth his soueraigntie Subiects compared to a set of counters The fourth meane Magistrats must be punished aswelt as the Common people Aristotle misliked perpetuall Magistrates Generall Commissioners requisite in a Monarchy The sift meane Delay in punishing the wicked is dangerous The sixt meane Geometricall proportion ought to be obseâ—ued in Common-wealths Vpon what men publike charges are to be bestowed Two sorts of equalitie The seuenâ—h meane The eight The beginning of euils must be staied The â—inth The tenth The eleuenth The twelfth Contentious persons must be remooued from the Court. Princes must