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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94341	The application of certain histories concerning ambassadours and their functions, by Francis Thynn, Esquire. Taken out of Sir Robert Cottons library.	Thynne, Francis, 1545?-1608.; Cotton, Robert, Sir, 1571-1631.	1651 (1651)	Wing T1142; Thomason E1403_1; ESTC R3001	34,353	213

THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN HISTORIES CONCERNING AMBASSADOURS And their Functions Digested into severall Chapters By FRANCIS THYNN Esquire LONDON Printed for JOHN CROOK and are to be sold at the sign of the Ship in Pauls Church-yard 1651. To the Right Honourable his singular good Lord WILLIAM Lord COBHAM Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports FRANCIS THYNN wisheth perpetuall health further increase of honour and good successe in all his Honourable Attempts ALthough my very good Lord neither according to my honest desire nor your honorable desert which worthily may challenge from me a farre more dutifull service than my attendance upon you into Fland●rs I could not in person as I did in good will be present in the same Journey where I both might have reaped profit and your Lordship been fully ascertained of my good mind towards you for that I protest unto you remaining in this out-nook of the little world where London newes is somewhat scant and the Princes affaires very seldome known I had no intelligence of your so honourable place of Embassie in this year of Christ 1578. untill two daies after your departure The which bred some corsey of a Melancholy conceipt in me by reason of my foolish negligence that would no oftner direct my Letters to crave intelligence from London And by reason of the unkind forgetfulnes of my kindred friends remaining there who would not vouchsafe so much courtesie in a matter so much desired by me and of so small a trouble to them as to direct their Letters to me thereof Wherefore sorrowing for that which is past that I could not as the rest of my kindred friends did assume such enterprize upon me and yet not only rejoycing at your honourable entertainment of the good success of the wise Dispatch and of the orderly behaviour wherwith your Lordship was received beyond the Seas but also desirous by pen amongst the rest of your welwillers at this your happy and desired return to congratulate your Lordship with the tokens of my old yowed fidelitie as a sign of my hidden joy conceived of your safe arrival I have thought it my challenged duty to direct this tedious Discourse unto you containing aswell the unfolding of my former griefs As laying open to your sight the rejoycing of my well-willing heart And for that other occasion doth not so fitly minister cause to me in other sort to present my self unto you than by saying somewhat which may doth concerne Embassadours Therefore as wel for that the time is most apt for the man to whom I write having supplied such place for that it also putteth me in mind of your honourable courteous talk which you have often used unto me in like matters I will here in affaires of Embassie to an Ambassadour present my labours the Ambassadours of their absent Master make discourse of things belonging to Embassie Wherein I will shew the original Privileges the Wisdom the Valour the quick wits other the behaviours of Ambassadours as examples for us in all respects to immitate For as Seneca saith in his sixth Epistle Longum iter est per praecepta breve efficax per exemplum of which kind of people that is of Ambassadours Legats or Deputies Messengers of Princes and of the Orators of Kings For all these severall termes do include one Function exercised in divers manners because there are sundry sorts somewhat different from the custome of our age I will not only intreat as they were in times past amongst the magnificent Romans in the middest of their greatest glory But I wil also in like order collect and digest the usage and duty of them as they are now used put in office by Princes Kings and Emperors for the executing of their determined pleasure In which my good Lord if any thing shall be found that for want of more diligent search may seem faulty consider that Bernardus non videt omnia Wee are no Gods wee can say no more than reasonable conjecture or former Authority may lead us unto But if in the placing of the same in the apt sentences or in the sweet composition of stile there appear default impute the same to the want of leisure and to the rude hasty writing of him who was never brought up in any Vniversitie and I seek not fueum verborum so I may have ipsam veritatem materiam solidam And thus this far of that And so into my purposed matter The Table CHAP. 1. fol. 1. OF the Name or first Invention of Legates or Ambassadours fol. 1 CHAP. 2. That other Naetions besides the Romans used Ambassadours fol. 6 CHAP. 3. What persons are meete to be Ambassadours fol. 13 CHAP. 4. What Lawes and Privileges were made and allowed for and to Ambassadours fol. 34 CHAP. 5. Apothegmes or Wise and pleasant Answers given and made by and to Ambassadours fol. 50 CHAP. 6. Of Amdassadours that dyed in their Embassie fol. 73 CHAP. 7. Of Ambassadours evilly intreated in their Embassie fol. 82 CHAP. 8. The revengement of Crueltie used to Ambassadours against the Law of Nations fol. 117 CHAP. 9. Of Ambassadours evilly rewarded at their return into their Country fol. 130 CHAP. 10. Of trayterous Ambassadours towards their Masters and Princes fol. 140 CHAP. 11. Of the foolish sayings and doings of Ambassadours fol. 160 CHAP. 12. Of Persons sent divers times in Embassie fol. 176 The Application of certain Histories concerning Ambassadors and their Functions c. CHAP. 1. Of the Name or first Invention of Legates or Embassadours THE name of Legate is taken divers wayes being somtimes reputed for any kind of Magistrate or for any person that executeth an office for and under another especially in any other Countrie than his own being substitute in the place of his Superiour The which persons so appointed the ancient Romans did call Legates the Majesty of whom the Bishop of Rome presenting in his Monarchicall Government of the Church doth at this present observe having in every Countrie subject to his Dominion a Legat sometimes permanent and sometimes temporaneall called Legates à latere as he were his assisting Deputie or his Deputie sent from his side The Roman Legates lay their heads together as Counsellours and what so was needfull to bee done it was determined by their Counsell and agreement and at the length established by the judgement and rule of the Legate Agesilaus amongst forraign Nations is found to have supplied the place of a Legate although he were the greatest Commander of the warres so much accounted and in such great honour was this office deemed to be among them Wherein as there be many notable things besides that which hee hath uttered of Legates which most properly in this place are holden Deputies as are the name of the offices and officers amongst the Romans for there were the Lictors Questors Praetors Tribune Consul Emperour and such like whereof I mean not at this time to intreat as well for avoyding tediousness as for

And thereupon was Orpheus feigned by his Musick to draw trees stones mountaines and wilde beasts after him for that by his sweet words he reduced the savage people to civility the want of which utterance gave Moses occasion to excuse himselfe before God that he was unapt by reason of his stammering which he got his mouth being burnt by eating hot coals when he was brought up in Pharaohs house where being then but a boy hee threw down the Crown from Pharaohs head whereby the Divines prophesied that hee should destroy the King of Egypt to bee Gods Ambassadour to the Egyptians for the deliverie of the people of Israel Wherefore to him God chose Aaron as his Assistant by his Eloquence to supply Moses his default and to utter whatsoever Moses should give him in command Such an eloquent person was also Carneades Cyramus whose eloquence was so great that hee could easily in any matter by the strength of his speech draw any man to his opinion And therefore he Prince of the Academians with Diogenes the Stoick and Critolaus the Peripatetick being sent Ambassadours to Rome from the Athenians brought his Legatship in doubt amongst the Romans Marcus Cato saying in the Senate that they should beware of that man who by his eloquence and skill of utterance could obtain whatsoever he would desire Volater Lib. 4. Cap. 2. Anthropo Quintil. li. 2. cap. 1. of whom in like sort Quintilian doth report that in the hearing of Cato the Censor at Rome he did with no lesse force the day following argue against Justice than hee had the day before defended it Gellius li. 7. cap. 14. Crinitus li. 22. cap. 4. de honest Discipl His singular eloquence being also remembred by Gellius and Crinitus Not unlike to whom was Cyneas Thessalus the hearer of Demosthenes and Legate of Pirrhus who when he was sent to any City to require Surrender thereof would use this saying of Euripides That neat and sweet words could doe as much as threatning swords of whom Pirrhus was wont to say that hee had subdued more Cities by the Orations of Cyneas than by the hands of his Army whom as Plutarch saith the King had in great estimation using his help in his chiefest affaires With no less commendation did Scopelianus the Sophist obtain the request of his Embassie for whereas Domitian the Emperour had made Proclamation that no Vines should be growing in Asia because the plenty thereof by drunkennesse might seem to move Sedition Scopelianus being sent to Rome did by his eloquence not only bring so to passe that they might lawfully plant Vines Celius li. 20. cap. 11. but also further obtained that he should be Fyned that would abstain from the setting and planting of the same In which number of Eloquent Ambassadours may take his place Eustachius Capadox the Successor of Aedesius in his Country who was of such profound Eloquence being the Disciple of Jambicns the Chaldean as being sent to S●pinus King of Persia did there so inchaunt the King by his speeches that casting away his Tyara which was a kind of Crown or Imperiall Cap foulded with linnen the King would have changed his garment for the cloke of Eustachius which the Courtiers did forbid saying that he was a Magician and wrote by a course of Witcherie as teacheth Eunapius And so concluding this matter your Lordship may easily gather hereby how requisite it is for an Ambassadour to be eloquent in Speech in delivering his Message But to what use shall all this serve if he have not joyned with these estimation and credit and that he be of good account in his Countrie before he be sent For if he be not both he and his Embassie shall bee despised and neglected As well appeareth in this one Historie done in our time And because I will not in this point be tedious unto your Honour I will only shew you here omitting which I could cite concerning the same one Historie thereof for a small thing can give light to a wise man and your Lordship by this one example shall learne that others have told in many Which History is thus When in the year of our Lord as telleth Paulus Jovius Charles the fifth Paulus Jovius lib. 28. the Emperour by Confederacie made with Clement the seventh Bishop of Rome against the Florentines attempting to reduce those of the house of Medices into their Countrie did with continuall Siege oppresse the City of Florence such was the obstinacie of the Citizens favouring the popular government that great cruelty was shewed to them who did freely and truly say that Peace was to bee embraced But at the length by Philip Meliores an honest young man in the Common-wealth preaching often to the Senate and perswading to embrace Peace he Fathers decreed that Ambassadours should be dispatched to the Pope yet such was the malignity of the hinderers that not they whom the waightiness of the cause did require but men otherwise of small credit and common Citizens were sent forth Of whom one Aloysius Soderinus who had not done any thing worthy any grave affaires in ordering any matter other than that hee was called a good house-keeper was one and another was Anderolus Nicolinus rather a continuall and diligent Merchant than a Senator and the third was Robertus Boncius whom by reason of his late neer allyance with Thomas Soderyne who still laboured against this Peace made the Embassie to be the more suspected These men when they were arrived at Bononia the Pope for that they were not of sufficient honour and for that sufficiencie of industrie sinceritie of mind and faith was not found in them did so contemn them that hee greatly laughed to see that in place of worthy Senators they had out of Florence sent Merchants and those not of the best sort And that which did most sound in derogation of their Legation was for that the Ministers of the Customes in Bononia had found in their Coffers for Merchandize sake great store of gold thred to make and weave cloth-of-gold the which they then brought to avoyd further charge of carriage for the same which foolish subtilty in so grave a matter wrapped about with the filthinesse of gain was the more to be jested at Because when they had delivered their Message they had brought no further authoritie to confirm the Peace Wherefore Clement and Caesar also scorning them and stomacking the covetousnesse and unskill of the Merchants did so upbraid them that their pertinacie seemed next unto madnesse and they with open shame rejected were sent home c. Thus far Jovius translated in English In which is to be seen that the basenesse foolishnesse Covetousnesse and want of experience was the cause that these Ambassadours were not only disdained and their Petition rejected but that the poor Florentines were stil oppressed with the said warre And thus much hitherto that an Ambassadour should be learned eloquent and of good calling Now for the other

to the Countrie of such Legates there to receive punishment according to their deserts Here I will collect in examples what revengement and other hatred hath been used and exercised by open warrs to other Princes and Nations for injuries done to their Ambassadours for it is but reason that they who will misuse any by wrong against right should with like violence by Justice be rightly requited And thus to the confirmation thereof by examples When under the conduct of Magabizis whom Darius had made ruler of Hellespont the Thracians were subdued of the Persians the Persians sent Ambassadours into Macedonia to require water and earth of Amyntas the King Amyntas received them with liberall hospitalities and yielding himselfe to Darius at the length through the request of the Persians according to their custome he brought certain Concubines in to the Banquet to the Persians whom when the Persians had handled and kissed Alexander the Son of Amyntas taking the same in disdain sent his Father to bed after the which when free libertie was given to the Persians to have carnall company with which of these women every one would choose Alexander sent forth those young dames to wash and clense themselves for more delicacie to content the Persians and forthwith brought in neat young men unbearded clad in the same apparell and privily weaponed with daggers with whom as soon as the Persians began to dallie in amorous sort they drawing forth their weapons killed the Persians which slaughter Alexander did redeem partly for a great summe of money and partly by giving his Sister Gygia in marriage to Bubirus the Persian who was one of the Inquisitors of the murther Herod li. 4. Thirtie Legates of the Cratonians comming to the Siberites were all killed and unburied cast before the walls of the Citie to be devoured of wild beasts which deed was the beginning of all those evils to them which the Oracle did before signifie For all their noble men a few dayes being between did seem to see the same monstrous act in the same manner for they beheld Juno comming into the Market-place spewing forth her choler In whose Chappell also burst forth a fountain of blood and yet with all this did not their arrogancie cease untill they were wholly destroyed by the Cratonians Athen. li. 12. cap. 6. Which Historie Heraclides Ponticus in libro de Justitia although in substance of matter all one yet in forme and names doth seem otherwise to repeat King David sent Legates to Hanno the Son of Nalia the King of the Ammonites to comfort him of the death of his Father with whom David had joyned friendship and they had promised it should be confirmed But Hanno taking the Legates as Spies shaved halfe of their beards and curtayling their garments by the buttocks did after in that manner send them away With which injurie David being offended willed the Legates to remain at Hiercunt untill their haire was again grown And sending Joab with an Armie against the Ammonites hee grievously afflicted them and the Syrians comming in their aide with bitter slaughter wherewith the Syrians being further molested there were to the number of 40000 Horsemen killed at Helam by David himselfe and the rest after were made tributarie 2 Reg. cap. 10. The Arabians having overcome Herod the King of the Jewes by subtiltie and Juda being miserably shaken with an earthquake killed the Legates of the Jewes requiring Peace but not long after they being again grieved by Herod with most bitter slaughter Joseph ci 15. cap. 18. Antiquicat and in the end subdued received worthy punishment for their wicked act Certain persons of the Families of Tatius Sabinus after the manner of theeves and robbers entring the fields of the Laurentines drove the beasts from thence and spoiled many people whom they met Whereupon Romulus judging the guiltie worthy to be punished sent Legates unto Tatius with whom the favour of his people did more prevaile than the Law of the Countries insomuch that he did not only deny the request of the Messengers but as they were departing permitted them to be violated of his people which punishment of the offendor Tatius procured to himself who a little while after comming to Lavinius to the solemn Feast there holden was by privie conspiracie in an assault made upon him miserablie slain by the kindred of them who before were violated of the Tatians Theatrum Vit. human vol. 14. li. 5. The Corinthians being under the government of Philip raised dissention against him and bore themselves so proudly against the Romans that certain Corinthians did presume to cast urine and other filth upon the Roman Ambassadour passing by the houses of the street for which fact and other like offences they received revengement out of hand for a great Armie being sent thither Corinth was made LEvell with the ground by Lucius Muminius Achaius and the rest of the Dominions even to the parts of Macedonia fell to the Roman government Strabo li. 8. The Legate of the King of Persia sent to Aquisgrave to Charles the Great being very hardly received of the Frenchmen complained to Charles that the authority of Legates was greater amongst the Persians than the French upon which to pacifie the Persian King to redeem such injurie as to revenge the fact Charles removed all the Magistrates and Captains of every Province through which they came reduced them to a private estate losing their office Amerced also the Bishops in a great masse of money and provided that the Legates with all care dutie and pietie should be conveyed to their Countries And yet deeming this not sufficient he presented the King of Persia with horses Spanish Mules and costly garments of the German fashion and noble doggs to hunt which Germanie bringeth forth excelling in swiftnesse and cruelty Avent li. 4. Annalium Boiorum And thus hitherto of the tragicall murthers following the injuries offered to Ambassadours which hath been the overthrow of many States and Conquest of many Countries For no greater villany can be offered to any absent than to misuse his present Deputie representing the Majestie of his King and Master CHAP. 9. Ambassadours evilly rewarded at their return into their Countries AMongst the other mischiefs that hang over the heads of Ambassadours besides their charge death by the way misusing in their Legation and bloody warrs that follow thereon This also is not the least evill that accompanieth them That at his return into his Countrie when he hopeth for great reward honourable title glorious receiving by the people and credit with his Prince in recompence of his toyled body his great expences his endangered life that hee is not only deceived therein but in place thereof receiveth either imprisonment the Princes displeasure losse of life confiscation of goods discredit in his Countrie disdain of his equalls rebuke of his Superiours and evill report of his Inferiours if in dispatch of his Legation the event falleth not to his Princes

mind and his Countries benefit And yet hee doing asmuch as wit by nature will give him leave and judgement by experience hath taught him is rather in my opinion to be pardoned for the overthwart successe than to be punished for those defaults which himselfe cannot remedie God having dealt no more liberally with him in imparting great wit learning or experience unto him For in truth if his Legation be not well performed the lack is rather to be imputed to the Prince that would not make better choyce than to the subject that of force must obey or else runne into further inconveniencie of his King whose displeasure saith Solomon is death But because my intent is not in any of these matters fully to say my mind and to utter what reasons I can produce to confirme any such thing depending on the shoulders of Legates but only to warrantize my assertion with authoritie of examples Therefore leaving all other ordinarie proofes I will descend to my former course and only will with one example or two for that I mean not to be tedious and intend but to give your Lordship a taste that many other examples might be vouched thereon display sufficient authoritie in that point In which Ambassadours have been evilly rewarded at their return into their Countrie as followeth Amasis the Legate being sent of King Apris to those people that were revolted afterwards became King of the Revolters upon the which there was another Legate called Paterbenus sent to Amasis who returning without doing any good in the matter was cruelly handled of King Apris Theatrum Vol. 18. li. 4. Alexander the Son of Amyntas King of Macedonia was of Mordonius whom Xerxes had left in Greece to subdue it sent Ambassadour to the Athenians to conclude a Peace between them but he departed without bringing any thing to success whereupon he was afterwards forbidden to come to Athens and so banished the Town Herodot li. 8. In both which examples what cause was there why either Paterbenus of Apris or Alexander of the Athenians should bee so cruelly handled doing what in them lay for when the obstinacie of the other party with whom they must conferre is so much that neither reason can move eloquence perswade gentle usage make willing or threatnings fear to yield unto their Ambassie what shall the poor Legates doe and if they bring not their message to effect they shall be sharply punished at their return as either faithlesse to their Masters or partiall to the enemie For mee thinks I hear some Sycophant flattering the Prince and maligning the Ambassadour either before his going for some private grudge or after his departure for his open honour in that he is advanced to his place of Legation and yet setting his own commoditie thereby doth say that if the matter come not to effect it is by the negligence of the partie Ambassadour who if hee carry not sufficient authoritie to conclude or answer all things done on the adverse part may send home for a larger Commission the which if hee doe not if thereby hee might have brought it to conclusion is to be deemed as a trayterous person to his Prince and Countrie and therefore at his return to be punished The which thing if he doe as I would not excuse it where open and not surmised negligence is found in the cause I say he is worthy therefore of double revenge at his home comming and to receive torment in place of liberalitie reproach for credit losse of life for advancement and dis-inheritance in recompence of his deserved reward And here since now I am fallen into the mention of treacherous Ambassadours it shall not be unfitting in this place to shew what persons to the shame of them and of their posteritie are registred in the everlasting Records of Trayterous Ambassadors towards their Prince and Province CHAP. 10. Trayterous Ambassadours towards their Masters and Princes AS all injuries which tend to the subversion of a Common-wealth are to bee punished because not one Citie but a Province not a part of the body but the whole body not the King alone but the subject is grieved thereby so the same wrong being injustice is not only to be avoyded by all good men as chiefe enemy to vertue but also they are to be hated and sharply punished which contrary to naturall dutie to the Prince to equity to his Countrie to good disposition towards himselfe to vertue to good men and contrary to Justice to all men in matter of trust wherin all truth is to be used do falsly and injuriously betray their Children their Parents their Friends their King their Countrie And as in all men such treason is to be abhorred so especially in Ambassadours who are the doors and gates of the Common-wealth by which Peace or Warre quiet or dissention profit or discōmoditie are brought into the same This vilde fault is most abhorred and worthy to be rewarded with death a thing which in all ages amongst all men in all places and in all matters hath been misliked hated condemned and revenged Because no greater injurie can any wayes be offered than that hee who is in credit with the life with the commoditie with the honour with the state of his Prince or Countrie with the benefit of his friend or familiar should under the colour of assured dutie and friendship overthrow such State or person as giveth such fidelity unto him But what spend I many words to confirm a thing so manifestly known to be evil I will not doe it but by example set out such wicked persons as have wrought against their own head in such a villanous sort as the blott thereof will never be wiped away which examples for he is happy that can beware by the harm of others I have set down as condemning that evill fact in them and as a warning for others to beware which may fall into the like inconveniencie if fear of God discourse of reason duty to the Prince love to his Countrie and fidelity to his friends and Allies do not restrain the evill mind of mens naturall inclination alwayes of it selfe by disposition bent to the worst and ready to yield to his basest part The examples be these Labienus the Legate of Caesar in France having performed great exploits under Caesar at the length in the Civill warres traiterously fled from Caesar to Pompey of whom doth Lucan write Dux fortis in armis Caesareis Labienus erat nunc transfuga vilis The which Historie is more to be seen at large in Volater li. 16. Urban can Amasis as you heard before being the Legate of King Apris who sent him to the Egyptians revolted from him became most traiterously King of the Revolters Ibancus falling from the part of Alexius Angelus Emperour of Constantinople did defend and make strong with Castles the places adjoyning to Mount Hemo for the reconciliation of which Ibancus to become again subject the Emperour did send an Ambassadour Eunuch very