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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03724	The ambassador; Ambassadeur. English	Hotman, Jean, seigneur de Villers-Saint-Paul, 1552-1636.; Shawe, James.	1603 (1603)	STC 13848; ESTC S104251	45,449	156

THE AMBASSADOR Printed at London by V.S. for Iames Shawe 1603. To the Right Honorable William Earle of Pembrooke Lord Herbert Cardiffe Marmion and Saint Quintin Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter Noble Lord I humblie present vnto your Lordship the Ambassador which the learned Author Hotman first framed and a Gentleman of qualitie translated for the vse of their priuat friendes which comming to my hands and being a subiect meete for the exercise of Noble spirits and for these times I haue thought good to present to publike viewe and publish vnder your Honourable name for that herein you may beholde the Idea of those vertues which heauen and nature haue planted in you fit for the managing of these and the like high seruices for your prince and country whose eyes and expectations therein are fixed on you And resting in the assurance of your Lordshippes honorable fauour I humblie remaine * ⁎ * Your Honors humbly deuoted I. S. To the Reader GEntle Reader the learned Author of this Treatise accounting it a subiect fitte onely for the view of high spirites and such as already were or in time might be called to the great affaires of the common wealth suffered no other copies to be extant then those which he dispersed to his priuate friends as himselfe affirmeth A Gentleman hauing recouered one of them did at the request of some particular friends turne it into English supposing that the scribled copie which through haste and want of leasure was taken as hee read it out of the originall might satisfie his iudicious learned frinds By reason whereof the Printer following the same hath committed some errors through want of the Authors worke and other vsuall assistance which he neuerthelesse hopeth wil be excused with the great desire hee had to please the worthy learned noble Readers to whom as he accounteth the Treatise properly to belong so he hopeth that his readinesse therein will be vnto them most acceptable His Behauiour Charge Priuileges Familie THE AMBASSADOR I Knowe not any of the old Writers that haue purposedlie handled this Argument Polibius indeede hath left some collections de Legationibus but not de Legato The reason in mine opinion is that none were called ordinarily to this charge but men of great honour virtue and experience attained by hauing passed through the goodliest and greatest charges of the Common wealth as I will after shew For as in olde time there was no punishment ordained for Parricides forasmuch as in those ages of innocencie it could not be thought that a wickednesse so monstrous could enter into the heart of any man euen so the learned Politicians of times past beleeued not that Princes and Estates would be so indiscreet as to honor with an Ambassage which commonly importeth the whole estate a person which were not most capable thereof or that he which were not worthy of it should be so ill aduised as to vndertake it To the former punishments were afterwards ordained and the other haue neede of good instructions til when I wil giue them in this Treatise this word of aduise And to beginne I will not stay vpon searching out either the name Ambassador which is strange and vnknowne to vs or the antiquitie and origine of this charge the which it is most likely had his beginning with the establishment of societie amongest men and the assembling of people and estates the one with the other When Princes would not and Common-wealths could not meete together for to treate thereof Neither will I spend time in telling that the name Ambassador is not so general as the Latine word Legatus and is not vnderstood properly but of those who vnder the assurance of the publike faith authorized by the law of nations are employed to negociate with forraine Princes or Commonwealths the affaires of their Masters and with dignitie to represent their persons and greatnesse during their Ambassage They are of two sortes The one which are not but for a little time and for one affaire onely as for renewing some aliance to sweare and ratifie a treatie to congratulate condole or to doe like office in the behalfe of their Masters Those that goe to present obedience to the Pope in the behalfe of Christian Princes are of this number or which goe vpon other affaires not ordinary For which cause they may be named extraordinary Ambassadors who returne assoone as that affaire is dispatched The Romanes and other nations in former ages vsed them in no other maner The other are ordinary Ligiers without hauing any time limited but at the pleasure of the Prince which sendeth them And this is that sorte which is now most in use and which antiquity knew not fearing lest the long residēce of an Ambassador might discouer the secrets of the Estate The Pope hath retained the name of Legate and Nuncio of which it is not my purpose to speake in particular As touching Agents to whom at times is giuen the Title of Ligiers they are in like maner publike persons and being once receiued and admitted they enjoy the law of nations but neither haue place nor oftentimes power so ample as Ambassadors haue Such are most commonly employed about Princes which will not yeeld to that dignitie which those by whom they are sent pretend to haue as those that haue beene about the Emperour of late yeeres for the King and hee that at this present is with the Archduke and the Infanta which is Monsieur de la Boderie who much deserueth the Title of Ambassador sithence he performeth the charge thereof so worthily Those also are named Agents which manage the affaires of Princes not soueraigne and such as are much inferiour to Monarchs and great Common-wealths for as for those which are sent by the Prince into his owne Dominions and towards his subjects they are called Commissioners like as they are named Deputies whom subjects send vnto their Soueraigne who yet doe not enjoy this law of nations and priuiledges of an Ambassador Ius externo non ciui quaesitum est saith Titus Liuius But indeede Heralds doe whose persons are vnuiolable euen in the middest of Armies as well as those of Ambassadors although that properly and most commonly they are but Messagers carying barely some word of mouth or letter without authoritie to treate of any matter as also Drummes Trumpets and such like persons in time of warre who neuerthelesse deserue not this title and dignitie of Ambassador The Romans had also an other forme of Ambassage contrary to the ancient law Ne quis suaerei ergo legatus siet the which was called Libera legatio which was to grace persons of qualitie going towards forraine countries or into some Prouinces of the Empire for their owne affaires and particular businesses to be thereby the more respected and vnder the fauour of the law of nations as likewise those were to whom they would not doe the vttermost disgrace of an Exile and this was called Honesta

be demanded as if hee found the Court in mourning warre proclaimed or some other accident of importance falne out in the meane time which was not before thought of Tacitus saith Vt initia sunt spem in extera fore It is the principall point to begin well a thing is halfe done that is well begunne For which cause our Ambassador from his first arriuall is to giue of himselfe so good an expectation as that by his grauitie curtesie affabilitie requisite expences first audience and establishment in his charge he make al men hope of good to come by his Ambassage In like sort is it in warre and other affaires of the world that men iudge of the end by the beginning he is held wise that can discreetely raise a good opinion of himselfe from the first entrance into his charge The which hee shall doe not onely in respect of those of the Country but also towardes his Maister by his first letters of aduice of the stile whereof we will speake a word heere-after And he shall doe most wisely in establishing foorthwith his intelligences from all partes following the order of his predecessor adding therevnto the correspondencie which hee can haue with his friends euen to the remotest countries there being no charge whatsoeuer in the Estate which hath more neede to know the occurrents of the worlde as I haue heard the most sufficient Ambassadors to holde Considering that this is done with little charge and oftentimes with much fruite He will make himselfe held a fitte man if he can make choice of some one to assist secōd him in his charge if it be such that he haue need therof as indeed it is hard to be without one especially in a Country and a charge wherein he had not bin before as great and able a man as Scipio was yet tooke he with him the learned Panaetius others says Laelius True it is hee ought to take good heede to whom he trusts himself for some from Companions will become Maisters and Corriualls and hauing gotten knowledge in the businesses and secrets of the charge do not often handle the same discreetly And so bring him more hurt than good and more discontentment than comfort But it is much more grieuous vnto him whenas for to helpe his insufficiencie or to haue an eye ouer his doing there is an assistant ioyned with him for in this case he looseth the whole grace and often times the fruite of his Ambassage The which as I haue saide hath no other end than Honour He ought likewise to take heed that he receiue not into his family and amongst his houshold seruants those of the country where he is resident it being very certaine that they are so many spies except those of whose fidelitie he hath had good proofe whereof some such are found but very seldome Cicero in the same Epistle giueth this selfe same aduice saying that no man ought to communicate himselfe much vnto them nor discouer the affaires of his charge vnto them whatsoeuer apparance of affection they vse for there hath befallen therby very great inconueniences the Ambassador being otherwise sufficiently lookt into his demenor sifted likewise is he in a place so eminent that his actions cannot be hidden what industy soeuer hee vse therein Much lesse ought his house to serue for a retraite vnto the offenders of that estate wherein he is or to person that are suspected and odious I haue seene some that haue bin maligned and ill intreated for this occasion and it is a very ticklish poynt especially if they be subiects of that estate where hee beareth his charge considering that in making intercession for them he putteth himselfe in hazard of receiuing a deniall from whence a greater mischiefe may arise I speake not this without cause and the example thereof is fresh And to return to those of his house our Ambassador not being alwayes able to haue an eye ouer them as wel by reason of his dignitie as for the affaires of his charge It shal be the best way if he can to bring his wife with him whose eie wil stoppe infinite abuses amongst his people and disorders in his house vnlesse hee can trust therewith some one of his owne followers that may carry an eye and charge ouer the rest But if himselfe be not temperate and stayed hee presently openeth by his example a doore vnto the disorders of his familie who will sooner doe euill by seeing him to do euill then they will doe well by immitating of him besides that hee hath his mouth stopt if hee would reprehend or punish them Nimium est negotij continere eos quibus praesis nisi te ipse contineas It is a hard labour to make those that are vnder thee to be wise if thou be not so thy selfe saieth the same author in the same place And Tacitus in the life of Agricola saith Domum suam coercere plaerisque hand minus arduum est quam prouinciam regere And concerning this poynt of temperancie it is requisite that a man placed in such a charge doe moderate himselfe in his pleasures not only in respect of women but also for his mouth and for play whereby there hath growen many times both scandale and reproch There was one such who being met by night by the watch of the Citie receiued the shame to be ledde away prisoner and when hee alleadged his qualitie it was tolde him very stowtly by one that fained he knew him not The Ambassador of France is too wise to go so by night without company or torch-light A while after a forraine Ambassador being then at Paris going by night to visite a woman attended onely with a lackey was stayed and put vnder safe-keeping till the morning that the king that last died was aduertised thereof who sent for him and turned all the matter into a ieast Aboue all he ought not to touch the honour of women of good name for husbands and fathers are impatient of such attempts for which euen kings haue beene driuen from their estates or slaine by their owne subiects Concerning Drunkennesse which Seneca caleth a voluntary foly I maintaine that in Germanie Swisserland Polonia Denmarke and other Countries of the North he must in some sorte accommodate himselfe to drinke with them it being very certaine that one is more acceptable vnto them therby But yet he must withal remember the Emperour Bonosus who ordinarily made forraine Ambassadors drunken for to learne their secrets Others haue beene slaine amongest wine and banqueting Herodotus and Iosephus recite the stories thereof And in truth wine and secrecie are incompatible thinges and this fault is ill befitting the dignity of him that representes such a maiesty Legatus enim ipsam reipub faciem suam attulisse videtur As a certaine Author hath learnedly saide vppon this Argument As for play I haue seene an other that was so earnest vnto it that thereby hee forgate the businesses of his charge making