his wing and saying so shewed him the manner how and put his heade vnder his wing then the Foxe stept neere and on the sudden tooke him and did eate him And so the Foxe did verilie according to Euripides the Greeke Poet his saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Such wise men I despise That for themselues be nothing wise 4 That which Aristotle taught his Cosin and Scholler Calisthenes ought to be obserued of al such as be conuersant with kings speaking vnto them giuing them counsel which was that they should be very warie in all their spéeches and actions imitating and following the example of the Prophet Nathan who though he was sent from GOD to rebuke king Dauid for his sinne committed with Bethsaba commaunding her husband to be slaine yet would he not tell it him plainely but vsed a figuratiue kind of spéech and proposed the matter so vnto him that he could not choose but confesse his fault and repent himselfe of his offence committed against the Lorde Ioab vsed the same slynes and subtiltie sending a subtile Woman which fayned herselfe to mourne and putting on mourning apparrell went to King Dauid and falling downe to the ground on her face said that she was a widow and her husbande was dead and that shée had two Sonnes and that they two stroue in the field and none béeing there to part them the one smote the other and slewe him And that the whole familie was risen against her and wold haue her deliuer him that smote his brother to destroy the heyre also and so they should quench her sparkle that was left and should not leaue to her husband neither name nor posteritie vpon the earth And the King knowing that the hande of Ioab was with the widowe in all thys he pardoned his son Absolon and commaunded him to be brought again Erisistratus Phisition to King Antiochus vsed the same policie and because the King shold not be offended he said vnto him Lord your sonne is sicke for loue and she whom he loueth is my wife then the King requested him to let his wife do according to his sonnes desire affirming that if he had béen in looue with his own wife he would suffer her to deliuer him out of the daunger of his disease Then Erisistratus aunswered Lord it is thyne owne wife whom thy sonne loueth The Catholicke King Don Hernando the fift King of Castile in like manner because he woulde not haue the Ladie Blanche hys Queene gréeued for the death of the young Prince Don Iuan her sonne commaunded his Gentlemen to tell her that he was dead himselfe and that the young Prince liued and anon after he entred in vnto her and comforted her with his presence 5 Manie subtilties and craftie pollicies must be vsed by them that will saie the trueth vnto one that is not willing to heare it And as the Phisitions prepare their purgations with sirrops and gild their pilles least the Patient should be mooued and offended with the bitternes of them euen so it is necessarie that his mind should be prepared vnto whom we mean to tell the truth For the trueth dooth no lesse mooue and offend where it is told if he vnto whom it is told be not prepared theÌ„ any medicine whatsoeuer if it be giuen out of time and season And therefore the truth may not be told vnto all men nor at all times nor in euerie place And when the trueth is tolde we ought to consider who where when how and vnto whom he telleth it as the Phisitions regard perpende all the circumstaunces of the disease to cure their Patients and if it be not so doone in stéede of dooing them good vnto whom it is tolde it maketh them worse and causeth them to abhorre and detest those that tell it The trueth ought to be told vnto Princes with due honour and reuerence as the Prophet Nathan did vnto King Dauid and the Prophet Daniel when he declared the Dreame of the Trée vnto King Nabuchadnezzar saying vnto him My Lord the Dreame be to them that hate thee and the interpretation thereof vnto thine enemies Iohannes Franciscus Lotinus whoÌ„ we followe in this discourse saith that when Counsellers doubt vpon any thing and their opinions be diuers they ought not to crosse or gain-say them that are of a contrarie mind least they shold séeme more curious in defending theyr own opinion then carefull for the common profit It is therefore conuenient for Counsellers to accustome themselues patiently to heare all that which in the Consell is saide or spoken and not to spende the time in declaring and expounding their own opinions and contrarying that which other Counsellers alledge For manie men in consultations are more like to Maisters that read and dispute in Schooles then Counsellers that consult what ought to be doone 6 If the counsell which is giuen be manifestly knowne to be good no man ought to care whether he that giueth it be vertuous or vicious for that counsell which without doubt is prooued to be good ought alwaies to be preferred But this ought in all counsels to be considered whether he that giueth the counsell regard more his owne particular profit then the commoditie of the Common-welth for by how much the more counsels are frée from all respects of priuate commoditie by so much the more are they profitable vnto the Common-wealth Niceas to make the Athenians to assent vnto him when he perswaded them that they should not wage warre against Siâ—il told them that he should reape no profit by it if they did as hée counselled For he well knewe that if they enioyed peace and liued in quietnes there were a great many that woulde take vpon them to gouerne the Common-wealth but if they warred there was not one Cittizen that might either be his superiour or equall 7 If it happen that in counsels some Counsellers gainesaie that which others say and alledge the contrarie then they whose opinions are crossed ought not to thinke y t they doe it because they hate them or make no account of them but because they thinke their owne opinions to be the best For as Vlpian the Lawyer saith men be naturallie enclined to be contrarie in opinions and not to agrée one with another And as the Emperour Iustinian saith there is nothing in all humane affaires so iust nothing so cleere and nothing so manifest which is not called in question and of which there be not sundrie and diuers opinions and as it is commonlie saide men differ far more in vnderstanding and iudgment then they doo in fauour Quot capita tot sententiae so many heads so many mindes 8 Many Counsellers regarde not what is spoken in the counsell concerning that vpon which they consult but rather what he is that speaketh and if he be their fréende they allowe all what he saith and if he be their foâ— they disalow it though it be neuer
be set in reckoning bookes which Merchants call bookes of account then in the booke of rewards The Common-wealth that is well gouerned hath great néede of this counsell of rewards that each one may labour and doo his best to conserue and augment it for the reward inticeth and stirreth vp men to labour whereas no man as Salust saith wold be good if he hoped not for some reward King Nabuchadnezzor had bookes in which he commaunded the seruice that was doone him to be written to reward them that serued him 3 Although Aristotle and Fredericus Furius set down the counsels which are necessarie in a Common-wealth after that order as we haue said yet it séemeth that the principall counsell and on which the Common-wealth doth chéefly depend is the counsell of estate For in that counsell that is appointed and ordayned which is to be doone in all the other counsels This did the Senate of Rome commend vnto the Consuls that they should haue a regard that the Common-wealth shold take no harme The power which the Dictator had differed from the power which was giuen to the Consuls in this that the Dictator was superiour to all the Magistrates and as long as his dictatorship continued he was absolute King But the Consuls could not commaund any Cittizen to be put to death vnlesse the Senate approued it Besides also these counsels which Aristotle and Fredericus Furius set downe two others are necessarie to haue the Common-wealth well gouerned The one of Censure or Manners as the Romaines had that none might be suffered in the Common-wealth to offend publiquelie and so disquiet and slaunder her and that all such as doo commit anie offence openly might not remaine vnpunished as I wrote more at large in the Treatise of decrées concerning manners The other of Religion or Inquisition for no Common-welth can be maintained or augmented if there be not a speciall regard of Religion and worshipping of God had in it to maintain and uphold it as I shew more at large in the small discourse of this booke 4 All these Counsels are reduced as Phillippus de la Torre saith vnto flue viz. The first vnto the counsell of warre The second vnto the counsell of iustice The third vnto the counsell of estate The fourth vnto the counsell of mechanicall or handicrafts Officers and the fift to the counsell of Religion This is gathered out of that which the Prophet Esay saith That God might punish the people of Israel for the sins which they committed by taking away the valiant and hardie men that are experienced in matters concerning warre the Judges that minister iustice the Prophets and Elders that haue authoritie to giue counsell the handicrafts men that are skilfull in that which they professe and the learned men that can declare the misteries of God In this God sheweth vnto vs how necessary these coūsels are to euery Common-wealth For if they haue not these counsels be not gouerned as they ought great confusion and discord must necessarily folow after It is therefore required that the Counsellers of Princes vse all the diligence they possibly can in looking to the publique and common profit séeing that they be the verie gates and doores through which all good ill entereth into the Common-wealth The fift discourse how that in all Counsels the meanes and ends of those things which are in counsell ought to be required and examined IN all Counsels as Aristotle saith ought not onely to be examined and enquired whither that which is in consultation be necessary and profitable to the Common-wealth but also the means and ends of that which is in deliberation ought to be considered The meanes are the waies by which y t which in the counsels is determined may and ought to be put in execution The end is that which chéeflie is inquired and sought if the meanes be naught the counsell must be naught if they be good the counsell is good also The Greekes call good counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and naughtie counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle dooth finelie handle and Celius Rodiginus declare wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth differ from science opinion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to diuine and coniecture out of hand what may be doone without spending much time in discoursing vpon that which is consulted But I meane not heare to repeate it seeing that such subtilties are fitter to be disputed of in Schooles then to be treated of in counsels of Princes 2 Those counsels are naught in which is consulted howe to bring wicked and vnlawfull things to passe and those are bad counsels also in which vnlawfull meanes are sought to put that in practise which is lawfull and honest Therfore it is méet and conuenient that they who deliberate and consult vpon matters doo enquire not onely whether the beginning and meanes wherwith they will accomplish that which in y e counsell is determined but also whether the end of it be good and lawfull Folowing this rule they that goe about some matter which of it selfe is contentious and slaunderous ought not to regard the present occasion which is offered to aduaunce it but to consider whether the ende be like to be good or naught Besides they ought not to allow anie bad and dishonest thing though of it come good and lawfull things According to that Non sunt procuranda mala vt eueniant bona King Salomon sayth That he that is hastie to giue credit is lightly minded and shal neuer prosper For he that rashly takes a thing in hand before he haue throughly considered it is an enemie to good counsell The glorious Apostle S. Iohn doth exhort vs that we should not beléeue euery spirit nor be mooued with euery winde but try the spirit whether it be of God This is known eyther by the end vnto which it tendeth or by the meanes by which it is aduaunced or by the affections which mooue vs to doo it If it be cléere that neither the glory of God nor the edifying of the holy Catholicke Church nor the spirituall profit of our next Neighbor but some humane pretence be in it respected and regarded then is it not the counsell of God séeing it is not directed vnto the seruice of the Lord. For as Saint Ierome saith that voice that perswadeth any thing that offendeth God is the voice of the deuill As it is séene by the temptations wherwith he tempted our Redéemer Lord Jesus Christ in the Deserts saying that he should worshippe him and cast himselfe downe from the Pinacle But the voice of God is that which encourageth and perswadeth vs to the same which he commaundeth vs. 3 Although sometimes those things which with great prudence are deliberated and consulted vpon and in which lawful meanes are vsed to put them in practise haue not the same successe and euent which was hoped for for the counsails of Fortune as
counsailes as I writt more at large in my bookes De consilijs astutis et prudentibus Besides the diuine maiestie of God doth not onelie permit that counsailes giuen through malice and deceit turne to the Counsellers hurt but they be also bound in the Court of conscience to make satis-faction for all the domage men receiue by folowing their counsails notwithstanding that the successe of that which is consulted be not in the power of men and humane lawes also punish and chastice all such as counsaile with malice and deceite Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then counsaile ill there is no-thing On earth that danger more doth bring 6 The Counsellers of Princes are bound to conceale that which is consulted with them for all that which is said to one in secrete and committed vnto him as a thing to be concealed ought both by the lawes of God and man to be kept secrete by him Therefore if Counsellers of Princes discouer those counsels which by the Prince are committed to their secrecie they be periured for they doo contrarie to their oathe which is to keepe secrete all what soeuer their Princes communicate vnto them Yet notwithstanding this oath dooth not binde them to conceale any thing that is contrarie to the commaundement of God or notoriously hurtfull to the Common-wealth for it is a more gréeuous thing to performe such oathes as be vnlawfull then to breake them Therefore they that sweare are not bound to conceale any thing which is said vnto them if it be vnlawfull and hurtfull to the Common wealth As for example If any man tell his seruaunt that he will kill some bodie the seruant ought to diswade him from so dooing and if he cannot alter his mind or remedie his purpose any other way he ought to discouer it but so that the discouering of the enterprise be profitable to the one and not hurtfull to the other he ought not to let his Maisters purpose be further knowne then may suffice to remedie it Nay nor to open his intent at all if his Maister be like to take more hurt and losse by the discouering of it thē the other partie if the enterprise were not made known at all Furthermore those Counsellers of Princes that discouer their Prince his counsaile be not onely forsworne but they be also falsifiers and they deserue punishment according to the offence which they commit and the hurt which the Prince and the Common-wealth take by the discouering of that counsaile which they disclosed Againe If the Counsellers discouer theyr Prince his secrets not to hurt the Prince but to harme some other person and if the Prince doo take any losse by the disclosing of his secrets the Counsellers loose their fees which they receiue of the Prince for they do not performe that which they swore to wit that they would help and aide the Prince both in word and déed They aide and assist the Prince in words in giuing of him faithfull and sincere counsaile without malice or deceite and they assist him in déed by executing that which he commaundeth Moreouer if they that discouer their Prince his secrets be neither Counsellers nor Secretaries vnto the Prince they ought to be put to death if any hurt befall vnto the Prince by the discouerie of his secrets but if they discouer it not intending to hurt the Prince but commending him for some thing wherewith they doo him harme then they ought to be extraordinarilie and moderatlie punished for they intended not to hurt the Prince and that offence which is committed without malice or deceit ought not to be punished But if they wittingly discouer any of the Prince his secrets the disclosing of which may doo the enemie good they ought either to be burned quick or to be hanged 7 The ancient Poets because men shold know how necessarie it is for Princes to haue such Counsellers as conceale those secrets which are committed vnto them fained that Tantalus was in hell and had bothe water and pleasant fruites by him but though he greatly desired to drinke of the water and taste of the Apples yet hee could not for when hee stooped to drink or reached to the fruite both the water and the trée did mooue from him and this torment was appointed him because he did disclose that which the Gods had in their counsaile determined They fained also that Sisiphus was tormented in hell for discouering the counsaile of the Gods and that this punishment was allotted him that he should turne a stone vp to the toppe of an huge and mightie Hill on his shoulders but when it was at the toppe it should fall downe againe and renew his labour These punishments were fitte rewards for their offences for as the counsailes of the Gods tooke no effect because they were disclosed by Tantalus and Sisyphus so it was verie well appointed that Tantalus should neuer eate nor drink whē he gréedilie desired and that Sisyphus should continually labor carrying the stone on his shoulders without bringing that to passe which he so earnestly endeuoured The Kings of Persia did punish them with paine of death that disclosed any thing which in their counsaile was concluded For they thought that hee which would not bridle so small a member as the tongue could much lesse refraine the other greater members And in déed greater secrecie ought to be vsed in the counsailes of Princes then in any other thing and great care ought to be taken that no man vnderstand what is consulted or know what is at the Counsell-table determined King Lysimachus demaunded of the Poet Philipides of which of his matters hee shoulde make him partaker he aunswered that of which he pleased vppon condition it were not of his secrets because of the daunger which they incurre that discouer the secrets of Princes Iohn the second of that name King of Portugall was verie warie in concealing such thinges as were tolde him whereby hee deliuered himselfe out of many great daungers which because they be knowne vnto all men I will not make mention of them 8 The Doctors aske what punishment they deserue which counsaile one to commit some offence and some affirme that if the offence be greeuous and outragious as Treason against GOD or theyr Prince then they that giue the counsayle and they that committe the offence are to be punished with the like punishment Thys holdes not when he that giueth counsayle to haue any offence committed dooth nothing els but counsayle and shew the reasons which mooue him thervnto for then hee that giueth the counsaile and he that committeth the offence are not to be punished a like for hee that giueth the counsaile is not the cause of the offence though hée gaue counsayle to committe it but hee that perswadeth to offende deserueth the like punishment as is due to the offender For it is a greater matter as Vlpian the
spilling of the bloode or the tearing and vnlacing of his members they gessed and diuined of that which should happen concerning those things about which they consulted In a certaine part of the kingdome of Persia they vse this When they that dwell in that Countrey goe to aske counsell of the Priestes vpon that which they determine to doo the Priests hold in their hands the booke which is commonly called the booke of Lots or Fortune and according to that which they find written in that booke they answer them that come to consult with them It séemeth that the Booke of Lots or Fortune wherewith they deceiue the ignorant Comminaltie was brought out of Persia wherefore the Inquisitors did with great reason forbid the same Booke of Fortunes to be read that they which are of little vnderstanding might not be deceiued by it 6 Séeing that counsels and the successe of those thinges which are consulted proceede as we haue saide from the holie Ghost it is conuenient that all Counsellers before they beginne to consult should humblie request and beséeche the holie Ghost with great deuotion and humilitie to direct them in their way and leade them in their consultations saying that seruice which is properlie belonging vnto the holie Ghost And if the shortnes of the time permit it not they ought to sing the Himne of the holy Ghost as it is rehearsed in the Church Come holie Ghost c. And unitating King Dauid saie Lord mine eyes looke vp and trust in thee thou shalt deliuer me out of the snares c. King Dauid saith not that he looked to his féete to deliuer them from the snares but that he lifted his eyes vp to the Lorde that he should deliuer him and found himselfe not deceiued as he afterwarde mentioneth O Lord my soule hath escaped as the byrd out of the snares of the Hunters and the snares were broken in péeces Plato dooth counsel vs that we should continuallie beséech God that it wold please him to direct that which we shall doo vnto his holie seruice For it is he that by the means of the Angels sheweth vnto vs what we ought to doo For this is an euerlasting truth confirmed with perpetuall experience that in the most harde and difficult things of all mans life where the wit of man is most blind and doth most want counsell and forces there dooth the diuine wisedome of the Lord shew it selfe most cléerely wonderfullie That great Iudith with a noble and excellent mind said vnto those that were besieged in the Cittie of Bethulia And now who are you that haue tempted GOD this day and will bind the counsels of the Lord our God And so she rebuked the faintnes of the Gouerners of Bethulia For it is a token signe of great weakenes and ignorance in a man to doo all matters according to his own wisdome and humane counsels It were better and safer to desire the Lord that he wold be our guide in all our actions and counsels for he will direct vs in the readie path shew vs which waie is best séeing that he neuer fayleth to aide those y t powre forth their praiers vnto him Those Angels that by the commaundement of God aide and helpe men in their waies and rule the actions of vertuous Princes are comprehended vnder those companies which are called Dominions and Principalities as Dionysius Arcopagita saith 7 And the better to bring this to passe which we saie we ought to doo according to the commaundements of our Sauiour and Lord Jesus Christ who neither deceiueth himselfe nor can not deceiue them vnto whom he giueth counsell For from him floweth the spring of vnderstanding and knowledge and he is the author and cause of all goodnes From him doth it proceede that Counsellers be good he is the cause why Kings gouerne their kingdoms well and minister iustice And this did King Salomon aske of the Lord saying Lord send me thy wisdome downe out of thy holie heauens and sende her from the throne of thy Maiestie that she may be with me and labour that I may know what is acceptable in thy sight If those that in olde times past worshipped Idols asked counsell of them and the deuil to deceiue them used many kinds of Oracles and prophecies as I wrote more at large in my Bookes of pollicies and Common-wealths it is more theÌ„ reason that we which serue and worship Christ the redéemer of the worlde should humblie offer our prayers to his holines and request him that it wold please him of his goodnes to fauour helpe vs in all our counsels And no doubt seeing the holie Ghost is he that beadeth vs in all our actions he will choose that for vs which shall best please his holines And that counsell which we choose through his inspiration is the best and which most appertaineth vnto vs. 8 The night time is very fit to consult And for this cause did the Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to be wise For when the Counsellers assemble together to confer about matters in the night time those things in which men be commonly occupied by day doo not hinder or trouble them and with the stilnes of the night as Virgil saith all things are quiet Homere to she we that the silent night time was most commodious to consult said that it did not become Princes to sléepe all the night who ought to consult vpon matters concerning the Common-wealth And for because y t when a man is not withdrawne from his booke neither by his busines nor by any other meanes it greatly confirmeth his memorie and profiteth him much for the inuention and contemplation of that which he searcheth and learneth no doubt but the quiet still night which cutteth of all occasions that may hinder a man is the fittest and best time to studie in especially because the minde at that tune is more frée and readier to muse and consider of euerie thing 9 First of all before the Counsellers beginne to consult they ought to sée that no man be in place that may heare that which is spoken off in their consultations After that the Ambassadors of King Tarquinius had conspired with the Sonnes of Brutus and other young Gentlemen to restore Tarquinius to his kingdome they solemnized their conspiration with the death of a man whose bloode they dranke and touched his enentrailes that they might by that ceremonie binde theÌ„selues to keepe counsell and helpe one another And to doo this they assembled together in a desert house where no body did dwell But as it fell out by chaunce a certaine Seruant called Vindicius was in the same house who séeing them enter in on the suddaine in great haste could not gette â—ut but spying a large Larget in one of the corners of the Chamber presentlie fell to the ground and couered himselfe with its and so he lay verie secretlie and saw
rule their Subiects in peace ought not to suffer their people so to giue themselues to ease that they neuer be exercised or trained vppe in Armes for an vnarmed peace is very weake Gelon King of Sicilie being perswaded that those Common-weales in which the people were not exercised in Militarie practises could not long continue for peace vacation from labours and idlenes spoyle and consume them hee commaunded that it shoulde be published through all his Countrey that great necessitie vrged him to make warre and there withall commaunded that the people should presently be mustered and taught how to vse their weapons and after they had béene trained and some thing exercised in handling them he commaunded that they shoulde all of them be placed in order that they might goe with him to seeke the enemie but when they were all gone and asked where the enimies were with whem they should fight the King shewed the fieldes hils and valleys vnto thē saying that if they wold atchiue victory ouer their enemies they should labour in those groundes felling downe the Trées and digging out the stones that were in them for so dooing they shoulde vanquishe those deadly enimies Sloth and Idlenes which woulde ouerthrowe and destroy the whole Common-wealth if they were not in time expelled and no Nation durst make war vpon them seeing that they were practised in exercises of warre and accustomed to labour For as Titus Liuius saith the enemies themselues doo not the Common-wealth so much harme as delight and wantonnes Anncient olde men in their time painted the Goddesse Pallas in Compleate harnesse because they would haue men to vnderstand that the Artes and Sciences which florish in peace little profit vnlesse they be defended by Armes The Emperour Iustinian saith that Princes ought to be adorned with Armes and armed with Lawes that they may well gouerne the people that is committed vnto them The sixteenth discourse Howe and wherewith Common-Weales be augmented and wherewith they doe decay COunsellers of Princes especially they of the Counsell of the estate ought to vnderstande and know wherwith Common-weales be augmented and by what means they decaie again The famous S. Augustine saith that as the Phisitions cure sicke bodies by purging letting of blood and searing so God cureth the sinnes and vices of men with famine as dyets with plagues as purgations and with wars as letting of blood and searing The Prophet Esay saith God will chastice the people of Ierusalem with taking away the staie of bread and the staie of water The strong man and the man of warre the Judge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the Captaines of fiftie and the honourable and the Counseller and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent man and hee will appoint children to be their Princes and babes shall rule ouer them and the people shal be oppressed one by an other and euery one by his neighbour the children shall presume against the auncient and those that are contemptible against those that are honourable God dooth also chastice Cōmon-weales and bringeth them to decay by suffering Pharaoes Nabuchadnezers Caligulaes Neroes Dyoclesians to gouerne because of the sins of the people and they stand him in stéede of Tormentors Attila was called the rod of God and Tamberlaine the wrath of God Those Princes which God will haue to serue him in stéed of Tormentors to punish the people who with their haynous sins offend him are as Cardinall Reginald Poole saith in the Oration which he made vnto Charles the fift concerning peace those that persecute the Church of God For GOD placeth not Christian Princes in authoritie to the ende they shoulde serue him in steede of Tormentors but that they should minister iustice equallie vnto al men and be as S. Paule saith Ministers of God imitating him and following him in vsing clemencie and béeing mercifull to the consolation and comfort of all the people but because the people repent not themselues of theyr sinnes and leaue not their wickednes and because as the holie Scriptures saie the measure of the Amorites is filled GOD sendeth them Princes that stand thē in steede of Tormentors but if they amēded their liues and enclined their harts to repentaunce as Niniuie did he wold pardon them For it is the propertie of his diuine Maiestie to pardon and shewe mercie vnto those that from the bottome of their hart doo cal vnto him and repent themselues of their sinnes And vnto those people which are iust and vertuous God giueth good Kings and such as doo the Common-wealth much good and are as Angels sent from heauen to conserue and defend her Therfore those Princes that doo not this accomplish not their dutie and cannot be properlie called Princes but equiuocally as a painted man is called a man The holie Scriptures call those Princes that doo not minister iustice vnto euery man according to the commandement of God hypocrites for they haue no princely thing in them but onely the name of Princes and béeing most cruell Wolues they be masked and disguised with tokens onelie and shewes of most mercifull Princes 2 God doth oftentimes permit that Princes should suffer many troubles and aduersities to turne them from their wicked liues and to shewe them that God dooth punish chastice Princes Kings Monarches and Emperours when they gouerne not their people as they ought according to the will and pleasure of the highest Monarch of the world After this manner saith the Prophet Daniel that God did shew vnto Nabuchadnezzar King of Babilon how that God is Lord of all kingdomes giueth them vnto whom he will and euen as Schoolmaisters correct their Schollers to make them to applie theyr bookes and duelie come to schoole so GOD dooth chastice the Princes of the earth that they may performe their duetie and vnderstand that the true beginning to gouerne well as well in time of peace as war consisteth in knowing that God Almightic is the Lord of all kingdomes and that the beginning of all knowledge and wisedome as King Salomon saith is the feare of the Lord and this is y e first lesson which they ought to learn that will follow him and the first shewe and token which they make in the schoole of his doctrine The feare of the Lorde is glorie and gladnes and reioycing and a ioyfall crowne And the feare of the Lord maketh a merrie hart and giueth gladnes and ioy and long life and who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and hee shall finde fauour in the day of his death The Prophet Dauid beeing taught by the holie Ghost saith Be wise now therefore ye Kinges be learned ye Judges of the earth serue the Lord in feare reioyce in trembling Kisse the Sonne least he be angry and ye perrish in the way when his wrath shall suddainlie burne blessed are al they that put their trust in him And those