to pursue the change which gaines nothing but sorrowe and the blotte of auncestrie The thing possest is not the thing it seems and though wee be great by our auncestors yet we forget our auncestors The shifting of chambers changes not the disease the exchange of names exchanges not nature and auncestry Ambition which chiefely comes from ancestors beeing got to the top of his desires cuts off the meanes by which he did clime From our ancestors comes our names but from our vertues our reports The dissolute wicked life of Cataline obscured the glory of his ancestors and by him they came to obliuion Mercinary faith is discontented with euery occasion and newe start-vp glory with any old fame VVheÌ„ greatnes cannot beare it selfe either with vertue or ancestrie it ouerthrowes it selfe onely with the weight of it selfe Many troubled in conscience for disgracing their names with rash acts in cold blood repent their dishonors The base issue of ignoble ancestry wil loose their troths to saue their lyues Might will make his auncestors whom hee pleaseth Feare may as well carry care beyond truth as neglect may fall short of truth both are the auncestors to misfortune The euent of things is closed vp in darknes and though wee know vvhat cur auncestors were we know not what we shall be The longer wee delay the showe of vertue the stronger we make presumptions that we are guilty of base beginnings The more a man toiles his minde the more he is defild the more a man boasts of euill auncestors the more he is dismayed Feare vvhich vvill bee vviser then truth which is his best auncestor heapes vpon vs destruction SteÌ„mata quid faciuÌ„t quid prodest PoÌ„tice longo Sanguine censeri pictosque ostendere vultus Maiorum et stantes in curribus Aemilianos genus et proauos et quae noÌ„ fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Of Warre Defi. VVarre is of two sorts ciuill forraine ciuill warre is the ouerthrow of all estates Monarchies and the seede of all kindes of euill in them euen of those that are most execrable it begetteth want of reuerence towards God disobedience to magistrates corruption of manners change of lawes contempt of iustice and base estimation of learning science Forraine warre is that which Plato calleth a more gentle contention and is then onely lawfull when it is for true religion or to procure the continuance of peace THere is nothing more vnconstant then warre did not patience make it stable true hope succesfull VVarre for excellencie as that betweene Euripides Xenocles is pleasing in the sight of all men Thucidides that great Captaine and Historiographer of the Greeks esteemed the fortunate and happy conduct of the warre to hang on three poynts that is to be willing to reuerence and to obey Traian was neuer vanquished because hee neuer vndertooke warre without iust cause which Liuius writeth of the Romaines in the end of the first Decad. Then warre there is nothing more necessary for the breach of friendship by discention strengtheneth the powers of loue in her new coniunction VVarre is most lawfull when it is warranted by the VVord eyther to defend a mans owne right or to repulse the enemies of God Lactan. Diuersity of religion is the ground of ciuill warre in show but it is ambition in effect VVarre ought to be deliberately begunne but speedily ended Affaires of warre must be deliberated on by many but concluded on by a few The effects of war are couetous desire the fall of iustice force and violence Epict. VVarre was onely ordained to make men liue in peace In the sacke of a Towne haue an especiall care to preserue the honour of Ladies and maydes from the violence of vnrulie souldiours Haue an espetiall care to whom ye commit the gouernment of an Army Town or Fort for loue doth much but mony doth more Entring into thy enemies Campe let all things of vse and baggage follow thee at the back but thine enemy comming vpon thee let the same bee brought into the middle of the Army VVhere thou maist conquer with money neuer vse Armes and rather choose to ouercome thine enemy by policy then by fight In places of danger in troublesom times euer double the number of thy Sentinels Necessity makes warre to be iust Bias. Nulla salus bello pacem to poscimus omnes Incerti sunt exitus pugnarum Marsque est communis qui saepe sâ—oliantem iam et exultantem euerit et perculit ab abiecto Of Generalls in Warre Defi. Generalls are the heads and leaders of Armies and they ought to be great magnanimous constant in all their doings free from the defects of rashnes and cowardise THe Tent of the Generall is the pure Riuer running through the Army by whose soundnes all his souldiers are preserued and made stout but if it bee impure or corrupted the whole hoast is infected Let euery Generall knowe himselfe to bee the sunne in the midst of his hoast froÌ„ whose beames euery souldiour boroweth his shine wherefore let his splendour be glorious that their light may be beautious The office of a Generall is more hainous in example then in act Vnlesse wise valiant men be chosen Generals the old chaos will returne and Vertue die at the feete of confusion He that will be a Commaunder in Armies first let him be commaunded in the same for an ambitious souldiour will neuer make a temperate conductor A wise Generall must not only fore-cast to preuent such euils as hee heares of but also be circumspect to fore-see such ill as may happen beyond expectation Demost. A Generall after the battaile ended must haue a circumspect care howe hee prayseth one Captaine more then another A Generall ought not to bring all his forces to battaile at once vnlesse it be vppon great aduantage It is very needfull for a Generall to knowe the humor and disposition of his aduersaries Generall whom he fighteth against The oration of a Generall giues courage to cowards and base-minded souldiers A couetous Generall purchaseth to hymselfe more hate then loue Crassus for his auarice was slaine by his own souldiours A Generall must not bee ignorant of such things as are necessary in a iourney A Captaines courage must alwaies be guided with skill and his skill armed with courage neither must their hardinesse darken theyr wit nor their wit coole their hardineâ— They must bee valiant as despising death confident as not wonted to bee ouer-come yet doubtfull by their present feeling and respectfull by that they see already A Captaines feete ought to be steddy hys handes diligent his eyes watchfull and his hart resolute It is requisite for a Generall to know all aduantages of the place where the battel should be fought It prooueth oft the ruine of an Army when the Generall is carelesse and maketh no account of his enemies proceedings It is dangerous for the person of the Generall to follow his enemie flying It
onely the praise and sirname of vertue Omnes boni semper nobilitati fauemus et quia vtile est rei publicae nobiles esse homines dignos maioribus suis et quia valere debet apud nos clarorum hominum senex de republica meritorum memoria etiam mortuorum Cicero Nobilitas sola est atque vnica virtus Of Honour Defi. Honour is a passion of the soule and a mighty desire naturallie desired of all creatures yet manie times mistaken by inacquaintance with vertue HOnour is the first step to disquiet and dominion is attended with enuy Honour and glory labourerh in mistrust are borne Fortunes bond-slaues The faith of a Knight is not limitted by value but by honour and vertue Honour lost bids farwell to hope Honour is the fruite of vertue and truth Honour glory renowne is to many persons more sweet then life The higher honour is seated by vertue the greater is his fall being ouerthrown by vice It is the chiefest part of honour for a man to ioyne to his high office and calling the vertue of affabilitie lowlinesse tender compassion and pitty for thereby hee draweth vnto him as it were by violence the harts of the multitude The greater the persons be in authority that commit an offence the more foule and filthy is the fault It better becommeth a man of honour to praise an enemy then his friend Happy is that Country whose Captaines are gentlemen and whose gentlemen are Captaines Honour is no priuiledge against infamy There is no greater honor thē quiet nor no greater quiet then content A man ought not to think it honor for himselfe to heare or declare the newes of others but that others should declare the vertuous deedes of him To attaine to honor wisedom is the poalestar and to retaine it patience is necessary The next way to liue with honour and dye with praise is to be honest in desires temperate in our tongues Honour iudgeth with patience The conditions of honour are such that shee enquireth for him she neuer sawe runneth after him that flyes from her honours him that esteemes her not demaundeth for him that wills her not giueth to him that requires her not and trusteth him whom shee knoweth not Noble-men enterprising great thinges ought not to imploy theyr force as theyr owne mind willeth but as honour and reason teacheth High noble harts which feele themselues wounded do not so much esteeme their own paine as they are angry to see theyr enemies reioyce The Captaine which subdueth a country by entreatie deserueth more honour then hee that ouercommeth it by battaile Honour without quiet hurteth more then it doth profit Honor is a high conceit and fortune is euer friend vnto a forward mind He that regards his reputation must second all things to his honour The heauens admit but one sunne and high places but one commaunder Men in authority are eyes of estate according to whose life euery priuate man applieth his manner of liuing It is not the place that maketh the person but the person that maketh the place honourable There is more honour purchast in pleasuring a foe then in reuenging a thousand iniuries VVhere hate beares souerainty honor hath no certainty Honour is brittle and riches are blossoms which euery frost of fortune causeth to vvither VVhere the martiall minde is instructed in Philosophie there prowesse strengthened with policy proues best honourable Better it is for the honourable to bee praysed for manie foes foild then for many barnes filde A man hauiug honor and wanting wisdom is like a faire tree without fruite Exiguum nobis vitae curriculum natura circūscripsit sed honoris cursus sempiternus Is honos videri solet qui non propter spem futuri beneficij sed propter magna merita claris viris defertur et datur estque non in uitamentum ad tempus sed perpetuae virtutis praemium Of Liberalitie Defi. Liberality is an excellent vse of those benefits which God putteth into our hands for the succouring of many which vertue is altogether ioyned with iustice and ought to bee guided by moderation and reason BOunties best honor is to help the poore happines to liue in good mens thoghts True bounty is neuer tyed vnto respect Liberality is approoued by two fountaines the one is a sure iudgement the other is an honest fauour That man is onely liberall which distributeth according to his substance and where it is most needfull The whole effect of bounty is in loue Liberality taketh his name of the substance of the same person from whence it proceedeth for it consisteth not in the qualitie or quantity of the things that be giuen but in the true and naturall disposition of the giuer That bounty is the best most approued that without perrill of renowne is past VVho in theyr bounty doe begin to want shall in their weakenes finde their friends and foes He is called a liberall man which according to his reuenewes giueth freely when where and to whom he should Gifts makes beggers bold he that lends must loose his friend or els his mony without heede VVhat-soeuer may be giuen vvithout thy detriment that freely to a straunger mayst thou lend Bounty hath open handes a zealous hart a constant fayth in earth and a place prepared in heauen He neuer giues in vaine that giues in zeale They that be liberall doe with-hold or hide nothing from them whom they loue wherby loue increaseth and friendship is also made more firme and stable As liberality maketh friends of enemies so pride maketh enemies of friends Liberality and thankfulnes are the bonds of concord Cic. A liberall minded man can neuer be enuious Bounty forgiuing fraile mortall things receiues immortall same for his reward The deedes of the liberall doe more profit the giuer then benefit the receauer Liberalitie in a noble minde is excellent although it exceede in the terme of measure Liberality bestowed vpon flatterers dooth not onely perrish but is spoiled deuoured A liberall hart causeth beneuolence though some-times through misfortune abilitiy be wanting It is a token of righteousnes to acknowledge heauens liberality and to giue praises to God for so great benefits Liberality when it lauisheth out of reason is called prodigality and being nothing at all extended it purchaseth the name of couetousnesse The office of liberality consisteth in giuing with iudgement That liberality is most comendable which is shewed to the distressed vnlesse they haue deserued that punishment for good deedes bestowed vpon vndeseruing persons are ill bestowed The best property in a king is to let no man excell him in liberality Anaxilaus Extra fortunam est quicquid donatur amicis Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes Liberalitate qui vtuntur beneuolentiam sibi cōciliant et quod aptissimum est ad quieté viuendum charitatem Cic. Of Benefits Defi. Benefits are those good turnes which are receiued eyther by desert or without desert tending to
behooueth that the Generall be alvvayes lodged in the midst of his Campe. A Generall or Captaine in danger ought to change his habite or attire Ferdinando The death of a Generall or his beeing in danger must be dissembled for â—eare it procure the losse of the battaile A good General should euer be like a good shepheard looking into the wants of his souldiours and prouiding all things necessary to comfort them Basil. Valour in a Generall must not spring from custome and experience of warres but from his first creation insuing infancie for such was Themistocles who at his Nurses breastes gaue signes of honours sparks Let a Generall giue honour to a renowned buriall in how meane a person so euer it dyd inhabite for honour after death encourageth as much as wealth in lyfe Let not a Generall bee mercinarie to his country but warre for honor not for coyne so did Timotheus whose riches was onelie the repetition of his deedes past so did Themistocles whose pay was vndeserued banishment and so did Pausaniâ—s whose gracious conquests were clothed with scorne and dysgrace A Generall shoulde not bee vnexperienced in Mechanicall trades both for society exercise for so was Laertes in planting graffing Vlisses in building of shyps and Achilles in cookerie which himselfe often practised at the entertayning of the Grecian Embassadors and other his companions If thou best a Commaunder in Armes despise not the poorest for honours birth istueth from the wombe of desert The whole scope of a Generalls thoughts should be to win glory amplifie renowne loathing to be a plague or scourge of affliction seeking by conquest to erect not by victory to confound Caesar. The Trophie of a Generall is his own conscience his valour is his tombes treasury Commaunders in Armes should not bee chosen for theyr age or riches but for theyr wisedome and valour A Generall or chiefe Gouernour must bee wise to commaund liberall to rewarde valiant to defend Hee must be learned in the liberall Arts in Geography for the Countrey in Arithmetike to place his Armie in Geometrie for his leuels in Astronomie for euents There are eyght conditions that a Generall ought to haue to auoide vniust wrongs to correct blasphemers to succour innocents to chastise quarrellers to pay his souldiours to defend his people to prouide thinges necessarie and to obserue â—ayth with enemies Ducis in consilio posita est virtus militum Optimus ille dux qui nouit vincere et victoria vti Of Policie Defi. Policie is a word deriued of the Greeke word Politeia which is the regiment of a cittie or Common-wealth and that which the Grecians call politicall gouernment the Latines call the gouernment of a CoÌ„mon wealth or of a ciuill societie This word Policie hath beene taken amongst the auncients somtimes for a Burgesie which is the enioying of the rights and priuiledges of a Towne somtimes for the order and manner of life vsed by some politicall person and sometimes the order and estate whereby one or many Townes are gouerned and pollitique affaires are managed and administred POlicie is a necessary friend to prowesse The warre cannot be prosperous where enemies abound and money waxeth scant No man ought to giue that treasure to anie one in particuler which is kept from the preseruation of all It is greater commendation to obtaine honour by policie and wisedome then to haue it by discent That country may aboue all other be counted happy vvhere euery man enioyeth hys owne labour and no man liueth by the sweat of another body Polion Of right that Common wealth ought to be destroyed which once of all other hath been counted the flower of vertue and after becommeth the filthy sinck of vice There can be no greater danger to a Common wealth nor no like slaunder to a prince as to commit the charge of men to him in the fielde which will bee first ready to commaund and last ready to fight There are many that see the beginning of troubles and miseries which arise in realmes but there are fewe that consider the end and seeke to remedy the same VVhat power policie cannot compasse gold both commaunds conquers Aristi Hee that getteth by conquest doth much but he that can well keepe what he hath gotten doth more The meanest Sparrow hath his neb the Lions whelpe his clawe the weakest thorne hys prickle and the poorest man his policie Money and souldiours are the strength and sinnewes of the warre Agesil It is better to preuent an inconuenience by breaking an oath then to suffer iniurie by obseruing promise VVarlike feares are better learned in the bloody fields of Affrick then in the beautiful schooles of Greece It is better to haue men vvanting money then money wanting men If the expence of a Common weale bee not moderate afterward it shall not faile to want wherewith to withstand the enemie The authoritie of a Common wealth is impaired when the buildings be ruinated In proofe of conquest men ought to profit themselues as much by policy as by power There are no Common-weales more loose then those where the common people haue most libertie Cic. A policie is soone destroyed by the pryde men haue in commaunding and libertie in sinning In Common-weales such shoulde be most honoured vvho in time of peace maintaine the state in tranquilitie in the furie of war defend it by their valour and magnanimitie Kingdoms well gouerned of necessity haue vertuous successions A Monarke is best in a well gouerned state A certaine man vrging the popular estate to Licurgus was thus aunswered by him first ordaine thou such a gouernment in thyne owne Common-weale Because many cannot â—itly gouerne therefore it is most necessary that one should bee made soueraigne Homer The Oracle of Apollo at Delphos being demaunded the reason why Iupiter shoulde bee the chiefe of the Gods sith Mars vvas the best souldiour made thys aunswere Mars is valâ—ant but Iupiter is wise Concluding by thys aunswere that policy is more of force to subdue then valour One Nestor is more to be esteemed theÌ„ ten such as Aiax Strength wanting wit and policie to rule ouerthroweth it selfe Horace Publica res ad priuatuÌ„ comodum trahi potest dummodo status publicus non laedatur Cic. Diu apparanduÌ„ est belluÌ„ vt vincas caelerius Of Courage Defi. Courage is a fierie humor of the spirits kindling the minde with forwardnesse in attempts and bearing the bodie through dangers and the most hardest aduentures COurage and curtesie are the two principall poynts which adorne a Captaine Courage consisteth not in hazarding without feare but in being resolutely minded in a iust cause The talke of a souldiour ought to hang at the poynt of his sword The vvant of courage in Commaunders breeds neglect and contempt among souldiours Faint-harted cowards are neuer permitted to put in plea at the barre of loue Courage conquers his enemy before the field be fought Fortitude is a knowledge instructing a man