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A72894
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A briefe discourse of royall monarchie, as of the best common weale vvherin the subiect may beholde the sacred maiestie of the princes most royall estate. VVritten by Charles Merbury Gentleman in duetifull reuerence of her Maiesties most princely Highnesse. Whereunto is added by the same gen. a collection of Italian prouerbes, in benefite of such as are studious of that language.
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Merbury, Charles.
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1581
(1581)
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STC 17823.5; ESTC S112612
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39,761
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95
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alwayes in confusion she enuyeth the riche and malliceth the mightie seeking how to betraye the nobilitie she is of so base and vile condition as she can not applie her selfe vnto any kinde of good gouernement she is ignorant of all thinges and yet she thinketh to know euery thing In few wordes she is no better then an vniuersall confusion a horrible monster of many heddes without reason a tempestuous Sea tossed with boysterous windes in euery place at euery season Betwene the gouernement of the best and that of the mightiest there is this difference Those of the best haue no other ende prefixed vnto them but vertue and honestie They refuse no traualle or paines The difference betwene Aristocratie and Oligarchie for the benefit of such as are committed vnto their charge they loue and cherish the poore people procuring to make them liue in good and plentifull estate defending them also from being iniured of mightier and richer then they and aboue all thinges they seeke to traine vp their citizens and subiectes as they would doe their owne proper children vnder a continuall discipline of vertue and good education These of the mightiest studie onely how to pull from their subiectes all the wealth vnto them selues by laying intollerable taxes and tributes vpon them All profites honors pleasures and commodities they thinke to be due vnto them onely All charges labours troubles and dangers postinge ouer vppon the people whome neuerthelesse they hate deadly inuenting by all meanes how to intrappe them and that with all kind of insolencie Betwene a good Kinge and The difference betwene Monarchis Tyrannie a Tyrante there is this difference The one is courteous mercifull endewed with all vertue the other is hautie and cruell defiled with all vice The one embraceth equitie and iustice the other treadeth both Gods lawe and mans lawe vnder his feete The one hath his minde and all his care vpon the health and wealth of his subiectes th' other estemeth his owne pleasure more then their profit his owne wealth more then their good willes The good Kinge taketh pleasure to be freely aduertised and wisely reprehended when he doth amisse the Tyrante can abide nothing worse then a graue free spoken and a vertuous man The good Kinge punisheth publicke iniuries and pardoneth those which are done vnto him selfe the Tyrante reuengeth most cruelly his owne iniuries neglecting those which are done vnto others The good King hath an especiall regarde vnto the honour and good name of chaste matrones the Tyranttriumpheth in abusing and shaming of them The good Kinge deliteth to be seene and other whiles hard of his subiectes the Tyrant Hideth himselfe from them as from his enemies The good Kinge loueth his people and is beloued of them againe the Tyrant neither loueth them that are like vnto himselfe fearing lest they being as wicked as he will be ready to betray him for euery light cause he hateth and pursueth all those that haue any valor or vertue in them as men whome he knoweth to be by nature contrarie and enemies vnto his tyrannie Againe the one chargeth his people as litle as he can and but vpon publicke honorable and necessarie occasions the other gnaweth the bones and sucketh out the very blood and marowe of them with vnlawfull taxes towles and confiscations The one maketh choise of the best and most sufficient persones about him to imploye in the publicke affaires the other imployeth none but ruffianes and cutthrotes such as he may best serue his owne turne withall The one vseth the assured fayth and forces of his owne subiectes in time of warre against his enemies the other calleth in forreinc nations whome he can not safely trust as LONOVIKO SFORZA duke of MIDANE did to warre against his owne contreymen The one hath no garde nor garrison but of his owne naturall people the other but of strangers The one liueth in assured hope merrie voide of suspition alwayes enioying the sweete rewarde of his vpright conscience the other hath the pointe of a sworde hanging ouer his head alwayes languishing in continuall feare The one looketh for euerlasting ioye the other can hardly escape euerlasting paine The one is honored in his life time and wished for after his death the other is hated in his life time and torne in peeces after he is deade so that liuing and dying he is in a continuall hell of all miserie VVherefore as the gouernement of a Tyrant is of all other the most odious and of Which is the best common weale the three ill common weales the worst So is a Lawefull kingdome of the three good the best the happiest and that which I desire to preferre in this my Treatice before all other Not ledde therunto onely by bonde of duetie as subiecte and seruant vnto so worthy a Prince Nor moued by affection onely as borne in so quiet and prosperous estate of countrey But moued ledde and drawen by force of good reason grounded vpon the naturall excellenoie and excellent properties therof as it shall at large appeare after that I haue first shewed of what especiall kinde and qualitie this best common weale of kindome is Sundry kindes of Monarchies For there are diuers kindes of kingdomes according vnto the diuersitie of countryes and of their lawes and customes though all good lawfull yet not all of like excellencie though all pertakers of soueranitie yet not all in equall proportion though of like nature and essence Kingdomes by Gifte yet differing accideÌ„tally For some kingdomes go by gifte as IVBA was by OCTAVIVS made of a slaue kinge of NVMIDIA now called Barbarie and as the kingdomes of NAPLES and SICILE were giuen first vnto CHARLES Earle of Prouence in the yeare 1266 and after vnto LEWIS the first Duke of Anioue brother vnto the french kinge CHARLES the fifth surnamed the wise and as some haue written that VVILLIAM the Conquerour by the gifte of his Nephew kinge EDWARD sonne of king EGELRED pretended and attained vnto the Kingdomes by Testamente Crowne of England Others are lefte by will of testament as CHARLES Nephew and heire vnto RENALD Duke of Anioue bequethed all his estates and dominions vnto the french Kingdomes by Customes kinge LEWIS the leuenth Some descende by the vertue of a Lawe as the Realme of Fraunce in practise of late descentes doth by the Lawe which they call SALICKE Others goe by adoption as Eâ—EVS kinge of ATHENES adopted Kingdomes by AdoptioÌ„ THESEVS MICIPSA kinge of the Numidians adopted IVGVRTHA SCIPIO th' elder adopted the sonne of PAVLVS AEMILIVS CAESAR the dictator his Nephew AVGVSTVS th' Emperor adopted TIBERIVS CLAVDIVS NERO NERVA TRAIAN TRAIAN ADRIAN who after adopted ANTONINVS surnamed the Pityfull so were AELIVS VERVS and MARCVS AVRELIVS also adopted vnto th' Empire Likewise of late yeares ANNE and IANE Queenes of NAPLES and SICILLE adopted LEWIS and RENALTE Dukes of Anioue and in the yeare 1408. MARGARIT Queene of Demnarke
Royall Prince is not tributarie vnto any SPAIGNE Neither shall he paye tribute vnto any forreine Prince as the Common weale of CARTHAGE after it was subdued by SCIPIO AFRICANVS did vnto the people of ROME Neither yet any annuall pension is he to paye as some great Princes of Christendome haue done vnto the greate Turke The Common weales of VENICE GENOVA RAGVSA for the countreyes they haue confining vpon him doe yet the like And as not long since LEWIS th'leuenth of FRANCE payed 50. thousand crownes a yeare vnto kinge HENRY the eight of noble memorie for to haue peace with him and with our Nation Much lesse shall he be Liege Vassall vnto any as the kinges of SCOTLAND were wonte to be vnto the kinges of ENGLANDE The Dukes of BRITANNIE vnto the kinges of FRANCE Neither shall he The most Royall Prince holdeth not in Fee or in Fealtie of any holde in Fee or Fealtie of any as most of the Cities in ITALIE doe of th' Empire and the kingdomes of NAPLES and SICILLE doe of the Pope The Knightes of MALTA of the kinge of SPAINE these giuing yearly a Faulcon those a white amblinge Geldinge some one thing some an other VVhich all are certaine kindes of subiections and spyces of Seruitude carying with them a number of rightes duties honours and reuerences vnworthie of the dignitie of a ROYALL Prince VVho must be as the Gramarians saye a Noune Substantiue able to stande of him selfe without the helpe or aide of an other without paying Tributes doing Homages swearing Fealties and Inconueniences proceding from Subiectiōs Loyalties vnto any forreine Prince COSMVS Duke of FLORENCE of late remembrance might not be made kinge of TOSKANE although Pope PIVS the fourth had a good will to make him Because he helde his Cities and Tounes of the Empire VVherefore the Emperour hearing of his sute saide Italia non habet Regem nisi Casarem The French kinge FRANCES the first of that name for to let CHARLES the fifth as then Archeduke of AVSTRIA from being chosen Emperour shewed vnto the Electours how that the Imperiall Maiestie should be to much imbased if they made of his vassall their chiefe and Souueraigne VVhich made the saide CHARLES hauing after taken FRANCES prisoner at the famous battaile fought in the Parke of PAVIA that he would neuer condescende vnto his deliuerance vntill he was first exempted by FRANCES from all kinde of Seruices and Subiections which he owed vnto the Crowne of FRANCE for the Countreyes he helde of ARTOYS and FLANDERS It seemeth so base a thing vnto the Maiestie of a ROYALL Prince to become the Liege man of an other to sweare Fayth and Loyaltie vnto an other ioyning his handes within the handes of an other to fall downe on Seruices annexed vnto the foresaide Subiectiōs his knees as TIRIDATES kinge of ARMENIA did before NERO to kisse the Thresholde of the dore as PRVSIAS kinge of BITHINIA did when he entered into the Senate house of ROME to call him selfe the Seruant of an other as ASDRVBALL called him selfe the FACTOR and PROCVRATOR of the people of ROME These I saye and such like Indignities proceeding from Protections Tributes Fealties Loyalties and the other kindes of the forenamed Subiections are so much abhorring vnto the Soueraignitie of a ROYALL and absolute Prince as he will choose rather to parte from whole Countreyes then to incurre and indure such indignities VVherefore quarells were made against the kinges of England her MAIESTIES most ROYALL predecessours touching the Dukedomes of GVYENNE and NORMANDIE The Earldome of POITOV and MVTTRELL and many other goodly Possessions which they helde in FRANCE because they vouchesaued not to be bounde to doe Honours and Homages for the same But no meruaile though great kinges can not abide Subiections whē the Prince of ORANGE this mans father refused of the French kinge LEWIS th' eleuenth tenne times so much as his Principallitie was worth because he would not be subiecte to Seruices and Vassallties CALISTENES also the Nephew of ARISTOTLE being but a priuate man chose rather to dye then he would according to the maner of the Persians fall downe prostrate and adore ALEXANDER as a God aboue the estate of man And I haue harde how an Imbassadour for the VENETIANS at CONSTANTINOPLE when he was to haue audience of the Great TVRKE vnto whome he coulde not haue accesse but thorough a litle lowe place made of purpose because men should come stoping and kneeling vnto him The VENETIAN Imbassadour supposing in him selfe the reuerend Hienesse of that estate creeped thorough the hole with his backe forewardes A thing which the GRAN SIGNOR can in no maner of waye abide to see a mans taile towardes him But for to retourne vnto our most ROYALL Prince we will conclude that he is not to doe Homage or Honour vnto any not to paye Tribute or Pension vnto any not to be subiect either at home or abroade vnto any not to holde in Fealtie or in Loyaltie by Protection or by Commission nor for a shorte time or season But to rule really fully and perpetually Conclusion of the Treatice according as we haue in a generall maner hitherto discoursed I coulde wishe to speake more particularly of the ROYALTIES and prerogatiues belonging vnto the Maiestie of a Soueraine Prince as of his power and authoritie in allowing and disallowing of maters propounded to be Lawes in proclaming of warres and concluding of Peace in choosing and refusing of Magistrates in coyning and rating of money in erecting of Fortresses in graunting Pardons Licences Liberties and Priuileges c. But because they are matters of more waight and therefore doe require good aduisement and better authority I thinke good to suspende them vntill a more conuenient time or else to commende them vnto those that are of more approued Iudgement and better warranted to deale with them In the meane while I hope that these fewe lines of ours concerning the maner and forme of the best Common weale shall not seeme altogether impertinent to shew the Excellencie and Dignitie the Power and Maiestie of ROYALL MONARCHIE VVhereby all good subiectes seeing the greatnesse which God hath indued Princes withall to be as it were his LIEFTENANTES to gouerne vs here vppon Earth may respecte and reuerence them with all humilitie Serue and obaye them with all Loyaltie heare and speake of them with all honour PROVERBI VVLGARI RACCOLTI IN DIVERSI LVOGHI D'ITALIA ET LA maggior parte dalle proprie bocche de gl'Italiani stessi PER Carlo Merbury Gentil'huomo Inglilese ILQVALE NE FA PRESENTE DI COSÌ FATTA SVA INDVSTRIA à gl'amici patroni suoi honorati della lingua Italiana studiosi A I NOBILI ET ILLVSTRI SIGNORI DI CORTE ET ALtri gentil'huomini honorati della lingua Italiana intendenti IO non sò Signori Illustri che luogo habbia trouato ne ' vostri cortesi concetti quel mio precedente discorso se riguardando all'altezza