Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
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A29659
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The remains of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brooke being poems of monarchy and religion : never before printed.
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Greville, Fulke, Baron Brooke, 1554-1628.
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1670
(1670)
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Wing B4900; ESTC R350
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71,163
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212
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bad one destiny Whence Athens swaying to Democracy For ever changing her Archontes be 608. And as ill luck makes man of man despair And thence appeal a Supreme Soveraign So grows adversity the peoples stair Whereby they clime to Monarchy again What wants Dictator but the name of King Being as Soveraign else in every thing 609. So as if Aristocracies will claim To be the best of humane Government Why do they from their Magistrates disclaim As in extremities still impotent Since who in storms the fittest Pilots be Are ablest sure to guide prosperity The Excellency of Monarchy compared with Democracy SECT XIV 610. NOw if the best and choicest Government Of many heads be in her nature this How can the Democratical content Where that blind multitude chief Master is And where besides all these forespoken fates The most and worst sort govern all estates 611. Since as those persons usually do haunt The Market places which at home have least So here those spirits most intrude and vaunt To do the business of this common beast That have no other means to vent their ill Then by transforming real things to will 612. Besides this equal stil'd Democracy Lets fall mens minds and makes their manners base Learning and all Arts of Civility Which add both unto nature and to place It doth Ecclipse as death to that estate Wherein not worth but idle wealth gives fate 613. Nay where Religion God and humane Laws No other use or honor can expect Then to serve idle Liberties applause As painted toys which multitudes affect Who judging all things while they nothing know Lawless and Godless are and would live so 614. Therefore if any to protect this State Alledge Imperial Rome grew great by it And Athens likewise far more fortunate As raising Types up both of worth and wit Such as no Monarchy can parallel In the rare ways of greatnes doing well 615. Or if again to make good this position Any averr that Romes first Monarchy For lack of courage soon chang'd her condition Of Union into multiplicity Whence Germans over France and Goths in Spain In Africk Saracens and Turks in Asia Raign 616. I answer first that those subduing prides Whereof the people boast were to the hand Form'd by the three preceding Monarch tides And what succeeded if exactly scan'd But imitation was of their brave deeds Who but their own worth no example needs 617. For did not their Tarquinus ere he fell Conquer the Latine and the Sabine nation Making their Martial discipline excel And so increase their strength by reputation Out of which active Legionary worth That City brought her after Conquests forth 618. But be this as it may be I deny Either the Empires growth or consummation To be the work of Romes Democracy Since between her first Caesars Domination And Tarquin her Soveraignity was mixt Of one few many waving never fixt 619. As Consuls Senate or the Peoples Might The first a pow'r which Rome did conquer by The Second set her publick Councils right The last approve increase or qualifie Pain and Rewards of good or evil deeds Two beams of Justice weighing out good speed 620. Whence you may easily pregnant reasons draw To attribute the Glory of old Rome Unto the Monarch part which held in awe The conquer'd world and not the peoples doome Proportion from the great world to the small Shewing with many limbs one head rules all 621 What but the peoples mutinous Conventions Under the factious Tribunes scattered Romes publick patrimonie and with dissentions Her wise opposing Senate threatned By their Agrarian Laws Engines of wrong Dispersing laws which to the state belong 622. Besides as who at home ill Husbands be Seldome make dainty to stretch out their hand Into their neighbors harmless Treasury So did it with these Bankrupt people stand Who sent their armies out by force stealth To bring them home the King of Cyprus wealth 623. Allur'd by no pretence of wrong or right But only that he must not be their friend Whose wealth was reckoned so indefinite Not caring how they get or what they spend But making good their ill by confidence A worth of more use there then Innocence 624. Lastly where they had many times proclaim'd Against the Mamertines their just offence Yet came they to their succor and disclaim'd With Carthage their long liv'd intelligence Whence the first Punick quarrel did proceed And had the fates been just with far worse speed 625. Wherein the Senate Nobly did oppose This heady peoples incivility As besides faith in wisdom loath to loose The rich returns of that affinity Publick respect and shame wrought in the one Who saw that ill deeds seldom pass alone 626. Whereas the People which no notice take Of these small Minutes of humanity But ways above these thin-lin'd duties make Thinking they rule not that restrained be With ravening and irregular excess Stain good and ill to serve their wantonness 627. Now for the Empires final overthrow Falsly imputed to the Monarchy Who doth not by the course of nature know That periods in the growth of all States be Ordain'd Which no Republick can exceed For making each form self-diseases breed 628. Or if too abstract this reply appears Forget not how the Monarchy preserv'd Rome for a thousand and seaven hundred years Part of her Glory her first Kings deserv'd The rest by Caesars in successive Raign Till Mahomet the second made her wain He took Constantinople Anno Dom. 1453. 629. Where on the other side Democracy Did in few ages rise and fall again There being but four hundred sixty three Years between Caesars and Tarquinius Raign In which time Rome corrupted her self so As change she must or suffer overthrow 630. But that indeed which brake the Empires frame Was floating swarms and mighty inundations Of rude Barbarians which from Seythia came To traffick vices with all civil Nations Nor can that be peculiar stain to Rome Which of all other Empires was the doom 631. Attyla Alarick Omar Tamerlane Being in Mártial worth rais'd up as high As he that most unto the Empire wan And against whom old Romes Democracy Even in her pride must have made such retreat As would have shew'd at home she was not great 632. Such as she did at Allia of old When naked Gauls both took and burnt the Town Or Italy from Spartacus the bold When by a slave their Eagles were thrown down So that the Monarch fell by outward fate Whereas the peoples own faults shak't their state 633. Nor do I doubt but that the Roman frame Of Monarchy might have outlasted all The Governments of whatsoever name But that excess did make her old age fall Into a Gulf whose two streams soon devour The Rights and Majesty of real Pow'r 634. The first was their tumultuous election Of Caesars which did many times make way To civil broils disorder and defection Whence she became to forreiners a prey This pow'r of
Courage are Ambitious undertakers and no friends To any Right that interrupts their ends 528. For since most Crowns were first established By War can times or States vicissi tudes So constantly by Man be governed As they shall not his idle times delude And on those Monarchs desolation lay That will neglect that Bafe whereon they stay 529. Hence sprang that wisdom whereby Martial Rome Did Janus Temple in Eight hundred years Not Three times shut but open to the doom Kept them of Mars whose force each question cleers And to his Banners did one Consul fit As she in justice made the other sit 530 Then let not Kings by their neglect invite A spiring States or Princes to do wrong Security exposeth Wealth and Right And prays to their ambitions that are strong Nor is the spoilers hand so soon made free By any thing as inhabilitie 531. But so provide for unprosperities As fate at least may qualified succeed Framing for change of time such Policies As no distempers or diseases breed By home broils to tempt forrain Enemies Lest we for them not for our selves prove wise 532. To which end Princes must raise Ordinance Provide Munition Armor Fortify Such places as may best secure mischance Siege or surprize which Conquest trafficks by And such again as if a tumult grow Wise Princes to them may for Refuge go 533. Euphrat Danuby Rhene were those old bounds Of Rome which Barbars ventur'd not to pass While many Legions kept their winter grounds But chang'd by Constantine when that force was Goths Hunnes and Scythians over-spread her face Like Horses running in a champian Race 534. Such Bulwarks modernly have held out Spain From her mixt stiles of Right and usurpation Such have withstood the Sultan's force again And sav'd the Germans from depopulation Whereas for want of these fair Albion Hath Five times been assail'd Four times orecome 535. Besides strong Kings must arm and exercise Troops of their people in securest times And to the same end ever patronise Some active spirits in wars of forrain Climes To train up Leaders who before need come May discipline their men for Mars his doom 536. Luctatius who the good luck had to end Romes first great Punick war did on the Land By practice teach his Seamen how to mend That discipline in peace by which wars stand As Philopoemen made Achaia spread By lazy peace yet lively governed 537. If Roderigo that unlucky King Over those Goths which did inhabit Spain Had well observ'd these Rules that savage Spring Of Saracens could not have shak't his Raign But still confin'd unto the Africk shore Must have remain'd and not have sought for more 538. Where he at home afraid of Civil war Disarm'd his Men which to bold Tarrif was A sign that active force might venture far And by Spains weakness bring his ends to pass Which shews again when friends or foes draw swords They ever loose that rest or trust in words 539. Who knows not that the Roman conquering nation Lest their brave people should degenerate By peace to keep up spirit and reputation Trained their soldiers in each neighbor State And under colour of protecting friends Laid new foundation for her own new ends 540. Sounding the wit and force of every Nation That when time serv'd they might their Masters grow Thus held they up the AEtolians reputation To conquer Greece and Asia overthrow By friending Eumenes Africk's made theirs Colour'd by help to Masanissa's heirs 541. Pow'r must again so plant intelligence And Ballance neighbor Princes by their good As in our dangers they may feel offence And hold it fit even with their Subjects blood In our protection so to work out theirs That publick pow'r may warrant publick fears 542. Not highly changing Party ends or way But constant keep their course on beaten grounds Urging that equally all Princes may Abjure incroaching rest within their bounds Not strive by adding others to their own To make the Worlds divided Empire one 543. And as the times now stand unto this end They must keep open still that chief division Not peiecing it for Enemy or friend Fear Want or any false gloss of misprision For it takes hold upon the Soveraign part Which still by Conscience multiplies the heart 544. I mean that many headed separation Which irreligious being yet doth bear Religions name affects her reputation And which as it is now us'd every where Becomes the ground for each ambitious thought And shadow of all actions that be naught 545. Her name being dearer far then Peace and Wealth Hazard for her of Freedom Life and Goods Welcome as means to everlasting health Hope with no mortal pow'r to be withstood So much of greater force is Conscience Then any lower vision of the Sence 546. This Rupture therefore never must unite Nor yet the heat of opposition slack Chiefly because her Pope is infinite And to his own ambition lives awake Affecting greatness by that temporal pow'r Which in all else he studies to devour 547. Deposing Kings as Hereticks that leave her And poizing of her own Kings in such manner As of Supremacy none shall bereave her But march as soldiers underneath her Banner And all her Armies both of War and Faction Wage at their charge to serve the Church in Action 548. So that to let her Seminaries spread Within the bowels of a Soveraign State Or leave her Enemies abandoned By force or secret practice unto fate Were to let friends decrease and factions grow As still they do by Neuters overthrow 549. Nor let this falacy of her declination Perswade that with her strength her ends are chang'd Since Pride had never such an elevation As when aspiring superstition rang'd Which sin was at the first the Angels fall And in the outward Church since natural 550. Whereby she still unform'd lives till a head Supreame she finds or to her self makes many A body such as must be governed Within it self not subject unto any And in each minute of her nature swels Even with that Pride wherewith the whole excels 551. So as this Flesh-born Church Supremacy Whether form'd in Monarchal Government Or State Aristocratical it be With less then all can never be content But by the Sophistries of Wit and Will Strive ever to be head of good and ill 552. Therefore I say let not this gathering Mass Of Superstition whose true Base is fear Lurk and by false faith bring her ends to pass Or to the World such threatening Ensignes bear As Time will shew are form'd to serve the turn Of other Kings that in her Lust do burn 553. But let Kings rather watch this Governess That by her wisdom they may fashion theirs When to be merciful when merciless Time having taught her to use hopes and fears Power and Wit that each may help her ends Which are to have all slaves no foes no friends 554. Therefore when she lets Inquisitions raign Pow'rs Laws as freely should their Process use When by Confession