the hope of suche a name as a King they mighte trauaile to atchieue to the same by some commendable actes or vertuous exploites And of such Edictes and Proclamations wee haue examples and sufficient testimonie in the holie Scriptures Caies in the booke of Iosua made Proclamation that hée whoo would beséege the Citie of Cariathstopher and take it hée woulde giue him his daughter Axam to his wife which hée did accomplish in Othoniel who hauing taken the same Citie did receiue his promise Wée haue an other like example in the fift boke of the Kings where it is written that the same lump of flesh Goliath the Philistine who was of so monstrous a bignesse that all the armie of the Israelites did greatly feare little Dauid did triumphe ouer him and retourned victor hauing vnderstanding before that hée which coulde vanquishe hym shoulde bée honoured of King Saule and receiue great riches and should haue his daughter to his wife and also his fathers house should bée made frée in Jsrael Wée haue likewise such an other example of the same Dauid in the second booke of the Kings where hee promiseth a great aduancement to him that should ouerthrow the Jebusites that hée shoulde in consideration therof bée made chéefe and Captaine of the armie And bicause Iacob put to flight his enimies and possessed Jerusalem hée gaue him the chéefest place in his armie Now it resteth for vs too prooue that the Lorde hath bene the authour of this royall dignitie and that hée himselfe hath confirmed the same as it is manifestly shewed vnto vs in Deuteronomie when hée instructed the people of Israell by what meanes they ought to institute their Kings wher it is writteÌ„ When thou commest intoo the lande that the Lord thy God hath giuen thée and that thou doest possesse it and remaine there thou shalt say I will haue a King ouer mée as all the people haue that is aboute mée then thou shalte choose ouer thée that King which the Lorde thy God shall choose oute amongs the middest of thy brethren thou shalt not set ouer thée a straÌ„ge man which is not thy brother Furthermore when the time of the Iudges was expired and that the people of Israel with great pertinacitie and stubbornesse did demaund of the Lord to haue a King ouer them hée himselfe did choose and ordeine Saule whom hée found a man according too his hearts desire which should not haue bene thus auctorized and appointed if Royall puissaunce had mysliked him But why do wée bring forth any further matter to prooue the authoritie of Princes seing Iesus Christ himself was appointed King by his father vpon the holy hil of Sion according to the Psalmist And S. Iohn in the Apocalips confirmeth the same saying Hée hath written on his thigh and in his garment his name thus King of Kings Lord of Lords Ruler of Rulers and whose kingdoÌ„ is eternall as it was likewise shewed too Daniel in his visions And all those that are appointed chosen into the dignitie Royal be Lieutenants of the great Monarch Iesus Christ whose wil was to be knowne at that time when the vniuersall computation of the world was made by Augustus to the ende that his parents should pay tribute and that they should acknowledge the earthly Princes for their superiors S. Mathew doth write the like of Iesus Christ that when he hys disciples came into Capernaum these that did receiue the â—ol came to Peter demaunded of him doth thy master pay tribute and he aunswered and sayd yea when he was in the house Iesus Christ came to Peter sayd Simon the Kings of the earth of whom do they take tribute or tol is it of their children or of strangers and Peter sayd to him of strangers the children then bée free sayd Iesus Christ yet bicause wée will not offend them sayd hée go to the Seas side and cast in thy booke the first fish that commeth take him and open his mouth thou shalt finde a grote therin take that pay it for thée mée As likewise in an other matter hée commanded to pay to Cesar that which was due to Caesar And note Paul to the Romaines Al persons sayth he are subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God after hée concludeth pay to Princes their tributes for they be the Ministers of God employing themselues therein therefore giue them all that which is due vnto them To whome tribute belongeth giue tribute to whome toll giue toll to whome feare giue feare and to whome honour giue honour And Paule thought it not sufficient onely to make mention of this in diuers and sundry places but to the ende hée woulde the better beate it into our heads and that hée would not haue Princes defrauded of that which is due to them hée chieefely recommendeth the same vnto Timothe where he layth I doe acmonish you aboue all things that there bée common prayers supplication and thankesgiuing made for al those that bee put in authoritie that they may leade a peaceable and quiet life in all holinesse and godlinesse whiche shall bée pleasing and acceptable before god And further Baruch the Prophete reciteth that the Iewes being in captiuitie vnder the Babilonians did write too their brethren that were at Ierusalem that they shoulde pray for Nabuchodonezer king of Babylon and for the life of his sonne although they were both Idolaters And S. Paule did knowe that Festus Prouost of Judea did fauor the Iewes in that hée brought his cause before Cesar when he appealed before too him and being broughte before Nero then Emperour of the Romaines Paule did so wel defende his iust cause that hée was deliuered and set at libertie And nowe therefore if the Iewes haue prayed for an Idolatrous Prince and S. Paule hath bene deliuered from this mischeuous enimie of our Religion by meanes of Festus principalitie who will doubt then but thâ—â— our Lorde is author of principalitie and would not haue instituted thesame but onely for the comforte and profite of man But to make an ende of this my long processe if you wil beholde and mark well the order of the Scriptures aswel in the olde as in the newe Testamentes you shall fynde an infinite number of authorities aswell of the Prophets as Apostles which do plainely wytnesse howe Kings and Princes are instituted by the mouth of the Lorde our God and by him selfe approoued confirmed and auctorized ¶ The third Chapter VVhat the Dignitie Royall is and hovv the same cannot be supplied vvithout great trouble and danger vvith a declaration vvhat kinde of gouernement is best for the people to liue happily and quietly BY these things before rehersed wée haue declared and prooued that the preheminence and Dignitie Royall is maruellous auncient and that it was receyued of the people euen at the begiÌ„ning of the world and afterward approoued
of Antioche to conuert them to their law And this thing was had in vse and obserued immediately after the beginning of the world by Abraham who did send into Mesopotamia the most auncient of his Seruauntes to entreate of the mariage of hys sonne Isaac as it is written in Genesis Balaac also Kyng of Moab sent the most sagest and eldest for Embassadors to séeke Balaam to cursse the people of Jsrael as it is written in the booke of Numbers And as Dennis Halicarnaseus wryteth likewise that Ethuriens willing to intreate of peace with Tarquine chose out of euerye towne one auncient man for the accomplishment of their Legation Abraham that good Patriarche knowing very well that wisdome and sagenesse did for the most part accompanie white heares ordayned for chiefe of his house the eldest and auncientes of his seruauntes The auncient Romaines in the election of their Magistrates did alwayes preferre the most eldest Solon the lawmaker of the Atheniens did forbid them to receiue any young men to the rule of their common wealth And Cicero in his booke De Senectute writeth that they did vse the like in Macedonia in the I le of Taâ—rabanum they do not choose their kings of the ofspringes of Nobilitie as we do accustome but they choose him for their Prince that is most auncient wyse and sage The Arrabians likewise assoone as their King is dead they choose the most auncient men to rule and gouerne theyr Prouince as writeth Diodorus Siculus Iulius Frontinus writeth also that L. Paulus did wishe for the publike profite and coÌ„modite that Emperors and the chiefe of armies should be auncient men Philostrates in the life of Pelonius writeth that Vespasianus beyng of the age of .lvj. yeares did excuse himselfe when he was chosen to receiue the gouernment of the Empire and sayd he was euer yong thinking that his yeares were not sufficient to execute so great a charge And is it not written in the Ecclesiâ—stes that cursed is that laÌ„d that hath a Child to their king and amongest other threatnings that the Lord sendeth by Esay to his people he promiseth to giue them yong kings as though he would say I wyll sende you destruction ruine Fulconius Nicomachus made a continuall prayer to his Gods wherin he prayed them that they would defend the land froÌ„ a yong king And it is a maruelous and straunge thing to behold that brute beastes euen by the prouidence of Nature will rather obey to the old than to the yong as Pliny a great searcher of the properties of Beastes doth witnesse to vs when he sayth that amongest the Elelephantes that most auncient doo guide and leade the troupe and the other go after acknowledge them for their heades and chiefe Aelianus the Greeke Historian writeth likewyse that the little Antes going into the fieldes to make their prouisions for the winter suffer the moste auncient to go afore and are contented to be guided by their order and aduise Now the Prince being thus instructed by such a number of histories here before rehearsed in what reuerence and estimation the auncients had alwayes old age and that they haue happily bene ayded by their councels it is necessarye then that they do not determine of any waighty matter with out their aduise councell and assistance following therein the councell of the Prophet Iob which saith that wysedome and sagenesse doth remayn in the old and auncient men and in the pluralitie of yeares consisteth experience and sapience as contrarie in youthe lyghtnesse inconstancie euer prompt and enclyned to all euill who when they once goe astraye into wantonnesse and insolencie they do not only animate themselues but likewise they do infecte those that followe their aduice and counsell What happened to Roboam in reiecting ouer lyghtly the councell and aduice of the olde and aged men admitting yongmen but euen the losse of the better parte of his Realme and Kingdome we haue also an other example of two Kings of Juda the one Ieconias being counseled by Ierimie obeyed thereunto and found it verie profitable for him and the other Sedecheas verie obstinate woulde not beléeue him but béeing hardned in his malice was cause of the ruine of his Citie generally of al the people We could more easely alleage an infinit nuÌ„bre of examples by the which yée vnderstand of many subuertions strauÌ„ge accidents that might haue falne vppon many Kingdomes and Empires bycause they did lyghtly and without good consideratioÌ„ commit themselues to be gouerned and ruled by the aduice and councell of youth But forasmuch as it is not our principal intent so highly to magnifie olde age that we should therby séeme to deface and cut off all hope from yong men to be called into Princes seruices and to cause them to loose therby the celestiall gyftes that the Lorde our God hath imparted to them I will aleage an infinte number of yong men as well out of the sacred scriptures as other prophane authors that haue painefully trauelled in the administration of the common wealth and which by their worthye and famous actes haue merited to be preferred before the aged is that yong Prophet Ieremie who was ordained by the Lord ouer people and kingdomes to pul vp by the rootes destroy make waste to build and plante and that yong infant Daniel which was in his yong years made a Iudge and Scipio Affricanus was not afraide in his yong yeares to demaund the dignitie of the Aedilicial to whome it was sayde his capacitie was not sufficient nor his yeares agréeable for the same who answered he had yeares sufficient if the Senate would dispence therwith as he made it very well to be knowne afterwards for where vertue is liuely imprinted and rooted the few numbre of yeares can not darken it Likewise Caesar made it to be vnderstanded that prudence was not to be measured by yeares who was sodeinly cut off by death before he coulde performe al his deuises and purposes And Rullius Decius Coruinus Sulinus Flaccus Manlius Torquatus Germanicus and an infinite numbre of other rulers of common wealths euen as obortiues and maugre their yeares were chosen and set vp in dignitie but with suche a testimonie and ornature of their vertues that they haue left good cause to their posteritie to iudge that the aduauncements of the common wealthes hath not consisted only in the white haires of olde and auncient men The Atheniens beare good witnesse thereof who were deliuered from the crueltie seruitude of the Lacedemonians by the worthinesse noblenesse of Iphicrates béeing but of the age of .xxv. yeres who aboue the hope that was loked for of one of his yeares did restore them to that state that many aged and valiant captaines loosing their trauayle and labour coulde not by any meanes accomplish And we leaue to speake of Alexander béeing but onely at the age of .xxxiij. yeares the
shal bée to vs the better knowne wée will declare that which Plinie hath written in the eleauenth booke of his Natural hystorie where hée sayth as followeth The King of the Bées is alwayes of a faire forme and is bigger than any of the other two times Hée hath wings lesse than the others at the bowing of the knée is straighte hée flieth more grauely and hath a more cléernesse and brightnesse than the others Hée hath a little spotte or marke in his forehead like vnto a Diamonde Afterwards hée addeth that the Authours bée of sundrie opinions whither hée hath any sting or not if hee hath sayth hée it serueth him onely for armour and defence and if Nature haue giuen him any sting shée hath denayed hym the vse thereof but they do all agrée in this pointe that if hée hath any hée hurteth no person withall And it is a maruellous thing to beholde and marke what obedience the others beare to him for when hée flieth abrode he is only alone all the others bée about him and compasse him in such sorte that they will scarcely suffer him to bée séene and whiles they are labouring hée visiteth their woorkes and beholdeth the same and séemeth to giue his aduise therein and hée only amongest the others is exempted from labour You shall see rounde about him hys watche men and garde who serue him by their presence for a defence Hee neuer goeth abrode without hys garde and it is easily knowne when hée will go by a certain buzzing and noise which hée maketh a fewe dayes before hys departure euen as it were for a warning to watch the houre and time of his going and being abrode if it happen that hée faint in his flying they lift him vp againe and support him on their feeble shoulders and if hée bée vtterly ouercome wyth labour in his trauail they beare him if it fortune hée stray and go out of his way they wander this way and that way flying about to méete him againe and wheresoeuer hée doth stay himself all the rest campe about him if hée bée prisoner or captiue they do also abide captiue with him as thoughe it were a thing impossible for them to liue one houre wythoute their king Afterwards hée addeth a thing more strange and maruellous how that they obserue the rites and customes of the funerals in such maner that if one of them die they draw him out of his place in their hiues and follow and accompany him as wée commonly do at the funerall of the deade and if it happen any of their Kings to die of any contagion or infection these little worms sorrow and lament and haue no more care or thought to serch for their liuings or nourishment but remain stil in their hiues round about the corps making their heauie complaints and miserable lamentatiōs and that with such extremitie that if no man bring them aught to féede vpō they will rather famishe themselues than séeke their meate S. Ambrose that graue Authour and woorthy of credit confirming the authoritie of Plinie in the fifth boke of his Hexameron speaketh in this maner The Bées do choose and ordiane them a King and when they are vnder his authoritie and gouernement they seeke not at any tyme to lyue at libertie but haue a regarde to the prorogatiue and preheminence of their Prince and Iudge and to the maruellous faith feare and affection that they beare towards him whom they haue elected and chosen As touching his bodie sayth hée hée hath an excellent beautie and worthinesse of shape in the which he doth excéede al others with also a maruellous gentlenesse humblenesse in manners for if hée haue any sting as some write hée hath hée neuer vseth it for any reuenge for the lawes of Nature are not wrytten in letters but are imprinted in mānes heart and expressed in manners for the more nobly any man is descended of bloud and the higher in degrée of honour hée is placed the more mercie and clemencie hée will vse towardes those that do offend him Afterwardes continuing his discourse of the Bées hée addeth therevnto a matter most myraculous which is If they do at any time sayth hée violate or transgresse the lawes of their Prince they think they are condemned and slea thēselues presently with their owne stings The like thing at this day is vsed among the Persians who of their owne méere will and without constraint of any other do sacrifise thēselues by death if by chaunce they haue offended or declined from their duties in any thing towards their Prince or otherwayes For there is no nation this day vnder the Sunne that obserueth their lawes so straightly so seuerely as they do And yet I dare assure you that neither the Indians nor the Samaites nor the Persians haue not in greater estimation their Kings and Princes than the lyttle sillie Bées haue theyr Capitaine and Chéefe who dare not presume once to go out of their little cabinettes to searche for their meate excepte their King goe before them And finally they do put themselues alwayes in defence for him thinke it a commendable thing to aduenture their liues and to die in the defence of their Prince and they bée so confirmed and resolued in good will and amitie towardes him that as long as hée liueth they will not render them selues subiecte to any other but after that hée is deade to whom they did beare their first fayth euen as altogether desperat do presently abandon their hiues in token that hée who was their head and Chéefe hath taken his ende Beholde loe the discourse of S. Ambrose vpon this matter I could like wise bring forth the testimonie of Vergilius Columellus Constantinus and a gret number of others But I will stay and make an ende in rehearsing this one matter which Mapheus Vegeus a man of singular learning and one that hath searched farre into the antiquities of the woorkes of Nature wryteth in one dysputation wherein hée doth introduce the Sunne the Earth and Golde in a controuersie for their dignities and woorthinesse where the Earth in defence of her cause doth set foorth very well the manners nature and conditions of these Fées euen after the opinion of Plinie Aristotle and other Authours Afterwards the sayde Sainct Ambrose ioyneth to it this that foloweth which is muche to the purpose of our matter It is a maruellous thing sayth hée howe Nature sheweth her puissance namely in things so small as these little beastes by whose examples shée doth not onely instruct and teach Kings and Princes howe to indeuer themselues in their offices towardes their Subiectes but also their Subiectes with what fidelitie and reuerence they ought to honour and obey them And it is no strange thing therefore if the wise man do sende these lither and vnprofitable persons to the little Antes that they may learne of them and by their industrie howe to bée
be sufficient to declare vnto you foure principall causes onely The first and principal cause of the first creation did procéede vpon the maruellous wisedom in the ordring and disposing of things which the people did perceiue to begin to shine and appeare in some one Citizen at whose excellencie greatly maruelling being caried away with the same iudged him most woorthy the administration and gouernement of their common welth Beholde loe one of the chéefest reasons of the institution of Kinges was as I say bycause that some one by his ciuil prudence and integritie of life begoon first to exhorte and induce the people being yet rude and barbarous to the obseruation of certaine lawes and humaine pollicies by whiche meanes they did sée hée did the more happily establishe their common wealth and the better rule and order the estate of their liues Which Iustinus that graue hystorian did wel vnderstaÌ„d when hee writ that the first institution of Kings and Princes did not take his beginning of a glorie or popular ambition as some haue written but of a maruellous excellent wisedome gentlenesse and vertue appearing in some one man The seconde cause which did mooue the people to create their Kings and Princes was a frée and louing affection which they had to acknoweledge the good actes that any one had done to their Commonwealth as if any man by his magnanimitie woorthinesse and puissance of Armes had deliuered them from the seruitude and bondage of any Tyranne or had any wayes amplified their limits or broughte any other prouinces subiecte or contributorie vnto theirs or by the institution of any good lawes had made their liues more happie and quiet they not willing to shewe themselues vnthankefull for the same but rather to gratifie such desertes alwayes aduaunced and called these to the Dignitie Royall and by a common consent and accorde made them chéefe gouernours and ministers of their prouinces As it chaunced to Scipio Affricanus who after that hee had destroyed and ouerthrowen new Carthage and vanquished their captaine Hasdrubal in Spaine was called King as Plutarch wryteth although hée with a maruellous modestie refused it knowing that that tytle among the Râ—maines was most odible And in like manner Cicero hauing deliuered Rome from the conspiracie of Cateline was called Father and Patrone of the Common welth And this hath not bene practized onely among Painims and Ethniks but also among the people of God who when they perceiued that same deuine myracle of Chryst of the multiplication of fiue loues and twoo fishes would haue created and made him a king but hée whiche was not come to that ende that any shuld minister to him but that hée would minister to others refused such honor as they would haue giuen him The third reason wherefore Kings and Princes were first created and receyued vpon the Earth grew vpon necessitie which did enforce the coÌ„mon people to search out a way and meane by the which they might correct the furious and oppresse the violeÌ„ce of the wicked bicause that of nature wée are prompt and inclined to do euel and always some there are found so far out of order that by their wickednesse they confound and trouble al humaine deuise and policie and spoile contrary to al equitie their neighbors of their goods and therefore to restraine such rashnesse and to brydle such outragiousnesse to the ende to maintaine and conserue the estate publike in tranquillitie and peace they were constrayned to make one chéefe heade which should coÌ„maund them all maintayne the good in their wel doing and likewise chastise the insolencie of the wicked And this self reason hath caused vs to beleue that kings were first ordayned euen fro the beginning of the world euen as it were incontinent after our first father was cast out of Paradise terrestial for such autoritie prehemineÌ„ce was more requisite at that than any other time bicause violence opression couetousnesse began then to raign among men And S. Paule that faithful truÌ„pet and minister of the glory of Iesus Christ in his Epistle to the Romaines hath taught vs what obedience we owe to Princes and Kings and to al our Superiors where among other matters he giueth a reason for the same that is bicause they correct and punish the wicked Let al persons saith hée be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of god those that be apointed of God wherfore he that resisteth autoritie resisteth Gods ordinance and those that withstand the same procure daÌ„nation to theÌ„selâ—es for Princes are not to be feared for well doing but for euell doing therfore if thou wilt not feare authoritie do wel and thou shalt receiue prayse of him for the Prince is the seruant of God for thy commoditie but if thou do euel feare him for hée carrieth not the Sworde in vaine but is the minister of God to do iustice to the terror of those that do euel And therfore wée ought of dutie to bée obedient to them not onely for feare but for conscience sake Beholde loe a maruellous doctrine of Sainct Paule touching the obedience we ought to haue towards Kings and Princes and other Superiors Let vs also marke the testimonie of Sainct Peter touching the sayde matter who doth wholy confirme the same that Sainct Paule hath sayde before Be you subiect to all maner of ordinances of man sayth hée for the Lordes sake whither it bée vnto the King as vnto the chéefe head or to the Rulers as to them who are sent of him aswell for the punishment of euell doers as for the laude and praise of that doe well And Cicero the Ethnike in his second boke of Offices hath shewed the same manner of Institution of Kings where hée sayeth It is not very like that Kings and Princes haue onely béene chosen and instituted out of the meanest sorte as Herodotus hath written but of others the most wise and aunciente to the ende they might haue iustice the better exercised For the meane people being vexed and opprest by the rych and wealthiest were constrayned to haue their refuge to some one that excelled the others in vertue to this ende that hée should not onely defende them the poorer and weaker sort from the iniurie and violence of the wicked but also conserue the one the other in equitie and iustice The fourth cause that hath moued the people to the Election of Princes and Kings was for the great magnanimitie and woorthinesse of Armes they sawe to appeare in some one that did deliuer them from their enimies or else it did procéede of some publike proclamation or edict by the which it was ordayned that hée who could deliuer them out of some seruitude or tyrannie shoulde for recompence thereof bée made King which was the cause and meane to prouoke euery one to shew themselues famous and woorthie to the ende that being stirred vppe with
Lacedemoniās were beholding or bound to any man it was to Licurgus the Athenuns to Solon who although they were men of a moste commendable and vertuous life yet the one of them was with blowes of stones chased out of his Citie pulling out one of his eyes was banisht as a murtherer the other after he had so wel put in order the cōmonwelth by his good councel prouidence that it was made eternal was neuerthelesse by them in his olde dayes banished into the I le of Cipres And we might without borowing any testimonie of the prophane histories bring forth many exāples of our own as of Eustacius Pamphilius chéef Prelat of Antioch that was bannished bicause he woulde not consent to the heresie of the Arrians Pope Benedict the fifth was by the Emperor Anthonius bannished oute of Rome for the like matter Moyses did oftentimes escape the danger of stoning by his own people And to be shorte we haue many examples that giue vs sufficient witnesse and testimonie how perillous the furie of the people is when they be out of order by the which things it is most manifest vnto vs that the Commonwelth which is gouerned by such monsters be no more assured of themselues than the poore shéepe bée amongst the wolues Hauing nowe verie sufficiently declared that these first two kinds of administrations of a Common wealth are not méete nor conuenient to rule and well to gouerne any people in peace and tranquillitie It resteth nowe to conclude with Aristotle Apolonius S. Ierome S. Cyprian and many others that the Monarchia which is the gouernment that is absolute that is to say by one only King or Prince is the most excellent the best approued and most receyued of all for as Homere hath written in his Rapside nothing is wel done where many do commaund And likewise Aristotle in his Politikes hath iudged this forme of a common wealth where one ruleth only to bee more noble than the others which thing wée sée and perceiue by ordinarie experience in God our Lorde who is the cause and mouer of al things by whose only wil and pleasure all the worlde is ruled and gouerned And vnitie in all thinges hath suche a puissaunce and vertue that it doeth conioyne conserue and knit altogethers for all things in the worlde vniuersally haue taken their beginning and original of one be maintained and defended by one Al numbers infinite that we haue dayly in vse take their beginning of one All the number of Stars which passe the capacitie of mānes vnderstanding are ruled and gouerned by one Sun among beasts there is one that ruleth and gouerneth and for the gouernment and ordring of an Armie it is méete to haue one to commaund vpon whose authoritie the rest should depende And nowe to make an ende and conclude our purpose like as al the partes that are contayned in the frame of our humaine bodies be maintained quickened and made to liue and beare life by one soule euen so one Prince giueth life and gouerneth all the Citie wherof he is the soule Aristotle in the .xij. Boke of his Metaphisickes doth reprooue the pluralitie of gouernours in one Citie and willeth that it be gouerned ruled and ordered by the authoritie of one onely Prince And Nature the better to set forth the same to our eies hath ordained that there be one preheminence in all kinde of things as wée haue before sayde as amongst the Stars the Sun amongst the Elementes the Fire amongst Mettalles Golde amongst Graine Wheate amongst Liquide things Wine amongst foure footed Beastes the Lion amongst Birdes the Eagle and to be short if we will contemplate the whole order and course of Nature we shal find one excellencie of dignitie and preheminence in eche kinde and therefore of these things abouesayd wée may gather that the gouernment of any Common wealth that is exercised by one only King or Prince is more woorthy and more commendable than the other kindes of administrations which are ruled and gouerned by many but for a counterpoize of his mightinesse and dignitie he hath many thornes that do enuiron his Scepter and Crowne for the aboundance of honours the diuersitie of delightes and the number of pleasures that he doth daylie enioy bée vnto hym as Aristotle wisely writeth great enticements and baytes to leade him to all euill and ready meanes to cast him down hedlonges into the bottome of all vice and wickednesse if he set not God moste chéefely before his eyes and a King is like to a Lampe that shineth light to all the worlde therefore if he be blemished or blotted with any vice or crime it is more Notable and reproueable in him than in any other Priuate persone and therfore bicause he hath more occasion of temptation to slide and fall than others haue in that he is highest in place without Bridel set amonges so many pleasures and delightes which be Flames to stirre and prouoke wickednesse so much the rather he ought to trauaile labour to eschue the same for cōmonly things lifted vp exalted on high are subiecte to fall and ruine and these things may be to vs sufficiently knowne and manifest by the recounting of many Kings and Princes whose beginnings haue béene commendable but their ends haue béene most abhominable and wicked For the woorthinesse of Saule hath bene renoumed by the holy scriptures who was chosen King by the Lord our God but by a little and little he began to decline from the righte way and becam a wicked man The beginning of the reign◠of Kinge Salomon was meruellous but after that he gaue him selfe in pray to Women he was depriued of the grace of god Ioab King of Iuda was a good man for a time but in the ende being seduced by his men he fell to Idolatrie Caligula Nero and Methridates did in the beginning geue a meruellous hope of their wisedomes but the issue was suche that all the world was infected with theire tyrannie and crueltie and if thou wilt haue rehearsed by order all the whole administration of the Common wealth of the Romaines thou shalt finde that the numbre of the wicked Kings haue alwayes surmounted very much the good Kings But bicause we shall not néede muche testimonie of prophane Princes let vs nowe come to oure owne Of twentie and two Princes of Iuda there is not founde but only sixe that is to saye Asa Iosaphat Ioacan Ezechias and Iosias which haue continued in vertue and goodnesse As touching of Kings of Israell if thou wilt well searche out their lyues from Ieroboam the Sonne of Naboth vnto the last King which was the nynetéenthe in numbre thou shalte finde that all they in generall were euill Ministers of the Common wealth And the Romaine gouernmente likewyse which hath béene commended for one of the best and moste flourishing common wealthes vppon the Earth For
a fewe in numbre amongest them as Augustus Vespasianus Tytus Anthonius Pius Anthonius Verus and Alexander Seuerus whoo haue very well shewed them selues in their gouernementes thou shalte finde a number of others all imbrued with vices and tyrannies and that so many that the euell Princes haue muche surpassed the vertuous and good And if thou bée desirous to reade the gestes of the Assyrians the Persians Gréekes and Egyptians there will appeare more of such as were euil and wicked Princes than of those that were good and vertuous I hope nowe that no man is of the opinion that I doe pretende by these examples any thing to abase or diminishe the Royall dignitie of a Prince vnto whose obedience I doe wholly yéelde my body and life for the woorthinesse and excellencie therof but I desire most chéefely therby to admonishe Kings and Princes in God of their duetes and office and that principally in respecte of so many soules so dearely boughte of whome they bée protectoures and defenders And I truste no man will no more blame mée or thinke my good will straunger héerein than they will doe hys which doth admonishe any man who is to trauaile thorowe straunge Countreyes that he shoulde take héede of the perillous and daungerous places which be in hys way and of théeues that lie by the wayes to robbe and spoyle him or to warne those whiche doe committe them selues to hasarde of the Seas that they should eschue and shunne certaine Rockes vpon the whiche if by chaunce they should fall they might bée in daunger of shippe wracke And so I haue none other meaning héerein but onely to exhorte Kings and Princes and all others that be called to any dignitie and Gouernment to haue their saluation in remembrance and to be vigilant and carefull to order and directe all their actions and doings in the feare of God bicause their dysorders are more notable and more perillous than the common sort of people And that by these examples of the wicked sorte which wée haue rehersed here in this booke they should haue good regard not to followe euen as he that séeth another fall before him ought to take good héede with all diligence to eschue the lyke danger and peril And contrary the examples of the good and vertuous which wée haue also spoken of héere may so induce them to vertue that they may leaue an eternal memorie after them of their good and vertuous liues Which we ought to leaue to our heires rather than to leaue them great numbers of treasure and riches as the wise man sayeth the good renoume is more to be praysed than precious oyntment And likewise he sayth in the booke of wisdome that the memorie of the good is immortall before God and man But when hée maketh mention of the iudgement that the posteritie shall haue of the wicked sorte he sayth they shall be cut of from al good reporte and fame and shall be alwayes in opprobrie amongst the deade where they shall lamente and wayle and the memorie of them and their séede shal be forgotten as though they had neuer bene but the good and vertuous sayth he shall liue from generation to generation their glorie shall be for euermore and the same shall bée declared and manifest in their children ¶ The fourth Chapter Hovve that those vvhich shall commaund others ought first to master them selues and so suppresse and moderate their affections passions that by their good liues they may induce those that be subiect to them to vertue and godlinesse WE haue sufficiently proued by the reasons aforesayde that vertue was the chiefe and principall cause why Kings and Princes were in the beginning elected established and therfore seing it is so that they bée called to suche dignitie for the noblenesse and vertue whiche is founde in them more than in others they ought to labor and enforce themselues to excel in that which is the cause of their honour and dignitie for it is writen of Saule in the booke of the Kings that he was in the beginning of his reigne both noble and vertuous and there was not a better man to be founde among the children of Israel although in the ende by his insolencie and ambition hée loste the grace of the Lorde his god And Cyrus King of the Persians vpon a certaine time hauing conference with his wyse and learned Phylosophers touching the vertues meete and requisite for a King sayde vnto thē that hée was vnwoorthy to bée an Emperour or King whose vertues did not excel his subiectes Certain men being enuious of the honor that was giuen to Lyuie King of the Sparthians had him in disdayne and sayd he was made of the matter and substance that they were and was no better than others and that hée deserued not to haue any estimation in this worlde otherwise than in respect of his Royall dignitie To whom he answered with a maruellous discretion and comelie modestie If I had not bene better than any of you sayd hee I should not haue bene chosen vnto this dignitie Royall And Solon one of the most renoumed for wisedome in al Greece being demaūded what maner of person ought to haue the Gouernement of the people such a one sayde hée as knoweth howe to gouerne and subdue himself before he take vpon him to rule ouer others He that shall commaund others ought first to knowe howe to commaund and rule himselfe for as the wise man sayth howe can he be good to others that is euill to himselfe And Philip King of Macedon doth giue vs very well to vnderstande what a Prince ought to bée in the aunswere that hée made to his sonne Alexander when he found himselfe gréeued with his father for hauing the companie of so many women and that he had by euery of them issue fearing leaste by the number of so many children hée might be defrauded of the kingdome seing that thou knowest sayde hée that there bée so many that desire to succéede me in my Empire frame thy selfe to that good order in al thy doings and vse such wisdome and prudence therein that by thy vertue and good desertes and not by my fauoure and grace thou mayest bée founde méetest to bee Lorde and King which Alexander who afterwards not only succéeded his kingdome but also in his wisdome did kéepe well in remembrance this his fatherly doctrine for being demaunded euen at the very time when he felte in his bodie the most furious bitter anguish of death by one of those whome he best loued and fauoured whome he woulde after his lyfe to succéede hym and inherit his kingdome the same sayde hée that shall bée most woorthiest iudging by this answere that hée is vnworthy to rule and gouerne whose vertues are obscure and vnknown Al Princes therfore that desire to rule and commaunde others ought to haue this lesson specially in remembraunce which shall serue them as
Sonnes doinges knowing that he which kept that place ought straightly to regarde the lawes and ceremonies obserued of olde custome to the Senate that incontinently after hée was out of that place with a ioyful countenance in the presence of the Senate went vnto him being as it were halfe deade and embraced hym in his armes saying vnto him My sonne I doe accept thée for my deare childe for I know and see thou art worthy to exercise the Consulship of Rome bicause thou hast so good knowledge to defende the maiestie of an Emperour which thou doest represent and also the auncient statutes of our predecessours which will that the Emperor himself shal obey the lawes made and ordained by his forefathers The memorie of Zeleucus King of the Locresians shal also be had in eternal memorie among al men who after he had made and instituted many good vertuous lawes for the gouernement of his common wealth among others he ordayned one that he who should bée bée taken in Aduoutrie shoulde lose both hys eyes His owne sonne by euill Fortune within certayne dayes after was taken offending in the same and being condemned for it according vnto the Lawe and ordinaunce made by his father was adiudged to lose both his eyes but the people hauing a regarde vnto the deserts of his good Father the King woulde haue dyspensed with the Sonne and made humble request vnto him that it would please him to remitte his offence This good olde man did all that he could by extremitie to resiste their request shewing them that according to his lawes he ought to haue both his eyes pulled out but in the ende being ouercome with the importunate desires of the people minding to satisfie them in some parte and yet to kepe his lawe inuiolate hée caused a Theatre to be erected in all their presence and him selfe and his sonne being mounted vpon it with an inuincible constancie firste pulled out one of his owne eyes and after incontinently pulled out one of his sonnes So in vsing this maruellous kind of equitie hée was mercifull to his sonne and very seuere to himselfe and all to the ende hée woulde giue a testimonie to those that should succéede him howe Princes ought firste to put to their owne hands to the worke and to obserue their lawes as thou mayst sée in these verses following Zeleucus gaue lawe to his Subiectes all That taken in aduoutrie who should be Should loose his eyes but loe such happe did fall The Kings owne sonne into that snare came he Zelencus bids that lawe be done straight way Without regarde The people pardon pray The King that woulde his lawe in force to ronne One eye from him another from his sonne He takes deseruing thus the rather Name of iust Iudge and pitifull Father And Licurgus the lawmaker to the Lacedemonians so much commended in the hystories neuer made any lawe wherevnto he did not first render himself obedient And Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians likewise among his most coÌ„mendable Sentences was accustomed to say that he desired no other commoditie of his kingdome but wholly the aduauncement of his coÌ„mmon welth and that it séemed to his iudgement more profitable for the same to be ruled and gouerned by good and holesome lawes than by good Princes bycause Kings being ouercome by their affections may erre and goe astray as wel as others of whose doings the lawes wil take smal place And it is most certain as the deuine Plato saith that as the Prince is such is the people And also Ecclesiasticus sayth as the Iudge of the people is such are the Ministers And in the booke where Cicero doth interprets those Lawes which the .xij. tables doe containe there is one laws written that doth straightly commaunde all Magistrates to liue discretely without offence to the end they may be examples to guide and shewe the wayes to others where afterwardes he addeth to these woords Euen as sayth he by the viciousnesse and couetousnesse of Princes the city is infected so likewise by their continency it is reformed and amended after he concludeth If thou wouldest search sayeth hée the doing of the old world past thou shalt find that as the princes did always change their maners so did also the inhabitants of their prouinces Antigonus King of the Macedonians writing to Zeno as Laertius teacheth after many purposes alleged of doctrine and felicitie he brought in for his conclusion that like as the Pastor shal be brought vp and enriched with vertues euen so shall his flocke be And it is euen very so for Herodianus writeth that the citizens be but as the fignets of the Prince for they doe nothing but as they sée them do Agesilaus aforenamed the very mirrour and paterne of vertue although he was King of the Lacedemonians yet neuerthelesse he would be séen oftentimes in the mids of winter being olde and crooked go rounde about the towne without hauing any apparell vppon him and many one maruelling that he could endure it did demaund curteously of hym wherfore he did so to this ende sayd he that youth shoulde learne by mine example to harden themselues to labor and paciently abide all aduersities that shall happen vnto them We reade also in auncient histories that the same ambicious Monarch Alexander being in the farthest part of Afrike was constrayned to be thrée dayes togither himselfe and hys whole armie without anie thing to eate or drink afterward hauing gotten vittuailes he would sée that all his souldiours should first be satisfied before him self would once touch any meate His great frende Parmenio being astoonned at thys his great pacience in forbearing to eate demaunded of him the occasion why he did so to this end sayd he that my people seing a proufe of my pacience in so daungerous a place should bée sharpened hereafter the more pacientely to beare and endure the rigoures and extremities of the Warres But why doe we consume so muche time to rehearse the examples of the Ethnikes seing that Iesus Christ himselfe a witnesse irreproueable did first begin to put the ordinaunce of the lawe in exercise before he toke vpon him to teache others as he sayde he came not to breake the law but to fulfil it Hearken a litle to that which that zealous man of Iustice S. Paule hath written speaking to those that were the brekers of the lawes which they themselues had made and established thou sayth hée that teachest others doest not thou therin teach thy selfe and yet thou doest preache that a man shal not rob and thou thy self dost rob thou sayst that a man ought not to coÌ„mit adultry and thou thy self dost break wedlock thou hatest Idols and yet thou committest sacrelege and glorifying thy self in obseruing the law thou dost dishonour God in breking the same Aristotle maketh none other dâ—fference betwéen a King and a Tyrant but that a King obeyeth the lawes leadeth the course
of al the Gréek Poets had liued in the time of Alexander I pray you in what honor and estimation had hee béen séeing he was so iealous of his Iliades that he made a Pillow thereof and did sléepe vpon it in the night when vpon a daye a certaine man brought vnto him for a present a Coffer wherein Darius dyd put his swéete and moste precious oyntmentes hauing receyued it he sayd this Coffer I will make the treasurer of a more excellent Treasure and presently he caused the same workes of Homere to be layde in it in the whiche hée tooke so greate pleasure that euen amongst hys weyghtie affaires he employed himselfe certaine houres in the day to reade the same and one time reading therein amongest other thinges the commendations and vertuous exploytes of Achilles he lamented his euil fortune that he had not bene borne in the time of Homere that he might haue had such a Trumpet to set forth his actes and commendations as he was Pompeius an excellent captain amonges the Romaines after the victory which he had against Methridates had neuer quietnesse in his minde tilhe had visited Possidonius the Philosopher in his sicknesse wherof he was aduertised and not contented onely to visit him in person but the more to honour him commaunded that the standerds and imperiall ensignes that he had should be brought thither with him because he thought that Kyngdomes and Empires ought to obey to Vertue and Knowledge Loe a marueilous deuotion that he had to learning for he neuer did vse the like order neither to King Captain or any other that he vsed to visit in such case We finde further that the auncient Princes haue not ben contented onely to honour them lyuing but also after their death For Ptholomeus king of Egipt builded a Church and a Piller in the honor of Homer as if it had bene to the Gods. And also we reade in the Greeke histories that .vij great Cities were of long time in controuersie who should haue hys bones This is a straunge thing and very true that alwaies the Tyrantes them selues enimies to all humanitie did giue honor to learning For Denys the Tyrant king of Cicylia by vsurpation did not spare by all the meanes and inuentions that he coulde vse to wyn that deuine Plato to come and visit him in Cicylia and being aduertised that he came he went to méete him himselfe and prepared his Chariot with .iiij. white horses wherein he receiued him with as great triumphe and solemnitie as he possible could for the great reputation and renoume that he had in that time amongest the wise and sage persons The Atheniens had Demostenes in such estimation that they made a great Piller to be erected for him vpon the which they caused to bée written in Greeke letters these wordes If his body had bene equall to his spirite and knowledge the kyng of the Macedonians had not bene victorious ouer the Greekes Iosephus also the Iew being of the number of the captaines of Ierusalem and lead prisoner to Rome yet bicause of the bookes which he had made of the antiquitye of the Jewes they did honor him wyth a piller which was set in the ranke amongest the others Plutarchus Aulus Gelius write that Alexander in his conquest in Asia being aduertised that Aristotle had published and put forth certaine bookes of Naturall Philosophy that he had learned vnder the sayd Aristotle wrote a letter vnto him full of checkes wherein he rebuked him and sayd he had done very euill so lightly to publish his bookes without aduertising him selfe thereof séeing he desired to excell al others in this Science which he had learned of hym but nowe beyng thus made familiar to all men by meanes of these his bookes being brought to light his hope was cut of for euer hereafter to attaine thereto for hée did as much desire to passe all others in learnyng and knowledge as he did to excell in all other thinges But Aristotle knowing that this disease procéeded but of noblenes and vertue he knewe verye well how to prepare a medicine for the same and sent him an aunswere that he would not leaue of neuertheles from proceeding in his former purpose and sayd that his bookes were obscure that there were very fewe or none that could vnderstande them if they had not his interpretation Diogenes Laertius writeth that Antigonus Kyng of Macedonia knowyng the commoditie of learnyng and how much it was requisit for the gouernment of a kingdome and knowing also Zeno to be of great renowne amongst the Philosophers of the sect of the Stoikes being moued with hys sagenesse wisdome sent vnto him letters and expresse Embassadors whereof the content is thus wrytten in Diogenes Laertius Antigonus king to Zeno the Philosopher sendeth gréeting I know that I am more rich in worldly goodes geuen by Fortune than thou art yet alwaies thou doest excede me in other thinges in Sciences and learning in the which consisteth the true felicity of thys humaine life wherefore I do praye thée that thou wylt permit that I maye sée thy conuersation and enioy thy presence and if thou doest agrée thereunto thou shalt be assured that the goodnesse and learning that I shall receiue at thy handes shall not be for the profite and commoditie of one man onely but generally to all the Macedonians for that he which geueth instruction and learning to a King doth teach also al his Subiectes For alwayes as the Kyng is suche be his Vassalles and as the Captaine is such are his Soldiers This good old man assoone as he had read his letters for that he could not go to him him selfe for his great age sent him two of his Scollers well learned which did assist him and gaue him instructions for the space of fiue whole yeres to whom the Kyng dyd yeld him selfe so tractable and obedient that he dyed one of the most renoumed kinges vppon the earth And shall we passe vnder silence Iulius Cesar one of the most famous Captaines vpon the earth who had bookes as familiar with him as armour and would as sone giue him selfe to reade as to armes who alwayes assoone as he had satisfied hys actes in armes he woulde disarme him selfe and go talke with the Poetes and Philosophers and alwayes in hys iourneyes he eyther wryt or els dyd reade some booke The Historians write of him one noble thing worthy of perpetuall memory That beyng one day in Alexandria a Towne in Egypt flying the furye of hys enimyes that dyd pursue hym he dyd saue hym selfe with swymming and caryed in one of hys handes certain bookes which he had composed declaring that he had in as great estimation the monumentes of hys mynde as hys lyfe They which haue at anye tyme read hys Commentaries and considered the thinges therein contayned and specially the phrase of his Latin wordes they may easelye iudge hee was no lesse an
Orator than an Emperour Themistocles a noble captaine amongest the Greekes was as much commended for his learning and knowledge as for his valiantnesse although he was one of the most renoumed of all the Greekes Epamynondas likewise which was an other of the most excellent captaynes of the sayd Greekes was euer studious and geuen to learning And Methridates who by the space of .xl. yeares warred agaynst the Romans did not at any time abandon learning but had alwayes wyth hym certaine Philosophers and Orators with whom he dyd alwaies communicate his studies Paulus Emilius also conqueror of the king of the Persians was a man much giuen to study and was so zealous towardes the Athenians that hée gaue vnto them Metrodorus for to instruct their Chyldren and he himselfe not contented to spende all his whole life in learning but to the ende he would giue a testimonye to his posteritie how he had spent his lyfe did write manye profitable bookes for the world to come as Quintus Fabius the great Marcus Brutus Traianus Adrianus Marcus Antonius Marcus Aurelius Alcybiades Scipio Affricanus Lucius Brutus and manye other Romaynes and Greekes verye noble in armes and great louers of learning did the like And Haniball likewise a most excellent captaine although hée was of nature fierce sauage and greatly estraunged from al humanitie vnfaithfull and hated of God and man yet hée had alwaies the Greeke and the Latin tong in such estimation that he left vnto vs a booke in the Greeke tong written with hys own hand And Alphonsus king of Castel a most noble and learned Prince was so wel exercised in the science of Astronomy that euen at this day we do taste of the excellencie of his knowledge And surelye all these noble men left these monumentes as examples to their posteritie to follow Therefore I thinke there is no hart so faynt of feable that shall reade the famous déedes actes and prowesse of so manye valiant and noble men but wyll be kyndled and styrred vp with an ardent desire to follow and resemble them and set at nought this caducall lyfe which is but a moment to acquire and get this famous as it were euerlasting life whose actes after their death haue made them more glorious and shining than they were before in their life time Salomon that celestiall Orator declareth very well that all thinges to him was nothing worth in comparison of wisedome knowledge For when he had his choyse of the Lord to demaunde what he would he asked of him wisdome to iudge his people and to discerne the good from the euyll which he obtayned in such aboundance that he passed al the Kinges vpon the earth as well in wisedome as in discretion to iudge and gouerne his Subiectes and in such sort that by the fame and renoume of his wisedome he drew vnto hym those which were in the extreme partes of the world as the Quéene of Saba to visit him to behold his Maiesty to learne instructions and wisdome of him in which thing he hath attayned to the glory of his father Dauid who was so well indued with his celestiall wisedome that he persed and entred into the most highest misteries of heauen But now if we cannot perswade our Princes and Kinges by these so many examples of such a number of Emperours Kinges and Monarches to employ them selues to learnyng and knowledge yet for default and for a supply thereof wee wish they would at the least haue about them men of knowledge wisedome and vertue that may assist them by whose wisedome and counsell they maye the better decide all accidentes for there is nothing more pernicious to a kingdome than when the head and chiefe thereof wyll not permit the councell of the wyse or that hée wyll preferre hys owne head before any others leauing therein the doctrine that the wyse man geueth when he doth admonish vs that we should not trust to much in our own wisedome which is also confirmed by the Prophet Esay when hee sayth Wo be vnto them that are wyse in their own sight thinke them selues to haue vnderstanding as S. Paule also to the Romanes writeth that we must take good héede we thinke not our selues wyse in our own conceites For many Kynges and Princes haue mayntayned their Realmes in great honour and prosperitie by the wysedome and councell of sage and dyscrete persons that gouerned them As Phillip King of Mâ—cedonia had a Lieutenant called Antipater by whose wysedome and councell he obtayned many victories And when vpon a tyme as hee was at hys rest there came one who shewed hym that hys enimyes dyd approche and that hee should take héede and stande vpon hys defence least he were surprised He aunswered and sayd to hym let me take my rest and repose my selfe I pray thée for I know certaynly that my Lieutenant Antipater watcheth for me Declaring hereby the speciall affiance and great trust that he had in the conduction and great vigilancie of Antipater hauyng often tymes approued hys diligence in more perillous places Thus if the Father was happely ruled by the councell of Antipater hys sonne Alexander was no lesse by hys Ephestion who loued better the vertue and the noblenesse of hys Maister and also hys own reputation than he dyd all hys ryches Alexander vpon a time receiued letters being in Asia from hys Mother whom he had left as Regent in his kingdome wherein she did signifie vnto hym certayne treasons that one had deuised agaynst hym Assoone as he had read them he gaue them to Ephesteon and when he had perused them ouer Alexander tooke of a Ryng from hys finger wherein was his Seale and incontinentlye sealed vp the mouth of Ephesteon declaring thereby that he should kéepe secrete the contentes thereof such affiance had he in his fidelitie And it is a thyng almoste incredible to heare of the good wyll that Alexander bare towardes Ephesteon for when he heard of hys death he loued hym so dearely that all the pompes magnifices and ceremonies that he coulde any wayes inuent and deuise were employed at the Obsequies of his Ephestion for he bestowed al the oyntments swéete odours and baulmes that he coulde by anye meanes procure and caused hym to be couered wyth purple and other curious clothes as if he had bene some Prince or king Hée caused also a Sepulcher to be erected ouer him so curiously wrought wyth all excellencye of architecture decked and enriched with so many Images of gold and other precious thinges that as Plutarque and Theodorus write in the history of Alexander his funerals cost him aboue ten thousand talentes of gold And be not amased if Alexander magnifique in all his doynges bestowed so great charges on him for he did so much esteeme the faithfulnesse of thys his friend that he thought ther was none worthy to supply his place and accompted his friendship more deare to
did neuer desire eyther tenne Aiaxes or ten Diomedes knowing very well how greatly the good councell of Nestor did serue him to purpose and how much profite and commoditie it alwayes brought vnto hym in all his affaires to preuent anye thing present or to come when he did receiue the same and followed it Phillip of Macedonia father to Alexander did so muche bewaile the death of a deare friend of his called Hipparcus that he was almost dead with care And when his friendes did séeke to comfort him and to put him out of his minde alledging that it was time for him to dye considering his many yeares and that death was more necessary for him than lyfe if he had good regard of his old age it is true said he but certainly it is great griefe to me that I haue not recompensed his wholesome councels and the long and paynfull seruices which I haue receiued of him in tymes past wherefore perceiuing very well I cannot now acquite the same thys my vnthankefulnesse shall be a burthen to me and my honour for euer And now hauing brought forth by the testimonye of many prophane histories as well Greekes as Latines how necessarye it is for a Prince that wyll gouerne his people well to haue some wise and sage men about him by whose councell his Realme shall be better ruled and gouerned it nowe resteth to confirme the same by the testimonie of the holy and sacred Scriptures Moyses the great lawe geuer to the Hebrewes when hée complayned to the Lord his God that he could not gouerne such a multitude of people as he had considering the murmures and seditions that they continually raysed agaynst him he was commaunded by the Lord that he should choose out .lx. men which he knew to be most auncient wyse and of the greatest estimation and credite amongest the people and he shoulde leade the same to the gate of the Tabernacle of wytnes to the end they might assist and ayde him And after the Lord said vnto him that he would take of the spirit which he had giuen him and put vpon them that they should beare mutually togethers the charge of the people Lykewyse king Assuerus beyng contemned of the Quéene Vasti his wyfe would not punish her of his own authoritie but he gathered together the wisest and sagest of his Prouince after whose aduise he dyd determine of her fact Romulus the first founder of Rome knowing how difficult a thyng it was to rule the common wealth he ordayned an hundred Senatours of the most wyse and auncient men of Rome to helpe hym in the administration of hys common wealth Let therefore Kynges and Princes take it for a certayne truthe that for the conseruation of theyr mightynesse and the preseruation of their Realmes they must aboue all thynges deliberate and moderate all theyr doynges and enterprises wyth counsell and good aduise not runnyng headlong thereunto wythout all order and reason For there is nothing more enimy to Veritye Iustice and Equitie than ouermuche rashnesse Quintus Curtius in the lyfe of Alexander doth recount that as he vpon a tyme was sorrowing with him selfe that he had rashly passed certayne affayres whereof he dyd repent hym afterwardes he tooke in hand to intreate of Vertue amongest certaine of his seâ—â—untes that he was most affectionated vnto to whom afâ—â—r many exhortations and other documentes he declared that a Kyng ought to premeditate thrée times vpon euery thing that he shall doe before he put it in execution For when the Prince sayd he committeth any offence he must thinke he doth it in a Theatre where all the whole world shall sée hym and marke hym and that more is his offence and fault is almost incorrigible bicause it floweth spreadeth it self amongest al the people The wise man likewise desiring to represse those first and sodayne motions that are in men doth say in his Prouerbes that he which moueth his féete to fast often times stumbleth and doth with his ouermuche haste bring with hym repentance Afterwardes he addeth in his sayde Prouerbes My sonne do nothing without councell and then thou shalt not haue cause afierwardes to repent Beholde lo how by the lessons and instructions before sayde Kinges and Princes may gather that learning and knowledge are thinges very profitable and commodious for the dignitie royall and doth maruellously deck and adorne the same And likewyse they may learne in them not rashly and without aduisement to passe ouer their affaires but alwayes call vnto them wyse and sage councell to decide all their actions and doinges And now for conclusion for as much as we haue entreated of councell it is necessary that we do somewhat exhort them that they do very rare or seldome accept the councell of yong men and specially of such as haue bene delicately brought vp and that do rather followe most willinglye the swinge of their vnbridled wyls thaÌ„ the way of vertue And this is most chiefly recounted vnto vs by Aristotle Prince of the Philosophers who forbiddeth expresselye that they shall be made the chiefe or head of any Prouince or Councell for their counsell is to be suspected But to the contrary that the Prince shall alwayes haue about him suche as be stayed in age and sober in councell and that haue great experience in all thinges conioyned with integritye of lyfe and vertuous maners such as commonlye is founde in olde men which as S. Ierome writeth are féeble in all the powers of their bodyes but increased in wysedome and councell Which thing is wyselye taught also by Plato in hys Simpose where he sayth that although the corporall eyes begin to be weakened and léese their puissance and strength yet the eyes of the mynde do sée more clearer and be made more subtiller and sharper Aristotle in a certaine place demaunding a reason wherfore olde men bee commonlye more fearefull than young men aunswereth and sayth amongest other thinges that the great experience that they haue of the mischiefes past doth make them to be in such feare But such consideration cannot enter into the myndes of young men beyng lustye and whote in all theyr actions and doynges bicause they haue not yet proued the rigour of Tyme nor force of Fortune Plutarche that worthy Philosopher doth teache vs howe that a Citie is more happely gouerned by the councell of old men than by the force and strength of young men and antiquitie also hath attributed so much to number of yeares that if there ryse question to put any thing in execution of importance alwayes old men by common vsage allowed by Nature are preferred thereunto Titus Linius Prince of the Latine Historians doth write that when the Romaines had determined their punike warres they chose the most auncient of the people to make their Legates and Embassadors into Affrique And it is written in the booke of the Machabees that King Antiochus sent an auncient man
very periode of his age was Monarche of the whole worlde and not contented with such victorie as he had gotten but caused the earth to bée digged thinking that he shoulde fynde an other worlde to conquere Oh a greate noblenesse of a Prince that thinketh he hath doon nothing if there remaine yet any thing to bée doone It is not therefore now my purpose as you perceyue to exclude and banish yong men from the presence of Princes no more than I couet to speake euill of them but bicause I doo desire for the perfection of the Prince he should be without all faulte and blemishe euen so for that the counsel of olde and auncient men is more assured lesse suspect than the counsel of yong men I do wish in the respect that they would more frequēt the one than the others ¶ The seuenth Chapter Hovve that Kings and Princes ought chiefly and moste principally to haue the estate of christian Religion in great reuerence and estimation and to shevve themselues louers of the same and that they ought also to be very diligent and carefull to punishe the blasphemers and contemners therof and vvithal to purge their dominions and realmes of al heretikes and Sectaries for the vvhich there is shevved many examples of erronious sects together vvith the false doctrine of Mahomet his life and death and by vvhat means and suttletie hee hath suborned and seduced so many people and hovv many Emperors kings princes after they had persecuted the faithefull of the Churche of God did not escape the sharpe vengeance of his vvrath but dyed in the end of some shamefull and horrible death WE haue here in this laste Chapter intreated generally of such vertues as are méete and cōuenable for Princes for the worthy gouernments of their realmes and dominions and now we will speake of one speciall vertue without the vse and practize wherof all the others are but vayne and of no value and that is holynesse and pietie towards God with an ardente affection and zele to hys true religion which with Princes ought to be had in more greater recommendacion and estimation than their owne proper liues Iosias one of the most vertuous princes that euer did bear scepter after that the booke of the lawe was found in the temple and that he had heard it red he assembled al the most auncients of the people and being accompained with all the Prophets and priests went into the Church and there sitting in hys seate royall made an allyaunce before God to obey to his commaundements statutes and ordinances and made all his subiects to promise that they should accomplish all the words of the same allyaunce according to the couenant of the God of their fathers which they did obserue and keepe during all the time of the life of this king Iosias There is one notable lesson writtē in Deuteronomie for kings and princes where it is sayd You Princes and kings whiche are set vppon the throne of your kingdomes receiue the lawe and haue it alwayes with you and reade it all the days of your life to the end you may learne to feare the Lord your God and to kepe his lawes and commaundementes and sée that it do not depart your mouths but thinke of it day and night that you may accomplish all that is written therin and then your realmes and kingdomes shall prosper with al ioy felicitie open your eares you that iudge the costes of the earth and rule the multitude and take pleasure in numbers of people authoritie and power is giuen you of the Lorde and strength from the highest who as Daniell sayeth chaungeth times and ages putteth downe Princes setteth them vp and choseth them amongst the most humbliest sorte of men Receiue discipline and be learned you that iudge the earth serue the Lorde in feare least he be wroth for he will looke vpon your dooings and will searche your thoughts bycause that you being ministers of hys kingdome haue not iudged rightly and iustly nor haue not regarded the lawe of righteousenesse nor haue not walked in the pathes of the lord He shal therfore appeare to you in his rigorous iudgement when he will iudge seuerely them that haue sitten in the seate of iudgemēt and the mightie ones shal be mightely tormented and punished Enter into your selues therfore you Princes and dispoyle your selues of these humain affections that holde your eyes blind acknowlege the graces that the Lord hath bestowed vppon you whiche are comprised in the secret misteries of this heauenly philosophie The kingdomes of Israell did alwayes prosper very well as long as they were gouerned by good and vertuouse Princes as Dauid Iosaphat Ezechiel and Iosias who had alwayes the feare of God before their eyes but to the contrary vnder Achab Manasses Ammon and other such wicked idolaters and cōtemners of true religion they were always tormented and afflicted and in the ende vtterly ouerthrowne For during the tyme that Salomon walked in the wayes of the Lorde he possessed his kingdom in tranquillitie but after that he had buylded temples to Idols all the worlde was agaynst him It is mans duetie and most chiefly required at the handes of Princes to haue the house of the pure and sacred places in remembraunce And specially those that are without reliefe decayed and become almoste ruinate by continuaunce of tyme according to the example of that good prince Dauid who spdéeily and with al diligence reedified the tabernacle and his sonne Salomon with a maruellous magnificence the Temple of the lord Zorobabel was greatly commended bycause that after from the captiuitie of Babylon by the ayde of Esdras he reedified the temple of the Lorde As likewise Iudas Machabeus did restore the temple polluted and prophaned by Antiochus But what a gracious testimonie haue we in Esay of the allyance that kings haue made with the Churche Where he sayth The kings and princes shal giue thée milke and shall be thy nursses they shall doo honour and reuerence vnto thée with their faces flat vppon the earth kings shall walke in thy lyght and shall buylde thy walles they shall bring vnto thée golde and siluer and shall serue thée thou shalte sucke the milke of nations and thou shalte bée nourished of the breastes and teates of princes Oh Jerusalem thou holy Citie of God all the countreys vppon the earth shall woorshippe thée strange nations shall bring thée presents and shall worship the Lorde in thée and shall account the earth holy where thou standest they that shall contemne thée shall be accursed and they that shall blaspheme thée shal be condemned But those that shall buylde thée shall be blissed By the patterne of this churche is figured the Christian Churche And when Kings and Princes haue established and set in order all things that is necessary concerning true religion they oughte with greate discretion and policie to deuise and establish lawes to chastise
and correct the infinite numbres of periuries blasphemies which do reigne amongs the people and that with suche seueritie as they may taste of their iustice And forasmuch as the maiestie of God is thereby contemned if by their negligence the same doo remaine vnpunished they shal be accomptable for it before God who will shoote the arrowes of his wrath vpon them and vpon the earth For if wée be ready and diligent to chastise them that be condemned of treason or that doo backbite speake euil of Kings and Princes that presently for the offence coÌ„mitted we hang them burne them quarter them and confiscate their goodes Why should we not be muche more zelous to pursue them that do coÌ„temne the Maiestie of God before whom and to whome all shall obey and bowe their knees specially béeing straightly commaunded therevnto by the Lorde where hee wylleth that blasphemers shall bée chased oute of the Citie and that the people shall stone them to death King Nabuchodonosor who of an abhominable tyraunte was becomme the disciple of Danyell did ordeyne that yf any Nation or people did blaspheme the name of the God of Danyell that he shoulde be cut in péeces Kyng Darius lykewyse wrote vnto all his subiects that they should feare the God of Daniel And we haue many examples of a great number of Kings Prophets apostles and byshops as Samuell Iosaphat Moyses Artaxerxes and Darius who dyd stone to death the blasphemers and amongst all others that good king Loys dyd make a lawe that suche blasphemers shoulde haue their tungs thruste through with an hote yron But this vice is so common at this day that if all that do offend therin should be thus punished all the Smithes vppon the earth wolde not suffise to heate the yrons seeing then it is so that Kings and Princes be patrons proctours and the children of the Churche they ought to girde theyr swords about their loynes for the honoure and glory of God as the Psalmist doothe teache them that is to say they should imploy all their chief study and care therin and to trauell by all meanes possible to clense their realmes and dominions of these rauening wolues false Prophets seducers of the people erronious teachers and hipocrites that wolde séeme to bée discréet and sage before the eyes of the world and to be wise in their owne conceites and yet in deede are but asses and fooles replenished with all ignoraunce and blindnesse blinde and leaders of the blinde resisters of the holy Ghost and the truth and giuen vp into a reprobate sense For Sathan the prince of this world as S. Paule writeth doth so bleare their eyes and so shut vp their minds that hauing their eyes open they sée not and in hearing they heare not And this procedeth of the furiouse rage of the Deuill who stirreth them vp ageinst God and the ministers of his worde And such troublers and persecuters of the Churche haue begon and endured euen from the time that Iesus Christ our redemer ascended into Heauen vntill the tyme of the emperor Constantine the great which coÌ„tinued nere 300. yeres during which time the poore church was maruelously afflicted and troubled as vnder the gouernement of Nero Domitianus Traianus Adrianus Anthonius Seuerus and Diocletianus For alwayes when it was thought the Churche to be in most best peace and traÌ„quilitie wherby mennes harts waxed carelesse with ouermuch ydlenesse and want of zele and suche as ought to haue bin the chief conseruers and mainteiners of true and sincere doctrine wer negligent and had no regard therof then by and by the Deuill stirred vp sturdy and furiouse sprites flattering and ambicious mindes to sowe false doctrine to deface the truthe and dyd ingender greate confusion in the Church as when by the meanes of Constantine the great the Churche had gotten some tranquillitie and rest beholde incontinentlye the furie of the Arrians Pelagians Manichees Eunomyens Macedoniens Nestorians Eutychiens and many others béeganne to spring vp to so greate a hinderaunce and decaye of the Christian common welth that the woundes thereof hathe well appeared too all the posteritie folowyng and not staying at all these persecutions but euen then that false Prophet Mahomet most wicked of all others béeganne to exalte himselfe who by his cruell malyce hath infected the moste part of the earth And for as muche as his beginning is recounted sundry wayes by many Aucthours too the end I would giue some pleasure too the Reader and to satysfie the requeste of a Gentlemanne a fréende of myne and for as muche also as iuste occasyon is nowe offered I will faythfully and truely rehearse that whyche I haue redde as well in his Alkâ—ron as in other auncient authours and some others that of late haue written any thing of his lyfe And bycause that no man shal think that I do write here vppon the reporte or credyte of others or that I haue heerevnto added or diminished any thing after myne owne fantasye or deuyse I wyll gyue the Reader to vnderstand what Aucthours I haue chiefly followed in this treatise to the end that yf he bée desyrous to haue a more full or ample Discourse hereof I wil send hym to Aeneas Syluius otherwyse called Pope Iâ—â—us Pomponius Latus in the abridgement of the Romain historie Platina in the life of the popes Blondus in hys booke of the fall of the Empire of Rome Nauclerus Baptist Egnatius in his abridgement of the emperours Paulus Iouius Lodouicus Viues in a certeine treatise of his the Alcoran it selfe of Mahomet and also Alcimadus his interpreter vppon Caalay which he commended vppon A. Berosus vpon Cyar of the acts of Mahomet Hayn Moymu Mustlin And if he be not satisfied with al these ancient authours I haue hereunto adioyned the testimonie of those which haue bin of late dayes in Turky and haue had the experience and proof of al these matters as Petrus Belon who diligently hath written all things which he obserued in that his iorney And Bartholomeus Georgieniso who continued there the space of nine or ten yeres and was sold and boughte there fiue or six times hath written vnto vs all his whole vyage whose testimonies I will here remeÌ„ber chiefly for two causes the one is for that I might assure the reader that in this little discourse which I do here present vnto him he shall find the perfect summarie of all that any others haue written before The other cause is wholly to extinguish and take away the greate desire that many haue to reade the sayd Alcoran in which they suppose to finde some greate straunge and maruelous matter but assuredly they are farre deceiued of their accompte for in reading thereof they shall finde no kind of pleasure at all nor no phrase or propertie of words well vsed but rather a disordered stile without sappe or sauoure or any sentence or other matter else therin that might delight or
ambition to couetousnesse and without all measure desyrous too lyue onely giuen to superstition onely to care for things that shall come after him and in conclusion he is only subiect to enuie and malice and other beastes liue in peace and quietnesse with those of theyr owne kinde the Lyons vse no crueltie ageynst the Lyons the Serpents doo not pursue one an other but Man is onely enimie to man hys owne kinde Wherefore some Philosophers as Heraclitus and suche others did duryng all their lyfe tyme bewayle the calamities and miseries of mankynd For he always when hée passed thorough the stréetes accompanyed his steppes with teares for he did well consider and sée that all our lyfe dyd consiste in nothing but miserie and wretchednesse and all things wherein menne were exercysed did séeme vntoo him woorthy compassion as well for their paine and trauell as for the offences and sinne that they dyd dayly committe And the better to consider at his pleasure of the miserie of this our humain life he sequestred himself from out al companie and strayed about in the deserts liuing vpon fruit and rootes He did vpon a tyme write a letter to king Darius as Diogenes Laertius sayeth wherin he did aduertise him that all the inhabitants of the earth were corrupted and wicked and that they had Iustice in contempte and hatred and gaue them selues to vayne glory and auarice and that they were flatterers and couetous men and séeing them thus oute of order sayde he I determine with my selfe to eschue their companie and to searche oute solitarye places the better to enter into contemplation and miserable lamentation least I shoulde be partaker of their wickednesse There was an other Philosopher called Democritus muche lyke vnto him that did as much lament the miseries and wretchednesse of our lyfe as he but after a more strange manner for he always passing through the streetes did nothing else but laugh continually with open mouth and being demaunded of him the occasion of his disordinate laughter he aunswered that the dooings of mankynde deserued nothing else but perpetuall mockerie and that all our humaine lyfe was but vanitie and foolishnesse and all the desires and appetites of men were but fondnesse grounded vppon ambition auarice hatred malice and suche other lyke vices And hee béeing thus plunged into the contemplation of these things wente vp and downe the stréetes laughing as the other did weeping Other Philosophers write that it had ben good for man neuer to haue beÌ„ borne or else as soone as he was born presently to haue died Theodorus a Gréeke Poet by these verses folowing doth confirme the same Happie is hee most happie is that man Whose happe so good as neuer borne to bee Or if he bee twice happie is he than Quickly to dye for so at ease is hee Assured well when earth hath him in store That none afflict shall touche him any more And Possidippus Ciniciensis in his first boke of his Greke Epigrams hath very wel described the incertitude of maÌ„s life and the miseries wherwith he is continually afflicted Tell me frende I pray thee what sure way to finde To liue in the worlde without carke and care of mynde What way shall J treade what trauell shall J assay The Courts of plea by brall and hate dryue peace away Jn house with wyfe and chylde muche ioye is very rare With trauayle and toyle inough in fieldes we vse to â—are Vppon the sea lyeth dreade the ryche in forreyne lande Doo feare the losse and the poore lyke mysers poorely stande Wyfe without stryfe is very rare and harde to see Yong brats a trouble and with great care brought vp they bee Youthe fonde age hath no harte and pincheth all too nye Choose then one of these two no lyfe or soone to dye It is not then without good cause that the great heuenly Philosopher Iob the very exaÌ„ple of pacience did lament the houre of his natiuitie wished that he had ben caried from his mothers womb to his graue in so much that he cursed the daye that he was brought forth into this miserable world and the night in which he was coÌ„ceiued And that good holy prophet Hieremie saÌ„ctified in the womb of his mother did lameÌ„t the day of his birth desiring that the time that his mother did coÌ„ceiue him might not be blissed adding to it afterwards Wherfore said he am I come out of my mothers wombe to sée al this miserie troubles As likewise the maruellous oracle of wisdom Salomon sayth in Ecclesiast that the day of his death shold be better to him thaÌ„ the day of his natiuitie knowing very wel that our life is but a sea of misery and tribulation Whervppon that notable doctor S. Hierom explicating vpon the passage of this our life proueth by many reasons that those that fight against the assaults of sin in this caducall life be in a miserable case in respect of the felicitie of the dead whiche are discharged therof And that famous Greke doctour Origene vppon the exposition of these wordes The woman that hath conceyued sede and hathe ingendred a man chylde shall be vncleane exaggerating the calamities of our lyfe wryteth that he neuer red in any author that euer the Saints or any other that haue made any profession of our religion did celebrate the day of the natiuitie with banket or feast or the day of the birthe of theyr chyldren but the wicked onely did reioyce at the daye of their natiuitie as it is written in the olde Testament that Pharao king of Egipt did and in the new Testament Herode who celebrating their natiuities with greate triumph didde pollute and and defyle the same with the effusion of innocent bloud For the one did vppon the same day murther his chiefe baker the other caused the head of S. Iohn the Prophete to be cut off but sayde he it was farre from the thoughts of the holy and vertuous men to solemnize such days with any token of reioycing or gladnesse For they rather had the same in horrour and hatred and did blaspheme the same as did Iob and Ieremie with many others which they wold neuer haue done if they had not knowne some thing therein worthy of malediction And truly if we wil wel wey consider the wickednesse that is in this miserable frayle life and wil haue a sure faith in the gospel of Iesus Christ a firme stedfast hope in the resurrection of eternal life we shal haue iust occasion to follow the maner of doings that the Thracians did vse other Paynims who had no hope that there was any other life they wold go always to the burying of their frends with much ioy gladnesse assuring themselues that they wer most happie whiche were deliuered from the calamities and troubles of this life as to the contrary at the birth of their childreÌ„ they did lament for the troubles sorowes
Persians the Meedes the Grekes nor of the Romanes who were called the Garramants and he béeing very ambitious of suche matters minded to visite them in his iourney and when he arriued in their Prouince he commaunded that the wysest and sagest amongs them should come and speake with him that he might vnderstande the maners customes and order of liuing of those people who séemed vnto him to be men farre estraunged from the fashions and dooings of the common vsage of other men whereof when the Garramants were aduertised without any more deliberation sent vnto hym presently an olde man frée and franke in words and stoute in his countenaunce and one that had neuer ben feared for the presence of any Prince Emperour or Monarche who béeing arriued afore him after that he had made his due reuerence began to beholde him with a Philosophers eye and knowing very well Alexanders humor that he was not come into their countrey for any other intente but to make him selfe Lorde and Prince thereof firing his countenaunce immoueable vppon his face lyke a man that had ben halfe in an extasie sayde to him Tell me I pray thee O thou Alexander what wouldest thou haue what is thy meaning what is thy will and purpose doest not thou sufficiently giue knowledge to the face of the whole world that thou arte possessed with an insatiate greedynesse and an inordinate couetousnesse which for a transitory ambition that vanisheth away as the smoke arte not afearde to pouerishe many to make thy selfe onely riche nor arte not ashamed of the complayntes and lamentations of the poore widows and of an infinite nuÌ„ber of wretched myserable people which thou hast dispossessed of their lands to make thy selfe vniuersall Monarche of the whole earth nor hast thou no regard of the effusion of the bloud of so many poore Innocents but thus with infamy to make thy name euerlasting and immortalize thy selfe for euer yet if thou couldest by thy cruel battels bloudie victories enioy the lyues of them which thou doest kill to increase prolong thyne owne lyfe as thou doest inherite their goods to augment thy renowne although it were wicked yet it were tollerable But to what purpose serueth it thée to take away their liues when thou thy selfe lookest euery houre that the Gods shall take thyne Oh Alexander yet if thy desire had any ende and that it were bordered and limitted as the kingdomes bee which thou doest conquere thou wouldest then giue some hope to the people of thy amendemente to come but know thou oh Alexander to what ende this will come vnto the Gods shall giue for a penaunce vnto thée and to all suche ambitious hearts as thine is which are neuer satisfied nor contented that assoone as death is ready to close vp your mouths and when you are at the last poynt of life you shall haue so great an vnquietnesse of conscience for those things which you haue so vniustly heaped gathered togithers that it shall be more gréeuous and harder for you to digest than if ye should suffer a thousand deathes togithers And so this old man hauing ended al his discourse stoode still immoueable for a space before Alexander aspecting some answere of him but Alexander féeling him selfe touched inwardly was tossed with many imaginations at the reasons of that wise sage philosopher and in such sort that this spirits were ouercome and vanquished not able to vtter the effect of his minde to make him any answere by reason whereof béeing confounded and condemned in him selfe for his enterprises he returned from thence immediately without hurting or any wayes annoying the Garramants The Emperour Tiberius a cruell man in all his doings was not moued when it was told him that many did murmure and speake euill of his cruelties and tyrannies but answered to them that perswaded him to bée reuenged vppon those that so murmured agaynst him that he coulde very well occupie him selfe otherwise and saide that mens tongues ought to be frée in a frée Citie Moyses that great law giuer of the Lorde hath lefte vs also maruellous testimonies of pacience modestie who although he was many times tormented vexed with his people yea euen that they were ready to stone him to death yet whatsoeuer assaults these sturdy people did make against him they could neuer driue him from his humilitie nor put him out of pacience but to the contrary he dyd by his continuall prayers which he made to the Lorde appease the malice and furie which they had vniustly conceyued agaynst him The Historiens doo wryte that two olde women dyd addresse them selues to a king and an Emperour the one to king Demetrius the other to the Emperor Adrianus praying theÌ„ instaÌ„tly that they might haue iustice ministred for a certen violence which one had don to them But these Princes being occupied with other affayres did aunswere them that they must for a time deferre the matter for that they could not intende it at that present whereat the women beeing gréeued sayd vnto theÌ„ that then they ought to giue vp their Empires to others for princes muste sayde they be at all times of the day ready to protect defende the afflicted and euer willing to render iustice and righte to eche one and with that charge yée doo receiue your dignities and kingdomes And yet notwithstanding al these words neither of these Princes were moued or angrie and they perceyuing the earnestnesse of these matrons began to smile and presently gaue them audience and did them iustice And Ioseph that great Patriarke beeing so cruelly handled at his brothers hands in stéede of reuenging him selfe he delyuered them from famine which did oppresse them so muche that they knew not where to haue any succour or helpe Denis the Tyraunt king of Siâ—ilia by force who hath borne a gret name of crueltie amongs others and a man hated almoste of all persons vsed neuer the lesse curtesie towards an old woman suche as foloweth As he was vppon a time aduertised that she prayed vnto the Gods dayly for hys long lyfe and health where to the contrary he knew that all the rest of the people wished his death and ouerthrow as the very pestilence of their common wealth did commaunde hir to be called before him and he dyd earnestly require hir to tell him for what cause she prayed so often to the Gods for his lyfe seeing that he knew very well that all the rest of the people desired his death This olde woman who knew not how to counterfeyte did discouer vnto him hir meaning therein and sayde My soueraigne Lorde when I was a yong woman this Prouince was gouerned with a cruell Tyraunt whose life was so noysome to me that I did continually wishe his death and to the ende my desire might take place I prayed hartely to the Gods in the Temple that they would deliuer the people from the bondage of that Tyraunt and that they would sende
one hyre one paine hauing one enimy whiche is Sathan all subiect to passions equall to receiue death Now that I haue sufficiently intreated of peace and warres the commodities of the one the incoueniences of the other I wil shew you also how by what meanes ye may win and enioy peace There is no medicine more mete to eschue warres discord then to flée from insatiate ambition loue of ourselues desire to reueÌ„ge and rule whiche is the very spring and fountaine from whence floweth al occasions of strife and debate as the Prophet Esay saith Cursed be you that ioyne house with house land with lande thinke you to dwel vppon the earth alone This is also verifyed by Moyseâ— gods minister when he sheweth to the people that their sins are the cause of the warres where he saith If ye do not obey my coÌ„maundements but do contemn my iudgements preceptes I wyl set my face agaynst you and you shal fal béefore your enemyes and they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and yée shall flee when no manne shall followe you I will sende a swoorde vppon you whyche shall be a reuenger of my Testamentes that yée haue broken and violated and yée shall bée giuen in praye to youre enemyes As the holy Prophete doothe confyrme in an other place where he saythe If my people had hearkned vnto mée and that Jsrael had walked in my ways I wold haue humbled their enimies before them and I would haue layd my hand vpon them that they should haue ben ouerthrowne Note a little how the Lorde hath afflicted his people by warres to chasten them for their sinnes and wickednesse specially for the vice of idolatrie Somtimes by the Madianites somtims by the Chananites sometime by the Philistians other sometime by the Ammonâ—â—â—s and other people their neighbors Which thing Iosua did pronosticate to them but how cruelly were they plagued by the king of Assyrians and broughte into seruitude and al bicause they did forsake the Lord their God and worshipped the calues of Ieroboam howe were the people of Iuda plaged by Nabuchodonosor bicause they coÌ„mitted idolatrie as Ieremie the Prophet did prophecie to them Ye must not therfore maruell as the Prophet Oseas sayth yf blood séeke blood seeing that fraude hatred couetousnesse and fornication raigneth vpon the earth Wée sée at the eye how the hande of God is not abbreuiated we sée how that he shooteth off the arrowes of his wrath ageynst vs hée stretcheth foorth his hande as the Prophete sayeth and stryketh vs in his furie bycause oure greate offences doo stirre and prouoke hym dayely theretoo Lette vs therefore chaunge oure lyues and tourne to goodnesse Lette vs drawe oure féete from crooked wayes and hee wyll appease his wrathe For hée is gentle euen in his anger as the Prophete Ioell doothe wryte Tourne you too the Lorde of Hostes sayeth Zachary and he will tourne too you Hearken howe Ieremie the holy Prophete doothe exalte and magnifye the mercye of the Lorde Thou haste sayeth hée commytted whooredome wyth many naughtie women yet turne to mée and I will receiue thée wée haue all committed fylthynesse wyth the fleshe the Diuell and the Worlde and yet alwayes the Lorde is ready to stretche oute hys hande too vs this is the father of mercie consolation The people of Israell as the scriptures testifie haue ben very prompt to commit al euil and for punishment the Lord did always render theÌ„ into the hands and seruitude of others to punish them But alwayes when they repented he sente them one to deliuer theÌ„ out of the yoke and seruitude to restore them to the first state and libertie The people of Iuda after that they had remained a long time for their abhominable sinnes in the seruitude and bondage of Babilon the Lorde in the ende moued with pitie restored them to their former felicitie Dauid being driuen to fight by his sonne Absolon fled bare footed and bare headed all discomforted with sorowe through the deserts yet was he through his humilitie restored to his kingdom again The harts of Kings and Princes be in the hands of the Lord he wil turne them what way it pleaseth him sayth the wise man And all these examples which we haue produced heere before tende to none other ende but to declare to the people that all the warres and persecutions that come vppon them happen not by chance but they procéede from the secrete iudgementes of God who dothe permit them to the entent he woulde punishe their offences in the which they are greatly buried He suffereth that they shal be wakened from their delites and pleasures by the scourge of warre which he stirreth vp against them by their neighbors as S. Austen saithe in Ciuitate Dei. And as for you Ministers of the Church and such as make profession to preach the woorde of God I would wishe you shuld bend your selues altogither to speake against warres and barke and crie out all with one open voice againste the same and let your pulpets and all other your publike places sounde of none other thing but of peace and exhorte all Princes continually to concorde and vnion Oh how beautifull sayth the Prophet be the féete of them that preache Peace And S. Paule also exhorteth vs to pray for Kings and Princes that the Lorde will suffer them to ende the course of their liues in peace As likewise the Jewes being in Babylon with Ieconias king of Iuda did wryte to their brethren that were at Jerusalem that they shuld pray for Nabuchodonozor king of Babilon for his sonne Balthazar that they mighte liue in peace with them and finde grace before them And further Ieremie enspired with the holy ghost did instruct the Jewes that were in bondage at Babilon that they shuld pray for the Citie that they were in to the end that it being in peace they also mighte enioy the same You see loe how the Lord wold that his people shuld pray for the Ethnikes that were without God without law Howe much more are we bouÌ„d of duetie to pray for Christian Princes And aboue all things we muste take good héede that we put not the oyl into the fire to make it flame as did that miserable Achitophel that stirred Absolon against his father who in the end receiued a shamefull deathe in satisfaction of his offence As likewise the priest Abiather bicause he coÌ„sented to such wicked couÌ„sel was put out of his sacerdotal dignity Nowe I will conuerte my spéeche to you Monarches Emperoures Kings and Princes and others being in authoritie of whom the pore people do depend You I say that are their soules and their heads enter into your selues and be not caryed away with your owne affections be such towards your subiectes as the faithful fathers of the houshold are towardes their children following the Counsel of that
great Emperor Cesar who saide that the good shephearde doothe neuer pull the skinnes of the shéepe but taketh only the fléece And call to your remembrance Oh ye Princes that they are men as ye are free as ye are Christians as yée are boughte with the same bloude and shall be iudged by the same iudge that yee are issued all out of one stocke and roote and that you differ in nothing but in a litle transitorie dignitie which shall vanishe away as the smoake and you shall haue no preheminence before god Remembre the voice of your great king Iesus Christe who dothe exhorte you to embrace peace Beholde with your pitifull eyes the poore widowes with a great numbre of Orphanes whose lamentations dothe pierce euen to the throne of god Remember also how that we all shall be accomptable of our liues and shall all appeare before one iudge who will not lose one haire of oure heades but hathe saide vnto vs that from the bloude of Abell the first that was slaine euen vnto the laste man he will not lose one drop of bloude that shall not be accompted for before him by those that haue cruelly shed the same The thirtenth Chapter Hovv hurtfull incontinencie is to Princes and hovve that the same hathe bene the cause of the ruine and destruction of many realmes and kingdoms vvith also a Treatise of the dignitie and excellencie of the honourable state of Matrimonie THe obseruation of all the things before written are not sufficiente to make a Prince apte and méete to gouerne anye Empire or kingdome if further he be not deliteful and careful to clense his court of one kind of vice which hath bene in time past so familiar amōg Kings princes and Emperors that it hath bene wholly the cause of the ruine of thē selues and their subiectes Which vice bicause it is a matter that procéedeth of nature and that it dothe something please and bewitch our senses the cure thereof is the more difficile and daungerous to be practised and specially vpon yong princes who as yet haue not experimented the rigoures and assaultes of Fortune Wherfore there must be vsed great paine and diligence in the beginning to resist and fight against the same for after it is once in full possession of vs euen those that be moste best armed for it shall sometimes finde themselues impeached and troubled The vice which I doe intende to speake of is the incontinēcie that is vsed with women to which if the Prince or any other gouernor dothe once giue himselfe in pray he can not chuse in this world a more redier way to destroy bothe him selfe and his people And bicause the doctrine heerof may be better learned how to eschue the same we wil lay before your eyes by examples the greeuous punishments that the Lord our God hath sent to suche Princes and Prouinces as haue bene defiled with this wicked vice And we wil begin our discourse by the afflictions specially wherewith he hath plaged and tormented his owne people for this abhominable sinne of incontinencie First of all whoredome and other horrible filthinesse vsed amongs the people was the cause of the vniuersal floude and that God did poure downe his wrathe vpon earthe Fiue famous Cities as it is wrytten in the Bookes of Moyses in the olde Testament were destroyed for their wantonnesse and dissolute life In the Boke of Numbres is shewed for the like offences twelue Princes were hanged and foure twentie thousande men died In Leuiticus yee may see howe that the Chananians were ouerthrowne for their incest and filthinesse In the Booke of the Iudges you shall reade that all the tribe of Beniamin were destroied for the adulterie committed with the wife of a Leuite In the booke of kings also you shall perceiue greuous plages were sente to Dauid for his adoultrie Salomon likewise for the same cause did commit Idolatrie and was giuen vp to a reprobate minde The Prophet Ieremie dothe say that the chéefe cause of the ruine and destruction of Jerusalem was for adultrie And many realmes and kingdomes haue suffered chaunge and alteration of their gouernment and haue bene transferred to others for the causes aboue named Troy the proude for the rauishment of Helen was destroyed Thebes the populous for the rape of Chrisippus and for the incest of Oedippus was punished The gouernement of kings were banished out of Rome for the rauishment of Lucretia And Aristotle in his Pollitikes doth say that whoredome and adultrie be the principal causes of the ruine and destruction of realmes and kingdomes Pausanias that great renoumed Prince for that he did defloure and afterwardes kil the daughter of Bizance was aduertised by a spirite oute of a piller of his ende and deathe at hande a thing very prodigious that wicked spirites shall giue acknowledge of the confusion and paine that is prepared for wicked men which thing was founde to be true afterwardes in him for he died as the piller had foresaid to him These smal numbre of examples by vs thus manifested I doe thinke shoulde be sufficient to pull backe and withdraw yong Princes and all other that haue giuen them selues to incontinencie from the inordinate affection thereof And as touching Olde man S Augustine a zealous rebuker of vices in his Ciuitate Dei dothe teache them how they should tame this slipperie desire and lust of the fleshe where he sayth althoughe lecherie be detestable and horrible in all ages yet it is most abhominable and monstrous in olde age Afterwardes folowing his discourse he wryteth this that foloweth to the vtter cōfusion and ignomie of all old leachers Thinke sayth he howe muche it displeaseth God to sée an olde man that hathe a graie heade his féete full of goute his mouthe without téethe his raines charged with the stone his face writhled his eyes holowe his handes shaking his head séeming none other than the head of a drie Anatomie and that which is woorse one that looketh euery houre that deathe the earth and the woormes shoulde sommon him to appeare before the dreadfull iudgement seate of god And yet neuerthelesse in despite of all these and his yeares wil leaue the briole to his incontinent minde and filthie luste and wil kindle his icie hart maugre this age which things truely are a testimonie of reprobation and a certaine argument that the moste gréeuous parte of hell are reserued for them For he hathe neither nature nor other prouocation of the fleshe that dothe leade or induce him to suche incontinencie but a very disordinate custome that he is falne in in the which withoute any feare of the iudgement of God he will continue euen vnto his graue And it was truely spoken of S. Paule the true louer and aduauncer of chastitie wryting to the Ephesians when he sayd that there can be no greater punishmente for an adulterer than to be blinded in his filthinesse that he cannot sée the iudgements and