reasons First that they might remember th◠creation of the world for in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth and all that therein is and rested the seuenth day Secondly that they might assemble together gratefully thanke his diuine maiesty for his daily blessing powred down vpon them Thirdly that they might recreat refresh and repose themselues to th' end they might labour the next week more aptly Fourthly the Sabaoth is to be obserued by reason it is the seuenth day which number containeth great and hidden mysteries The skie is gouerned by seuen Planets The reuolutiō of time is accomplished in seuen dayes which wee call weekes God commaunded Noah to take into his arke cleane beasts fowle by seuens Pharaoh dreamed that he saw seuen fat kine and seuen leane Dauid deliuered seuen of Sauls sonnes to the Gibeonites to be hanged Christ being termed the first stone of God hath seuē eyes Seuen thousand men did God reserue that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Zachariah in a vision saw a candlesticke of gold with a bowle vpon the top of it and seuen lampes therein and seuen pipes to the lampes Iob had seuen sonnes Seuen Angels go forth before God Neither were the seuen brethren whom Antiochus put to death voyd of a mystery S. Iohn in the Reuelation sawe seuen golden Candlestickes and in the middest of them the Sonne of man hauing in his right hand seuen starres Moreouer he saw the opening of the seuenth seale and the seuen Angels which stood before the Lord to whome were giuen seuen trumpets The Antichrist is prophesied to sit vpon a scarlet coloured beast which hath◠seuen heads By which as all true Christians be perswaded the Pope and his Cardinals attired in Scarlet his seuen hilled city of Rome are meant What more shall I write of the worthinesse of this seuēfold number mans life goeth by seuens named climactericall yeers which Macrobius hath well obserued Sith therefore it hath pleased God so to esteeme of this number let vs Christians honour the same as fearing the scourage of the commaunder It was ordained by a good and godly act made in y e parliament of Scotlād in the yeere of our Lord 1512. being the one and twentieth yeere of the raigne of Iames the fourth that no markets nor fayres should be holden on the Sabaoth day Which act King Iames the sixt that nowe is by the consent of his three estates ratified and approoued in the Parliament holden in the yeere 1579. cōdemning the breakers of the Sabaoth to forfeit all their moueables to the vse of the poore within that parish where they dwelt It was likewise there enacted that no handy-work should be vsed on y t Sabaoth nor any gaming playing passing to Tauernes nor wilfull remaining from prayer and Sermons should bee in any case exercised vnder the penalties following to wit of euerie man for his labouring as often as he was taken in the fact ten shillings and of euerie person for gaming playing passing to Tauernes and wilfull remaining from praier and Sermons on the sunday twentie shillings to bee presently payed and imployed to the releefe of the poore in their parish I could wish that some speedy good order were taken here in Englād for the breakers of the Sabaoth For many now a-dayes hauing beene idle all the weeke before doe of set contumacie labour that day in despight of the Lord his Sabaoth Some frō morning to euening do nothing els but play at dice or tables swearing staring at the least crosse of fortune Others againe be delighted with reading of pāphlets louebooks ballads such like neuer once so deuout as to name God vnlesse shamefully abusing him Oh how oftē do they vse on that day vnseemly speeches the very Turks I feare me go beyond them in deuotion For they duly on their festiual daies resort to their Churches neuer once gazing or looking aside as long as seruice lasteth The seruice being ended they go home each mā to his house inuiting humbly beseeching the priests to beare them cōpany with whō they questiō touching diuine matters not by carping nicking nipping but with pure simplicity feruent care wheras many of vs Christians contrariwise do openly prophane not only holidaies but also the Lords day yet they terme themselues Christians Christiās O coūterfeit Christiās worse thē Painims Me thinks if nothing else could moue you yet the daily myraculous punishments inflicted on such prophane persons as you bee should bee a terrible warning for you At Kinstat a towne in France dwelled a certain couetous woman about fortie yeres ago who was so eager in gathering together worldly pelfe that shee would neither frequent the church to heare the word of God on sunday her selfe nor yet permit any of her familie to do it but alway toyled about pilling and drying of flaxe neither would shee bee disswaded by her neighbours frō such an vnseasonable work One sunday as she was thus busied fire seemed to fall downe among the flaxe without doing any hurt The next sunday it tooke fire indeed but was soone quenched For all this shee continued forwarde in her worke euen the third Sunday when the flaxe againe taking fire could not be extinguished till it had burnt her two of her childrē to death for though they were recouered out of the fire aliue yet y e next day they all 3. died that which was most to be wondred at a yong infant in the Cradle was taken out of the midst of the flame without any hurt Thus God punisheth the breakers of y e sabaoth Famous is that example which chanced neere London in the yeere of our Lord 1583. on the thirteenth day of Ianuarie being Sunday at Paris garden where there met together as they were wont an infinite number of people to see the beare-baiting without any regard of that high day But in the middest of their sports all the scaffolds and galleries sodainely fell downe in such wise that two hundred persons were crushed well nigh to death besides eight that were killed forthwith In the yeere of our Lord 1589. I being as then but a boy do remember that an Alewife making no exception of dayes would needes brue vpon Saint Markes day but loe the maruailous worke of God whiles she was thus laboring the top of the chimney tooke fire and before it could bee quenched her house was quite burnt Surely a gentle warning to them that violate and prophane forbidden dayes Notwithstanding I am not so straight laced that I would not haue any labour done on Sundayes and holy dayes For I confesse It is lawfull to fight in our countries defence on any daie It is lawfull to enter into the bath and it is lawfull for Phisicians and Apothecaries to temper and prepare medicines for the sicke and for cookes to dresse meate for our sustenance It is lawfull for vs
fathers vertues but liued wickedly should be disinherited their reuenewes giuen to the most vertuous of that race not admitting any vitious heyre whatsoeuer The properties of a Gentleman Chap. 15. THe meanes to discerne a Gentleman bee these First hee must bee affable and courteous in speech and behauiour Secondly hee must haue an aduenturous heart to fight and that but for verie iust quarrels Thirdly hee must bee endued with mercie to forgiue the trespasses of his friendes and seruants Fourthly hee must stretch his purse to giue liberally vnto souldiours and vnto them that haue neede for a niggard is not worthie to bee called a Gentleman These bee the properties of a Gentleman which whosoeuer lacketh deserueth but the title of a clowne or of a countrie boore In breefe it fareth with Gentlemen as it doth with wine which ought to haue foure good qualities namely it must not taste of the Caske next it must sauour of a good soyle Thirdly it must haue a good colour Last of all it must sauour of the goodnes of the grape and not bee sophistically mingled with water and such like That Gentlemen must not greatly respect what the common people speake of them Chap. 16. THe common people groūd their actions vpō fallible expectations they are stout when perils bee farre off and very irresolute when they approach Who therefore is so brainesicke as to beleeue their assertions What else is glorie then a windie gale neuer comming from the heart but onely from the lungs They that be praysed vnworthily ought to bee ashamed of their praise Admit they bee iustly praised what thing more hath it augmented to the conscience of a wise man that measureth not his good by the rumour of the common people but by the trueth of the conscience For which cause the Romanes built two temples ioyning together the one being dedicated to vertue the other to honour but yet in such sort that no man could enter into that of honour except first hee passed through the temple of vertue Honor as the Philosopher sayth is a reuerence giuen to another for a testimonie of his vertue Insomuch as honor is not attributed to vertue by dignitie but rather it is attributed to dignity by vertue of them that vse the dignitie Howbeit notwithstanding I haue not such horny heart-strings that I would not at al haue mē to be praysed but my meaning is that Gentlemen should obserue a meane and a limitation in their common applauses and fine soothings For to bee altogether carelesse as Stoykes Cynicks would haue euerie one to be what men think of thē is not onely a marke of arrogancy but also a token of a loose life Wherefore gentlemen must endeuour by al meanes without vain-glory to keep a good name especially among their neighbors to beare themselues such men indeede as they would haue al men account thē Wherto accordeth that saying of the Poet Thou shalt liue well if thou takest care to be such a one as thou hearest how the people testifie of thee abroad Of Knights of honour Chap. 17. THose I call knights of honour who here in England are named Knights of the Garter and in France Knights of the order of saint Michael The original of the honorable order of the Garter was first inuented after this maner Whē K. Edward the third had by the means of Edward the blacke Prince his sonne taken captiues King Iohn of France and King Dauid of Scotland and had put them both in ward at London and also had expelled King Henrie the bastard of Spaine restoring the Kingdome to Peter the lawfull King then he to honor and grace his victories deuised an honourable fellowship and made choyse of the most famous persons for vertue and honoured them with this order giuing thē a garter adorned with gold and pretious stones together with a buckle of gold to weare onely on the left legge Of which order hee and his successors Kings and Queenes of England should be soueraigne and the rest by certaine lawes among themselues should bee taken as brethren and fellowes in that order to the number of sixe and twentie And this breefely touching the inuention and authour of the honourable order of Knights here in England Now I will addresse my pen to write of the honourable order in France King Lewes the eleuenth of France after he had made peace with his peeres whom in the beginning of his raigne he had excluded from his presence inuented at Amboise in the yeere of our Lord 1469. a societie of honour consisting of sixe and thirtie Noblemen and named Saint Michael Patron of them euen as the English knights had deuoted themselues to the tuition of Saint George giuing ot each of them a golden chaine of the value of two hundred pound which they were bound to weare daily not to bestow sell or gage the same as long as they liued if any one of them chanced to die forthwith there was an election to dubbe another in his roome not by voyces but by litle scrowles turned together in the forme of balles the which they did cast into a bason and the Lord Chauncelour was to reckon them Then he that had most balles on his side was admitted to the societie the King speaking these words The honourable societie do accept of thee as their brother and in regard of their good wil to thee-wards do bestow this golden chaine on thee God grāt thou maist long weare it When the King had spoken these words hee gaue him a kisse on the right cheek This is the custome of dubbing kinghts of the order of Saint Michael Also there be other orders of knights in Christendome as the kinghts of the golden Fleece knights of the Bathe knights of the patent deuised by y e Pope and knights of the Rhodes But because the rehearfall of them are not much appertaining to our purpose I cease to treate further of them Of Citizens Chap. 18. HE that first inuented a citie was the cause of much good The which praise some attribute vnto eloquent men Some to Saturne And others to Orpheus and Amphion For in the beginning of the world people liued barbarously like vnto bruit beasts and the nature of man was such that they not hauing eyther the law naturall or ciuill prescribed rogued vp and downe dispersed in the world possessed nothing except that which by force they tooke away from others til there arose some notable men both in wisedome and valour who knowing howe it was to instruct man assembled all of them into one place ordamed a Citie and enuironed them round about with walles Further Citizens in generall are they that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates But Citizens particularly are they that are free-men do dwel in Cities and boroughs or corporated townes Generally in the shire they be of no account saue onely in the Parliament to
mildly and modestly towards their inferiours The sixt that Princes bee not partiall in their subiects factions The seuenth the Prince his Coūcell must not giue care to euery tale and crafty deuice for it may be that the enemy hath his intelligence in the realme The eight to cast out Heretickes and Schismatickes frō amōg the people The ninth to muster traine the people once a moneth in martiall affaires The tenth is to discard stageplayes vsury extorsiō bribes and such like abominable vices Of Taxes and Subsidies Chap. 60. THe peace and tranquillity of a commonwealth can neuer be had without souldiours nor souldiours without maintenance pay not pay cā be purchased without taxes and subsidies which are the lawfull reuenewes of the Prince to maintaine his Realme But thou wilt say taxes and subsidies bee for the common good of the Realme not for the Princes maintenaunce To which I answere that the Prince may likewise vse taxes and subsidies to his priuat royalty which is after a maner conioyned with the honour of the Princely state that hee beareth How is it possible for a Prince to beare a stately port vnlesse hee hath sufficient reuenewes Let therefore all true hearted subiectes giue vnto Cesar that which is Cesars tribute to whome tribute belongeth and custome to whome custome Without this ground we had long since been a pray vnto our enemies The Scots would haue swalowed vs vp The Spaniards also would haue triūphed cruelly massacred vs as they did the poore Indians None but wizards and niggards will seeke to be exempted from contributions shake off the necessary yoke of obedience Experience layeth downe before our eyes the successe of them that grudge and rebelled against their Prince for taxing The beginnings haue beene vngodly and the ends miserable In the yeere of our Lord 1381. the cōmons of Kent Essex to the number of threescore thousand rebelled against king Richard the second beyng their Soueraigne but they were discomfited and the most part of them sharply punished Likewise in the yeere 1484. a great commotion was moued by the commons of the North by reason of a taxe which was imposed vpon them of the tēth peny of all their lands goods But their rash attempt was speedily broken and their ringleaders hanged at Yorke By this wee see the miserable issue of all such rash reuoltings and therewithall consider how detestable they are in the sight of God Let therfore al subiects patiently endure whatsoeuer subsidy is leuied and night day beseech the Lord to graunt thē peace whereby their taxes will become shortned Remedies against sedition and priuy conspiracies Chap. 61. THe plaisters that are to bee applied vnto sedition be diuers according to the causes therof Yet notwithstāding I will epitomize and draw some of them into a breuiary First the Prince must betimes forethinke to alay the seditions which beginne to kindle For euery mischiefe at first is soone cured but being let alone and taking farther roote it gathereth more strength Secondly the Prince must by espials know who slaūder or speake euil of him Howbeit respect must be had lest the innocent be iniuried Thirdly the Prince must proclaime rewards to the reuealers of conspiracies Fourthly the Prince must aforehand remoue munitions and artilleries out of the way put them in safe custody In so doing he shall find the seditious the more tractable Fiftly the Prince must seuerely punish the authors of sedition lest they that come after go about to imitate such wickednesse Sixtly the seditious must be sundred by some policy or other Seuenthly the seditious must be allured with ambiguous doubtfull promises Eightly the Prince must diligently looke that his loyall subiects cōmunicat not with the seditious for such communing together at such times and in such sort is very daungerous especially for the party that is like to take the foile Ninthly the Prince must * send men of honour and dignity vnto the rebels vnder pretence of reward to the intent that their Captaines who desire innouations may be withdrawen from them Of the felicity of a commonwealth Chap. 62. THe felicity of a commonwealth is when by some Diuine prouidēce frō aboue there meeteth in one person the right maiesty of a Prince and the mind of a wise Philosopher For then needeth no cōpulsion no rigour no extremity to bridle the subiects what is more delightfull then to see the true image of vertue in their visible Prince then to heare the wise lessons and golden speeches issuing out of such a mouth Happy I say is the Realme where the Prince imitateth the order of an expert Phisicion who whē the remedies which he prepareth to cure the weakenesse of the inferiour members encrease griefe in the head he throweth away all infirmities most light and with the fauour of time hee proceedeth carefully to the cure of that which necessarily importeth the health of the patient or commōwealth The eight Plant. Of warres Chap. 63. BEcause * a Prince ought to be prouided against all chaūces as well of warre as of peace it will not bee amisse if I write somewhat of warrelike affaires The original whereof in my opinion proceeded from Nemrod the iolly hunter before the Lord. The Graecians inuented first of all the vse of armour And the Almaines deuised in the yeere of our Lord 1381. gunnes being the most terrible engines of al others Now touching the causes and effects of warre doubtlesse God seing that no benefits could fructifie nor threatnings disswade vs from our disobedience sendeth warre as his fearefull instrument to rouse vs frō sluggishnes to plague vs for our manifold iniquities according to that dreadfull alarum which long since hee sounded against vs. If quoth he you wil walke in my ordinances I will send peace in the land but if you will not obey me but despise my cōmandements I will send a sword vpō you that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant and you shall be deliuered into the hands of the enemy This the Spaniards of the Island saint Maries knew felt this last Summer being the yeere of our Lord 1599. insomuch as when two English ships and one ship of Amsterdame had taken the said Island and the Generall had demaunded the Spanish Gouernour wherefore hee yeelded so soone Hee answered that the sinnes of the inhabitants were great and therefore it was bootlesse for them to resist As for the discommodities of warre they be infinit it treadeth vnder foot the lawes of God and man it maketh the Church to be derided and placeth tyrants in the throne of Iustice. In conclusion warre enduceth many malecontēts to follow the importunity of the time and breedeth pestilence and dearth for victuals spent dearth must needs ensue Whereupon sundry infectious diseases spring Whether it be lawfull for Christians to make warre Chap. 64. ALthough the Marcionists haue heretofore doubted whether Christians might make
authority and maiestie of a Prince cōsisteth in the opiniō of prudence for euen as the sicke man obeyeth the wise Physician and the passenger hearkeneth vnto the skilfull pilot so in like maner subiectes are obedient vnto their prudent Prince will gladly follow whatsoeuer he prescribeth vnto them O peerelesse paragon O noble Prudence thou rairest downe knowledge and vnderstanding and bringest to honor thē that possesse thee Thou defendest our commonwealth from the Spanish yoke Thou holdest the supremacie in felicity and sauest vs from aduersity Take away this Iewell our liues will be filled with folly wickednesse and barbarisme This politiciās do very wel know for how is it possible that a common-wealth should be well ruled vnlesse the gouernours thereof do perfectly prudently vnderstand the nūber of souldiers the loue of the leaguers the scituation of the countrey the nature of the inhabitaunts King Henry the seuenth therefore her Maiesties Graundfather deserueth great commendations in that hee kept a priuate booke for that purpose therein registred the force of his realme the treasure which yeerely his officers receiued into the Excheker As concerning the nature of people I find that windy places do make men sauage and inconstant and that in calme countreys they become ciuill courteous Also we see that they which dwell neere the sea and farre from London are for the most part more fierce and hardy then those which liue in the midst of England Moreouer it behoueth a prudent man to consider that some kind of people be angry by nature some be impudent some fearefull and othersome be giuen to newfangled fashions to drunkenesse and lechery In like maner the nature of Englishmen is to be couragious to neglect death to abide no torment and therfore in no place shall you see malefactours go more constantly more assuredly and with lesse lamentation to their death then in England The nature of Welshmen is kind haughty and prodigall of life and bloud The Irish are accounted rude and couragious which doubtlesse proceeds of their countries cold climate for as the Philosopher saith they that liue in the North and in a cold countrey are commonly called treacherous To end this chapter of prudence I thinke it expedient that a prudent man yeeld vnto the necessity of the time and take heed that anciēt lawes customes be not altered because they are the foūdations of a cōmonwealth whereof if any be changed the whole building must consequently fall to wrack and destruction Of Sapience or Wisedome Chap. 68. WIsedome among the auncient heathen was no other thing but a certaine kind of prudence to manage and handle great causes matters of policy which profession beginning in Solon did cōtinue and was taken vp from man to man as a sect of Philosophy But wisedome among Christians hath obtained a higher title to wit a knowledge to expound the word of GOD concerning our saluation redeemed through his Sonne Iesus Christ. This is that Diuine vertue which was ordayned from euerlasting before any thing was made before the earth the seas the hilles and the riuers were she was conceyued and brought forth When GOD prepared the heauens shee was present when hee enuironed the sea with her bankes and layd the foundations of the earth shee was with him making all things and shee delights to be with the children of men The Chymistes write that one dragme of their power of proiection will turne a thousand dragmes of any mettall into gold What then shall the least grayne of the celestiall powder of wisedome be able to effect Verily it will lift whole milliōs of soules out o◠Sathans net and will transport them vp into the highest spheare where for euer residen◠they shall enioy vnspeakeable pleasures For this cause the Emperour Charles the fourth went on a time to a colledge in Prage to heare Diuinity disputations there and remained standing aboue foure howres And when his Courtiers to whome that kind of exercise seemed irksome told him that his supper was ready hee aunswered that the hearing of those disputations was more pleasant vnto him then all the suppers in the world What greater testimonies of fauour towards wisedome can we wish thē those of the Princes of England who frankly and freely granted such large charters priuileges vnto the 2. Vniuersities of this Realme Surely I should be too ingrateful if I do not remēber in this place Elizabeth our gracious Soueraigne who so spareth neither care nor means to preferre scholers that shee meriteth the name of the Nurse of Wisdome Next the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury that now is deserueth to be had in remembrāce in that hee daily purgeth the Church of spots and Schismes and aduaunceth all students euery man according to his desertes Likewise Sir Thomas Egerton Lord Keeper so tendereth fostereth the professours of true wisedome that he is worthily named the Reuiuer and restorer of wisedome yea I haue heard it sundry times blazed that Englād neuer had the like zealous patron of scholers There be also other furtherers of wisedome whome I leaue to name by reason that our bookes which continually are published do royalize and eternize their heroical names God continue them in their noble minds To finish this discourse I aduise al mē both high and low which haue an entraunce in them towards God to coūtenaunce the followers of wisedome and to strike an euerlasting league of amity with them As for worldly wisedome I wish them not so pretiously to esteeme it as they doe for what else are the wise men of this world saue gay politicians Machiauellians and niggards falsely vnder the colour of wisemen purloyning the poore and preparing their owne selues to be scourged of the Diuell and to bee scorched in the fierie flames of hell Of the Ignorance of our times Chap. 69. ALas what ignorance leadeth wretches astray and bringeth them into a wrong way cleane contrarie from happinesse and knowledge The Egyptians accounted it a most grieuous calamitie to endure the Darknesse which God sent them by Moyses but three dayes Howe much more ought wee to bee afraide when wee remaine all our liues time in the night of Ignorance Manie there bee that wish our Colledges to be vtterly suppressed and our schooles of learning to bee made barnes or wooll-houses which were euen to wish vs peasaunts and witals like themselues But God forbid that any such ignorant wishes should be fulfilled Sooner shall the earth bring foorth starres and the heauens be eared with plowes then that barbarisme and ignorance should in such sort ouerflow vs. Take the Sunne out of the firmament and the light from the skie what else would the world seeme saue a massie Chaos or a rude and confused lumpe In like maner if learning bee extinguished would not wee become dizarts or cuckoes Nay to seeke the decay and abolishing of learning is to prepare a way for Atheisme
worthy Logick is defined to be an Art that knitteth well together all discourses formed by speeches and all positions in them according as they depend one vpon another are grounded vpon good reason And eueÌ„ as gold by seuen fires is tried and purified so in like maner the truth in despight of errours is by logicall disputations found out and restored to her former liberty For the end of Logick is to discerne in philosophy the truth from the false as if a man should say knowledge is the end of it The duties of it are foure namely to define to deuide to compose true arguments and to dissolue them that be false The partes of Logick are two to wit The first intentions and the second intentions Howbeit for all this the faigned Vtopians are reported neuer to haue been able to find out the second intentions by reason that none of them all could see man himselfe in common as they terme him though he bee as sâ—me know bigger then euer was any Gyant and pointed vnto vs euen with our finger But I leaue the Vtopians to their nullibies Of Rhetoricke and the abuse thereof Chap. 41. RHetorick is an Art that teacheth a man to speake finely smoothly and eloquently And whereas Logick formeth speech as it were a bare picture hauing nothing but simple draughts which serue to furnish it in respect of ech part and lineament thereof Rhetorick beyng the offspring of Logick shapeth it not onely as a picture well varnished but also enriched and polished with glorious fields and medowes and such like glozing shewes that it may become faire to the eye pleasant to the eare Being well applied there is nothing so sacred to perswade as it But nowadaies it is not much profitable especially to preachers For although Rhetorical speeches do delight their auditory yet notwithstaÌ„ding they make not much for y â— soules health Simple material speeches are best among frieÌ„ds Preachers therfore must labour to speak vtter that which the hearers vnderstand not go about the bush with their filing phrases They must not I say come with excellency of wordes to shew the testimony of God vnto the people Neyther must their preaching consist in the enticing speech of mans wisedome but in the plaine euidence of the spirit and of power Moses when God commaunded him to go downe to the Israelites would haue excused himselfe saying O my Lord I am not eloquent neyther at any time haue beene but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue Then the Lord said vnto him Who hath giuen the mouth to man or who hath made the dumme or the deafe or him that seeth or the blind haue not I the Lord Therefore go now and I will bee with thy mouth and will teach thee what thou shalt say Caluine that zealous Preacher had as many men know an impediment in his speach and in his sermons neuer vsed any painted or rhetoricall termes What shall I write of our common lawyers who with their glozing speeches do as it were lay an ambush for iustice and with their hired tongues think it not vnhonest to defend the guilty and to patronize vnlawfull pleas Why will not they imitate Anacharsis the Philosopher who when the scholers of Athens laughed him to scorne by reason hee could not pronounce Greeke distinctly and eloquently answered them that a speach was not to bee termed bad as long as it contayned good counsels and as long as honest deeds did follow after his words Constantine the Emperour deserueth great praise in that hee tooke away the forme of making deceitfull fine phrazed libels In like sort we read that the elegant solemnities of stipulations and such like trifling words were laid aside In briefe it was decreed among the Areopagites in AtheÌ„s that no Orator should vse any proheme or forespeech and digression nor perswade them eyther to mercy or to enuy Of Poetry and of the excellency thereof Chap. 42. When the children of Israel were enthralled in the land of bondage then GOD who is alway the helper of the friendlesse raised vp Moses his seruaunt made him ruler of his distressed people and deliuered them with a strong out-stretched arme froÌ„ their miserable captiuity Whereupon Moses framed a song of thankesgiuing vnto the Lord in verse which I take to be the most auncient of all So that it is certaine and as they say able to be felt with hands that Poetry came first by inspiration from GOD. Likewise Deborasung a Psalme of victory in meetre Dauid also the Prophets were Poets If wee prie into the liues of the heathen we shall find that Poetrie was the chiefest cause of their ciuility WheÌ„ before they remained scattered lawlesse and barbarous like vnto sauage beasts Amphion and Orpheus two Poets of the first ages assembled thâ—se rude nations and exhorted them to listen their eare vnto their wholesome counsels and to lead their liues well and orderly And as these two Poets and Linus before them reclaimed the wildest sort of men so by all likelihood mo Poets did the same in other places Further Poets were the first that obserued the secrete operations of nature and especially the celestial courses by reason of the perpetuall motion of the heauens searching after the first mouer and from thence proceeding by degrees to consider of the substaunces separate and abstract They were the first that offred oblations sacrifices and praiers They liued chast and by their exceeding continence came to receyue visions and prophesies So likewise Samuel the Prophets were named Seers Now sithence Poetry is so sanctified it will not bee amisse if I anatomize her parts and compare her with other faculties which done I doubt not but she wil deserue a more fauourable censure euen of the Momistes themselues The Prince of Philosophers writeth that Rhetorick had her first beginning from Poetry The chiefe of the late Philosophers doubted not to proue that Poetry was part of Logick because it is wholy occupied in deliuering the vse of examples I do not meane that kind of example which is vsed in common conferences but I meane the maners affections and actions of men which are brought as examples eyther to be imitated or shunned of the spectatours or readers In like maner Poetry is more philosophicall and serious then history because Poetry medleth with the generall consideration of all things wheras history treateth onely of the particular And not onely history but also Philosophy Law and Phisicke are subiect to Poetry for whatsoeuer nature or policy case or medicine they rehearse that may y e Poet if he please with his forme or imitation make his owne But mee thinks I see a rout of criticall Pharisees comming towards mee and discharging whole volees of cannon shot against my breast and exclayming without reason that I falsely erre for prouing
them Then in the succession of time raigned Saint Edward a right vertuous Prince who selected and enacted excellent good lawes but within a while after the Normans conquered this land and altered the estate thereof appoynting new lawes in their owne language as a people naturally inclined to sophisticall and doubtful sence whereby they wrested the lawes to all constructions Yet notwithstanding King Edward the third was enduced to abrogate many of the Norman lawes and in their stead to inuest new and wholesome lawes The method of which is at this day put in practise among our Sergeants and vtter-Sarristers Obiection That law which is of no antiquitie neither grounded vpon any good foundations nor vsed in any countrey but one cannot bee good such is the common law of England therefore it is of no effect Answere Our Common law of England I confesse is of no great antiquitie yet grounded vpon the law of Nature and approoued by the vniuersall consent of the Prince Nobles Commons in a generall Parliament In briefe necessity hath no reason Whether alteration of lawes be good in a commonwealth Chap. 48. THere was a law amōg the Locrensians that whosoeuer did intrude himself to make a new law should come with a halter about his necke insomuch that if his lawes were approued he went away safe as he came if reproued hee was presently hanged So in like maner when we alter our vsuall diet wee feele great innouations in our bodies and do perhaps fall into some sicknesse or other but when we be accustomed once vnto it then we recouer waxe more lusty then before we were Custome as they say is another nature But yet this custome may bee reduced into a better The alteration of lawes I confesse at the first seemeth rough and raw vnto our fraile and queizy natures But within a while they be better liked of Which moued the Diuine Philosopher to say that chaunge of lawes excepting those that be bad is perilous at all times This caused the Kentishmen to rise against king William the Conquerour of this land and priuily to enclose him round about in the woods that thereby hee might the sooner be compelled to cōdiscend to their petition which was that they might be suffered to enioy their ancient customes and liberties As for the deciding of this question I thinke that some lawes may bee altered and reduced into better Howbeit law-makers must aduise themselues wel in that behalfe take great heed therein for where there ariseth small good by innouations of lawes it is an euill thing Surely It is better to beare with the imperfections of lawes because the alteration of them will not do so much benefit as harme by vsing men to disobey And againe who is so dull-spirited which will not graunt that defects of lawes ought now and then to be winked at and dissembled Vpon which occasion all persons vnder the age of forty were heretofore forbidden to enquire whether lawes were well or ill made Ripenesse of yeares is a great meane to conserue people in their obedience And for that cause young men are thought vnfit to deale in matters of state and morall Philosophy Of Diuinity Chap. 49. THe auncient Philosophers accounted three kinds of speculatiue or contemplatiue Sciences to wit naturall philosophy the Mathematickes and Diuinity which is the first and chiefest beginning of all things which is the cement that soddereth the peeces of the building of our estate and the planke wherewith our ship is fortified Take away this beginning and the world will seeme a confused Chaos Take away this cement and our building is ruinous In a word vncaske the plāks of a ship it wil leake sinke into the sea Plant ye therfore religion in your kingdomes and let not the heathen rise vp against you at the day of iudgement The Romanes we read through the bare instinct of nature did so reuerētly thinke of Diuinity that they sent their childrē into Hetruria to learne it there And yet many of vs Christiās presume to iniure the ministers God albeit we know that nothing is hidde from him and that he is present and still accompanieth vs in the midst of our secrete cogitations God make cleane our hearts within vs and cause vs to regard his ministers and word better then wee do Otherwise let vs expect for nothing but fearfull alarums warres heresies pestilence and famine continually without ceasing to annoy and destroy both vs and our countrey Whether two religions may be tolerated in one kingdome Chap. 50. TWo religions cannot be suffered in one kingdome for diuersities cause factions garboiles and ciuill warres which neuer end but with the subuersiō of the commonwealth The tranquillity of all estates consisteth in the vnion and consent of the inhabitants Take away this vnion and it is but a denne for rouers and theeues The first foundations of kingdomes were built vpon the rock of one religion and the heathen themselues had neuer established their lawes if they had harboured pluralities of religions He that displaceth this stone shaketh all the building No man can serue two masters for eyther he must despise the one or loue the other Neither must Princes halt betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be hee then go after him In religion there is no mediocrity for a man must either be a Christian or els he must be an enemy of Christ that is an Antichristian according to our Sauiour Christes words He that is not with mee is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth I am the Lord saith God this is my name and my glory wil I not giue away to another neyther my prayse to grauen images Also it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue But how is it possible to obserue this commaundement as long as our Papists beleeue that the Pope is no man but Gods vicar and more expresly that hee is God Theodosius therefore is highly commended in that he made warre with the. Arrians and proclaimed one true religion 〈◊〉 be planted throughout all his Empire in this likewise England may faithfully glory that beyng welnigh drowned in the sea of Popish superstition she is now saued and restored to the true and Apostolicall doctrine the which God of his goodnesse maintaine from heresies and schismes Of Simony one of the chiefest ouerthrowes of religion Chap. 51. SImony is a deliberatiue will eyther of buying and selling or els of posting ouer and exchaunging some spirituall thing or some thing annexed to the spirituality as aduowsons presentations and such like This vice is called after the name of Simon Magus by reason that he offred the Apostles money that they might giue him the power that on whomsoeuer he layd his hands he should receyue the holy Ghost For which his execrable proffer hee had this answere of
warre yet notwithstanding I wil by forcible reasons maintaine the contrary First it is written that the Israelites should warre against their enemies and not faint nor feare nor be amazed nor a-dread of them Secondly lawfull warres are named the battels of the Lord. Thirdly the Lord himselfe is a maÌ„ of warre Fourthly Saint Iohn Baptist confirmeth the lawfulnesse of warre in these wordes which he spoke vnto the souldiers Do no violeÌ„ce to any man neyther accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Fiftly Cornelius a Captaine was so fauoured of God that he receyued the holy Ghost Sixthly the Magistrate carieth not the sword in vaine Seuenthly it is lawfull for any man to defend himselfe For reason teacheth that it is lawfull to repell force offred to our liues and to our persons with force To conclude it is lawfull for one people to assault another so that it it bee either to get their owne againe or els to punish reuolters Howbeit neuerthelesse I counsell warre to be practized as a last and desperat medicine which without very vrgent occasion ought neuer to be applied What warres be most lawfull Chap. 65. THose warres be most iust whereto we are constrained and with good coÌ„scieÌ„ce may we take armes when there is no safetâ—â— for vs but in armes To this an anciet Bishop subscribeth saying That fortitude which defendeth a mans countrey from forrayne enemies or sustaineth the desolat and oppressed is perfect iustice Moreouer the holy Ghost by many testimonies of Scripture declareth such warres to bee lawfull The iniury which is done to Ambassadours ministreth lawfull cause for Princes to take armes in hand Therefore K. Dauid made war with the Ammonits for that they villanously misused the messengers which he sent to comfort the youÌ„g king of AmmoÌ„ for his fathers death Most iust likewise was that warre which king Richard the first of this Realme made with the Infidels for the recouery of the holy land And surely it is a meritorious and religious deed that Christian Princes should vnite their forces together and proclaime warres against the Trukes who to their great shame haue now welnigh conquered all Hungary are at the very gates of Germany and consequently or all Christendome this peril how long soeuer it is deâ—ferred doubtles is like to happen Suppose our Christian Princes could do no other good but keepe back the Turkes forces from further inuasions would not this be a meanes to restore and reuiue the dismembred estate of ChristeÌ„dome Yea certainely To that end I constantly auerre that it is lawfull to warre prouided still that the determination be not to put to death any that will be brought to the true knowledge of the Gospell For it is not with swords but with words not with constraint but with coÌ„ference that misbeleeuers are become conuerted That before we begin warres preparation is to be made of sufficient necessaries thereto belonging Chap. 66. TO the execution of warres three things are needfull prouision men and adnice Vnder prouision I comprehend armour money victuals Touching armour I would haue an indifferent company of weapoÌ„s prepared both for horsmen and footmen as artillery powder bullets billes pikes launces bowes and arrowes plated doublets iackets of male and such like Next money must be gotten without the which nothing can be done as it ought to be And if they fight with siluer speares they will conquer all Money being gotten it is meete that victuals be prouided seeing through want thereof souldiers will bee ouercome without stroke Against other euils there are cures but there is no striuing against hunger herehence proceed mutines despaires infectious sicknesses and innumerable kinds of calamities Hauing forethought of prouision it is also necessary that men should bee mustered and chosen out For if there be a mighty hoste of men in the field what towne or countrey is not willing to welcome them In like maner the Captaine generall must forecast whether horsemen would serue his turne better then footemen This question being well discussed the Generall must take aduice with his chiefe and wisest Lieftenaunts concerning the successe of the warres For what King going to make warre with another King sitteth not downe first and taketh counsell whether he be able with ten thousand to meete him that coÌ„meth against him with twenty thousand or els while hee is yet a-great way off he sendeth an ambassage and desireth peace The dueties of a Generall Chap. 67. IN a Generall seuen things are required First that he be religious and deuout for theÌ„ if he with Iosuah say Sunne stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon the Sunne wil abide and the Moone will stand still vntill he be auenged vpon his enemies Secondly a Generall must be a man of authority by reason that nothing is more auailable in the ordering of battels then authority Thirdly he ought to be temperate for how can he gouerne others that cannot rule his owne affections Fourthly he must be well experienced that he may see how the enemy lieth what way is best eyther to prouoke the enemy or to defend himselfe Fiftly a Generall must be witty and well spoken because souldiers minds will be sooner inflamed to fight by sweet exhortations then by all the trumpets in the world Sixtly he must be couragious and valiant that he may giue the first onset when any bickering is at hand and shew the way to others Lastly a Generall ought to be very well seene in Philosophy specially in Geometry otherwise he will neuer be able either to incampe himselfe to find out the enemy or to coÌ„ceiue the scituation of places as for example how the champion fields are couched together how the valleys hang how broad the marishes be how the mountaines are lift vp Of the choyse of Souldiers Chap. 68. THere be six notes to discerne a good souldiour The first is that he be an honest maÌ„ The second that he be stroÌ„g and valiant The third that he be constant patient The fourth that if it be possible he be a Gentle-man borne the reason is because most commonly he is more easily trained for the warres and will scorne to yeeld himselfe vanquished to the enemy The fift marke of a souldier is that he be nimble actiue and not of a fat or grosse body lest like a carters iade he founder and fal downe The sixt a souldier ought to be chosen from seueÌ„teene yeeres old to sixe and forty But in my opinion elderly souldiers are more apt fit to go to the warres then young men by reason that they are lesse mutinous and better able to endure Whether the straunger or the home-borne subiect ought to be preferred Chap. 69. IF we coÌ„sider the cause froÌ„ wheÌ„ce proceeded the late destructioÌ„ of Italy we shall find that the calling in of the Switzers and Frenchmen to aide it turned