approbation of the people And those qualities which formerly wee required in Councellers of State wee here likewise conclude that all of them are necessary for Fauourites And if Kings peraduenture in regard of humane imperfection cannot meete with men so perfect let them bee as absolute as they can possibly light vpon at least let them haue these two qualities of loue and an vnspotted life And let not Kings content themselues that they haue them in a mediocritie but in all perfection For without these two there are not any Statuae◠so vnprofitable as are such men being not good enough to be staues or to serue in the basest and vilest offices about a house much more vnworthy to be Fauourites and priuie Councellours And because the heart of man which God hath hid out of sight to the end that he might reserue it to bee the seate and mansion of his loue is hard to bee knowne and the thoughts thereof very secret and hid for that by one and the same instruments it worketh and expresseth it's conceits be they false or be they true it is necessary that by some meanes the truth or deceit of it's words may be knowne for to difference thereby the true loue from the false Amongst other signes and coniectures whereof Kings may make vse for to know the minde of those that are to hold so great and neare a place about their persons and to treate and communicate with them as it were the secrets of their soules let them consider and obserue very well in what kinde of manner they do proceed and haue proceeded with those with whom they haue formerly held friendship and to whom they stand indebted and obliged for curtesies already done if they shall see they carry themselues well towards them and performe all offices of true loue and friendship then may they be induced to beleeue that shewing themselues louing and thankfull to others they will be so towards them And he that loueth not him whom hee ought to loue out of this or that other respect will not loue his King do he neuer so much for him For this difference of more or lesse altereth not the substance nor condition The true loue of Fauourites they being such as they ought to be consisteth as we said already in louing their King dis-interessedly and to aduertise him of all that which is fitting and conuenient for him and that all or the most desire that in their workes and actions for their greater perfection there should be credit and estimation And lastly of all that which according to the more common opinion requireth reformation and amendment for onely the workes of the most high can be wholly inculpable And of that which may in some sort withdraw his Subiects loue from him and aduising him thereof worke so with him for to gratifie them in this or that publike benefit whereby to wedge the peoples loue the faster vnto their Prince and Soueraigne But false and feigned loue that runnes a contrarie course it alwayes hunts after it's owne commoditie it commendeth all whatsoeuer his Prince doth he excuseth it in his presence and qualifies it for good iust and conuenient Which being no other but a tricke of Court-cunning and though they may well march vnder the standard of vnknowne enemies yet are they esteemed and rewarded as friends And notwithstanding all this their Kings backe is no sooner turned but they murmure at him or set others a worke to doe it for them Complaining that in regard of the naturall ill disposition of Kings and great Princes cares facile enough to heare smooth flatteries but too harsh and hard to hearken to the truth they dare not for their liues tell it him nor aduenture to giue him the least distaste though it concerne him neuer so neare and that they plainly see the not doing of it cannot but redound much to his hurt And the true reason thereof is for that the former loue more the person of their Prince then his fortune and let him take it ill or well all 's one they will treate truth especially in those things that may concerne his safetie or the good and quiet of his kingdome and their good minde true heart and plaine-honest meaning make them bold to speake without fearing to offend in that their good aduice which they shall giue him But this second sort of Fauourites loue not his person but his fortune And these for their owne proper interest and that they may not hazard their hopes dare not speake the truth though they see the danger before their eyes as persons that would easily alter their faith and loyaltie and take part with him whose sword is strongest and therefore care not though their King fall so as they may stand And of such it may bee suspected that they desire a change like those which in gaming liue by Baratos who for their owne benefit would haue fortune turne from the one to the other their good wishes no longer following their first man as not hoping to haue any more from him then what they haue already receiued not caring to see them blowne vp one after another so as they may get by the bargaine And most certaine it is that those who so much loue themselues and their owne proper interest there is no trusting of them for they haue no loue left either for their owne Lord and Master or any body else For such base soules and vngenerate spirits drowned and swallowed vp in those muddy materialls of Interest and Auarice cannot loue any other thing with excellencie and in a noble fashion And therefore it importeth much that Fauourites bee dis roabed and stript quite and cleane of all that which goes vnder the name of proper or selfe-loue priuate interest vsefull friendship faction or kindred and that they should bee clothed with a wise and discreet kinde of goodnesse which nor knowes nor can nor will fauour ought but vertue and Iustice and that which is good and honest It is likewise spoken by way of Prouerbe Quien ama à su Rey ama à su grey He that loues his King loues his flocke And he that is in the place of a Fauourite and so neare about his Kings person ought to bee as a common father to all his Subiects treating them as if they were his children and procuring that not any one of them may depart discontented from his presence which would be the the onely Load-stone to draw all their loue and affection towards him So did that great Fauourite of the King of Syria Naaman whom all the people with a full and open mouth called Father corresponding with him in the loue of so many sonnes or children For those that are seated in so high a place haue great cause for many reasons to procure publike loue and together with the grace of their Prince to haue the good wills and affections of the people for this makes the other to be more durable and firme For this
is the naturall miserie of great and powerfull persons that Enuie and Greatnesse go alwayes hand in hand the one still accompanying the other And there is not any poyson like vnto it which moues and stirres vp such violent pangs and passions in the stomacke and more especially if it worke vpon the priuacie and inwardnesse of Fauourites with their Kings as if that it selfe were not a true and sufficient strong poyson Seeing that it is held for certaine that one word of a King nay which is more one angry looke or bended brow hath sent many a Fauourite to his graue For as Salomon saith the life of the Subiect depends on the countenance of the King And if we will not beleeue him let vs see and obserue how many Fauourites escape which doe not dye of that wound or the feare thereof and more particularly with those Kings which are of that condition as one said that there is not two fingers breadth betweene their smile and their sword to the end that this their priuacie might bee had in the lesse esteeme For your best Fauourites are but like your better sort of fruits which are soonest subiect to be worme-eaten For Enuie is a very worme and hath the same qualities as a worme hath and spreads it selfe so farre that it extends it selfe euen to those that haue beene benefited by the Fauourite the couetousnesse and risentment of that which they doe not receiue working more vpon them then the Law of thankfulnesse or of a gratefull acknowledgement for that which they haue receiued So that wee may say That few are they who loue those from whose hand they haue receiued some good because it was no greater And those that haue receiued none that they are therein iniured and wronged So that to qualifie and temper this inconuenience it shall be wisedome in Fauourites and it will concerne them to vse all the meanes they can deuise to effect it to procure to bee wellbeloued And no lesse in Kings to seeke out such as are modest louing affable vertuous honest well beloued and of a gratefull and thankfull disposition CHAP. XXXV How Kings ought to carry themselues towards their Fauourites FOr to resolue this Question and to giue satisfaction to that which is here proposed in this Chapter it being a matter of so tender and dangerous a touch I will first lay for my foundation a true point of doctrine in naturall Philosophie celebrated with that sentence of the glorious Saint Austen Amor meus pondus meum illo feror quocunque feror The plummet which peaseth man and the wings wherewith the heart makes it's flight is loue which doth leade the dance to all the other passions of the soule And as those that saile in a deepe sea with full sailes runne on their course without any danger but when they draw neare the shore they take them downe and ruffle them that they may not runne their ship vpon some shelfe or split it selfe against some rocke so likewise when the heart is lifted vp vnto the loue of God which is infinite goodnesse it may without perill plough the seas of this world and with full sayles cut the Maine without danger of shelues quick-sands or rockes For according to that saying of the glorious Saint Bernard as the cause of our louing God is God himselfe so the measure of louing him is to loue him without measure Causa diligendi Deum Deus est modus dilectionis fine modo diligere As the cause of our loue is infinite so must it be without taxe or limitation wherein there can be no excesse But when the heart drawes but little water and touches too close vpon these things of the earth which haue their goodnesse much limited it will be high time and very fit and conuenient to strike the sayles of our loue and to go on with a great deale of caution and consideration lest this our vessell should sticke in the sands neuer to bee gotten out againe or fall vpon some rocke or other of vnaduisednesse and indiscretion And this is so certaine a truth that albeit the loue to our parents be so naturall and obligatory and so giuen vs in charge by God with the promises of so many blessings on those children which shall cumply with this loue and with so many threatnings on those that shall faile therein yet notwithstanding God himselfe will that therein there should be a limitation and moderation Mat. 10.37 Qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me non est me diguus He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me And the common old Adage saith That friendship must go no further then vsque ad aras and stop there And howbeit some would haue the limit which is here put to loue to be Death I say that it's limit is Reason and obedience to Gods Commandements For when our Loue shall come to encounter with them it is to make a stand and go no further Our second ground or foundation whereon we shall build is this That in Kings next vnto the loue of God and his Christian Religion no loue ought to be like vnto that which they ought to beare vnto their kingdomes and common-wealths for the end for which Kings were first instituted and ordained was the common good of their kingdomes And as children haue a naturall obligation to loue their parents because from them they haue receiued their naturall being so Kings owe the like to their kingdomes and Commonwealths because next vnder God they gaue them their being of Kings and that power and authoritie whereby they were to protect defend and augment them Vpon these grounds and foundations must that loue and friendship be laid which is to be held with Fauourites Louing them and giuing them power and authoritie conformable to that which for this end shall be thought most conuenient Senec. lib. 1. Epist 3. For albeit they as Seneca saith keepe the key of their Kings heart and in matters of secresie and benefits are preferred before the rest yet this must be done with a Christian kinde of prudence and discretion Hauing euermore an especiall care that the force of his loue be not so violent and so boundlesse that to giue content to one sole Fauourite hee discontent all the rest of his Subiects and to shew himselfe faithfull and true vnto him breake that faith and truth which he owes vnto God and his diuine Law And that he proceed likewise therein with that freedome and libertie that his Loue may not passe the bounds of reason nor bee like some ships that are runne on ground so surely setled that he cannot get off when hee will and to turne that loue into hatred and a full determination and resolution of punishment when the faults of a Fauourite shall deserue his iust displeasure Non habitabit in medio domus meae Psal 101.7 qui facit superbiam c. Whoso hath a proud looke and an
to the Law yet is hee lyable to the rules of reason This pious Emperour goes on and willeth his sonne that he should strictly recommend to his Vice-roys charge the protecting sheltring and relieuing of the poore the defending of the fatherlesse and widow and those that are destitute of friends and haue none to helpe them Whom some that are in place and authoritie are wont and I feare is too ordinary amongst them to disfauour and disesteeme them making little or no reckoning at all of them Being ignorant how vile and base a thing it is and how heroycall the contrary and how much in imitation of God to put forth a charitable and pitifull hand to him that is brought low and fallen into miserie assisting him in his afflictions and troubles freeing him from wrongs and iniuries whose shield and buckler he that gouernes ought to be And he closes vp this aduertisement with wishing him to be very carefull that his Viceroys and Gouernours exercise their offices as they ought and not to exceed the instructions that are giuen them nor to vsurpe beyond their authoritie giuing them this prouiso that in doing the contrary he shall thinke that he is ill serued by them and that hee giue order to haue it remedied and amended by his displeasure and their punishment And howbeit it be true that he ought not to giue credit to all the complaints which are made against such his Ministers which are seldome wanting yet in no hand that he should refuse to heare them and vnderstand them in forming himselfe fully of the truth For the not doing of it will but minister occasion vnto them to be more absolute and to the Subiects to grow desperate seeing themselues oppressed by iniustice and vnconscionable dealing Likewise when Kings send an Embassadour to another Prince they must looke well into the qualitie of the person whom they send For in such an Embassage he doth not onely treate of the businesses for which hee goes but likewise of the honour and authoritie of the King which sends him And therefore it is necessary that the persons that are nominated and declared to go on Embassage haue many of those qualities which we haue mentioned in Vice-roys and Councellours of State For if they shall not fill that place with the greatnesse of their good abilities it will be a great lessening to the credit and reputation of the King and the businesses will receiue much hinderance if not vtterly bee ouerthrowne The Romanes did make a mocke of the Teutones counting them no better then fooles for sending an Embassadour vnto them that was a block-head and of little or no experience Kings and great Princes all that from which glory and greatnesse resulteth vnto them they ought to doe it without any the least shew of vanitie accompanying it with such circumstances and consequencies that it may seeme onely to bee done for the common good the exaltation of the Commonwealth and the reputation of their Crowne In all times and places they must represent much authoritie grauitie and Maiestie in their persons and in their Treaties mixing it with affabilitie and courtesie To the end that by the one they may cause feare and respect and by the other quit and remoue that feare It is reported of Octauian the Emperour that all the Embassadours that appeared in his presence stood astonished betwixt feare and admiration but no sooner spake he vnto them but they were wonderfully taken with his words and did not then so much feare as affect him For albeit the Maiestie where with hee receiued them was exceeding great yet was his carriage towards them very affable and very courteous In these two vertues did excell that Catholicke King of Spaine Don Philip the second whom for the representing of Maiestie and regall authoritie none did excell and few equall And in the carriage and composition of his person there was no defect to bee found Vpon any accident that befell him were it good or bad fortunate or vnfortunate there was neuer any man that could perceiue in him so much as a discomposed countenance or any other the least alteration And hee may be truly said to be a man who is not proud in prosperitie nor impatient in aduersitie For it is a great signe of Noblenesse and the vndoubted marke of a royall minde and Princely courage not to loose himselfe in his aduerser fortunes but to shew himselfe constant against fortune and to raise vp his spirits as this King did being neuer deiected with any outward Crosse or misfortune tha befell him He did neuer being therein like vnto to Xenophous Cyrus shew an ill countenance or speake an ill word vnto any man Hee was not so affable and familiar with his Fauourites that any of them all durst presume to petition him in any thing that was vniust nor yet so austere and seuere towards others as to make them to forbeare to preferre a iust suite vnto him To his owne Subiects he was kinde to strangers noble but withall reseruing still his authoritie and greatnesse For Kings ought not to bee so harsh and intractable as to make themselues to bee abhorred nor so kinde and courteous as to cause themselues to be contemned Indeauouring all they can not to fall into the extreames by shewing too much loue to some and little or none at all to other some For too much seueritie ingendreth hatred and too much familiaritie breedeth contempt Let them generally beare themselues in that respectiue manner towards all that they honour the better loue the meaner sort and despise not the rest but as farre as they are able extend their grace and fauour vnto all For that being but little which they haue to giue in comparison of the many that are sutors and the great rewards which they pretend they rest better satisfied with those good words and mannerly answers that are giuen them then with those fauours that are done them For the generous hearts modest countenances and ingenious dispositions of those noble spirits which follow Princes Courts much more risent the disfauour that is done them in receiuing courtesies with disgrace then if they were denyed them And therefore it is good wholesome counsell and much importing Kings to returne a faire and equall answer vnto all according to each mans qualitie and merit and that they carry the same euen hand in the conferting of their fauours and in the manifestation of their loue And if they shall in a more particular manner expresse the same to some one particular person let him likewise more particularly deserue it For neuer shall that loue be stedfast where deserts are wanting in the partie beloued I shall likewise aduertise Kings that they doe not make such vse of this their great both office and power as to assume vnto themselues to be absolute and to cumply in all things with their affections and desires nor to exercise any other personall passion For the vse and custome of absolute power
CHRISTIAN POLICIE OR THE CHRISTIAN COMMON-WEALTH Published for the good of Kings and Princes and such as are in authoritie vnder them and trusted with State Affaires Written in Spanish and translated into English LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER for Edward Blount M.DC.XXXII TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE JAMES HAY EARLE OF Carlile Viscount Doncaster Lord HAY of Sauley Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to our Soueraigne Lord King CHARLES Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuy Councell Right Honourable KNowing man better verst in publique affayres then your selfe I could not more fitly addresse this Discourse then to you without the rifling of any particular mans merit 〈◊〉 may ascribe as much to the praise of your exercise as any can assume to his priuate Notions or Publique Obseruations To speake the story of your true and ingenious acts in forraigne and in those forraigne the most subtile and actiue parts would rather seeme a Tract then a Dedication of a Booke but here you are onely Patron though I know you might by your naturall gifts and obseruations be Author of a farre better piece You haue been long the intrusted seruant of your Prince which should employ you the darling of his people and truly you ought to bee so whilst Truth relates the story of deseruing men or Honesty reads their merit What and whose worke of politique gouernment this is your eyes may at leysure looke ouer while your quicker eyes I meane your discerning minde may Perhaps correct yet I hope not chide his labour who was willing though not able to serue you in a piece worthy your obseruation If in the translation there be any thing that hath forsaken the Originall it was intention and not negligence of which there needs no accompt My good Lord there is nothing left but to implore your pardon for the preferring this worke which if it shall appeare vnworthy your graue perusall yet at the least forgiue his intention who conceiued it a direct way of expressing himselfe to be Your Honours truely deuoted EDWARD BLOVNT THE AVTHORS EPISTLE DEDICATOrie to the King of SPAINE Sir THe cause why the Ancients by fire signifie Loue is for that this Element is the hardest to be hid For the more a man seekes to couer it the more it discouers it selfe and blabbs the place where it is Of this quality is Loue and truly participateth of the nature of fire I came saith our Sauiour Christ to put fire into the world And the holy Ghost which is the true God of Loue came and shewed it selfe in the shape and figure of fire So that Loue is a kinde of extraordinary actiue fire Nor can it wheresoeuer it be be hid or idle Operatur magna si est saith Saint Gregory si autem non operatur amor non est Loue will be alwayes in action alwayes in working it worketh by benefits it worketh by good workes and by friendly offices and charitable seruices And when it cannot worke what it would or when the subiect whereon it would worke hath no need thereof it supplyeth that defect with good desires and words God who needeth not the seruice of any contents himselfe with this in those that are his seruants accepting when they can no more the will for the deed And the Kings which here vpon earth represent his person doe not require tribute and seruice saue onely in that which euery one is able to giue That which J am able to affoord and doe here offer vnto your Maiestie forced thereunto by the loue of my seruice howbeit my desire hath euermore had a larger extent is onely a parcell of words which if they proceed from the soule and come truly and sincerely from the heart are of some worth and estimation and perhaps vpon occasion may proue likewise profitable and aduantagious Howsoeuer it may serue at least to expresse that my seruice and deuotion which euer hath beene is and shall be ready prest to serue your Maiestie And I am willing to shew it in this little that I may not wholly seeme vnprofitable And therefore with this affection of Loue sutable to my subiect ouercomming those feares which are wont and not without reason to withhold those that treate with great Kings Princes and Monarckes and write of such and the like subiects I presume to aduertise them and in this paper to propone vnto them that which I finde written of those that are past and gone and seemeth very fit and conuenient for the conseruation and augmentation of the authority and greatnesse of those that are now liuing and present amongst vs and will with all possible breuity procure a full resolution and distinction herein And as Seneca saith Totum comprehendere sub exiguo Sen. epist 84. in princip To comprise much vnder a little For as that is the better sort of money which in the matter is the lesser but the greater in value so likewise that Learning is the best which is briefe in words and large in sentences It is Maximus his counsell that Multa magna Valer. Max. breuiter sunt dicenda Matters that are many and great are briefly to be deliuered For this breuities sake therefore as also for the greatnesse of your Maiesties employments and the great burthen of so many weighty businesses that lye vpon you I will not here interpose any large discourses and long disputations wherewith to entertaine and spend the time but briefe certaine and generall Doctrines such as are of most profit comprehend most subiects and may be applyed to particular both persons and things all taken out of the Politicks the law of nature and men that are Statists and no way contrary to the Law of God and Christian Religion As likewise out of ancient Philosophers and wise men both Lawyers and Law-makers Accompanied wholly for to giue credit to the cause and that the subiect may not be disesteemed as an egge of mine owne hatching with the examples of Kings and Emperours if the examples of Kings may moue Kings and with those which cannot but moue bee esteemed and beleeued being drawne out of the holy Scripture Which being well obserued and put in execution by Kings they shall obtaine that end for which they were intended To wit to maintaine and preserue their Kingdomes in peace and iustice Reade it therefore I beseech your Maiestie and take it to heart for it is a piece of worke that is directed to the seruice of Kings of their Fauourites and Ministers And let them not say that they are Metaphysicall and impracticable things or in a manner meere impossibilities but rather that they are very conformable to our possibilitie and practised by our Predecessors Princes of famous memory for their wisedome and prudence and in Kingdomes and Common-wealths of great Concernment Artifice and Policie in matter of Gouernement and reason of State And viewing those with these times and that which then was with
and in the solicitude and watchfullnesse which those ordinary dangers doe require wherein his flocke stands and more especially when the shepheard is wanting vnto them And it is so proper vnto a King to feede his flocke that when our Sauiour Christ fed that multitude of people which followed him in the desert Iohn 6.15 they no sooner saw that he had satisfied them but they were desirous to make him a King Esay 3. and to clap the Crowne on his head And for this cause in the 3. Chapter of Esay he that saw he was vnprouided of bread would not accept the Votes of the people that were willing to nominate him for their King saying thus vnto them Non sum medicus in domo mea non est panis neque vestimentum nolite constituere me principem populi There is no bread in my house nor cloathing I cannot be an helper vnto yee therefore make me no Prince of the people And therefore with very good reason and with a great deale of proprietie a King and a Shepheard is all one In the Greeke tongue a King is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quasi basis fundamentum populi As if hee were the basis and foundation of the people And of your Kings sayth Rabbi Abraham those words are to bee vnderstood of Iob Qui portant orbem Who sustaine the weight of a kingdome and beare the loade thereof vpon their shoulders And a Hierogliffe heereof is the Crowne which they weare vpon their head in manner of a Citie circled about with Towres and battlements signifying thereby that the strong brayne and the good and wise head Greg in Iob. and sound sconce of a King doth fortifie and vphold the whole weight and burthen of all the Cities of his kingdome And this is S. Gregories Interpretation vpon this place Some others conceiue that this name was giuen it in consideration of that creature called the Basiliske who is the king of the venomous creatures and hath this euil qualitie with him that he kills with his lookes onely And doe not the kings sometimes kill their fauourites and those that are neerest about them with the knit of the brow and a sower looke And some such Kings there be or at least haue beene in the world that take it offensiuely if their frownes and disfauours doe not kill like poyson But this Etymologie hath little ground for it For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in that language signifies a king is much different from that of Basiliscus a Basiliscke For it is more proper to Kings to cure and heale then to kill and slay As the forecited place of Esay teacheth vs where he that would not take the Crowne vpon him excuses himselfe not onely for that he had not bread to feede others but also because he was not a Physitian Non sum Medicus in domo mea non est panis presuposing that a good King ought to be a Physitian to his people and ought to helpe and feede his subiects And the sayd Prophet when in the person of Christ he relateth how the eternall Father had annoynted him and Crowned him for King saith spiritus domini super me Esay 16. eò quod vnxerit me vt mederer contritis corde And Christ himselfe being calumniated by the Pharisees because he did conuerse and eat with Publicans and Sinners hee made them this answer Mat. 9.12 Non est opus valentibus medicus sed malè habentibus They that bee whole neede not the Physitian but they that be sicke Patricius Senensis calls Kings and Princes Medicos vniuersales reip Vniuersall Physitians of the Common-wealth And S. Austen tell vs that to them appertaineth the remedy of all the sicke and the cure of all the diseases and other those crosse and repugnant humours which reigne in a Kingdome and to apply a medicine to euery particular person agreeable to that humour wherein hee is peccant And the Office of a shepheard which is so proper vnto Kings as already hath beene said hath with it this obligation to cure his flocke And therefore in the 34. of Ezechiel God doth lay a heauie Taxe vpon those shepheards because they were faulty in this their Office of Curing Quod infirmū fuit non consolidastis Ezech. 34.4 quod aegrotum non sanastis c. The diseased haue yee not strengthened neither haue yee healed that which was sicke neither haue yee bound vp that which was broken neither haue yee brought againe that which was driuen away neither haue yee sought that which was lost but with force and with crueltie haue yee ruled them yee eat the fat and yee cloath ye with the Wooll yee kill them that are fed but yee feede not the flocke And heere that third signification sutes well with this name of King which is the same as Father Gen. 20. Iudg. 8. As appeareth in that of Genesis where the Sichemites called their King Abimilech which is as much to say As my Father or my Lord And anciently their Kings were called Patres reip Fathers of their Common-wealths And hence is it that King Theodoricus defining the Maiestie royall of Kings as Cassiodorus reporteth it speakes thus Cassio lib. 4. epist 42. Princeps est Pastor publicus Communis A King is the publicke and common shepheard Nor is a King any other thing but the publicke and common Father of the Common-wealth And because the Office of a King hath such similiancie with that of a Father Plato stiles a King Patrem familias A father of a familie And Xenophon the Philosopher affirmeth Bonus Princeps nihil differt à bono patre That a good Prince differs nothing from a good Father The onely difference is in this That the one hath fewer the other more vnder his Empire Command And certainly it is most sutable vnto reason that this Title of Father be giuen vnto Kings because they ought to be such towards their subiects and kingdomes carrying a fatherly affection and prouidence towards their wellfare and preseruation For reigning Homer or bearing rule saith Homer is nothing else but a paternall gouernment like that of a father ouer his owne children Ipsum namque regnum imperium est suapte natura paternum There is no better habit of gouerning then to haue a King cloath himselfe with the loue of a father and to haue that care of his subiects as if they were so many children of his owne loynes The affection of a father towards his children his care that they shall lacke nothing and to be one and the same towards them all carrieth a great proportion with a Kings pietie towards his subiects Hee is called a Father so that the very name obligeth him to answer this signification in workes not in word but to shew himselfe a true father indeed Againe for that this name father is very proper vnto Kings if wee shall well and truly weigh it amongst
that hath any other beginning of birth For all men haue one entrance vnto life and the like going out We come all into the world with our bare skins on our backs and as naked of knowledge as cloathes being subiect in the rest to industrie instruction and others counsaile and aduice which is that which supplieth the defects of nature Rationall soules are all of them equall and alike in their creation and essentiall perfection though they differently discouer themselues in some bodies more then in other some in regard of the better or not so good disposition of the Organs and by consequence their vnderstandings come to be differenced and the conceipts of the one to bee of a higher straine then the other A man shall see more clearely through a Christall glasse then that which is of a thicker and grosser mettall Our body is nothing else but a glasse nor haue all bodies this good disposition Nor haue Kings ioyntly with their power the selfe same measure in their vnderstanding wisedome and prudence But say they had it will be no hurt to them but a great deale of good and aduantage to heare and take aduice For audiens sapiens sapientio rerit Prou. 19.20 A wise man by hearing will be made the wiser Audi consilium vt sis sapiens in nouissimis tuis Heare counsaile and receiue instruction that thou mayst be wise in the latter end And neuer in hard and difficult businesses should any man be he neuer so wise refuse to take aduise And besides it sauours of much wisedome not to doe any thing without it Qui agunt omnia in Consilio reguntur sapientia Prou. 13.10 With the well aduised saith the holy Ghost is wisedome And there is no man so wise that is wise in all things The best and skilfullest Physitian in the world knowes not how to cure himselfe neither will he trust only to his own opinion but calleth another vnto him aduiseth with him takes his Counsaile and puts himselfe vnder his cure Eurigius king of the Gothes said in the Toletane Councell Concil Tol. That euen those workes which in themselues were very good and did much import the Common-wealth wereby no means to be done or put in execution without the Counsaile of those that were good Ministers and well affected to the State vpon paine not onely of losse of discretion but to be condemned as the onely ouerthrowers of the Action Things being so various and so many and weighty the businesses as are those which come vnder the hands of Kings and craue their care to bee treated of the successe of them must needes run a great deale of danger when there precedeth not some diligent and mature Counsaile Kings I assure you had neede haue good both Counsailours and Counsaile hauing so many eyes as they haue vpon them some of iealousie and some of enuie so many that goe about to deceiue and doe deceiue them and many that doe not loue them as they ought I say they had neede of good both Counsailours and Counsaile and such a Councell as is more close and priuate as that of the Councell of State and sometimes and in some cases with a little more restriction and reseruednesse making choise of one two or more of their faithfullest and sufficientest Counsellours with whom they may freely Communicate their greater and lesser affaires and be resolued by them in matters of greater moment and such as importe their own proper preseruation and the augmentation of their Kingdome such as the Historians of Augustus paint forth vnto vs which kinde of course the Princes before and since his time haue taken and now at this present doe From the poorest Plowman to the Potent'st Prince from the meanest Shepheard to the mightiest Monarke there is a necessitie of this Counsaile And in effect euery one as hee can comformable to his Estate and calling must Consult with his Wife his Sonne his Friend or himselfe if his fortune afford him not a Companion whom he may trust or make his Confident How much doth it concerne Kings who possessing such great Estates and being subiect to so many Accidents haue need of a more perfect and Complete Councel And not any thing so much importeth them for the conseruation and augmentation of their Kingdomes as to haue about them iust prudent dis-interessed persons to aduise them with a great deale of faithfullnesse and loue and with free libertie of Language to represent the truth of that which to them and their Common-wealth is most fitting and conuenient Who for this purpose Plut. in P. Aemil Arist c. â— Mag. moral are as necessarie as great treasures and mighty Armies That holy King Dauid was more a fraid of the aduise of one wise Counsellour which his son Absolon had with him then of all the Men of Warre that followed him and his fortunes Plutarke and Aristole floute at Fortune in businesses that succeede well when men doe gouerne themselues by good Counsell And for this cause they stiled Counsaile the eye of those things that are to come because of its foresight And for that wee haue treated heeretofore of the qualities of all sortes of Counsailours I now say That with much deliberation and aduise Kings are to make choise of those persons which are to aduise and Counsaile them For from their hitting or missing the marke resulteth the vniuersall good or ill of the whole Kingdome It is the common receiued opinion That the maturest and soundest Counsaile is to be found in those men that are growne wise by their Age and experience which is the naturall Daughter of Time and the Mother of good Counsaile Tempus enim multam variam doctrinam parit Eurip. lib. 12. It is Euripides his saying Suting with that of Iob In antiquis est sapientia in multo tempore prudentia Seniore in Prouinciae congrega eos interroga facilius namque inuenitur quod a pluribus Senioribus quaeritur In the ancient is wisedome and in much time prudence Long time is a great Master which doth graduate men in the knowledge of things and makes them wary prudent and circumspect which is much if not wholly wanting in young men And therefore Aristotle saith of them that they are not good for Counsaile because Wit more then Wisedome in them hath it's force and Vigour Et tenero tractari pectore nescit saith Claudian And S. Ierome is of the minde that young Witts cannot weild weighty matters And that their Counsailes are rash and dangerous like vnto that they gaue King Rehoboam S. Aug. ad fratres in erem Ser. 14. By whose inconsiderate aduise hee lost his Kingdome The same course hauing cost others as deare as is proued vnto vs out of S. Austen And therefore the Grecians Romans Lacedemonians Carthaginians and other Common-wealthes which were good obseruers of their Lawes and Customes did ordaine That a young man how wise so euer hee might seeme to
know well how to aduise himselfe how shall he giue Counsaile to others And he that knowes not how to rule gouern himselfe how shall he command a whole kingdome Qui sibi nequam est cui alij bonus erit Eccl. 14.5 He that is euill to himselfe to whom will hee be good Alexander said He hated that wise man that was not wise for himselfe CHAP. XI Of other Courses and meanes which Kings may take for the notice of such persons in whom the said Qualities concurre ONe of the greatest mischiefes incident vnto Kingdomes is That Kings haue not true notice giuen them of worthy persons for to imploy them in his seruice A great cause whereof is that your vndeseruing or at least lesse sufficient are clapt in betwixt them and home Those are the men that are most intermitted take most vpon them and procure by their Negociating and Plotting to occupie the best places and not contenting themselues therewith seeke to shut the doore against men of merit and to keepe them out to the end that their owne defects by this course may receiue the lesse discouery Contraria juxta sepâ—sita magis elucescunt For this is the nature of things opposite each to other that the neerer they are one to the other the more excellent lays it's Contraryes defect the more open Now to occurre to this mischiefe wise Iethro aduised his sonne in Law that he should seeke out men of good parts and choose them as we sayd before from amongst all the people And we shall better perceiue what that Counsaile comprehendeth if we will but consider that other place of Deuteronomy Where Moses discoursing with the people what diligence he had vsed on his part it is there mentioned that he spake vnto them and admonished them to the end that the Election of the Ministers might take the better that they themselues likewise would vse their diligences and then giue him notice of those persons which they held in greatest esteeme amongst them and were in the generall opinion the ablest men Date ex vobis viros sapientes gnaros quorum Conuersatio sit probata in Tribubus vestris vt ponam eos vobis Principes Take yee wise men and vnderstanding Deut. 1.13 and knowen amongst your Tribes and I will make them Rulers ouer you And indeed the best and surest course that Kings can take to come to that notice or knowledge they desire is to lay holde on those persons whose approbation is so notorious that all the people giue good Testimonie of them For as a wise man hath well obserued the generall opinion is that Touchstone which proueth or reproueth For it cannot be that One should deceiue All. And happily from hence grew that Common Adage Vox populi vox Dei The Peoples voyce is Gods voyce We must giue Credit to the fame and report that goes of Men. For as Tacitus saith she sometimes makes the choyse of Ministers it being his meaning that this satisfaction should be giuen to the people that those that are to gouerne them should be chosen and elected by that common fame and good report that goes of them And heere by the way let me tell you that it is not much amisse that some Offices and Preferments be in a dissembled kinde of disguise purposely published before they be bestowed to see how it will be intertained and receiued by the people to whom it is fit some satisfaction should be giuen as being the body that is to be commanded This is a Trick of State whereof vpon some occasions Fernando surnamed the Wise made good Vse For when he was to goe any great Voiage vndertake any Warre or attempt some new Enterprise or any other action of importance he would not publish nor iustifie the same to the world till he had vsed some art and cunning imploying some persons fit for that purpose before his designes were throughly vnderstood to giue it out That the King should do well to make such or such a warre to make this or that prouision for this or that reason So that first of all the vulgar were made acquainted therewith and rested satisfied with the reasons that were rendred for it And then afterwards it comming to be published that the King had done or would doe such a thing it is incredible to beleeue with how much ioy loue and applause of the people and whole Kingdome this his Resolution was receiued But mistake me not I pray I do not say that this is to be done alwayes but on some occasions or great preparations And Kings in this case must haue a care that they haue faithfull Centinells that may truly certifie them how that Newes takes and what exception if any arise they make against it and vpon what grounds that if any thing had beene omitted it might be amended A President not vnlike to this had the Roman Common-wealth in those it's first flourishing dayes Which did cause their Lawes to be set vp in publike for 27. dayes together before they should be of force to the end that the people might peruse them and thinke well vpon them How much more ought this Course to be taken in Legibus viuentibus in those liuing Lawes which are your greater and principaller sort of Ministers and such as are to command and gouerne a Common-wealth who ought to be well beloued and well receiued of the people that they may loue them respect them and beleeue them in all they shall say as they would their own fathers I well perceiue that there may be much deceit in the world and that there are some men so subtile and so cunning that only with a pen in their hand they make themselues Masters of other mens studies and labours and by this tricke gaine the credit and opinion of able and sufficient men when as indeed they are nothing lesse And this deceit takes more in matter of learning and wisedome which as we said before cannot be measured out with the yard And in no place is this so common as in the Courts of Kings where your purpurated persons saith Seneca meaning those that abound in riches and other corporall ornaments stand a loofe of from the Vulgar and yet vse to be vulgar in their vnderstanding to the preiudice of the good and true esteeme of things and amongst these kinde of men those easily get the name and fame of wise who talke boldly and spinne out a large discourse of those things which they well vnderstand not And it is daily seene that some of these superficiall fellowes haue beene preferr'd to better places by these their false ostentations and feigned knowledge then great Learned Clarkes by shewing themselues humble-minded temperate in their talke and moderate in their conuersation could euer attaine vnto And if this did happen only in those Sciences and faculties which they call depone lucrando which are studied for to get temporall riches it were tolerable because for this end
this hee alleageth that which passed betwixt good old Isaac and his two sonnes Esau and Iacob who by reason of his olde age fayling very much in all the rest of his senses that of his hearing continued still in it's full perfection The other deceiu'd him Gen. 27.22 and this onely told him the Truth Vex quidem vex Iacob manus autem maâ—â—s sunt Esau The voyce is Iaecobs voyce but the hands are the hands of Esau Wherein he was out In Gods Schoole where faith is professed great reckoning is made of Hearing Quia fides ex auditu Because faith comes by hearing Rom. 10 17. For a man may heare and beleeue though he cannot see But in the Schoole of the world we must haue all these and all is little inough We must see heare and beleeue And when Kings haue both seene and heard and throughly informed themselues of the whole State of the busines that they may not be deceiued in their iudgement then let them presently proceede to touch it as we say with the hand to fall roundly to worke and in that maner and forme as shall seeme most fitting to finish and make an end of it Psal â—02 19.20 Dominâ— de coeli in terram aspexit vt audiret gemitus compeditorum c. The Lord looked downe from the height of his Sanctuary Out of the Heauen did the Lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death This looking downe of the Lord from the highest Heauens and from the throne of his glory vpon the earth to heare the grieuous groanings and pitifull complaints of poore wretched creatures which call and cry vnto him for iustice should my thinkes be an admirable good lesson for Kings that they should loose somewhat of their sportes and recreations and of that which delighteth the eye and the eare to bestow them both on those who humbly petition him that he will be pleased to both see and heare their cause Of Philip King of Macedon though some put it vpon Demetrius it is reported by Plutarke in his life that going one day abroad to take his pleasure and pastime an olde woman came vnto him besought him to heare her and to do her Iustice But he excusing himselfe and telling her he was not now at leysure to heare her shee made answer Proinde neâ— Rex quidem esse velis Sir if you be not at leysure to heare your subiects will not giue them leaue to speake vnto you leaue to be king for there is no reason he should be a king that cannot finde a time to cumply with his dutie Conuinced with this reason without any more adoe he presently gaue a gracious Audience not onely to her but many moe besides For Kings which doe not heare by consequence do not vnderstand And not vnderstanding they cannot gouerne And not gouerning they neither are nor can be Kings The Cretans painted their God Iupiter without cares because he was that supreme king that gaue lawes and iudged all And therefore ought to cary an equall eare indifferently to heare all parties after one and the same selfe manner Other some did allow him eares but so placed them withall that they might heare those least that were behinde him Which was held a fault in their God as likewise it is in Kings not to heare any but thosse that stand before them or side by side are stil weighting at their elbow Kings should heare as many as they possibly can and which is the onely comfort of suitors in that gratious and pleasing kinde of maner that no man should depart discontented from their feete being a maine fundamentall cause to make all men to loue reuerence and esteeme them and likewise to oblige Princes to lend the more willing and patient eare to their subiects And of this subiect Pliny in commendation of his Emperour Traiane tells vs that amidst so many cares of so great an Empire as his was he spent a great part of the day in giuing Audience and with such stilnes and quietnes as if he had beene idle or had nothing to doe And that he knowing the content that his subiects tooke in their often seeing of him and speaking with him so much the more liberally and longer he afforded them occasion and place for to inioy this their content For nothing doth so much please and satisfie the heart of a Prince as to conceiue that he is beloued and generally well affected of all his subiects Let a King then this course being taken perswade himselfe that his people loueth him and desireth to see him and to speake dayly if it were possible with him And that they take a great deale of comfort that they haue seene him and he heard them And that of two things which all desire To wit To be heard and relieued The first intertaines and comfortes the suitor and makes him with a cheerefull minde to hope well of the second Let him heare though it be but as he passes by from place to place and let him not let any day passe without giuing ordinary Audience at a set hower and for a set time And in case any shall require a more particular and priuate Audience a gods name let him grant it them For euery one of these to conceiue the worst cannot deceiue him aboue once And it is to be supposed that they will not be so vnciuill or so foolishly indiscreete as to craue the Kings priuate eare but in a case of necessitie or where there is some especiall cause or extraordinary reason for it And I farther affirme that Audience being giuen in this maner things will be carryed more smoothly and with more ease on either part For that which breakes down your Damn's in your riuers is the detention of the water And the detayning of a Subiect from the presence speech of his King is that which doth dishearten and deiect the mindes of your negociants and supplicants And when they see they so seldome haue Audience and are put off from day to day and that it costes them so deare before they can be heard they will while they may make vse of that present occasion and then they talke world without end and neuer giue ouer because they are afraid they shall neuer haue the like opportunitie againe But when those suitors shall know that they shall haue ordinary hearing on such dayes and such a set houre and for so long a time they will content themselues with giuing much lesse trouble to their owne tongues and his Maiesties eares In a word no man will denie but say with me that it is iust and meete That he that is to rule and remedy all ought likewise to heare all and that all men should know as much for for the good and hope thereof they principally obay and loue their King And besides a great part of that concurse and tedious trouble of Negociants will by this
better our selues much and those principall Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie are much increased and augmented For our Faith increaseth when we petition God by acknowledging him to be the vniuersall Lord of all things who onely can fulfill our requests and desires According to that of Saint Paul super abundanter quà m petimus aut intelligimus Ephes 3.10 That is able to doe exceeding aboundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke c. Likewise Hope and Charitie receiue thereby an Increase because we hope for a good end of our petition And for this cause doe we likewise loue God from whom wee hope to receiue the good we desire And this hath the greater force and truth with it when wee craue spirituall goods And of these spake our Sauiour when hee sayd Pettite accipietis And the Apostle S. Iames saith Iames 1.5 if any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him But it is conditionall and bounded with a Nihil â—aesitans That he aske in faith and wauer not Which may likewise be vnderstood of Temporall goods as they are ordayned to a spirituall and super-naturall end But to aske of men produceth farre different effects And therefore we are to consider that for one of these two ends men may aske temporall things Either for to raise themselues or to remedie themselues Of the latter of these who demand their pay and satisfaction for their seruices for the remedying and relieuing of their necessities wee haue already said that they are not to bee blamed but in conscience and Iustice wee are to helpe them and make them due satisfaction in that which of right belongeth vnto them Of the former who seeke to rayse themselues they stand crouching and kneeling with cap in hand to obtaine their purpose being very dextrous and diligent in doing courtesies obsequious in their outward behauiour kissing the hand and making Congies downe to the ground and prostrating themselues at the feet of those who they thinke may doe them good dawbing their Compliments with base and seruile flatteries Of which kinde of men the Holy Ghost saith Est qui nequiter hâ—miliat se interiora eius plena sunt dolo Eccl. 19.25 There is some that being about wicked purposes doe bow downe themselues whose inward parts burne altogether with deceit Being like vnto your birdes of rapine who though it be naturall vnto them to flye vp and downe in the ayre yet are content to stoope and abase themselues the better to seaze on their prey Which is euen to a letter or as they say to a haire the very same that Kings Dauid sayd Psal 10.10 Inclinauitse cadet cum dominatus fuerit pauperum He crowcheth and boweth and therefore heapes of poore doe fall by his might Or as it is in the Originall vt dominetur pauperum He humbles himselfe that thereby he may grow great and come to domineere and swagger ouer the poore For all their reuerences and adorations serue to no other end but to raise themselues vpon the wings of their ambition that when they are in a good place they may stoope the freer to their pray So that those who but yesterday had them at their feete see them now towring ouer their heads and loose the sight of them whom they adore thus raysed as those before adored them when but lately like poore snakes they licked the dust with their tongue and trayled their belly on the ground And growing now warme in the bosome of greatnesse sting those most who did most foster and cherish them And these men though they negociate well with men and get what they pretend yet doe they not obtaine any thing at Gods hands who neuer grants vnto them what they desire for such like ends Iam. 4.3 According to that of Saint Iames ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might lay the same out on your pleasures Howbeit sometimes it is granted vnto them for their further punishment and chasticement For as S. Austen affirmeth August Multa Deus concedit iratus quae negaret propitius God grants many things in his wrath which he denyes in his loue And that which is recounted of Augustus Caesar is not much amisse from the purpose who being importuned to bestow an Office vpon one who with great instance begged it of him would by no meanes giue it him but conferr'd it on another that neuer sued for it but did better deserue it And he alleadging the perseuerance of his petitions and complayning that he hauing beene so long and earnest a suitor he should bestow it vpon one that had neuer sought vnto him for it Caesar made him this answer Tu eras dignus qui peteres ille qui acciperet Thou wast worthy to sue for it but hee to haue it There are some things which may be receiued which may not so well be sued for so saith Vlpian in a certaine Law of his Vlpian l. 1. Versâ— Quadam enim ff de vâ—rijs extraor Cognitio Pompinius l. 2. ad finem ff de Orig. iuris Quadam enim tametsi honestè accipiantur inhoneste tamen petuntur There are certaine things sayth he which albeit they may be honestly receiued yet may they be vnhonestly desired Kings are to bestow their fauours but others must not sue for them Hoc non peti sed prastari solere saith another Law it is fit good turnes should be done but not sued for to be done And it was the same mans saying Inuitum non ambientem esse ad rempublicam assumendum That he that was vnwilling to receiue honour not he that did ambitiously seek after it was to be preferred in the Common-wealth And trust me I cannot search into the reason why it should become a Custome not to giue but to those that aske For neither they that giue doe gaine thereby nor they that aske are bettred thereby For to giue is so much the more worthy prayse and thankes by how much the more liberally and freely it is giuen And the Prouerb faith Bis dat qui citò dat He doubles his gift that giues quickly Whereas he that stays looking and expecting to be sued vnto seemeth to giue with an ill will and not so freely as he should For as Seneca truly saith there is not any thing that costes a man dearer then that which is bought by intreaties and petitionings And therefore as often as either offices or Rents are bestow'd on those which deserue them without making suite for them the whole body of the Common-wealth doth commend and indeare the rectitude and iust dealing of the Doner And all good and vertuous men take heart and incouragement thereby and are fill'd with good hopes and those which are otherwise ashamed and confounded and becomes the meanes many times of making them turne ouer a new leafe and leaue their former lewd course
of his intent suffice to execute his rashnesse in the meanes vnlesse hee first ballance the businesse and see which way the scale will incline as to see how farre hee may rely vpon the loue of his subiects and how the end may sorte with his designes lest the danger of the scandall disobedience may proue to bee greater then the profit that can arise from the execution of Iustice For in such cases it is great wisedome in a King to conforme himselfe according to the times And that that which at one time is worthy of punishment should be dissembled and reserued to be punished at another time Which course as Saluste reporteth was in Catilines time taken with that great and powerfull Courtier Crassus Salust In Anthem Quomodo oportet Isid lib. 3. Senten cap. 50. The Emperour Iustinian hee likewise aymes at this marke And it is the Counsayle which S. Isidore giues vnto Kings The like did King Dauid when Ioab so treacherously slew Abner Onely to some few that were very inward with him he discouered the reason that mooued him to dissemble the matter and not to punish him with death for the present telling them with a great deale of griefe Ego autem adhuc delicatus sum vnctus Rex 2. Reg. 3.39 I am this day weake or as the Hebrew renders it tender though annoynted King As if he should haue sayd To see the affaires of my Crowne and Kingdome in that tender and ticklish estate wherein they stand obligeth me not to make that demonstration of rigour and iustice as the heynousnesse of this fact doth require But the Lord shall reward the doer of euill accordding vnto his wickednesse Tribuat dominus facienti malum iuxta malitiam suam Here is much to be considered the great care which this King tooke in concealing his purpose from the people till some better occasion were offred For if he should haue declared himselfe before and manifested his meaning to the world hee might haue put the whole Campe in danger of Mutining or at least to haue shewd themselues in defence of their Captaine This perill he ouerpast by his great prudence dissembling the matter for that time and deferring it till the last vp-shut when now the businesses of the Kingdome were better settled For the most important point in gouernment is to make vse of Time and occasion facilitating with silence and dissimulation those orders and decrees which doe crosse the peoples humour or that stand not with his liking that is powerfull with them For if they should be divulged before their due time and season they would serue for nothing else but to incense mens mindes and peraduenture to turne them against himselfe Which certainly might well haue beene Dauids case with Ioab if hee had shewed himselfe offended and openly vented his spleene against him whilest he had his sword in his hand and stood so fayre in the peoples affection who in that hurre might haue done God he knowes what for the aduancing of his ambitious ends In such cases it is great prudence in a Prince contineuing still firme and constant in his purpose to benefit himselfe by dissimulation waiting for a fit time and season when without danger hee may vnmaske himselfe and with the safety of his realme and person put his resolution in execution A word well kept and fittly spoken is saith Salomon like apples of gold Prou. 25.11 in pictures of siluer which doth not onely shine and giue a glorious luster but worketh it's effect and discouereth the art and cunning of it's Master And King Dauid hauing heard the reproachfull words and reuiling tearmes which Shimei to the very face of him and in a loud voyce vttred in the presence of those that were with him wisely dissembled his rayling and was angry with Abishai because he was earnest with him that hee might presently take due chasticement of him and reuenge the great affront hee had done him and would by no meanes giue consent that any one of all his Army should once moue or stirre against him For that holy King thought it fit in his wisedome to leaue him to that occasion which hee afterwards specified to his sonne Salomon that he might teach Kings these two things First to relye on God and to attend his leasure who will doe that for them which they cannot doe for themselues As he did in that known case of Moses brothers murmuring against him which hee himselfe so mildely and fayrely dissembled But God to whose account runn's the honour of his Ministers tooke the cause into his owne hands Secondly That it is not fit to be solicitous in appointing Iudges and Informers at all howers and in all places against such as in some occasions assume libertie of speech and freely vtter their mindes For as another sayd In free places and persons that are likewise free-borne wee cannot at all times exercise that slauery vpon them as to clap a Locke and chaine vpon their tongues Who could haue done this better then that omnipotent King Christ Iesus when those licentious and loose-tongued Libertines reproached him with such sharpe bitter Tauâ—ts as toucht him to the quick in his honour and yet euen then with what a royall minde and princely reportment did he carry himselfe in those few milde and moderate words which he spake vnto them Kings ought not to expresse any alteration turbation or discomposure for those things which they see nor to be startled euery foote with that which they heare nor to shew themselues offended at that which is muttred and murmured of them But let them a god's name mend that which is amisse and then their muttering and murmuring will cease of it selfe Heere likewise Kings are taught not to be curious inquirers after those that speake ill of them nor to giue eare to euery idle complaint For if it be once perceiued that their eares irche after this infinite will the number of Delators and Informers be In the raigne of Tiberius and of Nero more then in any other were these Sycophants and priuie Accusers fauoured and things were then so glazed ouer that they had set spies that should curiously obserue the semblance which euery one made of his Actions euen to the knitting of the brow biting the lip or the like which kind of carriage seru'd as a condemnation and was seuerely punished But it is fitter for Tyrants then Christian Kings to stand thus in feare of the tongues of the vulgar it being the part of a magnanimous minde to know how to forget and forgiue iniuries especially those of the tongue to whose iurisdiction the most powerfull are most subiect And if they should reuenge this wrong vpon account the number would be so great and rise to such an infinite sum that they may quickly being their Monarchie to an end That which most importeth for their own and their Empires quiet is to shake all kinde of suspition out of their minde and whatsoeuer
others thinke of them and their affaires they ought to be so farre from being troubled therewith that it should no whit moue them Seneca lib. de ira cap. 33. Holding it to be as Seneca sayth the sweetest maner of pardon to pretend ignorance of the delict and to examine with care his owne careâ—ese carriage and open neglects if he haue committed any and if not not to care a pin what they say For the Vulgar is a beast of many heads and as it is impossible to satisfie al of them so is there no reason that they should haue an Account giuen them of that which the Prince doth It is sufficient that the wiser and grauer sort know and esteeme both him and his proceedings This was the doctrine of that great King Philip the second who wrote vnto his Viceroy in Naples as followeth Necessario es que gouerneys de manera quae todos buenos y malos no se quexeâ— de vos It is requisit you should so carry your selfe in your gouernment that all as well good as bad may not complaine of you And this was another of his which he deliuered to his successour Forc oso sera que los malos nos mur â—â—uren y aborreZâ—â—â— Lo que à nosâ—â—â—â— t◠〈…〉 de â—â—nera que tambien nâ— nos aborre 〈…〉 â—â—enos It cannot otherwise be but that the bad wil◠〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 vs But that which belongeth vnto vs is To proceede so that the good may not likewise hate vs. And this King very well vnderstood that it is proper vnto Kings as Alexander said to doe well to heare ill Yet are they not to imagine that thâ—â— which is causelesse sayd against them can any whit diminish or lessen their honour For it stands not with their condition and greatnesse that none should speake ill of them but that they should doe no ill And then no such thing can be sayd of them but by the way of falshood and lying which wil soone vanish Yet notwithstanding will I not say nor shall it once enter into my thought to approue the impudencie and insolencie of the licentious Satyrists but rather holde them worthy of seuere punishment especially when they touch vpon the persons of Kings whom all their subiects both by Gods Law and the Law of nature ought to respect honour and obey Yet withall I say that it is great prudence to dissemble vpon some occasions be they neuer so great and to be close and secret in their intentions till they see a fit time to inflict punishment and when it may be done with least noyse For some men sometimes seeking to suppresse the fire by turning and stirring the sticks inflame it the more And if at any time vpon vrgent occasions and vpon the odiousnesse and foulenesse of this or that other fact reason and iustice so requiring it they shall be forced to vse seuere punishment let it be mingled with moderation and mildenesse that all men may vnderstand that it doth not arise out of anger and displeasure but out of zeale and loue to the publick good which forceth them thereunto obligeth them in conscience thus rigorously to proceede against them Chrys in Mat. lib. 5. de Ciuit. dei Cap. 20. For as Saint Chrysostome saith Qui cum causa non irascitur peccat He sinnes in not being angrie that hath iust cause to be angrie And then saith Saint Austin shall a Prince be happy when his subiects shall perceiue that hee punisheth not onely vpon iust ground Seneca lib. 1. de Clement cap. 22. but as Seneca saith non tanquam probet sed tanquam inuitâ—â— cum magno tormento ad castigandum veniat That it grieueth him to the very Soule that he is driuen contrary to his nature and disposition to let the sentence of death or other torment to passe vpon them And when they shall know that in this punishment he only pretendeth the conseruation of the Common-wealth and not the reuenging of any particular wrong or offence done vnto himselfe And that if he doe extend his pardon it is not for that he is willing to leaue sin vnpunished but because hee pretendeth the amendment of the delinquent And more especially when they see that he recompenceth with benefits the rigour and sharpenesse of his chasticements by throwing fauours on a brother a father or a sonne of that party whose Head he hath commanded to be taken from his shoulders Which gracious dealing will assure the people of the sweetenesse of the Princes nature and his pitifull disposition nor will they attribute the iustice he shall doe vpon them to crueltie The conclusion of this Discourse shall be this That it is of great importance that all men should know that nothing can be hid from the King be it neuer so close and secret for the many and priuate diligences which he vseth for intelligence by the meanes of sundry persons of all sorts high and low of all Estates and qualities whom the wisest and the waryest cannot avoyde deputed by his Maiestie diligently to labour to heare and vnderstand the rumours and complaints of the people and the good ill that is either said or done and to giue him aduise thereof that he may informe himselfe of the truth of them and apply such remedies as he in his wisedome shall thinke fit And let all men know that there was neuer any thing so closely carried which either early or late at one time or other hath not by good diligences vsed bin brought to light made known to the king Eccl. 10.20 And therfore my aduise vnto thee shall be that which Salomon giues thee Curse not the King no not in thy thought For a birde of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter And when thou thinkest thy selfe safest then shalt thou be taken in the snare And let Kings likewise know that if they 〈◊〉 a minde to see and know all they ought also to be milde and mercifull in punishing mingling mercie with seueriâ—â—â— For it is fit and necessary that he thâ—â— desires to know all should likewise dissemble and pardon much §. II. Of the Blandure Gentlenes and Loue which Kings ought to haue THis blandure and gentlenesse is likewise an Effect of prudence and Magnanimitie and is a Lordly kinde of vertue and which hath made many excellent and memorable in the world As Alexander the great whom nothing made so great as that his Excellencie of minde which he had in pardoning those whom not onely himselfe but all the world knew had iustly deserued his displeasure Hee that is gentle of heart and like Dauid meeke-spirited nothing troubles him nothing alters him but alwayes keepes his iudgement firme and enytre that hee may the more freely iudge of that which is worthy of pardon or punishment and is a qualitie very proper and well beseeming royall Maiestie Many great Monarckes and Kings haue had this in high
esteeme and made it the top of their glory for by this meanes they came to be as great in the loue of their subiects as in their rule and Command Of whose examples humane Histories are full but I shall only cite those are that Diuine which neither adde nor diminish by indeering things more then they deserue Where it is storyed of that great Captaine and Gouernour of Gods people that he was of the mildest and peaceablest condition and of so soft and sweete a â—â—ture that the world afforded not his like Erat Moses vir mitissimus Num. 12.3 super omnes hâ—mines qui morabantur in terra Moses was very meeke aboue all the men which were vpon the face of the earth And he of all other had most neede of this most noble qualitie for to beare with the bitter taunts and reproachfull words of that stiffe-necked and vnthankfull people And this is indeared by Saint Ambrose Ambr. lib. 2. Offi. cap. 7. and Philo Iudaeus both of them affirming That towards God onely hee shewd himselfe as stout as a Lyon and full of courage resisting the vengeance that God would haue taken of his people but with them was as meeke and gentle as a Lambe A generous breast and the courteous and plaine carriage of Kings ouercometh all pacifieth all and leuelleth the vneuenest and crookedest dispositions Which we may well exemplifie in Iacob and Dauid Of the former the Scripture saith Gen. 27.11 Erat homo lenis He was a smoth man He was smooth in his countenance sweete in his conuersation and naturally of a generous and peaceable condition Now see what he got by this Hee gayned his fathers blessing his brothers birth right his Vnckles daughters and wealth and the good will and loue of all men And of Dauid it is sayd Erat rufus pulcher aspectu facieque decera 1 King 16.12 That hee was ruddy and withall of a beautifull countenance and goodly to looke to He was of a louely and gracious aspect milde affable and aboue all a great friend vnto goodnesse and well doing onely with his pleasing presence hee drew the eyes of all the people after him who ioyed in the sight of him And with this did he winne their hearts got their good wills and gayned the kingdome When by a good and painefull industrie and a sweet behauiour the hearts are first seazed on it is an easie matter to conquer Kingdomes In the sacred Historie of the Machabees 1 Macab â— are recounted the heroyicall Acts which that great Captaine Iudas and his brethren atcheiued in Spaine the Kings and Kingdomes which they subdued the 〈◊〉 which they conquered and made tributary to their Empire and the great treasure of gold and siluer which they purchased And all this they effected by their good Counsayle gentlenesse and patience giuing Kings thereby to vnderstand that if they be of a meeke peaceable and noble condition they shall be Lords and Masters of mens wealths and hearts And this made Polibius to say that a courteous and peaceable King conquers all with quietnesse euery man being willing to yeelde and submit himselfe to a soft and generous disposition that is free from anger and full of clemencie And this is that Legacie which God allotted and left vnto them long agoe in the olde Testament Mansueti haereditabunt terram Psal 37.11 The meeke shall inherit the earth And afterwards in the new Testament he renewes this promise Ipsi possidebunt terram Mat. 5.5 They shall inherit the earth They shall be Lords of the earth That is of the men vpon earth and of their possessions For by this earth which God promiseth vnto them S. Bernard vnderstands the same earth whereof men are formed And it is vsuall in Scripture to call men earth And thereby is likewise vnderstood that of this world which wee heere inhabit the possessions thereof it 's gouernment Scepter and Monarchie for all this is but a Patrimonie bequeathed to a kinde smooth and louing nature The best Titles that a King can present before God for to pretend the preseruation and perpetuitie of his Kingdome are meekenesse and gentlenesse These Dauid represented vnto him when hee petitioned him that hee would be pleased to continue and confirme his kingdome in his sonne Memento Domine Dauid Psal 131.1 omnis mansuetudinis eius Lord remember Dauid and all his lowly carriage Whose heart was not haughty nor his eyes lofty but behaued and quieted himselfe as a childe that is weaned of his Mother And presently God collated this benefit vpon him saying Com cumpleti fuerint dies tui susâ—â—â—bo semen tuum post â—e 2 King 7.12 firmâ—bo regnam eius When thy dayes be fullfilled and thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers I will set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy bowells and I will establish his Kingdome Such effects doth the smooth breast and soft heart of a King worke And this is so sure a Tenet that for to keepe a Kingdome secure and to be Lord of many moe there needeth no other claime then that which Loue and Gentlenesse maketh For in regard that the heart of man is generous it will not be led by the necke with a halter nor will subiects long indure the yoake of a Tyrannizing and proud Lord whereas on the contrary they are easily led a long by a smooth and gentle hand And reason teacheth vs as much for by how much the more easily is the heart of man moued by conueniences then by menaces by faire meanes then by foule by so much the better is it to gouerne by meekenesse and gentlenesse then by force and rigour Whence we draw this Conclusion That too much sharpnesse and excesse of rigour in a Prince procureth hatred and affabilitie and clemencie Loue. Which is that which Kings ought most to seeke after as by and by we shall shew vnto you when wee come to tell you that these two qualities of blandure and clemencie so befitting a supreme Lord are quite contrarie to that good expedition of Iustice and that integritie which God doth require in a Iudge whom hee willeth and commaundeth That in matter of iudgement hee shall not pittie the case of the poore According to which Instruction it of force followeth that a King must represent two contrary persons that of a kinde and pittifull Father and that of a iust and angry Iudge For if in his owne nature hee be kinde and tender hearted there is not that offender which will not be set free by the power of Intreaties and Teares weapons wherewith the hardest and cruellest hearts suffer themselues to be ouercome And if he be otherwise what can the delinquents hopes end in but death and despaire Againe if he be vertuous and seuere it is impossible that he should not hate the vicious and grow into choller when hee shall heare of their cruell outrages and insolencies Now Hier. Sup. Ierom.
Kingdome The Citizens or which comprehendeth all the common people Or your Peeres and such as either are persons of Title or aspire to be It shall be good discretion prudence to procure to content the people especially in a Kings first entrance into his raigne in that which is reasonable and honest And if their demaunds shall be otherwise to dissemble with them and to take time to consider of it and so by little and litle let their blood goe cooling This was the Counsayle of your olde Counsailours Which had it beene followed by that young King Rehoboam his people had not rebelled against him 3 King 11. nor hee in the beginning of his Empire before he was scarce warme in his throne haue lost ten Tribes of the Twelue The Common people are alwayes grumbling and complayning and ready to runne into rebellion as being fearelesse in regard of their multitude and carelesse for that they haue little or nothing to loose The Minor Plinie after that hee had made a large Catalogue of the naturall vertues of the Emperour Traiane after that he had shewen what great account he made of the Common people he sayth Let not a Prince deceiue himselfe in thinking that hee is not to make any reckoning of the common people for without them he cannot sustaine nor defend his Empyre And in vaine shall hee procure other helpe for that were to seeke to liue with a head without a body which besides that it were monstrous it must needes toter and tumble downe with it's owne weight because it hath nothing to beare it vp And if Kings will needes know what kinde of thing the Common people is and what able to doe vpon all changes and alterations let them take into their consideration that which passed at the arraignment and death of our Sauiour Christ where there was not that Rule of reason of State in the vilest manner which was not then practized And the first stone that the Princes of the Scribes and Pharisees moued against him was the people for they knew well enough that without them they could not awe and feare Pilate nor moue him by their accusations and false witnesses to condemne him In the next place they had recourse to the particular conueniency of the Iudge that he should not be a friend vnto Caesar but should loose his loue if vpon this occasion the people should rise and rebell by which tricke they inclined him to their partie and wrought him to preferre his priuate Interest before publicke Iustice and his owne preseruation before that which was both honest and reasonable Againe it is more secure to procure the fauour and loue of the people and more easie to effect his purpose by them More secure because without their loue and assistance no alteration in the state can take effect This their loue doth vphold Kings and gets them the opinion of good and vertuous Princes This qualifieth all wrongs or makes the offenders pay soundly for them against whom none dare seeme to be singular Lastly for that the common people hauing onely respect to their particular profit their own priuate Interest cannot desire nor pretend that which your greater Peeres and principall men of the State do who alwayes out of their ambition aspire to more and stand beating their braines how they may compasse that which their imagination tells them they want And by so much the more doth this their Ambition increase in how much the greater place they are and in a neere possibilitie of that which they desire I sayd before more easie because the people content themselues with aequalitie and this likewise makes well for Kings with the administration of Iustice with common ease and rest with plenty and with the mildenesse gentlenesse and peaceablenesse of him that ruleth ouer them Now that Kings may procure this popular loue it is fit they should make choyse of such Ministers as are well beloued of the people that will heare them with patience comfort and hearten them vp that they may the more willingly beare the burthens that are laid vpon them the Tributes Taxes and troubles of the Kingdome which in the end must light all vpon them For it is not to be doubted and experience teacheth the truth of it That the Ministers and seruants of a Prince make him either beloued or hated And all their defects or Vertues turne to his hurt or profit And let not Kings make slight reckoning thereof nor let them colour it ouer with Reasons of State For he that once begins to be haâ—ed out of an ill conceiued opinion they charge him withall that is either well or ill done For there is nothing be it neuer so good which being ill interpreted may not change it's first qualitie in the eyes of men who iudge things by apparences Which is another principall cause why Princes ought to procure the loue of the people For in conclusion most certaine it is that the Common people is not onely the Iudge of Kings but is their Attourny also whose censure none of them can escape And is that Minister which God makes choyse of for to punish them in their name and fame which is the greatest of all Temporall punishments Suting with that which we sayd heeretofore of the voyce of the people that it is the voyce of God For his diuine Maiestie vseth this as a meanes to torment those who haue no other superiour vpon earth And therefore it behoueth them to preuent this mischiefe and to winne vnto them the peoples affection by as many wayes as possibly they can deuise as by their owne proper person with some with other some by their fauourites and familiar friends and with all by their Ministers For there is not such a Tully nor Demosthenes withall their eloquence for to prayse or disprayse the Actions of a King either to salue or condemne them as is the peoples loue or hatred A great cause likewise of procuring this loue and to winne the hearts of the people to giue them all good content will be if Kings would be but pleased who are Lords of many Kingdomes and Prouinces to haue neere about them naturall Ministers and Counsaylours of all the sayd seuerall Kingdomes and Prouinces For Common-wealths kingdomes risent it exceedingly to see themselues cast out of administration and gouernment when they doe not see at the Kings elbow or in his Counsell any one of their own nation and countrie conceiuing that they doe either basely esteeme of them or that they dare not trust them Whence the one ingendreth hatred and the other desireth libertie Let a King therefore consider with himselfe that hee is a publicke person and that he ought not to make himselfe particular that he is a naturall Citizen of all his Kingdomes and Prouinces and therefore ought not willingly to make himselfe a stranger to any one of them That he is a father to them all therfore must not shew himself a Step-father to
any And therefore let him still haue some one naturall childe of euery Prouince in his Councel For it is a great vnhapines to a kingdome not to haue any one childe of theirs amongst so many by the Kings side with whom the Naturalls thereof may holde the better correspondencie For these more speedily with more diligence and loue treate and dispatch their businesses then strangers either can or will who must be sued vnto and will do nothing but vpon earnest intreaty or by force and compulsion or like good wary Merchants by trading for ready mony Let Kings weigh with themselues that it is as naturall a worke in them to afforde fauour vnto all as in a tree to afford fruit And it is a great glorie to a king to oblige all nations to loue him For that King much deceiueth himselfe who will make himselfe King of this or that Prouince and no more Sithence that God himselfe whom he representeth on earth professes himselfe to be Lord of t 'one and t'other and of all And therefore hee that is Lord of many should not throw all his loue and affection on a few Let him in such sort conferre his fauours on the one that he may not giue occasion of affront and disgrace to the other For these generall fauours make much for the honor and estimation of Kings It faring with them as it doth with those trees when all sorts of passengers goe gathering inioying their fruits I say farther that for the augmentation and conseruation of the loue of Common-wealths and Kingdomes towards their Kings a maine and principall point which ought to be esteemed in more then other great treasures it will be very conuenient and is the Counsayle of persons of great prudencie throughly acquainted with Kings and Kingdomes that they should haue some person or persons of these good parts and qualities To wit Men of good naturall abilities of great wisedom to whom in particular they should ommit the care to heare those that are wronged and male-content For the graces and fauours of Kings as proceeding from humane power which cannot doe all it would haue euermore beene lesse in number then the pretenders And therefore must of force follow that there must needs bee a great number of discontented persons in all Kingdomes euen in the best and most sweetely gouerned Some holding themselues wronged induced thereunto by their own opinion others by disfauours Some by bad dispatch others by delayes And some and those perhapps the most by finding themselues deceiued in their pretensions A thing that ought much to be thought on though there be few that take pleasure to heare on that eare These men I say troubled with cares and transported with passion thrust themselues into all Companies great and small high and low entring into discourse with Male-Contents and laying open their wounds vnto them which kinde of men I would haue to be kindly dealt withall that the Kings Ministers should giue them the hearing that they should temper and allay this their passion that they should hearten and encourage them and indeede make shew in some things to goe hand in hand with them though it be in some sort against their king and Master seeking reasons to maintaine their part and that hee cannot blame them if they complaine hauing so much cause laying the fault either on the iniquitie of the times or the carelessenesse of those through whose fingers these things were to passe and that as it was no fault of the Kings for not hauing beene truly informed so can hee not but rest well assured of their good bowells and sound intention to his Maiestie and the State This is a cunning artifice and admirable art against that deadly poyson of those mens hatred and discontent which repute themselues wronged and disgraced And the better will this take with them if this care be committed to such either person or persons that are well liked and beloued of the people and haue together with their naturall grace the grace of heauen a gift which Kings can neither giue nor take away howbeit they giue that grace and fauour whence resulteth the peoples respect For it will not alwayes serue the turne to bee beloued of all nor will this generall loue sometimes excuse him from being hated of many And therefore in this the grace of heauen must bee sought after and such a man made choyse of as hath this naturall gift for by the helpe thereof hee shall be the better beloued and ouer them all haue the more commaund This Counsayle was well esteemed and approued by that wise and prudent King Don Philip the second as a very necessary conuenient meanes for to temper mens mindes to get generall notice of all that passeth either in word or deed and thereupon be able to giue all possible remedie thereunto And this aduice pleased him so well that hee committed the execution thereof to him that gaue it him and purposely remitted some businesses vnto him that he might haue the better occasion to sound mens mindes and to effect what he pretended by that kinde of course And in short time gaue good satisfaction by the proofe and made knowen to his Maiestie how much good was inclosed in this Artifice for the conseruation of Kings and Kingdomes §. IIII. Of the sagacitie sharpenesse of wit and quicknesse of apprehension which Kings ought to haue GEnebrard and other graue Authors say That this statly Tower and nose of the Spouse whereof wee discourse signifieth those which gouerne the Church or the Kingdome and such as excell the rest in vnderstanding iudgement sagacitie and prudence The Egyptians likewise in their Hieroglyphicks by a high rising nose vnderstand a wise and sage minde that hath an eye vnto dangers fore-sees mischiefes and takes order for them in time that it may not be ouertaken by them And such a one as this a King ought to haue And certaine it is that if that olde Serpent had not had that hap in that first deceit exercised on our first Mother Eue it had beene needelesse for one man to watch another and to be so wary and circumspect as now they are But because he with such great craft and subtletie did powre forth this his poyson into the originall fountaine of our nature it was necessary that against this his venome we should take this Antidote and Treacle for a preseruatiue and preuent one poyson by another And as Treacle being made of poyson serues as a remedie against poyson it selfe so for to resist that poyson which that Serpent by his subtletie scattred and spred abroad amongst vs it is needefull that men following the Counsayle which our Sauiour Christ gaue vnto his Disciples Be yee wise as Serpents and harmelesse as Doues should ioyne these two together For of these two is made that fine Treacle whereof we intend to speake Not of simplicitie alone nor prudence alone but of both together This is that true and perfect
Pharisees with soft smooth words questioned our Sauiour Iesus Christ what should be done with that woman whom they had newly taken in the Act of adulterie made vse of that his admirable prudence and wisedome accompanied with the simplicitie and harmelessenes of the Doue saying vnto them Iohn 8.7 Qui sine peccato est vestrum priâ—us in illam lapidem mittat He that is without sinne among you let him first cast a stone at her And presently thereupon hee stouped down and fell to writing with his finger on the ground to the end that without making them farther ashamed being conuicted by their own conscience they might one by one get them gon and leaue the poore woman free These men came armed with the Serpentine subtletie of the Diuell and presuppossing that he would haue absolued her of that crime they would then haue accused him for an infringer and breaker of the Law And in case hee should haue condemned her they would haue charg'd him with crueltie But our Sauiour was euery way well prouided for them and to this their pestiferous poyson he applyed the pure and perfect Treacle of his prudence The like trick they would haue put vpon him with no lesse cunning when they demaunded of him whether it were lawfull to pay tribute vnto Caesar or no Conuincing them with the very same peece of money which they brought vnto him telling them Reddite ergo quae sunt Caesaris Caesari Mat. 22.21 quae sunt Dei Deo Render therefore vnto Caesar the things which are Caesars and vnto God the things that are Gods It is a great happinesse for prudent Kings and for those Princes also that haue not as yet gained with all men the opinion of wise that some occasions might be offered vnto them wherein they might catch these crafty subtill Foxes And they ought purposely to hunt after them to perfourme some exteriour and publick actions in order to this end And so to carry them that all the people may take notice of them For therby they shall gaine a great deale of authoritie and reputation throughout the Kingdome And of all both subiects and strangers be feared esteemed for men of wisedome worth and prudence As it befell King Salomon at his first comming to the Crowne 3 King 28. when the people of Israel perceiued the discretion and prudence wherwith he had proceeded in deciding that difference betweene the two women touching the liuing childe which each of them pretended Insomuch that when they saw how wisely how iustly it was carryed by him they shouted all for ioy saying surely the wisedom of God is in him And from thence forth they began to respect feare him Yet mistake me not I beseech yee For I do not say that Kings should desire that any ill should betide any man but that they ought may desire that some such occasion might be offered vnto them wherein they might shew their zeale and loue vnto Iustice and manifest to the world that they are wise enough of themselues to execute the same For there is nothing that makes a King more worthy of his Monarchie as to win by meanes of his good Counsel and gouerment greater credit and authoritie then what he had when he began first to gouern For a kingdome is only the gift of fortune but this other argues his owne wisedome and iudgement But that which I shall conclude this point withall is this That this prudence sagacitie of the Serpent so much commended by Christ ioyned with the Doues simplicitie produceth two effects of much importance in kings which are these Neither to deceiue nor to be deceiued Simplicitie is without welt or garde plaine true and knowes not how to deceiue any man Prudence on the other side is very wary circumspect and will not suffer her selfe to be deceiued by any man Nay it goes a little farther for it perfecteth the whole essence and being of prudence and causeth a certaine dexteritie in the dispatch of businesses which is a great help vnto Princes and is the only Mistris to make them to vnderstand iudge things aright And likewise to see and discerne them by outward actions and the exterior sences The eye the foote the hand shall not wag moue or stirre but it shal discouer the inward thought Lastly it is it 's proper office Reason assisting and the discourse of the vnderstanding to anticipate occasions and to diuert in time the euill that may happen For as Tully sayth and very truly Nihil turpius in sapiente est quam dicere non putaram Nor ought it to be the Language of kings to say I did not thinke on such a thing I did not dreame that things would haue fallen out thus thus or that I did not throughly vnderstand the busines For in Kings it is no lesse shame to suffer themselues to be deceiued or to be ouercome by Artes and tricks then to be subdued in the open field by force of Armes Kings therefore being necessarily to heare and negociate with so many and so sundry persons to free themselues from the slightes subtleties of some must make vse of this circumspection and sagacitie Homer representeth vnto vs a most prudent Prince who though vnlearned yet for that he was very crafty subtile did gouerne very well and freed himselfe from many great dangers Subtletie and Sagacity accompanied I say with a sound intention and a good conscience for that is it wee aime at in gouernment proceedeth not from sagacity and subtletie but from goodnesse and Iustice §. V. Of the Discretion which Kings ought to haue Bâ—de in Iob Greg. Pastor p. 1. c 11. VEnerable Beda and S Gregory say of the nose and it's nostrills that they are the Instrument or Conduite to conuay all sorts of sents vp to the head And that they are purposely placed in so high a Station that they may the better discerne the good and the bad And they signifie thereby the vertue of discretion which is the knowledge of good and ill and by Reasons helpe distinguisheth the one from the other Per nasum discretio exprimitur per quam virtutes eligimus delecta reprobamus By the nose is vnderstood discretion by which wee make choyse of vertue and reiect our pleasures And is of that great excellencie that the Ancient made her Reginam virtutum the Queene of the Vertues reducing all the rest vnto it Another call'd her the Mother A third the fountaine or well-spring of the Vertues A fourth will haue euery particular vertue to beare the name of Discretion And there is not one wanting who affirmeth that these did not hit the marke aright for farre better saith hee might they haue said that there is no vertue at all without discretion For albeit the Vertues in themselues be perfect and full and doe qualifie the person that possesseth them as Fortitude makes a man valiant Iustice makes a
feare and fore-runners likewise of the ruine and perdition of any Monarchy whatsoeuer as they haue beene heretofore of others that haue been ouerthrowne by the like meanes But to conclude with this sense and to shut vp the doore likewise to all the rest wee are to presuppose that which is very common both in diuine and humane Letters That by the hands wherein particularly consists the Touching are vnderstood workes because they are the Instruments by which they are done Moses deliuering vnto vs that the Hebrewes did see the wonders which God had wrought in their fauour saith Viderunt manum magnam quam exercuerat Dominus Exod. 14.31 They saw that great worke which the originall renders that great hand which the Lord exercised vpon the Aegyptians And besides this Pier. lib. 35. Tit. Opus it hath another signification as is obserued by Pierius Valerianus an open hand being the Symbole of eloquence expressing that efficacy and perswasiue power that lies in well couched words Works and words being both very necessary in Kings Execution in the one and Elocution in the other And because all Princes cannot performe these offices of doing and saying by themselues they must haue another tongue and other hands by which they must speake and doe and the tongue whereby they must speake and the hands whereby they must touch and handle all things for their owne are not able to doe it must bee their fauourites Policratus in his booke directed to Traiane saith That your great Lords in Court and Kings fauourites are the hands of the kingdome And as in mans body they are naturally disposed and ready prepared for to succour and assist all the other members so they should be at hand for to helpe and relieue all the necessities of the kingdome and to be the formost in all dangers and a thousand other occasions that will offer themselues which neither are nor can bee wanting to Kings and kingdomes And therefore the Philosopher said of the hands that they are the Instrument of Instruments For without them nothing can be done neither can Kings of themselues do all They haue need of their Ministers and Fauourites which are their feet and their hands In the subsequent Chapters we shall discourse somewhat a little of them God grant that little or somewhat what ere it bee may worke some good And first of all we will treate whether it be fitting to haue Fauourites CHAP. XXXI Whether it be fit for Kings to haue Fauourites FAuourites being as they are the workmanship of Kings receiuing their forme and fashion from their good liking which creatures of their making wee haue mentioned in the former Chapter We shall handsomely fall here vpon that which in this is put to the question Nor is the answer thereunto very easie For a Fauourite being of the same nature as a particular friend and friendship being to bee inter aequales betweene those that are of equall condition it seemeth that those that are Subiects and seruants to their King and Master can not hold it with him whom they are to behold and treate with with a great deale of reuerence respecting alwayes his royall Maiestie which according to that other Poet No cabe en vn saco con el Amor is not in one and the same sacke with loue And without loue there is no friendship True it is that Aristotle and some other Philosophers affirme that this difference may easily bee reconciled forasmuch as hee that is in the higher and more eminent place may stoope so low and fashion himselfe in that euen measure to his Inferiour that they may both remaine vpon equall tearmes But this can hardly square and suite well with Kings towards their Fauourites For as it were an indecorum and vnseemely thing in a humane bodie that the head should abase it selfe and become equall with the shoulder so were it prodigious and monstrous that Kings which are Heads and hold that Soueraigntie which God hath giuen them should stoope so low to their Subiects that the eminencie should not appeare which they haue ouer them And that other meanes which may be vsed in raysing a subiect or Fauorite to that hight that hee may be equall with his King bringeth with that a great inconuenience For a Crowne Scepter royall cannot endure any fellowship with equality And therefore these two meanes may pare and fit well with friends that hauing professed friendship when their estates were equall the one growes inferiour to the other eyther good fortune or good diligence hauing preferred his fellow and friend But with Kings there cannot be held this correspondency and equality And it is King Salomons counsaill who saith That it is not fitting for any man to entertaine friendship and communication with those that are too mighty Ditiori te ne socius fueris Quid communicabit cacabus ad ollam Quando enim se colliserint confringetur Haue no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer then thy selfe For how agree the Kettle and the earthen Pot together For if the one bee smitten against the other it shall be broken And againe if you will but diligently obserue the sacred history of the Kings which were ouer Gods people you shall there finde little mention of Fauorites On the other side it will likewise seeme vnreasonable that kings should be debarr'd that without which to all mens seeming mans life cannot bee well past ouer Nemo sine amicis spectet vinere said the said Philosopher Let no man looke to liue without friends And the holy Scriptures are full of the commoditie and benefit which faithfull friends afford being as necessary for the life of man as fire and water and for no estate so important as for that of Kings who for that they haue so many so weighty and so secret businesses their estate were intollerable and more then they were able to beare if they might not haue the libertie of hauing friends with whom they might communicate and by whom they might receiue some ease of those troubles and care which great offices ordinarily bring with them Now for to giue satisfaction vnto that which is here pretended to be auerred we are to consider That Aristotle and other both Philosophers and Diuines teach which is no more then what experience plainly prooues vnto vs That there are two sorts of Loue or friendship The one Interessall or cum foenore whose end is its proper profit The other hath with it a more gentile noble intent which is to loue and wish well to that which deserueth to bee beloued and this is called Amor amicitiae the loue of friendship The other Amor concupiscentiae the loue of concupiscence And with very good reason for that therein there is not to be found the face of true friendship From these two Loues as from two diuerse rootes spring forth two different sorts of Fauorites The one who for their great parts and quailties haue deserued to carry after
will but weigh those words of the wise man Per me Reges regnant Prou. 8.15 Legum conditores iusta decernunt Through me Kings raigne Through mee Councellours make iust Lawes Whereby is giuen to vnderstand the particular fauour which God giues to the lawfull Kings and Gouernours of their kingdomes and commonwealths to hit right in that which appertaineth vnto gouernment And therefore was it well said of that wise King Salomon Prou. 16.10 Diuinatio in labijs Regis in iudicio non errabit os eius Prophecie is in the lippes of the King his mouth shall not go wrong in iudgement And your Diuines are of opinion that Kings haue more helpe and aide from their Angels of guard then other men haue And besides all this the publike prayers that are poured forth throughout all their kingdomes and Prouinces are of most great vse for Gods illightning of their vnderstanding And therefore for these reasons aforesaid although your Fauourites and more secret Councellours of State may be very learned and wise vnderstanding men yet is there a great deale of reason why in graue and weightie causes they should craue and attend their Kings opinion esteeming it as the more certaine being it comes from a head so much fauoured by God and so well assisted and strengthened on all sides Which doth not concurre in Fauourites for God hath not made that promise vnto them as he hath vnto Kings nor peraduenture doe they deserue it And if he bee the sole and onely Fauourite much lesse can hee presume that either his opinion or paines can be greater or surer then that of so many learned Councellours and Councells that haue met and sate thereupon and haue spent so much time and studie in State affaires Nor is it to bee imagined that when Councellours doe consult and craue their Kings opinion and resolution that they doe it to that end that they should receiue it from another inferiour person whom let Kings loue them neuer so much or conferre all that they can vpon them they cannot giue them more vnderstanding or more knowledge nor a better minde and disposition then what they haue already for this is reserued for God onely as also it properly belongeth vnto him to giue light vnto Kings that they may giue a fitting and direct answer to that point wherein they are consulted who alwayes supplyes them with that knowledge which is needfull for them if they shall but begge it at his hands and make good vse thereof Hence are two things inferred which are very sure and true The first That Kings are bound in conscience to attend in their owne person graue and weightie businesses for that this is their principall office which is euidently proued by this reason Whosoeuer beares an Office and hath salarie for the same is thereby obliged to comply fully therewith Sub poena peccati vpon penaltie of sinning And by so much the more grieuous shall the sinne be by how much the greater is the Office and by how much the more the stipend is augmented Now Kings you will confesse vnto me haue the greater office and greater stipend in all things and therefore shall they more grieuously sinne if they do not cumply therewith And this is made good in the sixth of Wisedome where in these very words it is expresly said Potentes potenter tormenta patientur Wisd 6.5 6. fortioribus fortior instat cruciatio A sharpe punishment shall be to them that be in high places and the mighty shall bee mightily tormented The second That Fauourites are obliged on paine of the said penaltie to serue their Kings in their owne persons well and faithfully in those businesses which they shall commit to their charge and that in taking their pleasure and ease more then their Kings themselues and substituting others to performe that trust and charge which is put vpon them they cannot iustly enioy that authoritie nor those interests and profits which doe result from their priuacie And let they themselues tell me what title they haue to enioy so much as they doe when they take lesse paines then their Kings but pleasure more And to conclude with that which is here questioned in this Chapter I say That admitting Fauourites to bee such as they ought to be it is fit notwithstanding that there should be more then one or two For thereby Kings shall haue the more helpe and out of that emulation and zeale which is wont to bee amongst them each of them will striue to bee more considerate and better aduised in commanding others and in begging and applying things to himselfe and his owne priuate profit and more solicitous in doing seruice to the State lest others might get the start of him in his Kings fauour And howbeit the name of fauourite seemeth not to indure a companion yet if they fixe their eyes on that which they ought which is the common good of the common-wealth and the seruice of their Kings it would neuer grieue them that there should bee others to assist for the same end and purpose but like that great Fauourite and friend of God Moses they would say Vtinam omnes prophetarâ—nt Would to God they did all prophecie CHAP. XXXIIII Of the Conditions and Qualities of Fauourites SVpposing that that then which hath beene said in the former Chapters and that Kings are to haue such persons about them who with proprietie may hold the name of friends for such qualitie and condition must they be of who possesse the bosome and soule of their Master by the communication of the greatest and most secret affaires and performe the office of Fauourites For although it be true that it cannot properly be said that Kings haue friends for that all saue of their owne ranke are inferiour vnto them yet is it likewise true that the holy Scripture as we shewed you before stiles Fauourites friends For the force of loue is of that great power that it remoueth and lifteth vp things from their point and center giuing the name of friend to a seruant and subiect Qui diligit cordis munditiam Prou. 22.21 propter gratiam labiorum suorum habebit amicum Regem He that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of his lippes the King shall bee his friend Aristotle doth admit betwixt the King and his subiect a certaine kinde of friendship howbeit the disparitie and inequalitie bee very great your Histories doe celebrate the friendships of great Princes held with their particular subiects And those which with other their equalls are called faithfull friends with Kings carry the name of Loyall-Subiects Which for that effect which wee pretend importeth little this altering or changing of the name That which most importeth and conueneth most is That we giue you some notice of those qualities which they ought to haue and of those signes whereby those may be knowne that are fittest and best for so great a Ministery There are two qualities amongst the rest which
the face to deny him any thing that hee was willing either to aske or take whilst like the vnthankfull yuie he went sucking away all the iuyce and sappe of the tree all that good Kings wealth and substance his being his authoritie and little lesse then his kingdome And lost by this meanes so much of his authoritie that some of the Grandes of the kingdome and the Infantes his brethren and the Kings of Aragon and Nauarre betooke them to their Armes and made warre against him he seeing himselfe vpon some occasions disobeyed by his sonne and Prince and forsaken of his wife and Queene Whereupon grew many ciuill broyles and all vnder the title and pretext of recouering their libertie and of pulling their neckes from vnder the yoke of that slauery and subiection wherein they were rendering that reason in their excuse which all the whole kingdome could but take notice of That all businesses past through his Fauourites hands and that the King did not negociate in his owne person The prosecution whereof I remit to those Histories that make mention thereof And it cannot bee denyed that this Fauourite notwithstanding had many good things in him that might very well deserue his Kings loue for he had serued him valiantly in great and vrgent occasions and had put his person and life in perill for his sake But as his priuacie and fauour went increasing so with it increased his ambition and couetousnesse and that in that high degree that he grew hatefull to the whole kingdome and in the end no lesse odious to the King himselfe who comming at length vnto himselfe fell into the account of those damages and losses which he had receiued in his kingdome both in his reputation and authoritie by putting the reines wholly into his hands taking thereby too much libertie to himselfe and ruling the State as he listed The Grandes represented to his Maiestie the abuses that insued thereupon as the ingrossing of the greater Offices and selling of the lesser and ouerswaying the Courts of Iustice And vsing many other effectuall perswasions grounded vpon other iust complaints proposing for remedie and redresse thereof the interest profit that might accrew vnto him by calling him to account and that he might thereby get into his hands an infinite deale of treasure the King liked very well of their propositions and admitting their reasons he fell off from his Fauourite waging warre against him with his owne money wherewith hee thought if neede should serue to sustaine and vphold himselfe This slippery footing haue all those things which haue not their hold-fast in God For they turne to the hurt of those that put their trust in them And it is his mercie to mankinde that they should pay for it in this life howsoeuer they speed in the life to come which we will leaue to Gods iustice and the strict account that will be taken of them In conclusion this great Fauourite dyed being fallen from his priuacie with his Prince depriued of all that wealth and treasure which he had so greedily scraped together ending his life with a great deale of sorrow and discontent and to the great reioycing of his opposites Though this did not serue for a warning to those that came after him but without feare of the like terrible and desperate falls they ranne themselues out of breath in the pursuite of the like priuacie Ioh. 3.29 Saint Iohn Baptist we know was Christs great Fauourite and the Gospell stiles him to be Amicus Sponsi the friend of the Bridegroome But his great goodnesse and holinesse of life did the more gloriously shew it selfe in this that by how much the more Christ did in-greaten and authorize him by so much the more did hee lessen and humiliate himselfe and laboured by all possible meanes by diminishing his owne to increase the authoritie and credit of his Lord and Master saying Illum oportet crescere Ioh. 3.30 me autem minui He must increase but I must decrease And this is that glasse wherein the Fauourites of Kings are to looke taking into their consideration that by how much the more they seeke to greaten themselues in making ostentation of their power and authoritie by so much the more they lessen and dis-authorise that of their Kings with whom is so dangerous any whatsoeuer shew or shadow of equalitie or competition that euen in the highest top of priuacie the more certaine and lesse reparable vsually is the fall How iocond and how well contented went Haman out of the palace when Queene Esther inuited him to dine with the King and her selfe When loe the very next day after they draggd him from that banquet and royall Table to the gallowes And therefore let no man trust or relye on the fauour of Kings be he neuer so rich or neuer so fortunate for in them it is ordinarily seene that all these faire shewes are commonly conuerted into manifest demonstrations of hatred Out of all this that hitherto hath beene said let Fauourites make vnto themselues this vse and instruction to know the danger and slipperinesse of the place wherein they stand euen then when they finde themselues most of all inthronized For most true is that saying of Fulmen petit culmen The highest Towers and the highest hills are most of all subiect to Iones thunder-bolts and lightning And let Kings likewise take this into their consideration by way of aduice That when they shall haue found their Fauourites to be furnished with those qualities before specified and that they are such that thereby they may merit their grace and fauour and so great both place and part in their heart it stands with very good reason that they shou d bee honoured by them with particular mercedes and fauours because they helpe them to beare the burthen of their cares and are exposed to great dangers and greater enuyings as it happened to that great Fauourite of the King of Persia whom the Princes of his kingdome did pretend to remoue from the Kings elbow and to put him in the denne amidst the Lions that by them hee might be there rent in peeces Whereof no other cause could be found against him but his Kings fauour bearing enuie to his priuacie that common Moath to high places from which none be he neuer so good neuer so honest can escape For it is very naturall in men to risent that hee should out-strip them who but yesterday was their fellow and companion They hold that honour for an iniurie that is done to their equall and thinke themselues go backward and loose of their authoritie and reputation if another bee preferred before them Which is such an offence that God presently takes notice of it and passeth it not ouer without punishment For this priuacie with Kings is a thing of his disposing and for such ends as hee pretends and there is not any Subiect that rises to such great place but that he must passe through the weights and
ballance of his diuine prouidence who chooseth these and refuseth those vsing them as meanes to worke his secretends Prou. 29.26 Many saith Salomon seeke the Rulers fauour but euery mans iudgement commeth from the Lord. The election comes from God it is not so much the King that chooseth them as God who moues his heart thereunto And if he do vphold them with his powerfull hand in vaine is it for others to go about to trippe vp their heeles For as Saint Cyprian saith Calamitas sine remedio est Cypr. de zelo liuo odisse foelicem To hate an happy and fortunate man is a misfortune beyord all remedie it is a torment and putrefaction of the heart which is euer gnawing and martyring of the soule CHAP. XXXVI Whether the Kinsfolke and friends of Fauourites are to be excluded from Offices THis place requireth that we auerre that which amongst discreet persons and such as are zealous of the common good is vsually called in question and made a doubt To wit whether or no it be inconuenient that the Kinsfolke friends and followers of Kings Fauourites should bee put into places of Office and Gouernment For it cannot but seeme an vnreasonable thing that those who haue such parts and qualities as well deserue to bee employed in such places of charge and command should therefore onely and eo nomine bee excluded from them for that they haue alliance and friendship with the said Fauourites Being that this in it selfe is not ill Besides the loue and affection which Kings beare vnto their Fauourites cannot like your bad-made-clothes so shrinke vpon themselues or be so straight-laced that it shall not likewise extend it selfe to the friends and allyes of those to whom they professe so much loue Againe a good if not a greater part of these mens happinesse and content consisteth in being able to do good and to raise their friends But for the better satisfying of this doubt it is fit that we should first consider and distinguish of the qualitie of the persons of this Alliance and friendship with those Fauourites as also of the condition and qualitie of those offices For in your offices there are some of grace and some of Iustice In the distribution of the former we are to looke no further then to grace and the Kings good will and pleasure In the latter to that distribution which is agreeable to distributiue Iustice There is likewise a great difference in the persons For some are of better qualities and desarts then other some And these are in all prouisions that are made to be first preferred be they or be they not of kinne and acquaintance with the Fauourites And there are many good reasons that make for their part Others there are that are inferiour in merit and the foresaid qualities and these in no wise may or ought to be preferred for the kindred or friendship which they hold with Fauourites For it were a sinne of accepting of persons which is contrary to distributiue Iustice Others there are that are euery way equall with the rest of the pretenders and on this Hinge hangs the force of the Question Now if they shall stand in this equalitie and vpon these equall tearmes with the rest in those qualities that are fitting for Office it seemeth that they should receiue some wrong in being excluded without any fault of theirs For it is no fault to bee the friend or kinsman of a Fauourite To this doubt the answer would be made the more difficult if your Fauourites through their too much ambition and couetousnesse had not taught vs the great inconueniences which result in a Common-wealth by opening this doore vnto them and conferring the said Offices on their friends and Allyes vnder colour and pretext that they are as well deseruing as others First of all for that Kings as Shepherds and common parents of the whole Commonwealth are to make a distribution of honours and of wealth equally reparting and diuiding them in that indifferent manner that they may reach to all houses and families or at least to extend them as farre as they are able Like a good Husbandman who that hee may haue a good and plentifull crop throwes and scatters his seed on this side and that side and euery where Secondly for that it is a very odious thing and which breedeth bad bloud and ingendreth ill humours in those who onely in regard of this their kindred and friendship see themselues depriued and dedebarred of that which they might otherwise challenge by desert And others on the other side when they see that they can neither come to be kinsmen nor friends nor of familiar acquaintance with Fauourites which are the references that must preferre them the first nature hauing denyed it them the other their bad fortune or the Fauourites disaffection seeing themselues hopelesse of all helpe and remedie either they runne themselues headlong into some desperate attempt or at least fall to flagge in their vertue either of which cannot choose but bee of great inconuenience to the Commonwealth Thirdly for that it is not fitting that Fauourites should come to be very powerfull either in their owne proper wealth and substance or in the greatnes and strength of their friends and Allies For the more they increase in these the more doe their Kings decrease and sometimes it hath beene seene to grow to that excesse that powerfull Princes haue seene or at least imagined themselues to be of lesser power then they could haue wisht it or had beene needfull to haue repressed and cut short the ambitious wings and high flowne insolencies of their Fauourites Fourthly for that vnder this colour occasion might bee giuen to Fauourites to dispose in such sort of the gouernment of kingdomes that Kings should not come to the knowledge of ought that passeth in them be it good or bad more then shall stand with the good liking of their Fauourites and make most for their owne ends So that neither those that are wronged shall finde meanes to bee righted nor those that are zealous of the common good and of their Kings authoritie and reputation be admitted to aduertise and giue notice vnto him of that which doth most concerne him For Kings by reason of their retirednesse cannot come to the full knowledge of all that passeth One of the things wherewith they charged that great Fauourite of King Don Iuan in that sentence which they pronounced against him was That hee had put into the offices of the Kings house and without his house and in places of gouernment persons that were tyed and wedged to his house either by fee-tayle or by friendship I referre my selfe to that which the sentence saith speaking in the person of King Don Iuan the second And it is not to be doubted that when Fauourites shall wholly apply themselues to seaze vpon all the Ports thereby to know all and so to stoppe vp all the doores and passages that none can come to
better that all should obey one that had wisedome and experience and that had beene bred vp in businesses and the mannaging of State-affaires whereby to gouerne them in peace and Iustice And sithence that in Pipine these qualities did concurre and that on him all the businesses of importance did depend it were good that hee should bee their King and that Childericke should take his ease and pleasure Hereupon they treated with Pipine who though hee gaue eare vnto what they said yet would not rashly aduenture himselfe to accept of the Crowne vnlesse Pope Zacharias might first be consulted therein Whereupon they sent their Embassadours who had instruction to render such reasons to the Pope that might moue him to approue thereof and iudging Childericke to bee vnfit for the gouernment might absolue the French of their oath which they had taken and that obedience which they ought to their King and that he should depriue him of the kingdome and further declare That since Pipine did rule and command all and had so many good indowments that hee might likewise be inuested with the title of King And the Archbishop of Maguncia was the man that was nominated to set the Crowne on his head and to declare him to bee King of all France Being thus back't they summoned a Parliament degraded the poore seely king and thrust him into a Monastery and Pipine was sworne and proclaimed King of those so many kingdomes and Signories as were then subiect to the Crowne of France There remaineth testimony hereof in the Decretals C. Alius 16. q. Hence had it's first beginning and that hand and power giuen vnto Popes in so great a businesse as the setting vp and pulling downe of Kings and which is more of creating new Emperours and depriuing the old ones of their Empire Whereof there are many examples And that which this Pope did with that King who had no more then that vmbratill and apparent power other Popes afterwards did the like with Henries and Fredericks and other Tyrants of great puisance and power The one offend in the more the other in the lesse The one out of the ambition that they haue to bee Kings that they may command and doe all loose all and so go to hell And the other go the same way for that they will not bee as they should be Kings but giue themselues wholly vnto idlenesse It was the Emperour Galba's vtter ouerthrow that he had put the whole gouernment into onely three mens hands which he brought along with him possessing them with so much power that hee was not Master of himselfe depending still vpon their wil and through that great authoritie which they had they ouerthrew all whatsoeuer their King did ordaine thrusting their armes as we say vp to the elbowes in all affaires and making vse of their present fortune And for that this vnfortunate Emperour could take notice of no more then what hee had from them for none without their permission could or see or speake with him they made him to do that which that other Potter did who going about to make a pot to boyle meate in made a Iarre to put drinke in And he thinking to substitute Iudges that should administer Iustice appointed theeues in their place which robbed the Commonwealth All which was imputed vnto him And for that Vanity is the mother of so many vices all this their great fauour serued to no other vse but to cause their Soueraigne to commit many actions of iniustice and indiscretion and of vnheard of and vnthought of wrongs violently breaking through the ordinary course of Iustice By which exorbitant proceedings this imprudent Emperour grew to be hated and abhorred of all and not being able longer to beare with him they depriued him at once of his life and Empire And these kinde of Caterpillars said the Emperour Sigismund make those Kings vnfortunate Aeneas Siluester de doct Sigismund that put their affiance in them At this carelesse ward liued at first Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians though afterwards like a wise Prince hee did rectifie this errour And the case was this Hee let his friend and Fauourite Lisander carry a great hand ouer him and did honour him in all that he could expressing alwayes much loue vnto him Lysander puft vp herewith tooke great state vpon him being attended with a great traine and manifesting in his very gate a kinde of extraordinary grauitie and Maiestie and all did so farre forth serue and obey him that it seemed he had vsurped the dignitie royall and the Empire leauing good honest Agesilaus onely the bare Titulary name of King Which his Maiestie taking into his consideration to the end that the people might not say that hee raigned by Lysanders helpe he withdrew the dispatch of businesses from forth his hands and would not remit any thing vnto him and if he spake to him touching this or that businesse he made as if he did not heare him or not well vnderstand him dispatching all himselfe to the good contentment of his Subiects Hereupon Lysander began to cast vp his accounts with himselfe and forbore from that time forward to conferre fauours or to promise Offices and told such suiters as came vnto hâ—m that they should go themselues to petition the King and would by no meanes permit that they should accompany him to Court as before And yet notwithstanding all this he assisted very carefully in all such seruices as were by his Maiesty recommended vnto him without any the least shew of discontentment Within a while after occasion was offered vnto him to speake with the King and talking with him hee told him O King how well hast thou learned to make thy friends lesse yes quoth the King when they will make themselues too great The King played his part well so did the Fauourite and all ought to doe the like Kings must bore a hole in that ship with their owne hand to stop it's course when it hoyseth it's sayles too high and goes with too still a gale For the taking notice of their Fauourites ambition is that ballast which doth secure them against those their windes and puffes of vanitie Let then the first aduice and which is of greatest importance for Kings and Christian kingdomes bee that which amongst other the Catholicke King of Spaine and Emperour Charles the fifth left vnto his sonne King Philip the second wherein with many indeared and effectuall words he recommends vnto him the obseruing augmenting and defending of the Christian faith in all his kingdomes States and Signiories seuerely punishing with all rigour and iustice without exception of persons all such as should bee either suspected or found culpable in points of Heresies Errours and depraued Sects contrary to the Catholicke faith For therein consisteth all our good words all of them worthie consideration and worthy so Catholicke a Prince esteemed approued and perpetually obserued by his most happie sonne howbeit to his great cost As one that
Question which is disputed and doubted of by some and may likewise serue for an Auiso vnto Kings whether it be better that the great Lords should be farre off from them or neare about them The Emperour Charles the fifth of famous memory amongst other Aduertisements which hee gaue to his sonne Philip one was That he should not let the great offices of the kingdome nor places of great command rest any long time in one mans hands nor should put his Grandes and great Lords into them but Gentlemen of good qualitie such as were creatures of his owne making And as for his Grandes hee should honour them with some places and offices neare about his person which would be a greater grace both to himselfe and his Court. Others are of a quite contrary opinion and alledge reasons for the maintenance thereof Great men they say if they be not like those little ones which Christ speaketh of are ordinarily of an extraordinary spirit and endeauour all they can increase of honour till they come to occupie the highest place And then will it bee seene of what little esteeme are those great fauours which they haue already receiued There is not that friendship that kindred nor any other bond be it neuer so strong which is not broken through the greedy ambition of ascending to some higher throne For to bee a King saith Euripides all Law is broken For this Appetite is of that force and strength that it breaketh all Lawes both Diuine and Humane For proofe whereof they cite many examples which I purposely omit that I may not offend and tire out the Reader All of them admonishing Kings that they should throughly weigh and consider where and in what places they put them For if they be neare about their royall person it is the torment of Tantalus vnto them to see the warre and the fruit so neare their mouth that greatnesse and power I meane and not to enioy it Which will but prouoke a more hungry appetite in those which doe not possesse it and will breake through hedge and ditch and runne as they say through fire and water transported with this so faire and beautifull a prize as is set before their eyes neuer being at quiet till they come to enioy it For there is not that loue to any thing here vpon earth which doth so much alter suspend and seaze on the minde and heart of man as that of ruling and commanding and to grow great therein And when they see things succeed not according to their minde yet at least in satisfaction of their enuie they will be well content that the waters should be troubled and the world be turned topsie-turuy taking pleasure therein though it be to their owne hurt And what King can secure himselfe that such ambitious persons being neare about him will not at one time or other attempt their ends For greatnesse say they after that it is once possessed quits the memory of the meanes whereby it came to bee so great and findes a thousand excuses for it's weaknesse in offending And the rather for that ill vse hath taught all men this lesson That the reputation of an honest man is not to be preferred before his proper profit and greatnesse Lastly they say That he that ouercommeth and makes good his clayme by his sword needeth not to study excuses and to make Apologies let those doe that that haue the worst end of the staffe and stand at the mercy of the Conquerour In conclusion they resolue this question thus That it is very fit that your great Noble-men should rather liue farre from Court then neare about their King For all of them will be of good vse for the gouernment of Prouinces and Armies whereby both the one and the other will be secured And when they cannot content them in all that they would haue they may entertaine them with these which will be a good meanes to diuert their thoughts and to bridle those Prouinces that are committed to their charge with whom the Maiestie and greatnesse of their Gouernours will be able to doe much And there they are not of that danger For in kingdomes by succession and well setled and where there is no colour of wresting the Scepter out of the bloud-royall there is no feare of trusting the Grandes and great Noblemen with these kinde of Gouernments but it is rather requisite that it should be so For like vnto starres in heauen and their influences on earth they serue for ornament and conuersation in those kingdomes and Prouinces wherein there are ancient and noble Houses for which they are to seeke out men of Noble bloud and good qualitie and of knowne greatnesse to bee conuersant amongst them For the Nobilitie of those kingdomes and Prouinces will thinke themselues not well dealt withall if they shall haue but an ordinary man set ouer them to be their Gouernour be he neuer so wise or neuer so valiant For being that they are to attend all at the gates of him that holdeth that place they may esteeme it as an iniurie to see themselues obliged to acknowledge homage vnto him whom out of that place they would sence vouchsafe him their companie Besides that greatnesse and largenesse of minde and heart that knowes not how to shrinke or be deiected with aduerse fortune a thing so necessary in him that gouernes will sooner bee found in these then men of meaner ranke For as Saint Ierome saith hee that owes much to his bloud and familie will alwayes beare that obligation about him and neuer faile therein Againe he that is borne to command will be lesse insolent in his gouernment as hauing that noble qualitie from his cradle And the people on the other side will more willingly obey him whom they haue alwayes knowne to haue liued in honour and greatnesse And his example will bee of greater importance to reforme the disorders and abuses that shall there be offered Ouer and aboue they further adde That your Grandes and great Noblemen may and haue obligation to content themselues with their present estate if they will but weigh the difference of that it was with that which it is now did not men that are now in honour grow forgetfull of their former meane condition That grieuing them more which falls short of their desire then that doth please and content them which fortune hath with so liberall a hand bestowed on them For no man rests contented with his present estate and condition nor doe we esteeme that so much which wee possesse as the lacke of that we desire doth torment vs. And therefore doe they say that they are not so good to be about Kings and more particularly those which are so qualified for they are like a lingâ—ing kinde of Caleature or aguish Feuer which makes an end of vs before we are a ware of it working it's effect before wee can looke into the cause Or like vnto the hand in a Clocke or Dyall which tells
courage and wit as they are nobly descended they will heaue him out of the saddle when he thinkes he sits surest For concealed hatred is worse then open enmitie And therefore let him gaine new friends keepe his old and not loose any one of those he hath gotten For being left single and alone he shall bee like vnto that white Crow in the Fable whom the crowes would not come neare because of his colour nor the pigeons keepe him company in regard of his greatnesse so that all will flie from him and in the time of his greatest need hee shall be left all alone Vae soli Woe bee to him that is alone And the holy Ghost seemeth to take pittie of him that is alone for that if he fall he hath no body to helpe him vp Let Fauourites likewise consider that they are not for that their King hath exprest his affection vnto them and profest himselfe to bee their friend to thinke that like a dogge in a slip they may leade him whither and which way they list For there are many things to be done which hee is to doe without them For as Cicero saith that friendship which admitteth not exception in some cases is not so much Amicitia as Coniuratio Amitie as conspiracie It is obserued by the learned Saint Ambrose That true friendship is grounded vpon that which is iust and honest and is so limited that if it breake those bounds it doth not onely loose it's name but affoords iust cause for a man to forgoe his friend Friendship is to be held but alwayes with this prouiso that the Lawes of Iustice and Charitie bee duely obserued and when ought contrary thereunto is pretended it is no longer said to bee friendship though vowes and protestations haue past for the better strengthening and confirming of it For if a King shall sweare amisse and contrary to the rules of charitie he is not bound to cumply with his oath nor is there any reason for it in the world why hee should in such sort make deliuery and reason of his heart to his Fauourite and let him haue so much the hand of him as to promise to sticke vnto him or to stand his friend in those things that are vnlawfull and vniust As those Kings Assuerus and Tiberius proceeded with Haman and Scianus who out of the fauour that they bore vnto them gaue them leaue to reuenge themselues of their enemies and to execute all the tyrannies and cruelties which they could deuise or imagine to satisfie their malice A fault which deserued rather and afterwards drew on their speedier and greater fall And well doth that Fauourite deserue to be ruined that shall presume to pretend hazer raga as they say con suamo To stand iust in the same streake or line with his Master For if God who surpasseth in glory and from whom it is impossible to take the least atome thereof and is able to turne all that he hath created into dust will not admit of a companion in matter of adoration and worship How much more will Kings of the earth bee offended and now ill must they take it that any Subiect should equall his shoulder or share with him in his greatnesse being his honour is so shortned and his power so limited For if out of their loue to the person of the Fauourite they beare with him for a while either for to shew themselues thankfull for his good seruices or haply to make him the instrument to worke their reuenge on others Yet these affections and proofes which I speake of being once passed ouer there enters presently in the place thereof a naturall feare and iealousie of their authority and greatnesse which doth much more sway with them then the loue and affection which they beare to the Fauourites person Enuie likewise she comes in and playes her part which is a neare neighbour and still ready at hand in Princes Courts and Pallaces as if she were Attorney generall of all those great places and fomes forth her venome secretly lying in waite and watching her time to doe mischiefe stabbing suddenly deaths wound being giuen before it be dream't on and great is the hurt which this so neare a neighbour to the Kings elbow doth and out of an in-bred spleene aymeth at nothing more then the downfall of Fauourites Complaints and grieuances they also make their appearance in Court being the maine witnesses that Enuie and Passion bring into the Court to make good their plea. Next after these comes in the respect not to say the feare of those that are discontented in all states for no King will be willing that their Subiects vpon this ground should build their rebellion and cause an alteration in the kingdome and will be as loath to bee ball'd on by grieued and discontented persons vpon iustly pretended complaints nor will he be so vnwise for feare of other claps to fauour one to offend many All of them being shrewd blowes for to allay if not quell the courage of the most passionate King towards his dearest Fauourite and are such fierce and terrible conflicts that they tosse his iudgement to and fro with farre greater violence then a strong raging winde doth the waues of the Sea Gouernours and such as sit at the sterne of a Common-wealth wealth and such vnto whom Kings haue deliuered vp the keyes of their heart and hold the rudder of the Monarchie in their hands to steare and shape their course as they will themselues there is no question to bee made of it but that they are in great danger vpon euery storme that shall arise for looke what misfortune shall befall the Commonwealth the blame shall be laid vpon them and the fault imputed either to their ill counsell or their ignorance or their passion For ordinarily nay I may say continually the misfortunes and ill successes of Kings and kingdomes I say the cause of them is attributed to those that are nearest and dearest about the Kings person and possesse the highest places And euery one running along with the common opinion and few are they which haue not a smacke or taste thereof laboureth to lay the fault on his neighbour though he be of his owne proper flesh and bloud And this is an inheritance which wee haue from our father Adam And no man is ashamed thereof for we are all of vs his heires and therefore ought to endeuour as much as in them lies that the peace and quiet of the kingdome bee not disturbed or troubled in the time of their gouernment As well for their glorie and reputation to haue in all their proceedings carried themselues in such sort that no ill accident hath betided them or any maine disgrace as also for the not subiecting of themselues to the vncertaine chances of fortune which are ordinary vpon euery alteration and may serue to worke their ruine and perdition Let therefore those haue an eye I say it and say it againe that are Priuie-Councellours to their