hir husbands loue Goe to then let vs see if we can giue the wife some instructions touching this matter how she may keep hir self within the limites of hir dutie towards hir husband ARAM. As the Church is in subiection to Christ euen so saith the Scripture let the wiues be to their husbands in euery thing For the husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of the Church ACHITOB. Wiues must be modest wise chaste keepers at home louers of their husbands and subiect vnto them But it belongeth to thee ASER to be now vnto them in stead of a schoole-master ASER. When kings and princes honor Philosophers and learned men it is certaine that they honor thēselues but philosophers that court it and become seruants to riches are not thereby honoured We may say as much of wiues For whē they submit themselues to their husbands they are praised but if they will become mistresses ouer them it beseemeth them as ill as it doth such as yeeld to that subiection and both of them reape more shame thā honor thereby Therefore those women that make choice of effeminate husbands delight in commanding them are like to such as had rather guide the blind than follow the wise and cleare-sighted So that if a wife loue esteeme and honor hir husband I thinke that all honest dutie will flow from thence to their common contentation comfort to the benefit quietnes and honour of the whole familie I meane if she loue him as hir self and esteem and honour him as hir neerest lord A wise woman ought to thinke that hir husbands maners are the lawes of hir life which if they be good she is wholy to folow but if they be bad she must patiently beare with them For as a looking glasse serueth to no purpose although it be gilt and decked with precious stones if it doth not liuely represent his face that looketh into it so a woman is not to be liked albeit she haue store of goods if hir life be not thereafter and hir behauior conditions be not conformable to hir husbands If a looking glasse represent a sadde and mourning countenance to one that is ioyful and mery or contrarywise a smiling face to him that is sorowfull it is a false glasse and worth nothing So is she a bad wife and vnreasonable which frowneth when hir husband is desirous to be mery with hir to take some honest recreation or contrarywise which laugheth and sporteth hir selfe when she seeth him full of busines and greatly troubled For the one is a token of hir froward disposition the other that she despiseth the affections of hir husband And as lines and superficiall partes as the Geometricians say mooue not of themselues but as the bodies mooue wherein they are so a wife must haue no proper and peculiar passion or affection to hir self but must be partaker of the pastimes affaires thoughts laughters of hir husband The farther the Moone is from the Sun the cleerer it is and shineth so much the more and contrarywise it hath lesse light is obscuved the more as it commeth neerer therunto so euil women deale with their husbands when they loue not their presence For in their absence you shall see them as iocund and frolick as may be but when they are with their husbands and at home then are they sorowful pensiue Moreouer a wife must not trust too much either to hir wealth or to the nobilitie of hir race or to hir beautie but to that which setteth neerest hir husbands hart that is to hir behauior maners and conuersation taking order that these things be not hard troublesom or irksom to hir husband euery day but such as please him and agree with his conditions For the troublesome conuersation of a wife that alwais iarreth in the end maketh euen hir honest behauior odious as hir ouer-great pinching niggardlines causeth hir sparing good huswiferie to become hateful As this custom was obserued amongst the Persians that when their enimies came rushing vpon thē with great clamors they receiued them with silence contrarywise if they were set vpon with silence they made head against them with opē mouth so discreet womē hold their peace when their husbands cry out with choler contrarywise if they vtter not a word they labor to appease and pacifie them with their comfortable speeches A wise womā that loueth hir husband as becōmeth hir somtime tollerateth dissembleth an euil intreatie trusting so much to hir cōstancie vertue that by continuing in hir dutie she is able to bring him back again to his She must gouerne hir selfe so discreetly that neither hir neighbours nor other of hir familiar friends be made acquainted in any sort with hir complaints grieuances For by discouering them either she shal make hir self a laughing stock to others or els giue occasion to the enimies of hir honor to prouoke sollicit hir to naughtines And if any one knowing the imperfections of hir husband vnder this pretence of seeing hir hardly delt withal perswade hir to decline frō hir duty she must answer him after the example of king Phillip who being wronged by the Graecians intreated them curteously what then would my husband do vnto me if I begin to hate him to offer him iniury If she perceiue that any womā of hir acquaintance laboreth by hir talke either to sow or to increase some domestical dissentiō she may wisely say with hir self In what case would this woman that seketh to make me iealous desire rather to see me thā maliciously to play the ill huswife with my husband to forsake my house mariage bed whereupon it may be she would gladly take my place Thus a discreet woman wil giue smal eare much lesse giue place to the light speeches fained promises of such disturbers of domestical peace Neither will she admit nourish those vain sottish opinions which commonly busie the minds of such womē as are ruled gouerned onely by passions but containing hir desires through reason within a cōuenient compasse the confidence which she hath in hir husbands vertue wil breed perfect ease to hir soule by taking frō hir all doubting occasion of complaining Now vpō this discourse we giue this note by the way that whē any displeasure falleth out betweene maried folks they must haue a special regard then that they make not two beds For by this mean their anger will indune the lesser while Also they must shun al occasions of quarelling in bed For as a great bellied woman redy to lie down euen feeling the pangs of hir trauell said to those that willed hir to lie down vpon the bed How can the bed cure me of this euil which came vnto me vpon the bed so those quarels iniuries wrath choler that are bred within the bed can hardly be appeased healed
eies those vertuous and learned instructions that are drawen out of the fountains of arts and disciplines This mooued Antigonus king of Macedonia to write thus to Zeno the philosopher I am assured that I excell thee in the goods and fauour of fortune and in the renowne of such things but I know withall that thou art far aboue me and goest beyond me in that true felicitie which consisteth in the knowledge and discipline of studies Therefore I desire earnestly that thou wouldest come vnto me wherein I pray thee denie me not that I may enioie thy conuersation and companie as well for mine owne profit as for the profit of all the Macedonians my subjects For he that instructeth a prince doth also profit as many as are vnder his charge This selfsame loue of knowledge was the cause that all the festiuall ornaments of that great louer of vertue Ptolomie Philadelphus king of Egypt were graue questions as well of pietic as of phlosophic which he propounded to be handled and concluded by those learned men whom he ordinarily maintained in his traine Sir the example of these two noble kings shining wholy in you who greatly loue and fauour learning and the professors thereof and open the gate of that holie and vertuous discipline which was so much cherished by ancient men that they might daily be instructed the better in the dutie of their charges doth promise to your good subjects and vassals that by the grace of God they shall see vnder your raigne the euill of those sinister effects defaced which haue issued from these long troubles and ciuill wars Whereof all men haue conceiued a more certaine hope bicause they see that you labor with a holie zeale and good affection to restore pietie and iustice to their former strength and beautie which were in a maner buried in France and that you haue gloriously crowned that worke which that great king Francis your grandfather did happily begin to the end that arts and sciences might flourish in this kingdome The diner of that prince of famous memorie was a second table of Salomon vnto which resorted from euerie nation such as were best learned that they might reape profit and instruction Yours Sir being compassed about with those who in your presence daily discourse of and heare discoursed many graue and goodly matters seemeth to be a schoole erected to teach men that are born to vertue And for my selfe hauing so good hap during the assemblie of your Estates at Blois as to be made partaker of the fruit gathered thereof it came in my mind to offer vnto your Maiestie a dish of diuers fruits which I gathered in a Platonicall garden or orchard otherwise called an ACADEMIE where I was not long since with certaine yoong Gentlemen of Aniou my companions discoursing togither of the institution in good maners and of the means how all estates and conditions may liue well and happily And although a thousand thoughts came then into my mind to hinder my purpose as the small authoritie which youth may or ought to haue in counsell amongst ancient men the greatnes of the matter subject propounded to be handled by yeeres of so small experience the forgetfulnes of the best foundations of their discourses which for want of a rich and happie memorie might be in me my iudgement not sound ynough and my profession vnfit to set them downe in good order briefly the consideration of your naturall disposition and rare vertue and of the learning which you receiue both by reading good authors and by your familiar communication with learned and great personages that are neere about your Maiestie whereby I seemed to oppose the light of an obscure day full of clouds and darknes to the bright beames of a very cleere shining sunne and to take in hand as we say to teach Minerua I say all these reasons being but of too great waight to make me change my opinon yet calling to mind manie goodlie and graue sentences taken out of sundry Greeke and Latine Philosophers as also the woorthie examples of the liues of ancient Sages and famous men wherewith these discourses were inriched which might in delighting your noble mind renew your memorie with those notable sayings in the praise of vertue and dispraise of vice which you alwaies loued to heave and considering also that the bounty of Artaxerxes that great Monarke of the Persians was reuiued in you who receiued with a cheerfull countenance a present of water of a poore laborer when he had no need of it thinking it to be as great an act of magnanimitie to take in good part and to receiue cheerfully small presents offered with a hartie and good affection as to giue great things liberally I ouercame whatsoeuer would haue staied me in mine enterprise For I assured my selfe thus much of your bountifull roiall greatnes which I craue in most humble maner that you would measure the gift and offer of this my small labor not according to the desert thereof or by the person of one of your basest seruants and subjects who presenteth in vnto you but according to the excellencie of those things which you shall see handled in this Academie and according to the seruiceable and most affectionate desire wherewith I dedicate and consecrate both goods and life to your seruice I beseeth God Sir to preserue your Maiestie in great prosperitie increase of honor and continuance of a long and happie life At Barre in the moneth of Februarie 1577. Your most humble and most obedient seruant and subject Peter de la Primaudaye THE AVTHOR TO THE READER THE PHILOSOPHERS teach vs by their writings and experience doth better shew it vnto vs that to couet and desire is proper to the soule and that from thence all the affections and desires of men proceede which draw them hither and thither diuersly that they may attaine to that thing which they thinke is able to lead them to the enioying of some good wherby they may line a contented and happie life Which felicitie the most part of men through a false opinion or ignorance rather of that which is good and by following the inclination of their corrupted nature do seeke and labor to finde in humane and earthlie things as in riches glorie honor and pleasure But for a smuch as the enioying of these things doth not bring with it sufficient cause of contentation they perceiue themselues alwaies depriued of the end of their desires and are constrained to wander all their life time beyond all bounds and measure according to the rashnes and inconstancie of their lusts And although they reioice for a little while at euerie new change yet presently they loath the selfe-same thing which not long before they earnestly desired Their owne estate alwaies seemeth vnto them to be woorst and euerie present condition of life to be burdensome From one estate they seeke after another so that now they withdraw themselues from the seruice of princes and
Reader if thou takest payns to read well to vnderstand better and which is best of all to follow the precepts instructions and examples which thou shalt find here as also if thou bringest hither a good will and cheerefull disposition voyd of all malicious enuy which at this day is commonly practised by most men of this our age who like to malicious Censorers busie themselues rather in seeking out what to bite at and to reprehend in other mens workes than to draw out and to commend that which is good or to assay to make them better Besides thou shalt haue somewhat to commend in the order of these discourses and in the maner of teaching which is in them For after the handling of that knowledge which is especially necessary for man all those vertues follow which he ought to imbrace and those vices which he is to shun Next he is instructed in that which concerneth house-keeping then in that which hath respect to estates and policies last of all how he may die well after he hath liued well As for the maner of teaching which is diligently obserued by these Academikes thou shalt see that first they prayse that vertue or disprayse that vice which they propound to themselues to discourse vpon that they may mooue and frame mens minds as well to hate the one as to desire the other Then they define that wherof they discourse that the end of the present subiect may be better knowen Afterward they giue precepts to find out the means wherby to attaine to that which is Good and to eschew the euil Lastly they adde examples which are liuely reasons and of great waight to mooue men with delight to embrace vertue and to flie vice Now if thou thinkest that too litle is spoken considering the goodly and large matter here propounded it is not bicause they knew not that the excellencie of euery thing put foorth here is so great and the reasons so aboundant that a man might well make a booke therofby it selfe as many learned men haue done but the chiefe scope and drift of these Inter-speakers was to discourse briefly of such things as are necessarily required in the institution of maners and of a happy life Neuerthelesse it may well be that that which thou findest not sufficiently folowed in one place may be learned in another if thou lookest vnto the end Moreouer they who are here named and who mind to retaine alwayes the name of disciples neuer purposed or presumed to set downe resolutions or to appoint lawes which are necessarily to be kept and may not be changed in any wise by those that are cleere-sighted according to the occurrence benefit of the estate of this Monarchie but grounding their counsels and instructions vpon the soundest and most approoued opinion of the writings of learned men both of auncient and late times and vpon such as drew neerest to the infallible rule of the holy scriptures according to the small measure of graces giuen them from aboue they haue left to euery one following therein the ancient schoole of the Academikes libertie to compare the motiues of the one side with the reasons on the other that the truth of all things might be diligently searched out and inquired after that none through any head-strong conceit should be wedded to priuate opinions and that afterward choise might be made of the best and of such as are most certain therby to order and rule all intents and actions and to referre them to the perpetuall glory of that great Lord of Hierarchies who is the onely cause and chiefe fountain of all Good contentation and happinesse Spe certa quid melius The Contents of the seuerall chapters of this Booke Chap. 1 Of Man Page 10 2 Of the body and soule 19 3 Of the diseases and passions of the body and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof 27 4 Of Philosophie 38 5 Of Vertue 51 6 Of Vice 63 7 Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories 72 8 Of the Spirit and of Memorie 83 9 Of Duetie and Honestie 92 10 Of Prudence 103 11 Of want of Prudence and of Ignorance of Malice and subtletie 115 12 Of Speech and Speaking 126 13 Of Friendship and of a Friend 136 14 Of Reprehension and Admonition 148 15 Of Curiositie and Noucitie 159 16 Of Nature and Education 170 17 Of Temperance 179 18 Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes 189 19 Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie 198 20 Of Superfluitie Sumptuousnesse Gluttonie and Wallowing in delights 209 21 Of Ambition 223 22 Of Voluptuousnes and Loosenesse of life 234 23 Of Glory Praise Honour and of Pride 245 24 Of Shame Shamefastnes and of Dishonor 256 25 Of Fortitude 265 26 Of Timorousnes Feare and Cowardlines and of Rashnes 277 27 Of Magnanimitie and Generositie 288 28 Of Hope 298 29 Of Patience and of Impatiencie of Choler and Wrath. 308 30 Of Meeknes Clemencie Mildnes Gentlenes and Humanitie 319 31 Of good and ill Hap. 328 32 Of Prosperitie and Aduersitie 338 33 Of Riches 350 34 Of Pouertie 358. 35 Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming 367 36 Of an Enimie of Iniurie and of Reuenge 378 37 Of Iustice 390 38 Of Iniustice and of Seueritie 402 39 Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason 413 40 Of Ingratitude 424 41 Of Liberalitie and of the vse of Riches 434 42 Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie 444 43 Of Enuie Hatred and Backbiting 457 44 Of Fortune 467 45 Of Mariage 478 46 Of a House and Familie and of the kinds of Mariage of certaine ancient customes obserued in mariage 484 47 Of the particular dutie of a Husband towards his wife 500 48 Of the dutie of a Wife towards hir Husband 513 49 Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other partes of the house namely in the Parentall Masterly and Possessorie part 523 50 Of the dutie of children towards their Parents of the mutuall loue that ought to be among brethré of the dutie of seruants towards their masters 536 51 Of the Education and instruction of Children 549 52 Of the diuision of the ages of Man and of the offices and duties that are to be obserued in them 561 53 Of Policie and of sundry sorts of Gouernments 573 54 Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office 584 55 Of the Lawe 593 56 Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Lawe 603 57 Of a Monarchie or a Regall power 615 58 Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tiranny 627 59 Of the Education of a Prince in good maners and conditions 640 60 Of the office and dutie of a King 652 61 Of a Councell and of Counsellers of Estate 675 62 Of Iudgements and of Iudges 689 63 Of Seditions 703 64 Of the causes that breede the change corruption c. of Monarchies and Policies 716 65 Of the preseruations of Estates and Monarchies and of remedies to keepe them from sedition 730 66
beyond measure in prosperitie she keepeth him vpright and constant both in the one and in the other Thus doth vertue generally teach a man by following the reason of true prudence to rule all his inclinations and actions as well for his owne priuate good as for the profit and vtilitie of humane societie Whereby it appeereth sufficiently vnto vs that the foundation of all vertue is that diuine reason which floweth into our soules from the free goodnes of our God and which taketh liuely roote by care studie and diligence when the selfe-same grace blesseth our labour For without this we can do nothing so that all our meditations and purposes to liue vprightly continently and temperately become vaine and friuolous before his maiestie In this maner of that excellent reason and wisedome wherewith the eternall wisedome enricheth vs that we might know good and euill prudence is ingendred which is most necessarie for the gouernment of earthlie things whereof we will intreat heerafter and whereby man is enriched with morall vertue as with an infallible rule of all his works and actions to the end that fully enioying humane felicitie which consisteth in good maners qualities and conditions of the soule he may bring foorth the fruits and effects thereof to the profit of many We say then that all vertue consisteth in mediocritie as vice doth in excesse or in defect in regard wherof she is in the midst albeit in respect of hir selfe I meane of hir perfect and absolute excellencie she is extreme and standeth not in need of any increase or diminution Now as all the imperfections of the soule are called vices and passions so all their contraries which serue for remedies vnto them are named vertues And although vertue be alwaies one so that he which hartily imbraceth one part of it is desirous of them all yet may she be called by diuers names euen by so many as there is alwaies in euery good action some particular vertue that maketh it eminent and to be seene aboue others Moreouer according to the diuers subiects wherein she is she bringeth foorth diuers effects conforming hir selfe in some sort to the maners conditions and naturall inclinations of those which possesse hir Heereof it commeth that some are more apt and constant in some one vertue than others are for all can not do all things and that one practiseth it after one fashion and an other otherwise Now it followeth that I handle heereafter distinctly and in order the pluralitie of vertues with their seuerall properties But in the meane while to speake generally of this pretious and inestimable riches I meane of vertue and of the great worthie and wonderfull effects which she bringeth forth in men first she is the onely proper and true good of the soule that can not by any accident be violently taken and caried away She alone maketh hir possessor happie causing him to finde euery kinde of life that is sweet pleasant and acceptable contained in hir Vertue alone is the onely matter of rest and tranquillitie in the mind being by reason purged of feare of trouble of worldly desire and ioy Of this liuely fountaine spake Democritus when he said that ioy was ingendered in mens harts of the mediocritie of pleasure and of a moderate and temperate harmonie of life Vertue said Thales is the profitablest thing in the world bicause it maketh all other things profitable by causing men to vse them well Yea we may say further that all other gifts and riches remaine vnprofitable and hurtfull without the ornament of vertue Cicero prooueth by many goodlie reasons that onely vertue is of it selfe sufficient to cause men to liue well and happily And surely euery good and vertuous man of what calling soeuer he be is so happie if he haue grace to know it that he need not to wish for any thing with passion or trauell in this life but rather is content of himselfe in regard of men and contemneth the care of worldly things not iudging any thing euil which necessitie of nature or rather the ordinance of God bringeth vpon him And where miseries are doubled there vertue sheweth hir effects most wonderfully giuing vs therby to vnderstand that she consisteth in such things as are most rare and difficult For which cause hir strength is compared to the date tree which the more it is pulled downe the more it returneth vpward so when vertue is most oppressed of hir enimies she shineth most gloriously Onely vertue appeareth woonderfull to the minde that is cloathed therewith and keepeth it from coueting that which others commonly worship namely great callings riches pleasures and glory She despiseth the praise flatterie of men wherunto so many others make themselues slaues remaineth alwais free in hir selfe free to euery one without any other hope of reward then to be accepted of God to effect things meete tobe rewarded eternally in the next life by the liberalitie of God If we compare worldly goods with vertue calling that good which vsurpeth that name is subiect to corruptiō first as touching those which the philosophers cal the goods of fortune namely nobility wherin at this men stay so much what is it but a good of our ancestors Riches are easily lost yea causeth the possessor of them to be sooner lost as for the glorie of the greatest yea of al principalitie it is no lesse vncertaine Concerning the goods of the bodie beauty comelines is but a flower of small continuance helth which is so precious soon changeth strength is lost by infinit inconueniences Al bodily pleasure is vnperfect followed of perturbations But vertue is that onely diuine immortall qualitie in vs which as Hesiodus saith is a stable sure possession both to the liuing and to the dead ouer which neither fortune slander sicknes old-age nor aduersitie haue any power and as for length of time which diminisheth all things it alwaies addeth somewhat to vertue encreaseth it All the other goods aboue rehearsed are from without a man working oftentimes destructiō to their possessors commonly coming to those that are least woorthy of them Onely vertue is the proper inheritance of the soule worketh the hapines therof and maketh a man alwaies worthy of true glory praise causing him to be honored esteemed euen of his enimies In a word it cannot as Cicero saith be vttered how much vertue surmounteth all other things in glorie excellencie And if all other goods of men saith Socrates were laid by thēselues they would amount in value but to one mote in respect of the price of vertue Plato his disciple saith that the difference of vertue compared with other goods is so great that if they were put into one skale of the balance vertue into the other this would ascend vp to heauen and the other would touch the earth Moreouer he wrote foure fiftie books or dialogues
iudgements of the Romanes were for a long time in the hands of three Orders or Estates namely of Senators Knights and Tribunes of the treasure Neuertheles the same persons did not alwaies iudge but the Pretors who were annuall Iudges and chief amongst them tooke a certaine number of Iudges by lot out of those three Estates And if they that were first taken were refused by any one of the parties others were chosen by an after-lot who being agreed vpon and sworne were distributed by decuries or tens There were three sorts of Pretors the Pretor of the Citie who tooke knowledge of particular causes namely of ciuill and criminal matters amongst the citizens of Rome the Pretor established for matters betweene strangers citizens the Pretors appointed for publike causes The Senators were once the only Iudges of all processes but Tiberius Caius Gracchus being popular persons to diminish the authority of the Senate and to encrease the peoples power ioined vnto them 300. Knights according to the number of the Senators brought it so about that the iudgmēts of al causes were diuided betweene these 600. men Vnder Sylla all authoritie of iudging was restored againe to the Senate but Pompey after that brought in the Knights againe all iudgements were equally communicated vnto the three Orders aboue mentioned Afterward when Caesar was Dictator he reduced them to two Orders only that is to Senators to Knights Buda in his annotations vpon the Pandects hath obserued many good things belonging to the Romane iudgements which curious spirits may looke into among the rest of the great respect honor that was giuen to Magistrats Concerning which matter we may vse as a good testimony that which we read in Plutark of Fabius Maximus his son who seeing a far off his father come towards him on horse-backe that his sergeants in regard of fatherly reuerence had not caused him to alight commanded him to set foot on ground Which the father presently obeied imbracing his sonne made greater account of him than if he had done otherwise The same author writeth that one Vectius was presently slaine bicause he arose not whē the Tribune of the people passed before him And Valerius Maximus saith that the Censors did note with ignominy withall disfranchised a citizen of Rome bicause he breathed yawned a little too loud in their presence But what Estats dignities were then giuen to vertue not to him that offred most And often times the places of iudgement were necessarily and as it were by force laid vpon Iudges being more honourable than profitable yea very incommodious to such as would discharge themselues vprightly therein I remember an excellent iudgement giuen by Archidamus the Lacedemonian when he was chosen Arbitrator to decide a certaine contention betweene two friendes After he had brought them both into the Temple of Diana and made them sweare vpon the aultar that they shoulde obserue precisely whatsoeuer he determined wherunto they yeelded I iudge then quoth he that none of you depart out of this Temple before you haue ended your strife Thus were they both constrained to agree among themselues and Archidamus freed from perill of loosing one of their friendships against whome he must needes haue giuen iudgement By this meanes he put in practice that saying of Pittacus That a man must not be ludge or Arbitrator in the controuersie of two friendes least by iudging profitably for one he loose the friendship of the other But let vs speake of our own Estate In old time as many histories report iudgements were so well administred in France that strangers did willingly submit themselues vnto them Frederick the 2. submitted to the iudgement of the king and his Parliament the deciding of many contentions and controuersies betweene him and Pope Innocent the fourth In the time of Phillip the Faire the Earle of Namure did the like albeit that Charles of Valoys the kings brother was his aduerse partie so great confidence had he in the equitie of those Iudges At the same time Phillip Prince of Tatentum willingly accepted for Iudge the king sitting in his Parliamēt about the controuersie that he had with the Duke of Burgundye for certaine charges which he should defraye towardes the recouerie of the Empire of Constantinople The like did the Duke of Lorraine in the suite which he had against Guy of Castillon his brother in law for their diuision of lands And in the yeere 1402. the Kinges of Castile and of Portingale sent an agreement made and past betweene them that it might be published and proclaimed in the Court of Parliament to haue greater authoritie thereby Truly these testimonies are as famous for the glorie of iustice vsed in France as any that can be alleadged by the Grecians or Romanes for the proofe of their iust iudgements of the reputation of their lawes and renowne of their Magistrates But let vs consider how farre iustice is fallen at this day from that ancient opinion and credite iudgements being now brought to that length and intangled in so many formalities that it is a thing greatly to be pitied and full of calamitie to see this Realme so infected as it were with a generall contagious disease wherein such an innumerable companie of men liue by that miserable exercise of pleading called Practice Plato saith that it is an euident token of a corrupted Estate where there are many Iudges and Phisitions bicause the multitude of Iudges is maintained by the vnfaithfulnes and contention of men and the great number of Physitions by idlenes daintie fare and gluttony There was neuer any nation of which this might be more truly spoken than of ours as it is notoriously knowne to euery one Paulus Aemilius writeth that in the beginning Frēch men behaued themselues simply and plainly in matters of iudgement resting in the determinations giuen by the Bailiffs and Seneshals who had the administration almost of al right and iurisdiction and thinking it vnseemely and void of honestie to seeke a farre off for right by meanes of appeale But after that slanders arose amongst them and suites were multiplied soueraigne iustice began to be exercised once a yeere and that for a few daies togither afterward twice a yeere alwaies changing the place In the end it was determined that the chiefe iudgements should be held in a certaine place and that a house should be built for that purpose at Paris the principall citie of the kingdome Whereupon in the raigne of Phillip the Faire the Pallace was erected according to that greatnes and magnificence wherein you now see it with hals chambers into which were distributed by certaine companies those Iudges that gaue the last sentence frō which no appeale might be made both in ciuill and criminal matters The erection of this Parliament into an ordinarie Court doth giue vs to vnderstand that there should be one or two Presidents The first
the guiding of them be giuen to good vertuous and expert Captaines ledde onely with a desire to doe their dutie to their King and Countrie this kingdome will be feared of strangers and without feare it selfe of their assaults and enterprises Especially if in the Prince his absence the soueraigne authoritie of commanding absolutely in the armie be committed into the hands of a Captaine woorthy his charge as we haue discoursed who is able to win the harts of men and to prouoke them to their dutie by liuely and learned reasons as namely That all men must die and therefore that it were too great follie in a man to refuse to die for publike profit which bringeth vnto vs immortall glorie seeing he must once of necessitie yeeld vp his life that a glorious death is alwaies to be preferred before a shamefull life stained with reproch briefly if he can ground his exhortations vpon the occasion of taking armes of time place estate and condition of the enimies and of the good that will come to them if they obtaine the victorie But in all these things the iustice and equitie of the cause of war is that which most of all maketh good men courageous who otherwise neuer ought to fight We may read a million of goodly Orations made in time of warre set forth in one volume with which euery wise and prudent Captaine may helpe himselfe according as occasion is offred Now if that ancient order discipline of which we haue hitherto discoursed and which may be learned more at large in their excellent writings were renued imitated by our armies as the late vse and practise of Armes exercised at this day is apt and fit for the same being more terrible than that of the Ancients who had no gun-powder no doubt but great obedience of souldiors towards their Captaines would arise of it whereas now a daies in steede of commanding they haue nothing left but an humble request to be vsed towards their souldiours who neuertheles turne it into contempt and want of courage But if true obedience were ioined with good order the hope of prosperous successe in our enterprises would be farre greater Nowe when our affaires succeede happily so that wee haue our enimies at aduantage or haue gotten some victorie wee must beware least insolencie blind vs in such sort that trusting to our good happe we goe beyond our bounds and loose the occasion of a certaine and sure benefite through hope of some greater good as yet vncertaine Hannibal after the discomfiture of the Romanes at Cannas sent men to Carthage to carie newes of his victorie and withall to demand a newe supplie Whereupon the Senate was long in deliberating what was to be doone Hannon a prudent old man was of opinion that they were to vse the victorie wisely and to make peace with the Romanes which they might obtain of them with honest conditions and not to expect the hazard of another battell He said that the Carthaginians ought to bee satisfied with this declaration alreadie made to the Romanes that they were such men as could stand against them and therfore seeing they had woonne one victorie of them they should not venture the losse of it in hope of a greater This prudent counsell was not followed although afterwarde the Senate did acknowledge it for the best when that occasion was lost Alexander the Great had already conquered all the East when the Common-wealth of Tyrus being great and mightie bicause the Citie was situated in the water as Venice is and astonished at the greatnes fame of that Monarches power sent their Embassadors vnto him to offer what obedience subiection he would require vpon condition that neither he nor his men would enter into the Citie Alexander disdaining that one citie would shut their gates against him to whō the whole world was open sent them backe again without accepting their offer went thither to pitch his Campe against it After he had continued the siege 4. moneths he thought with himself that one onely Towne would shorten his glorie more than all his other conquests had done before wherupon he purposed to try an agreement by offering that vnto them which thēselues had required before But then the Tyrians were waxen so lustie and bold that they did not only refuse his proffers but also executed as many as came to conclude with them Whereupon Alexander being mooued with indignation caused an assault to be made with such heate and violence that he tooke and sacked the towne put some of the Inhabitants to the edge of the swoord and made the residue seruants and slaues Agreement and composition is alwaies to be preferred before continuance of warre And howsoeuer a man may seeme to be assured and as it were certaine of the victorie yet ought he to doubt the vncertaintie of humane things That courageous and valiant Hannibal being called out of Italy by his Countriemen to succour them against the Romaines by whome they were besieged when his armie was yet whole demanded peace of them before he would enter into battel bicause he saw that if he lost it he brought his Countrie into bondage What then ought another to do that hath lesse vertue and experience than he But men fall into the error of vnmeasurable hope vpon which staying them selues without further consideration they are ouerthrowne Sometimes when we contemne our enimie too much and bring him into a desperat estate we make him more venturous to vndertake and violent to execute any dangerous matter Despaire said Tubero is the last but the strongest assault and a most inuincible tower For this cause the ancient Romane Captaines were very diligent and carefull to lay all kind of necessitie to fight vpon their men and to take it from their enimies by opening vnto them passages to escape which they might haue shut vp against them K. Iohn bicause he would not make peace with the English host which desired to escape onely with life was taken and caried prisoner into England and his armie consisting of fortie or fiftie thousand men was discomfited by ten thousand Englishmen some say more some lesse Gaston de Foix hauing woonne the battell at Rauenna and following after a squadron of Spaniards that fled lost his life and made all that a praie vnto the enimie which he had conquered before in Italy Ancient histories are full of such examples and namely of small armies that ouercame those that were great and mightie Darius against Alexander Pompey against Casar Hannibal against Scipio Marcus Antonius against Augustus Mithridates against Sylla had greater forces without comparison than their enimies Therefore good Traian said that to accept of warre to gather a great number of men to put them in order to giue battell appertaineth to men but to giue victorie was the worke of God onely so that great armies preuaile but litle against the wrath of the Highest If
then we would knowe a good way how we shall neuer be vanquished we must not trust to our armour or force but alwaies call vpon God to direct our counsels for the best By this also we shall be perswaded to vse victorie mildly seeing it is the propertie of valiant men to be gentle and gratious ready to forgiue and to haue compassion of them that suffer and indure affliction There is no true victorie as Marcus Aurelius wrote to Popilion Captaine of the Parthians but that which carieth with it some clemencie so that a rigorous and cruell man may not in reason be called victorious And it is most true that to ouercome is humane but the action of pardoning is diuine As touching the sacking and ouerthrow of townes taken in warre carefull heede saith Cicero must be taken that nothing be done rashly or cruelly For it is the propertie of a noble hart to punish such onely as are most guiltie and the authors of euil and to saue the multitude Briefly to obserue in all thinges whatsoeuer is right and honest to be valiant and gentle to be an enimie to those that doe vniustly fauourable to the afflicted seuere to quarrellers and full of equitie to suppliants are those praise-woorthie qualities for which Alexander Iulius Casar Scipio Hannibal Cyrus and many other both Greeke and Romane Captaines are most commended who ought to be imitated in the arte of warre by all excellent men Of a happie Life Chap. 71. ARAM. WE haue hitherto discoursed my Companions of vertues vices for which the life of man is praised or dispraised in all Estats and conditions whereunto the varietie of maners and inclinations to sundry studies and works cal men and make them fit Wherin we haue chiefly followed the ends and bounds of honestie equitie propounded by Moral Philosophers from whence they draw particular duties and all actions of vertue vsing a very commendable and excellent order disposition Now seeing we are come to the end of the cause of our assemblie as we began it with the true Christian knowledge of the creation of man and of the end of his being vnknowne to so many great personages in the world who are lightened only with humane sciences which are but darkenes in regard of that heauenly light the eternal word of God that guideth the soules of the beleeuers I think that we ought also to end and breake vp this our meeting togither with the maner of a happie life and death according to those endes that are propounded vnto vs by the infallible rule of all vertue and truth which if they be not so subtilly set downe and disputed as the Philosophy of the Ancients is yet at the least they are without comparison better and more certaine Go to then let vs heare you discourse first of a happie life ACHITOB. Blessed are they saith the Prophet that dwell in the house of God and that euermore praise him hauing his waies in their harts He will giue them grace and glory and will with-hold no good thing from them that walke vprightly ASER. What happier life can we require than that which S. Iohn calleth eternal life namely to know one only true God Iesus Christ whō he hath sent But it belongeth to thee AMANA to feede our spirits with this excellent subiect AMANA Although the spirite of God teaching his iust and holy will by a doctrine that is simple and void of all vaine shew of wordes hath not alwaies obserued and kept so strictly such a certaine order and methode to prepare and to direct their liues that shall beleeue in him as the Philosophers did who affected the greatest shew outwardly that they could thereby to make manifest the sharpnes of their wit the greatnes of their humane vnderstanding yet may we easily gather out of this diuine doctrine which doth more deface all glittering shew and beauty of humane sciences than the Sun excelleth darkenes a most excellent order teaching vs to frame a happie life according to the mould paterne of true heauenly vertue This order consisteth of two parts the one imprinting in our harts the loue of iustice the other giuing vnto vs a certaine rule that will not suffer vs to wander hither thither nor to slip aside in the framing of our life Concerning the first point the Scripture is full of very good reasons to encline our harts to loue that Good which in deed is to be desired I meane perfect righteousnes With what foundation could it begin better than by admonishing vs to be sanctified bicause our God is holy Whereunto the reason is added that although we were gone astray as sheepe scattered dispersed in the Labyrinth of this world yet he hath gathered vs togither to ioine vs to himselfe When we heare mention made of the coniunction of god with vs we must remember that the bond thereof is holines and that we must direct our steps thither as to the end of our calling that we may be transformed into the true image of God which through sinne was defaced in the first man consequently in vs. Moreouer to mooue vs the more to embrace that only true God the spirit of God teacheth vs that as he hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe in his son Iesus Christ so he hath appointed him to be vnto vs an example and paterne vnto which wee must conforme our selues This heauenly worde also taketh occasion to exhort vs thereunto in infinite places drawing his reasons from all the benefits of God and from all the parts of our saluation As when it is saide That seeing God hath giuen himselfe to be our Father wee are to be accused of notable ingratitude if wee behaue not our selues as his children Seeing Iesus Christ hath clensed vs by the washing of his blood and hath communicated this purification vnto vs by baptisme there is no reason why we should defile our selues with new filthines Seeing he hath ioined ingrafted vs into his body we must carefully looke that we defile not our selues in any sort being members of his body Seeing he that is our Head is gone vp to heauen we must lay aside all earthly affections and aspire with all our hart to that heauenly life Seeing the holy Ghost hath consecrated vs to be the temples of God we must labour and striue that the glorie of God may be exalted in vs and beware that we receiue no pollution Seeing our soules and bodies are fore appointed to enioye that immortalitie of the kingdome of heauen and the incorruptible Crowne of God his glorie we must endeuour to keepe both the one and the other pure and vnspotted vntill the day of the Lord. Behold surely good grounds meete to frame and institute a happie life by and to mooue a Christian to bring foorth the effectes of such an excellent and woorthie title throught the loue
commodities to get and treasure vp vertue only And why do we after their example despise all these things and spend that which we account most pretious I meane time that we may be adorned and cloathed with vertue if it cannot make vs hit that marke which euery one so much desireth and seeketh after with such great paine and labour namely that they may enioy some chiefe Good in this world and lead thereby a contented and happy life Be not ouertaken friendly Reader with this smal difficultie which perhaps might cause a grosse and feeble head not well instructed in wisedome to stagger and depart out of the right way Now although the heauenly word onely hath the perfect and sound knowledge of wisedome bicause he is that eternall wisedome it selfe yet man being his workmanship aided with his grace must not leaue of to seeke for to require earnestly of him that gift of the knowledge participation of the secrets of that incomprehensible truth so farre foorth as he may and shall be necessary for him that his soule thereby may obtaine hir permanent and lasting happines Moreouer albeit our soueraigne chiefe Good our perfect contentation and absolute felicitie be onely in heauen in the enioying of that diuine light yet we must not in the meane while albeit we cannot fully possesse that leaue of to seeke without ceasing or giue ouer in any sort to keepe and follow that good and infallible way of vertue which causing vs to passe ouer quietly and to sustaine with ioy of spirite the miseries of mankind and appeasing the perturbations of our soules from whence proceed all the euils that torment vs and making them void of all damnable effects will teach vs to lead a pleasant peaceable quiet life to effect all things woorthy beseeming this certaine hope that we shal one day by the grace of God be framed a new in that eternal most happy contented life Let vs therefore account this world and all the riches thereof as a thing belonging to an other as a straunger and nothing appertaining to those men who beyng regenerated by the spirite of grace haue profited well in the schoole of wisedome Let vs not seeke for friendshippe vpon earth let vs not couete after riches glory honour and pleasure which none but fooles doe extoll desire and wonder at Wee are not of this worlde but straungers onely therein and therefore let vs set all worldly things behinde vs and account them vnwoorthie the care of our immortall soules if we meane not to perish with the worlde by ioyning our selues there-unto Let vs forsake it I say forsake it boldly how precious soeuer it bee that we may aboundantly treasure vp that great sweete and durable wealth I meane vertue which is honoured loued and desired for it selfe onely which is the true and wholesome medicine for diseased soules the rest of the mynde oppressed with care the cause by the will of GOD of that chiefe Good wherein the principall ende of the soule consisteth and the onely assured guide which leadeth to the Hauen so much desired of euery one namelie the contentation of minde Which thing this present Academie doth not onely set before our eyes but also doth saue and keepe vs beyng already entered into this Hauen of safetie agaynst all tempestes if wee will our selues and not spare our labour to reape profite of those learned and wise instructions that are here giuen vnto vs by the preceptes of doctrine and examples of the lyues of auncient vertuous and famous men For first of all wee shall learne hereby to know our selues and the ende of our beyng Secondly wee shall bee instructed in good maners and taught how we may liue well and happily in euery estate and condition of lyfe whatsoeuer Yea we shall finde in the basest and lowest estate which of the ignorant and common sort of people is oftentimes called miserable as much ioy and happinesse as a Monarch can be partaker of in the fruition of his greatnesse yea much more than he if he bee wicked bicause vice in all Estates maketh the possessour thereof wretched and contrarywise Vertue maketh euery condition of life happy Moreouer wee shall see in this Academie that euery one louyng and fearing GOD may obtaine this inestimable Good of vertue and thereby remayne a Conquerour ouer the perturbations of his soule which breede all his miserie remembring this poynt alwayes so farre foorth as the fraile nature of man ayded by the Author of all goodnesse can attayne to this perfection Wee shall learne here how we ought to gouerne our selues wisely and duetifully in all humane actions and affaires and in all charges and places whatsoeuer either publique or priuate whereunto we shall be called We may note here cause of the subuersion and ruine of many Empires Estates and Common-wealths and of the glittering shew and glory of infinite others as also the cause of the wretchednesse and destruction of a great number of men and what hath lift vp others and crowned them with honour and immortall prayse We shall bee taught here the gouernement of a house and familie the maner of the education and instruction of children the mutuall duetie of married couples of brethren of masters and seruauntes how to commaund and how to obey We shall see here the order and establishment of policies and superiorities what is the duetie of the Heads of them of Princes and Gouernours of nations as also what the duetie of their subiectes is Briefly both great and small may drawe out from hence the doctrine and knowledge of those things which are most necessarie for the gouernement of a house and of a Common-wealth with sufficient instruction how to frame their life and maners in the moulde and paterne of true and holy vertue and how by meanes thereof the grace of GOD woorking in them they may runne the race of their dayes in ioy happinesse rest and tranquillitie of spirite and that in the middest of greatest aduersities which the vncertaintie and continuall chaunge of humane things may bring vpon them Nowe bicause the sequele compounded of the sundrie treatises and discourses of this Academy will sufficiently instruct thee in all things aboue mentioned as it promiseth in the fore-front and title thereof I will not dilate this matter any farther but only desire of thee Reader patiently to heare these Academicall students from the first of their discourses vnto the last Their intent was only as thou maiest vnderstand more at large in the entrance of their assembly to teach themselues and next euery one according to their abilitie the institution of good maners and rule of good lining for all ordinarie and common estates and conditions of life in our French Monarchie to the ende that euery member of this politike body brought thus low with euils and beaten with tempestuous stormes might somewhat helpe and profite it by their counsels and instructions And this thou mayest do friendly
Of the Harmonie and agreement that ought to be in the dissimilitude or vnlike callings of subiects by reason of the duty and office of euery estate 743 67 Of Peace and of Warre 754 68 Of the ancient Discipline and order of Warre 764 69 Of the office and duty of a Generall 772 70 Of the choise of Souldiors of the maner how to exhort them to fight and how victory is to be vsed 783 71 Of a happie Life 794 72 Of Death 804 THE FIRST DAIES WORKE of this Academie with the cause of their assemblie WHen GOD by his infinite and vnspeakable goodnes beholding with a fatherly bountifull and pitifull eie our poore France which most cruel against it selfe seemed to run amain most furiously to throw it self headlong into the center of some bottomlesse gulfe had sent from heauen the wished-for newes of peace in the midst of ciuill and domesticall armies which a man might say were of purpose prepared for the finall ouerthrow of this French Monarchie that hath florished so long time sparing by his heauenlie grace and fauor and that in despite of them the bloud of those men who held foorth their right hand to cut off the left among manie who touched with the loue of their countrie and with true zeale to pietie reioiced at this so well liking and healthfull newes fower yong gentlemen of Aniou who came togither to serue their Prince and to sacrifice their liues if need required for the welfare and safetie of the Common wealth were none of the last that sought out one another and met togither to testifie ech to other as their mutuall kindred and sworne frendship did inuite them the ioy which filled their souls arising of so happie and vnlooked for successe and alteration of affaires to the end also that they might giue glorie and praise to him who for the benefit of his knoweth wel how to take order euen in those things which according to the iudgement of men are desperate and past recouery And that which gaue them greater occasion to reioice for this peace and so diligently to seeke out one another was this bicause contratie to hope they saw the meanes offered them to returne home and to continue an exercise that greatly pleased them which not long before the last fal of France into troubles they had happily begun Now to let you readers vnderstand what this exercise was these fower gentlemen being of kin and neere neighbors and in a maner of one age were by the care and prudence of their fathers brought vp and nourished togither from their yoong yeeres in the studie of good letters in the house of an ancient wise gentleman of great calling who was the principall stocke and roote of these fruitfull buds This man by reason of his manifold experience and long abode in strange countries knew that the common corruption of French youth of it selfe inclined to pleasure proceeded chiefly from the ouer great licence and excessiue libertie granted vnto them in the Vniuersities of this Realme as well through the fault and negligence of the gouernors and tutors in them as also bicause of the euill gouernment of the townes at this day He knew also that they were no lesse abused who thinking to auoide this dangerous downe-fall at home did send their children to studie abroad amongst strangers where the traffike and merchandise of mischiefs is more common and easie to be made bicause they feare not that newes will presently or so speedily be caried to their parents as if they were neere vnto them Oh how well woorthie of eternall praise is the prudence of this gentleman bringing to my remembrance Eteocles one of the most noble Ephories of Lacedemonia who freely answered Antipater asking fiftie pledges that he would not giue him children least if they were brought vp farre from their fathers they should change the ancient custome of liuing vsed in their owne countrie and become vicious but of olde men and women he would giue him double the number if he would haue them Wherevpon being threatened by this king if he speedily sent him not of the youth we care not quoth he for threatenings For if thou command vs to do things that are more greeuous than death we will rather choose death so carefull were the men of old time that the dressing and trimming of these yoong plants should not be out of their presence But let vs go on with our matter This good and notable old man hauing spent the greater part of his yeeres in the seruice of two kings and of his country and for many good causes withdrawen himselfe to his house thought that to content his mind which alwaies delighted in honest and vertuous things he could not bring greater profit to the Monarchie of France than to lay open a way and meane to preserue and keepe youth from such a pernicious and cancred corruption by offering himselfe for example to all fathers and shewing them the way to haue a more carefull eie in the instruction of their children and not so lightly to commit them to the discipline of vices by the hands of mercenarie and hired strangers And this was begun vpon these fower yoong gentlemen whom he tooke to his owne house by the consent of their parents offering himselfe to the vttermost of his power to helpe their gentle nature which appeered in them woorthie their ancestors by training it vp first in the feare of God as being the beginning of al wisedome secondly in humane learning and knowledge which are necessarie helps to liue well and happily to the benefit of the societie of men To this end after that he himselfe had shewed them the first grounds of true wisedome and of al things necessarie for their saluation according to the measure of grace giuen him from aboue and as their age could conceiue them he labored earnestly to haue in his house some man of great learning and wel reported of for his good life and conuersation vnto whom he committed the instruction of this yoong Nobilitie Who behaued himselfe so wel in his charge that not greatly staying himselfe in the long degrees of learning which being ordinarie and vsuall in our French Colledges are often more tedious besides losse of time than profitable to youth after he had indifferently taught his schollers the Latine toong and some smackering of the Greeke he propounded for the chiefe part and portion of their studies the morall philosophie of aucient Sages and wise men togither with the vnderstanding searching out of histories which are the light of life therein following the intent and will both of him that set him on worke and also of the parents of this Nobilitie who desired to see their children not great Orators suttle Logitians learned Lawiers or curious Mathematicians but onely sufficiently taught in the doctrine of good liuing following the traces and steps of vertue by the knowledge of things past from the first ages vntill this present that they
they might be certified from them whether it were their pleasures to haue them reiterate and continue in their presence the morall discourses begun by them as we learned before that they might bee refreshed with the remembrance of their studies and thereby also keepe fast for euer those good instructions which by the daily trauell of so manie yeeres they had drawen out of the fountaine of learning and knowledge As it was deuised by them the execution therof followed so that all these good old-men being assembled togither taking vp their first order and conferring anew of the same matters daily met in a walking place couered ouer in the midst with a goodly green Arbour alotting for this exercise from eight to ten in the morning and from two to fower in the afternoone Thus they continued this exercise for the space of three whole weekes which make eighteene daies works besides the three Saboth daies set apart by them that they might rest and cease from their studies and attend the better to the chiefe point of that holie daies institution which is to the contemplation and consideration of the works of God of his law and of his praises During which time it was my good hap to be one of the companie when they began their discourses at which I so greatly woondred that I thought them worthie to be published abroad as well to enrich our French toong with an infinit number of graue sentences and speeches worthie to be remembred being drawen out of the fountaine of Greeke and Latine arts and disciplines through the incredible labour of these youths louers of vertue as also to awake and stirre vp by their example all the Nobilitie with a ielousie and emulation of glorie gotten by the same vertue For onely vertue is able to guide and conduct gentlemen to honor for the obtaining whereof as they say they contend and fight so often and can also restore them to the fruition of their first rights of authoritie and goodlie priuileges whereby as we read of the ancient Romans such as were most worthie amongst the Nobilitie were chosen to attend vnto these three things namely to the seruice of God which is to gouerne as the scripture speaketh secondly to the administration of lawes and iustice which is the piller of kingdoms and lastly to the tuition and defence of the Common-wealth by armes which is the assurance therof against all practises and assaults of the enimie Of which three excellent administrations necessarie for the establishing and maintenance of all estates and common-wealths the most part of our Nobilitie retaineth the last onely which likewise they seeme to despise in a maner submitting to their great shame by reason of their ignorance and weltring in delights and pleasure their conscience honor goods and life to the opinion and iudgement of those whom nature and right had subiected to them But marke how we deuised to proceed in our discourses to wit that three of vs one after another should vtter some sentence or memorable saying in the praise of that vertue or dispraise of that vice whereof we were resolued to speake and that the fourth should make a whole discourse of that matter Which being ended he should begin the first proposition of the second treatise and two others should followe him therein then the last should make the second whole discourse for that morning Likewise in the afternoone the same partie was to lay open that matter which was to be intreated of and two others continuing it one of those who in the morning did onely propound should discourse in his turne and then giuing vnto his companions new matter subiect he which as yet had not discoursed at all was to handle it and so to make an end for that day And thus all fower of vs followed the same order daily vntil euerie one in his course had intreated according to appointment both by the precepts of doctrine as also by the examples of the liues of ancient Sages and famous men of all things necessarie for the institution of maners and happie life of all estates and callings in this French Monarchie But bicause I knowe not whether in naming my companions by their proper names supposing therby to honor them as in deede they deserue it I should displease them which thing I would not so much as thinke I haue determined to do as they that play on a Theater who vnder borrowed masks and disguised apparell do represent the true personages of those whom they haue vndertaken to bring on the stage I will therefore call them by names very agreeable to their skill and nature the first ASER which signifieth Felicity the second AMANA which is as much to say as Truth the third ARAM which noteth vnto vs Highnes and to agree with them as well in name as in education and behauior I will name my selfe ACHITOB which is all one with Brother of goodnes Further more I will call and honor the proceeding and finishing of our sundrie treatises and discourses with this goodlie and excellent title of Academie which was the ancient renowmed schoole amongst the Greeke Philosophers who were the first that were esteemed and that place where Plato Xenophon Polemon Xenocrates and many other excellent personages afterward called Academiks did propound discourse of al things meet for the instruction and teaching of wisedome wherin we purposed to followe them to our power as the sequele of our discourses shall make good proofe Begin then gentle readers to heare that which we spake concerning Man in the first daies worke vsing these or the like speeches Aser Felicitie Amana Truth Aram Highnes Achitob Brother of goodnes Of Man Chap. 1. WHen I direct my flight now and then my companions euen vnto the heauens and with the wings of contemplation behold their wonderfull greatnes their terrible motions being contrarie and without ceasing the liuely brightnes rare beautie and incomparable force of the sun and moone their vnchangeable course one while cause of light and by and by after of darknes the infinite number of goodlie stars and of so many other celestiall signes and from this excellent and constant order of all these things as one rauished and amased when I withdraw my spirite lower into the elementarie region to admire and wonder at the situation and spreading of the earth amidst the waters both of them making one round masse or lumpe which in the midst of this great firmament occupieth the roome but of a pricke or tittle in respect thereof besides when I acknowledge in this earth and water as many sundrie and most beautifull plants and kindes of earthie and waterie creatures as there are graines of sand on the sea banks and when I delight my selfe in the varietie of minerals pretious stones considering the forme qualitie and vertue of each of these things briefly when I admire the diuersitie of times and seasons the continuall spring of fountaines the certaine course of riuers and
the end well propounded and yet men erre in the meanes to attaine vnto it and contrariwise it falleth out oftentimes that the meanes are good and the end propounded bad So that it is from this liuely and euer-flowing fountaine which is the cause of al good from whence we are to looke for the perfect knowledge of our dutie and the ends and meanes whereby to execute it to the glorie of God and to the good and profit of our like And from this generall vertue and fountaine of honestie and dutie fower riuers issue and spring called morall vertues namely Prudence which is as a guide to the rest and knoweth what is profitable for it selfe for others and for the common-wealth Temperance the mistres of modestie chastitie sobrietie and vigilancie and of all order and mediocritie in all things Fortitude which maketh a man constant patient couragious hardie and readie to enterprise high great profitable and holie things and Iustice which is the bond and preseruation of humane societie by giuing to euery one that which belongeth vnto him by keeping faith in things promised by succoring gladly the afflicted and by helping euery one according as abilitie serueth Which vertues are the true and certain goods of the soule whereby all actions are directed according to dutie as we shall speake particularly thereof heerafter In the meane while let vs enter into the examples of the ancients and see how exactly and inuiolably they obserued all points of dutie choosing rather to sacrifice their liues than to infringe and breake any of them much more contemning all other weaker occasions wherwith lewd and base-minded people suffer themselues to be easily corrupted And first touching the first point of dutie naturally imprinted in the soules of the greatest infidels which is to acknowledge some diuinitie with what zeale although inconsiderate and rash did the ancient heathens and pagans precisely obserue their paganisme euen to the sacrificing and cheerfull offering vp of their owne children to their gods as we read of the Carthaginians What say I their children yea oftentimes themselues whereof Calanus an Indian Gymnosophist serueth for a witnes who seeing himselfe old after he had offered sacrifice to the gods bad Alexander the Great farewell with whom he came to Babylon and tooke his leaue also of all his other friends Then lying along according to the custome of his countrie vpon a little pile of wood which he had prepared for that purpose he caused fire to be put vnto it and so burned himselfe for a burnt-offering to his gods not stirring at all but continuing with such a wonderfull constancie that Alexander who was present confessed himselfe to be vanquished of him in greatnes of hart and magnanimitie of courage Who will not admire the strict obseruation of the ancient religion of the Egyptians Graecians and Romans mooued with a desire of yeelding the dutie of their being to the honor of a diuine nature But for shortnes sake and not to wander farre from the subiect of our assemblie I passe it ouer with silence Heere I will onely alledge one notable example of the Iewes who were more zealous professors of their law than euer were any people Caius a Romane emperor sent Petronius into Syria with commandement to make war with the Iewes if they would not receiue his image into their temple Which when they refused to do Petronius said vnto them that then belike they would fight against Caesar not weighing his wealth or their owne weakenes and vnabilitie We will not fight quoth they but had rather die than turne from the lawes of our God And foorthwith casting themselues on the ground and offering their throtes they said that they were readie to receiue the blow In this estate as Iosephus reporteth it they remained for the space of fortie daies letting slip the time which then was of sowing their grounds Which caused Petronius to defer the execution of his charge and to send the declaration of these things vnto Caesar whose death rid the Iewes out of danger Now we are to consider with what burning affection the ancients imbraced common benefit and safetie seeking to profit all men according to the true dutie of a good man but especially their countrie in whose seruice they thought it great happines to lose their liues For truly besides the sweet affection which nature hath imprinted in our harts towards our countrie and the conformitie of humors which commonly is found in our bodies with that heauenly aire wher we haue our first breathing which seemeth to be a mutual and naturall obligation the reason of all humane right and the religion of diuine equitie besides the dutie of conscience bind all persons to serue the publike wealth of their countrie to the vttermost of their power and that so much the rather bicause that vnder it the life honor and goods of euery particular man are comprehended This reason caused Cato of Vtica a Consul and noble Romane to answer one of his friends who was come to giue him thanks for defending him in iudgement from a false accusation that he was to thanke the Common-wealth for whose loue onely he did spake and counselled all things This also made him to vndertake the sute for the office of Tribuneship of the people that he might resist the faction of Pompey by whom he saw Metellus set on worke to sue and seeke for the same office for the assurance of his affaires and strengthening of his league Now is the time quoth Cato to his friends wherein I must imploy and bestow the power of such an office and of so great authoritie as a strong medicine in time conuenient and vpon necessarie causes and either ouercome or die honorably in the defence of common libertie So likewise he opposed himselfe as much as he could against all nouelties and alteration of affaires betweene Caesar and Pompey And when the selfesame Pompey being desirous to win him to himselfe sought to bring it to passe by alliance and thereupon demanded two of his neeces in marriage one for himselfe and the other for his sonne Cato without any longer deliberation answered him presently as being netled that caried backe the message that he should returne to Pompey and tell him that Cato was not to be taken by the meanes of women Which was not bicause he would not haue him esteem greatly of his friendship which he should alwaies find in him to be more sure and certaine than any alliance by marriage so that he onely sought after and did things honest and iust but at this time he would not giue hostages at Pompeies pleasure against the Common-welth Afterward the affaires of Rome being brought to such necessitie through corruption of monie and by vnlawfull and forceable meanes in procuring publike places of authoritie many Senators being of opinion that Pompey was to be chosen sole and onely Consul Cato also was of the same mind saying that men ought
may be blameles And to this purpose Diogenes answered wisely to one who demanded how he might be auenged on his enimie By making thy selfe quoth he a vertuous and good man Most finister accidents likewise turne to the profite of a prudent man For being long time before prepared for all euents the woorst that happen confirme him further in the knowledge of the vncertaintie of humaine things and lift him vp so much the more to the contemplation of heauenly things that he may desire nothing but the blessed immortalitie of the soule Anaxagoras hearing newes of his sonnes death said nothing but this that he knew he had begotten him a mortall creature The foresight of prudence maketh it also to be greatly admired Marcus Cato when he saw that Pompey ioined himselfe in league with Caesar told him that he did put Caesars yoke vpon his own necke which then he perceiued not but that shortly it would weigh heauy vpon him and then should he finde himselfe taken and tied A prudent man is not amased through feare either of blame or of false accusation but alwaies goeth with his head vpright trusting to his innocencie and to his owne vertue Scipio Africanus being accused of many things by the Tribunes of the people answered nothing to the crimes laid against him but onely saide thus In such a day as this is sirs I ouercame both Carthage and Hannibal and therefore I am now going to the Capitoll to sacrifice to Iupiter the best and greatest God and to giue him thanks for the victory In the meane while if any man long to proceed against me in iudgement let him do it After he had so said he went towards the Capitoll being followed of his friends and of the greater part of the Senators When the people saw this they likewise accompanied him so that in stead of condemning him they caused him in a maner to triumph againe Emilius Scaurus being also accused of a certaine crime by Varius made this onely answer O ye Romanes Varius affirmeth this crime laid against me to be true and Scaurus denieth it whom will ye rather beleeue By this wise and couragious answere he made the accusation of no effect bicause his honestie was well knowen to euery one The conuersation assemblies laughters quips and pastimes of prudent men are neuer without some profit Plato in his booke intituled Conuiuium that is a feast discourseth of the last end of mens actions and of the souereigne and chiefe good of man but yet in very familiar speeches by certaine examples and pleasant fictions and deuises fit for the time and place and not with serious and graue words as he vseth to do in his other writings Moreouer learned deuises are the sports and delights of wise men who account all other pastimes vaine and vnbeseeming them and as hinderances and lets rather of their pleasure than occasions of any recreation Notwithstanding wisely applying themselues to places persons they can in their serious discourses intermingle some honest pastimes but yet not altogither without profit As Plato in his foresaid feast interlaceth certaine comicall speeches of loue how beit all the rest of the supper there was nothing but wise discourses of philosophie A Lacedemonian being asked of a certaine matter by an other answered cleane contrarie to the truth And when the other told him that he lied behold quoth he againe what a foole thou art to aske me that which thou knowest well ynough Diogenes in a great assemblie of people purposely going backward and seeing that euery one laughed at him asked them alowd if they were not ashamed to mocke him for going backward when he walked whereas they did so all their life time And as Aristippus on a time beheld him washing of coleworts for his supper he said vnto him If thou didst know Diogenes how to obey kings and to seeke them out thou wouldest not wash coleworts And thou Aristippus quoth he if thou knewest how to wash coleworts thou wouldest not serue kings but liue at libertie What profitable doctrine may a man draw out of these philosophicall disports and iests Further a prudent man neuer beleeueth any thing ouerlightly but laieth aside all reputation and credit of him that speaketh and examineth the speech by it selfe so far is he from giuing credit to an ignorant or naughtie fellow Neither will he be dazeled with fine and eloquent speech but as Zeno said considereth whether his speech be tempered with sense and reason that so he may iudge foundly of the truth and take order thereafter O what number of examples to this purpose might be alledged of the great harme that hath followed the credulitie and light beliefe of magistrates gouernors and heades of monarchies and nations Alas our poore France hath but too great experience thereof to hir confusion and and destruction But this matter may offer it selfe heerafter to be more amply handled as also other effects of Prudence which I haue briefly touched In the meane while we will conclude that Prudence is an excellent gift of God that it is the guide and light of all the morall vertues from whence all good and noble actions haue their being and beginning and that without it a man can do nothing that is excellent and praise-worthy Of want of prudence and of Ignorance of malice and subtiltie Chap. 11. ARAM. NO man saith diuine Plato can be hurt or deceiued but by himselfe Which proposition at the first sight may seeme somwhat absurd But if being well instructed in philosophie we wil follow the opinion of the ancient Sages that Whatsoeuer we see of the bodie subiect to sight is not man but that the soule onely which is inuisible and immortall is that which truly ought to be called man and that whereby we liue and for which we ought to liue it is out of doubt that none can hurt our soules but our selues The kniues wherewith we hurt our soules are either want of prudence or Malice which are as pernitious things as can come to man seeing by them he committeth all sinnes and offences whatsoeuer and by them hurteth himselfe onely when as oftentimes he thinketh to offend another As then in our former discourse we haue scene the laudable effects of Vertue and Prudence so let vs now consider my Companions of the dangerous fruits of these two vices which are altogither contrarie vnto it ACHITOB. If the blind lead the blind both will fall into the pit and he that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be much more chasticed than the ignorant So that both want of prudence and malice are two plagues in the soule greatly to be feared and therefore Bias saith Be neither simple nor subtill ASER. Herillus the Chalcedonian affirmed that Science was the souereigne good But we see contrariwise many excellent men for skill and doctrine who liue most wickedly So that in my opinion if it be not accompanied with
of women when he is inuited to weddings or in their companie to request him to walke that hath alreadie gone a great way when he seeth a thing sold to bring a chapman to the seller who would haue giuen a great deale more for it to repeate one thing oftentimes to shew himselfe readie to do that which a man would not haue him to do and yet dare not well denie it him to woonder at all things and to speake all in a word an vnskilfull man is alwaies in all places and in all affaires vnciuill and impertinent The examples of these foresaid effects are but too familiar amongst vs. And first concerning these of small and meane estate and condition how many millions of men haue there been in the ages past and do liue yet among vs whose life being ignorant of euery good cause and reason is not much vnlike and in many things worse than that of brute beasts The originall of so many errors foolish opinions and impieties hath it not had passage through the midst of their soules bicause they had no true knowledge of the end of their being nor of his will by whom they liue From thence it commeth that the best aduised among them exercise base handicrafts not being desirous to learne further that some lead a seruile and contemptible life bringing their bodies and soules in subiection to the lusts and wicked desires of the greater sort that others remaine idle and vnprofitable seeking to maintaine their liues by vnlawfull meanes that all through a blockish ignorance depriue themselues of all present and eternall felicitie Now albeit these poore men who haue no great meanes to execure their wicked desires may after a sort seeme tollerable and excuseable to mans iudgement bicause their ignorance doth not greatly hurt any but themselues yet it falleth out far worse with those that haue wealth at will and authoritie to command others who not knowing how to vse their goods well by vertuous deeds abuse them to all vice dissolutenes and pleasure whereby for the most part they cast themselues headlong into infidelitie and Atheisme bicause they neuer had true vnderstanding of the perfect diuinitie nor yet considered the perfection of his works both in heauen earth O pitifull calamity abounding in this our age more than euer it did A thousand millions of Pagans and heathens considering that there was nothing to be misliked in the heauens neither any negligence disorder or confusion in the moouing of the stars nor in the seasons of the yeere nor in their reuolutions nor in the course of the sunne about the earth which causeth the day and the night no not in the nourishing and preseruation of all sorts of liuing creatures nor in the generation of yeerly fruits and for a thousand other good considerations beleeued and worshipped one supreme eternall essence which gouerneth all things And shall they that carie the name of Christians to whom the vnspeakable treasures of the heauens haue been opened and offered with innumerable graces shall they I say doubt yea impudently denie that there is a God But let vs returne to our matter It is most certaine that the higher that ignorant men are aduanced so much without question are their faults greater than those of meaner estate bicause they are hurtfull to many Yea oftentimes it hath come to passe that one onely fault of such a man hath been the losse and destruction of an infinite number of men Nicias the general captain of the Athenians through the feare which he had conceiued of the darkness of an Eclipse of the moone and not knowing the cause thereof staied so long vntill his enimies had inclosed him round about whereupon he was taken aliue of them and put to death besides the losse of fortie thousand Athenians that were taken and slaine Who doubteth but that ignorance draue Caligula Domitian into such pride crueltie that whilst they sought to be worshipped in stead of the true God they were the cause of the death destruction of more than a hundred thousand men In the time of Otho the first there fell a stone from heauen which astonished all Germanie and turned them from prosecuting an enterprise of great waight and importance for the benefit of their countrie If they had knowen it to be a naturall thing and such as had come to passe long before as Aristotle affirmeth they had not been so fearfull nor receiued that dammage to the detriment of the Common-wealth which came to them afterward That speech of Anaxagoras a Greeke philosopher agreeable heerunto is worthie to be remembred when he said that a man ought to driue out of himselfe and to tread vnder his feete all superstitious feare of the heauenly signes and impressions of the aire which worke great terror in them that are ignorant of their causes and that feare the gods with a forlorne and amased feare bicause they want that certaine knowledge that philosophie bringeth which in stead of a trembling and alwaies terrifying superstition engendreth true deuotion accompanied with an assured hope of good Let vs looke a little into our Chronicles and consider what profit our kings receiued by their ignorance when they were called Simple when they stood but for images and were seene of their subiects but once a yeere They suffered their wise maisters of the palace to take knowledge of and to order and rule all things who depriuing them as vnworthie of all authoritie tooke possession in the end of their crowne And surely it is no lesse pernitious for the greater sort to aduance ignorant men to charges and places of honor and to vse their counsell than to be ignorant themselues For as we said ignorance causeth him that is aduanced to forget himselfe and lifteth him vp into all pride There are amongst vs too many examples of the ambition and presumption of many ignorant men who contrarie to Torquatus that refused the Consulship bicause of his diseased eies altogither blind as they are deafe dumbe and destitute of all natural light of prudence and experience to guide themselues are not contented to manage the sailes and tacklings but desire to haue the rudder of the Common-welth in their hands And it is greatly to be feared that such vnskilfull and ambitious men will in the end shew themselues both in will and practise to be imitators of one Cleander an outlandish slaue who being preferred by Commodus the emperor to goodlie offices and great places of honor as to be great maister of his men of war and his chiefe chamberlaine conspired notwithstanding against his Lord seeking to attaine to the imperiall dignitie by feditions which he stirred vp in Rome betweene the people and the soldiers But through good order taken his enterprise tooke no effect except the losse of his owne head and destruction of his house Although oftentimes it falleth out cleane contrarie through the iust punishment of God for the ignorance
speech whereat one of the inhabitants suddenly stood vp and pronounced the word aright as he should haue vttered it For this correction quoth Demetrius I giue thee besides fiue thousand measures of wheat The example of good Traian writing to his maister Plutarke ought especially to be imitated of great men I aduertise thee quoth he that hence forward I will not vse thy seruice to any other thing than to counsell me what I ought to do and to tel me of those faults wherinto I may fall For if Rome take me for a defender of hir Common-welth I make account of thee as of the beholder of my life And therefore if at any time I seeme vnto thee not well pleased when thou reprehendest me I pray thee maister not to take it in ill part For at such a time my griefe shall not be for the admonition thou vsest towards me but for the shame I shall haue bicause I offended Philoxenus the poet may also serue for a witnes of free correction void of all flatterie in regard of great men For when Dionysius prince of Syracusa sent vnto him a tragedie of his owne making that he should read and correct it he sent it backe againe vnto him all rased and blotted from the beginning to the end bicause he found it in no respect worthie to be published Neither doth antiquitie onely affoord vs such examples of bold reprehension by word of mouth vsed by wise men in old time but there hath been also in our ages woorthie examples of base and contemptible men yet full of good learning For profe heer of may serue that quip which not long since a peasant gaue vnto an Archbishop of Cullen who was well accompanied with armed men according to the custome of Almaigne This countrie-fellow beginning to laugh and being demanded by the prelate the cause therof I laugh quoth he vnto him at S. Peter prince of prelates bicause he liued and died in pouertie to leaue his successors rich The Archbishop being touched therewith and desirous to cleere himselfe replied that He went with such a companie as he was a Duke Wherat the peasant laughing more than before said I would gladly know Sir of you where you thinke the Archbishop should be if that Duke of whom you speake were in hell Neither may we omit the answer which a poore Franciscan Frier made to Pope Sixtus the fourth who from the same order being come to that great dignitie shewed him his great wealth and riches saying Frier I cannot say as S. Peter did I haue neither gold nor siluer No truly answered the Franciscan no more can you say as he said to the impotent and sicke of the palsie Arise and walke Now concluding our present discourse we learne that free reprehension and gentle admonition grounded vpon reason and truth and applied fitly are of such vertue and efficacie with men but especially with a friend that nothing is more necessarie or healthfull in true and perfect friendship and therefore ought to be ioined inseparably therewith according to that saying of the wise man that Open rubuke is better than secret loue and that The wounds made by a louer are faithfull but the kisses of him that hateth dangerous In the meane time we must as S. Paule saith restore those that fall with the spirit of meeknes considering our selues and neuer betraie the truth for feare of the mightier sort Of Curiositie and Noueltie Chap. 15. ARAM. MAn hauing by nature imprinted in his soule an affected and earnest inclination to his soueraigne good is drawen as it were by force to search it out in euerie thing which he esteemeth faire and good in this world And from hence proceed all those his affections which carrie him hither and thither causing him to reioice in and to desire greatly all varietie and noueltie But the ignorance of things and imperfection of reason which abounde in him bicause of his corruption make him for the most part to labour and take delight in euill rather than in goodnes if he be not by other means called to the knowledge of the truth which ought to be the principal and most woorthy obiect of our minds esteeming all other knowledge vaine and vnprofitable being compared to this which is so great and diuine And in this respect curiositie tending to vnderstanding albeit in many things it be verie hurtfull especially being left vnto it selfe is also verie profitable and necessary when it is directed and guided by the grace of God to the best end Wherefore I thinke my companions that it will not be vnprofitable if in this matter we discourse of these two things Curiositie and Noueltie which seeme to proceed from one and the same fountain and about which the vertue of prudence sheweth great and woorthy effects ACHITOB. Curiositie indeed desireth in part to know and learne much which cannot be condemned Neuertheles we must wisely beware that we imploy it not vpon euil and vile things but rather testifie alwaies that we are of a graue and contented nature which is enemie to all noueltie and to superfluous things that are without profite ASER. Noueltie causeth vs through error of iudgement to esteeme those things wherewith we are not acquainted greater and more to our liking and so to buy them dearer than better things that are common and familiar It is the verie guide of the curious causing them to contemne their owne climate and to hazard what good thing soeuer they haue to possesse that which belongeth to others But let vs heare AMANA who will handle this matter more at large AMANA Amongst those learned precepts belonging to good life which were written in the temple of Apollo in Graecia this was in the second place Nothing too much Solon said Nothing more than enough Pittacus Do all things by a mediocritie These sayings are verie short and of one matter but yet comprehend all prudence necessarie for the gouerning of mans life aswell for the preseruation of the tranquillitie of the soule and of the spiritual gifts therof as of all humane goods called by the philosophers the Goods of the bodie and of fortune The ancients being desirous to make vs vnderstand this the better propounded vnto vs euerie vertue betweene two vices teaching vs thereby that we cannot decline neuer so little either to the right hand or to the left but we step aside from the right way of vertue which is our onely true good and that al difference betweene good and bad consisteth in a certaine moderation and mediocrity which Cicero calleth the best of all things If men had from the beginning contained themselues within the limits of these diuine precepts it is certaine they would not so lightly haue abandoned the simplicitie and first modestie of their nature to feed their minds with a vaine curiositie and searching out of things supernaturall and incomprehensible to the sence and vnderstanding of man Which things the
them as it were in possession dare not gainesay or deny them in any matter For heer of it commeth that flatterers brokers and such as are most wicked carie away offices charges benefices gifts and wastfully consume the publike treasure so that a man may behold an impunitie and libertie of vices and of execrable offences bicause a simple and bashfull king dare not deny a request And thus vnder such a Prince publik welfare is turned into priuat wealth and all the charges fall vpon the poore people But not to stray farre from our purpose hauing so neerely touched a matter worthie of a large discourse I thinke we shall reape no small profit if we call to mind heere certaine notable instructions which Plutark giueth vs to teach vs to repell farre from vs all foolish and dangerous shame namely that so soone as yeers of discretion worke in vs any knowledge of goodnes we should exercise our selues in those things which of themselues are easie enough to practise being without feare that any thing can as the prouerbe saith hang or take hold of our gowne If at a feast saith that great Philosopher thou art inuited to drinke more than reason or thy thirst requireth be not ashamed to refuse to do it If any babler or ignorant fellow seeke to stay and keepe thee by discoursing of vaine and redious matters be not afraid to rid thy selfe of him and to tell him freely that another time thou maist come and visite him not hauing at that time any leasure to keepe him companie any longer If thy friend or any other man communicate with thee any act or purpose of his wherein thou knowest somewhat though neuer so little that is to be reprehended tell him thereof hardly If any man be importunate with thee by requests intreaties neuer promise more than thou art able to performe and blush not bicause thou canst not do all things but rather blush to take vpon thee things that are aboue thy abilitie If any man aske thee a question of any matter whatsoeuer confesse freely that which thou knowest not to the end thou maist receiue instruction Now if we exercise our selues in this sort honestly to refuse to depart to breake off to speake freely and to submit our selues after a comelie manner so that no man can lightly complaine of vs or blame vs but vpon very slender occasion we shall be in a readie way to accustome our selues not to be ashamed in matters of greater waight and such as are necessarie for the preseruation of dutie For otherwise if we are afraid to put backe a glasse of wine which some one of our acquaintance in drinking doth offer vnto vs howe will we resist the request of a Prince which is as much as a commandement or the importunate suite of a whole people in an vniust and vnreasonable matter If we are ashamed to be rid of a babler if as flatterers vse to do we commende one contrarye to our opinion whom we heare praised of many or if wee feare to tell our friende of some small fault of his howe will we set our selues courageously against those slaunderers of the truth and maintainers of lies that are placed in authoritie Or how shall we dare to reprooue notorious faults boldly beyng committed in the administration of a magistrate and in ciuill and politicall gouernment This is that which Zeno very well taught vs when meeting with a familiar friend of his that walked heauily by himselfe he asked him the cause thereof I shun said the other a friend of mine who requesteth me to beare fals witnesse for him What quoth Zeno act thou so foolish that seeing him voyd of shame and feare to request vniust and wicked things of thee thou hast not the hart to deny him to put him back vpon iust reasonable considerations Agesilaus may be vnto vs a good Scholemaster in this matter For being requested by his father to giue sentēce against right he was not ashamed to deny him graciously with this answer You haue taught me O Father frō my youth to obey the lawes and therefore I will now also obey you therein by iudging nothing against the lawes Pericles being likewise requested by a friend of his to sweare falsly for him sayd I am a friend to my friends vnto the aultars as if he would haue sayd so farre as I offend not God The same reason was the cause that Xenophanes being called a Coward at a feast bicause he would not play at dice answered without feare of being accounted voyd of ciuilitie and good fellowship I am in deed a coward and feareful in dishonest things Now besides all those pernitious effects of foolish and naughtie shame that are already touched by vs oftentimes it maketh the sences of a man so brutish through a long custome that he neglecteth the care of that which concerneth his safetie and priuate benefit yea sometimes of his owne life I will not here stand to speake of those that say they are ashamed to aske their due or by way of iustice to pursue such as deuour the substance of their poore families whereby they make it knowen that they haue neither vertue hart nor courage To this agreeth fitly that which we read of one named Perseus who being to lend monie to a very friend of his went with him to the common place of bargaining calling to mind that precept of Hesiodus who saith Euen when thou dost disport with thine owne brother Let present be some witnes one or other His friend thinking this somewhat strang said what so orderly by law Yea quoth Perseus that I may haue it againe of thee friendly and not be compelled to demand it againe by order of law But what shall we say of so many great personages as are mentioned in histories who vnder pretence of a foolish shame badly grounded vpon this conceit that they would not distrust them whome they tooke for their friends offered themselues euen to the slaughter Dion endued with great perfections and one that deliuered from tyrannie and freed from thraldome the citie of Syracusa although he was aduertised that Calippus whom he tooke for his Host and friend watched opportunitie to slaie him yet he went to that place whether he had inuited him saying that he had rather loose his life than be compelled to distrust his friends and to keepe himselfe asmuch from them as from his enimies And in deed it fell out so that he was slaine there The like befell Antipater being bidden to supper by Demetrius It seemeth also that Iulius Caesar aswell as they was in some sort the cause of his ownemishap bicause hauing had many aduertisements suspicions and forewarnings of the miserable death that was intended against him yet he neglected them all as appeereth by that speech which he vsed the euening before he was murdered being at supper with Marcus Lepidus For a controuersie arising
chast and reuerent virgine not violated or defiled but lodged alwaies with shamefastnes chastitie and simplicitie Pindarus calleth hir the Queene of all the world Pythagoras teaching by his riddlelike precepts how a man ought to beware of transgressing Iustice saith Go not beyond the ballance If we purpose saith Plato to exercise Iustice perfectly we must make no differēce of men in regard either of their friendship kindred wealth pouertie or dignitie This vertue saith Cicero requireth of vs the forsaking of our pleasures and priuate commoditie that we may procure the benefit of the Common-wealth although it be to our perill and losse And those men command and gouerne very wel who forbid vs to do any thing wherof we doubt whether it be iust or vniust bicause equity is so cleere of it self that when we doubt of any thing we may be assured that there is some iniustice in it Aristotle and Cicero deuide Iustice into these two partes Distributiue and Commutatiue Distributiue Iustice consisteth in giuing to euery one according to his desert whether it be honor and dignitie or punishment Commutatiue Iustice is in keeping fidelitie and in causing it to be kept in promises and contracts in behauing our selues no otherwise to another than we would be delt withall Many parts and particular dueties are also attributed by the Philosophers to Iustice as Liberalitie and sundry other whereof we will particularly discourse hereafter But we must here learne that the end of all Iustice tendeth to the preseruation of the common societie of men For the preseruation of the lawes which are the Gardian and Tutor of good men and a mortall enimie to the wicked is so necessarie for euery estate and condition of life that as Cicero saith the very Pirates thieues robbers could not liue together without some part thereof If we desire to know more of hir vnspeakeable fruits let vs consider that which Paulus the Pythagorian hath written saying Iustice among men ought in my opinion to be called the Mother and Nurse of all the other vertues For without hir no man could be either temperate valiant or prudent the profite wherof will be very euident if we consider all hir effects For the prouidence of God is that Iustice which gouerneth the world and hath the principalitie ouer it In cities and townes Iustice is rightly called Equitie and Peace in particular houses betweene the husband and the wife Vnitie and Concord in respect of seruants towards their masters Good will of masters towards their seruants Humanitie and Gentlenesse and in mens bodies Health and perfection of the members Thus you see that Iustice is the beginning and perfection of all the vertues By these short sayings of ancient and graue personages the excellencie of this holy and sacred vertue Iustice appeereth sufficiently vnto vs. Yea it is so earnestly commaunded by the spirit of God vnto Magistrates in these words of exercising Iudgement and Iustice so often repeated that whosoeuer infringeth and violateth it can not auoid the curse and wrath of the Almightie which will both light vpon their owne heads and also worke the destruction of them that are committed to their charge It belongeth to Iustice to receiue the innocent into protection and safegard to maintaine defend sustaine and deliuer them and to Iudgement to resist the boldnes of the wicked to represse their violence and to punish their offences bicause Magistrats are therefore armed with the sword and with power that publike peace should not be disturbed This also is that which Solon meant to teach vs when he said that the greatnes and preseruation of all Common-wealths consisted in two things in the reward of the good in the punishmēt of the wicked which being taken away the whole discipline of humane societie must needes be dissolued and come to nothing For there are many that haue no great care to do wel if they see not vertue recompenced with some honor although this beseemeth not a noble-minded man who ought to do nothing but onely for the loue of vertue And againe the malice of the wicked cannot be brideled if they see not vengeance and punishment prepared for offenders All these aboue specified considerations did so greatly recommend Iustice to the men of old time and caused them to esteeme so much of it that whensoeuer occasion was offered to maintaine and execute it it was preferred before all things insomuch that the father did not pardon his owne sonne The Egyptians were the ancientest Lawmakers as Historiographers report and were very carefull and diligent obseruers of Iustice In their cities they painted Iudges without hands and the President or chiefe Iustice with his eies blind-folded to teach that Iustice ought not to be either a briber or respecter of persons that is she must neither take any thing nor iudge for any fauour The kings of their countrey obserued this order to cause Iudges when they were installed by them in their offices to sweare that albēit they were commanded by them to iudge vniustly yet they should not obey them Since their time the ancient Grecians and Romanes shewed themselues great true and zealous followers of this vertue of Iustice and that towardes their greatest enimies They iudged it a very noble act to accuse the wicked so it were not vpon any priuate occasion or passion they delighted greatly to see yoong men by way of Iustice to pursue transgressors as grayhounds well flesht follow after wild beasts This caused Solon being demanded what citie seemed to him best gouerned to answer that city wherein they that are not wronged do as egerly follow after satisfaction in the behalfe of another man wronged as if themselues had receiued the iniurie For the truth is quoth he that they which violate and breake lawes do not offend one man alone but the whole Citie and Common-wealth therefore euery one ought to desire and seeke after iust punishment Moreouer the seueritie which the Lacedemonians obserued in their iudgements procured such a publike safety that for a long time they vsed not to put either lockes to cofers or barres to gates Aristotle maketh mention of a certaine countrey where the inhabitants were to assure the safetie of the waies and to repay vnto passengers that losse which they had receiued by theeues and robbers Neither is it long since the like statute was obserued in many places of Italie But I stand greatly in doubt that at this day it is ilfauoredly kept O happie yea an hundred times happy was the golden age of those famous men full of heauenlie spirite bicause vnder their gouernment Iustice was had in such honor and reuerence But let vs rub vp the memorie heereof by some notable examples If any thing causeth Magistrates to commit iniustice it is chieflye the fauour which they beare the bond wherewith they are bound more to some than to others Therefore Cleon the Lacedemonian
vices namely too little and too much And this may also be noted in the fourth of those vertues whereof we intreated euen now whose defect and contrarie vice is Iniustice and hir excesse and counterfet follower is Seueritie Of which vices according to the order begun by vs we are now to discourse This matter therefore I leaue to you my Companions ASER. They make themselues guiltie of great Iniustice who being appointed of God to persecute the wicked with the swoord drawne will forsooth keepe their hands cleane from bloud whereas the wicked in the meane while commit murder and offer violence vncontrouled But it is no lesse crueltie to punish no offence than not to forgiue any in whomsoeuer it be the one being an abuse of clemencie the true ornament of a soueraigne and the other to turne authoritie into tyrannie Neuertheles Magistrats in the execution of Iustice ought to take great heed least by ouer-great seueritie they hurt more than they heale AMANA As a Goldsmith can make what vessel he will when the drosse is taken from the siluer so when the froward man is taken away from the kings presence his throne shal be established in Iustice Notwithstanding the seate of a Iudge that is too seuere seemeth to be a gibbet alreadie erected But we shall vnderstand of thee ARAM the nature and effects of these vices Iniustice and Seuerity ARAM. None are so peruerse nor giuen ouer so much to the desires and concupiscences of their flesh that they can vtterly deface through obliuion the knowledge of good and euill or the inward apprehension of some diuine nature both which are ioined together in all men Insomuch that by reason of that which vrgeth them within their soules they are constrained to confesse themselues culpable for their vniust deedes before the iudiciall throne of this Deitie Therfore with what impudencie soeuer the wicked outwardly gloze their corrupt dealings as if they gloried in them yet seeing they haue aswell by the testimonie of their conscience as by proofe and experience this knowledge euen against their wils that Iniustice is vnfruitful barren and vngrateful bringing foorth nothing woorthy of any account after many great labors and trauels which it affoordeth them the remembrance of their vnpure deedes abateth their courage maketh it full of trouble and confusion So that although a corrupt and naughty man during the sway of his vitious passion perswadeth himselfe that by committing a wicked execrable deed he shal enioy some great and assured contentation yet the heat thirst and fury of his passion being ouerpassed nothing remaineth but vile and perilous perturbations of Iniustice nothing that is either profitable necessarie or delectable Moreouer this troubleth his mind that through his dishonest desires he hath filled his life with shame danger distrust terror of the iust iudgement of God For these causes the Philosophers speaking of Iniustice said very well that there was no vice whereof a man ought to be more ashamed than of that bicause it is a malice and naughtines that hath no excuse For seeing men haue this inward sence and feeling that their very thoughts do accuse or absolue them before God they ought to make account thereof as of a watchman that watcheth prieth into them to discouer all those things which they would gladly hide if they could This caused Cicero to say that it is more against nature to spoile another man and to see one man to increase his riches by the hurt of another than either death or pouertie or griefe or any losse of goods belonging either to the bodie or to fortune And if a good man neither may nor ought for profit sake to slander deceiue lie or execute any such like thing it is certaine that there is nothing in this world of so great value no treasure so pretious which should mooue vs to forgo the brightnes and name of vertuous and iust Now as we learned before that Iustice was a generall vertue so Iniustice also comprehendeth all those vices whereinto men commonly fall For this is Iniustice not to giue to euery one that which belongeth vnto him In respect of God it taketh the name of Impietie in regard of men of deniall of rights and lawes Our discourse is of this latter which bringeth foorth pernitious effects after diuers manners destroying all duties of honestie But not to stay ouer-long in the kinds of Iniustice we will note this that we are so many waies guiltie of Iniustice as we deny to our neighbours those duties which we owe vnto them and which our vocation requireth of vs as also when we seeke to inrich our selues by their hinderance whether it be openly or by sinister and suttle meanes against christian sinceritie which ought to shine in all our dealings Let vs see how the Ancients hated this vice and spake of the pernitious effects thereof No man saith Socrates ought to commit any vniust act how small soeuer it be for any treasure wealth or profit which he may hope to reape thereby bicause all the treasures of the earth are not to be compared to the least vertue of the soule For this cause all men iointly ought to haue this one end and intent that when they profit themselues they should also be beneficiall to euery one For if all men should haue respect but to their owne their vnitie would soone be dissolued And although it were so said Cato that Iniustice did procure no perill to him that doth practise it yet would it to all others Plato calleth it a corruption of the soule and a ciuill sedition which neuer looseth strength no not in those that haue it onely within themselues For it causeth a wicked man to be at variance within himselfe It vrgeth troubleth and turmoileth him continually vntill it haue plunged him in the gulfe of all vices whereupon afterward he easily ouerfloweth in all impietie not caring for any thing but to satisfie his vnbrideled desires And if it fall out that they who haue the sword in hand to correct Iniustice do either authorize or practise it themselues then is the gate of all miseries opened vpon euery one through the vnrulie licence of the wicked who wallow in all kind of crueltie from whence all disorder and confusion proceedeth to the vtter ruine and finall subuersion of most florishing townes and cities and in the end of empires kingdomes and monarchies Thus doth Iniustice disanull the force of lawes which are the foundation of euery estate it is an enimie to good men and the Gardian and Tutor of the wicked Briefly it bringeth foorth all effects contrarie to those which we mentioned to be the fruits of Iustice and is the welspring of the other vices that hinder dutie Is it not Iniustice that giueth authoritie to murders robberies violent dealings to other damnable vices which at this day are vnpunished and are the cause that of many great goodly welthy
reuenged or called in question after that peace and agreement togither is made otherwise there would neuer be any assurance of peace or end of periurie From the selfe same fountaine of the profanation of faith and custome in lying it being the propertie of vice to ingender another vice for a punishment of it selfe proceedeth that pernitious plague of kingdomes and Common-wealths I meane Treason hated of God and men wherewith periured persons being bewitched feare not to betray themselues so they may betray others also and their countrey Whereupon they become odious to euery one euen to those who vsed them to serue their owne turnes in disloyall and wicked actions and in the end they receiue the reward due to their execrable impieties For this is the common affection that men beare towards such people so to seeke them out which notwithstanding is not the propertie of a noble hart when they stande in feare of them as they that want gall or the poison of some venemous beasts afterward to giue them ouer and to reiect bicause of their wickednes If a man be called slothfull he may become diligent if talkatiue hold his peace if a glutton temperate himselfe if an adulterer abstaine if furious dissemble if ambitious stay himselfe if a sinner amend but he that is once called a traitor there is no water to washe him cleane nor meane to excuse himselfe Nowe let vs come to the examples of the Ancients and know what zeale they bare to fidelitie and hatred to periurie and treason as also what recompence commonly followed and accompanied such things and with what reward noble-minded men did requite those that were disloiall and traiterous Attilius Regulus a Romane of great credite being taken prisoner in the Carthaginian warre and sent to Rome vpon his faith to intreat about a peace and the exchange of captiues so soone as he arriued gaue cleane contrarie aduice in the Senate shewing that it was not for the profit of the Common-wealth to make such an agreement Afterward hauing resolued with himselfe to keepe faith with the enimie he returned to Carthage where he was put to death very cruelly For his eie-lids being cut off himselfe bound to an engine he died with the force of waking Demaratus king of Sparta being in Persia with the king against whome a great man of Persia had rebelled was the meanes of their reconciliation Afterward this barbarian king hauing his said Vassaile in his power would haue beene reuenged of him thinking to put him to death But the vertuous Lacedemonian turned him from it declaring vnto him that it would redound to his great shame not to know how to punish him for his rebellion when he was his enimie and now to put him to death being his seruant and friend A reason truly well woorthie to be marked but very slenderly put in vre at this day Augustus hauing made proclamation by sound of trumpet that he would giue 25000. Crownes to him that should take Crocotas ringleader of the theeues in Spaine he offered himselfe to the Emperor and required the summe promised by him which he caused to be paid him pardoned him withall to the end no man should thinke that he would take his life from him thereby to frustrate him of the promised recompence as also bicause he would haue publike faith and safetie kept to euery one that came according to order of Iustice although in truth he might haue proceeded and giuen out processe against him Cato the elder being in warre against the Spaniards was in great danger by reason of the multitude of enimies who sought to inclose him round about And not being then in possibilitie to be succored of any but of the Celtiberians who demanded of him 200. Talents which are 120000. Crownes in hand for their wages the Councell tolde him that it was not by anie meanes to be gotten presently but yet promised to furnish them with such a summe and that within any time which they would appoint otherwise that it was more expedient not to meddle with them But this wise and wel aduised captaine vsed this occasion to very good purpose by resoluing with himselfe and with his souldiers either to ouercome their enimies or else to die after they had agreed with the Celtiberians that the Romane glorie should not be stained by the falshood of their promises For quoth he to his souldiers if we get the battell we will pay them not of our owne but at the charges of our enimies but if we loose the victorie none will be left aliue either to pay or to demand any paiment There was no talke among the Councell of these noble Romanes how they might deceiue their enimies or those whose seruice they were vrged to vse but they determined rather to die than to be wanting in their promise Likewise we may note that as their enterprizes thus grounded had good successe so periurie and violating of right were through the vengeance of God pursued for the most part with vnhappie effects contrarie to the platformes and desires of periured and faithles men or at leastwife that themselues were speedily punished for their wickednes And therefore when Tissaphernes Lieutenāt to the king of Persia had broken a truce which he had made with the Grecians they gaue him thankes by his owne Herald bicause he had placed the Gods in whose name the truce was sworne on their side And in deede he smally prospered after that in his enterprizes Cleomenes king of Lacedemonia hauing taken a truce for seuen daies with the Argians assaulted them the third night after knowing that they were in a sound sleepe and discomfited them which he did vnder this craftie subtletie bicause forsooth in the foresaid truce mention was made of the day onely and not of the night Whereupon the Grecians noted this as a iust iudgement of his periurie and breach of faith in that he was miraculously frustrated of his principall intent which was by the meanes of that ouerthrow to haue suddenly taken the citie of Argos For the women being full of wrath and iust griefe for the losse of their husbands by the cowardly treacherie of this Lacedemonian tooke those weapons that were in the said towne and droue him from the wals not without great murder and losse of the greatest part of his armie Whereupon within a while after he became furious and taking a knife he ript his bodie in smiling manner and so died Caracalla the Emperor trauelling with his armie towardes the Parthians vnder pretence of marying the daughter of Artabanus their king who came for the same purpose to meete him he set vpon him contrary to his faith and put him to flight with an incredible murder of his men But within a little after being come downe from his horse to make water he was slaine of his owne men which was noted as a iust punishment sent from God for his vnfaithfulnes
leaue their children prouided at the same yeeres and such as might be well able to liue without them A maiden also of that age is able to iudge a great deale better what is meete for hir and what dutie she oweth to hir husband and of his commandements than if she were yoonger Now seeing we are about this matter I thinke I shall not digresse from the same if I speake of the mariage of widowes It is certaine that those women that haue already learned the disposition of their former husbands are often-times very hardly altered Whereupon some alleadge the example of Timotheus the best plaier on the flute of his time who when he tooke a scholler vsed to demand of him whether he had made any entrance in that plaie Which if he had he tooke a greater reward by halfe than he did of them that knew nothing saying that his paines were greater in taking away from his schollers that which was naught and vnskilfull than in teaching that which was good to such as vnderstood nothing at all thereof Chilon one of the wise men of Grecia said that he accounted him a very foole who hauing saued himselfe from a perilous shipwracke by painful swimming would returne to sea againe as though a tempest had not power ouer all barks Platoes Androgyna teacheth that second mariages can neuer be fitly made Concerning this matter we can haue no better counsell than that of S. Paule whether I referre the solution of this matter But experience daily teacheth vs what infinite miseries quarrels suites and ouerthrow of houses proceed from such mariages through the donations and profits which those yoong men craue that marie widowes who forgetting all naturall dutie doubt not to inrich strangers with the goods of their owne children Valeria of Rome may serue for a notable example to women who said that hir husband died for others but liued to hir for euer S. Hierome rehearseth a historie quite contrarie to this heere spoken of auouching that he saw at Rome a woman that had beene maried to 22. husbands who afterward marying one that had had 20. wiues died in his life time Whereupon the Romanes crowned him with Lawrell in token of victorie and caused him to carie a branch of Palme in his hand at his wiues funerall He maketh mention also of another widowe who of almes brought vp a little child and abused it at the age of ten yeeres by whome she became great with child contrarie to the order of nature God so permitting it to discouer the vile filthines of that woman Second mariages were a great deale more honourable for such widowes The fourth kinde of mariage remaineth yet which wee called the mariage of griefe which is nothing else but the assemblie and coniunction of the wicked and reprobate of whome that common prouerbe is spoken that it is better one house be troubled with them than twayne Their life can not but be full of wretchednes and miserie the griefe whereof will abide by them for euer But to returne to our first speech of the mariage of loue which is holie and lawfull guided by good reason and according to the ordinance of God mortall men beholding the holines and necessitie of this mysterie haue inriched and set foorth the same with all kind of ioy and delight with the assemblie of kinsfolkes and calling togither of friendes and guests with bankets feastes ornaments iewels Tragedies Comedies and such like pastimes vttering ioy and not to be misliked so that all dissolutenes and ouer-great superfluitie be set aside and honestie and comelines obserued But especially the wedding songs vsed by the Ancients both Greekes and Latines and made to beautifie and enrich their weddings are woorthie of eternall praise Moreouer they had amongst them infinite and sundrie customes kept at the knitting vp and celebration of mariages some being good others bad of which we will heere alleadge certaine bicause we may finde instruction in them The Assyrians had certaine Magistrats called Triumairs and Presidents of weddings approoued and graue men whose office was once a yeere in euerie Towne and Village to bring all the yoong maidens that were to be maried into one publike place and to cause them to be proclaimed one after another beginning with the fairest who were giuen to them that offered most and bad last With this monie that came by them they maried those that were hard-fauoured as good cheape as they could and otherwise than after this sort it was not lawfull for any bodie to contract matrimonie Wherein they shewed a maruellous care in prouiding equally for all their daughters The ancient Grecians had a custome to burne before the dore of the new maried wife the Axletree of that chariot wherein she was brought to hir husbands house giuing hir to vnderstand thereby that she was to dwell there with him whether she were willing or no and neuer to depart from thence Lycurgus would not haue the husband and wife to lye togither in the beginning of their mariage nor to see one another but by stealth and secretly to the ende sayde he that amitie and loue might be the better preserued betweene them that they might be healthie and that their children which shoulde come of them might be stronger The Romanes passed all other nations in pompe ceremonies and comlines of mariage They obserued this inuiolably that their maidens and widowes should not be constrained to marrie On the wedding daie they vsed that fashion which at this daie is verie common The newe maried wife was richly apparelled with hir haire hanging about hir shoulders and hir head crowned with a garland of flowers The mother of the Bride went before hir daughter bearing a cofer of trinkets iewels rings and other little ornaments belonging to women The maidens that came of wealthie houses had a chariot prepared for them drawne with two white horses to declare the puritie of bodie and innocencie of mind which the yoong woman ought to haue The newe maried wife was led from hir fathers house to hir husbands house alongst the broadest streetes in the citie to note thereby that a wife ought alwaies to passe by the greatest way and not be found at any time in suspected and secret places whereupon some suspition of euill may arise When she was come to the entrie of hir husbands house before she went ouer the threashold of the dore he tooke hir with both his armes by the wings and lift hir aloft in such sort that he stroke hir head and the dore post togither and so set hir within the dore before euer hir feete touched the ground This was done that the maried wife should remember through the griefe of the blow not to go often foorth out of hir husbands house if she would haue the report and name of an honest woman Hir garments behauiour gesture and gate were correspondent to all modestie
If prudence and reason are most necessary in all parts of house-keeping their effects are well woorth the nothing and to be desired in this part of which we will now intreate For power and authoritie are of themselues too surlie and imperious in him that knoweth not how to represse them wisely yea they are easily turned into intollerable arrogancie if the bridle of reason restraine them not Therfore seeing we liue in a free countrie wherin the ancient absolute power of life death ouer slaues hath no place they to whome God hath granted this fauour to excell and to goe before others whether it be in gifts of nature or in graces of the soule or otherwise in the goods of Fortune they I say must in no wise contemn those that seeme to haue beene forgotten and stripped of all these good things Besides a father of a familie must consider that he ruleth not slaues but free persons Therfore he must vse their seruice although not franckly for nothing yet as that which commeth from a willing and free mind not dealing roughly with them vpon euery occasion but rather handling them gently as the creatures of God made after his image seeing the poorest man is created for the selfe same principall ende that the mightiest and richest is Aristotle granteth this that although a Maister is not bound in anie respect to his Vassaile so farre foorth as he is a Vassaile yet bicause slaues are men he is of opinion that all lawes of humanitie ought to be kept with them What then ought we to doe to such as submit themselues freely vnto vs to whome also we are vnited and linked by christian charitie as to brethren and inheritours of the same goods and promises And yet we see that maisters fall into bitter anger crie out offer outrage vse violence and lay handes of their seruants vpon small or no occasion at all as if they were vnreasonable creatures yea handling them woorse than they doe their brute beastes That this is true we see not one of them but he hath great care that his horses be well fed dailie looked vnto harnessed and decked Besides he taketh great heede that they be not tyred nor ouer-laboured but as for their seruants they neither spare nor comfort them one whit nor haue any respect to their ease and rest For mine owne part I thinke that such maisters deserue rather to be seazed vpon as mad men than admonished as sociable persons I wish therefore that euery maister of a house had these two properties in him namely that with all clemencie and meekenes he would vse the seruice obedience of them that are vnder him by considering of them with reason and by looking rather to the good affection and desert of his seruant than to the great and profitable seruice which he draweth from him The other point is that the maister vsing the sweate and seruice of his should not seeme to be displeased teastie or hard to content but rather alwaies shewe foorth a gentle kinde of fauour and curtesie or at least a seuere familiaritie seasoned with a cheerefull and merrie countenance Whosoeuer shewe themselues to be such men besides the glorie which they shall obtaine by being taken generally for gentle and curteous men their houshold seruants will loue them the more and will reuerence them as their fathers not standing in such awe and feare of them as men commonly doe of intollerable tyrants Moreouer as this assembly of a maister and of seruants tendeth as euery other societie also vnto some good end the maister hauing regard to that which concerneth him and his house and his seruants to the hope of profite and commoditie order must be taken that they which haue with all carefulnes discharged their dutie and yeelded that fidelitie and diligence that is requisite to their superiour be not defrauded of the price reward hire and desert of their trauels For if we thinke it great villanie to rob another man let vs esteeme it nothing lesse to keepe backe the fruite of life and to defraud the labours perils watchings and excessiue cares of our seruants in not recompencing them Therefore concerning this part of a house called the Maisterlie part we will note this that as the Ancients made their slaues free thereby to drawe from them voluntarie and vnconstrained seruice and to deliuer themselues of that feare and distrust which they alwaies had of their slaues accounting that prouerbe true As many enimies as slaues so ought we to bring vp and to nourish our hired and mercenary seruants which serue vs in these daies with a free and liberall kind of loue by dealing gratiously with them by perswading them with reason and by rewarding them liberally and this will induce them to serue honour and esteeme vs as if our weale and woe were wholy common with them The last part of the house remaineth nowe to be intreated of which is the perfection thereof and is called the Parentall part comprehending vnder it the Father and Mother or one of them with the children The head of a familie saith Aristotle commandeth ouer wife and children but ouer both as free persons and yet not after one and the same manner of commanding but ouer the wife according to gouernment vsed in a popular state and ouer the children royally or Prince-like This commandement ouer children is called royall bicause he that begetteth commandeth by loue and by the prerogatiue of age which is a kind of kinglie commanding Therefore Homer calleth Iupiter the father of Men and of the Gods that is king of all For a king must excell by nature and must be of the same kind as it is with the aged in respect of the yoonger sort and with him that begetteth in regard of his child ouer whome he ought to be as carefull as a king is ouer his subiectes Vnto this part of the house a Father of a familie must haue a carefull eye bicause heereuppon chiefly dependeth the honour and quietnes of his house and the discharge of his dutie towardes God and his countrie namely by making his children honest and of good conditions As the desire and pricke of nature sayth Dion driueth vs forward to beget children so is it a testimonie of true loue and charitie to bring them vppe and to intreate them after a free manner and to instruct them well Therefore a Father of a familie shall satisfie his dutie concerning this parte of a house by the good education and instruction of his children and by exercising them in vertue For manners and conditions are qualities imprinted in vs by longe tracte of tyme and vertues are gotten by custome care and diligence Heereafter we are to consider more amply and particularly of the instruction of youth and therefore at this time we will content our selues with the giuing of certaine generall precepts woorthie to be diligently obserued of euery good father of a familie towards
authoritie yet he is of one and the same kind with them a man commanding men and free ouer those that are free not ouer beasts or slaues as Aristotle saith very well And if he would haue that excellent title which we giue to God the Prince of all men calling him Our father he must procure it not by threatnings and feare but by good deedes by meekenes and humanitie which will stand him in steede of a sure Gard to preserue his estate For the loue and loialtie of his subiects will greatly encrease thereby of which the assurance of Monarchies dependeth When the nobilitie and common-people vse to feare not him but for his sake that commandeth them then he seeth with many eies heareth with many eares and perceiueth a farre off whatsoeuer is done Let the Prince haue this saying of Plutarke alwaies engrauen in his soule That nothing heere below pleaseth God more or draweth neerer to his diuine nature than to rule well in all iustice and equitie which is the chiefest charge of his vocation and that vnto which he is straightly bound in respect of his subiects For as the subiect oweth obedience aide and reuerence to his Lord so the Prince oweth iustice defence and protection to his subiects When a Prince sheweth himselfe vpright indifferent and true of his word to all it is the greatest felicitie that can happen to a Common-wealth and that which crowneth the Monarch thereof with greater glorie and honour And truly a Prince ought to be more carefull to obtaine that praise and reputation which proceedeth of goodnes and vertue than that which commeth of strength and power For as the diuine nature vnto which kings must endeuour to conforme their woorks and actions excelleth all other essences and natures chiefly in three things that is in immortalitie power and goodnes so a Prince must striue to excell his subiects not so much in the immortalitie of his name or in power as in goodnes which vertue is certainly much more venerable and draweth neerest to the diuinitie For to be incorruptible and immortall the fower Elements and the whole frame are indued with that qualitie as naturall Philosophers maintaine And as for strength and power earthquakes lightnings tempestuous whirlewinds flouds and inundations of waters are full of force and might but nothing is partaker of iustice vprightnes and equitie except it be diuine and that by the meanes of reason and vnderstanding So that as the same Plutark saith we only are capeable of that Good of vertue that commeth from God To be short let the Prince be diligently taught whilest he is yoong and labour to knowe how he may adorne his name with works answerable to those excellent Epithits and titles wherewith Iulius Pollux who was gouernour to the Emperour Commodus in his yoong yeeres setteth foorth a good king He calleth him Father gentle acceptable mercifull prudent iust curteouus noble-minded free a contemner of monie not subiect to passions but commanding ouer himselfe one that ouercommeth pleasures and vseth reason quicke of iudgement sharpe prouident good in counselling iust sober godly and full of good religion carefull ouer the welfare of men constant firme no deceiuer minding great things decked with authoritie industrious a quicke dispatcher of affaires carefull ouer those whome he commandeth a Sauiour ready to do good slow to reuenge alwaies one and the same without turning aside inclining greatly to iustice easie to haue accesse vnto curteous in speech gentle to them that haue to deale with him plaine a louer of vertuous and valiant men who neuertheles are not desirous of warre a louer of peace a peace-maker a precise obseruer thereof borne to correct the manners of people skilfull in discharging the dutie of a king and Prince hauing knowledge to make good lawes borne to profit euery one and of a diuine forme A Prince of noble birth shall feele himselfe greatly prouoked to desire and seeke after these excellent gifts and graces through the consideration of examples propounded vnto him concerning the liues deeds of so many famous and woorthy men as are at this day after innumerable ages reuiued againe by meanes of histories And it cannot be but he will be greatly pricked forward to conforme himselfe vnto them thereby to giue like occasion to good wits to write singe and publish his praises What Prince will not burne with a iealous desire of vertue when he heareth that the onely fame thereof in the person of Scipio Africanus allured and rauished theeues and robbers with such an admiration that when they vnderstood that he was in a house far from any towne they did beset it round and as he stood in his defence to driue them away they threw downe their weapons assuring him that they came thither onely to see and to reuerence him as in deed they did What prince will not be possessed with ioy when he heareth that Menander king of the Bactrians was so beloued of his subiects for his iustice and vertue that after his death the cities were in great contention which of them should haue the honor of his buriall for the appeasing of ẇhich strife order was taken that each of them should make a tombe Who wil not be mooued with loue towards the goodnes of Traian Emperour of the Romanes when he heareth his Panegyricall Oration wherein Plinie after he had extolled him to heauen concludeth thus That the greatest happines which could come to the Empire was that the Gods tooke example by the life of Traian Who will not desire the honour that king Agesilaus receiued when he was fined by the Ephoryes bicause he had stolne away the harts and wonne the loue of all his Citizens to himselfe alone Who will not wish to haue the surname of Aristides the iust as diuine and royall a title as euer king could obtaine rather than as many vse to be called Conquerours Besiegers Thunderers Briefly vnto these examples oppose the reprehension and marke of perpetuall infamie which histories set vpon euill Princes and it cannot be but that a Prince well brought vp and exercised in the loue and studie of vertue will be very desirous to shew foorth the fruits and effects thereof especially if he be well instructed in the feare of God and knowledge of his dutie whereof he shall haue perfect vnderstanding in the law of God which he is commanded by the soueraigne king of all to haue with him to read in it all the daies of his life and to obey it to the end he may raigne happily in earth and finally in heauen Of the office and dutie of a King Chap. 60. AMANA AVgustus Caesar hearing some rehearse that Alexander the great after he had finished most of his conquests at two and thirtie yeeres of age said that he tooke great care to know what he should do afterward I woonder said this wise Monarch at the speech of that great
the Prince his hart all good order of his Estate dependeth and that his pietie is of great force to awaken his subiects in their dutie namely when they see him followe and cleaue to true religion without faining and dissimulation Therefore he must carefully prouide that false doctrines heresies blasphemies agaynst the name of GOD and his truth with other offences in matters of religion be not openly broached sowne amongst the people but that some publike forme of Christian religion may alwaies be seene in his kingdome which is the sure foundation of euery well established Monarchy But heerein that which I said before is diligently to be noted namely that the Prince through wisedome craued before at the hands of God must be well assured of his diuine iust and eternall will and according to that take order that true pietie may not be publikely violated and polluted by an vncorrected libertie Next we will briefly comprehend all those points which ancient men both Philosophers and Christians haue required in an absolute and perfect Prince in three principall duties and actions that is in ruling iudging and in defending He must rule by good lawes and by good example iudge by wisedome prouidence and iustice and defend by prowes care and vigilancie These duties that excellent greek Orator and Philosopher Isocrates seemeth to haue couertly contained in these words which he wrote to Nicocles the Prince This may prooue vnto thee that thou hast raigned well if thou seēst that the people which is subiect vnto thee encrease in modestie and wealth vnder thy gouernment For good lawes iustice and good example of life make subiects better and prudence ioined with fortitude and prowes richer Now that a good Prince I call him good and iust that imploieth all his power to be such a one being ready to spend his bloud and life for his people may attaine to these excellent qualities his loue and affection towards his subiects is very necessarie as that which is able to preserue the indissoluble bond of mutuall good will betweene them him which is one of the surest meanes to maintaine great Estates and Monarchies Next he is to begin the good ordering of his Estate at himselfe and reforme first of all all disorder in his owne life and maners correct those things that are most secrete in his court knowing that from thence forward he must liue as it were in an open Theater where he is seene on euery side so that his life will be a discipline and instruction of good or ill liuing vnto others Therefore let him striue to excell those whom he ruleth to surmount them as far in vertues as he surpasseth them in riches honor Amongst al those that followe him he must alwaies haue the wisest next his person cal others from al parts neere vnto him not refusing or contemning any man of skill reputation He must often heare them learne of them being a Iudge amongst such as are lesse skilfull striue to go beyōd the best learned through diligence and studye By which kind of exercises he shal knowe how to gouerne the estate of his kingdom vprightly cannot but do such things as are praise-woorthy And forasmuch as common tranquillity publike quietnes is one principal end of ciuil societie the first duty of a good king towards his subiects is to maintaine them in peace concord For it is vnpossible that a Common-wealth should flourish in religion iustice charitie integrity of life briefly in all things necessary for the preseruation therof if the subiects enjoy not an exceeding great assured peace Let the Prince then without intermission seeke after the safest meanes to keepe his kingdome in quietnes rest let him deliuer his subiects from calamitie let him be careful of al things which may be profitable commodious vnto them let him command them with mildnes teach them obedience by the vprightnes of his commandements Let him not suffer his people to be ouer insolent nor yet to be troden vnder foote and oppressed but let him take order that such as are most honest may be preferred to honors offices that the rest may not any way be wronged He must alter those ciuill lawes and customs of liuing which being ill established are preiudiciall to his subiects and ordaine all iust and profitable lawes agreeing with themselues and such as breeding but fewe suites among his people may briefly iudge and decide them according to right and equitie In this point a good Prince must vse great care and diligence that iustice may be well administred to the preseruation of euery mans right and to the punishment of the wicked This is that which the spirite of God so often commandeth namely to execute iudgement and righteousnes to deliuer the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor not to vexe the stranger the fatherles nor the widow to doe no violence nor shed innocent blood And these selfe same things must he cause to be obserued by them that are appointed to exercise iustice in his name Which bicause it was neglected by many kings they lost both life and kingdome as we read of Phillip king of Macedonia a very mild Prince and of an excellent nature who was neuertheles slaine by Pausanias bicause he delaied a long time to let him haue right and iustice concerning an iniurie which an other had offered him Demetrius also lost his kingdome bicause he could not abide to heare his subiects but especially for this matter One day when many supplications were presented vnto him he put them into the plaites of his cloake and passing ouer a bridge he threwe them all into the water and would not once vouchsafe to read them whereupon the people being filled with indignation rebelled against him On the other side a good Prince ought freely and at all howers of the day to heare the complaints of his subiects and to prouide thereafter as one that is truly zealous of iustice clemencie and goodnes which are rather diuine than humane qualities and most proper to him that will conforme himselfe asmuch as may be as it becommeth him to that heauenlye vertue which is alwaies iust and mercifull and as Plutarke saith ruleth all things without compulsion mollifieng the necessitie of obeying by admonition and perswasion of reason Nothing is more conuenient for a Soueraigne than gentlenes for a Prince than clemencie for a King than mercie and yet seueritie and rigour of iustice are no lesse necessarie ornaments for the discharge of his dutie and the good of his subiects Therfore in that which concerneth diuine and naturall right the punishment established for the transgression therof he must alwaies vse iustice and beware least his facilitie in granting fauor dispensations make him a promoter of euill which as Seneca saith if he leaue vnpunished is transferred vnto his posteritie But
he communicateth his waightiest affaires as they fall out and determineth with them of such principall matters as were deliberated of before in the priuie councell and in the councell of the treasurie if they be such as deserue to bee brought thither In the secret councell the letters of princes of embassadors of gouernors and captains are opened resolutions and matters agreed vpon are commended to the Secretaries of the estate gifts rewards granted with the rolles and records thereof letters and commaundements signed with the kings hand The priuie councell is compounded of diuers great personages called thereunto by his maiestie either for the nobilitie of their bloud and greatnes of their house or for their woorthines wisedom knowledge and experience who haue places and deliberatiue voyces in the councell as long as it pleaseth him Sometime the king sitteth among them when any great matter is in question in his absence the first prince of the bloud is President The Constable and Chancellour two chiefe officers of the crowne haue great authoritie therein the one being principall of warre the other of iustice They sit on each side in equall degree being alwayes one right before another This councel is held either for matters belonging to the treasurie or for other things concerning state-affaires of the kingdom and then none enter therein but the Secretaries of the estate the Treasurer of the priuie treasure the Ouer-seers of the treasures appointed to take knowledge of the leuying and laying out of money and the Secretaries belonging to the same or else it is held for parties that is for the affaires of iustice depending of the soueraigntie Then the maisters of the Requests seruing in their turns enter therin who bring in requests informations suites called thither by Iniunctiōs and other waightie matters which the king hath reserued to his owne knowledge or such as cannot be decided else where Somtimes also the parties themselues are heard or else they speake by Aduocates This is greatly to be commended therein that euery one that hath entrie into the councell although peraduenture he hath neither deliberatiue voyce nor place may bring in any mans request aduertise the councell of that which is profitable for the Common-wealth that order may be taken for the same And many times their counsell is first demaunded then the aduice of the counsellours of estate so that the greatest lordes giue their opinion last to the end that freedom of speech may not be taken away by the authoritie of the princes especially of factious and ambitious men who neuer suffer any contradictions but against their wils By this means also they that haue consulting voyces onely prepare the way and make it easie for them that haue deliberatiue voyces to conclude of matters and many times furnish the councell with good and forceable reasons and if they erre at any time they are brought backe againe by the residue without ielousie This priuie councel deliberateth finally determineth vnder the soueraigne will of the king of the complaints of priuate men in matters concerning the estate of the suites of towns and prouinces iudgeth of the appeales made from Parliaments considereth vpon extraordinary dayes of the decrees of Parliaments concerning their order discipline how it is kept dealeth with the transporting of wheate of wines also with all marchandises either brought in or caried out of the realme and with the impostes laid vpon them taketh order for the currant and finenesse of money hath regard to the demaines of the crowne to lones and taxes and other reuenues of the king and to the chief customs prolonging their yeeres abating the rentes of Farmers or discharging thē altogither taking knowledge of their cause and of former informations ioyning therewith the aduise of the Treasurers of the Generals of those charges All matters whatsoeuer being agreed vpon appointed to take effect must be signed by one Secretarie at the least and somtimes also by one of the masters of Requests before it be sealed by the Chauncellor who ouerlooketh and examineth narrowly all matters concluded vpon which maketh his authoritie very great somtimes odious The great councell which at the first institution therof was seldom imploied but about state-affairs was made an ordinarie court of 17. counsellors by Charles the 8. and Lewes the 12. made it vp 20. besides the Chancellour who was President of that court but vnder king Francis another President was appointed This coūcell had the knowledge of extraordinarie causes by way of commission sent from the priuie councell and ordinarily of appellations made from the Marshal of the kings house The court of Parliament was the Senate of France in old time and erected by Lewes the yong according to the truest opinion to giue aduise to the king in which twelue Peeres were established so that the name of the court of Peeres remaineth with it to this day But Phillip the faire made it an ordinarie court and granted vnto it iurisdiction and seat at Paris but tooke from it the knowledge of state-affaires For as we haue alreadie declared there are no counsellors of estate amongst all the magistrates of Fraunce but those that are ordinarie of the priuie councel But besides the councels specified by vs Princes haue alwayes had a strict councel of two or three of the dearest and trustiest about them wherin the resolution of the aduises and deliberations of other councels is had yea many times of the greatest affaires of the estate before others haue deliberated of them Neuertheles this auncient custome of calling the general estates of the realme togither when they saw it necessarie hath been always obserued by kings and princes Our first progenitours the Gaules before either Romanes or kings ruled ouer them assembled togither out of Aquitane out of the prouince of Narbone of Lyons and of other quarters about the number of threeskore nations to take aduise and counsell of their generall affaires Since that tyme our ancient kings of France haue vsed oftentimes to hold the estates which is the assemblie of all their subiects or of their deputies For to hold the estates is nothing else but when the king communicateth his greatest affaires with his subiects taketh aduise and counsell of them heareth their complaintes and griefes and prouideth for them according to reason This was called in olde time the holding of a Parliament which name it retaineth yet in England and Scotland But at this day the name of Parliament belongeth onely to priuate and particular courtes of Audience consisting of a certaine number of Iudges established by the king in sundry of his Prouinces and the publike and generall courtes of Audience haue taken the name of estates The estates were assembled for diuers causes according as matters were offred either to demaund succour and money of the people or to take order for iustice and for men of warre or for the reuenues of the
euery liuing creature to loue that place where it tooke beginning The sauage beastes saith Cassiodorus loue woods and forests birds loue the ayre fishes the sea and riuers men loue the originall place of their birth and being in a worde both men and beastes loue those places where they purpose to liue and to continue long He that is more in loue saith Aristotle with his priuate profite than with publike wealth looseth the name of a good citizen and taketh vnto him the name of a wicked subiect Therfore euery one both great and small ought to dedicate all good gifts in them to the benefit of their country louing their fellow-subiects exercising their charges callings faithfully It is their dutie also manfully to defend the common-wealth against all forraine incursions and he that defendeth his countrey defendeth himselfe and his He that refuseth to die as Cicero saith in the defence of his countrey dieth togither with it which being ouerthrowen the inhabitants are therewithall destroyed No man therefore ought to feare daunger in defence of his countrey and it is better to die for many than with many They that die said Iustinian the emperour in the defence of their Common-wealth liue alwaies by glorie Therefore euery one ought to arme himselfe with manhood which is one kind of Heroicall fortitude as the morall Philosophers say that he may be seruiceable for the safegard of his countrey in time of need and of a iust war The nobilitie is the ornament of euery Common-wealth For commonly the nobles are of greater abilitie of better behauior more ciuill than the common people than artificers and men of base estate bicause they haue beene brought vp from their infancie in al ciuilitie and amongst men of honor Moreouer to haue a noble hart inuincible to resist the enimie great to exercise liberalitie curteous and honest in talk bold to execute gentle to forgiue are graces vertues proceeding from honestie which are not so commonly found among men of base condition as among those that come of good ancient stocks For this cause there was in Rome a law called prosapia that is to say the law of linage wherby it was ordained that they which descended from the race of the Fuluians Torquates Fabritians should haue the Consulship when it so fell out that the Senate disagreed about the election of Consuls In like maner they that came of Lycurgus in Lacedaemon of Cato in Vtica of Thucidides in Galatia were not onely priuiledged in their own Prouinces but also greatly honoured of all nations The defence and preseruation of the countrey belongeth chiefly to the nobles as they that haue greater vse and practise of weapons than the common people haue whom God nature haue subiected to them that they should be their defendors protectors In this sort then is the Common-wealth decked and adorned of the nobilitie by their means honored of neighbor-friends and feared of hir enimies Next it must be ordred profitably Where no order is there is all confusiō And therfore as a good father of a familie taketh order in his house and a Pilote in his ship so the magistrate must appoint an order in his citie common-wealth For all communitie is confusion if by order it be not brought to vnitie Order is the due disposition of all things The order of the heauens times seasons teacheth vs among other things the wisdom of the Creator who hath appointed all diuine celestiall and earthly things by a wonderful dispositiē Neither doth any thing make magistrates of common-welths more admired commended than the good order which they establish in them The end of all good order tendeth to profit as the end of confusion to losse and destruction And if profit be to be considered in any thing it is chiefly to be thought vpon in a politike body The more common generall a good thing is saith Aristotle so much the more is it to be esteemed aboue another Therefore if it be a good thing and cōmendable to appoint a profitable order in a house or ship it is a great deale better yea most excellent to order a Common-wealth profitably Last of all a Common-wealth must be gouerned prudently Gouernment presupposeth order bicause no man can rightly and duly gouerne without order Gouernement is a right disposition of those thinges of which a man taketh charge vpon him to bring them to a conuenient ende Euery Monarch Emperour King Prince Lord Magistrate Prelate Iudge and such like may bee called a Gouernour in whom wisedome patience and diligence are necessarilie required for the discharge of their dueties Neither may ignoraunce or any errour be receyued for sufficient excuse of him that hath taken vpon him a publike charge and much lesse if he required and sought for it himselfe Yea he may bee charged with the least fault especiallie when it concerneth the estate or some great matter wherein the Common-wealth hath interest For this cause wee sayd that the Common-wealth must bee gouerned with Prudence But Prudence sayth Aristotle presupposeth wisedome and is the right reason of thinges that are to bee done Without Prudence saith Xenophon wee can haue no vse at all of vertue For in the administration eyther of priuate or publique matters wee can come to no good ende without the direction of Prudence which teacheth vs to prouide for thinges to come to order thinges present and to call to minde thinges past Wee haue heretofore discoursed more at large both of that vertue and also of others requisite in euery magistrate for the faithfull execution of his charge Whereunto we wil adde this thing only that euery gouernor must remember that lordship empire kingdom maiestie dominion and power are rather heathen than christian wordes and that the empire of a christian prince is nothing else but a iust administration protection and meane to do good Therfore when he beholdeth an innumerable multitude of his subiectes he is to thinke that so many millions of men depend of his carefulnes not to do with them what pleaseth him but to labour and trauell to make them better than when he receiued them And in all things wherein the safetie of the common-wealth consisteth whether it be in preuenting the causes of change therein or in redressing seditions which trouble it he must always resolue with himselfe to bring his purpose to passe how difficult soeuer the way be releasing rather somewhat of the extremitie of right as Lucius Papinius said seeing the quietnes and safetie of the people is the chiefest and most vpright lawe among men that can be So that when the Common-wealth is in danger or in necessitie we must freely bestow vpon that bloud and name which is commō to vs with all the members of the politike body whatsoeuer cannot bee kept backe without violating that common kindred and the estate of the common-wealth So that if
nothing doth cast forth more liuely marks and beames of a wonderful diuinitie than husbandry For most of other arts were inuented long time after man was created of God and augmented since by the industrie of many Onely husbandry gaue sufficient testimonie of it self of the incomprehensible power of God when presently after the creation of the elements there came out of the bowels of the earth all kinds of herbes and plants garnished with their proper vertues for the seruice commoditie of man Man himself also by a diuine and natural instinct hath been from the beginning more enclined and disposed to the tillage of the earth than to any other studie vocation whatsoeuer as we read of our first fathers who commonly called themselues Laborers of the earth and feeders of cattell Husbandry and the countrey life were so much commended esteemed of the auncients that many of them haue written sundry bookes therof in Greek Latin and many monarchs haue heretofore left their great palaces contemned their purple robes and diademes that they might giue themselues to the manuring of countrey cōmodities Cyrus was neuer better pleased and contented than whē he might be dressing of some goodly piece of ground and setting of a certaine number of trees checker-wise Dioclesian forsook the scepter of his empire that he might with-draw himselfe into the fields and trim with his owne hands trees graffs seuerall plots of ground and gardens Besides in husbandry and the countrey life profite aboundeth with pleasure and gaine with delight As for profite it is very euident For a good husbandman is alwais prouided of bread wine flesh fruit wood and other Aliments And concerning pleasure it is incredible to one that hath skill and will to consider of the maruels of nature besides a thousand delights with exercises as pleasaunt and profitable for his health as can be And that benefit which is most excellent and chiefest of all I meane tranquillitie of mind may more easily bee obtained by the Muses darlings and louers of knowledge in the midst of the open fields and pleasaunt sound of waters than amongst the noise of suites dissentions wherwith cities are replenished It belongeth to the dutie of labourers to liue in their simplicitie and to do their endeuor in tilling the fields For the performing hereof they stand in need of 3. things of skill to know the nature of the soile and the seasons of sowing and gathering of will to be diligent and carefull to continue in their countrey labour and lastly of abilitie to prouide oxen horses cattell other instruments of husbandrie By this discourse therefore we may see what things are most requisite and necessarie for the institution of a happy common-wealth and that no man is so industrious wittie or prudent that of himselfe without the helpe of another he can liue without societie and minister to himselfe all necessary things For this cause the fellowship of many togither was found out that by teaching iudging defending giuing taking changing seruing and communicating their works and exercises one with an other they might liue well and commodiously togither Which thing will vndoubtedly come to passe in euery Common-wealth when euery one walking in his vocation directeth his will and worke to the seruice of God his prince and countrey Of Peace and of Warre Chap. 67. ARAM. IVstinian the Emperor in the Preface of his Institutions saith That it is necessarie for the imperial maiesty to haue respect to two times namely of peace and of warre that it may be prouided against all euents either of the one or the other Lawes and good politike statutes are necessary for it in time of peace that the Prouinces may be quietly gouerned but in time of warre it must alwayes haue armour readie and couenient forces to helpe friends to resist enimies and to containe disobedient subiectes within compasse Nowe hauing hitherto intreated of that policie which chiefly respecteth the tyme of peace we must hereafter my companions referre to our discourses that small knowledge which we haue of warlike discipline And first I thinke we must oppose these times of peace and warre one agaynst the other and consider of their cleane contrary effectes that we may bee so much the more easily ledde and perswaded to desire and procure that which is best and most profitable for euery estate and monarchie Therefore I propounde vnto you this matter to discourse vpon ACHITOB. If it be possible as much as in you is saith the Apostle haue peace with all men and let the peace of God rule in your hartes to the which ye are called in one body For truely without peace all riches is but pouertie all mirth but mourning all life but death But no man can perfectly know the benefit of peace that hath had no triall of the burthen of warre ASER. If ye walke in my ordinaunces saith the eternall God I will send peace in the land but if ye will not obey me but despise mine ordinaunces I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarell of my couenaunt and ye shall be deliuered into the hand of the enimie Now let vs heare AMANA discourse vpon that which is here propounded vnto vs. AMANA Lycurgus entring into the gouernement of the Lacedemonians and finding their Estate greatly corrupted determined with himselfe to change their whole Policie For he thought that if he should onely make some particular lawes and ordinances it would doe no more good than a slender medicine would profit a corrupt bodie full of many diseases before order were taken for the purging resoluing and consuming of the euill humors that a new forme and rule of life might afterward be prescribed His enterprise although great and difficult yet fell out very well and his lawes were receiued approoued of the people after a little force and feare wherwith at first they were restrained But this law-maker referred all his lawes to warre and to victorie and kept his subiects in continuall exercise of Armes not suffering them to learne any other science or handi-craft vnto which he appointed the Ilotes onely who were men brought in subiection by the right of warre Whereby Lycurgus seemeth to haue beene of this mind that force ought to be mistres in all worldly matters and that other things serue to no purpose if they want Armes which by a certaine right of warre that shall alwaies continue amongst men bring in subiection to Conquerours the persons goods of those whome they ouercome It seemeth also he thought that there was neuer any true peace amongst men but onely in name and that all Princes and people liue in continuall distrust one of another and doe nothing else for the most part but watch how to surprize each other as Plutark elegantly setteth it out notwithstanding all leagues and goodly agreements that passe betweene them Numa Pompilius second king of
with infinite charges and costes all kinde of trade hindered briefly there is no calamitie or miserie that aboundeth not in the Common-wealth in time of warre We may iudge that kingdome happie wherein the Prince is obedient to the lawe of God and nature Magistrates to the Prince priuate men to Magistrates children to their fathers seruants to their maisters and subiects being linked in loue one with another all of them with their Prince enioy the sweetenes of peace and true quietnes of mind But warre is cleane contrary thereunto and souldiors are sworne enimies to that kind of life For war maketh men barbarous mutinous and cruell as peace maketh them curteous and tractable We read that Englishmen were in times past so seditious and vntameable that not onely their Princes could not do what they would but also the English merchants were of necessity lodged apart by them selues For so the towne of Antwarpe was constrained to do where there was one house common for all merchant strangers except Englishmen who had a house by themselues bicause they could not abide to be ioined with others The chiefe cause of that strang qualitie was bicause their countrie bordered vpon two Estates and Nations that were their enimies namely vpon the Frenchmen and Scots with whome they had continuall warre but since they concluded a peace and ioined in league with France and Scotland they became very mild and ciuill And contrariwise the Frenchmen who were inferiour to no nation whatsoeuer in curtesie humanitie are greatly changed from their naturall disposition and become sauage since the ciuill warres began The like as Plutarke saith happened to the Inhabitants of Sicilia who by meanes of continuall warre grew to be like brute beastes Archidamus king of Lacedemonia knowing well the effects of peace and warre heere briefly touched by vs and hearing that the Elians sent succors to the Archadians to warre against him tooke occasion to write vnto them after the Laconicall manner in steede of a long discourse Archidamus to the Elians Peace is a goodly thing And another time he gaue a notable testimonie how farre he preferred peace before warre when he made this answer to one that commended him bicause hee had obtained a battell against the fore-said Archadians It had beene better if we had ouercome them by prudence rather than by force The selfe same reason of louing peace and of abhorring the breakers thereof was the cause why Cato in a full Senate opposed himselfe against the request which Caesars friendes made that the people should offer sacrifices by way of thanks-giuing to the gods for the notable victories which he had gotten against the Germanes of whom he had surprized and discomfited 300000. I am said Cato rather of this opinion that he should be deliuered into their hands whome he hath wronged without cause by violating the peace which they had with the people of Rome that they may punish him as they thinke good to the ende that the whole fault of breaking faith and promise with them may be cast vpon him alone and not be laid vpon the citie which is no cause at all thereof And to say truth wise men are greatly to feare all beginnings of warre For being in the end growne to some ripenes after that some men wanting experience in worldly affaires haue rashly and vnskilfully sowne the seede thereof hardly can the greatest and wisest kings plucke it vp againe without great labour and perill Therefore they that are too desirous and hastie to begin warre peruert the order of reason bicause they beginne by execution and force which ought to be last after due consultation But he deserueth greater honour and praise that procureth peace and winneth the enimies harts by loue than he that obtaineth victorie by shedding their blood cruelly For this onely reason saith Cicero we must begin warre that we may liue in peace and not receiue wrong but this must be done after we haue required satisfaction for the iniurie offered It was for these considerations that Phocion that great Athenian Captaine laboured to stoppe the warre which the people of Athens had determined to make against the Macedonians at the perswasion of Leosthenes And being demanded when he would counsell the Athenians to make warre when I see quoth he that the yong men are fully resolued not to leaue their rankes that rich men contribute monie willingly and Oratours abstaine from robbing the Common-wealth Neuertheles the armie was leauied against his counsell and many woondering at the greatnes and beautie thereof asked him howe he liked that preparation It is faire for one brunt said Phocion but I feare the returne and continuance of the warre bicause I see not that the citie hath any other meanes to get monie or other Vessels and men of warre beside these And his foresight was approoued by the euent For although Leosthenes prospered in the beginning of his enterprise whereupon Phocion being demanded whether he woulde not gladly haue doone all those great and excellent things answered that he would but not haue omitted that counsell which he gaue yet in the end he was slaine in that voyage the Grecian armie ouerthrowne by Antipater and Craterus two Macedonians and the citie of Athens brought to that extremitie that it was constrained to sende a blanke for capitulations of peace and to receiue within it a garrison of strangers Thus it falleth out commonly to those that seeke for war by all meanes either by right or wrong Euerie Prince that desireth it in that manner stirreth vppe against himselfe both the hatred and weapons of his neighbours he vexeth and greeueth his subiects vnwoorthily seeking rather to rule ouer them by violence than to gaine their good will by iustice he quite ouer-throweth his Countrie preferring dominion and greatnes of his owne glorie before the benefite quietnes and safetie thereof and often-times he diminisheth his owne authoritie and is brought in subiection to his enimies whilst he laboreth to possesse another mans right by force Augustus the Emperour said that to haue a good and lawfull warre it must be commended by the Gods and iustified by the Philosophers And Aelius Spartianus affirmeth that Traian only of all the Romane Emperors was neuer ouercome in battell bicause he vndertooke no war except the cause therof was very iust But we may say that no warre betweene Christians is so iustified but that still there remaineth some cause of scruple The testimonie of Antigonus the elder wherein he accuseth himselfe is very notable to shewe what great wickednes and iniustice is in warre when he vsed this speech to a Philosopher that offered and dedicated vnto him a treatise which he had made of iustice Thou art a foole my friend to come and tel me of iustice when thou seest me beate downe other mens townes Caesar answered little lesse to Metellus a Tribune of the people who being desirous to keepe him
from taking the monie that was in the common treasurie alleadged vnto him the lawes that forbad it to whome this Monarch replied that the time of warre and the time of lawes were twaine Moreouer we see that famine and the pestilence commonly follow war For the abundance of all things being wasted want of victuals must of necessitie succeede whereupon many diseases grow Briefly it bringeth with it nothing but a heape of all euils and miseries and easily draweth and allureth the violence and euill disposition of many to followe the state of the time For they that desire a change are very glad of such an occasion to ground their plat-formes vpon which they could not doe in time of peace bicause men are then of a better iudgement and affection aswell in publike as in priuate matters But whatsoeuer we haue spoken of the miseries that followe warre warlike discipline must not be suffered to degenerate in a Common-wealth well established seeing there is neuer want of euill neighbours that are desirous to incroach vppon other mens borders and seeing the lawes iustice subiects and the whole state are vnder the protection of Armes as it were vnder a mightie buckler And forasmuch as the defence of our life pursuite of theeues is warranted both by the lawe of God of nature and of man it followeth that the subiects must needes be trained vp in feates of Armes both defensiue and offensiue that they may be a buckler to the good and a barre to the bad Wherein the example of Augustus is very notable who in time of an assured peace would not dissolue and dismisse the fortie legions but sent them to the Prouinces borders of those nations that were most barbarous to keepe them in warlike discipline and withall to take away as neere as he could all occasion of ciuill warre Whereof Constantine the Great had sorrowfull experience when he discharged his bands of souldiours whereby he opened the gates vnto his enimies who after that inuaded the Romane Empire on all sides For the conclusion therfore of our discourse let vs learn to desire peace rather than war the one being a certaine signe of the blessing of God vpon his people and the other of his wrath and malediction Let the Prince thinke with himselfe as Traian wrote to the Senate that he is called not to warre but to gouerne not to kill his enimies but to roote out vices not somuch to goe foorth to warre as to tarie in the Common-wealth not to take another mans goods from him but to doe iustice to euery one especially considering that in warre a Prince can fight but in the place of one at which time he is wanting to many in the Common-wealth And yet bicause the swoord is put into the Magistrates hand for the preseruation of publike peace he cannot imploie or vse it better than in resisting breaking and beating downe their attempts that tyrannically seeke to trouble it being ledde with ambition and desire to enlarge their bounds with other mens right Nowe bicause the greater part of Potentates and neighbour Princes direct their purposes to this marke it is very expedient and necessarie in euery well ordered Estate that the youth especially the Nobilitie should be trained vppe and exercised in feates of Armes to the ende that in time of necessitie and for common profite they may be apt and readie to serue their Prince and Country Of the ancient Discipline and order of Warre Chap. 68. AMANA BVt following our purpose which is to discourse of the state of warre according to the small experience that our age affoordeth and our studie hath gathered wee are nowe to speake my Companions of warlike discipline which for the excellent order thereof vsed in ancient time is so much the more woorthie to be noted as ours is to be contemned for the great disorder that is seene in it Therefore I leaue the handeling of this matter to you ARAM. Discipline among souldiors is the cause that order is kept in all matters of warre which procureth in armies obedience and victorie ACHITOB. The vnbrideled licence that is vsed nowe adaies amonge souldiours breedeth such boldnes in them that all warlike discipline is supplanted thereby But let vs heare ASER discourse of this matter ASER. If we appoint to euery one saith Socrates in Plato his seuerall arte whereunto he is aptest by nature and which he must vse all his life time forsaking all other trades to the ende that obseruing opportunities he may discharge it the better there is no doubt but that in warlike discipline which is great deale more excellent than any other trade greater leasure greater cunning and practise is necessarily required For if a man take a target or some other warrelike weapon and instrument in his hande he is not by and by fit to fight much lesse of sufficient courage to serue manfully if he be not long before prepared there-vnto by sound reasons and resolutions It is no woorke of an hower or of a daie to perswade men that if they will get praise they must settle them-selues to sustaine all trauels to assaie all perils and to holde this opinion constantly that it is more to bee desired to die fighting in a good and iust quarrell than to escape with life by flying away But that which breedeth and nourisheth such thoughts in mens harts is the good education and institution of youth in the discipline of vertue and in the knowledge of Fortitude and Magnanimitie which are inseparably followed of honor and immortall glorie whereby all feare of enimies is taken away and watching trauelling suffering obeying well liked of that they may bring to passe their noble enterprises The Assyrians Persians Grecians and Romanes whose deedes of Armes are almost incredible had alwaies in singular recommēdation the maintenance of warlike discipline but their chiefe desire was to imprint these three things in the hartes of their souldiours Willingnes Reuerence and Obedience of which things the happie conduct of all warre dependeth They that were well brought vp and instructed in vertue could not want good will to execute vertuous actions Those Heads and Leaders of armies that were well chosen and had wisedome and experience did by their woonderfull vertue prouoke euery one to reuerence them Moreouer this Maxime of warre was diligently practised of the Heads namely to make their souldiours more deuout and obedient to their commandemēts than affectionated to any other thing howe gainefull soeuer it were At this daie as the former education and instruction is wanting so the Heades and Captaines are insufficient And from thence proceedeth the disorder and disobedience of men of warre whereuppon losse of the battell and destruction of the armie followeth in steede of victorie But that we may beginne to consider of this ancient warrelike discipline wee will heere onely waigh the order of the Romane armies and battels who excelled all Nations in
feates of Armes and then wee will looke into that great obedience and seuere rule of liuing that was obserued among the men of warre We shall not finde in all the Romayne Histories anye battayle of greater or more importaunce betweene the people of Rome and any other nation than that which they had with the Latines when Torquatus and Decius were Consuls For as the Latins by loosing the battel were brought into bondage so should the Romanes haue beene if they had not woonne it Titus Liuius is of this opinion who maketh both the armies in all respectes alike both for number vertue resolution and order and putteth the difference onely in the vertue of the Captaines which he supposeth was greater on the Romanes side so consequently cause of their victory The likenes equalitie of these two hosts proceeded of this bicause they had long time followed practised feates of armes togither vsing the same order language weapons keeping the selfe same maner of ordring their battels insomuch that both their orders their Captaines had the same names Now this was the order of the Romane army Their whole host was diuided into three principall parts whereof the first consisted of pike-men the second of the chiefe gentlemen Lordes the third was called the rereward euery part was chiefly compounded of foot-men being accompanied with a certaine number of horsemen Their battels being ordered in this sort they placed pike-men in the foreward right behind them were the noblemen and in the third place behind they appointed their rereward which they called by the name of TriariẠThey had also certaine troups of horsemen both on the right left side of euery part of their army whom they called wings in respect of the place which they had bicause they seemed to be the wings of that body They set the foreward close togither in the fore-front that it might both breake in vpon the enimy sustaine the on-set The battel bicause it was not to fight first but to succour the fore-ward when it was either put to the woorst or driuen backe was not ioined so close but kept their ranks wider asunder so that it might without disorder to it selfe receiue the foreward within it if by any mishap or breach of aray it should be constrained to retire The rereward had their ranks farther distant one from another than the battel that it might be able to receiue within it both the foreward and the battell when neede required Their battels then being thus ranged they began the skirmish and if their pikemen were driuen backe and vanquished they retired into the distances and void spaces of the noble-men Then both of them being knit togither in one made one bodie of two battels and so began the fight againe But if they both being ioined togither were put to the worst they gathered themselues togither in the wide and large rankes that were left for them in the rereward of the TriariẠAnd then these three parts ioined in one renued the fight and so either lost or woonne the battell being vnable to repaire them-selues againe Therefore when the rereward entered into the conflict the armie was in danger whereupon arose that prouerbe Res redacta est ad Triarios which is asmuch to say in English as the matter is brought to the Rereward to the extremitie Now the Captaines of these our times hauing forsaken all order of ancient discipline make no account of this ordinance of warre although if it be well considered it will be found a matter of great importance For he that ordreth his host so that he may repaire himself thrice in one battell must haue fortune his enimie three sundry times before he can loose it and be vtterly ouerthrowne Whereas he that trusteth onely to the first encounter as the most do at this day offereth himselfe rashly vnto danger and losse For one onely disorder one smal vertue may cary the victorie from him Now that which hindreth our armies from repairing themselues thrice is the lack of skil to gather one battel into another We also appoint onely a foreward and a maine battel for the most part lay the hope strength of the armie vpon the horsemen wheras the Ancients made most account of the footmen So that if the horse-men receiuing the onset should haue the repulse and their aray broken the rest were easie to be delt withall beside that commonly the foote-men are disordred by their owne horsemen being compelled to retire For this cause the Switzers called by some maisters of these late warres when they purpose to fight especially on the Frenchmens side are very carefull to haue the horsemen on the one side and not to followe next after them to the ende that being wide of them if by mishap they should be repulsed yet they might not ouer-runne and disorder them And this hath beene often-times noted that the Frenchmen according to the aduantage or discommoditie of the first brunt giuen by their foreward or battell haue been partakers of the like issue and euent afterward so that if they were put to the woorst in the first encounter their enimie was in a manner assured of the victorie This caused Titus Liuius to write in many places that Frenchmen in the beginning of a battell are more than men but in the ende lesse than women But that which causeth them to breake their order so quickly may be better knowne if we set downe heere two kindes of armies the one where there is furie and order as there was in the Romane armie in which according to the testimonie of all histories good order through continuance of time had planted such a warlike discipline that nothing was doone among them but by rule They did neither eate nor sleepe nor deale in any other warlike or priuate action without the appointment of the Consul or Head of the armie So that all vertue being thus setled amongst them they exercised their furie by meanes and as time and occasion serued neither could any difficultie arise that could quaile their resolution well begunne or cause them to be discouraged by reason of their good order which refreshed them and strengthened their courage that was nourished with the hope of victorie which is neuer wanting as long as good orders are truly obserued But in the other kind of armie where furie beareth sway and not order as it falleth out often in the French armies if victorie doth not followe their first assaie For their furie wherein their hope consisted is not succoured with setled vertue neither haue they any other confidence but in their furie so that as soone as they are somewhat cooled and see neuer so little disorder and breach of aray they are presently discomfited Contrariwise the Romanes being lesse afraid of perils bicause of their good order fought firmely and resolutely togither without any distrust of the victorie being as courageous