studie and contemplation to make a happie life so that otherwise it is as it were dead and idle what shall we say of that life that is void both of studie and action but that it is more beast-like than humane And how many millions of men are there in the world who liue in this sort and more in France than in any other nation Yea howe many are more idle and lesse carefull than brute beasts neglecting the prouision euen of things necessarie for this present life Amongst the obscure precepts which Pythagoras gaue to his Disciples this was one Take good heede that thou sit not vpon a bushell meaning that Idlenes and Sloth were especially to be eschewed Likewise when we shall enter into the consideration of those euils that issue from idlenes and sloth no doubt but we will flie from them as from the plague of our soules They are greatly to be feared in a Common-wealth bicause they open a gate to all iniustice and kindle the fire of sedition which setteth a floate all kind of impietie Furthermore they are the cause of the finding out of infinite false and pernitious inuentions for the releâ—uing of pouertie which for the most part floweth from the same fountaine of idlenes This mooued the wise and ancient kings of Egypt to imploy their idle people in digging of the earth and in the drawing foorth building of those Pyramides the chiefe of which is by the Historiographers placed among the seuen woonders of the world It could not be perfectly finished before the space of twentie yeeres albeit that three hundred and three score thousand men wrought about it continually The Captaines and Heades of the Romane armies fearing the dangerous effects of idlenes no lesse in their host than in their townes caused their souldiors to trauell in making of trenches when they were not vrged of their enemies as Marius did alongest the riuer of Rhone The Emperor Claudius enioying an assured peace caused the chanell Fucinus to be made that Rome might haue the commoditie of good waters about which work thirtie thousand men were daily imploied for the space of twelue yeeres Adrianus seeing a generall peace within his Empire continually vndertooke new and long iournies one while into Fraunce another while into Germanie sometime into Asia into other strange countries causing his men of warre to march with him saying that he did for feare least they being idle should be corrupted forget the discipline of warre and so be the cause of nouelties And it seemeth that this was the cause why a wise Romane councelled the Senate not to destroy Carthage least the Romanes being in safetie by the vtter subuersion thereof which onely at that time made head against them should become idle But now we may iustly say of them that through a lazie and cowardlie idlenes they haue lost the dignitie and vertue of their forefathers The Ephoryes who were Gouernors of the Lacedemonian estate being mooued with the same reason with which the Romane Scipio Nasica was touched after intelligence had of the taking sacking of a great towne into which their men were entred said that the armie of their youth was lost Whereupon they sent word to the Captaine of the armie that he should not after the same manner destroy another towne which he had besieged writing these words vnto him Take not away the pricke which stirreth forward the harts of our yoong men Gelon king of Syracusa led his people oftentimes into the fields aswell to labor the ground and to plant as to fight both that the earth might be better being well dressed as also bicause he feared least his people should waxe woorse for want of trauell So greatly did these ancient wise men feare the pernitious effects of idlenes and sloth which bring to nothing and corrupt the goodnes of nature whereas diligence exercise in good educatioÌ„ correcteth the naughtines thereof For as close waters saith Plutark putrifie quickly bicause they are couered shadowed standing so they that busie not themselues but remaine idle albeit they haue some good thing in them yet if they bring it not foorth neither exercise those naturall faculties that were borne with them they corrupt and destroy them vtterly And which is woorse as concupiscence saith Plato and luxuriousnes are quenched with great sharpe and continuall labor so are they kindled through idlenes Aretchles and slothfull man can find out nothing that is easie But there is nothing saith Seneca whereunto continuall labor is not able to attaine through care and vigilancie men come to the end of most difficult matters Fortune saith a Poet helpeth and fauoureth them that boldly set their hand to the worke but giueth the repulse to fearefull and base-minded men Let vs beleeue said Pythagoras that laborious and painefull things will sooner lead vs to vertue than those that are nice and delicate And as Hesiodus saith the Gods haue placed sweate before vertue and the way that leadeth vnto hir is long difficult and craggie A good Pilot seeing a tempest at hand calleth vpon the Gods that they would graunt him grace to escape it but in the meane while he taketh the helme into his hand he vaileth the foresaile and bringing about the maine saile laboureth to come out of the darke sea Hesiodus commaundeth the Husbandman to make his vowes to Iupiter and to Ceres before he either ploweth or soweth but he must do it with his hand vpon the plow taile Plato writing his lawes forbiddeth a man to fetch water at his neighbours house before he hath digged and delued in his owne ground euen to the clay and that it be perceiued that no water springeth there In like sort lawes must prouide for necessitie and not fauour sloth and idlenes By sloth we loose that which we haue alreadie well gotten but by diligence we attaine to that which we haue not and which may be necessarie for vs. I passed saith the wise man by the field of the slothfull and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and lo it was all growne ouer with thornes and nettles had couered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe It is sloth and negligence that causeth a man through want of good vnderstanding and iudgement not to care for the getting of that which is needfull for him bicause he feareth least he should loose it Whereupon this would follow which is a very absurd thing that nothing how deare and precious soeuer it be ought to be sought for or desired seeing all things are subiect to chaunge yea knowledge through great diseases and other inconueniences may be lessened and lost Idlenesse and slouth doe not hurt the soule onely but impaire also the health of the bodie Yea that rest which a man taketh by negligence is much more hurtfull vnto him than painfull exercise And they which thinke that health needeth
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
com-Pared to a milstone The custome of the Egyptians Prouerb 31. 4. 5. Prou. 23. 29. â—0 Against masks mummeries The Israelites Lot Alexander Dionysius Lucullus The sumptuousnes of a Franciscan Frier Philoxenus Vitellius Muleasses Lewes Archbishop Charles 6. Against plaiers Against the curiositie of super fluous expences The beginning of ciuil warres How Heraclitus disswaded superfluitie Lycurgus banished all strange wares from Lacedemonia Why Cato would not chuse Publius General of the warre Agis Against excesse in apparell Augustus Agesilaus Epaminondas Examples of moderate traine of seruing men A good lesson for Princes and Magistrats to learne Commendable imposts for Princes to lay vpon their subiects A good law to cut off the occasions of idle expences Pouertie soâ—oweth superfluous expences Our pallate must not be more sensible than our hart Iames 5. 1. 5. 73. Emperors of Rome within 100. yeeres The force of desire to enioy any pleasure Two kinds of ambition What ambition is The effects of ambition The cause of ambitious desires Enuie a note of an ambitious man Sedition a fruit of ambition Ambitious men full of selfe-praise Ciuill warres a fruite of ambition Alcibiades A very fit admonition for France Caesar Pompey The Triumuirate The ambition of the Dukes of Orleans and Burgundy Ambitious men can be no good counsellers to Princes Effects of ambition in great men The names of Peace and Warre abused much by Princes Dionides answer to Alexander Examples of the fruits of ambition Fredericus 3. Antonius and Geta. Solyman Marcus Crassus iustly punished for his ambition Marius S. Melius M. Manlius How and wherin we may seeke for honor Cretes and Hermias Traians letter to Plutarke Vespasianus A notable saying of Titas Another of Philip king of Macedonia Pleassure the hooke of all euil Who they were that placed their chiefe Good in pleasure What pleasure is The fruits of pleasure The sundry profers which Vice and Vertue made to Hercules What whoredome is The effects of immoderate copulation Osey 4. 11. The effects and end of concupiscence Socrates disputation against incontinencie The fruits of whoredom The miserable effects of Adulterie Zaleucus law against adulterie The law of lulia against adulterers The punishment of adulterers vsed among the Egyptians Alexander hated adulterie Anthonie duke of Venice Testimonies of Gods wrath against whoredome Numb 25. 9. This sinne of Dauid was in numbring the people as appeereth 2. Sam. 24. 1. 1. King 12. Gen. 19. The danger that dependeth vpon the loosenes of a Prince Tarquinius Appius Claudius Caesar Teundezillus Caracalla Childericus Iohn Earle of Arminack Rodoaldus Roderigo Galeatius Duke of Millan Two brothers flaied aliue Peter Lewes Almendine and Delmedin Abusahid The whoredom of Frenchmen The scourges hat France 〈◊〉 Good counsell against whoredome 1. Cor. 6. 9. Ephes 5. 5. The iudgement of ignorant men touching noblenes of mind How we should make choice of a happy life The common down fall of the passions of the soule The Romanes built two Temples the one to Vertue the other to Honor. The first step to Honor. Wherin worldlings place honor The White at which euerie good man ought to aime The iudgement of the best not of the most is to be preferred alwaies A good man may sometime praise himselfe Themistocles did so And Nestor The effects of pride The works of fortitude must be grounded vpon equitie and iustice Mattathias exhortation to his sonnes How ielousie of glorie is tollerable Themistocles T. Flaminius Caesar wept at the sight of Alexanders image Cyrus A notable historie of an Indian Examples of the contempt and desire of 〈◊〉 glorie Pompeius Tamberlane seueritie towards Baiazet the great Turke Saphors towards Valerianus Pope Alexanders towards Friderike Psal 91. 13. Agathocles The honor of great men dependeth of their vertue not of their dignitie Herodes Dioclesianus Menecratus finely punished for his pride by Philip. Euery vain-glorious man is a foole Shame is the keeper of all vertues How shame may be made profitable in a man Sinne is naturall in man How we must auoid and represse sinne A notable custome among the Romanes What kind of shame is very hurtfull How we must learne to resist all naughtie shame Zeno. Agesilaus Pericles Xenophanes Other pernitious effects of foolish shame Perseus Dion Antipater I. Caesar What death Caesar thought best How the Persian youth was instructed Hippocratides saying to a yong man that blushed Eutichus The shamefastnes of the Romanes Cato his sonne Scaurus his sonne Parmenides Cleobulus A notable historie of the shamefastnes of the Milesian maidens Honest shame is alwaies commendable Fortitude is the third riuer of Honestie Wherein the perfection of euery worke consisteth Fortitude is a Good of the soule not of the bodie The Properties that are required in a valtant man Fortitude fighteth for iustice onely All hardie men are not valiant The resolution of valiant man is alwaies commendable and vnchangeable Fortitude contemneth mortal things Magistrates ought to make lesse account of worldlie goods than Philosophers Of bodily force Iulius Caesar was sickly Marcus Sergius lacked his right hand Fabius the Greatest Pompey the Great C. Marius Agis Dienecus Themistocles Damindas Dercyllides A notable answer of certaine Polonians Anaxarchus Socrates M. Crassus A notable oration Iudas Macchabeus Leonides L. Dentatus Eumenus Aristomenes Lysimachus Two kinds of feare A Temple dedicated to feare The feare of neighbour enimies is the safetie of a Common-wealth Two sorts of pernicious feare Of the good feare It is ioined with the true loue of God It causeth vs to respect the good of our countrie Phocion Antigonus Scipio Nasica The effects of too great prosperitie in Commonwealths Of that feare which is the defect of Fortitude Timorous men are alwaies litle Claudius Caesar The feares of faint-harts Mydas Cassius Base minds stand in great feare of death and griefe A strange alteration of a Gentlemans haire in one night Agamemnon dispensed with a rich coward What vices proceed of cowardlines Of seruile feare Of rashnesse of the effects thereof Who is a vertuous man Cato Iphicrates comparison of an armie to a mans bodie The rashnesse of Isadas How a man may be valiant What Magnanimitie is Magnanimitie consisteth in three things The goods of the body and of Fortune The first effect of Magnanimitie The second effect The third effect The common remedie of the Ancients in desperate cases Cato of Vtica The opinion of the Stoicks Brutus A notable historie of the Numantines No man ought to hasten forward the end of his daies Alcibiades constancie and courage in death Socrates speech at his arraignment What it is to feare death Examples of the second effect of Magnanimitie Fabritius Camillus A good lesson for a Generall to learne Treason and crueltie neuer find place in a noble hart Of the third effect of Magnanimitie Aristides Magnanimitie is inuincible Wherin the perfectioÌ„ of a wise mans life consisteth Alexander reserued hope only for himselfe Properties requisite in a Generall The definition
excusable By this meanes we shall labor euermore to make choise of the best in all indifferēt things which will stand vs in stead of a sure rampire against the tyrannicall raigne of this enimie to vertue We read of Pythagoras that he accustomed himselfe to abstain from crueltie and iniustice euen towards brute beasts by requesting fowlers after they had taken birds to let them flie againe And when he came amongst fisher-men he bought their draughts and after caused all the fish to be cast againe into the sea Moreouer he forbad all his disciples to kill a tame beast at any time After his example let vs abstaine from all things that may procure vice and neuer suffer such speeches as these to passe from vs What good will this do if that be wanting Now I will deale in this maner another time I will do better Oh how slipperie are such waies how easily doth vice glide away like a streame vnder such pretences For as a wedge maketh but a smal cleft in the beginning yet afterward the rift being greater sundereth al in peeces so the sufferance of vnlawful things how small soeuer it be leadeth men by little little to an vnmeasurable licentiousnes Moreouer who can assure himselfe of tomorrow yea of a quarter of an hower The oracle of Apollo answered those of Cyrrha that if they would liue in peace among themselues they should make continuall war with their neighbors strangers So that we may passe the course of our short daies in peace rest and tranquillitie of spirit and that we fall not into the cruell paw of this aduersarie to all goodnes we must daily fight against him and neuer giue eare to his heralds and ambassadors of peace which are pleasures neglect of dutie and such other baits which he presenteth to vs to deceiue and beguile vs withal It is most certaine that vice putteth on a visard and goeth disguised and couered with goodly shewes that belong onely to vertue and chalengeth falsely vnto it selfe those goods which indeed and truth man ought to desire And being thus clothed with the helpe of corruptible pleasures that lightly passe away it yoketh base minded men whose care is onely set vpon the desire of earthly things which it setteth before their eies as their felicitie impudently imputing to vertue all those euils that are in it selfe But they that haue sufficiently profited in philosophy through the knowledge of that which is good and of such things as are truly faire and beautiful neuer harken to such hurtfull allurements but rather do as the serpent doth that stoppeth hir eares with hir taile to the end she may not heare the charmes and sorceries of the inchanter But if through the neglect of all good admonition we giue place amongst vs neuer so little to the baits of vice they may easily in the end as thornes and thistles growing neere to good seed do oftentimes choke it darken all that good instinct of nature that shall be in vs. Diogenes the Cynike walking one day through that street in Athens wherein there were many images of such ancient men as had best deserued of the Common-welth asked his almes of them all one after another Whereat some maruelling and demanding of him the cause why I learne quoth he to them to take deniall patiently euen so when we can so far command our selues as to shun all vaine vnprofitable busines wherin this age delighteth and which serue but for allurements and baits to nicenes and pleasures let vs not be ashamed not to follow them but rather let vs say that we learne to contemne that which is contemptible and to make choice according to that ancient precept of Pythagoras of the best kind of life that is to the end that custome may by little and little make it easie and pleasant vnto vs. To conclude therefore our present matter we say that vice being inseparably accompanied with a thousand miseries and with vnspeakeable and exceeding mischiefs which draw man into vtter ruine and eternall perdition may be truly called the onely euill of the soule as that which of it selfe is able and sufficient to make him vnhappy who receineth it for a ghest And as such a hurtfull thing we ought to hate and to flie from it by the meanes of vertue that is contrarie vnto it labouring by all meanes to haue our soules pure and cleane from all wicked deeds wils and counsels and our maners vndefiled not being troubled or infected with any euill perturbation wherewith vice alwaies aboundeth and is rich Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories Chap. 7. ARAM. IT is a vsuall speech in the mouths of men altogether ignorant of the beautie and profite of Sciences That the studie of Letters is a bottomeles gulfe and so long and vneasie a iourney that they which thinke to finish it oftentimes stay in the midway and many being come to the end thereof finde their mindes so confused with their profound and curious skill that in stead of tranquillitie of soule which they thought to finde they haue encreased the trouble of their spirit Vnder this goodly pretence the most part say that it is better not to know much yea nothing at all attributing the cause of mans imperfection vnto science Being thus perswaded if they haue alreadie any beginning and entring in learning they draw backe and seeke to hinder and to turne others aside from following them For this cause manie fathers set not their children to learning or else bicause they finde this way of preferment too long and costly haue other more short and profitable meanes now a daies whereby to inrich them But both the one and the other are greatly to be condemned bicause we are to spare no labor and trauel that we may get the treasures of the soul indued with reason which are sciences wherin al humane felicitie consisteth and which neuer breed vexation of spirite But all wits are not fit and apt to comprehende and conceiue them Neither doth the corruption of our nature better appeare than in this that we loue rather to inrich our selues and our children with wicked and perishing goods than with true certain and immortal goods the happie knowledge wherof sciences and arts do bring vnto vs. Now hauing through the grace of God receiued this benefit by your liberalitie most honorable fathers as to haue beene instructed in the best and most necessarie points of knowledge we thought it would not be tedious vnto you to heare vs discourse that we might stirre vp the memorie of our studies and that the beautie and commoditie of sciences might worke in our affections a lyking and desire to continue and to finish them ACHITOB. Man saith Aristotle was created to vnderstand and to do For it is necessarie that instruction go before working Knowledge begetteth iudgement and by iudgement men execute all good and vertuous actions Whereupon it followeth
that the studie of letters is rich and vndoubtedly giueth vs the knowledge of things Moreouer nothing may be compared to sciences which comfort vs in our life time and cause vs to liue after death ASER. O science saith Plato how would men loue thee if thou wert knowne Fire and aire are not more necessarie for life than is the art and rule of good liuing which is shewed vnto vs by learning And as health is the conseruation of the bodie so is doctrine the safegarde of the soule But we are to vnderstand more amply of thee AMANA what is the greatnes and beautie of sciences AMANA Whatsoeuer is profitable not onely for a house and familie for a citie and nation but generally for all mankinde may well be accounted deere precious and woonderful as so excellent a thing ought to be bought with all that a man hath especially if it be the true substance of all happines and felicitie and the efficient cause of prudence which is an excellent guide for mens actions to make them woorthy of an immortality What can one desire more than profite pleasure and honor which are those things wherewith all men are commonly led The treasure of Arabia and India may well bring some pleasure to man but yet alwaies vnperfect seeing all riches is of it selfe blind bringeth no light to the soule but receiueth hir brightnes from the soule when it is framed according to vertue Great and proud armies may by notable victories procure to themselues renowm and glory but blame woorthy a title of honor but forced and vniust if their enterprises are not grounded vpon equitie iustice The marchant sailing on large and terrible seas may reape profite by his trafficke but bought with the perill of his life and hazard of his certaine patrimonie Neither can this be done except he haue first laide a good ground of his voiage vpon a sure discourse of reason and vpon the direction of a good and wise pilot Now of all these things thus poore of themselues and begging all their ornaments else where what certain ioy true honor or great profite may a man chalenge to himselfe and not rather looke for a sodaine change of them into a woorse estate than they were in before through the inconstancie and vncertaintie of mans nature Where then shall we seeke for these great and rare properties to finde that which of it selfe will be vnto vs profitable pleasant and honorable altogither and that not for an instant but for euer Truely in science or knowledge which first is able to mollifie mans nature being before sauage and wilde and to make it capable of reason secondly frameth and setleth his iudgement that he may passe the course of his daies in al tranquillitie of minde to the profite of many lastly causeth him to die in honor with certaine assurance of eternall life and happines It is knowledge that maketh man prudent for doctrine bringeth foorth prudence and worketh vnspeakable pleasure in his soule For the searching out of the truth is the proper worke and perfection of the spirite neither doth any delight come neere to that which a man taketh in learning It is science which guideth mens iudgements whereby their chiefest deliberations and counsailes are executed aswell in feats of war as in the establishment and preseruation of lawes kingdoms monarchies commonwealths cities and peoples likewise in the regiment and gouernment of all worldlie affaires either generall or particular which are well or ill guided according as he that manageth or gouerneth them is instructed To this purpose Seneca saide that they who being destitute of knowledge did learne onely by experience to gouern publike affaires although they were borne with a diuine and happy spirit yet both late and to the detriment of their common-wealth they would in the end become good gouernors of the people As contrariwise they that should come thereunto being garded with the precepts of knowledge so they caried a good minde woulde quickely and without paine become woorthy of their charge O wisedome saith Cicero the guide of our life the onely cause of vertue and enimie tovice what should not we only but euen all the life of men be without thee Thou hast builded townes thou hast gathered together dispersed and wandering men that they might liue in a societie of life and in common friendship Thou compellest them to come togither first by keeping all in a house and by mariage then by the common vse of words and speech Thou hast beene the inuentresse of lawes and the mistres of maners and discipline We haue no recourse but to thee in our afflictions we craue aide and succour of thee we put our selues wholy into thine armes Truely one day well and iustly spent according to thy holie precepts is to be preferred before an immortalitie of time consumed in wickednes and vice With what riches shall we furnish our selues rather than with thine which hast liberally giuen vs the meanes to obtaine tranquillity in this life and hast taken from vs all feare and terror of death Briefely we may be assured that science is the onely diuine and immortall qualitie in vs and that infallible rule which bringeth both peace and warre to their perfect proportion without which whosoeuer goeth about to frame any glorious or happy building doth asmuch as if he should vndertake to sarle in the midst of the sea without a rudder or walke through vnknowne places without a guid Now the ancients knowing the greatnes difficultie of knowledge and that it cannot be obtained as it falleth out in all great matters without great paine and trauell that their labor might become profitable vnto vs they I saie who had spent their life euen with sweating in seeking out the secrets of nature and were desirous to ease mans studie who otherwise is inclined from his youth to pleasure rest haue diuided science for vs into diuers parts Which they did to this ende that step by step according to the nicenes of our spirits euen as our bodies are first nourished with milke and then with stronger meats we might finde therein apt and conceiueable foode and in the ende be made partakers of the secrets of perfect wisedome euery one according to his capacitie and need expecting the full vnderstanding thereof in the immortality of that second and most happie life First then al arts and sciences handled by reason were diuided into three principall kinds into Philosophie Rhetoricke and Mathematicke Afterwards ech of these sciences was diuided into three other parts and kinds Philosophie into Moral Logicall and Physicall or Naturall Rhetoricke into Demonstratiue Deliberatiue â—udiciall Mathematick into Arithmetick Musick and Geometry Since that for greater facilitie and that it might be more easie to learne all humane philosophie hath beene reduced into art as we haue it at this day from whence the name of liberall arts came bicause they are woorthy beseeming a free
a noble hart ought to labor but for one thing in this world namely to be great among his owne countreymen and to purchase fame renowne among strangers Which had been well spoken if he had added by Iustice and Vertue Was it not from the same fountaine of ambition that so hurtfull wars to both those Common-wealths of the Lacedemonians and Athenians the one being maisters of the sea and the other of the land tooke their beginning and thereby were both brought to ruine in the end Was it not the same cause of ambition in certaine particular men which procured the speedie returne of that good king Agesilaus to redresse the ciuill dissentions of Grecia when he was in Asia continuing those goodlie victories which he had against the Barbarians for the comfort and libertie of many Grecian cities O yee Grecians said that wise Prince being then verie sorowfull howe many more mischiefes doe yee procure to your selues than were procured vnto you by the Barbarians banded togither for your ouerthrow seeing yee are so vnhappie as to staye with your owne hands that good speede which conducted you to the top of felicitie and to turne backe into your owne entrailes those weapons which were so well guided against your enimies by calling backe the warre into your owne countrey from whence it was so happily banished The great and large scope of the Romane Empire ouer three partes of the world could not satisfie the ambition of Caesar and Pompey whilest the one could abide no equall and the other no superior insomuch that they omitted and forgat no meanes to increase their greatnes although it were with the charges of the Common-wealth As we may read among other things of Caesar who to ground vnderprop his power well for continuance gaue at one time to Paulus the Consul nine hundred thousand crownes for feare lest he should oppose himselfe against his enterprises and to Curio the Tribune he gaue fifteene hundred thousand crownes that he should take his part After the death of these two Princes that great dominion could no better content the Triumuirate namely Octauius Antonius and Lepidus who by force of armes ceased not to put their countrey to sword and fire vntill the soueraigne authoritie became resident in one alone But why should we seeke among the Ancients or amongst our neighbours for examples of the pernitious effects of this vice seing we haue so many at our owne gates Who kindled that fire in France which had taken hold of all the parts thereof and almost consumed it vtterly vnder the raigne of the Dukes of Orleans and Burgundy who stroue togither for the gouernment of the kingdome Were there not vpon the same occasion more than foure thousand men slaine in one daye within Paris the most of them being men of name at the instigation and procurement of the Duke of Burgundy who had taken possession thereof But alas the continuall and present remembrance of our late and vnspeakeable miseries procured chiefly from the same fountaine of ambition and knowne to women and children staieth me from seeking farther for testimonies of this our present matter Yea I feare greatly that we shall shortly see I would to God I might be deceiued the finall and intire ruine of our Monarchie which hath flourished as long as euer any did and continued longer vnuanquished of strangers For we see hir owne children bathing their hands in hir bloud and seeking to plucke out hir hart and intrailes and to cast them as a pray before hir enimies O how would Princes chase farre from them all ambitious persons if they were well instructed in vertue and in the knowledge of those euils which such men procure seeing it is impossible that any good counsell should proceed from them but onely such as tendeth to the aduancement of their priuate greatnes Now if ambition be the mother of ciuill warres is it not the same also of all other warres which are daily bred betweene Kings Princes through the desire of increasing their bounds of seazing vpon other mens territories to the treading downe oppression and ruine of their poore subiects and oftentimes of their owne estats Is it not ambition which blindeth men so that they are not content to be chiefe among a million of others ouer whom they command vnles they be equal or superior to one or two of those whom they know to be greater than themselues The desire of hauing more saith Plutark is a vice common to Princes and great Lords which by reason of ambition and desire to rule bringeth foorth in them oftentimes an vnsociable cruell and beastly nature And as Ennius saith there is no faith or assured societie in kingdomes For they whose greedines neither sea nor mountaines nor inhabitable deserts can staie and whose insatiable desire of hauing cannot be limited with those bounds which separate Asia from Europe how will they content themselues with their owne and not seeke to vsurpe that which belongeth to another especially when their confines and borders touch one another and are ioined so neere togither that nothing is betweene them It is impossible And in truth how soeuer they dissemble they purposely warre one with another watching continually for meanes to surprize and ouerreach each other But in outward shew they vse these two words of Peace and Warre as a peece of monie according as it shall make best for their purpose not for duties sake or vpon reason and iustice but for their owne profite and aduantage wickedly disguising in that manner the intermission and surceasing from the execution of their ill will and purpose with the holie name of iustice and amitie Princes therfore must not thinke it strange if somtime priuate men howbeit that doth not excuse them find the like dealing profitable vnto them according as it falleth out for their purpose For in so doing they do but imitate and follow them that are their maisters in all disloialtie treason and infidelitie thinking that he bestirreth himselfe who least of all obserueth that which equitie and iustice require This did Dionides the pirat fitly giue Alexander the Great to vnderstand when he asked of him why he troubled the whole sea and robbed euery one Know quoth he to him that thou and I are of one disposition and calling except in this that I am called a Pirate for skouring the seas with a few men and thou a prince bicause thou inuadest and spoilest euery where with great mightie armies But if thou wert Dionides and I Alexander it may be I should be a better prince than thou a good pirate With which free speech Alexander was so delighted that in stead of a guiltie man brought before him to be punished as was Dionides he made him one of his great captains But to continue our matter if Right say Ambitious men may be violated it is to be violated for a kingdom O speech ful of all impietie yea
of those goods that are immortall vnutterable and endlesse in the second and eternall life Without this hope grounded vpon the free goodnesse of the almightie let vs assuredly perswade our selues that mans estate is more miserable than that of brute beasts seeing this is the only way of his saluation The other hope which concerneth this present life only in all such things as we propound to our selues for the benefit and contentation thereof hath such neede to be ruled guided and referred to the happie end of the first excellent and heauenly hope that otherwise it cannot but be doubtfull inconstant rash what humane reason soeuer we can alleage to perswade the possibilitie of attaining to the end of our pretended deuises which in one moment may be quite ouerthrown the occasions whereof being for the most part secret and hid from vs. Moreouer the imperfection of whatsoeuer men commonly most esteeme vpon earth is so great that togither with their continuall vncertaintie the perturbations which hinder the tranquillitie of the soule redouble and abound so much the more as the enioying of these earthly commodities increase and augment leauing in man a continuall desire to multiply them and a feare to loose them As touching this hope therefore of humane things which we wish might alwayes prosper with vs we may wel hope what we will but withall we must prepare and settle our selues to support constantly whatsoeuer falleth out that that which commeth vnto vs against our will may not be altogither against our expectation and that we neuer vse such repinings as these vnbeseeming a wise mā I would neuer haue thought it I looked for another matter I would neuer have supposed that such a thing could haue happened In the meane while we must not omit to Hope the best alwayes in our crosses and calamities bicause nothing lenifieth so much the sharpnesse of present aduersities as the hope of future benefit the certaine expectation whereof as it were stealeth away our labours and causeth all feare of perill to vanish away This is that which Apollodorus saith that we must neuer be discouraged for aduersities but always hope for better things The calamities of mortall men saith Euripides in the end leaue of themselues and as the winds do not alwayes blow vehemently so happy men are not euer fortunate The one flieth from the other but he is a good man who is alwayes full of good hope Pindarus calleth it the nurse of old age Thales said that nothing in all the world was more common than Hope bicause it abideth with them also that haue no other goods The Elpistick Philosophers affirmed that nothing better maintained and preserued the life of man than Hope And truely without hope which easeth the burthen of mans miseries the world were not able to sustaine life For it greatly helpeth man to liue contentedly and happily if as we said it haue respect to the best ende vnto which all our desires and inclinations ought to be referred and ought to be gouerned thereby according to reason and iustice Otherwise it is certaine that a man can neuer peaceably and to his contentation enioy his present estate and condition but alwayes some new hope of better things to come wil cause him to neglect that wherof he is assured and to run after an vncertaintie vntill in the end being often deceiued and missing of his purposes enterprises he be ouerthrown quite through his great hopes Therfore Plato writeth that fortune is more contrary to that mā whō she suffreth not to enioy that which he hath than to him whom she denieth to graunt that which he demandeth of hir This gaue occasion to Cineas a very wise man and so excellent an Orator that one writeth of him that he brought more townes in subiection to his maister Pyrrhus by his toong than himselfe did by his valure when he saw that although this king might enioy a happy peace and quietnes if he would be contented to raigne peaceably ouer his subiects yet he burned with desire to vndertake warre against Italy to enter into talke with him and to aske of him this question If Sir the gods shew vs this fauor that we should remaine Conquerors in this warre what good would the victory do vs We might afterward answered Pyrrhus easily subdue the Graecian and Barbarian cities bordering vpon that Country Wel when this is done replied Cineas what shall we doe afterward Cicilia answered Pyrrhus will of it selfe yeeld vnto vs. Shall Cicilia then quoth Cineas ende our warre What will stay vs after quoth this monarch from passing into Afrike and to Carthage and from the recouerie of the kingdom of Macedonia with ease that so we may commaund all Graecia without contradiction Wherunto Cineas replied when all is in our power what shall we do in the end Pyrrhus beginning to smile said we will rest vs at our ease my friend liuing in all pleasure and as merily as may be Then Cineas hauing brought him to that point which he desired said vnto him And what sir letteth vs from rest at this present and from liuing in ioy and pleasure seeing we haue all things requisite and necessarie without seeking it with so much effusion of mans bloud besides infinite hazards and dangers and that in such places where it is vncertaine whether we shal find it These wise speeches sooner offended Pyrrhus than caused him to change his mind And although this Prince could not doubt at all what happinesse and great felicitie he forsooke yet was it vnpossible to take the hope of that which he desired out of his mind Wherefore Antigonus king of Macedonia compared him very fitly to a Dice-player to whom the Dice speake faire by giuing vnto him good chances but yet so that he cannot cast the same againe to serue his turne For he lost that by hope which he had gotten in deede desiring so earnestly that which he had not that he forgate to make that sure which was already in his possessiō And in deed it fell out very vnhappily with him in the ende For after he had fought prosperously a certaine time he was discomfited by the Romanes being after besieged was slaine with a tile which a woman let fall vpon his head Was there euer monarch who ought rather to haue contented and delighted himselfe peaceably in the enioying of his vnspeakable prosperities than Iulius Caesar And yet not being satisfied with the Romane Empire which he had obtained by so many trauels and innumerable dangers he made preparation whilest the conspirators sought his death to go himselfe in person to warre against the Parthians So that as long as he liued the hope of that which was to come caused him to contemne the glorie gotten by his former deeds and to depriue himselfe of that commendation which he should haue no lesse deserued in preseruing himselfe and in the good gouernment of his great estate than he did in
The Corinthians saw before their eies their cities raced to the ground bicause they had offered violence to the Romane Embassadors contrarie to the lawe of nations The Emperour Iustinian receiued infinite losses and dammages for breaking his faith with the Barbarians and for violating the peace which he had made with the Bulgarians Which thing procured him so great hatred of his owne subiects by reason of the vnluckie exploits of warre which followed after that being returned to Constantinople Leontius vsurped the kingdome vpon him sending him into banishment after he had cut off his nosethrils Rastrix Duke of Cleaueland hauing falsified his faith with Lewes king of Germanye was put to the woorst and vanquished and being prisouer his eies were put out for a marke of his faithles dealing But what need we search in antiquitie for testimonies of the fruits which commonly proceede from the breach of faith seeing examples are daily before our eies to our cost What do we behold at this day but a doubling yea a heape of all miseries bicause faith which is so pretious exquisite a thing that it admitteth no comparison hath so often beene valued at so small a price The historie heereof is but too common and the truth too apparant to the great hurt of euery one to stand vpon the proofe thereof whereas it ought rather to be buried from all memory if it were possible as well to deface all spots of infamie for which we are blamed of nations farthest of as to take away the distrust that one hath of an other which is so great amongst vs that it hath been one principall cause of kindling the fire of diuision so often in this desolate kingdom But to leaue such a pitifull matter subiect let vs consider what honor and entertainment men in old time gaue to traitors who are now adaies so welcome to the greatest Lasthenes hauing holpen Phillip king of Macedonia to become master of the citie of Olynthum whereof he was an inhabitant and complaining to the king that certain called him traitor he receiued this only answer that the Macedonians were naturally rude and grosse calling a spade a spade and all things els by their proper name When Caesar Augustus heard Rymetalces king of Thracia who had forsaken Antonius to ioyne with him boast of his fact the monarch drinking to others said with a loud voyce I loue treason well but I loue not traitors And in truth what man of any good iudgement will trust him He that betraieth his prince his benefactor his citie his countrey his kinsfolks and friends into their hands to whom he is nothing so much bound how may not he betray them also another time This did Agis sonne of Archidamas king of Sparta very well signifie to the Ephories who had commanded him to take the yong men of the citie with him and to go to the countrey of one whom they would make knowen vnto him who had promised to guide and bring them within the castel of his citie What quoth he vnto them is it a reasonable matter to commit the safetie and life of so many valiant yong men to one that betraieth his countrey Pausanias captaine of the Lacedemonians hauing receiued 500. talents of gold of king Xerxes promised to betray the citie of Sparta vnto him But his enterprise being discouered Agesilaus his father pursued him into a temple where he thought to haue saued himselfe and causing the gates thereof to be walled vp suffred him to die there of hunger and afterward his mother cast his bodie to the dogs and would not burie it The like befell to Cassius Brutus who would haue sold Rome his father handling him after the same sort Darius king of Persia caused the head of his sonne Ariobarzanes to be cut off bicause he sought to betraie his armie to Alexander Brutus did the like to his children who had conspired against their countrey that king Tarquinius might reenter into Rome Mahomet hauing taken Constantinople through the cowardlines and treason of Iohn Iustinian of Genua after he had made him king according to promise he cut off his head within three daies A meete recompence for such a wretch who was the cause of so great a plague to Christendome whereby the Emperor Constantius the Patriarke and all the Christians were slaine The Empresse with hir daughters and with the noblest damsels she had were led before Mahomet and after a thousand vilanies offered vnto them their bodies were cut in peeces True it is that Histories are diuers touching this fact of Iustinian For some say that perceiuing himselfe to be hurt in fight he fled whereupon most of the men of warre were discouraged and that after he had saued himselfe in the I le of Chios he died either of his wound or for griefe sorow bicause he was the chiefe cause of so great a mischiefe to Christendome Neither may we passe ouer in silence the heroicall fact of Sultan Solyman the last that died but propound it to Princes as a paterne of the hatred and punishment of periurie and treason For sending a Bascha of his into Valona to passe into Italy both by sea and land this Generall landed at the hauen of Castro where at the inhabitants being astonished yeelded themselues vnto him vnder his othe and fidelitie whereby he promised that they should depart their liues saned with bag baggage Neuerthelesse this Barbarian slew them all except those whome he saw were fit to serue for slaues But after his returne to Constantinople the great Seignior being aduertised of his disloialtie caused him to be strangled sent backe all his prisoners with their goods into Italy Truly an act woorthie such a Prince who if he had beene endued with the true knowledge of God and of his Church deserued the first place amongst the great ones of his time Now to end our discourse let vs learne to know the excellency of faith which is such a thing that whosoeuer laieth it in pawne bindeth his safetie his honor and his soule to him vnto whome he giueth it and committeth manifest impietie against God whē he breaketh and violateth the same vnles he had vowed it for the performance of some wicked deede with which both diuine and humane law dispense Let vs know also that it is the beginning and foundation of a great and notable vertue to be giuen to truth that it was of such credite amongst the Ancients that in Cato his time when any man rehearsed a strange thing and hard to be beleeued this prouerbe went of him bicause he was knowne throughout the whole course of his life to be a louer of truth This is not credible although Cato himselfe should speake it And thus by the examples of so many famous men let vs in such sort be stirred to hate lying whereof Satan is the father and author that following the counsell of S.
from publike administrations charges but onely that he would haue them imploied about such things as require least labour and not to beginne to meddle with publike affaires before they be fortie yeeres of age He alleadgeth these reasons bicause often-times many women haue beene more excellent than all the men of their countrie and such are dailie to be seene And seeing they haue a soule aswell as we as quicke a spirite and often-times more quicke than we whereof those women are witnesses who hauing giuen thēselues wholy to any thing whatsoeuer were not inferiour but rather went beyond many men it were great follie in men seeing God hath created man and woman with the like spirite to cut off as it were the one halfe of their strength and to helpe themselues but with a part thereof Nowe albeit these reasons are of great waight yet sure it is that men and women both by diuine and humane policie haue their distinct and seuerall offices It is very true that I like not the opinion of many who say that women ought to knowe nothing but to spinne and sowe which saying commeth neere to that of the Emperour who would not haue a woman to haue more witte than is needefull for hir to discerne hir husbandes shirt from his doublet Such opinions are fit for ignorant persons and proceede from a darke braine For it cannot but be very seemely and profitable for a woman to be able to render a reason of hir being aswell by the knowledge of the holie Scriptures as by the precepts of good life which we haue from the Ancients This ought parents to teach their daughters that they may be withdrawne from all other foolish loue through the loue of vertue and be desirous of all honestie and chastitie as also that when they are moothers in good and holie mariage they may be a principall cause of the good bringing vp of their children Yea histories reckon vp vnto vs a great many that haue beene in steede of Schoole-maisters in excellent sciences Aretia taught hir sonne Aristippus Philosophie Zenobia Queene of the Palmyrians being very well learned in the Greeke Latine and Aegyptian toongs taught them to hir two sonnes and wrote an Epitomie of the Easterne Histories Cornelia taught the Gracchyes hir two sonnes the Latine eloquence But let vs followe our discourse of the generall instruction of children Aristotle seemeth vnto mee to bee a good teacher and Maister where hee sayeth that there are two ages in which it is necessarie to diuide the institution of those disciplines which we would haue our children learne namely from seuen yeeres vntill foureteene which he calleth the age of pubertie and againe from this age vntill the one twentieth yeere He saith that in the institution of youth two things must be looked vnto the one wherin children are to be instructed the other how they ought to be instructed For all men are not agreed of this what things children are to learne neither yet is it decided or resolued vpon to what end their institution ought to be directed whether to profite or to manners or to vnderstanding and contemplation which proceedeth from the variable opinions of men who place their end in diuers things But how soeuer it is we must as we said before referre all our studies to the glorie of God and to the seruice of our neighbours in liuing well according to those charges and vocations whereunto we may be called We haue already seene the diuision of sciences and arts and spoken of those that are most necessarie for a happie life Aristotle following the custome then vsed in Grecia appointed that children should learne foure things Grammer bodilie exercise Musicke and painting for certaine commodities meete for the life of a man Grammer is the entire to all sciences whereby we learne to speake exactly also to read and to write And this is necessarie for all estates of life whether publike or priuate in peace or in warre in a quiet life or in multitude of busines for marchandice for the guiding of a house for the obtaining of knowledge for the continuance and perpetuitie of the memorie of man Briefly as nature is the cause of our being so the knowledge of letters which Grammar teacheth vs worketh in vs the knowledge how to liue well For this cause Charondas the law-maker as Diodorus the Sicilian writeth preferred Grammer before all other sciences as that which is most necessarie for mans life appointing that all the children of his citie should learne their letters at the charges of the common-wealth which was to maintaine publike maisters to teach both poore and rich Truly this law ought to be put in practise in all the townes of this kingdome to resist that pernitious Hydra of ignorance which the richer sort defend making no account of knowledge to the treading downe and oppression of the poore who would gladly haue the meanes whereby they might be instructed The Gymnastical part was that arte which as the Ancients affirmed did serue for health and strength preparing the bodies of children by honest and moderate exercises as fencing shooting throwing of a stone riding wrastling running leaping swimming and such like These according to Aristotles opinion are to be moderately practiced by children vntill they be foureteene yeeres old exercising them lightly not with forced labors that their growth be not hindred thereby This age being past after they haue bestowed three yeeres in other Morall disciplines and followed their studies in deeper sciences vntill the one and twentieth yeere then may they be exercised with more sharpe and hard labors of the body They must also be taught Musicke for the solacing and recreation of their mindes after trauels and painting that they may the better consider of the beautie of the bodie and vnderstand the symmetry and apt composition of all things to the ende that they may be the better aduised either in buying or selling them Let them also knowe howe to drawe platformes of publike and priuate buildings to set foorth countries townes and castels their height breadth and length for the warre liuing creatures of all sortes with their parts herbs trees rootes leaues flowres fruits for medicine for the knowledge of simples In this institution of children Aristotle had respect to that which was conuenient drew neerest to the forme of a happie Commonwealth established by him and to that which was necessary for the preseruation and maintenance thereof Nowe let vs apply to our vse that which we may learne both of him and of the rest of the Ancients for the framing of yoong men to honesty and vertue leauing to the libertie of Fathers to make choice of those arts and sciences wherein they purpose to bring vp their children hauing regard to that whereunto nature maketh them most apt and pliable We shall take a good way in the institution of
the constitutions of lawes aswell in the gathering of their duties and tributes as in their manner of life They vsed the seruice of Noble mens and of Princes children onely who were of the age of twentie yeeres and were instructed in all sciences The reason whereof was that the king being pricked forward with the sight of thē that were about him might beware how he committed any thing woorthie of reproch And truly there is nothing that corrupteth Princes so much as vitious seruants who seeke to please their sensuall desires and affections When the king arose in the morning he was bound first to take and receiue all the letters and requests that were brought vnto him that answering necessarie matters first all his affaires might be guided by order and reason Then he went to the Temple to offer sacrifice to the gods where the Prelate and chiefe Priest after the sacrifice and praiers were ended rehearsed with a loud voice in the presence of the people what vertues were in the king what reuerence and religion towardes the gods was in him and what clemencie and humanitie towards men Moreouer he told that he was continent iust noble-minded true liberall one that brideled his desires and punished malefactors with a more mild and light punishment than the greatnes of their sinne and offence required rewarding also his subiects with graces gifts that were greater than their deserts This done he exhorted the king to a happie life agreeable to the gods and likewise to good manners by following after honor and vertue and therewithall propounded vnto him certaine examples of the excellent deedes of ancient kings thereby to prouoke him the rather therunto These kings liued with simple meates as with veale birds for all dishes they kept very exactly all the lawes and ordinances of their countrie in euery point of their life which was no lesse directed euen in the least things than the simplest of their subiects And truly so long as the kings of Egypt were such zealous obseruers of their lawes and of iustice raigned peaceably among their subiects they brought many strang nations into their subiection gathered togither infinite riches whereby they adorned their countrie with great buildings and sumptuous works and decked their townes with many gifts and benefits The Barbarian kingdomes were the second kinde of Monarchy namely the ancient Monarchies of the Assyrians Medes and Persians whose Princes vsurped Lordlie rule ouer their goods and persons and gouerned their subiects as a father of a familie doth his slaues Which kind of gouernment sauoureth more of a tyrannie than of a kingdome besides it is directly against the law of nature which keepeth euery one in his libertie and in the possession of his owne goods Notwithstanding when by the law of Arms and of iust warre a Prince is made Lord ouer any people they properly belong to him that conquereth and they that are ouercome are made his slaues by the ancient consent of all nations and this maketh the difference betweene the Lord-like Monarchy and a tyrannic which abuseth free subiects as slaues Of this second kinde of Monarchy was the kingdome of Persia as Plato writeth vnder Cambyses Xerxes and other kings vntill the last Darius For vsurping more absolute authoritie to rule than was conuenient they began to contemne their Vassals and to account of them as of slaues and putting no more confidence in them they intertained into their seruice mercenarie souldiors and strangers whereby they made their owne subiects vnfit for warre and so in the end lost their estate when it seemed to haue attained to the top of worldlie prosperitie Such is the estate of the Turke at this day wherein he is sole Lord commanding ouer his subiects in rigorous manner aswell ouer the Musulmans as Christians and Iewes He vseth in his principall affaires which concerne peace and warre and matters of gouernment the seruice of runnagate slaues whom he placeth in authoritie changeth or deposeth as he thinks good without peril and enuie yea he strangleth them vpon the least suspition or dislike conceiued of them not sparing his owne children and others of his blood if they anger him So did Sultan Solyman deale with Hibrahim Bascha who was almost of equall authoritie with him insomuch that he was there called the Seignour king of the Ianitzaries the Bascha and king of the men of Armes Neuertheles in one night wherin he made him stay sup with him lie in his owne chamber he caused him to be slaine and his bodie to be cast into the sea The morrow after he seazed vpon his goods as confiscate and caried them away and yet no man euer knewe the cause of his death except it were this that he was growne too great and consequently suspected of his maister who was a Tyrant rather than a King Likewise he keepeth in his hands all the Lordships of his kingdome which he distributeth to men of warre who are charged to maintaine a certaine number of men of Armes and of horses according to the rate of their reuenew and when it pleaseth him he taketh them away againe Neither is there any man in all the countries vnder his obedience that possesseth Townes Castles and Villages or dwelleth in strong houses or that dare build higher than one storie or than a Dooue-house The great Knes or Duke of Moscouia exceedeth for seueritie and rigour of commanding all the Monarchs in the world hauing obtained such authoritie ouer his subiects both Ecclesiasticall and secular that he may dispose of their goods and liues at his pleasure so that none dare gainesay him in any thing They confesse publikely that the will of their prince is the will of God and that whatsoeuer he doth is done by the will of God The king of Ethiopia is also a Lordlike Monarch hauing as Paulus Iouius affirmeth 50. kings no lesse subiect vnto him than slaues And Frauncis Aluarez writeth that he hath seene the great Chancellour of that countrie scourged starke naked with other Lords as the very slaues of the prince wherein they thinke themselues greatly honoured The Emperour Charles the fift hauing brought vnder his obedience the kingdome of Peru made himselfe soueraigne Lord thereof in regard of goods which the subiects haue not but as they farme them or for terme of life at the most The third kind of Monarchy whereof the Ancients made mention was that of Lacedemonia wherein the king had not absolute power but in time of warre out of the countrie and a certaine preheminence ouer the sacrifices We made mention of their gouernment before The first kings in Rome were sacrificers also and afterward the emperors called themselues Pontifices that is chiefe bishops and those of Constantinople were consecrated as our kings of Frāce are In like maner the Caliphaes of the Sarasins were kings and chiefe bishops in their religion the
otherwise thou shalt not be accounted a king but a tyrant c. I leaue the rest of the clauses in his Testament Moreouer liberalitie wel vsed as we haue els-where handled the same is a very comely ornament for a Prince Socrates said that it was the dutie of a good king to be beneficiall to his friends and of his enemies to make good friends to which purpose nothing will helpe him more than liberalitie Neither must he be only liberal but magnifical also and sumptuous prouided alwaies that of magnifical he become not prodigal which would soone make him an exactor and in the end a tyrant But a soueraigne Prince must especially haue an eie to this that the rewards of vertue due to woorthy men be preferred before all his gifts and good turnes and that he recompence such as haue deserued any thing before he giue to them that haue deserued nothing For an vngratefull Prince will hardly retaine an honourable and vertuous man any long time in his seruice Neither is the estimation of a reward and of a good-turne all one bicause a reward is giuen for desert and a benefite by grace Besides a Prince must be alwaies true and as good as his promise that men may giue greater credite to his bare word than to another mans oath For it ought to bee as an Oracle which looseth his dignitie when men haue conceiued such an euill opinion of him that he may not be beleeued vnles he sweare And if he pawne his faith at any time he must account it sacred and inuiolable bicause faith is the foundation and staie of iustice vpon which the estate of great men is grounded as we discoursed else-where That saying of Theopompus King of Sparta is also to be well noted by the Prince When a friende of his asked him how a king might keepe his kingdome in safetie he answered By granting libertie to his friends freely to tell him the truth He must take their aduice in doubfull matters that he may gouern his estate more assuredly waighing and iudging of their opinions with great prudence Neither must he thinke them his best seruants that praise all his sayings and dooings but those that with modestie reprooue his faults he must discerne wisely betweene them that cunningly flatter him and those that loue and serue him faithfully that wicked men may not be in greater credite with him than good men For this cause also he must carefully enquire after his houshold seruants and familiar friends that he may knowe them well bicause all other men will take him to be such a one as they are with whome he conuerseth ordinarily Osiris King of Egypt had for his Armes a Scepter with an eye in the toppe of it noting thereby the wisedome that ought to be in a king namely that it belongeth not to one that wandereth out of his way to direct others that seeth not to guide that knoweth nothing to teach and that will not obeye reason to command Likewise in all his actions he must vse reason as a heauenlie guide hauing chased away the perturbations of his soule and esteeme it a greater and more royall matter to command himselfe than others He must thinke that it is the true and proper office of a king not to submit him-selfe to his pleasures but to containe his owne affections rather than his subiects Further he must vse to take pleasure in those exercises which may procure him honour and cause him to appeere better to the worlde He must not seeke for reputation in vile things which men of base estate and naughtie behauior commonly practise but follow after vertue onely wherein wicked persons haue no part Let him remember alwaies that he is a King and therefore that he must striue to doe nothing vnwoorthie so high a dignitie but continue his memorie by valiant and noble acts This is that wherein one of the wise Interpreters knew wel how to instruct K. Ptolemy who demanded of him how he might behaue himselfe that neither idlenes nor pleasures might distract him It is said he in thine owne power as long as thou commandest ouer a great kingdome and hast so many great affaires to manage continually which will not suffer thee to distract thy mind vpon other matters If priuate men borne to vertue are willing many times to die that they may purchase honour much more ought kinges to doe those thinges which will procure them honour feare and estimation euery where during their life also through their brightnes shine a great while after their death Moreouer a prince must be warlike and skilfull in warfare prouiding carefully all things necessarie for warre and yet he must loue peace and vsurpe nothing that belongeth to another man contrary to right nor enter into warre but to repell violence in extreame necessitie Aboue all things he must feare ciuill dissentions as most pernitious to his Estate and take aduice prudently concerning the meanes wherby all occasions of their entrance may be taken from his people Heerein learning will helpe him well and the knowledge of histories which set before his eies the aduentures that haue befallen both small and great and cal to his remembrance the times past whereby he may better prouide for the time to come Vnto which if he adde the counsell of wise men as we haue already touched he shall knowe more perfectly whatsoeuer concerneth the good of his estate But aboue all he must knowe howe to make choice of men and not thinke them wise that dispute curiously of small things but those that speake very aptly of great matters Neither let him account those men best and worthiest of credite that haue gotten most authoritie but trie and indge them by their profitable works namely if he see that they giue him wise and free counsell according as occasions concurre and affaires require and then let him alwaies with speed execute those things which by their counsell he findeth good and necessary For the conclusion therefore of our present discourse we will comprehend the office and dutie of a good Prince in fewe words namely if he serue God in sinceritie and puritie of hart if he inquire diligently after the truth of his word and cause his subiects to liue thereafter if he prouide for their profit redresse their miseries and ease them of oppression exaction and polling If he be pliable to heare the requests complaints of the lest indifferent and moderate in answering them ready to distribute right to euery one by propounding reward for vertue and punishment for vice If he be prudent in his enterprises bold in his exploits modest in prosperitie cōstant in aduersitie stedfast in word wise in counsail briefly if he gouerne in such sort and raigne so well that all his subiects may haue what to imitate and straungers to commend The ende of the fifteenth daies worke THE SIXTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of a Councell and
infringe the decrees of the Senate Since that time according to the sundry alterations of their estate and gouernment the councell varied in forme Augustus established a particular councell of the wisest Senators those but few in number and after that another strict councell of Mecaenas and Agrippa with whom he decided the chiefest matters In Turkie the councell is kept foure daies in a week by the Bassaes wheresoeuer the prince soiourneth If it be in time of peace at Constantinople or in some other towne within his dominion if in warre it is kept within his pauilion In this councell called Diuan where audience is open to euery one they consult of embassages and of answers to be made vnto them of matters of estate and of soueraigntie of the meanes how to prouide for decaied prouinces of murders and condemnations The suppliant complainant or suter speaketh without an aduocate and is forced to answer presently to the obiection of his aduersarie if he be present or to prooue his sayings by witnesses and foorthwith the definitiue sentence is giuen which may not be reuoked When the councell hath continued 7. or 8. houres the Bassa Visir maketh true relation to the prince of all that hath been handled if he lie it is present death For the prince oftentimes listeneth at a window called daungerous right against the Diuan which is made in such sort that he may heare and see and not be perceiued and although he were neuer there yet they thinke that he is alwayes there After he hath heard the discourse and aduise of his councell he seldome gainsaieth but confirmeth or moderateth the same These things being thus ordered they are written and registred by officers appointed thereunto Concerning his treasure the Bassaes meddle not there-with but two generall treasurers are ouer-seers and chiefe dealers therein the one being of Romania the other of Anatolia Two Cade lisquers haue the administration of all iustice who sit with the Bassaes in the Diuan neither doth any other sit there but the twelue Bellerbeis the Prince his children beyng Presidents in their fathers absence The Muphtie is chief of the religion and looketh vnto matters of conscience At Venice the generall assemblie of Lordes and gentlemen is called the great councell which hath the soueraigne power of the estate and of which the Senate and the authoritie of all their magistrates dependeth Besides this great councell and Senate compounded of threeskore persons there are foure other councels that is the councell of Sages for sea matters the councell of Sages for land matters the councell of tenne and the councell of seuen where the Duke maketh the seuenth and this is called the Seignorie If there arise any hard matter among the Sages it is referred to the councell of tenne and if they be diuided the councell of seuen is ioyned to the councel of tenne But if the matter be of great waight the Senate is called and sometime also albeit rarely the great councell of all the Venetian Gentlemen in which the last resolution is made At Rhagusium they create a President from moneth to moneth who dwelleth in the pallace and hath twelue counsailors which assembly is called the little councell There is also an other councell called the councell de Pregadie into which a hundreth of the ancientest citizens may enter Next there is the great councell at which all the nobilitie aboue twentie yeeres of age are present At Genes the whole common-wealth is gouerned by them that are borne of eight and twentie families neither is any man called to beare any office whatsoeuer vnlesse he be of this assemblie which they call an Aggregation Out of this are taken foure hundreth which make the great councell that hath all the power and authoritie of the estate and is chosen from yeere to yeere They create the Duke and the eight gouernours of the Common-wealth who are renued from two yeeres to two yeeres In Switzerland there are two councels in euery Canton a little one and a great one But if any great matter fall out that is common to all the leagues they hold their generall councell called a Iourney or a Diet. The like is vsed in Almaigne where the Emperour can ordaine nothing that concerneth the common benefite of Germanie or the authoritie and preseruation of the Empire without the counsell and consent of all the estates especially of the seuen Electors Hee may not of him-selfe vnder-take any warre at his pleasure neither leuie tributes nor rayse souldioures of that nation nor call in any forraine souldioures They haue also a councell established at Spira which is called the Imperiall chamber beyng as it were a Parliament of Almaignes for the administration of iustice among them In Polonia there is an assemblie of estates euery yeere especiallie for these two causes the one to administer iustice in soueraigntie vnto which are brought appeales from all the iudges of the countrey the other to prouide for the defence and safetie of the Countrey against their next enimies namelie the Tartares who make often incursions vppon them None is receyued for a Senatour amongst them if hee bee no Palatine Bishop Gouernour of some Forte or other Captaine or hath not beene Embassadour In Spayne there are seuen councels besides the priuie councell which are alwayes neere the King in seuerall Chambers vnder one roofe that the king may be the better infourmed of all affaires Their names are these the councell of Spayne of the Indies of Italie of the lowe Countreys of Warre of the Order of Saint Iohn and of the Inquisition In the Realme of Englande there is a priuie Councell which neuer exceeded the number of twentie persones The first establishment thereof was but of fifteene although it appeareth by the conclusion of a peace made betweene Lewes the ninth and Henry king of England that seuenteene of the priuie Councell sware vnto it namelie one Archbishop Chauncellour one Bishop six earles and six other lordes besides the high Treasurer and the two magistrates whom they call the chiefe iustices of England Frō three yeeres to three yeeres they hold a parliament where all the estates are called togither to deliberate about the affaires of the kingdom But enough of strangers Let vs now come to the establishment and institution of the councell in this French Monarchie where we shal see that it is not inferior if it go not beyond them in excellencie and good order to all that are alreadie set downe or that euer were First we know that the king hath all soueraigntie by right of the estate as heretofore we haue discoursed The first councell neere about him is the strict or secret councell called the councell of state affaires which is commonly held in the morning after his maiestie is vp None haue entrance into this but a fewe whom the king iudgeth wisest of greatest experience and most trustie to his maiestie with whome
children of Fraunce or to prouide for the gouernement of the kingdome or for other matters The kinges sate amongst them and were Presidentes except at one assemblie wherein was debated the noblest cause that euer was namelie to whome the kingdome of Fraunce belonged after the death of Charles the faire whether to his cosin Phillip de Valois or to Edward king of England his brother in lawe King Phillip was not President not beyng at that time king and besides a partie No doubt but the people receiue great benefit by this assemblie of estates For this good commeth vnto them that they may drawe neere to the kings person to make their complaints vnto him to present him their requests and to obtaine remedie and necessary prouision for redresse Whereby we may easily iudge that many who haue written of the duetie of magistrates and such like treatises are greatly deceiued in maintaining this That the estates of the people are aboue the prince which laieth open a gappe to the rebellions of subiects against their soueraign so that this opinion can haue no reason or good ground to leane vpon For if this were true the commō-wealth would not be a kingdom or monarchy but a pure Aristocratie as we haue declared heretofore Yea what shew of reason is there to maintaine this error seeing euery one in particular al in general bowe their knees before the king vse humbly requests supplications which his maiestie receiueth or reiecteth as it seemeth best vnto him But in this case we except a king that is captiue beside himself or in his infancie For that which is thē decreed by the estates is authorized as from the soueraign power of the prince Moreouer we may see what great good commeth to the king by the assemblie of his estates in the first speech which master Michael de l' Hospital Chauncellor of France made at the last assemblie of estates at Orleans Where he confuteth at large their opinion that say that the king after a sort diminisheth his power by taking aduise and counsell of his subiects seeing he is not bound so to doe as also that he maketh himselfe too familiar with them which breedeth contempt and abaseth his roiall dignitie But we may aunswere them as Theopompus king of Sparta did his wife who obiected this vnto him by way of reproch that by bringing in the Ephories and minglyng their gouernement with his he would leaue his authoritie and power lesse to his children than hee receiued it from his predecessours Nay said this Prince vnto hir I will leaue it greater bicause it shall be more assured The Emperour Aurelius sayd as much to his mother bicause hee freely heard euery one Besides as we see that in any great perill of sea or fire kindled to the daunger of publike profite no mans seruice or succour is reiected how base soeuer his calling is so it cannot but be profitable for the Estate when it is threatned with ruine and the affaires therof are of greatest importance to receiue the counsell of all that haue interest therein laying the opinions in the balance rather than the persons from whom they come And hereby the soueraigne maiestie and prudence of a Prince is knowen when he hath both power and skill to waigh and to iudge of their aduice that giue him counsel and to conclude with the soundest not the greatest side But to go forward with that which remaineth let so many as haue this honour to be ordinarie counsellors to Princes remember the saying of Solon the wise That they are not called thither to please and to speake to their liking but to vtter the truth and to giue them good counsell for common safetie that they must bring with them for an assured and certaine foundation of their conference about state-affaires a good intent mooued with reason and iudgement to profite him not with passions or desires of vain-glory of couetousnesse of emulation of any other imperfection that leadeth them to their priuate profite that they must at the entrie of the councell chamber vnclothe themselues of fauour towardes some of hatred towardes others and of ambition in themselues and aime at no other marke than at the honour of God and safetie of the Common-wealth To this ende they must necessarilie be furnished with wisedome iustice and loyaltie As for skill and knowledge although it be requisite in counsellors of estate namely the knowledge of the lawes of histories and of the estate of Common-wealths yet sound iudgement integritie and prudence are much more necessarie Aboue all things they must hold nothing of other Princes and Seignories that may binde them to their seruice And yet now a dayes to receiue a pension of them is so common a matter but very pernitious in any estate that it is growen to a custome Agesilaus would not so much as receiue a letter which the king of Persia wrote vnto him but sayd to his messenger that if the king were friend to the Lacedemonians he need not write particularly to him bicause he would also remaine his friend but if he were their enimie neyther letter nor any thing else should make him for his part otherwise affected To bee short let counsellors of estate learne of Plutarch that it is necessarie for them to be free from all passions and affections bicause in giuing of counsell the mind hath most force towards that wherunto the will is most enclined As for feare danger or threatnings they must neuer stay them from doyng their duetie but let them constantly propound and maintaine that which they iudge to be good and profitable for the Common-wealth We read that the Thasiens making warre with great vehemencie against the Athenians published a decree that whosoeuer counselled or spake at any time of concluding a peace between them should die the death Within a while after one of the citizens considering what great hurt his countrey receiued by that warre came one day into the assembly of the people with a halter about his necke and cried with a loud voyce that he was come thither to deliuer the Common-wealth by his death that they should put him to death when they would and that for his part he gaue them counsell to abrogate that law and to make peace which was done and he pardoned Considius a Romane Senatour would neuer be from the Senate no not when Caesar ruled all by violence and did what pleased him and when none of the other Senatours came any more through feare of his force And when Caesar asked him how he durst be there alone to stand against him bicause quoth he my age taketh all feare from me For hauing from hence forward such a short time to liue in I am not greatly carefull to saue my life If kings did correct all those that giue them ill counsell as Solyman did one of his Bassaes who was his kinsman they would not so readily
they are to the great preiudice of the whole Common-wealth We are therefore to wish that all valuing and sale of offices especially of iudgement and iustice may be abolished and disanulled that all meanes of fauor and ambition may be taken away that the ancient and happie ordinances of our kings may be restored especially that decree of S. Lewes the king whereby he enacted that all publike offices should be bestowed vpon the election of three persons chosen by the Officers and Citizens of those places to one of which so elected the king was to giue freely without monie the office then void This holie ordinance hath since that time beene often renued by king Phillip the Faire Charles the Wise Charles the 7. Lewes the 11. and Charles the ninth that dead is when his Estates were held at Orleans So that if the King and his Councell would aduisedly consider of these things in the establishing of Iudges and Magistrates in his kingdome and would strengthen them in the execution of their iudgements the obedience of his subiects would be greater and the foundation of all good order and policie more sure Of Seditions Chap. 63. ARAM. AS it is necessarie that all things which haue a beginning should end which encrease should diminish and waxe olde some sooner others later according to the disposition of that matter whereof they are compounded and through the influence of the heauenlie bodies from which nature woorking in them by hir author this continuall and mutuall succession of generation and corruption proceedeth so are publike estates first instituted encreased maintained lessened changed destroied turned returned one frō another by the disposition of God Those that are best grounded in religion and iustice haue their power most assured and are of longest continuance but none are perpetuall although their policie and manner of gouernment be neuer so good For we see them al corrupt in processe of time and in the end perish through their own vices that follow and accompanie them being first mooued and stirred vp by nothing so much as by sedition and ciuill warre This bringeth to light all euill that lurketh in those members of the politike body that are most pernitious vntill the infection be wholy spread and hath taken hold of the noblest parts thereof whereby it is brought to extreame miserie without hope of remedie Nowe although euery one of vs haue sufficient feeling heereof in himselfe by his owne harme yet we may know it better by taking occasion vpon this subiect to discourse of the nature of seditions of their common effects that we may haue them in greater detestation and bring euery one of vs his hart and mind to helpe this Estate if there remaine neuer so little shewe or meanes whereby the subuersion thereof may yet be kept backe But I leaue the discourse of this matter to you my Companions ACHITOB. All sedition is euill and pernitious although it seemeth to haue a good and honest cause For it were better for him that is author of sedition to suffer any losse or iniurie than to be the occasion of so great an euill as to raise ciuill warre in his countrie ASER. Nature saith Empedocles vseth no other meanes to destroy and to ouerthrow hir creatures than discord and disiunction and sedition as Thucydides saith comprehendeth in it all kind of euils Let vs then heare AMANA who will prooue this sufficiently vnto vs. AMANA If we consider how God minding to punish Adam for his ingratitude and disobedience made his owne members rebell against the spirite vnto which they obeied before whereby he became captiue vnder the lawe of sinne no doubt but we may say that after the same manner he chastiseth Kings Princes and Heads of Common-wealths that haue no care to obey his commandements and to cause others to keepe them by the rebellion of their owne subiects not without great danger of depriuation from all authoritie by them and of receiuing the law at their hands to whome they should giue it as it hath beene seene practised in many Estates and gouernments Religion and the loue of God bringeth with it all vnion and concord preserueth Kingdomes and Monarchies in their integritie and is the nursing mother of peace and amitie amongst them But the contempt of religion bringeth discord and confusion ouerturneth all order treadeth vertue vnder foote giueth authority to vice and soweth quarrels and dissentions amongst men from whence seditions and priuate murders proceed and in the end ciuill and open wars which are as flaming fires to take hold of and to consume most flourishing Estates For without doubt if men had in them the true loue and feare of God which cannot be without the loue of our neighbour no such effects would euer proceed from their works and actions Politicks haue labored infinite waies to maintaine the people in peace and to cause ciuill iustice to flourish They haue made many Lawes and Edicts many Statutes appointed many punishments to bridle the boldnes of seditious fellowes to represse extorsions wrongs and murders but bicause they built without a foundation that is without the feare of God all their labour taken therein was fruitles It is the feare of God onely that causeth swords to be broken and turned into mattocks and speares into siethes as Isaias and Micah speake that is to say which breedeth humanitie and gentlenes mollifieth mens harts and causeth them to suffer much to auoide strife and debate in a word which is able to vnite in one with vs most strange and barbarous nations Besides it is the profession of godlines to suffer and not to offer violence neither can it bring foorth euill effects contrarie to their cause This deserueth to be handled at large but our present subiect leadeth vs to discourse of the nature of seditions and to set before our eies the euils that proceede thereof both by reasons and examples referring the consideration of their causes vnto some other time heereafter Sedition then being taken generally is nothing else but ciuill warre so hurtfull to all Estates and Monarchies that it is the seede of all kinde of euils in them euen of those that are most execrable It engendreth and nourisheth want of reuerence towards God disobedience to Magistrates corruption of manners change of lawes contempt of iustice and base estimation of learning and sciences It causeth horrible reuenging forgetfulnes of consanguinitie parentage friendship extorsions violence robberies wasting of countries sacking of townes burning of buildings confiscations flights banishments cruell proscriptions sauage murders alterations and ouerthrowes of Policies with other infinite excesses and intollerable miseries pitifull to behold and sorrowfull to rehearse Sedition armeth the father against the son the brother against the brother kinsman against kinsman men of the same nation prouince and citie one against another Heerupon the fields which before were fertile are left vntilled sumptuous and rich houses
remaine emptie forsaken famous and wealthie townes stand desolate by reason of the losse of their ancient ornaments I meane their priuate and publike buildings and their notable Inhabitants and Citizens And which is woorst of all no man will acknowledge a Soueraigne but euery Prouince will seeke to withdraw it selfe and to be made a Canton In the end the bodie thus dismembred and the parts thereof infected with the same poison of discord destroy themselues that the prophesie of Iesus Christ who is the truth it selfe might be fulfilled where he saith That euery kingdome diuided in it selfe shall be desolate Therefore Dauid did rather chuse a plague amongest his subiects than warre or tumults And Pythagoras sayde that three thinges were by all meanes to be remooued a disease from the bodie ignorance from the soule and sedition from the Citie Plato also affirmeth that no euill is woorse in a Citie than that which diuideth it and of one maketh it two and that nothing is better than that thing which tieth and vniteth it togither Whereupon he wished that there might be a communion not onely of all goods but also of that which nature hath appropriated to euery one as of eies eares and hands to the end that whosoeuer saw heard or did any thing he might imploy all to common profite and vse thereby to maintaine better the mutuall loue of Citizens who hauing nothing priuate would by this meanes be alwaies touched with the same ioy and griefe praising and disliking all iointly togither the same things There are two sorts of warre mentioned also by Plato who calleth the one sedition which is the woorst and the other which is more gentle is that against strangers Nestor a wise and prudent counsellour among the Grecians said in a Councell as Homer reporteth that he which loueth ciuill war is a most wretched cruell and detestable man and vnwoorthy to liue And truly if we looke to the examples of those fruits which haue alwaies proceeded of ciuill wars we shall see that they haue beene guided after a most cruel and horrible kind of hostilitie and that their issue hath beene the losse and ouerthrow of many flourishing Common-wealths Thucydides speaking of the generall dissention amongst the Grecians for diuersity of gouernments which they sought to bring in amongst themselues some desiring to be gouerned in a Democraty others is an Oligarchy rehearseth incredible euils which arose of that warre As soone saith he as any insolencie was knowne to be committed in one place others were encouraged to do woorse to enterprise some new thing and to shewe that they were more diligent than others or more insolent and hot in reuenging themselues They disguised all the euils which they committed with commendable titles calling rashnes Magnanimitie and modestie Basenes of mind head-long indignation Manlines and Hardines prudent counsell and deliberation Coloured back-sliding Whereby it came to passe that whosoeuer alwaies shewed himselfe furious was accounted a loial friend and he that gain-said was suspected If any one of the contrarie faction gaue any good and honest counsell it was not accepted but if they could withstand it by any notorious deed they had rather be reuenged so then they would not giue occasion to others to offer the like wrong to them When any agreement was made and confirmed with a solemne othe it lasted vntil one of the parties grew to be the stronger that he might breake and violate the same and by extreme wickednes ouercome the other which proceeded of couetousnes and desire of other mens goods Hereupon those factions and part-takings were kindled which procured infinite euils to the whole countrey of Graecia wherein there was no quietnesse vntill it was quite ouerthrowen by seditions and ciuill warres This is that which Demades obiected to the Athenians by way of reproche that they neuer intreated of peace but in mournyng gownes namely after they had lost many of their kinsfolkes and friends in battels and skirmishes Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia bewailed this miserie when he sawe such cruell warres betweene the Athenians and Lacedemonians people of one countrey and although he had wonne a great battell neere vnto Corinth with great losse to his enimies and small hurt to his owne men yet not reioicing but rather being very sorowfull he vttered these words with a loud voyce O poore Graecia how miserable art thou to slay with thine owne hands so many of thy valiaunt men as would haue sufficed to discomfite in one battell all the Barbarians ioyned togither Histories tell vs that the Romanes came to that great Empire more by dissentions and ciuill warres which they sowed amongst their neighbors than by force of armes For after they had kindled the fire in one nation they maintained one side a certaine time vntill in the end they ouerwhelmed both the one and the other Thus they deceiued the Carthaginians the Asians the Gaules and Graecia Onely England was not quite subdued bicause it knew their practises and turned all domesticall choler against the enemie when the danger was common Traian the emperour writing to the Senate of Rome amongst other things sent these wordes I recommend vnto you aboue all things friendship and brotherhood among your selues bicause ye know that in great Common-wealths home-warres are more hurtfull than those that are made against strangers For if kinsmen and neighbours had neuer begun to hate one another to war one vpon another Demetrius had neuer ouerthrowen Rhodes nor Alexander Tyrus nor Marcellus Syracusa nor Scipio Numantium And in deed the Romane Empire fell from hir greatnesse by the same meanes of ciuill warre which they had long time nourished among others Yea it is certaine that in no place part-takings full of all kind of crueltie were so vsuall and so long time practised or factions and seditions were more cruell than in Rome The first occasion thereof was their gouernement wherein the people alwayes set themselues against the Senate and the Nobilitie the Senate seeking to rule without measure and the people to encrease their libertie During these dissentions it came to passe that at one time foure thousand and fiue hundreth slaues and banished men inuaded the Capitoll and wanted litle of making themselues lords of Rome Appian hath written at large of their seditions and partialities and saith that through ambition and couetousnes one side daily sought to diminish the authoritie of the other He saith that Martius Coriolanus being vpon this occasion and in these dissentions driuen out of the citie contrary to right and reason went to the Volsci and warred on their side against his countrey being the first banished person that tooke armes against Rome And in deed neither in the councell nor in the citie there was no sword drawen nor man slaine in ciuil sedition vntill Tyberius Gracchus fauouring the people making lawes in their behalf was killed and many others that were
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
the Romanes cleane contrary to Lycurgus was so farre in loue with peace and referred all his lawes in such sort thereunto that during his raigne there was neither warre nor ciuil dissention nor any motion of noueltie in the gouernment of the Common-wealth Much lesse was there any enmitie or enuie conceiued against him particularly or conspiracie against his person through desire of ruling but all occasions of war being extinguished and remooued the Temple of Ianus was continually kept shut for the space of fortie yeeres which was a signe of peace amongest the Romanes For not onely at Rome the people were tractable through the example of the iustice clemencie goodnes of king Numa but also in the townes round about there was a maruellous alteration of manners insomuch that as the beames of a cleare Sunne are dispersed abroad so there was shedde in the hartes of men a secrete desire to liue in peace to labour the grounde to bring vppe their children quietly and to serue and honour their gods And Plutarke writeth in his life that in his time there was nothing but feastes plaies sacrifices and bankets throughout all Italy so that a man might say that the wisedome of Numa was a liuely fountaine of all goodnes and honestie out of which many riuers issued to water all Italy and that his peaceable prudence was communicated as it were from hande to hande vnto the whole worlde Nowe although these two men haue beene greatly praised and commended for sundrie rare vertues yet all men approoue not the extremities which they followed in this forme of gouernment For as he is pernitions that mooueth and continueth warre onely to subdue his neighbours to inlarge the borders of his countrie and to vsurpe other mens right which sauoureth more of brutishnes than of humanitie so a long peace bringeth with it many discommodities making men insolent commonly through too great prosperitie as also nice lauish and effeminate through abundance of wealth and idlenes Therefore Plato Aristotle and Polybius reprooue Lycurgus bicause he propounded onely the exercise of the vertue of warre to his Citizens which is the least of those foure that are necessarie for the establishment and preseruation of euery Empire saying that all his lawes were wel ordained to make men valiant but not iust temperat and prudent On the other side they that are too much affected to peace and quietnes weaken themselues by little and little before they be aware and by their example mollifie the courage of youth whereby they lie open to the iniuries of those that will inuade them and so loose their libertie not being able to defend their persons and goods But as the world is compounded of 4. elements by whose mixture it is so made that it is both seene and touched withall is preserued in such loue concord that it cannot be dissolued by any other thā by him that made it so euery publike Estate must be established by 4. vertues by whose harmony agreement it is preserued And as the fire the earth were first created to make the whol frame subiect to sight feeling and then the water the aire mingled with them that the dissimilitude of those extreames might be tempered according to proportion so fortitude and iustice are first required in the ordaining of Common-wealths bicause they cannot continue without law and strength and next prudence and temperance being ioined with them moderate the rigour and remisnes of both Againe as by these natures of which all things are made being dispersed aboue and beneath and on all sides the world is preserued and continued so that light things are kept from ascending through the waight of heauy things contrariwise heauy things held aloft that they fal not so by these 4. vertues dispersed amongst men a Common-wealth wel instituted guided by discipline is maintained And although by reason of the varietie and change of humane affaires it cannot continue so long so adorned as the worlde yet it will abide many yeeres Moreouer as the elements are bred one of another alter to fro going into returning continually from the first matter which receiueth them into it selfe for which cause they cannot be seene simple but mixed wherupon ariseth such a tēperature of al things that they wither not by drougth nor burne with heate neither are ouer-whelmed with too great moisture nor grow stiff with excessiue cold so these vertues whereby cities are instituted must be mingled one with another agree togither for their mutuall preseruation wisedome beeing President ouer them in which they are all contained For they cannot maintaine them-selues one without another nor keepe their vigor and dignitie Iustice without temperance is rigour fortitude separated from iustice is rashnes and crueltie and without prudence iustice is but craft and suttletie To conclude temperance without fortitude ought rather to be called cowardlines and nicenes whereby we see that they are so interlaced and depend in such sort one of another that they cannot be separated If it fal out otherwise that estate wherein such disorder taketh place must of necessitie be vtterly ouerthrowne or changed Out of these learned Philosophicall discourses we will draw a very good lesson namely that in euery Estate wel instituted for continuance this temperature of the foure vertues must necessarily be kept that men may be instructed howe to gouerne themselues well both in time of peace and of warre and obserue such a moderation therein that knowing how to deale in both times they may be ready and fit for warre when necessity vrgeth hauing this end before them to attaine to peace which must alwaies be preferred as rest is before trauell and good before euill as we shal easily vnderstand by considering their contrary effects It is certaine that Philosophie is best exercised in time of peace For when there is no trouble of war the spirite is quiet and fit for euery honest kind of rest so that arts and sciences go well forward lawes are in force iustice flourisheth vertue sheweth hir effects better vice languisheth the zeale of pietie encreaseth the discipline of the Church is authorised both the noble and meane man preserueth and augmenteth his wealth trade and trafficke is free briefly euery one receiueth good commoditie and so consequently the whole bodie of the Common-wealth But if we looke to those effects which the time of warre commonly bringeth foorth the desire of hauing is awakened couetousnes encreaseth iustice falleth to the ground force and violence beareth sway spoiling raigneth riot is set at libertie wicked men are in authoritie good men oppressed innocencie troden vnder foote maidens and wiues defloured countries wasted houses burnt Churches destroied tombs broken downe goods spoiled murders committed all vertue banished from among men vice honoured the lawes contemned and broken the seruice of God forsaken the estate of the Church derided the nobilitie and people burdened
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
paterne of warre but that it did helpe him greatly to iudge of the nature and seate of those places which he frequented in his countreys And bicause all landes are like in some things the perfect knowledge of one countrey which often vse of hunting bringeth may helpe one to iudge well of an other Publius Decius Tribune of the souldioures in the armie which Cornelius the Consull led against the Samnites beholding the Romane host brought into a valley where they might easily be enclosed of the enimies went to the Consull and sayd Doe you marke O Cornelius the toppe of this mountaine aboue our enimie It is the fortresse of our hope and safetie if we make haste to take it seeyng the blind Samnites haue forsaken it We see then how profitable yea how necessarie it is for a captaine to know the beyng and nature of countreys which helpeth a mā much in that principall point touched before by me namely to compel his enimies to fight when he perceiueth that he is the stronger and hath the aduantage of them if he be the weaker to keep himself from such places where he may be cōpelled therunto This is that wherby Caius Marius who was sixe times Consull got the renowne to be one of the greatest captains in his time For although he were Generall of many armies and fought three great battels yet was he so warie in all his enterprises that hee neuer gaue his enimies occasion to set vpon him and to force him to fight And that was a notable aunswere which he made to the Generall of his enimies who willed him to come out of his campe to battell if he were such a great captain as men reported him to be Not so quoth he but if thou art the great captaine compell me to it whether I will or no. This is one thing also wherein the Head of an armie must be very vigilant that all secrecies be closely kept among the captaines of his host For great affaires neuer haue good successe when they are discouered before they take effect To this purpose Suetonius saith that no man euer heard Iulius Caesar say To morrow we will do that and to day this thing but we will doe this nowe and as for to morrow we will consider what is then to be done And Plutarke saith in his treatise of Policie that Lucius Metellus beyng demaunded by a Captaine of his when hee would giue battell sayde If I were sure that my shirte knew the least thought in my hart I woulde presently burne it and neuer weare any other Therefore affaires of warre may be handled and debated of by many but the resolution of them must be done secretly and knowen of few men otherwise they would be sooner disclosed and published than concluded Notwithstanding it is very necessarie that the General should oftentymes call a councell so that it be of expert and ancient men and of such as are prudent and voyde of rashnesse But in all cases of necessitie a man must not stand long in seeking for reason but suddenly set vpon them For many tymes sundry captaines haue vndone themselues in warres vpon no other occasion but bicause they lingred in taking counsel when they should without losse of tyme haue wrought some notable enterprise Moreouer for the instruction and patterne of the dutie and office of a good Head and captaine of an armie we can alleage none more woorthy to be imitated than Cato of Vtica a Consul of Rome who had the guiding of a legion when he first tooke charge vpon him For from that tyme forward he thought that it was not roial or magnificall to be vertuous alone being but one body therfore he studied to make all that were vnder his charge like himselfe Which that he might bring to passe he took not frō them the feare of his authoritie but added reason thereunto shewing and teaching them their dutie in euery point and always ioyning to his exhortations reward for those that did well and punishment for such as did euill So that it was hard to say whether he had made them more apt for peace or for warre more valiant or more iust bicause they were so stout and eger against their enimies and so gentle and gracious to their friends so feareful to do euil and so ready to obtaine honor The vertue of Pompey is also worthy to be followed of euery great captain f or the temperance that was in him for his skil in armes eloquence in speech fidelitie in word as also bicause he was to be spoken with and so louingly entertained euery one And if with these things the example of the same Cato be followed in his prudent liberalitie and diuision of the spoils and riches of the enimies that captaine that so behaueth himself shal deserue eternal praise and please all those that follow him For when this vertuous captaine had taken many townes in Spaine he neuer reserued more for himselfe than what he did eate and drinke there He deliuered to euery one of his souldiors a pound waight of siluer saying that it was better that many should returne to their houses from the warre with siluer than a few with gold and as for the captains he sayd that during their charges and gouernements they should not grow and increase in any thing but in honor and glory For the conclusion therefore of our speech we note that a Generall of an army desirous to bee obeyed which is necessarie must behaue himselfe so that his souldiors may thinke him woorthy to prouide and care for their necessary affaires Which thing will come to passe when they see that he is courageous carefull that he keepeth his place and the maiestie of his degree well that he punisheth offenders and laboureth not his men in vaine but is liberall and performeth his promises made vnto them Of the choice of Souldiors of the maner how to exhort them to fight and how victory is to be vsed Chap. 70. ACHITOB A Gamemnon generall Captaine of the Graecians before Troy speaking of Achilles and being grieued bicause he refused to succour them hauing been offended by him sayd That a man beloued of God is in the place of many men in a campe and far better than a whole company that is vnruly and cannot be gouerned but with great paine and care This reason was the cause that good men heretofore were greatly honored in war and much sought after by great captaines bicause they were very religious and vndertooke nothing before they had prayed to their gods and offered sacrifices after the maner of their countrey Also after they had done some great exploite they were not slouthful to giue thē thanks by offrings and hymnes song to their praise But all these good considerations haue no more place amongst vs than the rest of their warlike discipline principally in that no regard is had what maner of men
of the Phocians Of the iudgements of the Romanes Who were Iudges amongst them and how they were chosen Three kinds of Pretors in Rome Of the reuerence and honor which was giuen to Magistrates An excellent way to decide all controuersies betweene parties at discord Of the ancient reputation of iudgements in France The iustice of France fallen from the ancient glorie Tokens of a corrupted Estate The proceeding of iustice in France from time to time The officers of the Court of Parliament in Paris The preâ—â—â—te state of the Paeliament Of the ancient estate of the Parliament Ferdinando forbad that any Lawyers should go into the West Indians The springs of all corruptions of iustice The Areopagites iudged by night and in the darke The Switzers forbid their Iudges to take any thing for iudging The saying of a Peasant to three Lawyers Of the miserie which length of suits bring with it The great abuse of iustice in France How a corrupt Common-wealth must be corrected When it is lawfull to seeke after publike offices Iudges ought to be such old men as haue experience ioined with their knowledge Magistrats must not be couetous The chiefest point of Philosophy A corrupt making of Iudges The statute of S. Lewes concerning the election of officers No earthly thing perpetual No Common-wealth perpetuall No iniurie is a sufficient cause for any man to moone sedition The originall of all sedition The cause of vnion and concord in kingdoms The fruits of the contempt of religion Peace and concord effects of the feare of God Isaias 2. 4. Micah 4. 3. What sedition is The fruits of sedition Matth. 12. 25. 2. Sam. 24. 14. What communitie Plato required in his Common-welth Two kinds of warre The fruits of ciuil warre among the Grecians Demades reprocheth the Athenians Agesilaus bewaileth the ciuil dissention of Graecia The prudence of Englishmen Traians letter to the Senate of Rome The Romane Empire decaied through seditions The original of the Romane seditions M. Coriolanus being banished contrary to right tooke armes against his countrey T. Gracchus the first that was slaine in Rome by sedition Sylla made himself perpetuall Dictator The Romane Empire began first to decline vnder Tiberius Diuision ouerthrew Alexanders Empire The cause of the ruine of Constantinople The cause of the subiection of Iudaea to the Romans Onias prayer Ciuil warres in Italy between the Guelphes and the Gybellines The great crueltie of the Guelphes and Gybellines By what tokens they know one another The originall of this contention The diuision of the houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the 6. depriued of his Kingdom by the house of Yorke The vnion of the houses of Lancaster and Yorke Of ciuil warres in Spaine The great iurisdiction of Spain Of ciuil dissention in Italy Germany vexed with ciuil warre Hungaria lost by ciuil dissention Persia was subdued by the dissention of two brethren Dinan and Bouines subdued through dissention France much troubled with ciuil warres Women in Champagnie made their husbands noble Cruel warre between the house of Burgundie of Orleans The cause thereof Henry the 5. proclaimed king of France Ambition and desire of gouernment the chiefe cause of the troubles in France The ancients limites of the French monarchie A comparison Good counsell for all kings and soueraigne princes A disease known is almost cured The causes of diuision between subiects Two causes of the franticke feauer of French diuisions Corruption is naturall in all things A Prince compared to a Physition To know the causes of euils is the readiest way to cure them When Common-wealths begin to alter Foure causes of all things The efficient causes of seditions The materiall cause of seditions The formal cause The difference between a rebellion and a faction Fower final causes of seditions Couetousnes a principall cause of sedition 1. King 12. 14 16. Which are publike goods When couetousnes is committed in publike goods God requireth restitution of oppressors Great seditions began vpon a small occasion Couetousnes cause of the death of the nobilitie in Switzerland 1. Sam. 8. 5. Ambition the second cause of seditions Honor the only reward of vertue Onely vertue ought to open the gates of honour Iniurie the third cause of sedition Why Cvrus reuolted from his grandfather Astyages Coriolanus Childeric slaine by Bodilus Iustine 3. Feare the fourth cause of seditions Catiline What maner of men are afraid of peace Feare was one cause that mooued Caesar to seek the empire Excesse in authoritie power is the fist cause of seditieÌ„s What the Ostracisme among the Athenians was Many kings ouerthrowen by suffring their seruants grow too great Contempt is the sixt cause of seditions Who are most subiect to contempt Contempt brecdeth disobedience Causes that mooue subiects to contemue their Princes A rule of Estate Lewes the 11. fought withall by his Nobles bicause he contemned them Ouer-great inequalitie betweene Estates in a Common-wealth is the sâ—uenth cause of seditions Equalitie the mother of peace Impunitie of offences the eight cause of seditions The meaning of this precept Be not suretie for another 1. King 20. 42. Other causes-of sedition Shame is sometime cause of alteration of Estates Negligence a cause of chang Two sorts of negligence Bishops neglecting their charg to deale in worldly affaires bring themselues into contempt An Estate is not changed all at one time but by little and little Dissimilitude a cause of chang Examples of strangers that haue expelled naturall Citizens out of their townes The Inhabitants of Geneua conspired against strangers in their citie Caluine hazarded his life to appease a tumult in Geneua Exod. 1. 16. Diuers kinds of dissimilitudes in Common-wealths Whether diuersitie of religion be a cause of ciuill warre Diuersitie of opinion among subiects dangerous in an Estate Thomas Emperour of Constantinople slaine for pulling downe of Images The causes that brcede the change of all Common-wealths Why Wisedom is giuen of God Wisd 6. 21. The praise of wisedome Contrary causes bring foorth contrary effects Prou. 27. 20. Choice customs of seuen flourishing Estates Discontentment is the spring of all vices The effects of couetousnes The contented mind of Magistrats is the first meane to preserue an Estate Exod. 18. 21. Why Tiberius would not change his Lieutenants A notable custome vsed by Seuerus in making vnder-gouernors The second meane to preserue an Estate The third meane Of whome a Prince holdeth his soueraigntie Subiects compared to a set of counters The fourth meane Magistrats must be punished aswelt as the Common people Aristotle misliked perpetuall Magistrates Generall Commissioners requisite in a Monarchy The sift meane Delay in punishing the wicked is dangerous The sixt meane Geometricall proportion ought to be obseâ—ued in Common-wealths Vpon what men publike charges are to be bestowed Two sorts of equalitie The seuenâ—h meane The eight The beginning of euils must be staied The â—inth The tenth The eleuenth The twelfth Contentious persons must be remooued from the Court. Princes must
labour by all meanes to end the contentions of their subiects They must not be parties in their subiects quarrels The thirteenth The fourteenth Fiue necessary things for the preseruation of euery common-wealth All liuing creatures loue the place of their birth It is the dutie of euery subiect to defend his countrey The nobilitie is the ornament of a Common-wealth Of the law prosapia To whom the defence of a countrey chiefly belongeth What order is The end of order What gouernment is Ignorance is no sufficient excuse for a magistrate What prudence is What a christian empire is We must spare no cost to help the common-wealth Ephe. 4. 5. 6. All things stand by proportion Six sundry callings of men necessary in euery good common-wealth No nation but adoreth some diuinitie The sacrifices of Christians Three sorts of sacrifices Of priests and pastors Wherein the office of true pastors consisteth Esa 56. 10. 11. Against dumbe dogs and couetous sheep-heards Tit. 1. 7. 8. 9. The qualities of a good pastor 1. Pet. 5. 2. 3. Vices to be auoided in a pastor The dutie of a good magistrate consisteth in foure things Iustice distributed into 7. parts Of armes and of the necessitie of them What nobilitie is Three kinds of nobilitie Which is right nobilitie Macrines letter to the Senate of Rome touching nobilitie Malach. 2. 10. When nobilitie of birth is to be esteemed Of riches and burgeises Riches are the sinewes of war They are necessary in a Common-wealth The exceeding riches that Dauid left to Salomon The number of workmen about Salomons temple Augustus maintained yeerely 44. legions of souldiors The limites of the Romane Empire in the time of Augustus Of Artes and Artificers What an Arte or occupatiō is Arte is an imitation of nature Three things necessary for the life of man The vse of Aliments The vse of houses The vse of garments The dutie of all artificers Artificers of one Science ought not to dwell all togither Of Aliments labourers The prayse of husbandry The antiquitie therof Men haue been always more inclined to husbandry than to any other vocation Princes haue forsaken their diademes to fall to husbandry Cyrus Dioclesian Profit and pleasure are ioyned togither in husbandry The countrey fitter for students than the citie The dutie of husband men Three things necessary for them Euery common-wealth must be always prouided against all euents both of peace warre Rom. 12. 18. Col. 3. 15. Leuit. 26. 3. 6. 14. 15. 25. Lycurgus referred all his lawes to warre appointing the Ilotes onely to deale with occupations Numa referred all his lawes to peace The keeping of Ianus Temple shut was a signe of peace among the Romanes The discommodities of a long peace Excellent comparisons betweene the composition of the world and of euery happy Common-wealth How the vertues are knit togither and depend one of another Peace is to be preferred before warre The effects of peace The effects of warre What kingdom is happie Warre maketh men cruell and peace gentle Archidamus letter to the Elians Cato misliked Caesar for breaking of peace Wherefore and when we must begin warre Phocion disswaded the Athenians from warre The fruits of vniust warre When a warre is lawfull Traian neuer vndertooke vniust warre Antigonus testimonie of the iniustice of warre Caesar Famine and the plague follow warre Malcontents are glad of war Causes why the exercise of arms must alwaies continue Augustus kept 40. legions in continuall exercise of warlike discipline Constantine the Great Good considerations for a Prince It is not the weapon that maketh a warriour From whence valure proceedeth Three things necessarily required in men of warre Good will commeth from good institution Reuerence from the wisedome and experience of Captaines Obedience is wrought in them by the diligence of the Heads The vertue of the Captaines is much in war The ancient order of the Romane armie The Romanes diuided their armie into three parts The benefite of this Romane order The wisedome of the Switzers fighting on the Frenchmens side Frenchmen loosing the first encounter loose also the victorie Some armies are furious and yet keepe good order Good order in armies is neuer without hope of victorie In the French armies is furie without order The ancient warlike discipline of the Romanes What manner of campe the ancient Romanes had Of the ancient obedience of souldiors to their captains Of the execution that was shewed vpon souldiors that offended The tithing of armies was most seuere How Captaines were punished if they offended Aurelius letter to a Tribune touching warlike discipline The corruption of warlike discipline in these dayes Aurelius punished adulterie and theft committed by his souldiors with death True payment of souldiors redresseth many disorders amongst them The vnrulines of the Pretorian souldiors The Sicilian Euensong Bellizarius The mild wane of Piemont The crueltie of these late French warres Time and occasion are diligently to be waighed in all matters The good or ill successe of an army dependeth of the captaine A captaine must not offend twise in warre Prudence gotten by vse must be hastened forward by knowledge No man ought to be generall before he haue obtained the renowne of a valiant man Cimon preferred an army of Harts before an army of Lions What captains are woorthiest of their charge Coruinus Oration to his souldiors Captains vsed in old time to make Orations to their souldiors Captains ought to make much of their souldiors The benefit of making Oratiōs to souldiors A good captain must be alwayes furnished with munitions and victuals Cyrus Oration to his captains A good captain must neuer suffer his army to be idle Warre ought to be speedily ended A good captain must not be ouer venturous A General must not rashly hazard himselfe When he ought to venture himselfe Antoninus preferred the life of one citizen before the death of a thousand enimies Scipio would haue all wayes tried before the sword were vsed in warre When Augustus would haue battell giuen Narses always wept the night before he gaue battell Two faults to be eschewed of euery captain A good General must alwayes seare the worst I had not thought it a dangerous speech in a captaine A good captain must haue skill to discerne the situation of places The benefit of Geometry in a General Philopaemenus in time of peace studied the discipline of war Cyrus resembleth his going to warre to hunting Hunting is an image of warre P. Decius C. Marius neuer gaue his enimies occasion to force him to fight The captains of an armie must be very secret I. Caesar very secret in tyme of warre L. Metellus Affaires of war must be debated by many but concluded by few Vrgent occasions in warre require short deliberation Cato a notable paterne for all captains to folow Pompey How Cato diuided the spoiles One godly man in a campe is in place of many Souldiors ought to begin their war with prayer and end with praise thanks-giuing Why a