onely but impossible may be done or made by power Omnipotent Or may wee say that impossibilitie is eyther something or at least as some have taught a degree or part of non esse or of nothing But how can that which is not have any degrees or parts Or admit we might conceive things impossible or impossibilities to be degrees or parts of nothing yet so conceived wee must needs conceive them to have the same negative conditions or properties which are attributed to non esse to simple not being or to nothing that is they might be such objects of infinite power as non esse or not being is Yet he that made all things that are of nothing and can resolve them into nothing againe doth never attempt or profer to resolve them into impossibilities nor did hee make any thing of impossibles Whether then impossibilitie or impossibles be something or nothing how is it possible they should so resist the power Omnipotent which can doe all things as that nothing can be made of them Lastly if impossibilities can be no objects of Gods power then things possible or possibilities must be the onely object of it and so we shall fall into the former circle that God can doe those things onely that are possible and those things onely are possible which God can doe 4 Here the Schooles acutely distinguish betweene possibilitie relative and absolute Possibilitie relative being the first draught or capacitie of all being or perfection limited must needs be founded upon Omnipotencie nothing is relatively possible but by reference to or by denomination from this Almighty power Absolute possibilitie they conceive ad modum objecti as it were an object that doth terminate Omnipotent power not positively as colours do sight but privatively as darknesse doth sight or as an empty sphere without which Omnipotencie it selfe doth never worke This absolute possibilitie or possibilitie meerly Logicall which is presupposed to relative possibilitie as light or colour is to visibilitie cannot otherwise be notified or expressed than by this negative of not implying contradiction But here the former difficultie concerning impossibilities meets with us in another shape For it will be againe demanded whether contradiction be any thing or nothing or how it should come to oppose Gods Almightie power more then eyther non esse simple not being or all things that are possibly can doe Can it bee lesse then nothing That is impossible rather it is if not so much more yet so much worse then nothing as that it cannot possibly beare the true forme or character of any thing and for this reason can be no object of power Omnipotent Vnder that notion which wee have of Omnipotencie or infinite Beeing Truth it selfe and Vnitie it selfe or Identitie are as essentially included as Entitie or Being it selfe It is no impotency in God but rather the prerogative of his Omnipotencie that he cannot weaken his power by division nor admit any mixture of imbecilitie that he cannot deny or contradict himselfe In that hee is infinitely true or infinite Truth it selfe the ratification or approbation of contradictions is more incompatible with his nature or Essence than falshood is with truth than weaknesse with power than malice with goodnes There is no falshood unlesse it include some degrees or seeds of contradiction as all Truth is the offspring of unitie or Identitie In conclusion as all things which are or possibly may be can be no more then participations of his Beeing who is Beeing it selfe so they must by an eternall Law whensoever they begin to be beare a true though an imperfect resemblance of his unitie of his Identitie of his veracitie as well as of his power which is omnipotently true omnipotently just 5 In answer to the last difficultie proposed it must be said that impossibilitie is neyther any positive Entitie nor is it any part or branch of non esse or of nothing For in respect of him who is All more then all things there can be no absolute non esse Hee calleth things that are not as if they were that is hee can by his sole wrod make all things which yet are not which yet have not beene to have true being Hee can make any thing of nothing That then which we call impossibilitie must not be derived from non esse nor from falshood which is finally resolved into contradiction So that the rule of contradiction is the Test by which impossibilities as well as falshood must be discovered and it is more to bee impossible then to bee false From what fountaine then doth impossibilitie spring From absolute and Omnipotent power or from the infinitie of the Divine nature But seeing in him all power and being is contained seeing the very possibilitie of limited being takes its beginning from him the possibilitie of weakening his power the possibilitie of contradicting or opposing himselfe must by the eternall Law be excluded from the object of Omnipotencie As we say two negatives make an affirmative so to be unable to dis-enable it selfe is no imperfection no impotencie but the greatest perfection the highest degree of power wherof any nature is capable because the impossibilitie of dis-enabling or weakning himselfe is a positive branch of the prerogative of Omnipotencie 2. It is not so true an argument of power in men to be illimited by law or to be able to doe what they list as to bee willing to doe nothing but that which is lawfull and just unlesse mans will be a law to his power and goodnesse a law unto his will how absolute and illimited soever his power may bee in respect of other men or of any coactive law which they can make to restraine it it may quickly come to make an end of it selfe And the end or cessation of power absolute is the worst kind of limit that can be set unto it The power of the Persian kings was sometimes so absolute and so illimited that Cambyses having no possitive law to curbe his will fell in love with his owne sister And yet so naturall is the notion of mans subjection unto some law even unto men of corrupt mindes that this lawlesse King consulted his Iudges whether his desire to enjoy the love of his sister might be countenanced by law The effect of these Sages answer was that they knew no law in speciall which might warrant the brother to marry the sister but they had found a transcendent law by which the Kings of Persia might doe what they list By the like prerogative of this transcendent law another King upon her request did delegate his absolute power unto his Queene for a day And she by delegation of this power having libertie to doe what she list did use it to the destruction of him that gave it her for shee cut off his head before she surrendred it It is then a branch of the Almighties prerogative that his omnipotent power cannot for a moment be delegated or bequeathed to any other
made upon like accidents in generall That law or rule of equity saith he which wretched men in effect deny whilest they doe wrong to others the sâ—mâ— law the samâ— men desire might be in force whilst they suffer wrong or harms by â—t heâ—s For example he thâ—◠〈◊〉 wrong doth wish what the Fâ—â—le saith in his heart there were no God for so he might hope to escape that vengeance which whilest he thinks of a God or justice divine hangs over his head uncessantly threatning to fall upon him But hee that suffers wrong is willing to beleeve there is a God and heartily wisheth it so to be that by his assistance he may bee supported against the evills which he suffers It is for this reason saith this Philosopher expedient that such as grieve and afflict others should have experience of the like affliction to the end that being taught by their owne losse or grievance they might learne that truth which being blinded by avarice or other unruly desire they could not see before And this truth or good lesson they may easily learne so they will undergoe the mulct or punishment due to their offence with submission or patience 6 Albeit the Cardinall had beene a flat Atheist before or one at least that had not God in his thoughts whilest he sought to please the rigorous humour of this King with an invention so displeasing unto others yet after experience had taught him how exactly that misery had befalne himselfe which by his furtherance had befalne many or was likely to befall them hee did no question often wiâ—h in his heart that the rule of retaliation wherwith he was visited might be constant and unpartiall that King Lewis himselfe might not bee exempted from its visitation Now unto what rule or law could so great a King bee subject besides that one everliving rule or eternall Law it selfe He that heartily wisheth Iustice might bee done on such as have full power and authority to doe it but will not doe it doth implicitely yet necessarily acknowledge a Law or Iudge supreame Iustice it selfe so is God And he that seriously desires mitigation of that paine or misery which by the irresistible force of humane authority is inflicted on him doth acknowledge a mercy more soveraigne than any earthly power and this can be no other than God who is mercy it selfe Many may cast the feare of God out of their thoughts but none all notions of divine Iustice out of their hearts These notions or apprehensions of an everliving rule of equity mercy and justice are so deeply rooted in the consciences of all and are themselves of such an immortall nature as they can never be so utterly extinguished in any but that affliction will inspire them with fresh life and motion and make them breathe out supplications to the supreme Iudge either for mercy towards themselves or for justice upon other 7 The particular evills which Lewis by Divine Iustice in this life suffred haply had never come to the exact notice of posterity unlesse Cominaeus his wits had beene set on worke to observe them by his experience or foresufferance of the like evills from Lewis or by his procurement Besides this Authors imprisonment eight months in the iron Cage another evill there was wherein no ancient servant or follower of this King but had a large portion For he had either a naturall inclination or a disposition acquired by custome to hold them whom he did not formally sentence to any set punishment in a perpetuall feare or anxiety of minde Now the consciousnesse of this his disposition and customary practice in his best and able dayes did as it were binde him over to indure the like torments in his feeble and declining yeares Metus pessimus Tyrannus To live in perpetuall feare is to live under the most cruell Tyranny that can bee And unto this Tyranny greatest Tyrants are more subject and more obnoxious than their inferiours can be to them For though it be possible for one man to keepe many thousands in perpetuall awe and feare yet is it not so much for every man of so many in his owne particular to feare one man how greatly soever as it is for one man how great soever to stand in feare but of halfe so many Yet can no man be so great or so well guarded as not to have often and just occasion to feare some harme or other from everie one whom he hath made to feare him more than is fitting Whence he that seekes to sowe the seedes of feare in the hearts of others doth but thereby as it were consecrate his owne heart or brest to be the receptacle or store-house of the multiplied increase or crop For even in this case that saying is most true As every one sowes so shall he reape What other issue could be expected from Lewis his rigid practise upon others and his owne native timorous and ignoble disposition than such tormenting jealousies and perplexities as Cominaeus tells us in his old age did seize upon him and enforce him to feare the vertue and worth of his dearest friends not daring to trust sonne or daughter or sonne in law Now it is more than a Purgatorie even an Hell upon earth for a man which can take no joy in himselfe to deprive himselfe of all comfort from his dearest friends and them of all comfort from him So uncomfortable was the Duke of Bourbon his Sonne in Lawes companie to Lewis and Lewis his company unto him that when he came to visit him in peace and out of loyall respect and duty he caused a slye search to be made of him and of another Earle his companion whether they did not beare offensive weapons under their garments thus polluting the nuptiall joyes of his late maried sonne and heyre with sordid jealousies of his sonne in Law CHAP. 33. How the former law of retaliation hath been executed upon Princes according to Arithmeticall proportion or according to the rule of commutative justice 1 BVt however Lewis of France were punished according to the rule of Retaliation or counterpassion yet in the manner of retribution the righteous Lord did observe a kinde of Geometricall proportion The affliction or visitation it selfe was the just award of punitive Iustice yet the form of proceeding bears the character of humane distributive Iustice which hath usually some respect to the dignity of the persons awarded So humane Laws which punish capital crimes with death are dispensed with by the favour of the Prince for the manner of death That is not so ignominious or dishonorable in the execution upoÌ„ Nobles as upoÌ„ inferiors involved in the same capitall crime or treason no not albeit the Nobles be principalls and inferiours but accessories or assistants But this favourable kind of punishment for the externall forme God doth not alwaies use towards Princes If many times he may seeme to beare respect or favour unto their place or persons this ariseth not
then the Leopards are more fierce then the evening Wolves and their horsemen shall come from far they shall flye as the Eagle that hasteth to eate They shall come all for violence their faces shall sup up as the East winde and they shall gather the captivity as the sand And they shall scoffe at the Kings and the Princes shall bee a scorne unto them they shall deride every strong hold for they shall heape dust and take it The true and finall reason as well of the Assyrians as the Chaldeans sudden greatnesse and successe in battaile was the accomplishment of Gods consequent will upon Israel and other neighbour Countries growne by speedy increase of their iniquitie slaughter-ripe Howbeit the power it selfe or successe of these two Monarchies was a sure pledge of Gods antecedent will for their owne greater good so they had gratefully acknowledged his goodnes in making them so great But when these Battaile-Axes began to lift up themselves against him which hewed the Nations with them he abated their edge and softned their temper Of Nebuchadnezzar whose excessive pride had made him prouder then the rest that Oracle was verified in an exquisite sense Man being in honour had no understanding but became like the beast that perisheth And that other remnant of the last forecited prophecie was literally fulfilled in him of whom it was meant Then shall his minde change and he shall passe over and offend imputing this his power unto his God Habak 1. v. 11. And Balshashar his sonne not taking warning by his humiliation nor by the hand writing upon the wall was surprized with sudden destruction either the selfe same night wherein the hand was seene writing or which is more probable the same night of some yeare following He had filled the measure of his fathers sinnes as full with iniquity as the boules wherein he caroused were with wine and that being full to drinke the cup of Gods wrath was to him at that time necessary 2 Now according to the Chaldeans growth in former iniquity the prosperity of the Medes and Persians did daily increase and their successe in warre become every day more assured than formerly it had beene and at length in such a sense as hath beene observed altogether fatall The frugality of their private life and publique discipline specially in warre were qualifications without which perhaps the Lord would not so highly have advanced them or used them as his instruments in this service But even these and all other morall vertues unto which the Politician ascribes their good successe were proper effects of Gods consequent will now absolutely set to plague the Chaldeans and of his antecedent will for Israels redemption sure tokens withall of his love unto these Conquerors The Historicall syncerity of Xenophons intentions or literall truth of his ingenuous relations have not beene so much disparaged by any other pretences what soever if by any other at all as by the heroicall sweet exemplary disposition of his admired Cyrus by his dexterity in consultations and the extraordinary speedy successe of what hee put in execution Whatsoever Xenophon hath said concerning his successe it doth not so farre exceed the unsuspected stories of Alexanders swift growth in fame and greatnesse as that did the greatest increase or excesse which any one Generall though much longer live'd than Alexander was or which any one age did ever bring into the Romane State The best spirits which Rome had bred whilest they lookt on Alexanders picture and the Map of his conquest were ashamed of their owne dulnesse and slow progresse of their victories The Parthian though not so masculine and valorous as in Alexanders time he had beene was able in Pompeys judgement to have given Caesar the check after his Pharsalian victory And in this perswasion Pompey had sought 〈◊〉 from him had not Caâ—â—es indignation at the motion deterred him Si servère potes miserum quid decipis urbem 3 The ods of antiquity betweene Cyrus Alexander Caesar and Pompey and other circumstances of severall times being rightly allowed according to the rate of former discussions to this purpose will make the credit of Xenophon in his institution of Cyrus of Arianus and Quintus Curtius in their Histories of Alexander and of the best Romane Writers from Livie downewards to any unpartiall Examiner much what eaven Or what if Cyrus as he is set forth by Xenophon did in his infancie youth or maturity all odds and allowances of antiquity rightly made farre excell Alexander Pompey Caesar or any other whosoever that lived after him as well in dexterity of wit as in exemplary disposition of life military or civill all this may without any just suspition of Poeticall fiction without the least transgression of a faithfull Historians bounds bee referred unto a more intimate more placid and more loving touch of that Spirit wherewith all that much excelled others in any age have beene in some measure or other inspired and incited to those exploits which have beene performed by them I cannot blame the latter Romane Heathen for mistrusting Xenophons relations in the forementioned booke but surely that Christian which will not acknowledge some extraordinary fruits of Gods peculiar calling of his professed fatherly institution instruction and protection of Cyrus shall much forget himselfe Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden to subdue Nations before him and I will loose the loynes of Kings to open before him the two leaved gates and the gates shall not be shut I will goe before thee and make the crooked places straight I will breake in pieces the gates of brasse and cut in sunder the barres of iron And I will give thee the treasures of darknesse and hidden riches of secret places that thou maist know that I the Lord which call thee by thy name am the God of Israel For Iacob my servants sake and Israel mine elect I have even called thee by thy name I have surnamed thee though thou hast not knowne me I am the Lord and there is none else there is no God besides me I girded thee though thou hast not knowne me That they may know from the rising of the Sunne and from the West that there is none besides me I am the Lord and there is none else Isai 45. ver 1. usque ad 7. The Spirit of God so farre as my remembrance or observation serves mee doth not elsewhere vouchsafe to grace any Heathen Prince with such honourable titles or affable speeches as these here mentioned are Of Gods owne people but few were called by their names before these were imposed by men This is the prerogative of such as were types of the true Emanuel The very characters which the Heathen have made of Cyrus his amiable cariage towards men his devotion and vigilant care to testifie his thankfulnesse towards the Gods for his good speed are evident tokens of this his speciall calling to
Helmet off his head and for anger and indignation threw it with violence against the ground Had Egmond followed his advantage and presently overcome his enemies this might have beene attributed to Scipioes valour in him Or if Charles himselfe had continually sought to drive away danger by delay he might have beene reputed another Fabius But this â—â—mper changed with the time Versâ tabulâ cuâ—â—ebat qui modo stabat stabant qui modo currebant They drew back which formerly could hardly be recalled from fighting and hee which recalled them drawes them forwards against their wills For comming neere to Mulberg where Iohn Prince Elector of Saxony was taken albeit the Duke of Alva one at that time as notoriously knowne for his resolution as for his cruelty afterwards and the rest of the Counsell of Warre did utterly mislike his intended passage over the River of Eâ—ve that day as an attempt too adventrous and desperate which might yeeld great advantage to his enemy no perswasion could move or weaken his resolution but fight he would upon that very day upon what termes soever And it afterwards appeared that unlesse he had put this his unseasonable desire of battaile as to them it seemed in present execution he might long have waited before he had laid hold on the like opportunitie againe For some few houres start might either have secured the Duke of Saxony from a necessity of battaile or assured him of victory if hee had beene enforced to fight The next morning after his overthrow the Emperour met with new supplies which had received the Duke in a well-fenced place whereas it was Caesars good fortune to take the Duke the day before beyond all expectation in such a place as he could not fight upon equall termes nor make from him but by a disgracefull flight 8 Alva out of his experience and skill might foresee much hazard and danger in his Masters adventrous resolution to passe over an unknowne River in such haste and his Master out of some humour or restlesse instinct might be pusht forwards to fight that day without apprehension of any just reason why but who besides him alone which appointeth the occurrences and opportunities of time could foresee or forecast that the Duke of Alva being sent on a sudden to seek a guide should forthwith light on a Man from whom some of the Duke of Saxonies followers a few dayes before had taken two Colts and made him ready and willing in hope of revenge or recovery of his loss to discover an unknowne passage of that uncouth River They had reason to enstyle him as they did Dux via for he stood the Emperour in more stead than any ten Captaines in his Army he being resolved to try the fortune of Battaile that day Thus the Lord of Hoasts as skilfull as mighty in battaile can turne and winde the whole fabrick of Warre with the least finger of his hand and overthrow or establish the cunningest projects of greatest Princes and their Counsels of Watre by the experience and information of a silly Countrey Swaine Captaines may consult but he determines they throw the Dice he appoints the chance they may set their men as it pleaseth them but he in the issue will play the game as it pleaseth Him When we see great Statesmen or subtile Politicians more grossely infatuated in some particulars of greatest consequence then ordinary men usually are this is a sure token that the wisdome which they formerly used was not their owne but when we see them wittingly cunning to worke their owne overthrow this is an argument that there is one wiser then they which sometimes gives wisedome sometimes onely lends it so as he will require satisfaction for the mis-imployment of it And it is not so great a wonder to see a wise man infatuated or utterly deprived of wisedome as to see his wit and skill continually imployed in weaving a net to insnare himselfe in and such as rely upon his projects and power 9 Hitherto Charles the fift had the fortune of good Dice and played the fore-game exceeding well But seeing Religion lay at the stake God instructs others to play the after-game a great deale better against him albeit he had two great Counsellors the one for matters of State the other for Warre to wit the Duke of Alva and Granvel the Chancellor as by-standers to helpe him The sum of their advice was to account severity the best fruits of victory and to keepe them under by strong hand whom hee had conquered and to bring them in by cunning which had yet some opportunity to stand out against him His first oversight was in committing the ever-renowned Duke of Saxony to the custody of a Spaniard to Alfonsus Vives brother to the famous Ludovicus This bred great alienation of affection and discontent in some Nobles of Germany of whose fidelitie and good service in this Warre he had proofe sufficient But more mightily overseene he was in the cunning draught of those Articles upon which the Landgrave of Hessen did yeeld himselfe not as a Prisoner but as a reconciled friend or Subject as he presumed The Emperour and his Counsell had wit enough to take this man prisoner but not to foresee the blot which would hereupon follow not to the stayning onely of the Emperours honour but to the hazard of the maine game and utter losse of his late Conquest They did not consider that Maurice of Saxonie sonne in Law to the Landgrave was as subtill as valorous and being as ambitious as subtill would meditate as full a requitall of this reall disgrace and delusion he being interested in the reconcilement as hee had done of a friendly but sharpe check given by his Vncle and Guardian the now captive Duke of Saxonie for being too prodigall of his patrimony in his nonage But Maurice his disposition and abilities were happily unknowne unto the Emperour and it was not usuall for a forward young Captaine not above twentie six yeares of age to be of as deepe a reach in matters of State as his gray headed and most experienced Counsellors The more patient hee was for the present the more deeply hee layed his plot the more vigilant hee was to entertaine all opportunities which should be offered for the redemption of his Father in Law and the libertie of his Countrie The making of Maurice Prince Elector in his captive Vncles stead did adde much to his power the Spanyards securitie and insolency expressed in their printed bookes of the conquest in Germanie as of some meaner province or appendix to their affected Monarchie did much exasperate the Germane Princes especially all but of Brandeburgh hitherto a faithfull adherent unto Charles the fift and a trusty friend and companion unto Maurice to whom he was now more neerely liâ—kt by the sure tye of common discontent The first opportunitie which Maurice had for effecting his long concealed plot was the manifestation of Charles his purpose for reducing the
or consulting but onely of power to appoint successe unto its owne projects or devises Thus much to my apprehension is included in the wise Kings Maxime Many devises are in the heart of man but the counsell of the Lord that shall stand This freedome or liberty of mans wil in devising or projecting and the want of all liberty or power to allot successe unto his projects doth more truly argue that which the Latines call servum arbitrium that is mans servitude so misery and sinne than if he had no more liberty in the one case than in the other The more ample the spheare of his liberty in projecting or devising is or by divine permission may be the more admirable doth the Counsell of the Lord appeare in directing and ordering his free courses most infallibly unto such ends as hee appoints by meanes for their kinde ordinary and naturall And if we would diligently consider the works of God in our dayes they are as apt to establish true beleefe unto the rules of Christianity set downe in Scripture as were the Miracles of former ages wherein Gods extraordinary power was most seene yea the ordinary events of our times are more apt for this purpose in this age than use of miracles could be For the manifestations of Gods most extraordinary power cease by very frequencie to be miraculous and men such is the curiosity of corrupted nature would suspect that such events were they frequent or continuall did proceed from some alteration in the course of nature rather than from any voluntary exercise of extraordinary power in the God of nature But the continuance of these ordinary events which the all-seeing wisedome of our God daily and hourely brings to passe is most apt to confirme the faith of such as rightly consider them For by their successive variety the amplitude of his unsearchable wisdome is daily more and more discovered and by their frequency the hidden fountaine of his Counsell whence this multiplicity flowes appeares more clearly to be inexhaustible Only the right observation or live-apprehension of these his works of wisedome is not so easie and obvious unto such as minde earthly things as his workes of extraordinary power are For such works amate the sense and make entrance into the soule as it were by force whereas the effects of his Wisedome or Counsell make no impression upon the sense but upon the understanding only nor upon it save onely in quiet and deliberate thoughts For this reason true faith was first to be planted and ingrafted in the Church by Miracles but to be nourished and strengthned in succeeding ages by contemplation of his providence The limits of this present contemplation shall be by example or instance to shew in what manner the wisedome of God doth sometimes defeat the cunningest contrivances or deepest plots of Politicians and sometimes accomplish matters of greatest consequence by meanes or occurrences light and slender in the esteeme of men But how weake or slender soever they bee for their particular nature or in themselves yet the combination or contexture of them must needs be strong because it is woven by the finger of God 2 What plot could have been invented against any land or people more deadly then that of Hamans against the people of God storied Ester 3. 8 9. His information against them was bitter and easie to finde entrance into an absolute Monarchs eares whose words must be a Law to all especially to his captivate and conquered subjects And the Iewes on the other side more likely to change their lives than the lawes of their God for any Princes pleasure What hope in humane sight for Mordecai to finde any favour when as He was to execute this bloody Law whose particular spleene and revengefull mind against Mordecai had for his sake procured it in most absolute forme against the whole Iewish Nation You will say that Ester lately received to greatest favour with the King and now made consort of his bed might prevaile much And for a barbarous King to shew mercy at his Queenes entreaty unto such as had done him so good service as Mordecai had done Assuerus is but an ordinary thing I confesse as much that many occurrences which seem to conspire for Mordecai and his peoples deliverance are not extraordinary For a King in his cups to take a displeasure at his former Queene that would not consent unto his folly or for his displeasure unto the divorced to shew greater love unto his late espoused Queene is a matter neither strange nor unusuall but that Queene Vashti should bee displaced and Ester unknowne to bee of the captive Hebrewes kinde admitted to be Assuerus his mate just at that time when Haman the Iewes sworne enemy was exalted next to the King and Queene in dignity this can only be ascribed to him who as the wise sonne of Syrach speakes hath made all things double one against another Ecclus 42. v. 24. Againe that the King the very night before hee came to the banquet which Ester had prepared should take no rest this was the Keeper of Israels vigilant care over his people who neither slumbers nor sleepes whilest his enemies are a plotting mischiefe against them Againe that the King taking no rest should seeke to solace his restlesse thoughts by reading the Chronicles that reading them hee should light on that place wherein the now distressed Mordecaies faithfull service in bewraying the treason intended against his person by Bigtan and Teresh his Eunuches was registred All this doubtlesse was only from his wisedome that hath the disposition of al the lots much more of all the plots which man can cast Many other occurrences might here be considered no one of which considered apart from the rest but is ordinary and usuall and yet the entire frame or composture of them such as cannot bee referred to any but his workmanship who hath created all things in number waight and measure Yet a Politician that should have read this story in the Persian Chronicles could at the first sight have discovered a great oversight in Haman in not putting sooner in execution this his absolute commission Semper nocuit differre paratis Perhaps this conditionall proposition may bee true that if he had executed his Commission with speed the Iewes had fared worse but for this cause the Lord did not suffer him to entertaine this resolution Yet let us see whether haste in execution could accomplish the like designes against a State in like case 3 Fliscus that nobly descended and potent Genoesi with his familiar Verina had enacted as cruell a Law against the Dorian Family and the other Nobility of Genoa which they had resolved to have writen first with characters of blood upon their pretended enemies brests after their death to have condemned them by proclamation when as Fliscus through popularity should have got the Diadem Their plot for effecting their enemies death and their owne advancement was layed as exactly