wil not sticke to supplant him whome he ought most to regarde The countrieman is neuer quiet vntill hee haue the marchants money and the marchant commonly maketh his match so as he will not loose by the bargaine But whosoeuer obserueth what others protestations vntruths deceits cunnings crafts and collusions are vsed amongst all sorts shall well find that Reason hath not her right gouernement If anie man looke but into the Comoedy that treateth of the Humors of men and the booke of Cony-catching he shall see those errors very liuely and at full discouered Now as the beginning of gouernment is at a priuate man so the first that followeth is the gouernement of a priuate family in which the maister of the house hath authority to impose domesticall Lawes The next is betweene the Lord and Tenants ouer whome the Lord hath authoritie to appoynt ordinaunces and to receiue an othe of fidelitie Then followeth the gouernement of Tithings of Towneships of Citties of Counties so concludingly of the whole state whereof to dilate would be ouer tedious The collegiate and ecclesiasticall gouernements and al priuileged places ought to haue repaire to one head At one is the beginning of obedience and at one is both the beginning and end of gouernement And whatsoeuer is meane betweene those buttols or boundes is the publique state which by reasons rule and law are to be ordered and disposed like as the stuffe and seuerall matters that goe to the building of an house which as they are to be at the direction of the principall woorkeman yet are they not to be lost nor spoiled so is it in the case of gouernment for the ordering of causes and suppressing of disorder in a publique consideration without confusion of any In which publike state many ancient laudable and godly Lawes haue beene made which of themselues are in the common-wealth as the soule is in the body of a man when hee either sleepeth or waketh The life of the law is the minister and officer thereof who should distribute the same to the indifferent and equall good of all It is as the line or plumbe rule whereby the workeman guideth his building vpright Gentle Reader consider with thy selfe which part of this building thou art wherof this maine state consistes and reason with thy selfe if thou bee contented or discontented with thine estate and the cause that mooneth thee thereunto and likewise consider whether that cause be reasonable or not if thou finde no suppresse it set the queene of thy passions and affections to iudge thereof and reforme thine errour which if euery man in this Land would performe her Maiesties gouernment would farre passe the gouernement of Numa Pompilus or any that euer liued If we enter into consideration of the seuerall kindes of liuing things how the bond of nature dooth make them affect the company and fellowship of creatures of their owne sorte to liue together in assemblies with a kinde of pleasure and contentment The beasts on the earth in the ayre the birds and in the water the fishes wherein they holde themselues strongest and most safe as they are gathered together into greatest companies in a kinde of agreement as their natures are expressed by Aristotle and others of like learning It will enforce men to wonder at their owne intemperate gouernment considering that against one beast or bird that killeth one an other of his owne kinde there are thousands of men murthered and vnnaturally slaine by their compares so that among men reason so litle preuaileth that the very sensuall partes rebell against their owne nature Insomuch that men through their vnreasonable actions committe that which the vnreasonable beasts do eschew to performe Had not Reason neede to impose laws to suppresse these disorders In the priuate body of a man if the gangrina take any member which is like to bring the whole bodie to death destruction will not the head the heart and all the rest of the members consent to the seuering that member from the body to saue the rest So in the state of a common-wealth to preserue the principall and generall parts Reason hath made lawes not to respect any particular that shall grow daungerous to the whole and specially to the head which is the life honor of the rest As the priuate man that hath his legge cut off to saue his body hath no pleasure but paine and griefe in losing the same So the good Magistrate hath no pleasure in the death or punishment of the subiect but is rather grieued that any such member should be so corrupted as he may not be abidden to remaine The law is said to be the blood bond of the commonwealth the spirit therof The law is said to be a singular reason imprinted in nature commāding those things that are to be done and forbidding the contrary by which the men of the first world liued without any written law at all Besides the written law the law of nature is a sence and feeling which euery man hath in himselfe and in his conscience wherby he discerneth betweene good and euill The lawe is as the medicine the minister and distributer therof as the Phisition the offender the patient As in some causes though the Phisition do not giue the potion rightly nor the patient haue a stomake to endure the taking yet is not the fault in the simple medicine but in the giuer and receiuer or one of them The wrong is not in the law if thou bee corrected for thy offence but in thy selfe for thine error Many a man being sicke of an ague sindeth fault with his drinke where in truth the fault is in his taste the like may be said of those that cōplaine of the iniustice of the law whē alas it is a dombe thing of it selfe and intēdeth no harme to any but the wel vsing or abusing thereof is the matter that is to be considered The euill disposed wisheth there were no law that he might vsurpe ouer the good or at least he holdeth the law to be ouer-seuere to punish his fault on the other side the honest minded man findeth that the offences against the law are notfully and speedily reformed To treate of the diuers kindes of lawes of diuers Countries and the seueral vses of them I intend not but to leaue a note to men of ordinary vnderstanding that the gouernment of men vsed by the discipline of lawes is as necessary as the life to preserue the body from putrifaction He that thinketh it an easie or sleight matter to put his hand into medling or dealing with state matters making of new lawes or abrogating the old as if they were to bee put off and on like a garment or fantastically changed as the wild humor of some few affect let them consider what Demosthenes said of the decrees among the Locrians that euery Citizen that was to bring in a new lawe shoulde come and declare it publikely with a halter about his
expectatiō of vaine glory is vaine so is the excessiue charge of building of apparrel of diet prodigalitie and popularity which foloweth the same as vaine consumeth the affected thervnto alluding to this saying Hee that striueth to bee friend to many can hardlie be friend to any Vain hope of riches honor dignitie and things not like to be obtained by the rule of reason hath broght many to distracted wittes and wilful destroying of themselues In the attempting of things something vncertaine examine these two passions by the rule of reason fearefulnesse hardines for as they are two extreams so yet is the meane of them a good temper As cowardly fearefullnes is to be abandoned so is fool-hardines vtterly to be reiected The temper wherof Salomon sheweth where he saith Blessed is the man that alwayes standeth in feare But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Which meane is fully described by Esay in 66. chapter saying whom shall I regard saith the Lord but him that is milde and gentle and standeth in feare of my wordes And God himselfe saide that Moses was a mylde man aboue all that liued accompting mildenesse for the height of vertue And bicause in the ireful appetite heate choler and fury beare a great sway which like the raging fire consumeth without measure Thou hadst neede ride such a colt with a strong mus-roll and musle it as thou woldest a biting mastiffe lest in thy rage they ouercome thy Reason and rebell against their Queene and by treason they bring thy life to confusion Cicero in his fourth booke of his Tusculane questions saith The fountaine of incombrance is intempeperance which draweth and estrangeth vs from true Reason and is so contrary vnto it that it is vnpossible to gouerne and restraine the lusts desires of the heart Selfe-will rash vowes outragious othes intemperate furie and franticke madnesse do commonly follow this wilfull appetite if it be not very moderately tēpered with respectiue consideration Al these passiōs if they be inordinate are the daughters of pride frō whēce commeth whatsoeuer is euill of whom beware take heed as of the Crocadile or the sword of thy malitious enemy If thou wilt be carefull and curious in framing thy timber for the building of a house that euery thing be fitt and proportionable so hast thou need to take as great care in reforming and keeping thy passions and affections subiect within the rule of Reason And for conclusion take this that the performance hereof requireth as much paines dilligence labour as any mecanicall art for of all mischiefes idlenes is the most daungerous which right Reason cannot abide nor endure in hir Court which cherisheth and aduaunceth the labor of the mind which I commend vnto thee aboue all riches Sect. IX Reasons publike gouernment IN euery gouernment and order the beginning is taken from the least vnworthiest partes as Gramer beginneth at letters Geometrie from the point Arithmeticke from the vnitie Musicke from the note and so proceedeth to the better parts He that runneth most swiftly began to creepe then to stand after to pase and so by degrees to the facilitie of his speede So in the cases of gouernmēt of a publicke estate the beginning is at one person singularly by himselfe Which is euery mans case and therfore did I indeuoure to handle that matter first that euery man gouerning himselfe rightly might the more fitly and sufficiently become a member of a well gouerned common-wealth for Reason sheweth that it is well or ill with the publike state as all her partes are particularly gouerned euen from the least to the greatest As the Magistrate is said to be the head and the people the body of the cōmon-wealth So hath Reason added a third matter to giue life vnto this body and to be as it were the soule of this head and body which is the law wherby al the parts therof are kept in order This law ought to allow soueraintie in one and obediēce in al the rest The ministers and officers of the Lawe are her mouth whose wisedome vnderstanding iudgement integritie constancie indifferencie and fidelitie should be as iust equall as the beame that beareth the ballance wherewith Gold is weighed and the standard measure that alloweth to euery one alike As the Soule and mind of man walketh betweene heauen and earth and considereth of thē both So doth the right minister of the law descend into the Soule of the law and walketh betweene the head and the lower parts of the common-wealth and considereth them both giuing to each his euen measure not a dramme to him that ought to haue a gallon nor a bushell to him that ought to haue no more then a pinte but to euery man according to his right I mind not to discourse of the diuersitie of gouernments and what they are and how the vse of them haue bin in other countries as the Aristocracie Democracie Monarchie Oligarchy or Duarchie and diuers other gouernments But pursuing my purpose to discouer to the weake and meaner sort of men their places duties and offices hold my selfe happie that I am a poore subiect and member vnder this most naturall and most auncient gouernment of a Monarchie the head and guide whereof God long continue with great comfort and ioy which would be much the more increased if her subiects the members of this body would according to tru and right Reason do their duties and performe their obedience towardes God their countrie and her sacred Maiestie Many men haue trauelled in other countries to gaine experience of vsages abroad wherein they oftentimes so much delight that they forget their owne true and naturall countries vse others learne languages when striuing to attaine the accent of the french forgot to speake their countries language and so haue no fit speech at all Some men follow others so long that they lose themselues Some are so eagre to search into the faults of others that forgetting themselues they runne into vnrecouerable errors The prodigal man commendeth expense delighting in a vaine praise til he haue wasted all his estate vtterly contemning frugalitie The churle exceedeth as much in misery and despiseth liberalitie The vaine-glorious is rauished with kinde words of the flatterer reiecting true aduise The prowde is insolent and outragious neuer satisfied with reason The kinde-hearted rather than he will sit out of the company of fooles will make a foole of himselfe The Gentlemans son must take no paines it is against his reputation The Scholler oftentimes insteade of proceeding in virtue and honest causes studieth and practiseth mischiefe and falshoode He that hath once waited at his Maisters Table thincketh it a disgrace at anie time after to take the plough in hand And if the poore father hath brought vp his sonne to some place of preferment it is hard if the sonne be not ashamed of his father The friend for the most part is in shew and to serue his owne turne
what things right Reason reacheth BVt right and true reason duely considered is of a farre higher and more excellent qualitie it extendeth it selfe into thinges corruptible and incorruptible and it reacheth into the things past things present thinges to come First let vs looke howe it extendeth it selfe into the solide and massie parte of the earth Reason discouereth both the matter and forme thereof The superficies and the Chaos or Cuball partes it vnderstandeth that in her intrailes are many veines for water to passe concaue places for the ayre mettalls of gold siluer copper yron tinne lead stone and other excellent things Reason hath searched into the refining of things into a perfection which Nature it selfe hath not yet brought to maturity and ripenes Reason hath put a distinction betwene those mettalls either for their worthines or basenes And out of the consideration of the matter and forme thereof by the whole and by their partes Reason taketh knowledge of God their first Creator All which the onely sensitiue parte of beasts or men doe not conceiue nor vnderstand Reason entreth into the consideration of the diuersitie of creatures and their creation What other thing than the reason of man hath found out the virtues operations of trees plants herbes or discouered that some one thing shall haue diuers powers virtues and workings in diuerse partes thereof colde without hote within of one colour in the outside of an other in the substance colde in the leafe hote in the roote and of an other operation in the rhinde Reason informeth to appoynt some hearbes to bee eaten some for Physicke some to be vsed in hote causes others in cold nay more Reason hath searched into the very solide bodies and substance of things as to vnderstand what speciall vertue is in golde siluer copper yron and other mettalles in trees plants and hearbes and to extract and drawe from them their principal and best vertues and to make vse of them for his owne purpose descending as it were into the very nature and condition of Nature it selfe to help the imperfections of Nature in some part And such other rare and excellent things as being truly considered must needes bee adiudged to proceede from a nature of deeper vnderstanding than all the others that are meerely sensitiue Of beasts and birds Reason chuseth some for meate and others for other vses as our common experience doth teach vs. If we consider the workes that are written by prophane men of Geometrie Geographie Arithmeticke Astronomy Astrologie Musicke the liberall Sciences the Mensuration of the earth the Altitude Longitude Crassitude Magnitude Oppositions Coniunctions Aspects Motions Progressions Retrogradations Courses and Spheres of the celestiall bodies of the Zodiake the Climates Horizons Tropiks Poles Zones of the mouing starres and how they finish their courses of the Orbes their spaciousnesse of their conuex partes and their absides of their natures and gouernement they haue ouer mortall creatures of the Composition of Elements who can iudge otherwise than that these things are wrought into men by the excellent part of Reason If in mechanicall Trades we obserue the curious building of houses the mollifying of harde things to bee wrought by fire to make sollide things fusible liquide things hard the forging of yron and other mettalles the curious spinning and exquisite needle-worke the fashioning of things fitte for mens bodies the Arte of Printing and a thousand other things which we see daily in our view And among all the rest these ordinary things the vse of our speach and discoursing our reading and writing and vnderstanding of languages which being properly ours by Reason ought to bee contained within the bounds of Reason As the reasonable soule hath both contemplated and made vse of all these things so hath she repaire euen to the presence of God himselfe and though she be neuer absent from the bodie during life yet is she not so included in the bodie as that shee is not at one selfe same instant in other places wee see by these examples aforesaid that she maketh her passage into things that cannot be touched nor compassed otherwise then by vnderstanding and Reason Obserue it in thy selfe and thou shalt find thou maist send thy minde reason and vnderstanding into the furthest part of the world and call it backe in a moment though thy bodie stirre not If any man be of opinion that his soule and Reason are shut fast in his bodie and that the bodie carrieth the Soule the minde and Reason at his pleasure he is much deceiued for if he looke truly into his owne actions he shal rather find that the soule doth carrie and moue the body from place to place as the mind and Reason liketh For consider the possibilitie of the one and impossibilitie of the other the Soule may liue and moue without the body but the body cannot possibly moue without the soule Therefore as life consisteth in the Soule so do the moouings or stirrings of the body proceed of the power and working of the soule Therfore as the soule is in the bodie and in euery part thereof by all and by the whole so is the bodie conueyed and mooued by the Soule in all and euery part of the body the actiue part of man is the Soule and the passiue part is his body Marke thine owne actions and and thou shalt see and plainely discouer it to be true hast thou a iourney in hand thy vnderstanding mind Reason doth first determine and appoint before thou mooue to vndertake the labour nay when thy body lieth still thy mind and Reason worketh Be thou in prison thy mind is busie abroade and Reason setteth her selfe aworke how to procure the enlargement of that bodie of thine that cannot stirre a foote out of the doore and if thy bodie were as easely conueied as thy minde and Reason thou shouldest not long remaine in durance But they may not depart absolutely from thee leaue thee a liuing creature Thus is it plaine that the Soule the mind and Reason do carry cause the bodies motions and it is not the bodie that carrieth the Soule What caused Pythagoras Plato Aristotle and the Greekes to repaire to the schollers of Tresmegistes the Egiptians to the Caldeans and Hebrues for the learning of Philosophie but Reason and the Motion of the mind for the worthines of that worthie science The like may be said of Archimides Sulpitius Gallus Thales Iupiter Belus Socrates and others concerning Astrologie Whosoeuer shall looke curiously into the admirable works of Arithmeticke and Geometrie and proportions therof done by Pithagoras Eudoxus Euclides Archimedes and Tresmegistes shall be driuen of necessitie to confesse verie rare curious and profitable helpes by them to bee effected and published to the good of the world And who can but wonder at the worke of Archimedes who by those reasons found out what seuerall mettalls were in the Kings Crowne and how much there was of euery mettall without
nailes he shall find diuers passions and perturbations that are voide of Reason A body which we cal the flesh of the earth a vegitatiue part of growing as the plants a sensitiue part of moouing seeing smelling c as the beastes a reasonable part in an immortall soule and all those in so small compasse And diuers learned writers reason that man and the course and motions of his life and being reasemble the very course of the celestiall bodies in studying whereof they haue taken great paynes And Reason it selfe concludeth this point of diuinitie that in mā there is immortality and mortality the one of the soule and the other of the body The one as matter subiect to corruption and wasting and the Soule a substance that neuer shall leaue to haue being and life There is no thing nor nature whatsoeuer that is either knowne or can be conceiued but is either immortal or mortall part of both these is man therefore is he a true patterne of al the rest and so consequently of the whole world If a man would enter into consideration what a wonderfull thing in nature the coniunction and knitting together of the body and soule is seeing the soule which is light to bee within the heauy body that which is of coelestiall fire within that which is earthie and cold inuisible and immortall in palpable and corruptible earth what an admirable creature was man if he knew himself The definition diuision of whose soul body with this short touch I leaue the reader to search further the learned writings of such as haue treated thereof and fearing to be tedious I retire to my former purpose that euery man in his priuate state ought to consider what he was from which he is fallen what he is by corruption whereof is already treated what he would bee and what he shal be which done he shal find that there is non but would be happy But the corrupt will and affections tend to miserie calamity and infelicitie vnlesse there be the greater care and gouernment thereof had Now as wee began in order to take things in their worthines wherby man is placed aboue the rest so in mā that which is most worthy ought to be preferred aboue the rest as his Soule aboue the body And Reason aboue passions and affections Reason the Queene and the rest subiect Take a view of thine owne selfe thy soule thy conscience thy mind thy reason thy body thy sences these affections passions perturbations and imperfectiōs the determinatiō of the heart the speech of the mind and the speech of thy mouth thou shalt be driuen to shift hard for help to excuse thee There is described to be in man a sensuall appetite which the Schoole men diuided into two partes the lustfull appetite and the irefull or wrathfull appetite There are also described to be in these two appetites twelue principall passions whereof six which are loue and hatred longing and loathing gladnesse and sadnesse doe folow the lustful appetite The other sixe that is hope and dispaire fearfulnes and foole-hardines Cholericknes coldnes do follow the irefull part That these are al sensual is plaine in that they finish and end when life leaueth the body Besides the very bruite beasts haue their parts in them as well as men These are the subiects which in euery particular body and gouernement of euery person ought to be kept in obedience vnto reason and not to issue or proceed any further than they can shew their warrant authoritie and commission for Nowe seeing the imperfection of all these things is crept into the corruption of the nature as well of the bodies as soules of men it behooueth euery one therfore to summon a parliament and to assemble all these passions and affections to receiue direction howe to bee disposed in what causes how farre And to receiue reprehension and discipline for their cōtempt or disobediēce For the discouerie whereof obserue this in al the things wherein thou employest thy minde And therein first consider and conclude that by the reasonable soule and life is vnderstoode such a soule and life as hath counsell iudgement and reason which was created to this ende that knowing God her Creator and louing him in regarde thereof she might honor and serue him finally by degrees attaine to immortal life happines which is appoynted for her end and is the marke she should labour to attaine For as nothing in man is more excellent then Reason whereof God hath made thee partaker so is there nothing so well beseeming thy Reason then that thou know loue and honour God as whom nothing is so excellent nor vnto whom nothing may bee compared and without whom thou hadst not obtained neither being life sense nor reason for God is aboue thee God is beneath thee God is without thee God is within thee God is round about thee God is euery where else thou wast no where Nowe when thou sendest thy mind and reason into the bowelles of the earth to search there for things of much virtue as golde and other mettalles weigh by the rule of right reason to what vse thou intendest the employment thereof whether to the glorie of the Giuer or thine owne priuate appetite or desire whether thou esteemest not more a few Flemmish angells than the blood and life of a thousand blessed Saints If thou growe affected to the garment of the earth the grasse of the field and their stately branches consider whether thou putte true difference betweene them and immortallitie and how much lesse thou arte inquisitiue after Eternitie than those corruptible matters Examine thy selfe whether thou be thy monies maister or his vassall If thy liking be carried after the moouing things consider how the delight and pleasure in them ouer-ruleth thy affections and taketh vppe thy minde from contemplating their right vse and the end whereto they were appoynted If in keeping company with those of thine owne kinde there are two Sexes The first betwixt man woman in which is ingendred man and woman And therein consider that Reason shewes thee that God made one woman for one man and but one man for one woman which the more sheweth the excellencie of his creation in that hee made so large a worlde for so small a company That this is a true conclusion not to be violated by Reason the very rule of euen-hoode and right dooth shew For whosoeuer would breake wedlock would not haue the same measure requited to himself neither doth the father like it in the sonne nor the mother in the daughter and rather than confesse it Nature her selfe in respect of her originall purenesse is so ashamed thereof that she will rather commit periurie than acknowledge it which agreeth well with the wordes of Gods owne spirite pronounced by Malachi that God had abundance of spirite which sheweth that he might haue made diuers women for one man or diuerse men for one woman but his