old man quoth he to learne I am goyng said he to Sextus the Philosopher to learne that which I know not Than Lucius lifting vp his hands towards heauen cried out O good God I see an emperour euen gray-headed carying his booke as if he were a child to heare a lecture and to be instructed thereby and yet most kings of the earth will not vouchsafe to looke vpon a booke at eighteene yeeres of age Solon had this sentence commonly in his mouth that he waxed old as he learned The same day and houre that he died being aboue 80. yeeres olde and hearing some of his friends disputing of a certain point of Philosophy he lift vp himself vpon his bed after his maner as wel as he could And being asked why he did so To the end quoth he that when I haue learned that whereof you dispute I might end my dayes so in deed he did For the disputation was no sooner ended but he died Socrates learned musick when he was very olde Terentius Varro and Marcus Portius Cato learned Greek when they were old Iulianus the great lawyer vsed to say whē he was very old that although he had one foot in the graue yet he was desirous to learne Alphonsus king of Arragon when he was 50. yeeres old learned the Latin toong and translated Titus Liuius out of Latine into Spanish The sixt and last age of man is called Old-age which according to Marcus Varro and other authors beginneth at 50. yeeres bicause at this age the naturall power and strength of man beginneth to decline and fade away Isidorus calleth this time Grauitie which he maketh to last vntill 70. yeeres and termeth the ouer-plus of age beyond that old-age But as neither the diuision of ages here set downe nor the termes wherein we haue enclosed them could agree to the ages of our first fathers either in the first or second age wherin they liued commonly as manie yeeres as we do moneths so considering the shortnesse of our days which the Psalmist limiteth within 80. yeeres at the most I think we are to folow the opiniō of Varro who calleth old-age whatsoeuer is aboue 50. yeeres In which age prudence is a very meet necessary ornament which those ancient men might attain vnto through long vse of life through knowledge and through experience Therfore it is their office to succour and helpe the yonger sort their friendes and the common-wealth by their prudence and counsell For this cause Romulus the first founder of the citie of Rome chose an hundred of the eldest in the citie by whose counsell he willed that it should be gouerned And of these old men called in Latin Senes came that word Senatus which is as much to say as an assembly or gathering togither of olde men whom we now call counsailors or Senators And albeit that men now a dayes greatly abuse those charges yet surely they properly belong to olde men to whome it appertaineth to gouerne townes to administer iustice and to be a paterne and example of honestie to the younger sort For then haue they no time to take their ease but as Cicero saith they must encrease the exercises of the soule as they diminish the labours of the bodie Let them remember that saying of the Lacedemonian who being asked why he suffred his beard to grow so long to the end quoth he that by looking vpon my white haire I should be put in mind not to do any act vnbeseeming this hoarie whitenesse In this age that sentence of Plato ought especially to be well thought vpon That yong men die very soone but that olde men cannot liue long To which effect Epaminondas sayd that vntil 30. yeeres it may be thus said to men Ye are welcome for vntill that time they seeme still to be comming into the world From 30. vntill 50. yeeres they must be saluted in this maner Ye are in a good hower bicause they are then to know what the world is And from 50. to the end a man must say vnto them Go in a good hower bicause then they go faire and softly taking their leaue of the world Olde age said Cato to an olde man that liued ill hath sufficient deformities of it self do not thou adde such as proceed from vice For it is not grisled haire nor a wrinckled visage that bringeth authoritie but a life that is honestly led and guided according to the best end of our being whereunto euery age is to be referred To such olde men saith Sophocles as haue their soules nourished with heauenly light old age is not grieuous and in such the desire of contemplation and knowledge encreaseth as much as the pleasures of their bodie decrease Therfore when we haue passed ouer the greatest part of our days to the profite of many if than through weaknes of extreme age we are constrained to leaue the managing of publike affaires it will be very great honour comfort and contentation of mind vnto vs to run the rest of our race quietly and peaceably in the studie of letters wherein delight is ioyned with honest contemplation The ende of the thirteenth daies worke THE FOVRTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of Policie and of sundry sortes of Gouernments Chap. 53. ASER. IF we are able to discern between the bodie the soul between this present transitorie life and the life to come which is eternall we will not thinke it strange that one part of mans building should be created to remaine free for euer and to be exempted frō the yoke of humane power acknowledging onely the spiritual iurisdiction and the other part to be in seruitude and to receiue commaundement from those humane and ciuill offices which are to be kept amongst men In the kingdome of God saith Paul there is neither Iew nor Graecian neither bond nor free neither Barbarian nor Scythian but Iesus Christ is all in all Stand fast in the libertie wherewith you are made free And by and by after he addeth Onely vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another And else-where he saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Wherby it appeereth that they which thinke that the maintenance of ciuil policies are the worke of man only are greatly deceiued For we must of necessitie beleeue that it proceedeth from the counsel of God and from his eternall prouidence without which neither the round frame of the world nor cities townes could in any sort abide stedfast so that it is very necessary for their preseruation that certain lawes should be appointed according vnto which men may liue honestly iustly one with another As there are then two chief regiments gouernments in man of which one respecteth the soule and acknowledgeth no temporal
desperate estate and that the people through their traffike offices of iudgements and receipts for the prince which they exercised and benefices which they enioyed should not excessiuely enrich themselues to the preiudice of the nobilitie nor get into their hands the lands of the nobles who being impouerished could not sustain the charges of warre nor serue the king in his armies But the neglect of this foresight the great inequalitie of riches among the estates that one part which was woont to be poorest being now become richer than both the other two is the cause of great wounds in the body of this monarchie The poore people being oppressed by both the other estates is fallen vnder the burthen like to Aesops asse And the horse that would cary nothing I mean the nobilitie clergie are constrained some to beare their tenths extraordinary subsidies others to â—ell their liuing to go to war at their own charges But these things deserue a long discourse by it self may hereafter be touched more fitly thaÌ„ at this time Let vs then generally consider of our proposition namely of the duty of al those subiects which liue vnder one estate and policy First it is necessary that they should haue the estate of the magistrate in great estimation acknowledging it to be a commissioÌ„ charge giuen by God therfore they must honor reuereÌ„ce him as one that representeth vnto them the heauenly empire ouer al creatures For as God hath placed the Sun in the heaueÌ„s as an image of his diuine nature which lightneth heateth quickneth norisheth al things created for maÌ„s vse either in heaueÌ„ or earth so the soueraign magistrate is the like representatioÌ„ light in a city or kingdoÌ„ especially so long as the feare of God obseruatioÌ„ of iustice are imprinted in his hart Some are obedieÌ„t enough to their magistrates would not but that there should be some superior vnto whom they might be subiect bicause they know it to be expedient for common benefit yet they haue no other opinion of a magistrate but that he is a necessary euil for mankind But when we know that we are commaÌ„ded to honor the king to feare God and the king which we finde often in the scripture we must vnderstand that this word to honour comprehendeth vnder it a good opinion and estimation which we must haue of the soueraigne magistrate and that the ioining of the king with God must cause vs to attribute great dignitie and reuerence vnto him in respect of that power which is giuen him from his maiestie Likewise when it is said that we must be subiect to the higher powers not bicause of wrath onely but also for conscience sake it is to honour them with an excellent title and to binde vs to obey them for the feare of God and as we wil obey his ordinance bicause their power dependeth of him Of this honour and reuerence it followeth that we must submit our selues vnto them in all obedience whether it be in yeelding to their ordinances or hestes in the paiment of impostes and subsidies or in receiuing such publike charges as it shall please them to commit vnto vs. Briefly euery subiect is bound to serue his prince with goods and life which is the personall seruice of a naturall subiect not as a hireling that serues at will whereas the other seruice is necessarie Leteuery soule saith S. Paul be subiect to the higher powers For whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God He writeth also to Titus in this maner Put them in remembraunce that they be subiect to the principalities and powers and that they be obedient and ready to euery good worke Submit your selues saith S. Peter vnto all maner ordinance of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superiour or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euil doers and for the prayse of theÌ„ that do well Moreouer to the end that subiects should testifie that they obey not dissemblingly but of a free and willing mind S. Paul addeth that they must by prayers to God recommend their preseruation and prosperitie vnder whom they liue I exhort saith he that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings and for all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie Neither let any man deceiue himself herein For seeing no maÌ„ can resist magistrates without resisting God howsoeuer some may think that a weak powerles magistrate may be coÌ„temned without punishment yet God is strong mighty to reuenge the contempt of his ordinance Besides vnder this obedience is contained that moderatioÌ„ which al priuate persons ought to obserue in publike affairs namely that they must not of their own motioÌ„ intermeddle in the gouernment or reformation of them nor take vpon them rashly any part of the magistrates office nor to attempt any publike thing If there be any fault in the common policie that needeth amendment they must not therfore stir at al therin nor take to theÌ„selues authoritie to redres it or once to put too their helping hands which in that respect are as it were bound behind theÌ„ But they are to shew it to the superior who only hath his hand vnbound to dispose order publike matters if he then command them to deal therin they may put it in executioÌ„ as being furnished with publike authoritie For as we vse to call the counsailors of a prince his eies eares bicause they must be vigilant for him so we may also cal those meÌ„ his hands whom he hath appointed to execute such things as are to be don And to these we owe honor obedience seeing the force of the laws consisteth in their coÌ„mandement These are the magistrates officers established by the soueraigne armed with power to coÌ„pel the subiects to obey his laws or els to punish theÌ„ Wherby we see two kinds of coÌ„manding with publike power the one in chief which is absolute indefinite aboue the laws aboue magistrates and priuate men the other is lawful subiect to the lawes to the soueraigne which power properly belongeth to them that haue extraordinary power to command as long as their commission lasteth The soueraign prince acknowledgeth after God none greater thaÌ„ himself the magistrate holdeth his power after God of the soueraign prince and is always subiect to him to his laws Priuate men acknowledge after God who must alwaies be first their soueraign prince his lawes his magistrates euery one in his place of iurisdiction They are bound to obey them euen then which is repeated in many laws when they coÌ„mand any thing coÌ„trary to publike profit or against ciuil iustice so that it be not against
reason worketh in the soule of a prudent man by curing the passions and perturbations thereof and by causing him to rest ioyfull and contented in what estate and condition soeuer he be Let vs note moreouer which we touched in the beginning of this present discourse that all these passions of the soule are much more dangerous than those of the bodie bicause the most hurtfull passions of the bodie are first ingendred of those in the soule For the bodie yeeldeth it selfe ready to serue the desires appetites and pleasures of the soule which being ouercome and in the power of fleshly prouocations procureth in the end destruction to them both But contrariwise the soule being ruled by reason resisteth mightilie all corporall passions and is nothing at all or verie little made partaker of their euill dispositions whereas on the other side the bodie is constrained to alter and change with euery infirmitie of the soule If the minde be troubled what cheerefulnes can be seene in the face The diseases of the bodie hinder not the soule from effecting all good vertuous actions yea many haue brought forth the fruits of wise philosophers and great captaines when they were vexed with diseases which they could neuer do at least verie few of them that were corrupted and defiled in soule And therfore Democritus said very well that it was much more conuenient and meet for a man to haue care of his soule than of his bodie For if the soule be perfect she correcteth the naughtines of the body whereas the strength disposition of the body without the vse of reason hurteth both the soule and it selfe Moreouer that the passions of the soule are harder to be perceiued and knowne and consequently more vneasie to be cured who doth not easily feele it being greeued but in the least part of his bodie yea what griefe doth not of it selfe sufficiently appeere either by some inflammation or by the colour of the visage or by some other outward shew But how many do we fee whose soules are extreemly sicke spoiled and corrupted with vice and yet being depriued of all feeling they thinke themselues to be the soundest men in the world And that they are headstrong and vneasie to be cured we may know by this that the body is in the end so farforth obedient that if reason be vrgent vpon it she forceth euen the naturall passions of hunger thirst and sleepe findeth out besides a thousand remedies to help it self But when the passions of the soule haue once beene grounded and rooted within it without resistance they haue such pearcing pricks that oftentimes they presse ouerwhelme all reason which is their onely medicine and preseruatiue And yet to fill vp the measure of all miserie such is the froward nature of man that he is much more slothfull to seeke out this remedy of the soule than that of the bodie as we touched in the beginning of this present discourse Moreouer the iudgement of reason being oftentimes diseased within him is the cause that when he thinketh to finde health he encreaseth his euill and falleth into those inconueniences which he desired most of all to eschew Example hereof we haue in those who being led onely with a desire of glory and honor obtaine nothing by their dooings if we consider them well but shame and dishonor The like may be said of all the other diseases of the soule which commonly are accompanied and followed with effects contrary to their endes and desires What remaineth then seeing we perceiue the dangers to be great which follow al the perturbations of the soule but that knowing it to be more easie not to receiue them than to driue them out being receiued we preuent them and hinder them from taking liuely roote within our soules by making reason which as Hesiodus saith is a diuine guide and wisedome inspired from aboue so strong and powerfull that it may be able by the grace of God to resist al the assaults of vnbrideled desires and the froward affections of this flesh But behold yet a better and more certaine remedie namely that being assured that all perturbations are but opinions drawne from our will through a iudgement corrupted with the affections of this flesh we labor by good and sound reasons to ouerthrow and confound these false and erronious opinions perswading our selues that whatsoeuer we imagine to be good or euill in the world which is the cause that our minds are depriued of their rest and quietnes is indeede neither good nor euill and so consequently that it ought not in any sort to breed passions within vs. Hereof the sequele of our discourses shall by the helpe of God giue vs to vnderstand more at large and furnish vs with examples of pernicious effects which proceed from all the passions of the soule We will here by the way note their force hauing learned out of Histories that they haue oftentimes set vpon the harts of men in such violent maner that some through desire some for ioy those by feare others by griefe haue ended their liues Diagoras the Rhodian and Chilon hearing that their children had wonne the price at the games of Olympus felt such a motion in them of the spleene that they were stifled with laughter Herennus the Sicilian as he was led prisoner for being a copartner in the conspiracie of Caius Gracchus was so astonished oppressed with the feare of his iudgement to come that he fell downe strke dead at the entrie of the prison Plautius the Numidian looking vpon his dead wife tooke it so to hart that casting himselfe vpon the dead body he arose no more but was there stifled with sorrow As for extreme desire or coueting there is nothing that so greatly mooueth or carieth away the minds of men or that commeth neerer to their destruction than this foolish passion indangereth their life Galeace of Mantua saying oftentimes to a damsell of Pauia whom he courted and made loue to that he would suffer a thousand deaths for hir seruice if it were possible was in iest commanded by hir to cast himself into the riuer which he presently performed was drowned But we shal alleadge more fitly such testimonies of the fond effects of desire and of all the perturbations of the soule when we discourse more particularly of euery vice that proceedeth from them In the meane time I would gladly aske this question of him that is most ignorant vicious and carnall whether he will not grant vertue to be a good of the soule There is none so impudent whose conscience would not compell him to confesse the same And yet no man is caried away with too great a desire of vertue neither doth any reioice therein too excessiuely after he hath obtained it Likewise there is none that feareth so vehemently least he cannot obtaine hir as that the feare thereof driueth the soule out of his place and rest For
call Anger is named of the Grecians desire of reuenge And Solon being demanded to whome a man fraught with Anger might be compared answered to him that maketh no account of losing his friends and careth not although he procure enemies to himselfe But besides the sayings of all these Sages experience sufficiently sheweth vs that Choler and Anger are enemies to all reason and as Plutark saith are no lesse proud presumptuous and vneasie to be guided by another than a great and mightie tyrannie Insomuch that a ship giuen ouer to the mercie of the windes and stormes would sooner of it selfe receiue a Pilot from without than a man caried headlong with wrath and choler would yeeld to the reason and admonition of another For an angry man like to those that burne themselues within their owne houses filleth his soule in such sort with trouble chafing noise that he neither seeth nor heareth any thing that would profit him vnles he make prouision long time before to succour himselfe with reason through the studie of wisedome whereby he may be able to ouerthrow his impatiency and choler which argue and accompanie for the most part a weake and effeminate hart And that this is true we see that women are commonly sooner driuen into choler than men the sicke than the sound the olde than the yoong all vitious gluttonous iealous vaine-glorious and ambitious men than those that vnfainedly hate vice Whereby it is euident enough that choler proceedeth from the infirme and weake part of the soule and not from the Generositie thereof Neither doth it make against our saying to alleadge the opinion of Aristotle of al the Peripateticks who maintained that we ought to moderate the affections and passions of the soule but otherwise that they were necessarie to pricke men forward to vertue Yea Aristotle said that choler was as a whetstone to sharpen and set an edge vpon Fortitude and Generositie The Academicks and Stoicks contend greatly against this opinion and namely Cicero and Seneca who say that forasmuch as choler is a vice it cannot be the cause of vertue seeing they are two contrary thinges that haue nothing common together And considering that Fortitude proceedeth from an aduised consultation and election of reason which perfecteth the worke whereas choler hindreth and troubleth it in such sort that an angrie man cannot deliberate it is not possible that it should stand him in any steed in the performance of excellent actions And this is an inuincible reason bicause vertue commeth not of vice Now this being the end of all Philosophie for a man to know his vices and the meanes how to deliuer himselfe from them and seeing that the infamie and discommoditie which accompanie impatiencie and choler cannot but be knowne vnto vs yea are notwithstanding so common amongst vs that the perfectest are infected therewith let vs looke for some helpe and meane to cure our selues thereof First let vs know that although men may be mooued to wrath and choler for diuers causes yet vnto all of them the opinion of being contemned and despised is commonly ioined And therefore the true and soueraigne remedie for this that so we may auoid such a cold and slender occasion of entring into choler against our neighbours altogither vnbeseeming the loue we owe them will be to put from vs as much as may be all suspition of being despised and contemned or of brauerie and boldnes and to lay all the fault either vpon necessitie or negligence vpon chance vntowardnes lacke of discretion ignorance or want of experience which are oftentimes in them that offend vs. This will seeme very strict counsell and hard to practise yea hatefull to many of our Frenchmen chiefly to those of the Nobilitie who are so curious in the preseruation of their honour with which title they would disguise the desire of worldly glory whervnto they shew themselues so much affectionated But they testifie sufficiently that they neuer knewe wherein true honor consisteth which is no more separated from vertue than the shadowe from the bodie also that they know not what patience is accounting it rather to be fainthartednes and cowardlines than a part and daughter of the vertue of Fortitude and Generositie yea iudging it a dishonor to a man that is contumeliously handled not to render the like againe But contrariwise we are to know that to support and indure wrong iniurie patiently and euen then when we haue most meanes to reuenge our selues is a note of a most absolute noble and excellent vertue Yea it beseemeth a Christian most of all and such a one as hath those words of the Scripture well engrauen in his hart Thou shalt not auenge nor be mindfull of wrong against the children of thy people but shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord vengeance and recompence are mine But I hope that heerafter we shall discourse of this subiect by itselfe which deserueth to be handled more largely Following therefore our matter we must vnderstand that choler is bred of a custome to be angrie for small things and afterward becommeth easilie a fire of sudden wrath a reuenging bitternes and an vntractable sharpenes making a man froward and furious disliking euery thing Wherefore a wise man ought presently to oppose the iudgement of reason to euery little anger and to suppresse it This will helpe to make the soule firme and of power to resist and beate backe all fiercenes of choler in matters of greater weight and consequence For he that nourisheth not his anger in the beginning nor inflameth it himselfe may easily auoid or at least scatter it Moreouer this will be a great meane to ouercome our choler if we obeye it not nor giue credite vnto it from the very first instant wherin it beginneth to appeere imitating Socrates therein who whensoeuer he felt himselfe somwhat more egerly mooued against any man than he ought like to a wise Pilote that getteth himselfe vnder the Lee of some rocke let fall his voyce gently shewyng a smiling countenance and more curteous looke thereby setting himselfe directly against his passion Besides it wil greatly helpe vs if when we are mooued with anger we stay our toong a certaine space and delay a litle while our owne reuenge For it is very certaine that a man promiseth speaketh and doth many things in his anger which afterward he wisheth had neuer been in his thought Vnto this fitly agreeth that counsaile which Athenodorus taking his leaue gaue to Augustus the emperor to stay the pernitious effects of quicke and ready choler This Philosopher minding to teach some remedy to be opposed at the very instant when this monarch should feele himselfe ouertaken with anger whereunto he easily suffred himselfe to be caried willed him to rehearse the foure and twentie letters of the Greeke Alphabet before he did any thing in his anger But knowing this that it is a speciall propertie of mans
matter of these motions are opinions affections and inclinations which being considered in their owne nature are through sinne wicked and corrupt throughout the soule yea the blossome and roote of them proceed from our owne substance to the end as Plato saith that no man should thinke God to be the cause of euill Now albeit these passions thus defined by the philosophers are many in number yet drawing neerer to the truth we may comprehend and diuide them all into two principall kinds The first kind shall be that which we beleeue by faith the other according to our opinions and affections Vnder the first we comprehend that which euerie one beleeueth thinketh and desireth concerning diuine and heauenlie things as of true righteousnes of the immortalitie of the second life and of the iudgement to come Vnder opinions and affections is comprehended whatsoeuer respecteth and concerneth earthlie things this life maners gouernment of a houshold of a common wealth and generally al humane inclinations and actions As touching that which we beleeue by faith we are led thereunto and stirred by the weake instinct and feeling of the diuine nature imprinted in euery soule which after a sort mooueth man to aspire vnto and to desire the true and souereigne good and which being more power-full and of greater efficacy in some than in others causeth the better sort to delight also in the same good Neuertheles it is proper to euery mans vnderstanding not to hold a stedfast and sure way in seeking out the truth but to wander aside into diuers errors as a blind man that walketh in darknes and to fill it selfe rather with lies and with a continuall desire and curiositie of new vnprofitable and superfluous things than to content it selfe simplie with the truth insomuch that finally it misseth of all But to the end we be not of this number we ought to hold fast the infallible rule of the holie scriptures which gift we are to aske hope wait and seeke for in the onely grace and mercie of that Spirit which indighteth them and to looke for the full opening of these treasures in the second and eternall life As for the second kind of our passions properly called perturbations according to the philosophers from whence all the euils and miseries of mankinde proceed and whereof we minde chiefely to speake they are but affections and inclinations which come from our will corrupted by the prouocations and allurements of the flesh and which wholy resist the diuine nature of the reasonable part of the soule fastening it to the bodie as Plato saith with the naile of pleasure Which passions the mind of man commonly beholdeth cleerly enough when it applieth it selfe thereunto if it be not altogither peruerted and depraued yea by the grace and helpe of God the mind is able to confirme it selfe against any passion through the discourse of reason before it be in force and during the vehemencie thereof to fortifie it selfe against it And although the passion be contrarie to reason and haue for hir onely scope pleasure and the feare of griefe which can preuaile greatly with man yet reason by the meanes of Gods grace can both easily constraine maister and compell all passions in such sort that they shall take no effect and also bring to passe that whatsoeuer is rashly desired shall be ouercome by the discourse of prudent counsell And for this cause we say that the first motions are not in our power but that the euent and issue of them is in some sort Likewise reason doth not wholie quench and extinguish all passions which cannot possibly be performed in the nature of man but repelleth and hath the vpper hand of them as the precepts of doctrine and infinite examples of the liues of ancient heathen and pagan philosophers do learnedly teach vs. Which thing as it ought to cause many at this day to be ashamed who vaunt themselues of the name of Christians so it condemneth them in a fault not to be excused before the iust iudgement of God bicause those men being destitute of the perfect knowledge of God which they say they haue far excelled and surpassed them in the bridling ouercomming and killing of so many pestiferous passions as compasse the soule about as we may handle elsewhere and see examples thereof worthie of eternall remembrance when we shall discourse particularly of vertues and vices In the meane while we may learne of Cicero the father of Latine eloquence whose skill in ioining philosophie with the art of Rhetorike was excellent and who in my iudgement handleth this our present matter more profitably than any other of the ancients that all the aboue named euill passions are perturbations which if they be not maistered by reason depriue man of the soueraigne good of the soule which consisteth in the tranquillitie therof Moreuer he saith that through ignorance basenes of minde they proceed onely of the opinion of good or euill either present or to come which we imagine to be in the vnperfect and transitorie things of the world and which are accompanied vnseparably either with good or euill In respect of good things we are caried away with a vehement desire or coueting of them besides an immoderate ioy in them in regard of euil things we are oppressed with feare and sorrow And these are the foure springs of all vices sins wherein men plunge themselues during this life and vnder which all perturbations are comprehended which fill the soule with endlesse trouble and disquietnes causing man to liue alwaies vncontented and to finde euery present kinde of life burthensome and so to seeke after and to desire another But as fearefull men saith Plutark that excellent philosopher schoolemaster to that good Traian and they that are at sea subiect to casting thinking they shal be better in one place than in another go from the sterne to the stem then to the bottom of the ship afterward to the highest part frō thence go into the skiph and in the end returne into the ship without any amendment of their euil because they carrie alwaies about with them both feare griefe so the alteration of life of worldly conditions and estates into others doth not purge but rather increase the perturbations diseases of the soule if first the cause of them I meane ignorance of things the imperfection of reason be not taken out of it These are the mischiefes which trouble both rich and poore these are the miseries which wait vpon great and final bond and free yoong old Thus is the spirit of sick persons vexed and that continually One while the wife is troublesome the physition vnskilfull the bed vneasie the friend that visiteth importunate he which visiteth not proud but being once healed they finde that whatsoeuer was irksom vnto them before now pleaseth them But that which health doth to the diseased body the same thing
as wel earthly as eternall Which that we may more surely auoid and marke better the excellencie and beautie of vertue by the lothsomnes and deformitie of vice bicause contraries set one by another as blacke neare to white shew themselues a great deale better I thinke it will not be to wander besides the matter if we bestow the rest of our mornings worke in the handling thereof ASER. There is no euill in man as the philosopers say but vice if we take that for euill which is offensiue Neither doth any thing offend and make a man woorse but that which endammageth his soule And in this maner vice onely and sinne is hurtfull vnto him yea as Plutarke saith is sufficient of it selfe to make a man miserable AMANA As vertue saith Plato is the health and forceable vigor of the soule so vice is the sicknes and imbecillitie thereof which hauing gotten a habit maketh a man vicious and corrupt For it is certaine that if men had sufficient force and constancie to resist vice which we haue by inheritance they would follow after vertue But being ouercome by the loosenes of their sensualitie they are led captiues as it were in a triumph vnder the yoke of sin Let vs then hearken to ARAM who I thinke will not forget to paint out vnto vs this pernitious Hydra with all hir colors that she may be so much the more odious vnto vs. ARAM. I haue alwaies learned of wise men that this saying of an ancient man is most true That there is a hundred times more paine in doing euill than in well doing and that vice hath the same effect in the soule which the dropsie hath in the bodie For both of them do plant in man a continuall desire of that which breedeth his greatest bane Whereupon most miserably he seeketh after his owne perdition and ruine with paine and trauell wheras he might passe through felicitie in this life into that life which is eternall and most happie One chiefe occasion heerof as I thinke may be attributed to the ignorance of euill For what wicked man is so dull of vnderstanding that if he knew certainly what vice were would not with all his might separate himselfe as farre from it as for the time he drew neere vnto it By a stronger reason it foloweth that he which truly knoweth it before it be growen to a habit within him wil shun it more diligently bicause we begin then to hate vices as Plutarke saith when by reason we vnderstand what shame and harme commeth of them Therefore it must needs be very profitable for vs to vtter heerin that which we haue learned by the studie of philosophie and that briefly for this present hoping heerafter to intreate more particularly of the principall parts of vice First we will define it then consider the pernitious effects thereof in the soule and the fruits which it bringeth with it thirdly declare how it neuer escapeth vnpunished and lastly shew how we must fortifie our selues against the priuie watchings and snares of such a dangerous and mightie enimie Vice is an inequalitie and iarring of maners proceeding from mans naturall inclination to pleasures and naughtie desires This inclination not being reined with the bit of reason guided by the spirit of grace nor ruled by the wise declarations thereof causeth a man by little and little to giue ouer himselfe to all wicked passions the end of one being the beginning of another whereby he becommeth most vnhappie yea more wild and sauage than any brute beast Chrysippus a Stoike philosopher called vice the proper essence of vnhappines And surely it is a very perfect workmaister of wretchednes disposing and framing men to all kinde of mischiefe and miserie For after it hath once taken hold of the soule it will neuer forsake it vntill it hath wholie brused ouerwhelmed and destroied it filling it daily with perturbations and new passions with voluptuousnes rancor enmities reuenge murders anguish feare fruitlesse repentance ambition couetousnes and with all other lusts which are incurable diseases of the soule after they haue once taken roote therein For the more they waxe the more they will grow vice being as Plato saith of an infinite and endles race And therefore the aboue named Chrysippus said not without reason that to auoid so dangerous an enimie and one that ought to be so odious vnto vs it were better for vs to cast our selues headlong into the sea than to suffer it to raigne ouer vs. Plato also writeth that it is far better for a man not to liue at all than to liue wickedly or in ignorance For such a life can haue no fitter name than to be called a true shadow of death I meane of eternal death which followeth the wicked euen at the heeles Bias one of the Sages said That no man could iustly be termed a captiue although he were loden with irons except also he were compassed about with vices Moreouer we see that neither sword nor fire doth carie away a man so violently as vice doth Many haue suffered a thousand outrages and punishments with such constancie that tyrants were sooner wearie of persecuting them than they of suffering Besides they had so great power ouer themselues that in the midst of torments they were able to stay their voice altogither insomuch that one would haue either iudged them to be senselesse or els think that in seeing them he did not see them But vice alwaies discouereth it selfe and euery where appeereth shamefull infamous and hurtfull Thales called vice the hurtfullest thing in the world bicause that where it is it marreth and destroieth all Moreouer it maketh those things which otherwise seeme honorable and magnifical lothsome and vnpleasant when it is mingled with them yea it appeereth so much the more infamons as the nobilitie and authoritie whereunto it is ioined is greater bicause then it discouereth better what pernitious and damnable effects it hath For taking a swift course by the high way of power and driuing forward euery wicked affection to execution it causeth choler to be turned presently into murder loue into adulterie couetousnes into confiscation and so in other passions But as the vices of the greater sort are more dangerous so no doubt shame and dishonor are likewise doubled vpon them bicause they are better seene and noted whereby they become more odious and contemptible to euery one Besides their reward lieth at their gate in great measure which will not be long from them For to whom more is giuen of him more shall be required And I pray you what greater cause of shame and blushing can that man haue who being borne to command men of all estates and conditions doth himselfe obey such vile and abiect things as are sensualitie ignorance concupiscence other like passions wrought by vice which being without reason are made to obey and to be ruled by reason Neither are we more
the chiefest mens children amongst them being gone out of the citie vnder colour to 〈◊〉 his youth to walke and to exercise themselues along the wals deliuered them into the hands of this Romane Captaine saying vnto him that he might be well assured the Citizens would yeeld themselues to his deuotion for the safetie and libertie of that which was deerest vnto them But Camillus knowing this to be too vile and wicked a practise said to those that were with him that although men vsed great outrage and violence in warre yet among good men certaine lawes points of equitie were to be obserued For victorie was not so much to be desired as that it should be gotten and kept by such cursed and damnable meanes but a Generall ought to warre trusting to his owne vertue and not to the wickednes of others Then stripping the said schole maister and binding his hands behind him he deliuered him naked into the hands of his schollers and gaue to ech of them a bundle of rods that so they might carye him backe againe into the citie For which noble act the Citizens yeelded themselues to the Romanes saying that in preferring iustice before victorie they had taught them to choose rather to submit themselues vnto them than to retaine still their libertie confessing withall that they were ouercome more by their vertue than vanquished by their force and power So great power hath Magnanimitie that it doth not onely aduance Princes to the highest degree of honor but also abateth the hart of the puissant and warlike enemie and oftentimes procureth victorie without battell Truly we may draw an excellent doctrine out of these examples which make all those without excuse that spare nothing to attaine to the end of their intents and deuices making no difficultie at the destruction of innocents but exercising all kind of crueltie so they may ouerthrow their enemies by what meanes soeuer vsing commonly that saying of Lysander Admirall of the Lacedemonians that if the Lions skin will not suffice the Foxe his skin also is to be sewed on But let vs resolutely hold this that treason neuer findeth place in a noble hart no more than the bodie of a Foxe is not found in a Lions bodie Further it is notoriously 〈◊〉 that the Ancients striued to procure all good and profit to their enemies vsing clemencie and humanitie towards them when they had greater occasion and meanes to be reuenged of them Heereof we may alleadge good examples when we discourse heereafter particularly of those vertues that are proper to a noble minded man who ought to hate crueltie no lesse than treason We are therefore to looke vnto the last effect and sound proofe of Magnanimitie Generositie heere propounded by vs which we said consisted in the contempt of earthlie and humane goods Wherein truly resteth the very perfection of a Christian who lifteth vp his desires to his last and soueraigne Good in heauen Now because there are but few that loue not themselues too much in those things that concerne the commodities of this life and fewer that seeke not after glorie honor as a recompence of their excellent deeds and that desire not riches earnestly to satisfie their pleasure in these three points also a noble minded man causeth his vertue to appeere more wonderfull bicause he doth not iudge thē to be a worthie reward for the same but rather altogether vnwoorthy the care of his soule for which principally he desireth to liue This is that which Cicero saith that it is not seemely that he should yeeld to couetousnes and concupiscence who could not be subdued by feare or that he should be ouercome by pleasure who hath resisted griefe but rather that these things ought to be shunned by all possible means togither with the desire of money seeing there is nothing more vile abiect than to loue riches nor more noble than to despise them This also is that which Plato saith that it belongeth to the duetie of a noble hart not onely to surmount feare but also to moderate his desires concupiscences especially when he hath libertie to vse them whither it be in the pleasure of the bodie or in the ambitious desire of vain glory honour and power In this sort then he that hath a right noble and worthie mind will no more waigh greatnes among men and estimation of the common sort than he doth griefe and pouertie but depending wholie vpon the wil of God contēting himself with his works wrought in him he will not that any good thing vpon earth can be taken from him And bicause he aspireth to those things that are best highest and most difficult he abideth free from all earthly care and griefe as being long before prepared for all dolors through the contempt of death which bringing an end to the greatest and most excessiue pangs serueth him for an entrance into eternall rest We haue already alleaged many examples of ancient men fit for this matter which now we speake of and the sequele of our treatises will furnish vs with mo when we shall come to intreat of riches and worldly wealth whereof we are to speake more at large But here we will propound Aristides onely to be imitated who was a woorthy man among the Athenians whose opinion was that a good citizen ought to be alwayes prepared alike to offer his body mind vnto the seruice of the common wealth without hope or expectation of any hired and mercenary reward either of money honor or glory And so with an vnspeakeable grauitie and constancie he kept himselfe always vpright in the seruice of his countrey in such sort that no honor done vnto him could cause him either to be puffed vp in hart or to be more earnest in imploying himselfe as it is the maner of some to do seruice according as they are recompenced neither could any repulse or deniall which he suffred abate his courage or trouble him or yet diminish and lessen his affection and desire to profit his common wealth Whereas now adayes we see that the most part of men with vs vpon a smal discontentment labor to make publike profite to serue their desires and passions in stead of giuing themselues to the good benefit of their countrey Now concluding our present discourse we learne that true and perfect Magnanimitie and Generositie is inuincible and inexpugnable bicause vpon this consideration that death is the common end of mans life and that happy passage to life euerlasting she despiseth it altogither and maketh lesse account thereof than of bondage and vice sustaining also with a great vnappalled hart most cruel torments not being mooued thereby to do any thing that may seem to proceed of the common weaknes and frailtie of mans nature Further we learne that this vertue maketh him that possesseth hir good gentle and curteous euen towards his greatest enimies against whom it suffereth him not to vse any couin
firme stedfast and abiding Good being assured as we said that not one of those things wherein a happie life consisteth shall waxe old perish or fall to decay To conclude he is happie that sheweth in all the workes and actions of his life a patterne of honestie and vertue being moderate in prosperitie constant in aduersitie A man thus affected and disposed will behaue himselfe without reproofe in the time present will call to mind with ioy pleasure the time past and wil boldly and without distrust draw neere to the time to come euen with a cheerefull ioifull hope of better things and with a stedfast expectation of that vnspeakeable and endles happines which is prepared for the elect Of Prosperitie and Aduersitie Chap. 32. AMANA BEing in our former discourse entred into the diuers and contrarie effects which the nature and condition of worldlie affaires draw with them whereof euery one in his particular place may dailie haue good sufficient testimonies seeing through the malice and corruption of our age all things are at that point as if they ment to lay more hard and difficult crosses vpon vs to sustaine I thinke we shall not depart from our matter if we seeke for some instruction whereby to gouerne our selues prudently in prosperitie and in aduersitie considering the effects both of the one and the other to the end we may auoid those that are most pernitious and retaine still with vs that constancie and woorthines that is required in the vertue of Fortitude which teacheth a man how he ought to behaue himselfe nobly in euery estate and condition of life For as gold transfigured by the workeman now into one fashion and then into another is transformed into sundrie kinds of ornaments and yet remaineth alwaies that which it is without any alteration of substance so it behooueth a wise noble minded man to cōtinue alwaies the same in things that are contrarie and diuers without any alteration and change of his constancie and vertue But I leaue the discourse of this matter to you my Companions ARAM. As a man saith Scipio deliuereth ouer his horses which bicause they haue beene in many skirmishes are become restie furious and vntractable to the yeomen of his horses to bring them into good order againe so men that are growne to be vnrulie through prosperity must be brought as it were to around circle that they may consider of the inconstancie of worldlie things and of the variablenes of wretched fortune ACHITOB. In prosperitie saith Euripides be not lift vp too much and in aduersitie hope the best alwaies And as in a fire said Socrates it is good to behold a cleare brightnes so is a moderate soule in felicitie But let vs heare ASER who wil handle that which is heere propounded more at large ASER. As men prouide bulwarks and banks against a riuer that vseth to ouerflow so he that desireth to liue happily must fortifie himselfe with powerfull and conuenient vertues to resist the hurtfull assaults which the vnlooked for successe of humane affaires make vpon him continually both in prosperitie and in aduersitie For questionles nothing is hardlier kept within compas than he that hath all things according to his harts desire neither is any thing so much cast downe or sooner discouraged than the same man when he is afflicted and misseth of his purpose All mindes are not resolute and constant enough from slipping beside themselues and beyond the limits of reason neither in great prosperity which puffeth and lifteth vp mens harts especially theirs that are base by nature nor yet in vnloked for aduersity which through the heauie burthen thereof oftentimes astonisheth and amazeth them that are thought to be best setled and assured But if we consider apart the pernitious effects which issue from these two contraries when reason doth not guide and gouerne them we shall find nothing but pride in the one and faintnes of hart basenes of mind and oftentimes despaire in the other Notwithstanding we may well note this that prosperitie hath alwaies beene the cause of farre greater euils to men than aduersitie that it is easier for a man to beare this patiently than not to forget himselfe in the other Whereof I thinke we may not vnfitly alledge for a reason that which Menander saith that man of all other liuing creatures is aptest to fall suddenly downe from high to low bicause he dareth vndertake the greatest matters although he be weakest Whereupon being as it were naturally subiect to falling it is not so strange vnto him being better furnished for that seeing he is or ought to be prepared thereto long before then when against his naturall disposition he ascendeth to some greatnes not hoped for Now whether it be for this reason or bicause vice is his proper inheritance the memorie of the time past aswell as of the present time furnisheth vs with sufficient testimonies seeing fewe are found that forgat not themselues in their prosperitie whereas many haue behaued themselues wisely and taken occasion to be better in their aduersitie Which being vnderstood of Plato when he was requested by the Cyrenians a people of Grecia to write downe lawes for them and to appoint them some good forme of gouernment for their Common-wealth he answered that it was a very hard matter to prescribe lawes to so rich happie and wealthie a people as they were For commonly those cities which in short time come suddenly to great felicitie grow to be insolent arrogant and vneasie to raunge in order neither is there any thing for the most part prouder than a poore man made rich as contrariwise none are so readie to receiue counsell and direction as he whom fortune hath ouerrun He that is pressed greatly with aduersitie is seldome puffed vp with pride or vanquished of lust or drowned in couetousnes or ouertaken with gluttonie or lift vp with desire and worldlie glorie all which imperfections happen commonly to those vpon whome fortune too much fawneth That felicitie saith Seneca which hath not beene hurt cannot indure one blow but when it hath had a long and continuall combat with discommodities and hath hardued it selfe by suffering and bearing iniuries then doth it not suffer it selfe to be ouercome with any euill Now one of the greatest benefits that a man may haue in this life is neither to be changed by aduersitie nor lift vp with prosperity but to be as a well rooted tree which although it be shaken with sundrie winds yet can not be ouerthrowne by any of them And truly it is very ridiculous that that which commeth to all worldly things by an ordinarie and naturall course euen by the sequele of causes linked togither and depending one of another changing the estate of mortall things should haue power to alter or to make any mutation in reason and wisedom which ought to abide stedfast in the mind of man For this cause Plato said that there
consequently the bond and preseruatiue of humane societie But if we being well instructed by the spirite of wisedome feede the hungrie giue drinke to the thirsty lodge them that want harbour and clothe the naked sowing in this manner by the works of pietie that talent which is committed to our keeping we shall reape abundantly in heauen the permanent riches treasures of eternall life Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie Chap. 42. ACHITOB IF that diuiue rule of Cicero were aswell written in our hart as he desired to haue it setled in his sonne that onely that thing is to be iudged profitable which is not wicked and that nothing of that nature should seeme profitable we should not behold amongst vs so many cursed acts as are daily committed through the vnbrideled desire of the goods of this world For that which most of all troubleth men is when they thinke that the sin which they purpose to practise is but small in respect of the gaine thereby craftily separating profite from honestie and so suffering themselues to be ouercome of couetousnes which is the defect of liberalitie whereof we discoursed euen now whose excesse also is Prodigalitie of which two vices we are now to intreat ASER. Every one that coueteth treasures said Anacharsis one of the wise men of Graecia is hardly capable of good coūsell and instruction For the couetous man commonly murmureth at that which God permitteth and nature doth so that he will sooner take vpon him to correct God than to amend his life AMANA It is a hard matter said Socrates for a man to bridle his desire but he that addeth riches therunto is mad For couetousnes neither for shame of the world nor feare of death will not represse or moderate it self But it belongeth to thee ARAM to instruct vs in that which is here propounded ARAM. Since the greedie desire of heaping vp gold and siluer entred in amongst men with the possession of riches couetousnesse folowed and with the vse of them pleasures and delights whereupon they began to saile in a dangerous sea of all vices which hath so ouerflowen in this age of ours that there are very few towers how high so euer seated but it hath gone vp a great deale aboue them For this cause I see no reason why men should esteeme so much or iudge it such a happy thing to haue much goodly land many great houses and huge summes of readie money seeing all this doth not teach them not to be caried away with passions for riches and seeing the possession of them in that maner procureth not a contentation void of the desire of them but rather inflameth vs to desire them more through an insatiable couetousnes which is such a pouerty of the soul that no worldly goods can remedie the same For it is the nature of this vice to make a man poore all his life time that he may find him self rich only at his death Moreouer it is a desire that hath this thing proper and peculiar to it selfe to resist and to refuse to be satisfied whereas all other desires helpe forward the same and seeke to content those that serue thē Couetousnesse saith Aristotle is a vice of the soule whereby a man desireth to haue from all partes without reason and vniustly with-holdeth that which belongeth to another It is sparing and skantie in giuing but excessiue in receiuing The Poet Lucretius calleth it a blind desire of goods And it mightily hindereth the light of the soule causing the couetous man to be neuer contented but the more he hath the more to desire and wish for The medicine which he seeketh namely gold and siluer encreaseth his disease as water doth the dropsie and the obtaining thereof is alwaies vnto him the beginning of the desire of hauing He is a Tantalus in hell who between water and meat dieth of hunger Now it is very sure that to such as are wise and of sound iudgement nature hath limited certaine bounds of wealth which are traced out vpon a certaine Center and vpon the circumference of their necessitie But couetousnesse working cleane contrary effects in the spirit of fooles carieth away the naturall desire of necessarie things to a disordinate appetite of such things as are full of danger rare and hard to be gotten And which is worse compelling the auaritious to procure them with great payne and trauell it forbiddeth him to enioy them and stirring vp his desire depriueth him of the pleasure Stratonicus mocked in olde ryme the superfluitie of the Rhodians saying that they builded as if they were immortall and rushed into the kitchin as if they had but a little while to liue But couetous men scrape togither like great and mightie men and spend like mechanicall and handy-craftesmen They indure labour in procuryng but want the pleasure of enioying They are like Mules that carie great burthens of golde and siluer on their backes and yet eate but hay They enioy neyther rest nor libertie which are most precious and most desired of a wise man but liue alwayes in disquietnesse being seruauntes and slaues to their richesse Their greatest miserie is that to encrease and keepe their wealth they care neither for equitie or iustice they contemne all lawes both diuine and humane and all threatnings and punishmentes annexed vnto them they liue without friendship and charitie and lay holde of nothyng but gayne When they are placed in authoritie and power aboue others they condemne the innocent iustifie the guiltie and finde alwayes some cleanly cloke and colour of taking and of excusing as they thinke their corruption and briberie making no difference betweene duetie and profite Wherfore we may well say in a word That couetousnes is the roote of all euill For what mischiefs are not procured through this vice From whence proceed quarels strifes suites hatred and enuie theftes pollings sackings warres murders and poisonings but from hence God is forgotten our neighbour hated and many times the sonne forgiueth not his father neither the brother his brother nor the subiect his Lord for the desire of gaine In a worde there is no kind of crueltie that couetousnesse putteth not in practise It causeth hired and wilfull murders O execrable impietie to be well thought of amongst vs. It causeth men to breake their faith giuen to violate all friendship to betray their countrey It causeth subiectes to rebell against their princes gouernours and magistrates when not able to beare their insatiable desires nor their exactions and intollerable subsidies they breake foorth into publike and open sedition which troubleth common tranquillitie whereupon the bodie politike is changed or for the most part vtterly ouerthrowen Moreouer the excesse of the vertue of liberalitie which is prodigalitie may be ioyned to couetousnesse and than there is no kind of vice but raigneth with all licence in that soule that hath these two guestes lodged togither And bicause it is a thing that
the Lord shal smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battel and perish The Lord keepe me from laying my hand vpon the Lords annointed This word is directed to vs all it ought to teach vs not to sift out the life of our soueraign prince but to content our selues with this knowledge that by the wil of God he is established set in an estate that is ful of an inuiolable maiestie Moreouer we read in Iosephus that the holiest men that euer were among the Hebrewes called Essaei that is to say true practisers of the lawe of God maintained this that soueraigne princes whatsoeuer they were ought to be inuiolable to their subiectes as they that were sacred and sent of God Neither is there any thing more vsuall in all the holy scriptures than the prohibition to kill or to seeke the life or honour not onely of the prince but also of inferiour magistrates although saith the scripture they be wicked And it is said in Exodus Thou shalt not raile vpon the iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people Now if he that doth so is guiltie of treason both against the diuine and humane maiestie what punishment is sufficient for him that seeketh after their life According to mens lawes not onely that subiect is guiltie of high treason that hath killed his soueraigne prince but he also that attempted it that gaue counsell that consented to it that thought it Yea he that was neuer preuented nor taken in the maner in this point of the soueraigne the law accounteth him as condemned alreadie and iudgeth him culpable of death that thought once in times past to haue seazed vpon the life of his prince notwithstanding any repentance that folowed And truly there was a gentleman of Normandie who confessed to a Franciscan frier that he once minded to haue killed king Francis the first but repented him of that euill thought The frier gaue him absolution but yet afterward told the king thereof who sent the gentleman to the parliament of Paris there to be tried where he was by common consent condemned to die and after executed Amongst the Macedonians there was a law that condemned to death fiue of their next kinsfolks that were conuicted of conspiracie against their prince We see then the straight obligation wherby we are bound vnto our princes both by diuine and humane right Wherfore if it so fall out that we are cruelly vexed by a prince voyd of humanitie or els polled and burthened with exactions by one that is couetous or prodigall or despised and ill defended by a carelesse prince yea afflicted for true pietie by a sacrilegious and vnbeleeuing soueraigne or otherwise most vniustly and cruelly intreated first let vs call to mind our offences committed against God which vndoubtedly he correcteth by such scourges Secondly let vs thinke thus with our selues that it belongeth not to vs to remedie such euils being permitted onely to call vpon God for helpe in whose hands are the harts of kings and alterations of kingdoms It is God who as Dauid saith sitteth among the gods that shal iudge them at whose onely looke all those kings and iudges of the earth shall fall and be confounded who haue not kissed his sonne Iesus Christ but haue decreed vniust lawes to oppresse the poore in iudgement and to scatter the lawfull right of the weake that they may praie vpon the widowes and poll the orphans Thus let all people learne that it is their duetie aboue all things to beware of contemning or violating the authoritie of their superiours which ought to be full of maiestie vnto them seeing it is confirmed by God with so many sentences and testimonies yea although it be in the hands of most vnwoorthy persons who by their wickednes make it odious as much as in them lieth and contemptible Moreouer they must learne that they must obey their lawes and ordinances and take nothing in hand that is against the priuiledges and marks of soueraigntie Then shall we be most happy if we consecrate our soules to God only and dedicate our bodies liues and goods to the seruice of our prince The ende of the fourteenth daies worke THE FIFTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of a Monarchie or a Regall power Chap. 57. ASER. WHen we began yesterday to intreat of the sundry kinds of estates and gouernments that haue been in force amongst men and of the excellencie or deformitie of them we reserued to a further consideration the monarchie or kingly power vnder which we liue in France This forme of regiment by the common consent of the woorthiest philosophers and most excellent men hath been always taken for the best happiest and most assured common-wealth of all others as that wherein all the lawes of nature guide vs whether we looke to this little world which hath but one bodie and ouer al the members one only head of which the wil motion and sense depend or whether we take this great world which hath but one soueraigne God whether we cast vp our eyes to heauen we shall see but one sunne or looke but vpon these sociable creatures belowe we see that they cannot abide the rule of many amongst them But I leaue to you my Companions the discourse of this matter AMANA Among all creatures both with and without life we alwais find one that hath the preheminence aboue the rest of his kind Among al reasonable creatures Man among beasts the Lion is taken for chiefe among birds the Eagle among graine wheate among drinks wine among spices baulme among all mettals gold among al the elements the fire By which natural demonstrations we may iudge that the kingly and monarchicall gouernment draweth neerest to nature of all others ARAM. The principalitie of one alone is more conformable and more significant to represent the diuine ineffable principalitie of God who alone ruleth al things than the power of many ouer a politicall body Notwithstanding there hath been many notable men that haue iudged a monarchie not to be the best forme of gouernment that may be among men But it is your duetie ACHITOB to handle vs this matter ACHITOB. This controuersie hath always been very great among those that haue intreated of the formes of policies and gouernments of estates namely whether it be more agreeable to nature and more profitable for mankind to liue vnder the rule of one alone than of many neither side wanting arguments to prooue their opinion Now although it be but a vaine occupation for priuate men who haue no authoritie to ordain publike matters to dispute which is the best estate of policie and a greater point of rashnesse to determine therof simply seeing the chiefest thing consisteth in circumstances yet to content curious mindes and to make them more willing to beare that yoke vnto which both diuine humane nature and equitie hath subiected them I purpose here to waigh
of it What the law of nature is The diuision of the written law The diuision of the law of God Of the Morall law Of the Ceremoniall law Of the Iudiciall law Of ciuill or positiue lawes The diuision of ciuill lawes What ciuill lawes may not be changed The Salick law immutable What ciuill lawes may be changed A Prince may deny the request of his three Estates hauing reason and iustice on his side The change of lawes in a well setled Estate is dangerous A seuere decree of the Locrians against such as would bring in new lawes Mischiefs in a commonwealth must be resisted in the beginning The law is the foundation of ciuill societies Bias. We must not iudge of the law but according to the law Why the Lacedemonian lawes might not be changed The ancient law-makers No law before the law of God The necessitie and profit of a law The vpright and equall distribution of the law maketh a good gouernment To dispence with good statuts and daily to make new is a token of the decay of a common-wealth Examples therof in Caligula in Claudius How lawes may be kept inuiolable Two things required in the keeping of euery law Equitie is alwayes one and the same to all people The equitie of the morall law ought to be the end and rule of all other lawes Their opinion confuted who would tie all nations to the policie of Moses Theft punished diuersly in diuers nations How false witnes was punished among the Iewes Ciuil ordinances depend only of the soueraign ruler The end wherunto all lawes are to be referred The magistrate is the head the law the soule and the people the body of the common-welth The Nowne and Verbe are no parts of Logike but of Grammer The definition of a citizen in a popular state Other definitions of a citizen A general definition of a citizen Of the state of Venice Of the ancient estate in Rome Who are truly citizens The diuision of the whole people into three orders or estates The diuision of citizens in Venice and Florence In Egypt and among the ancient Gaules These gardes were the Senate and councell for state affaires consisting of 400. Burgesses Of the agreement that is to be kept between the estates of a common-wealth One cause of the â—â—serie of France at this present The office and dutie of subiects The soueraign magistrate compared to the Sunne Against them that thinke the magistrate to be a necessarie euil Prou. 24. 21. What is ment by honouring the King Rom. 13. 5. Subiects must obey their prince for the feare of God Of the seruice due to the prince Rom. 13. 1. 2. Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 14. 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. Priuate men must not busie themselues in publike affairs The counsailors of a prince are his eies eares and his officers are his hands Two kinds of publike power The difference between the prince the magistrate and the priuate man How farre subiects are bound to obey their prince and his lawes The titles of a good magistrate The behauiour of euil princes Tirants are naturally hated We must obey and reuerence vniust princes a well as iust Dan. 1. 21. 4. 14. Nebuchadnezzer Eze. 29. 18. 19. Dan. 2. 37. 1. Sam. 3. Iere. 27. 5. c. A tyrant called the seruant of God Ier. 29. 7. 1. Sam. 24. 7. 26. 9. 10. Dauid would not lay viosent hands vpon Sauls person These Essaei or Esseni were a superstitious sect among the Iewes that pretended to lead a most perfect kind of life Exod. 22. 28. A gentleman iudged to die bicause he once thought to haue killed his prince A sâ—uâ—râ— law against treason How we must behaue our selues vnder a tyrant Psal 82. 1. 2. 12. Esay 10. 1. The lawes of nature lead vs to a monarchie In euery kind of thing one excelleth A monarchie most significantly representeth the diuine regiment What a Monarchie or kingly power is Of a Duarchy that is of the rule of two The diuision of the Empire 8. Marks of soueraigntie Their reasons who mislike a Monarchie What excellencie is required in him that ruleth others The Persian Councell held for the establishing of their Estate Otanes oration The effects of a Tyrant Megabyses oration for an Aristocraty The dangers of a Monarchy A child Prince is a token of Gods wrath Darius oration for a Monarchy Against an Oligarchy A Monarchy concluded vpon in the Councell of the Persians of Romulus and of Augustus The commodities of a Monarchy Italy a praie to all hâ—r neighbours and â—â—y Of the antiquitie of a kingdome Ninus was the first that extended the limits of his kingdom What Estates were ruled Monaâ—chically The Dukedome of Venice is electiue What this word Emperour importeth Vpon what occasion the name of Emperour was first giuen to a Monarch The reasons alleadged against a Monarchie answered One iust Princ better than many good Lords and many Tyrants woorse than one Monarchies haue continu longest The opinion of many Politicks touching a mixt estate of a Common wealth The Lacedemonian estate mingled The Carthaginian Common-wealth was mixt The Romane estate mingled The estate of Venice compounded What agreemeÌ„t the French Monarchy hath with euery good policie Why men are diueisly affected vnto diuers formes of gouernments The praise of the French nation for their loue to a Monarchy The difference betweene the rule of a king and of a tyrant Fiue kinds of Monarchies How the first Monarchy came vp Gen. 10. 8. of the raigne of Nimrod Nimrod was the first king that warred vpon his neighbours Of the happie raigne of the king of Egypt They vsed the seruice onely of Noble mens children â—nd they wel learned The Priests of Egypt vsed to praise their Princes in the Temple before the people The diet of the ancient kings of Egypt Of the second kind of Monarchy The difference betweene a Lord-like Monarchy and a tyranny Marks of a tyrannicall gouernment Of the estate of the Turke The death of Hibrahim Bascha The Turke disposeth of all Lordships at his pleasure Of the Estate of Moscouia Of the king of Ethiopia The king of Ethiopia whipped his Lords like slaues Of the kingdom of Peru. Of the third kind of Monarchy What kings took vpon them soueraigntie in religion Of the 4. kind of monarchie which is electiue The dangerous state of an electiue kingdom when the prince is dead Examples therof in the kingdoms of Thuâ—es of Egâ—pt The great disorder in Rome vpâ—n the death of the Pope In the empire of Germanie In the Popedome All electiue princes are either taken indefinitely or out of certaine estates The Souldans of Cayre chosen out of the Mammelucks The great mastership of Malta electiue and that also of Prussia Of the fift kind of Monarchie which is hereditarie The Salick law excludeth daughters and their sonnes Kingdoms left by will Of the happy gouernment of the estate of France The Chancellor of France must approoue all
the small and so consequently no agreement Besides this is out of doubt that all the subiects of an Estate stand in neede of a law as of a light to guide them in the darkenes of humane actions especially it is necessarie for the terrifieng of the wicked who might pretend some true cause of their ignorance or some probable colour of their wickednes or at least some shew why they should escape the punishment which is not imprinted in our hartes as things forbidden by nature Neuertheles it is not the law that maketh a right gouernment but vpright iustice and the equal distribution therof which ought to be surer ingrauen in the mindes of good kings and princes than in tables of stone And it is to small purpose to multiply Edicts and Decrees if they be not seuerely obserued yea the first signe that a man may haue of the losse of an estate is when there appeereth an vnbrideled licence and a facilitie in dispensing with good statuts and when new decrees are daily consulted of And if the estate be already troubled the heaping vp of lawes vpon lawes is no lesse dangerous for it than a multitude of medicines in a weake stomacke whereas contrarywise new introductions and abuses are then especially to be taken away and things brought backe againe to their first and ancient forme Histories teach vs that when edicts and decrees were most of all multiplied then did tiranny gather greatest strength As it fell out vnder the tyrant Caligula who published decrees of al sorts both good and bad and those written in so small a letter that men could not read them to the end that he might thereby snare those that were ignoraunt His successour Claudius made twentie edicts in one day and yet tirannie was neuer so cruell nor men more wicked than at that time Therefore let the lawes and good ordinances of an estate be inuiolable straightly kept not subiect to dispensation not fauourable to great men but common and equall to all and then shall the bond of ciuill societie bee surely tied Now where as I said that all nations haue libertie to prescribe and frame ciuill lawes for themselues my meaning was not to approoue certaine barbarous beastly lawes receiued of some people as those lawes which alowed theeues a certain reward which permitted the company of men and women indifferently and innumerable others more dishonest which are not onely voyd of all iustice but euen of all humanitie But these two things must be kept inuiolably in all lawes namely The ordinance of the law the equitie of it vpon the reason wherof the ordinance is grouuded Equitie is alwayes one and the same to all people bicause it is naturall Therefore all the lawes in the world of what matter soeuer they are must meete in the same equitie Concerning the ordinance of the law bicause it is ioyned with circumstances no inconueniēce letteth but that it may de diuers among sundry nations prouided alwayes that they all tend a-like to the same marke of equitie Now seeyng the diuine law which we call morall is nothing else but a testimonie of the law of nature and of the conscience that is imprinted in all mens hartes no doubt but this equitie whereof we now speake is wholy declared and comprehended therein Therefore it is meete that this equitie onely should be the white rule and end of all lawes For as S. Augustine saith in his booke of the citie of God euery law that beareth not the image of the diuine lawe is a vaine censure And iustice is the end of euery law wel established which is the cause why S. Paul so greatly extolleth the vigor of the lawe calling it the bond of perfection Those lawes then which are squared out by this heauenly rule which tend to this ende and are limited out by this measure ought to be receiued and followed cheerfully albeit they differ from the Mosaicall law or otherwise one from another For many haue denied some amongst vs are yet of that opinion that no Common-wealth can be well iustly instituted and ordained if leauing the policie of Moses it be gouerned by the common lawes of other nations which is so absurd a thing and would be the cause of so great confusion in the policies of the world that there needeth no great store of arguments to prooue it vaine and friuolous Moreouer by that distinction of the law which we haue already set downe in our discourse it appeereth sufficiently that the opinion of these doters is grounded vpon a meere ignoraunce of the will of God The lawe of God forbiddeth stealing and diuers paines and punishments are appointed for the same in the policie of the Iewes according to the kind time and place of the theft The ancientest lawes of other nations punished theeues by causing thē to restore double that which they had stolne Those lawes which folowed made a distinction betweene open and secret theft others vsed banishment and some death The lawe of God forbiddeth false witnes-bearing which was punished amongst the Iewes with the same punishment that the partie falsely accused should haue incurred if he had been found guiltie In some other countries there was no punishment for it but publike ignominie and shame and in some also the gibbet Brieflie all the lawes in the world with one common consent how different soeuer they be tend to one and the same ende pronouncing sentence of condemnation against those crimes that are condemned by the eternall lawe of God onely they agree not in equalitie of punishment which is neither necessarie nor expedient There is some suche countrey that woulde speedily become desolate through murders and robberies if it did not exercise horrible grieuous punishments vpon the offenders in those crimes There falleth out some such time as requireth increase of punishments Some such natiō there is that standeth in need of some grieuous correction to be appointed for some special vice wherunto otherwise it would be more giuē than other nations He that should be offended at this diuersitie which is most meete to maintain the obseruation of the law of God would he not be thought to haue a malicious mind and to enuy publike benefite and quietnes For the conclusion of our present speech let vs learne that ciuil lawes and ordinances depend only of the soueraigne ruler that he may change them according to the occurrence and benefit of state affaires Let vs learn that all lawes must be referred to the infallible rule of the iustice and will of God and to the common profit of ciuil societie that he which commaundeth vs to obey magistrates not only for feare of punishment but also for conscience sake requireth of vs such obedience to their lawes and ordinances so that he is accursed that infringeth or contemneth them Therfore we must voluntarily submit our selues vnto them so that their
general end be to set an order and policie amongst vs and not dispute of their reason and cause as long as their iurisdiction extendeth not to our soules to lay vpon them a new rule of iustice Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Law Chap. 56. AMANA WE haue hitherto seene that the preseruation of policies dependeth of the obseruation of the law that the soueraigne magistrate ruleth thereby and vseth it as a bond to reduce to vnitie and agreement all the citizens of one Common-wealth being vnlike in calling and liuing vnder his dominion at which marke euery good politike gouernor ought chiefly to aime Now my companions we are to intreat of this third part of a citie which maketh the politike body perfect and absolute namely of the people and of that obedience which they ought to yeeld to the magistrate and to the law ARAM. The whole Common-wealth fareth well or ill as all hir parts euen to the least are ruled and containe themselues within the compasse of their duetie For all of them togither make but one body whereof the magistrate is the head and the lawe the soule that giueth life vnto it Wherefore it is needefull that these should commaund and the other obey ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer profiteth the whole profiteth the part and that which is commodious to the part is also commodious to the whole and so contrarywise Wherefore to obey well which is necessarily required of the people is greatly auaileable to the whole political bodie Now let vs heare ASER handle this matter vnto vs more at large ASER. In euery discipline the beginning is commonly taken from the least partes thereof Grammer taketh his beginning from letters which are the least things in it Logike from the two least partes thereof namely the Nowne and the Verbe Geometrie from the point Arithmetick from Vnitie Musick from the Minnem and Sembrief which are likewise the least parts therof Therefore hauing seene that Policie is the order and life of the citie and that the citie is a multitude of citizens before we speak of the whole bodie of them we must as I think intreat first of a citizen who although he differ according to the diuersitie of common-wealths yet to take him properly may be said to be euery one that hath right to iudge in his citie hath a deliberatiue voyce in the generall or common councell thereof This definition of a citizen cannot fitly be applied to all citizens of all Common-wealths but only to those that are ruled popularly wherin they are all equall and gouerne themselues by assemblies in which euery one hath libertie to speake his aduise Some define a citizen to be he whose parents are citizens or els to be a free subiect holding of the soueraigntie of an other wherin they adde this word Free to distinguish him from slaues and strangers But generally we may say that whosoeuer may beare offices or magistracie in what forme of gouernment so euer is reputed taken for a citizen and such are all the naturall Frenchmen in this monarchie amongst whom there is not one how base soeuer he be that may not be made noble by vertue or that may not by skill and integritie of life attaine to the greatest estates of iustice of treasurie and of other publike charges This is not seen in all common-wealths For in the Seignorie of Venice it seemeth that none are truely citizens but the lordes and nobles who onely enioy the office of magistracie and may enter into the great councell after they haue attained the age of fiue and twentie yeeres As for the people they intermeddle not with any matter of gouernment this only excepted that they may be Secretaries and Chancellors as Contarenus reporteth The citie of Rome hauing many times sundry gouernments the appellation of a citizen was likewise diuers therein For as long as the first kings rules the common people were altogither excluded from publike honors offices But after when the regall power was changed into the gouernment of a certaine number of men chosen by suffrages and common voyces the people were admitted to magistracies and to the managing of affairs being present at the publike assemblie had in Mars his field which was distributed by tribes wardes companies and centuries to deliberate of the common estate to create magistrates and to decree new lawes where he was reputed for a citizen in deed that was a free man that had both house and tribe and possibilitie to attaine to honor enioying besides many other priuiledges and prerogatiues But when the soueraigntie came into the emperors hands those assemblies continued onely vnder Iulius and Octautus and after were abrogated by Tyberius and translated to the Senate and to the absolute power of the prince taking away al authoritie frō the people in publike matters Now to returne to our former assertion we say that all they are citizens to whom the gate that leadeth to the gouernment of the citie lieth open I mean the whole company of them that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates Such are all the subiects and naturall vassals of our king of whom the people and the nobilitie are the two orders or estates and of them is the estate of the church compounded which maketh one part of the common-wealth of France This self-same distinction of citizens is obserued almost throughout all Europe But besides this general diuisiō there are some more special in many common-welths as at Venice into the Gentlemen Burgesses Common people at Florence before it was brought in subiectiō to a Prince there were the greater sort the middle sort the vulgar or common sort of people And our ancient Gaules had the Druides the Horsemen the inferior people In Egypt were the Priests the Souldiors the Artificers And although Plato labored to make all the citizens of his common-welth equal in rights prerogatiues yet he diuided them into three estates into Gardes Souldiers and Labourers Whereupon we must necessarilie inferre this conclusion that there neuer was nor can be Common-wealth wherein the citizens were equall in all rights and prerogatiues but that some had more or lesse than others and yet so that wise Politikes haue carefully prouided that the meanest should haue no cause to complaine of their estate Moreouer the conueniencie and proportionable agreement of our French estates hath been the cause why this kingdome vntill this our infortunate age hath continued prospered so long amongst other kingdoms both of auncient and late times namely when Goodes Honours and publike charges were ordinarily distributed according to the condition of euery estate and their rightes and priuiledges preserued especially when it was carefully prouided that one estate should not grow too great aboue the other I meane that the nobilitie should not keep the people too much vnder and bring them to a