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A01615 A discourse vpon the meanes of vvel governing and maintaining in good peace, a kingdome, or other principalitie Divided into three parts, namely, the counsell, the religion, and the policie, vvhich a prince ought to hold and follow. Against Nicholas Machiavell the Florentine. Translated into English by Simon Patericke.; Discours, sur les moyens de bien gouverner et maintenir en bonne paix un royaume ou autre principauté. English Gentillet, Innocent, ca. 1535-ca. 1595.; Patrick, Simon, d. 1613. 1602 (1602) STC 11743; ESTC S121098 481,653 391

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and the same essence have an infinit and mutuall Intelligence together which Intelligence proceedeth equally from two persons the Father and the Sonne as they are of equall essence yet can not be confounded with them although the said Intelligence be the same essence for Intelligens understanding and Intelligentia the understanding ought to be distinguished This Intelligence is the third person of the Trinitie which the scripture calleth the holy Spirit Behold then how mans braine may something comprehend by naturall reason the doctrine which wee hold of the Trinitie by a rude and grosse description which is like to that which the Geographers take to pourtray all the earth namely in five or six grosse lines in a paper of an hand breadth For the knowledge that our sence can have of so high a thing is farre lesse in comparison of the full truth thereof than is such a portrature of the Geographers in comparison of all the earth and therefore will I well confesse that we neither need nor ought much to travaile to dispute by humane reason of so high a thing which of it selfe is infinit and incomprehensible to our sences and understanding and that they which doe least dispute with philosophicall reasons are most wise most modest and that we ought wholie to hold and resolve upon that which is written by in the holy Scripture But having to do with Atheists which receive not the witnesses of the word of God it hath made me shew in few words That even by humane reason it selfe they may be vanquished by the truth of that doctrine which we hold Let us now come to another point Naturall reason and common sence teacheth us That there is one God and that he is perfect in all perfection for otherwise he could not be God this is a point resolved Hereof necessarily followeth it That God is perfect just and perfect mercifull Being perfectly just by the rule of Iustice he must needs condemne and reject all mankinde for all men generallie are vicious and vice meriteth condemnation but if God should condemne and reject all mankind it should be repugnant to his mercie which also ought to be perfect with effect How then shall we say that God cannot be perfectlie just and mercifull together because it seemeth that his mercie repugneth his justice God forbid that such blasphemie should proceed out of our mouths But we say That thereby naturall reason leads us to a Mediator who being God and perfect hath satisfied the Divine justice which satisfaction God the creator accepteth of mankind because the mediator is man also and by the meanes of this great mediator God and man which the creator hath given us hee hath shewed himselfe perfectlie just in receiving of him a satisfaction condigne to his justice and perfectlie mercifull in pardoning us for his sake without which mediator we evidentlie see that God cannot shew himselfe perfectly just and mercifull together that is to say that he cannot shew himselfe to be God for the Father cannot be without the sonne It is then a true demonstration drawne from most certaine and evident principles There is one God therefore he is perfect If God be perfect as no doubt he is he is then perfectlie just and mercifull but he cannot be both without a mediator God and man Euclide nor Archimedes ever made more certainer demonstrations But this mediator which the creator hath given to men to make manifest his perfect justice perfect mercie is his eternall Sonne the wisdome of the father in favour of whom as well before he came into the world and had taken our nature as since men have enjoyed the mercie and clemencie of God in employing that mediator to satisfie the justice of God This mediator was promised and established to men from the beginning of the world and since that his promises have beene so often reiterated that not only they have beene notoriovs to the particular people of God which followed the true Religion but also to other people which follow false Religion The Historiographer Suetonius a Paynim who never read any part of holie Scripture speaking of Vespasian as though it were a vulgar and common thing saith thus Through all the East countries alwaies there hath beene a constant and auncient opinion as a thing certaine that it was so ordeined and foretolde of God That from Iudea should come the dominator and ruler of the world As much saith the Historian Tacitus a Paynim also that never saw holy letters when he said speaking of the same time of Vespasian Many have this persuasion that within the spirits and writings of the auncient priests was conteined that at that time the East should be in great power and that from Iudea should come the dominator of the world By which witnesses of these two Historigraphers is clearlie seene that the promise of Messias the dominator of the world was knowne to everie one but not onelie the Paynims but the Iewes also themselves understand this of a temporall domination and indeed these two former historiographers and Iosephus himselfe Joseph lib. 7. cap. 12. de bel Juda. who was a Iew interpreted this prophecie of Messias of Vespasian who was created emperour of the Romane empire being in Iewrie in warre against the Iewes But this foolish and rash interpretation is nothing excusable in Iosephus who vaunteth that he himselfe was cunning foretelling things to come and in the knowledge of the bookes of Moses and of the other Prophets for all the Prophets doe all clearlie say That Messias ought to be borne of the race of Abraham of Iuda and of Dauid yea especiallie and plainly the place it selfe where he should be borne that is to say in Bethlem a little towne of the tribe of Iuda But Iosephus knew well that Vespasian was neither of that race nor borne in the towne of Bethlem but wee must beleeve that Iosephus understood better than he writ and that falslie he attributed that prophecie of Messias to the emperour Vespasian upon a flattering humor because he had received so many great favours and benefits of him And as for that which Tacitus and Suetonius have attributed unto the emperour Miracles of Christ a●●●ibuted unto Princes Vespasian that prophecie rather then to Christ men must not mervaile thereat for they were great enemies of Christ as is seene by many other places of their historie With the same faith Tacitus saith That the emperour Vespasian being in Iewry healed a blinde man which saw nothing with his spittle and another which had a drie Tacit. annal ●ib 20. hand wherewith he could not helpe himselfe for these indeed were the miracles of Christ which these prophane historians would steale from him to attribute unto Dion in Vesp their emperours And the better to discover their theft by their owne writings we must first marke that Tacitus himselfe saith That the blind man comming to Vespasian and falling on his knees before him said
maintained them in peace when all his neighbors about him were in great warre and that hee maintained so good justice amongst them as none but hee alone pilled and vexed them And certaine it is that if men must needes bee robbed and spoiled they had rather to bee so dealt with by one man alone then of many and that subjects will beare it better at their princes hands than of particulars but especiallie when extreame and hard tallies and imposts are laid upon subjects if they bee descried to bee imployed for the publike good and that it bee something softened and sweetened by a good peace justice And therefore de Comines together praiseth and reprehendeth king Lewis the eleventh his master saying That hee pilled and oppressed his subjects but yet hee would never suffer any other to doe them any evill or any way to rob or spoyle them But to many it may seeme that that we have abovesaid tendeth too much unto the dispraise of Povertie which notwithstanding seemes to bee praised and recommended by our Christian religion But hereunto I answer That Povertie of it selfe is neither praiseable nor vituperable but men must judge of them according to circumstances For if it bee suffered with an holy patience by a Christian man who takes in good part and contenteth himselfe with the vocation whereunto God hath called him and with the meanes which he hath given him and if it bee accompanied with a simple and gentle spirit assuredly such a Povertie may bee placed in the ranke of the greatest vertues For it is no small vertue to bee able well and constantly to beare Povertie without straying out of the path but rather a very difficill and rare thing Therefore the Panims themselves praised and admired Aristides Phocion Lisander Valerius Publicola Fabricius Curius Quintus Cincinnatus Menencus Agrippa Paulus Aemilius and many other great persons which have carried themselves like good and vertuous people though they were very poore because they suffered Povertie with a great and constant courage and without straying any thing from vertue Yet so much there wanteth that Christian doctrine approveth this Povertie of begging that contrary it forbiddeth plainely that none bee suffered to beg And likewise the word of God witnesseth unto us That good men will not willinglie suffer their children to beg their bread for alwaies God assisteth and giveth them meanes Therefore Monkes called Mendicants have gone too far in praising extolling and exalting Povertie not taking it as it must be understoode by the word of God And so it is like they will soone repent that from the beginning they have made so deepe a profession of Povertie against which they have many times since pleaded kicked and spurned yet could never bee rid nor dispatched of it but alwaies have beene compelled by Popes and Parliaments alwaies to hould and observe it as a thing wherein lay and lyeth all the perfection of the orders But because this account and narration is pleasant to tyred and wearied readers I will a little discourse upon the warres of these Mendicant friers You must then know that these Mendicants at their first entrie into the world to renowne their names proposed to themselves straightly to follow the estate of perfection How the Mendicants pleaded against Povertie lost the cause that by their owne merits they might enter into Paradize and cause others to enter into favour of them and with their authoritie This estate of perfection they constituted in three points Chastitie Obedience and Povertie Of the two first points wee will not speake heere but onely of the last point which is Povertie Of this Povertie also they have made three kinds High Meane and Base High Povertie which the Franciscan Friers attribute unto themselves is that which hath nothing in this world neither in proper nor in common any way that is neither fields nor house nor possession nor rents nor pension nor beasts nor moveables nor apparrell nor bookes nor rights nor actions nor fruits nor any other thing in the world Behold here indeede a soveraigne pure and exceeding neere Povertie wherin there neither wanteth any thing neither is there any thing to be reprooved since it hath nothing at all The second kind which is for the Dominicans and Iacobins is a Meane Povertie which hath nothing particular or proper but only somethings in common as bookes apparrell and daily victuals The third and last kind which the Carmelites Augustines have retained for themselves is Base Povertie which may have proper common and in particular whatsoever is justly necessarie to life as apparrell bookes certaine pensions and some lands for helpe of their kitchin and necessitie of their living And it is good to note in those good brethren the Carmelites and Augustines how humble they shew themselves to bee contented with so base a kind of Povertie without any desire to mount higher as acknowledging themselves unworthie and incapable for to ascend into so high and superlative a degree These Mendicants then being obliged and restrained unto Povertie by a solemn vow which they make at their profession in their orders they are so annexed united and incorporated in it and with it that never after they could be never so little seperated or dismembred what diligence or labour soever they used to do it hereof they have found themselves much troubled and sorrowfull For howsoever gallant and goodly the Theorique of Povertie is yet in practise they have found it a little too difficile and hard And indeede if you consider more nigh the Theorique thereof especially of that high and soveraigne Povertie I know not whether you can finde any thing in the world more excellent or more admirable For they which make profession thereof in my opinion come something nigh an Angell like nature because the Angels have no need of the use of the earthly corruptible goods of this miserable world but onely take care of divine and spirituall things More also they which make profession of this high Povertie have this advauntage over the rich men which possesse the goods of this vale of miserie that they are not wrapped in so many mischeefes and travailes which accompanie those goods but are franke and free taking no care nor thought for ploughing manuring sowing reaping grape-gathering lopping of trees grafting eradicating cutting planting building selling buying or doing any other like things which concerne the affaires of the world From all these things they are free and exempted having nothing which hindereth them to be in a continuall contemplation and meditation of divine things to come in time unto a great and deepe wisedome yea to approch to the Angelicall nature of the Cherubins and Seraphins which have no other occupation than to contemplate and exalt the Divinitie But also if on the other side you consider the great difficulties in this so strict and straight use of Povertie you shall find it verily a sad and unpleasant thing For it is an approoved
respected and doubt honoured for as the Poet Euripides saith At the good accounted ●● of Noble blood to bee Euri. in Hecu. But double is his honour whom wee vertuous doe see Heere will I ende these present discourses exhorting and praying the French Nobilitie and all other persons which love the publike good of France to marke and earnestly consider the points which above wee have handled against Machiavell For so may they know how wicked impious and detestable the doctrine of that most filthie Atheist is who hath left out no kind of wickednesse to build a tyrannie accomplished of all abhominable vices They which know this I beleeve will couragiousl●e employ themselves to drive away and banish from France Machiavell and all his writings and all such as maintaine and follow his doctrine and practise it in France to the ruine and desolation of the kingdome and of the poore people I could much more have amplified this discourse if I would have examined all the doctrine of Machiavell For hee handleth many other very detestable and strange things as the meanes to make conspirations and how they must bee executed as well with sword as with poyson and many other like matters But I abhorre to speake of so villanous and wicked things which are but too much knowne amongst men and have contented my selfe to handle the principall points of his doctrine which merit to bee discovered and brought to light I pray God our Father and Creator in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ our onely Saviour and Mediator that he will preserve his Church and his elected from the contagious and wicked doctrine of such godlesse and prophane men as are too common in the world and that he will not suffer them which are of his flock to bee tossed and troubled by a sort of turbulent and ignorant spirits But that he will grant us grace alwaies to persevere in his holy doctrine in the right way which he hath shewed us by his word and well to discerne and know abusive lying and malitious spirits to detest and flie them and continually to follow his truth which will teach us his feare and his commandements and by his grace will bring us unto eternall life So bee it FINIS THE INDEX OR TABLE OF Machiavels Maximes confuted in those discourses divided into three parts The Maximes of the first part doe handle such Counsell as a Prince should take A Princes good Counsell ought to proceed from his owne wisedome otherwise he cannot be well counselled Max. 1. The Prince to shun and not to bee circumvented of Flatterers ought to forbid his friends and Counsellors that they speake not to him nor counsell him any thing but only in those things whereof hee freely begins to speake or asketh their advice Max. 2. A Prince ought not to trust in Strangers Max. 3. The Maximes of the second part handling the Religion which a Prince ought to observe and be of A Prince above all things ought to wish and desire to bee esteemed Devout although he be not so indeed Max. 1. A Prince ought to sustaine and confirme that which is false in Religion if so be it turne to the favour thereof 2. The Paynims Religion holds and lifts up their hearts and makes them hardie to enterprise great things but the Christian Religion persuading to Humilitie humbleth and too much weakeneth their minds and so makes them more readie to be injured and preyed upon 3. 4. The great Doctors of the Christian Religion by a great ostentation and stiffenesse have sought to abolish the remembrance of all good letters and antiquitie 4. When men left the Paynim Religion they became altogether corrupted so that they neither beleeved in God nor the Divell Max. 5. The Romane Church is cause of all the calamities of Italie Max. 6. Moses could never have caused his lawes and ordinances to bee observed if force and armes had wanted 7. Moses usurped Iudea as the Gothes usurped a part of the empire 8. The Religion of Numa was the cheefe cause of Romes felicitie 9. A man is happy so long as Fortune agreeth to his nature humor 10. The Maximes of the third Part entreating of such Policie as a Prince ought to have That Warre is just which is necessary and those Armes reasonable when men can have no hope by any other way but by Armes Max. 1. To cause a Prince to withdraw his mind altogether from peace agreement with his adversarie he must commit and use some notable and outragious injurie against him Max. 2. A Prince in a conquered countrey must establish and place Colonies or Garrisons but most especially in the strongest places and to chase away the naturall and old inhabitants thereof Max. 3. A Prince in a countrey newly conquered must subvert and destroy all such as suffer great losse in that conquest and altogether root out the blood and race of such as before governed there 4. To be revenged of a citie or countrey without striking any blow they must be filled with wicked manners 5. It is follie to thinke with Princes and great Lords that new pleasures will cause them to forget old offences 6. A Prince ought to propound unto himselfe to imitate Caesar Borgia the sonne of Pope Alexander the sixt 7. A Prince need not care to be accounted Cruell if so be that hee can make himselfe to be obeyed thereby 8. It is better for a Prince to be feared than loved 9. A prince ought not to trust in the amitie of men 10. A prince which would have any man to die must seeke out some apparent colour thereof and then hee shall not bee blamed if so be that he leave his inheritance and goods unto his children 11. A prince ought to follow the nature of the Lyon and of the Fox yet not of the one without the other 12. Cruelty which tendeth and is done to a good end is not to be reprehended Max. 13. A Prince ought to exercise Crueltie all at once and to doe pleasures by little and little Max. 14. A vertuous Tyrant to maintaine his tyrannie ought to maintain partialities and factions amongst his subjects and to slay and take away such as love the Commonweale Max. 15. A Prince may as well be hated for his vertue as for his vices 16. A prince ought alwaies to nourish some enemie against himself to this end that when he hath oppressed him he may be accounted the more mightie and terrible 17. A prince ought not to feare to be perjured to deceive and dissemble for the deceiver alwayes finds some that are fit to be deceived 18. A Prince ought to know how to wind and turne mens minds that he may deceive and circumvent them 19. A Prince which as it were constrained useth Clemencie and Lenitie advaunceth his owne destruction 20. A wise prince ought not to keepe his Faith when the observation therof is hurtful unto him that the occasions for which he gave it be takē away 21. Faith Clemencie and Liberalitie are vertues very domageable to a prince but it is good that of them he only have some similitude likenes 22. A Prince ought to have a turning and winding wit with art and practise made fit to be cruell and unfaithfull that he may shew himselfe such an one when there is need 23. A prince desirous to breake a peace promised sworn with his neighbor ought to move warre against his friend with whom he hath peace 24. A prince ought to have his mind disposed to turne after every wind and variation of Fortune that he may know to make use of a vice when need is 25. Illiberalitie is commendable in a prince and the reputation of an handicrafts man is a dishonour without evill will 26. A prince which will make a strait profession of a good man cannot long continue in the world amongst such an heap of naughty wicked people 27. Men cannot be altogether good nor altogether wicked neither can they perfectly use crueltie and violence 28. He that hath alwayes caried the countenance of a good man and would become wicked to obtain his desire ought to colour his change with some apparent reason 29. A prince in the time of peace maintaining discords and partialities amongst his subjects may the more easily use them at his pleasure 30. Civile seditions and dissentions are profitable and not to be blamed 31. The meanes to keepe subjects in peace and union and to hould them from rebellion is to keepe them alwayes poore 32. A Prince which feareth his subjects ought to build fortresses in his countrey to hold them in obedience 33. A Prince ought to commit to another those affaires which are subject to hatred and envie and reserve to himselfe such as depend upon his grace and favour 34. To administer good Iustice a Prince ought to establish a great number of Judges 35. Gentlemen which hold Castles and Jurisdictions are very great enemies of commonweales 36. The Nobility of France would overthrow the Estates of that kingdome if their Parliaments did not punish them and hould them in feare 37. FINIS