Cities and Kingdomes haue beene lost and ouerthrowen for want of secrecie But let vs now begin to speake of Ministers and Secretaries of State in whom vsually lyes the greater fault And to whom by their Office secrecie more properly belongs The name it selfe expresing as much For out of that obligation which they haue to be secret they are called Secretaries and are the Archiues and Cabinets of the secrets of the King and the kingdom Though this name through the soothing and flattery of your suitors He means the Escrinanos and Notaries of Spaine hath falsely extended it selfe to those which neither keepe secret nor treate of such businesses as require secrecie And it is fit that these names should not be thus confounded or that that Honor and Title should be giuen to him to whom by Office it not appertaineth Secretaryes I say shut vp with that secrecie Apoc. 5.1 as was that booke of those secret Mysteries which Saint Iohn found sealed with seuen seales which none Tobit 12.7 but the King himselfe could open Sacramentum Regis bonum est sayd the Angel Raphael to Toby opera autem Dei reuelare honorificum est It is good to keepe close the secret of a King but it is honourable to reueale the worke of God Which is as much to say as that the determinations of a King should be kept secret but that the effects and execution of them should be published and made manifest when it is fitting for the seruice of God and the Kingdome For a Kings secret is his heart and till that God shall moue him to expresse it by some outward worke there is no reason that any one else should discouer it To reueale a secret is by the Lawes of God and Nature and by all men generally condemned and all Lawes and Nations doe seuerely punish the same for the great hurt and many inconueniences that may follow thereupon The Lawes they are defrauded the resolutions of Kings they are hindred their enemies they are aduertised their friends they are offended mens mindes they are perturbed kingdomes they are altered peace that is lost the delinquents they are not punished And lastly all publicke and priuate businesses are ouerthrowen And there is not any thing that goes crosse or amisse in a State or that miscarryes or is lost but by the reuealing of the secrets of Kings and of their Counsells As that great Chancellour Gerson told the King of France touching the ill successe of some things in his time for that some of his Ministers did publish that which was treated and determined at the Counsell-Table And the like befell Enrique King of Portugall Who because hee was deafe they were faigne to speake so loud vnto him Valer. lib. 2. Mirabi Caepola Simancus de rep lib 7 cap. 14. cap. 15. that all men might heare what they said Valerius Maximus much commendeth the secrecie of the Romane Senate and says that for this cause that Consistorie was held in high esteeme and that it was a great occasion of inlarging their Empire And they and the Persians did keepe with that faith the secrets of their Kings that there was no feare of plumping them or being able to draw any thing from them no not so much as the least word whereby to discouer the businesse Vse together with the feare of punishment and hazard of their liues had so settled and confirmed this silence in them For they did punish no offence with greater rigour then that of vnfaithfullnesse in matters of secrecie and with a great deale of reason because it is in so neere a degree vnto Treason and I thinke I should not say amisse if I stiled it in the highest Oser lib. 8. de Regis institutione Regis proditor Patriae euersor astimandus est saith Osorius such a one is to be hled a Traytour to the King and a subuerter of the state A Law of the Partida sayth Ley. 5. Tit. 9. p. 2. in fine Ibi. Faria traycion Excepto encaso detraycion y heregia culo qual por dottrina de santo Thomas se puedes dist 21. dist 10. q. 2. artic 3. q. 1. ad 2 L. 5. Tit. lib. 2. That those Counsellours which reueale their Kings secretes commit treason yea though secrecie be not inionyed them nor they charged there with But hee that takes an oath to be secret and reuealeth any thing contrary thereunto besides that he is a periur'd and infamous person hee sinnes mortally and is bound to satisfaction of all the harme that shall happen thereby and incurres the punishment of depriuation of his Office For if hee be sworne to secrecie or bee made a Secretary and hath silence for the seale of his Office he is iustly depriued thereof if he vse it amisse And the Law of the Recopilation saith that hee is lyable to that punishment which the King will inflict vpon him according to the qualitie of the offence or the hurt thereby receiued And the Imperiall Law chapter the first Quibus modis feudum amittit that hee shall loose the see which hee holdes of his Lord. Plutarke reporteth of Philipides that he being in great grace and fauour with Lysimachus King of Lacademonia begged no other boone of him but this That he would not recommend any secret vnto him As one that knew very well that saying of one of the wise men of Greece That there was not any thing of more difficultie then to be silent in matters of secrecie As also for that it being communicated to others though it come to be discouered by anothers fault and none of his yet the imputation is laid as well vpon him that was silent as on him that reuealed and so must suffer for another mans errour And in case any man shall incurre any iust suspition thereof let the King withdraw his fauour from him dismisse him the Court and put another in his place that shall be more secret for that which they most pretend is their fidelitie in this point And howbeit they haue neuer so many other vertues and good abilities yet wanting this they want all and are of no vse no more then were those vessells in Gods House which had no Couers to their mouthes For such open vessells are they that cannot keepe close a secret and altogether vnworthy the seruice of kings The substance and vertue of your flowres goes out in vapours and exhalations of the Lymbecke And heate passeth out through the mouth of the fornace and a secret from betweene the lipps of a Foole it being a kinde of disease amongst those that know least to talke most and to vent through their mouth whatsoeuer they haue in their heart In ore fatuorum Eccl. 21.26 Cor illorum sayth the Wise man in corde sapientium os illorum The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in their hearts Cogitauerunt Psal 72. et locuti sunt Looke what a Foole hath
in his head hee will presently out with it But a wise man will not speake all that hee knowes And therfore your Naturallists say that Nature placed two vaines in the Tongue the one going to the heart the other to the braine To the end that that which remaines secret in the heart the Tongue should not vtter saue what reason and the vnderstanding haue first registred conformable to that Order which is betweene the faculties of the Soule and of the Body it being fit that the Imagination should first conceiue and the Tongue afterwards bring forth that thinke the other speake Not like vnto that foole who vnaduisedly and without premeditation Psal 52.2 went all day long babbling vp and downe Tota die iniustitiam cogitauit lingua tua Thy tongue all day-long deuiseth mischiefe That is whatsoeuer it imagineth it easily vttreth nay sometimes the Tongue speaketh without booke and runnes riot afore euer it is a ware But let vs conclude this with that of Salomon That Death and Life Prou. 18.21 are in the power of the tongue A dangerous weapon in the hands of him that is not Master thereof and knowes not how to rule it For all Mans good or ill consisteth in the good or ill vse of this Instrument The well gouerning whereof is like a good Pilot that gouerneth a ship and the ill guiding of it like a dangerous rocke whereon men split their honour and often loose their liues And therefore the Diuell left patient Iob when all the rest of his body was wounded with sores his tongue whole and sound Not with intent to doe him any kindnesse therein but because hee knew very well that that alone was sufficient if hee were carelesse thereof for to make him loose his honour his life and his soule For all these lye in the power of the Tongue Prou. 13.3 Qui in consideratus est ad loquendum sentiet mala He that openeth wide his lipps shall haue destruction And the plagues which shall befall him will bee so remedilesse that he shall not meete with any medicine to cure them Nor is there any defence against the carelesse negligences of a babbling tongue which are so many that the Holy Ghost stiles such a kinde of tongue the Vniuersitie or Schoole of wickednesse Vniuersitas iniquitatis Iam. 3.6 Wherein is read a Lecture of all the Vices Whereas on the contrary Vir prudens secreta non prodit Tacenda enim tacet et loquenda loquitur Seneca lib 4. de Virtut A wise man will not betray a secret But silenceth those things that are to be silenced and vttereth those things that are to be vttered It is worthy our weighing how much importeth the warinesse in our words for Gods honour and the Kings credit and authoritie which is much abused and lessened by futile and flippant tongues to the great hurt of a kingdome and the good gouernment of the Common-wealth And let Kings correct this so great a disorder in the disclosing of secrets either out of their respect to such and such persons or for their particular Interests or out of the weakenesse of a slippery tongue Let Priuie-Counsellours I say and Secretaries of State bridle their tongues If not let Kings if they can restraine them And if they cannot do it of themselues let them petition God as Dauid did In camo et fraeno maxillas eorum constringe Psal 31.92 Iames 3.8 Hold in their mouth with bit and bridle For I am of Saint Iames his beliefe Nullus hominum domare potest The tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill I say moreouer that the harmes which the Tongue doth are so many and in such a diuerse manner that the euill consisteth not onely in speaking but many times likewise in being silent and saying nothing by forbearing to speake the truth in that which is fitting and when it ought to speake as already hath beene sayd and in not reprouing and amending his neighbour being obliged thereunto by the Law Naturall Diuine and Positiue And in not reprehending Murmurers and Backbiters for then for a man to hold his peace and not to checke them for it is to consent and concurre with them and to approue that which they say And S. Bernard tells vs that he cannot determine which of the two is worser Detrahere Bern. lib. 2. de Conside ad Eugen. aut detrahentem audire quid horum damnabilius sit non facile dixerim To detract or to heare him that detracteth which is the more damnable I cannot easily define But more especially in Kings persons of authoritie who with a blast only of their breath or with a sower looke may make them hold their peace I leaue the charge of this vnto them and charge their consciencs with it And for the discharge of mine owne I will now aduertise them of another sort of people whom for their tongue and talke none can exceede §. IIII. Of Flatterers and their Flatteries AMongst those infinite hurtes and mischiefes which an euill tongue causeth one amongst the rest and not the least is that of Adulation and flattery Which is so much the greater by how much the more dissembled and feigned it is The sacred Scripture tearmes it absolutely a sinne and says that a flatterer is absolutely a sinner So some doe paraphrase vpon that Verse Oleum autem peccatoris The oyle or balme of a sinner For in it is included all sortes of sinne whatsoeuer and aboue all a great neglect and contempt of God for although this be to be seene in all kinde of sinnes yet doth it more particularly expresse it selfe in those which draw not with them any delight which they doe as it were vnprofitably and sine pretio for it brings them no profit at all vnlesse when most a little Vanitie which they more esteeme then God These that they may gaine the kings elbowe or that they may not bee put from it speake alwayes vnto him in fauour of that which hee desireth and all their Artifice and cunning is to conceale the Truth and that the doore may be shut against him that may tell it him or those that know not like themselues how to please the Kings palate And being confident that they will giue eare to euery word which they speake they lay falsehoods and lyes athwart their way fathering such Actions of Prowesse and valour vpon Kings that they haue much adoe to for-beare laughing that heare their folly For there are some prayses that are dis-prayses and redound much to the disgrace and dishonour of Princes For by those vntruths wherewith they sooth and flatter them they breed suspition of that good which is in them And because they make pleasing the marke whereat they shoote they neuer looke whether it be a lye or a truth which they deliuer nor haue an eye more vnto good then ill iuste or vniust against God or his neighbour all is one Cannonizing their King for
himselfe liberall solicitous peaceable patient louing kinde and courteous towards all All of them qualities that conserue a Kings fauour and gaine the peoples good will A Fauourite must be modest affable and affoord a courteous hearing vnto all men Besides it is a part of Iustice so to doe and a very necessarie meanes to come to the knowledge of all things and to be the better prouided against whatsoeuer shall occurre Whereas on the contrary to looke to be intreated and sued vnto and not easie to bee spoken withall argues a kinde of pride and statelinesse which all abhorre This is the doctrine of Tacitus citing the example of Seianus the Emperour Tiberius his great Fauourite who being growne into grace with him the better to conserue himselfe therein forthwith endeauoured to fauour and pleasure all your principall and noble persons in their pretensions For in all occurrences he conceiued hee might expect more kindnesse from them then from the baser and meaner sort of people whereby he came to bee loued of the one and feared of the other and by all of them to be serued and obeyed Insomuch that there was not any one who did not seeke vnto him to mediate and make intercession for them with Tiberius And howbeit he was not ignorant that hee was superiour to them all and inferiour to none yet did he neuer grow neglectfull of his humble carriage and reuerent respect to his Prince and a due regard vnto all Hitherto hee proceeded fairely and went on well and may serue for a patterne and example for Fauourites but in the rest for a prouiso and admonition for Kings For after that ambition and couetousnesse entred into his heart that consuming moath and deuouring worme of all goodnesse he presently procured the charge or place of Praefectus Praetorius or Captainship of the Guard and within a short time grew to be so absolute therein that he became as it were Lord and Master of his Prince and crusht all that stood in his way or might be of any impediment to his priuacie He sought alwayes to bee with him lest others might creepe in betwixt him and home and possesse his place still humbly beseeching him that he would imploy him in businesses of greatest danger and trouble and such as might redound most to the benefit of the Emperours life and state A maine point wherewith to oblige his Prince vnto him and to make him the more acceptable in his sight For those that are nearest about Kings and are in greatest fauour with him ought in the greatest dangers to set their foot formost and to be the forwardest aduenturers He did seeke to ouercome Art by Art inducing Tiberius to retire himselfe to places of pleasure that were remote and farre from Court to the end that whilest he was recreating himselfe abroad he might dispose of him as it pleased him He told him that solitude was the best and onely course for the resoluing of the graue and weighty affaires of the Empire which otherwise by diuersion might receiue the same hurt and hinderance as they were wont to haue heretofore And what with this and with giuing him to vnderstand that he would quit him of all the ordinarie cares and troubles of Court most men vsually desiring to shunne trouble and to take their ease and pleasure hee perswaded him to go to Capri that hee in the meane while might rule and gouerne all And in the end grew to be so great and powerfull and to take such state vpon him that hee would not giue audience to any reducing them to those tearmes that they should speake and negociate by writing to the end that nothing might bee treated or resolued of without his priuie saying That by reducing businesses to papers and memorialls answer might bee giuen vnto them with more deliberation and better consideration then by word of mouth A meere Artifice cunning trick of his own inuention to make himselfe absolute Master of all and which is more of the heart of his Prince God deliuer vs from such ambitious interessed and couetous Ministers whose maine care is their owne particular and to heape vp riches for himselfe and his and make it their whole study and onely end to keepe and continue themselues in their kings grace and fauour and to deale with their Prince as the Ante doth with the corne which that it may not grow againe and that hee may the better and more conueniently make profit thereof presently eates out the heart of it God likewise free Kings from this base subiection and insensibilitie and from men of that qualitie and condition which desire to rule and command all For the one cannot escape a storme and the other must runne great hazard of being drowned therein Let the last aduertisement bee the example of a great Fauourite whose name is Aurelius Cassidorus borne in the Prouince of Calabria and highly aduanced in Magistracies and Gouernments of both Empires Rome and Constantinople who being renowned for his cheualrie and noble feates of armes defended the Islands of Sicily and Calabria from many and those very powerfull enemies In his younger yeares he attained to all the liberall arts in that perfection that hee made the present and succeeding times to admire him And for his great parts and abilities was entertained by Theodoricus King of the Ostro-Gothes hee was receiued into his seruice and grew so farre into his fauour by reason of his vnderstanding wisedome and dextrousnesse in treating businesses that he first of all made him his Secretarie in which Office he behaued himselfe so well that by degrees he went climbing vp to the high Offices and dignities in the State which in those dayes were not conferred out of fauour but meere desert From being Secretary he came to bee Lord Chancellour and Senatour in the Citie of Rauenna being honoured besides with diuerse offices in the Kings Court Afterwards he was made Viceroy of the Prouinces of Sicilia and Calabria and for addition of honour had the title of Patâ—â—â—â—e giuen him which in those dayes was in great esteeme Hee was Lord Treasurer and Master of the Palace which was as it were a superintendent ouer the Palatines being an order of Knights and Gentlemen that had Offices and other preâ—etainences in Court He held the dignitie of Prafectâ—us Praetorius being as it were the second person of the King to whom the weightiest businesses of peace and warre were remitted and what therein he determined and resolued vpon was receiued as an oracle that could not erre Though now adayes little credit is giuen to the words of great persons and powerfull Ministers and not without cause for that many of them say and do not promise much and performe little And your Fauourites which haue great both place and power about their Kings are in such good opinion and credit likewise with the world that they presently beleeue whatsoeuer they say and see what they professe is approued by them as if it were
because in it's administration it is an Office so full of difficulties the Apostle S. Paul admonisheth all the faithfull that they alwayes make earnest Prayers for them which is still vsed to this day in all your Catholike Churches Moreouer that the name of a King is the name of an Office Refran El beneficio se da por el oficio it is confirmed by that common saying Beneficium datur propter Officium And therefore Kings being so greatly benefitted not onely by those great Tributes which are giuen them by the Common-wealth but likewise by those which they receiue from the Benefices and Rents of the Church it is an vndoubted truth that they haue an Office and of Offices the greatest and for this cause the whole Kingdome doth so freely and liberally contribute vnto them Which is specified by S. Paul in a Letter of his which hee wrote vnto the Romans Rom. 13.6 Ideò tributa praestatis c. For this cause pay you Tribute also For they are Gods Ministers attending continually vpon this very thing c. Kingdomes doe not pay their taxes idly and in vaine So many sessements so many Subsedies so many impositions so many great rentes so much authoritie so high a Title and so great a Dignitie is not giuen without charge and trouble In vaine should they haue the name of Kings if they had not whom to rule and gouerne And therefore this obligation lyes vpon them In multitudine populi dignitas regis The honour of a King is in the multitude of his People So great a dignitie so great reuenewes such a deale of Greatnesse Maiestie and Honour with a perpetuall Cense and rate vpon his Subiects Lands and Goods binde him to rule and gouerne his States conseruing them by Peace and Iustice Let Kings therefore know that they are to serue their kingdomes being they are so well payd for their paines and that they beare an Office which tyes them necessarily to this trouble Rom. 12.8 Qui praeest in solicitudine saith S. Paul He that ruleth with diligence This is the Title and name of King and of him that gouernes Not of him that goes before others onely in his Honour and his pleasure but of him that excells others in his solicitude and his care Let them not thinke that they are Kings onely in name and representation and that they are not bound to any more but to bee adored and reuerenced and to represent the person royall with a good grace and to carry themselues with a soueraigne kind of State and Maiestie like some of those Kings of the Medes and Persians which were no more then meere shadowes of Kings so wholy neglectfull were they of their office as if they had beene no such manner of Men. There is not any thing more dead and of lesse substance then the image of a shadow which neither waggs arme nor head but at the Motion of that which causeth it Exod. 20. God Commanded his people that they should not make any grauen Image nor any feigned Pictures or counterfeit paintings which shew a hand where there is none discouer a face where there is none and represent a body where there is none expressing therein actions to the life as if the Image or Picture did see and speake For God is no friend of feigned figures of painted men nor of Kings that are onely so in shape and proportion being in fashion like vnto those Psal 135. 16. of whom Dauid sayd Os habent non loquuntur oculos habent non videbunt c. They haue mouths but speake not eyes haue they but they see not They haue eares but heare not and hands haue they but handle not And to what vse I pray serues all this They are no more then meere Idolls of Stone which haue no more in them of Kings but onely an externall representation To be all name and authoritie and to be Men in nothing else doe not sute well together Woe to the Idoll Shepheard saith Zacharie that leaueth the flocke Zach. 11.17 The sword shall be vpon his arme and vpon his right eye His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be vtterly darkeneds it is written in the Reuelation Nomen habes quod viuas Apoc. 3.1 mortuus es Thou hast a name that thou liuest and art dead The names which God setteth vpon Kings are like vnto the Title of a Booke which in few words containeth all that is therein This name of King is giuen by God vnto Kings and therein includeth all that which this their Office tyes them to doe And if their workes and actions doe not answer with their name and Title it is as if one should say yea with his Mouth and by making Signes say no with his head What a iest and mockerie is this How shall such a one bee truely vnderstood It were Cosenage and deceit in that Golde beater who writes vpon his Signe Heere is fine gold to be sold when indeed it is but Orpine and base gold for Painters The name of King is not an Attribute of Idlenesse A person regall must haue reall performance As his name soundeth so let him serue in his place it is the people that proclaime the King but it is the King that must proclaime his loue to the people Hee that hath the name of ruling and gouerning a Gods name let him rule and gouerne They are not to be Reyes de anillo as it is in the Prouerb that is to say nominall Kings only praeter nomen nihil hauing nothing else in them In France there was a time when their kings had nothing but the bare name of Kings their Liuetenants Generall gouerning and Commanding all whilest they like so many beastes did busie themselues in nothing else but following the delights and pleasures of Gluttonie and Wantonnesse And because it might be known and appeare to the people that they were aliue for they neuer came abroad once a yeare they made shew of themselues on the first day of May in the Market-place of Paris sitting in a chaire of State on a throne royall like your kings amongst your Stage-players and there in reuerence they bowed their bodies vnto them and presented them with giftes and they againe conferred some fauours on such as they though fit And because you may see the miserie whereunto they were brought Eynardus in the beginning of that Historie which he writes of the life of Charles the Great says That those Kings in those dayes had no valour in them in the world made no shew of Noblenesse nor gaue so much as a tast of any inclination thereunto but had onely the empty and naked name of King For in very deede they were not Kings nor had actually and effectually any hand in the gouernment of the State or the wealth and riches of the Kingdome for they were wholly possessed by the Praesecti Palatij whom they called
Seneshalls or Lord high Stewards of the Kings House Who were such absolute Lords and of that vnlimited power that they ruled the roste and did what they list leauing the poore seely King nothing saue onely the bare Title who sitting in a Chaire with his Perriwigge and his long beard represented the person of a King making the world beleeue that hee gaue Audience to all Ambassadours that came from forraigne parts and gaue them their answers and dispatches when they were to returne But in very truth he sayd no more vnto them saue what hee had beene taught or had by writing beene powred into him making shew as if all this had beene done out of his owne Head So that these kinde of Kings had nothing of the Power-Royall but the vnprofitable name of King and inutile throne of State and a personated Maiestie that lay open to nothing but scorne and derision For the true kings and those that commanded all were those their Minions and Fauorites who oppressed the other by their potencie and kept them in awe Of a King of Samaria God sayd That hee was no more but paululum spumae a froathy bubble Which being beheld a far off seemeth to be something but when you draw neere and touch it it is nothing Simia in tecto Rex fatuus in solio suo He is like vnto an Ape on the house-toppe who vsing the apparances and gestures of a man is taken for such a one by them that know him not Iust so is a foolish King vpon his Throne your Ape likewise serueth to entertaine children and to make them sport And a King causeth laughter in those who behold him stript of the actions of a King without authoritie and without gouernment A King appareled in Purple and sitting with great Maiestie in his Throne answereable to his greatnesse seemeth in shew graue seuere and terrible but in effect nothing Like vnto the Picture of that Grecians limming which being placed on high and beheld from a farre seemed to be a very good Peece But when you came neerer vnto it and viewed it well it was full of Blots and Blurs and very course stuffe A King vnder his Canopie or Princely Pall expresseth a great deale of outward State and Maiestie but himselfe being narrowly lookt into is no better then the blurred Character of a King Simulachra gentium Dauid calleth those Kings that are Kings onely in name Or as the Hebrew renders it Imago fictilis contrita An image of crack't earth which leaketh in a thousand places A vaine Idoll which representeth much yet is no other then a false and lying shadow And that name doth very well sute with them which Eliphas falsly put vpon Iob Iob. 4.19 who being so good and so iust a man did mocke at him vpbrayding him that his foundation was in the dust that he was not a man of any solid and sound iudgement but onely had some certaine exteriour apparences calling him Mimicoleon which is a kinde of creature which in Latin they call Formicaleo Because it hath a monstrous kinde of Composture in the one halfe part of the body representing a fierce Lyon which was alwayes the Hierogliffe of a King and in the other halfe an Ante or Pismire which signifieth a weake thing and without any substance Authoritie Name Throne and Maiestie doth well become Lyons and powerfull Princes And hitherto it is well But when we looke on the other halfe and see the being and substance of a Pismire that goes hard There haue beene Kings who with their very name onely haue strooke the world into a feare and terrour But they themselues had no substance in them and were in their Kingdome no better then Ants and Pismires Great in name and Office but poore in action Let euery King then acknowledge himselfe to be an Officer and not onely to bee a priuate but a publicke Officer and a superintendent in all Offices whatsoeuer For in all hee is bound both to speake and doe S Austen and D. Thomas expounding that place of Saint Paul Aug. D. Tho. in Epis. 1. ad Tim. 3. which treates of Episcopall Dignitie say That the Latin word Episcopus is compounded in the Greeke of two words being in signification the same with Superintendens The name of Bishop of King and of whatsoeuer other superior is a name that comprehendeth Superintendencie and assistance in all Offices This the royall Scepter signifieth exercised by Kings in their publicke acts a Ceremonie vsed by the Aegyptians but borrowed from the Hebrews who for to expresse the obligation of a good King did paint an open eye placed alofte vpon the top of a rod in forme of a Scepter signifying in the one the great power that a King hath and the prouidence and vigilancie which hee is to haue In the other that he doe not onely content himselfe in possessing this supreme power and in holding this high and eminent place and so lye downe and sleepe and take his ease as if there were no more to bee done but hee must bee the first in gouernment the first in Councell and all in all Offices hauing a watchfull eye in viewing and reuiewing how euery publicke Minister performes his duty In signification whereof Ieremie saw the like rod Ier. 1. v. 12. when God asking him what hee saw hee sayd Virgam Vigilantem ego video Well hast thou seene and verily I say vnto thee That I who am the head will watch ouer my body I that am the shepheard will watch ouer my sheepe And I that am a King and Monarke will watch without wearinesse ouer all my Inferiours The Chalde translates it Regem festinantem a King that goes in hast For though hee haue eyes and see yet if he betake him to his ease be lull'd asleepe with his delightes and pleasures and doth not bestirre himselfe visiting this and that other place and seeke to see and know all the good and euill which passeth in his Kingdome hee is as if hee were not Let him bethinke himselfe that he is a Head and the Head of a Lyon which sleepes with his eyes open That he is that rodde which hath eyes and watcheth Let him therefore open his eyes and not sleepe trusting to those that perhaps are blinde or like Moles haue no eyes at all or if they haue any vse them no farther then for their own priuate profit And therein they are quicke sighted These haue the eyes of the Kyte and other your birdes of rapine but it were better that they had no eyes at all then haue them all for themselues CHAP. IIII. Of the Office of Kings HAuing proued that the name of King is not of Dignitie onely but likewise of Occupation and Office it is fit that we should now treate of the qualities and partes thereof For the better vnderstanding whereof wee must follow the Metaphor or resemblance of Mans body whereof the Apostle S. Paul made vse thereby to giue vs
to couet it the more for it's treasure is infinite and no man can exhaust it And therefore the more a man hath of it the more he desireth it It is the retreit and receptacle of faith and of all the Arts and Sciences both practicke and speculatiue hauing an vniuersall aptitude to receiue them all into it selfe and vpon the apprehension of them to put them in execution And although it be a potentia or faculty of a limited power yet so great is it's capacity and of that amplenesse and ablenesse to receiue and containe that it seemeth infinite for let a man know neuer so much yet can he not fill vp his knowledge For such and such notions dispose the vnderstanding for others Knowledge begetteth knowledge and the more things a man knoweth so much the more easily doth he apprehend those he knoweth not till he come to the perfect inquiry and knowledge of the truth and by conuersing with the wise and exercise of good Letters hee goes still rising higher and higher And by how much the more a man is aduanced in his vnderstanding so much the more aduantage shall he haue of those which haue not the same measure Suting with that saying of the Comicke Poet who wondering to see the great difference betweene man man cryes out Homo homini quid praestat So much doth one man differ from another in wisdome and prudence that they seeme to be different species And hence is it that the aduantage which a wise man hath ouer those that are not so is to make him King ouer all the people Which lesson God taught vs in the first King he made choice of for his people who standing in the midst of his Subiects was taller then any of them from the sholders vpwards so that his head shew'd it selfe aboue them all 1 Sam. 10.28 And the word Melech which in the originall signifieth a king in that large eminent Letter which stands in the midst of it doth mistically giue vs to vnderstand the excellency that aboue others Kings ought to haue And therefore Plato stiled a prudent and wise Gouernour Virum divinum a diuine man presupposing that he should be somewhat more then a man and exceed in diuine wisedome all other Gouernours whatsoeuer Vbi sapiens ibi est Deus in humano corpore And therefore as God by way of eminency containeth the perfections of all the Creatures so as farre forth as a Creature can a wise King should and that with much aduantage possesse the perfections of all his people And the holy Scripture teacheth vs that God created man after his own image and likenesse giuing him Vnderstanding Memory and Will And hauing created him Gen. 1.26 made him King ouer all he had created Vt praesit piscibus Maris volatilibus Coeli bestijs vniversae Terrae c. To haue dominion ouer the Fish of the Sea and ouer the Fowle of the Aire ouer the Cattle c. And this was granted him and did accompany the common nature of men But to rule and command to be Lord and Gouernour ouer men themselues as are Kings is a farre greater matter and such as requireth a greater measure of Vnderstanding and Wisedome and he that hath most store thereof shall reape the most profit by it as he that wants it shall contrarywise finde the lacke of it Salomon the wisest of Kings as he was both wise and a King could better then any other informe vs of what importance are Vnderstanding and Wisdome in Kings In whose name he speaketh when he saith Per me Reges regnant Prou. 8.15 per me Principes imperant By me Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice To the wiseman the Scepter and Crowne of right belongeth For wisdome her selfe as being the most essentiall forme of Kings makes him King and Monarch ouer others And in all Nations almost they gaue the same name and the same Ensignes to Empire and Wisdome And S. Paul makes them Synonomies and will haue them to signifie one and the same thing She alone by keeping Gods commandements will be sufficient in a King to make him pleasing and acceptable vnto God and to be cut out according to the measure of his own heart And though some are of a larger heart and vnderstanding then other some yet with God to be wise is that which conueneth most both to King and Subiect By Esay the Prophet God promiseth to all his people a golden age happy dayes and fortunate times wherein all shall haue a share of happinesse peace equity iustice health content and abundance of fruits But comming vnto Kings he saith no more but that there shall not be any one that shall be a foole Non vocabitur vltrà is qui insipiens est Princeps This is a great happinesse But O Lord let mee aske thee Is a King of worse condition then his Subiects that thou shouldst promise so many good things vnto them and but one alone vnto him The answere hereunto is that our good God giueth vnto euery one according to his state and calling that which is fittest for him The Subiect who hath one to rule and gouerne him hath need of one to minister iustice vnto him to conserue him in peace and to make such prouision that he may haue wherewith to eate and the like But a King who is to rule and gouerne hath need of wisedome which is the life and soule of Kings which sustaineth the weight of a Kingdome and without which be they neuer so rich neuer so powerfull they shall be as fit for gouernment as a body without a head or an head without a soule And as from the soule the Sences are origined and from that essence result your passions so in like sort from wisedome resulteth vnto King and Kingdome all that good and happinesse that can be desired Wisd 6. 24. Rex sapiens stabilimentum est Ciuitatis A wise King is the vpholding of the people And a foolish King the ruine of his Subiects You shall not name that Nation either barbarous or ciuill which where Kings were made by election did not make choice of a wise and prudent King Iudg. 9.8 In that generall Dyet where all the Nations of Trees and Plants met seeing that without Law and without a King they could not conserue themselues in peace and iustice the first resolution they tooke was to choose a wise King And in the first place they nominated the Oliue a tree of many good parts and qualities and amongst other this the chiefest that it was the Symbole or Hierogliffe of wisedome which is all whatsoeuer can be desired in a King Psal 119.144 This alone did King Dauid desire for himselfe Intellectum da mihi vivam Giue me vnderstanding and I shall liue He did not desire life nor health nor riches but onely vnderstanding and wisedome And with this alone did he promise to himselfe eternall life and a durable Kingdome And
holy Ghost Pro. 20.18 Ibi salus vbi multa consilia Much Counsell bringeth much safetie Nor can there bee any thing more preiudiciall nor any meanes more effectuall to destroy Kings and Kingdomes than to alter and peruert Counsailes And this the Prophet Micaiah teacheth vs in a vision which he had in this forme 1 King 22.19 God represented himself sitting on his Throne and all the Hoast of Heauen standing by him on his right hand and on his left consulting with them what course hee should take to destroy Ahab And euery one hauing deliuered his opinion there came forth a malignant and lying spirit like another Cayphas and gaue his verdit saying I will goe forth and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets I will instruct the Counsailours of King Ahab and with a lye cloathed with the appearance and likenesse of truth I will deceiue and destroy him This course was approued and held to be the fittest most effectuall for the kings vtter ruine and destruction And albeit in this diuine Vision and reuelation manifested for the dis-deceiuing of Kings and to put them out of their errour there were many things worthy obseruation and consideration yet the principall note in my iudgement is That neither Ahabs want of vnderstanding nor his being head-strong nor wilfull in his opinion nor his being ouer-rash and vnaduised in what he vndertooke but his own sins and the sins of his people had put him in that estate and condition that dismeriting Gods fauour and the light of heauen the diuel did deceiue him guiding the tongues of his false Prophets telling them falsehoods for truthes doubtfull things for things certaine and by perswading him that that which was to be his destruction should turne vnto his profit honour S. Paul tells vs 2. Cor. 11.15 that Satan often times transformes himselfe into an Angell of Light and represents lyes and falshoods vnto vs in the shape figure of truth And the mischiefe of it is That the same which the diuell wrought vpon Ahabs Counsailours feigned friends and professed enemies haue and doe the like on some occasions procuring by secret meanes to introduce persons who making profession to side and take part with the king perswade him to do that which is least fitting for them and most vsefull for their own ends This is one of the greatest darings and insolencies that may in matter of State be attempted God free all good kings from such Counsailes and Counsailours When king Dauid saw how his sonne Absolon persecuted him and thought to go away with the kingdome he feared not any thing so much as the plots and Counsaile of Achitophel who was both a subtile Statist and a valiant Souldier and by whose aduise Absolon was wholly ruled and gouerned For the repairing of which mischiefe he got Hushai the Archite who was no whit inferiour vnto him in valour and prudence in a dissembling and disguised manner to offer his seruice vnto Absalon and to worke himselfe in to be of his Councell of war and State that he might be the better able to oppose the able and sound aduice of Achitophel as he did euen then when his Master had most need of his seruice By which discreete carriage Dauid was freed of his feare 2. Sam. 15.31 and Absalons businesses went backward till himselfe and his whole Armie were vtterly ouerthrown Which story ye may read more at large in the second of Samuel Two things therefore are to be considered for to know which is the best and safest Counsaile The one on the Kings part who craues it the other on his part that giues it And on either part that which most importeth is purenesse of intention a desire to incounter with Truth Not like vnto those who hearken vnto good and disappassionated Counsailes with passion and onely desire to be aduised that the Councell may conclude what is meerely their Wil not otherwise And in their sittings at the Counsaile-Table which are ordained to this end they doe not so much treate whether that they pretend be iust or no but with what colour of Iustice they may effect what they desire The vnderstanding saith Salust which we will and with better reason or more properly tearme the Will ought to be free and dis-incumbranced of affection or particular passions as well in asking as giuing Counsaile And because if there be any of this reigning in the brest it cannot alwaies nay scarce any long time be dissembled but will like fire breake forth from vnder the ashes that couer it fitting it is That Kings should seldome assist personally in Counsaile for their Voting in his presence is done with awfulnesse and great respect but in his absence they vtter their mindes with alittle more freenes and libertie of language And euermore your first opinions of your Ministers and Counsailours of State before they be toucht with the Ayre of the Kings will are the best and the sincerest as produced from that vnforst motion and naturall inclination which is in their owne particular hearts and bosomes If the King desireth to haue this or that thing passe and for to authorize and qualifie this his desire he craueth their Counsell howbeit hee meete with many which conforme themselues thereunto follow his gust and liking yet such Counsaile or aduice in such a Case ought to be esteemed as little secure as there is great reason for it to hold it suspected Especially if the foresaid Counsailours by some meanes or other come to haue an inckling that this way the King is inclined and this is that which will giue him content And though we might as well out of Diuine as Humane Letters cite heere many examples for that this is a thing so vsuall and so well receiued both by Princes and by Priuy-Counsailours Or to speake more truly and plainely by those that sooth and flatter them I will onely alleadge that which passed with that vnfortunate King Ahab 1. Kings 21.6 who out of his proud and haughty spirit and the desire that he had to make warre and to take a place of importance from the King of Syria propounded his intent or to say better his Content to those of his counsell The businesse was no sooner in treatie and the proposition for the vndertaking of this action proposed vnto them but forthwith 400. Counsailours with a ioynt consent conformed themselues to his opinion And to sooth vp this his humour the more one amongst the rest bobb'd him in the mouth with an intollerable Lye affirming that God had reuealed vnto him that he should haue the glorie of the day that the successe of the battaile should be prosperous vnto him This was apprehended with a great deale of content by the King but was finished with his vnfortunate end himselfe being slaine in that battaile and his Army routed and ouerthrowne By which we may see how much it concerneth Kings if they will
memorie which is the Archiue of the Sciences and Treasure of Truths for without it to reade and studie is as they say Coger aequa en vn harnero to gather water in a siue and it importeth much in regard of the diuersitie of businesses and persons with whom hee is to treate That hee haue trauailed and scene forraine Countries That hee be skill'd in the Languages and haue in all of them the Arte and garbe of speaking and discoursing well That he more esteeme the seruice of his King and the publicke good then his own priuate gaine That hee be courteous humble affable and yet of a good spirit That hee lend an attentiue care and that hee keepe that gate open for great and small rich and poore But aboue all these he must be of approued vertue for without it all the rest are of no esteeme Hee that shall haue more or lesse of these qualities which are for all in Common shall bee the more or lesse sufficient Counsellour As for Vice-royes Gouernours Ambassadors and other great Gouernments of the Kingdome such are to be chosen who together with the foresaid qualities haue studied and spent some yeares in the Schoole of experience and hauing beene conuersant at the Kings elbow and in his Courte and Counsailes not only for the greatnesse of those mindes and stomacks which are bred there a necessary qualitie for to occupie great places and not to bee bred vp with a poore portion of Treating and Vnderstanding which begets mindes according to the same measure but likewise because there by their Treating with Kings Princes and other great persons assisting them in their Counsells and graue consultations communicating with great Ministers and Counsellours of State diuerse cases and businesses the Practick of all affaires is thereby the more and better apprehended As your practitioners in Physicke by conferring with great Physitians He therefore that shall haue both Learning and Experience shall amongst all men be the most remarkable But Quis est hic laudabimus eum Shew mee this Man and we will commend him For Mans life is short the Arte long and experience hard to be atchieued But to summe vp this discourse and giue an ende thereunto I say That he that is to bee made a Counsellour of Warre should therein haue beene exercised many yeares And that he that is of the Councell of State should haue a full knowledge of all and should be very dextrous in matters of gouernment both publike and particular and well verst in military discipline because hee is to consult both of warre and peace Which because they are things so opposite and contrary a man cannot iudge well in the one vnlesse he know and vnderstand aright the other As wee shall shew heereafter when we shall more in particular treate of this Counsell Other qualities are competible more in especiall to Iudges Iustices and Presidents to whom that particularly appertaineth which is deliuered in that word Sapientes That they well vnderstand the facultie of the Lawes and that corresponding with their name they be Iuris-prudentes well seene in all matters carrying an euen hand towards all and administring Iustice without partialitie Deut. 16.18.19 Vt iudicent populum justo iudicio nec in alteram partem declinent nec accipiant personam nec munera That they may iudge the people with iust iudgement that they wrest not iudgement nor respect neither take a gift For this briberie and Corruption is that dust which blindes the Iudges and that plague which consumes a Common-wealth Moreouer they must bee wise men cleane and sound at heart and of much truth All of them qualities which all Nations required in their Ministers expressing them in their Herogliffes Diodor. Sic. lib. 2. rerum antiq cap. 1. Of the Aegyptians Diodorus Siculus reporteth That they had their Councell and Audience in a great Hall where there sate thirty Counsellors or Iudges Et in mediâ— iudicandi Princeps cuius a collo suspensa veritas penderet oculis esset sub clausis librorum numero circumstante And in the midst of them sate the President with his eyes shut a number of bookes standing round about him and Truth hanging about his necke Aelian de Var. Hist lib. 14. curiously cut as Aelian expresseth it in a Pectorall Saphire like vnto that which God fashioned for the adorning of his Minister and President Aaron wherein were ingrauen these words Hurim Thummim Exod. 28.30 Which some interprete to be Iudicium Veritas Iudgement and Truth But S. Ierome would haue it to signifie Doctrinam Veritatem Learning and Truth For these three things Iudgement Learning and Truth are much about one and in them consisteth the whole perfection of a Minister In quibus sit Veritas For in the brest of a good Iudge there must neither raigne passion nor affection but the pure Truth which hee cannot possibly avoyd vnlesse hee will wrong nature it selfe For our soule is naturally inclined to Truth And it is so proper to a wise and prudent Man that hee that doth not say it vnsaies himselfe And certaine it is that the gouernment of a Kingdome is so much the more good or ill by how much the truth therein hath more or lesse place For if businesses be not seasoned therewith as meates are with salt neither the poore shall be defended from the oppression of the rich nor the rich possesse their goods in safety men and womens honors shall runne danger and no one person can promise to himselfe securitie And therefore it is so much the more needfull that a iudge should treate Truth and desire that all should doe the like by how much the more are they that abhorre it and seeke to conceale it an olde disease which was almost borne with vs into the world And if Iudges shall not fauour Truth and plaine dealing treachery and Lying will reigne and beare rule Let Kings take heede how they choose men that are fearefull and timerous to be their Ministers who out of cowardize and pusillanimitie hide the Truth and dare not bring her forth to Light For as shee is the foundation of Iustice and Christian iudgement if a Iudge shall not loue it with his heart tracke the steps of it and draw it out of that darke dungeon wherein shee lyes Iustice will be in danger of being crush't and falshood will preuaile As in that peruerse Iudgement in Christes cause where the Iudge was so farre from being desirous to know the truth that hee did not know what kinde of thing it was And therefore demanded in the face of the open Court Quid est Veritas What is Truth To whom that diuine wisedome made no answer perceiuing him to be such a foole as to be ignorant of the first vndoubted Principle of Iustice and suffring himselfe to be carryed away with false accusations and feigned relations which had no bulke nor body in them no substance in the world nor any shew
of another Councell Chrys hom 10. in Genesim Doubtlesse saith S. Chrysostome this is a businesse of great consequence and we are to insist much thereupon considering that God himselfe doth recommend and repeate it so often vnto vs to the end that it may be imprinted in the hearts of Kings And in Reason of State and matter of gouernment it is the greatest benefit they can do to their Kingdomes And therefore amongst other those great and many fauours which God promised to conferre vpon his people speaking vnto them in the similitude of the Vine he indeareth this as the greatest That he will set a guard about them and Gardiners or vineyard-keepers that shall be within the precincts thereof Hose 2.15 Dabo ei vinitores ex eodem loco I will giue her her Vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a doore of hope But my good Lord within the precincts of a Vineyard what can be had there but hedges and Vine-plants Had it not beene better to giue vnto this Vineyard a lusty strong Laborour to dresse and prune it and to keepe and defend it from passengers The Chalde expounds this place very well For in stead of Vinitores he puts Gubernatores Which are Rulers and Presidents And for to be as they ought to be we haue said already that they should be vniforme with the members For if they be the Vine he must likewise be a Vine that must be their Head Christ himselfe that he might be the President and Head of that Apostolicall Councel where the Apostles were as tender plants and had the same proprieties made himselfe a Vine to conforme himselfe vnto them Ego sum vitis vera vos palmites I am the true Vine and yee the branches Ioh. 15.5 To the end that Kings may vnderstand and all the World may know of how great importance it is that the Members and Head Counsailours and Presidents should in their qualities and conditions be very conformable sithence that heerein he would not dispence with himselfe much lesse therefore with others and for this cause Presidents ought still to be chosen out of the same Councells Ex eodem loco eiusdem gentis de numero fratrum suorum Out of the same place the same people and from amongst their brethren And if Counsailours might haue the hope of such increase of honour in their persons it would make them much better then they are and they would study to win themselues credit and to cumply in all things with their obligation seruing with carefullnesse and satisfaction as well to giue their Kings good content as that they againe might take notice thereof and in their greatest occasions imploy them in their seruice This rule did that great gouerner of Gods people Moses obserue who hauing as wee sayd vsed diligence for to seeke out persons which might helpe him furnished with those qualites afore-mentioned made a distribution and diuision amongst them allotting them places and Offices answearable to their Talent And which is worthy the noting that as he himselfe affirmeth in another place the noblest and wisest amongst them he made rulers ouer the rest For when in noblemen concurre the qualities of wisedome and prudence and other the Vertues there is a great deale of reason nay a strong obligation lyes vpon it that Presidentships and the greatest dignities places of honour should be bestowed vpon them especially when not degenerating from the Vertue of their Ancestors but surpassing them therein they haue the aduantage of noblenesse of blood vpon which vertue like a Diamond set in gold shewes it selfe the better and appeares the more beautifull The words of that most wise Law-giuer wheron this discourse will be the better grounded are these Tuli de Tribubus vestris Deus 1.15 viros sapientes nobiles constitui eos Principes Tribunes Centuriones Quinquegenarios ac Decanos qui docerent vos singula I tooke the cheife of your Tribes wise men and knowen and made them Heads ouer ye Captaines ouer thousands and Captaines ouer hundreds and Captaines ouer fifties and Officers amongst your Tribes Out of euery Tribe he chose the worthiest and most sufficient men and made them Heads and Presidents in that gouernment And he that was so zealous of the Lawes and good gouernment valiant Mattathias 1 Mac. 2. in that prouision of Offices which he distributed at his death he said of Simon Scio quod vir consilij est ipsum audite semper And because he was so wise a Counsailour he made him President of the Councell Iudas Machabaeus fortis viribus à juuentute sua Iudas Machabaeus was a valiant man from his youth he had beene alwayes bred vp in the warres Sit vobis princeps militiae and therefore he made him Generall of the Armie For as Plato saith Quilibet ad ea idoneus est inquibus sapit Euery man is fittest for those things Plato wherin he hath best skill Now when kings shall haue found out such fit persons as haue bin by vs propounded they are to distribute order their Councells and Counsailours to appoint their President charging them to keepe euery one his proper place and Station that they enuy not one another nor sue to be preferred to a supremer Councell and to haue a care that each man in his owne Councell be rewarded according to his good seruices For it is impossible but that he that treateth in all businesses must needs erre in some nor can he that is ouer charged with businesses giue good satisfaction vnto all But there are some that loue to double their files would if they could haue a 100. Offices at once pretending that there is want of fit men for those Offices seeking that they may be doubled re-doubled and quadrupled on themselues They are like vnto another Gerion of whom it is sayd that he is in Hell because hee would be Three instead of One What will become then of those that would be twenty yea a hundred nay inioy all the Offices in a Kingdome These had neede of another farre greater Hell if that be not hell enough they haue already With the foresayd distinction and diuision of Councell and Counsailours farre better and more speedily will businesses be dispatched and the King shall be at more ease in his person and more at quiet in Conscience And the Counsailours themselues shall leade an easier life haue lesse time of trouble and more to study on State-businesses whereby with moderate paines they shall giue a quicker Dispatch to those things which come vnder their debating Let this therfore serue as a Conclusion to this discourse that in no kinde of hand Offices be doubled vpon one particular person nor put out of their hinges by the passion or pretension of those that haue a hand therein nor let Counsellours bee chopt and changed from one place to another nor your Councells confounded For this argues but small
imployed in particular Iuntas then publicke Councells touching the persons of these Councells If the number be not sufficient for the dispatch of businesses let it rather be increased then that by this other course he that is Master and Lord of all should likewise make himselfe Master of all wrongs and grieuances and of that which the aggrieued will conceiue of him which batching imagination of theirs will bring forth that Cocatrice of Kings most venemous hatred By that which wee haue both read seene and heard it is easie to be collected that this was meerely an Introduction of the Ambitious who indeauoured by this meanes to haue all things passe through their hands and depend vpon their will And this as if it had beene a thing of inheritance hath gon along in descent from one age to another euen to these present our times That particular Councell which Kings formerly had and in effect all of them still haue that more reserued secret Councell with whom they communicate their inwardest thoughts let it a Gods name be superiour to all the rest which supplying as in those three potentiae or faculties the very place and soule as it were of the Prince it is very fit and conuenient that it should iudge of the actions and Resolutions of all your Ordinary Councells and that they should all wayte vpon this and attend their pleasure and that they should likewise treate of all those great businesses which the Ancient and more especially Augustus Caesar called Arcana imperij Misteries of State and secrets of the kingdome But for the rest let them be left to their Ordinary Councells for so shall they receiue quicker dispatch and all sutes be more easily ended and things carryed with lesse labour of the one and fewer complaints of the other And let it likewise suffice euen the greatest intermedlers of these Ministers that they haue a hand in publicke businesses without offering for their priuate interest to draw things out of their ordinary course and Common tracke whereinto they were put making themselues thereby hated and abhorred of all those that haue any thing to doe with them For at last they will come to sent and winde out their driftes to know all their doublings and shiftings and to watch them at euery turne and when they haue them at aduantage neuer poore Hare was so hardly followed by Hounds as these will be pursu'd to death by them whom the others powerfullnesse with his Prince did seeke to crush and keepe vnder It were well that these great Ministers would weigh and consider with themselues that as they haue their hands already too full of worke so haue they more complaints against them then they would willingly heare of and more enuie at the heeles of them then they can well shake of and therefore if they were wise they would auoyd as much as in them lyes to draw these mischiefes more and more vpon themselues In great resolutions indeed Kings are not to giue way that they should be taken out of the Councells of State and warre nor yet that they should be concluded without them For the glory of all good successefull Actions shall be his as hauing their reuolution and motion from hâ—m as from their Primum Mobile Nor is it any wisedome in a King to lay the misfortunes and vnhappy Accidents that may befall a State vpon his owne shoulders Which will be qualified for such by his Priuy Counsellours as finding themselues iustly offended in that hee hath not imparted his minde vnto them nor communicated with them in the Common-wealths affaires especially if they be of consequence The principall cause why there was ordained a Councell of State was That it might serue to helpe the king whom principally this Body representeth to beare the Popular charge which euermore iudgeth of things by the euents and though now and then they fall out ill and the people thereupon ready to murmure and mutinie yet are they the better bridled and appeased by the power and authoritie of these Counsellours The Office of a King hath trouble inough with it burthen inough and therefore they should not aduise him to lay more vpon himselfe without lawfull and necessary cause And because when I treated of the qualities of Counsellours I reserued those for this place which more properly appertaine vnto them that are of this Counsell I will breifely deliuer what they are and how necessarie for those that are elected thereunto And I will content my selfe with no lesse then those of that great Common-wealths man and Counsellour Pericles And besides to those which I shall now speake of may be reduced those which are to be required in their other Councells your Councell of State is a Councell of Peace and War And as Plato saith is the soule of the Republike and the very Anchor wheron wholy dependeth all the stabilitie firmenesse assurance of the State King and Kingdome it 's perdition or preseruation Whose chiefe aime and principall intent is the good Gouernment of the Common-wealth and that it and euery member thereof should liue happily and be conserued in peace and iustice And for this cause onely are we to make war Ob eam causam suscipienda sunt bella Cicer. Offi. lib. 1. Plat. Dial. 1. de Legibus 1. vt sine iniuria in pace vivatur It is Cicero's saying And the Emperour Charles the fifth was wont to Say That the Councell of State is the whole wisedome power and vnderstanding of the King That it is his Eyes his hands and his feete And that himselfe should often sit in Counsell and without it not to do or conclude any thing that is of any weight or moment The qualities required to make a perfect Counseâ—ler in this Councell are many As that he be a man of much courage truth and integritie and well seene in matters of State and Gouernment publick and priuate of peace and of warre for he is to aduise in all A man of good yeares great vertue much authoritie and of no meane credit and reputation That he be very skilful in those businesses which he treateth That he vnderstand them well and be his Crafts-Master in that facultie That he be of a prompt and sharpe wit That his tongue be well hangd and be able to expresse himselfe so happily that he may be truly vnderstood That he haue a minde free from all by respects that neither Loue nor Feare may detaine him from vttering what he thinketh That he beare an especiall loue and affection to his King That he keepe his hands cleane and not suffer himselfe to be ouercome by couetousnesse For he that in whatsoeuer is propounded presently apprehends what is best and vnderstands what is proffitable and conuenient yet neither knoweth nor hath fitting words to declare himselfe it is all one as if he vnderstood it not And he that can play both these parts passing well yet loueth not his Master his conseruation and augmentation of honour this
if he be defectiue in this For kingdomes last no longer then Iustice lasteth in them And true it is that there is no winde shut vp in the bowells of the earth which causeth therein such violent effects of Earth-quakes as in those kingdomes which thinke themselues surest and firmest doe the complaints and greiuous sighes of the wronged poore And therefore let none whatsoeuer be they Kings great Ministers or Counsellours of State slightly reckon of the cries of the poore For they referring their reuenge to God they draw him downe from Heauen to right their quarrell And the basest and most barbarous man in the world when he sees himselfe wronged and can finde none vpon earth to pleade his cause or to doe him right he presently lifts vp his eyes vnto Heauen and makes his addresse vnto God assuring himselfe that his helpe will come from thence And it was well said of a Wise man That the wronged are like vnto those that are ready to be drowned who if they fasten vpon any thing neuer let it goe so these men when they are in danger to be sunke by being forcibly kept vnder water by the oppressours hand lay fast hold on complaints cryes sighes and teares as the last remedy allotted them by God who saith That he will heare the petitions and receiue the Memorialls of the afflicted which are written with teares A maxilla enim ascendunt vsque ad caelum Ecel For from the cheeke they ascend vp to heauen They trill downe the cheekes till they fall to the ground and from thence they mount vp as high as Heauen for being water they rise as much as they fall And when God sees they haue reason on their side and that they onely call vnto him for iustice it being so proper an Attribute vnto him in the end he grants and signes their request Nor is it much that he should shew them this fauour his bowells being moued to compassion in seeing his creatures in such extremities of affliction Let Kings therefore beware and take heede and their Ministers bethinke themselues that in such a case an Inundation of teares is of more force and more danger then that of the swiftest Torrent vpon a mighty flood CHAP. XVIII Of the sense of hearing And of the Audiences which Kings ought to giue PVrsuing stil the Metaphore of the head whereon hitherto we haue insisted occasion is now offered vnto vs to treat of the sense of Hearing which hath some certaine excellencies aboue the rest For thereby we come to vnderstand the hidden secrets of the heart and the most inward thoughts of the Soule which being clad and apparrelled with that out-side and exterior part the Voyce and put vpon the Hearing of that person with whom we talke and discourse it knoweth that which the vnderstanding of neither Men nor Angels once is able to comprehend And that which we haue spoken of the sence of the sight ought likewise to be said of this For as far forth as is the perceiuing of a Voyce or some other noyse or sound by the hearing so farre is it common as well to brutes beastes as to Men. But it is proper only vnto Man by hearing a significatiue voyce to discourse thereof and to vnderstand the inward conceipt of him that speaketh And from hence will we draw what ought to be heard by the Head of a Common-wealth who is not onely to content himselfe with hearing the bare externall Voyce but to heare it in such maner as the holy Scripture telleth vs God heareth the voyces of those which call vpon him in the time of their trouble which is a vsuall and plaine kinde of Language in the Diuine Writt And when it is sayd that God heareth vs it is ioyntly sayd that he graunteth our petition Whereof many Testimonies are found in the Psalmes of Dauid and in diuerse other places CÃ um inuocarem Psal 4.1 ibi ver 4. exaudiuit me Deus iustitiae meae Dominus exaudiet me cum clamauero ad cum c. The God of my righteousnesse heard me when I called vpon him And anone after The Lord will heare when I call vnto him In the twentie one of Genesis it is there twice repeated that God heard the voyce of Agars childe who was Abrahams bond-woman Gen. 21.17 which the mother had left all alone in the wildernesse of Bersheba vnder a certaine tree and sitting downe ouer against him a farre off about a bow-shoote that shee might not see him perish for want of water Dixit enim non videbo morientem puerum For shee said I will not see the death of the childe In the very next Verse following a double mention is made That God heard the voyce of the childe Which was in effect to say that he did releiue him and refresh his thirsty Soule and granted that which the infant and his mother desired And the Apostle Saint Paul in that Epistle which hee wrote to the Hebrewes saith of our Sauiour Christ That Offerens preces ad deum cum clamore velido Heb. 5.7 et lachrymis exauditus est pro sua reuerentia Offring vp prayers and supplications to God the father with strong crying and teares he was also heard in that which he feared Which was all one as if he should haue said That his father dispatcht him and granted what he petitioned in that his prayer So that in rigour of holy Writ Gods Hearing and Gods Granting is all one But in that common Commerce with men and in that style which Kings and their Ministers vse it is not so For they heare and hearing answer that they haue heard that which they neuer meane to grant And there is no worse Answer for a suitor then to make this answer to his petition That it hath beene heard And it is very fit that they should reply in this kinde of phrase for thereby is giuen to be vnderstood the great obligation they haue to heare as well those that haue iustice as those that pretend to haue it although they haue it not In signification whereof the two eares are placed on the two contrarie sides of the head one opposite to the other because affording one eare to the Plaintiffe we must reserue the other for the defendant And because God would haue it so that Hearing should be the ordinary meanes for the receiuing of the diuine Light and attaining to the knowledge of those supreme truthes by so superexcellent and high a gift as that of faith Rom. 10.14 Quomodo credent ei quem non crediderunt How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard As also that Kings may haue an intire light of humane Truthes it is requisite that they should lend a willing care to those that craue Audience of them For in this sense of all other saith Saint Bernard Truth hath it's seate and Mansion Bern. in Cont. Ser. 28. In auditu veritaes Truth is in Hearing And in example of
Rom. 1.14 I am debtor both to the wise men and to the vnwise In the History of the Kings is set downe the dissimulation wherewith the women of Tecoa spake vnto King Dauid and how importunate and tedious she was in telling her tale and withall the Kings great patience in hearing her out and his not being offened with the craft and cunning wherewith shee came vnto him albeit the businesse was of that weight and moment that his great Captaine Ioab durst not propound it vnto him Audi tacens Eccl. 22.7 simul quaerens Giue eare and be still and when thou doubtest aske This Counsaile concerneth all but more particularly Kings and their Ministers who are to heare and be silent to aske and aske againe till they haue fully informed themselues of the truth of the case For this is rather an honour then dishonour vnto Kings and great Ministers Prou. 25.1 For as the holy Ghost saith Gloria regum est in vestigare sermonem The Kings honour is to search out a thing Of him that speaketh not nor asketh a question of him that speaketh it may be conceiued that he doth not heare him For these two sences are so neere of kinne that as the Philosopher obserueth he that is borne dumbe is also deafe And not onely this but likewise that the speech being taken away the hearing is lost with it The cause whereof according to Lactantius is for that the Organ by which the Ayre is receiued and wherewith the Voyce is formed holds such Correspondencie with that which goes vnto the hearing that if the first be shut or stopt the exercise of the second is likewise hindred Vpon information and hearing followeth in the next place doing of Iustice whereof we will treate in the Chapters following CHAP. XX. Of the Vertue of Iustice the naturall sister and Companion of Kings WEe told you in the former Chapter that Hearing was the precisest and directest meanes for the doing of Iustice And therefore falleth fitly out here to treate thereof Your Ancient Hieroglyfinists as also your Saints in their writings treating of this Vertue compare it to a payre of weights or scales with it's two ballances And it seemeth that Nature herselfe made this Ectypum or Exemplar this portrayture or delineation shadowing it out in euery one of vs by giuing vs two eares like vnto those two balances whose truth dependeth on the Examen or Aequilibrium that tongue or needle which stands vppermost in the beame of the ballance making my application in this maner that the two eares standing like two ballances on either side of the head they haue their rule of truth from the supremest and highest part thereof where stands the tongue or needle of reason and the iudgement of those things to their true weight and measure which are put into these Intellectaull ballances To discourse therefore of Iustice is very essentiall to that which hath already beene treated touching a Common-wealth For as we told you in our very first Chapter A Republick or Common-wealth is a Congregation of many men subiect to the same Lawes and Gouernment which is not possible to bee conserued if Iustice therein shall be wanting Which giues to euery one that which is his owne keepes men within the bounds of good Order and Discipline and bridles those by reason which transported by their vnruly appetites like headstrong iades would liue without it admitting no curbe no manner of controll but following that Law of Viuat qui vincit Let him weare a Crowne that winn's it If Men would but obserue that first rule of the Law natural consecrated by the mouth of our diuine Master Christ Quod tibi non vis Math. 7.12 alteri ne feceris Et quaecunque vultis vt faciant vobis homines eadem facite illis Offer not that to another which thou wouldst not haue donne to thy selfe And therefore whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you euen so doe yee to them There needed no other bullwarkes or fortifications to liue quietly and peaceably in the world But after this same Lolium crept in this Tare of Meum and Tuum the Cooler as Chrysostome calls it of Charitie the Seminarie of discordes and dissention and the fountaine of all mischiefe men found themselues obliged nay inforced to seeke out some such meanes or maner of liuing whereby euery one might quietly and peaceably inioy that which he held to be his owne And for this cause they resolued to leade a ioynt life together submitting themselues to one and the same Lawes and subiecting themselues to one and the same King who should likewise keepe and obserue them and by iustice conserue nourish and maintaine all other necessary vertues for the augmentation and conseruation of Common wealths And for this end was giuen vnto Kings that great power which they haue holding in one hand the ballance of Iustice and in the other the sword of power Which that naked weapon doth represent which is borne before them when they enter with authoritie and State into their Cities And alluding either vnto this or those ancient Insignia of your Iudges the Apostle Saint Paul saith Rom. 13.3 Vis non timere potestatem Bonum fac non enim sine causa gladium portat Wilt thou be without feare of the power Doe well For the Magistrate beareth not the sword for nought Herodotus tells vs that which Cicero deliuereth vnto vs. Cicero Eadem fuit legum constituendarum causa quae regum That one and the selfe same was the cause and Motiue of ordaining Lawes and Creating Kings Whence it followeth that there neither can be any Common-wealth without Iustice nor any one that can deserue to be a King vnlesse he maintaine and conserue it And though he may seeme to be a King yet in realitie of truth he is not Because he wants that principall attribute that should make him be so As a painted man which is no man cannot properly be said to be a Man The holy Scripture styles those Hypocrites which doe not administer Iustice for they haue no more in them of Kings then the apparent or outward shew as the Scepter and the Crowne and other their regall roabes and ornaments And it is worthy your consideration and it is no more then what their holy Doctors and learned Interpreters of diuine Letters haue obserued That a good King and Iustice are brothers and sisters and so neerely twinn'd that you can scarce make mention of the one without the other The Prophet Esay representing the feruent desire of all the world and the voyces and cryes of the Patriarkes who with such instance and earnestnesse did call for the comming of the Sonne of God saith Rorate coeli desuper Esay 45.2 nubes pluant iustum iustitia eriatur simul Ye heauens send the deaw from aboue and let the cloudes drop downe righteousnesse let the earth open and let saluation and Iustice growe forth let it
that hee most desired And hee likewise condemneth those Pharisaicall Hypocrites who by exteriour showes would haue that to be supposed of them which they neuer interained in their heart D. Th. 2. 2. q. 111. art 1. And the Angelicall Docter renders the reason of this Truth To dissemble saith he is to lye in the deed or thing it selfe For a Lye doth not cease to be a Lye nor to alter it's nature be it either in workes or in words So that a Lye may be found in the behauiour gesture or semblance that one maketh wherewith to deceiue and to giue vs to vnderstand that which is not As also in the manner of the word spoken or some circumstance to be gathered out of it Now that which makes it culpable is the doublenesse in the heart Aug. lib. de Mendacio ad Consentium cap. 3. Which S. Austen subtlely considereth in that incounter of a mans meaning with his wordes Wherein there ought to be all equalitie and consonancie which is not truly kept when in our words wee shall say the contrary to that which is in our mindes Therefore a Christian King or his Minister may silence some things cast a cloake ouer them and not suffer themselues to be vaderstood and cunningly to dissemble that which they know of them as long as they shall thinke it necessary to be kept close and secrete for the good expedition of that which is in Treaty But a King or his Minister may not faigne deceiue dissemble or to giue that to be vnderstood by any open Act of his which he had not in his heart and bosome to doe All which hath no place in that which appertaineth vnto Faith wherein by the Law of God we haue obligation not onely to beleeue but also to confesse with all truth and plainnesse that which we beleeue without giuing to vnderstand by the least word or gesture ought to the contrary nor for the least moment of time though thereby we might saue our liues Whereby Kings and Christian Ministers are admonished how they may vse dissimulation how farre and for what time without treading in the path of their priuate profit through which your Politicians pretend to leade them leauing the high way of Truth wherewith accordeth whatsoeuer is iust and right shunneth all manner of lying which Truth and Time will at last bring to light It was the saying of King Theopompus That kingdomes and great Estates were conserued by Kings speaking Truth and by suffring others to speake the Truth vnto them For they being those whom it most importeth to heare truths none heare lesse King Antiochus all the time of his raigne sayd that he did not remember that euer hee had heard any more then one only truth It being the plague of Kings and Princes to haue that verified in their Pallaces and Courtes which was deliuered by Democritus Quod veritas in profundo puteo demersa latet That Truth lyes buryed in a deepe pit You shall scarce meete with one in an Age that dare tell Kings the Truth there being so many about them that sooth them vp with lyes and flatteries Seneca saith That of ten hundred thousand souldiers which Artaxerxes had in his Army there was but one onely that told him the truth in a case wherein all the rest did lye And amongst innumerable Prophets which concealed the truth from the king only Michab made bold to tell it him And only Solon did the like with king Croesus Seldom times doth the truth enter into the Kings priuy chamber and when it enters they scare expresse it in that bare and naked maner as did Iohn Baptist And for this cause did Demetrius the Philosopher wish king Ptolomie to reade bookes Histories which treated of Precepts for Kings and Captaines for they would tell him that which none durst deliuer vnto him Socrates sayd That there was notany one that made open protestation to speake the truth that attained as he did to the age of 70. yeares And certaine it is that Kings cannot indure to heare those plaine and naked truths which the common people and other their subiects are able to tel them and proue vnto them nor must they that are in place prestume to vtter them for feare of indangering their authoritie and reputation And therefore it is fit that they should haue some such persons about them which should both heare and vnderstand them and take their time to informe them of them And this is a rul'd Case taken out of those great Instructions and wise Aphorismes which Mecaenas gaue to Augustus worthy to be taken notice of and to be kept and obserued as coming from so great a Counsailour and proposed to a Prince who was so wise in this kinde To wit That Kings ought to giue libertie and way that their subiects vpon occasion might be admitted to tell them the Truth assuring them on their part that they will not bee offended with that which they shall say vnto them For it is permitted vnto a Physician to prescribe corrasiues and to cut away the dead flesh till it come to the quicke And it may as well be lawfull for a good subiect a faithfull Minister and Counseller of state to speake freely vnto his King with respect and reuerence to their royall dignitie the truth of that they thinke and to condemne him in his iudgement or otherwise when he shall goe about to doe any thing contrary to iustice and reason Nor ought this to seeme offensiue to any man nor to the King himselfe who if he haue a Christian feeling will approue in his minde vnderstanding the reasons that they shall represent vnto him so that if he be willing to heare the truths they shall tel him it may turne much to his profit And if he like not well of it there is no harme done neither doth he receiue any preiudice by it And if he shall thinke it fit for the furthering of his ends to follow the Counsaile of any let him cōmend honour that person For by that plot which he shall haue deuised inuented he shall gaine honour and greatnesse by it And it is meete conuenient that he should incourage both him and others with thankes and rewards Because this is the sunne which giues life and the heate which warmes good wits and makes them actiue nimble And in case he shall not admit of his aduise let him not disgrace him nor finde fault with him for his good will and the desire that he hath to do him seruice But like a great Prince wherein he shall shew his goodnesse let his eye rather looke on the good desire and affection wherewith he doth it then on the effect thereof As likewise because others may not be disheartned for there is not any the poorest plante that hath not some vertue in it nor any brayne so barrene whence at one time or other some fruite may not be gathered for the publicke good I
not to affoord a good looke on him that shall not imitate and follow his fashion For there is no man such a foole that will loose the fruite of his hope for not apparelling himselfe after this or that manner as he sees the Prince himselfe is contented to go Let Kings amend this fault in themselues and then his Peeres and other their inferiours will not be ashamed to imitate them I pray tell me if men of the baser and meaner condition should onely be those that were vicious in their meate and clothes who would imitate them therein Assuredly none All would be Noblemen or Gentlemen or at least seeme to be so in their fashion and apparrell howbeit they would bee lesse curious and dainty if they saw those that were noble or gentile go onely plaine and handsome That ancient Romane pure neate cleane and comely attire of those who conquered the world did then wholly loose it selfe when your great and Noble persons of that commonwealth left it off For in all things but more especially in those that are vicious men seeke to make a fairer shew then their estate will beare and thereby procure to content and please their Kings vnder whom they liue knowing that there is no intercession or fauour like vnto that as the fimiliancie of manners and the kindred which this doth cause Let Kings by their example cut off the vse of costly clothes and sumptuous banquets and whatsoeuer in that kinde is vicious and superfluous and they shall straightway see how a great part of the greedinesse of gaine and couetousnesse of money will cease and many other euils and mischiefes which proceed from thence which would not be sought after nor esteemed were it not for the execution of the appetite and fulfilling of our pleasures And for this end and purpose money is kept with such great anxietie and trouble but procured and sought after with much more because it is the master and commander of all pleasures and delights whatsoeuer For which we will buy and sell and giue all that we haue The second point concerning vices and sinnes common and publike the hurt that comes thereby is well knowne both to God and man and is harder to be reformed then the former That is moderated either with age or necessitie but this neither necessitie nor time can lessen but with it increaseth and shooteth forth new sprigges and suckers neuer before seene nor vsed in the world against which neither suffice Lawes nor Statutes And that doctrine of Tacitus is now come to bee verified That there is not any greater signe of corruption of manners then multiplicitie of Lawes And we now liue in those dangerous times whereof Saint Paul speaketh and I know not whether I may be so bold as to say That it is likewise an argument or signe that the Subiect is neare it's end or at least daily growes decaying wherein these signes and tokens are to bee seene One disorder begetting another which is the order which Nature keepes with things that are to perish till at last all comes to ruine and this vniuersall fabricke sinkes to the bottome neuer more to be repaired I wot well that whilest there be men there must be vices and sinnes and that few or none will cease to bee that which they are in regard of humane weakenesse and mans propension and inclination to sinne and that there are not any remedies which will serue and turne wholly to cure and cut them off it being a thing impossible for that their beginning and cause doth proceed from Nature it selfe being corrupted That which the worth and wisedome of Kings and their Ministers may be able to effect is That they may daily proue lesse and lesse preiudiciall to the publike and that the dissembling of abuses in the beginning before they take head be not a cause of seeing our selues brought to that estate which Salust writeth Rome was found in in Catilines time there being so good cause for to feare it As also that they will draw after them Gods comminations and chastisements When a kingdome saith hee comes to the corruption of manners that men doe pamper and apparell themselues in curious manner like women and make no reckoning of their honestie but deale therewith as with any other thing that is vendible or set out to sale and that exquisite things for to please the palate are diligently sought after both by sea and land that they betake themselues to their ease and sleepe before the due time of their rest and sleepe be come that after their bellies be as full as euer they can hold they neuer cease crauing and cramming till it be noone that they doe not forbeare from eating and drinking till they be either hungry or thirsty not that they ease themselues out of wearinesse or keepe themselues warme against the extremity of the weather but that they do all these things out of viciousnesse and before there is neede well may that Empire be giuen for lost and that it is drawing neare to its last gaspe For the people thereof when their owne meanes shall faile them for to fulfil their appetites out of a thirsting and greedy desire of these things what mischiefes will not they moue or what villanies will not they attempt For the minde that hath beene ill and long accustomed to delights can hardly be without them And that they may enioy them by hooke or by crooke by one meanes or another though neuer so vniust and vnlawfull they will make a shift to get themselues into money though they spend it afterward idly vainly in that profuse and lauish manner for which they did intend it Let euery good King begge of God and let vs all ioyne in the same prayer that in our times it may not come to these termes and that Kings will striue and studie to quench these sparkes before they breake forth into a flame and to put out the fire whilest it is but newly kindled lest it take hold on the whole building and helpe come too late And because there are so many sortes of vices that it is not possible to procure an vniuersall cure for them all that which is likeliest to doe most good will bee that selfe same medicine mentioned before in dyet and apparrell to wit the good example of Kings and in imitation of them that of the great Lords of the land and those that are nearest in Court about their persons ioyning herewith the feare of their disfauour letting them both see and know that the vicious fall backward and the vertuous come forward in honour and that onely vertue is the true meanes and surest way to bring men to great place and preferrement in the commonwealth Let Kings hate these idle droanes these honey-suckers of other mens labours that liue all vpon the waste and spoile Which kinde of people euen in reason of state are not good for the quiet of a kingdome in regard of the euill cogitations and
knew very well that in the obseruance of Religion and Catholicke faith all the happinesse that we can hope for in this or that other life dependeth thereupon and hath it 's sure ground and foundation Heb. 11.1 And therefore Saint Paul calls it Substantiam rerum sperandarum c. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene c. For it is the foundation whereupon is built in our soules all our spirituall good insomuch that the selfe same Apostle said Sine fide c. Without faith it is impossible to please God And seeing it is a Iewell of such great worth and value Kings are to make that esteeme of it that they doe not onely retaine it but maintaine and defend it especially in their owne kingdomes and in all other places where they haue any power For besides the obligation which they haue as Christian Kings it concernes them likewise in their owne proper interest For in giuing way to their Subiects that they be not faithfull vnto God it will pull that punishment vpon them that they shall not be loyall vnto them And most certaine it is that they who shall not cumply with the greater obligation shall easily faile in the letter And this is made cleare vnto vs in the sacred History of the Kings where whosoeuer shall diligently obserue the same hee shall finde That after Ieroboam King of Israel 3. King 13. had set vp those Idolls in Dan and Bethel of purpose to withdraw the people from the true worship of God were commended and continued as there wee may reade the treasons and rebellions of the Subiects against their Kings For this vnfortunate Prince thought with himselfe that for to settle and secure himselfe in the kingdome by those ten Tribes which had rebelled and made choice of him for their King that it would be a good meanes to induce them to his deuotion to draw them to forgo the adoration of the true God which they were wont to performe in the holy Citie and Temple of Ierusalem and to humble and prostrate themselues before those Idolls But the iust vengeance of God ouertooke him for instantly thereupon he lost his eldest sonne who dyed a violent death For Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him and smote him at Gibbethon and anon after all the house of Ieroboam not leauing vnto him any that breathed And not onely hee and his did miscarry but the whole kingdome was laid waste and desolate for that sinne and led away captiue And as when one man hath receiued from another some extraordinary great wrong he can hardly forget it so vpon all occasions wherein mention is made of the sinnes of the Kings which afterwards succeeded and of the punishment which they deserued for them still is the remembrance reuiued of this most grieuous sinne of Ieroboams and are attributed vnto him as being the first that opened the gappe vnto them And all those troubles which are there particularly set downe in those sacred bookes befell that kingdome for a punishment to them and a warning to all Christian Kings that by how much the greater light they haue for to know the excellencie of Faith and the truth of Christian Religion so much the lesse are they to be obeyed and the more seuerely to bee punished if they should be wanting to so great and so apparent an obligation Let Christian Kings therefore know that if they shall continue firme in the faith and cause all their subiects to continue constant therein God will protect both King and people and will establish their kingdomes and all shall obey and feare them but if they shall faile therein all runs to wracke and vtter ruine So that as a naile if you will haue it to hold must be fastened in some other thing that is firme and strong lest it and all that hangs thereon come tumbling downe to the ground So in like manner if a King will vphold himselfe firme and sure in his power Maiestie and greatnesse hee must be firmely fixed to the faith strongly vnited with God and close wedged to his diuine will but if he begin once to sinke or shrinke in this all his kingdomes or whatsoeuer depend thereon come tumbling downe to the ground with a sudden and fearefull fall For nothing doth more vphold a sociable life a Monarchie and kingdome then Religion linked with Iustice Noah for his Religion and Iustice was after the Flood obeyed by all The Romans for the vpholding and inlarging of their Empire held not any meanes comparable to that of Religion and Iustice wherein they surpassed all of those times The Emperour Seuerus being at the point of death which is a time for men to speake truth ended his life with these words Firmum imperium filijs meis relinquo si boni erunt Imbecille si mali A strong Empire leaue I to my Sonnes if they proue good a weake if bad For the greatest force and strength of a kingdome both for the present and the future is the vertue of it's king So that with no lime and sand are the walls and foundations of States more firme and surely setled for lasting and continuance then with a Kings vertue and goodnesse Which is that recompence and reward which God promised to his most faithfull seruant Dauid for his vertue Firmaboregnum eiâ—s stâ—â—iliâ—â— ebronum regni eius in sempiternâ—â— I will establish his kingdome and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer That is the title and dignitie of a King should bee continued and confirmed vnto him tanquam in vsum proprietatem for euer and euer This firmnesse in the faith and this obseruance of Religion and Iustice are those 〈◊〉 pillars and columnes which being truly cumplyed withall do not onely vphold for the present but doe likewise increase and perpetuate kingdomes 3. Reg. 22. If good King Iehosaphat had not entred into league and amitie with King Ahab the Idolater it had not fallen out with him so ill as it did nor his â—iâ—e beene put to that danger as it was 1. Mac. 8.9 Iudas Machabâ—â—s heard â—â—ll of the great and famous deeds that the Romanes had câ—â—e in feares of Armes being a stranger Nation to Gods people Whereupon he sent his Ambassadours vnto them to make a perpetuall league and confederation with them Wherewith God was much displeased and so hurtfull vnto them was this â—â—â—â—tie and alliance that many haue obserued that after this Peace was concluded betweene them Iudas neuer after obtained any victory ouer his enemies but was slaine in the first battell that he fought And some say the like succeeded to both his brothers Ionathan and Simeon Let vs draw then from this discourse and sound aduice of this Catholike Emperour how much it importeth Kings to maintaine their faith and Religion and to conserue and vphold the same in all their kingdomes and dominions Now for to
broken pipes that is through the hands of euill Ministers which soake and sucke vnto themselues a great part thereof and no man the wiser where the leake is till it discouer it selfe But it is now high time to grow to an end and I will conclude this Aduertisement with that common Prouerbe which speaketh thus Quien mucho abarca poco aprieta The ouer-griping hand holds but little suting with that of ours All couet all loose Or answering to that which that great Courtier and Fauourite Maecenas said That great treasures and riches are both more and better heaped vp and receiue a fairer accumulation by spending little then by scraping much CHAP. XXXVIII Aduertisements for Fauourites and Councellers of State THe Aduertisements for Fauourites are these the first That they doe not priuar too much who pretend their Kings fauour and that they doe not beare themselues too high thereupon nor suffer themselues to bee attended with a great traine of followers thereby to make publike demonstration of their greatnesse Boast not thy selfe too much nor seeme thou ouer vaine saith the holy Ghost to the Fauourite Ne gloriosus appareas coram Rege Prou. 25. Put not forth thy selfe in the presence of the King For there is neither that State nor Prince of that dull patience that doth not in the end grow iealous and fearefull of the great power and authoritie of Fauourites and more especially if they once begin to waxe insolent and abuse this their greatnesse For Kings are Companions and fellow-seruants with vs in their affections and naturall passions nay by their leaue bee it spoken more subiect then we are vnto them saue that they suppresse them more in outward shew and make not that exteriour demonstration of them in regard of that diuinitie which they pretend and represent And all of them will be Masters of their entire will and absolute power And that Fauourite is fouly deceiued and in a strange kinde of errour who in Court by his secret plots and close conueyance pretendeth to possesse his Kings heart if hee conceiue by this course to be the more secure For very dangerous is that fauour and place which is built vpon such a foundation and very ticklish the state of a Fauourite when a King carries such respect vnto him And the reason of this danger is drawne from mans nature it selfe which cannot but in Kings be of farre greater force and strength for there is not that man liuing which doth not hate and abhorre subiection And this is so certaine a truth that I perswade my selfe that I may truly giue this censure and that I am no whit mistaken therein that the reason why Kings doe more willingly make and raise vp men vnto honour and greatnesse for their owne proper guste and appetite then for seruices and deserts is for that in the former they shew themselues to be powerfull and to be owners of their owne cloath which they may cut out to more or lesse as it pleaseth them But to the second they are debtors a thing that is hatefull euen to the best nature and disposition And Fauourites likewise on their part are not to haue men like swarmes of Bees to hiue themselues in their portalls and to hang about them in clusters lest when that day shall come as come it will wherein they shall fall the world take notice that it was his fauour and not his person that they followed There are few Ephestions but many Crateri in Court many that will follow Alexanders fortune but few his particular person Let Fauourites likewise receiue this aduice and counsell from the hand of the Euangelist Saint Iohn which was one of the greatest Courtiers and Fauourites which the King of heauen had The thing that I shall recommend to their consideration is this That when Iohn fell downe to worship before the feet of the Angell which had opened great mysteries vnto him and showne him the things which were shortly to be fulfilled the Angell said vnto him Apoc. 22.9 Vide ne feceris conseruus enim tuus sum fratrum tuorum See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant and the fellow-seruant of thy brethren c. Let euery Fauourite apply this counsell to himselfe and make vse thereof so shall he be in grace with King and people and when men shall go about as it were to adore him and to make him a little God almighty in doing him worship and honour let him by no meanes giue way thereunto but meekly acknowledge that he is but a creature as they are and preuent them with that answer of the Angell Vide ne feceris conseruus tuus sum Doe not offer it for I am your fellow-seruant And great is that obligation which they haue which are raised to great place to know themselues and not to shew themselues strangers to those that haue beene their associates and companions in their meaner fortunes and with whom they haue held priuate familiarity and friendship And not to be like vnto Pharaohs Cup-bearer who when he saw himselfe in that fauour and priuacie which his fellow-prisoner Ioseph had foretold and prognosticated vnto him neuer thought no more of it but quite forgot both it and him as if there had beene no such matter or man It argues extreame lightnesse and a naughty nature that a man should hoyse saile and be gone when he hath a faire winde and not take him along with him that hath runne through all perills and dangers with him and indured all brunts and stormes whatsoeuer How shamefull a thing then is it for them who seeing themselues in prosperitie turne away their face from him who ranne along with them in their aduerser fortune Especially considering they are not certaine how long this calme will endure and what a comfort it is in a storme to haue a true friend to sticke close vnto him For it is a vsuall thing to see him lowermost to day that yesterday stood vppermost in Fortunes wheele And the Moone when it is at full fore-tells a wane and therefore that which importeth them most is That they carry themselues in a gentile fashion towards all men and that their dealing be plaine and dis-interessed whereby they shall not onely keepe their old friends but gaine new and may very well hope to be holpen by them when they shall haue occasion to vse them For they must thinke that the skie will not alwayes bee cleare clouds may arise the Sunne withdraw his light for Kings wills and affections like other mens are ambulatorie and then in what a poore case is a Fauourite if he be left like a single proposition alone to himselfe He cannot if he be wise but make this account with himselfe that the greatest power stirreth vp the greatest enuie and if many combine against him be he the greatest Fauourite that euer was or can bee supposed they will shrewdly put him to his trumpes and if they be of as noble
courage and wit as they are nobly descended they will heaue him out of the saddle when he thinkes he sits surest For concealed hatred is worse then open enmitie And therefore let him gaine new friends keepe his old and not loose any one of those he hath gotten For being left single and alone he shall bee like vnto that white Crow in the Fable whom the crowes would not come neare because of his colour nor the pigeons keepe him company in regard of his greatnesse so that all will flie from him and in the time of his greatest need hee shall be left all alone Vae soli Woe bee to him that is alone And the holy Ghost seemeth to take pittie of him that is alone for that if he fall he hath no body to helpe him vp Let Fauourites likewise consider that they are not for that their King hath exprest his affection vnto them and profest himselfe to bee their friend to thinke that like a dogge in a slip they may leade him whither and which way they list For there are many things to be done which hee is to doe without them For as Cicero saith that friendship which admitteth not exception in some cases is not so much Amicitia as Coniuratio Amitie as conspiracie It is obserued by the learned Saint Ambrose That true friendship is grounded vpon that which is iust and honest and is so limited that if it breake those bounds it doth not onely loose it's name but affoords iust cause for a man to forgoe his friend Friendship is to be held but alwayes with this prouiso that the Lawes of Iustice and Charitie bee duely obserued and when ought contrary thereunto is pretended it is no longer said to bee friendship though vowes and protestations haue past for the better strengthening and confirming of it For if a King shall sweare amisse and contrary to the rules of charitie he is not bound to cumply with his oath nor is there any reason for it in the world why hee should in such sort make deliuery and reason of his heart to his Fauourite and let him haue so much the hand of him as to promise to sticke vnto him or to stand his friend in those things that are vnlawfull and vniust As those Kings Assuerus and Tiberius proceeded with Haman and Scianus who out of the fauour that they bore vnto them gaue them leaue to reuenge themselues of their enemies and to execute all the tyrannies and cruelties which they could deuise or imagine to satisfie their malice A fault which deserued rather and afterwards drew on their speedier and greater fall And well doth that Fauourite deserue to be ruined that shall presume to pretend hazer raga as they say con suamo To stand iust in the same streake or line with his Master For if God who surpasseth in glory and from whom it is impossible to take the least atome thereof and is able to turne all that he hath created into dust will not admit of a companion in matter of adoration and worship How much more will Kings of the earth bee offended and now ill must they take it that any Subiect should equall his shoulder or share with him in his greatnesse being his honour is so shortned and his power so limited For if out of their loue to the person of the Fauourite they beare with him for a while either for to shew themselues thankfull for his good seruices or haply to make him the instrument to worke their reuenge on others Yet these affections and proofes which I speake of being once passed ouer there enters presently in the place thereof a naturall feare and iealousie of their authority and greatnesse which doth much more sway with them then the loue and affection which they beare to the Fauourites person Enuie likewise she comes in and playes her part which is a neare neighbour and still ready at hand in Princes Courts and Pallaces as if she were Attorney generall of all those great places and fomes forth her venome secretly lying in waite and watching her time to doe mischiefe stabbing suddenly deaths wound being giuen before it be dream't on and great is the hurt which this so neare a neighbour to the Kings elbow doth and out of an in-bred spleene aymeth at nothing more then the downfall of Fauourites Complaints and grieuances they also make their appearance in Court being the maine witnesses that Enuie and Passion bring into the Court to make good their plea. Next after these comes in the respect not to say the feare of those that are discontented in all states for no King will be willing that their Subiects vpon this ground should build their rebellion and cause an alteration in the kingdome and will be as loath to bee ball'd on by grieued and discontented persons vpon iustly pretended complaints nor will he be so vnwise for feare of other claps to fauour one to offend many All of them being shrewd blowes for to allay if not quell the courage of the most passionate King towards his dearest Fauourite and are such fierce and terrible conflicts that they tosse his iudgement to and fro with farre greater violence then a strong raging winde doth the waues of the Sea Gouernours and such as sit at the sterne of a Common-wealth wealth and such vnto whom Kings haue deliuered vp the keyes of their heart and hold the rudder of the Monarchie in their hands to steare and shape their course as they will themselues there is no question to bee made of it but that they are in great danger vpon euery storme that shall arise for looke what misfortune shall befall the Commonwealth the blame shall be laid vpon them and the fault imputed either to their ill counsell or their ignorance or their passion For ordinarily nay I may say continually the misfortunes and ill successes of Kings and kingdomes I say the cause of them is attributed to those that are nearest and dearest about the Kings person and possesse the highest places And euery one running along with the common opinion and few are they which haue not a smacke or taste thereof laboureth to lay the fault on his neighbour though he be of his owne proper flesh and bloud And this is an inheritance which wee haue from our father Adam And no man is ashamed thereof for we are all of vs his heires and therefore ought to endeuour as much as in them lies that the peace and quiet of the kingdome bee not disturbed or troubled in the time of their gouernment As well for their glorie and reputation to haue in all their proceedings carried themselues in such sort that no ill accident hath betided them or any maine disgrace as also for the not subiecting of themselues to the vncertaine chances of fortune which are ordinary vpon euery alteration and may serue to worke their ruine and perdition Let therefore those haue an eye I say it and say it againe that are Priuie-Councellours to their
CHRISTIAN POLICIE OR THE CHRISTIAN COMMON-WEALTH Published for the good of Kings and Princes and such as are in authoritie vnder them and trusted with State Affaires Written in Spanish and translated into English LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER for Edward Blount M.DC.XXXII TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE JAMES HAY EARLE OF Carlile Viscount Doncaster Lord HAY of Sauley Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to our Soueraigne Lord King CHARLES Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuy Councell Right Honourable KNowing man better verst in publique affayres then your selfe I could not more fitly addresse this Discourse then to you without the rifling of any particular mans merit 〈◊〉 may ascribe as much to the praise of your exercise as any can assume to his priuate Notions or Publique Obseruations To speake the story of your true and ingenious acts in forraigne and in those forraigne the most subtile and actiue parts would rather seeme a Tract then a Dedication of a Booke but here you are onely Patron though I know you might by your naturall gifts and obseruations be Author of a farre better piece You haue been long the intrusted seruant of your Prince which should employ you the darling of his people and truly you ought to bee so whilst Truth relates the story of deseruing men or Honesty reads their merit What and whose worke of politique gouernment this is your eyes may at leysure looke ouer while your quicker eyes I meane your discerning minde may Perhaps correct yet I hope not chide his labour who was willing though not able to serue you in a piece worthy your obseruation If in the translation there be any thing that hath forsaken the Originall it was intention and not negligence of which there needs no accompt My good Lord there is nothing left but to implore your pardon for the preferring this worke which if it shall appeare vnworthy your graue perusall yet at the least forgiue his intention who conceiued it a direct way of expressing himselfe to be Your Honours truely deuoted EDWARD BLOVNT THE AVTHORS EPISTLE DEDICATOrie to the King of SPAINE Sir THe cause why the Ancients by fire signifie Loue is for that this Element is the hardest to be hid For the more a man seekes to couer it the more it discouers it selfe and blabbs the place where it is Of this quality is Loue and truly participateth of the nature of fire I came saith our Sauiour Christ to put fire into the world And the holy Ghost which is the true God of Loue came and shewed it selfe in the shape and figure of fire So that Loue is a kinde of extraordinary actiue fire Nor can it wheresoeuer it be be hid or idle Operatur magna si est saith Saint Gregory si autem non operatur amor non est Loue will be alwayes in action alwayes in working it worketh by benefits it worketh by good workes and by friendly offices and charitable seruices And when it cannot worke what it would or when the subiect whereon it would worke hath no need thereof it supplyeth that defect with good desires and words God who needeth not the seruice of any contents himselfe with this in those that are his seruants accepting when they can no more the will for the deed And the Kings which here vpon earth represent his person doe not require tribute and seruice saue onely in that which euery one is able to giue That which J am able to affoord and doe here offer vnto your Maiestie forced thereunto by the loue of my seruice howbeit my desire hath euermore had a larger extent is onely a parcell of words which if they proceed from the soule and come truly and sincerely from the heart are of some worth and estimation and perhaps vpon occasion may proue likewise profitable and aduantagious Howsoeuer it may serue at least to expresse that my seruice and deuotion which euer hath beene is and shall be ready prest to serue your Maiestie And I am willing to shew it in this little that I may not wholly seeme vnprofitable And therefore with this affection of Loue sutable to my subiect ouercomming those feares which are wont and not without reason to withhold those that treate with great Kings Princes and Monarckes and write of such and the like subiects I presume to aduertise them and in this paper to propone vnto them that which I finde written of those that are past and gone and seemeth very fit and conuenient for the conseruation and augmentation of the authority and greatnesse of those that are now liuing and present amongst vs and will with all possible breuity procure a full resolution and distinction herein And as Seneca saith Totum comprehendere sub exiguo Sen. epist 84. in princip To comprise much vnder a little For as that is the better sort of money which in the matter is the lesser but the greater in value so likewise that Learning is the best which is briefe in words and large in sentences It is Maximus his counsell that Multa magna Valer. Max. breuiter sunt dicenda Matters that are many and great are briefly to be deliuered For this breuities sake therefore as also for the greatnesse of your Maiesties employments and the great burthen of so many weighty businesses that lye vpon you I will not here interpose any large discourses and long disputations wherewith to entertaine and spend the time but briefe certaine and generall Doctrines such as are of most profit comprehend most subiects and may be applyed to particular both persons and things all taken out of the Politicks the law of nature and men that are Statists and no way contrary to the Law of God and Christian Religion As likewise out of ancient Philosophers and wise men both Lawyers and Law-makers Accompanied wholly for to giue credit to the cause and that the subiect may not be disesteemed as an egge of mine owne hatching with the examples of Kings and Emperours if the examples of Kings may moue Kings and with those which cannot but moue bee esteemed and beleeued being drawne out of the holy Scripture Which being well obserued and put in execution by Kings they shall obtaine that end for which they were intended To wit to maintaine and preserue their Kingdomes in peace and iustice Reade it therefore I beseech your Maiestie and take it to heart for it is a piece of worke that is directed to the seruice of Kings of their Fauourites and Ministers And let them not say that they are Metaphysicall and impracticable things or in a manner meere impossibilities but rather that they are very conformable to our possibilitie and practised by our Predecessors Princes of famous memory for their wisedome and prudence and in Kingdomes and Common-wealths of great Concernment Artifice and Policie in matter of Gouernement and reason of State And viewing those with these times and that which then was with
Kings Paragraph 1 Of the Magnanimitie of minde which Kings ought to haue Paragraphe 2. Of the blandure gentlenesse and loue which Kings ought to haue Parag. 3. That it much importeth Kings to haue the good Loue and affection of their Subiects Parag. 4. Of sagacitie sharpnesse of wit and quicknesse of apprehension which Kings ought to haue Parag. 5. Of the Discretion which Kings ought to haue Chap. 27. Of the sense of Tasting and of the vertue of Temperance and how well it befitteth Kings Chap. 28. When and at what time sports and pastimes are worthiest reprehension in Kings Parag. 1. Of the Language and Truth which Kings and wherewith Kings are to treate and to be treated Parag. 2. That Kings ought to keepe their Faith and Word Parag. 3. Of that secrecie which Kings and their Ministers ought to keepe Parag. 4. Of Flatterers and their flatteries Chap. 29. Of the sense of Touching Parag. 1 Of Temperance Parag. 2 Of another remedie against Excesses and superfluities depending on the example of Kings Chap. 30. Whether it be fit for Kings to haue Fauourites Chap. 31. Of another sort of Fauourites Chap. 32 Whether it bee fit for Kings to haue any more then one Fauourite Chap. 33 Of the Conditions and Qualities of Fauourites Chap. 34 How Kings ought to carry themselues towards their Fauourites Chap. 35 Whether the Kinsfolke and Friends of Fauourites are to be excluded from Offices Chap. 36 The Conclusion of the former Discourse with some Aduertisements for Kings and Fauourites Chap. 37 Aduertisements for Fauourites and Councellours of State SAP 6. v. 10. Ad vos O Reges sunt hi Sermones mei vt discatis sapientiam non excidatis Qui enim custodierint iusta iustè iustificabuntur qui didicerint iusta invenient quid respondeant VVISDOM 6. v. 10. Vnto you therefore o Kings doe I speake that yee may learne VVisedome and not goe amisse For they that keepe holinesse holily shall be holy and they that are learned there shall finde defence CHAP. 1. Wherein it is breifly treated what is comprehended in this Word Republicke together with it's Definition MAny and those of the grauest sorte that haue beene well versed in all kinde of Learning haue written of a Republicke or Common-wealth And haue diuided and sub-diuided it into many and sundry species and defined it after diuerse and different maners A prolixe and tedious businesse and full of difficulties and farre wide of my intension which is in few both words and reasons to describe a mysticall body with it's Head and principall members and the peculiar Offices belonging to euery one of them leauing to such as shall take pleasure therein the multitude of vnprofitable Questions the ornament of humane Eloquence and the Magazine of prophane histories being of little truth lesse efficacie And taking thence my beginning whence all begin Arist lib. 3. Polit. cap 1. lib. 4. cap. 1. To wit from the definition or Description I say with Aristotle and Plato That a Common-wealth is no other thing saue an Order of Citizens and Cities in which and amongst whom nothing is wanting that is necessary and needefull for the life of Man It is a iust gouernment and disposition of many families and of a Communitie amongst them with a superiour authoritie ouer them And it is a Congregation of many people vnited together fraternized with certaine Lawes and rules of gouernment And because I will not loose time in things not necessarie I omit that gouernment which the Greekes call Aristocratia which is the gouernment of the Nobility as it is with the Signorie of Venice And your Democratia which is popular and consistes of the Many as that of Genoa and the Cantons of the Switz Which though approued by many haue their inconueniences and those no small ones For the Nobilitie and powerfull persons if they not perseuere in the obseruance of the Lawes of good gouernment they presently grow to be couetous and are much subiect to Ambition And because they are but a few they feare the multitude and for to conserue themselues exercise cruelty whereby in the ende it turnes to a Tyrannie For as Mecoenas saith The state of a few Lords is the state of a few Tyrants And he that is the most powerfull the most ambitious and best be friended and respected of the people vpon the least dissension ioynes with the multitude which being it is naturally enuious mutable and a friend to innouation will with a great deale of facilitie ouerthrow the Common-wealth And say the Nobles do not side but agree amongst themselues yet cannot they but liue in feare of the infidelitie of the Vulgar for ordinarily those that haue a hand in the gouernment are more enuied then those that haue none at al. Besides it is a weake kind of gouernment nor is it possible that these few Lords can in large conquer conserue a great Empire as can a King or a Monarke because the forces are lesse vnited in them then in him And the people which is little interessed hath no share or part in those honourable places carry a Capital hatred to your great persons and are hardly drawn to such liberall Contributions as may sustaine a War and subdue kingdomes Your popular Estate in falling from that equality which it pretendeth is easily conuerted into a licentious libertie or rather loosenesse pulling down some setting vp others and is much subiect to Alterations through it's inconstancie weake head-pieces of the Popular For as Tully saith the sea hath not so many stormes perills tempestes as hath this kind of Cōmonwealth And of force euery one attending his owne proper good and priuate interest it must runne vpon one of these two rockes Either on the Tyrannie of him that is the strongest and vpheld by the fauour of the Maior part liftes vp himselfe aboue them all Or on the Plebeian gouernment then which none can be worse for all then falls into the hands of ignorant people who put ordinary people into the highest places of honour and command without any distinction or reckoning of rich noble wise or vertuous What good Counsaile or sound Aduise can all the Communaltie giue put all their braines together in a doubtfull case or businesse of importance Eccl. 7.27 when as Salomon saith there is scarce one to be found of a thousand of abilitie and sufficiencie in this kinde But put case that such a one may happily be found amongst them how shall he be heard with silence What patience will their eares lend him What secrecie will be had in that which is treated be it of Peace or War that it be not divulged before it 's due execution your Tumultes and seditions shall be more ordinary and greater then in other states because your meaner sorte of people are gouerned more by their owne vnruly appetites and womanish longings then by reason and discretion And your base and cruell Vulgar which vpon the least
occasion suffers it selfe to be led away by hatred and reuenge presently falls to taking of stones in their hands tearing vp the pibbles in the streetes as Cicero sets downe vnto vs that in the popular assemblies of Rome it so fell out that oftentimes they drew their naked swordes that the stones were seene to flye about their eares on all sides And when this head-strong multitude hath once broken the reines there is no keeping of them in nor can the wit of man deuise how to bridle them In a Monarchy the Monarke In an Aristocratia your Noble-men are supreme Iudges and Arbitrators and by this their supreme and absolute power they many times compose the differences of the subiects But in a Democratia and Popular Estate they are the supreme power and they themselues bandy one against another the fire of faction setting them in a consuming flame without acknowledging any superiour to decide the quarrell and compose their differences And therefore Aristotle sayd That there was not any Tyrannie either greater or more pernicious then that of an intire Communaltie which of it selfe is inclined to crueltie The Monarchy or Kingdome is freer from these burning feuers and by all is ranked in the best place and is stiffely maintained by the grauest Authors Of this onely shall I treate at this present It is called a Monarchy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Greeke signifieth One and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with Prince which is as if we should say a Principalitie or a Kingdome where one alone is hee that commands and gouernes and the rest all obey All these three kindes of Popular Aristocraticall and Monarchicall gouernments were vsed in Greece and more particularly in Rome But Rome neuer came to be Mistresse of the World till shee was reduced to a Monarchie in the time of Caesar Augustus There are found therein 8. differences of States Husbandmen Trades-men Merchants Souldiers Iudges Cleargie-men the Nobility and the King which to speake more properly and as in diuers places it is deliuered by the blessed Apostle S. Paul is a Misticall Body which we call a Kingdome with it's Head For a king is the supreme Lord subiect onely vnto God That in S. Augustines and Diuus Thomas his opinion Aug. lib. 2. de Ciuit. Dei D. Tho. de regim li. 1. cap. 2. Arist Pol. 3. cap. 5. 10. Plat. Dial. de repub Prou. 8.15 as also sundry other Authors of diuers faculties amongst which are Aristotle and Plato the most excellent gouernment is that which acknowledgeth a Superior one King and one Head For all naturall and good gouernment proceedeth from One and that which comes neerest vnto Vnitie hath most similitude with that which is diuine and is by much the most perfect By God Kings reigne according to that of the wise man Per me reges regnant Per me Principes imperant By me Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice And God being one and most simple in his Being and Nature the Head of all the whole Vniuerse by Whom and Which all is gouerned with admirable and ineffable prouidence and is the Idea of all good and perfect gouernment it is not a thing to be doubted but that that shall be amongst vs the best which is most agreeable with his And if the Members of the body being many and bearing different Offices therein admit to be gouerned by a Head and that God and Nature hath so ordained it Why should not a Monarchicall gouernment be the best Most certaine therefore is it that it is mainely to be preferred before the other two Some will haue this Monarchicall gouerment to be the most ancient and that it had it's beginning from Cain Adams eldest sonne who was the first that did gather people together built Cities and did shut them vp and fortifie them with walls After the flood Nimrod the sonne of Chus and nephew vnto Cham Beros lib. 4. de Flor. Cald. secundum Philon. de Antiq. a man of valour and amongst those of those times the most able and strongest man was the first that reduced men to liue in a Communitie and to be obedient to one only King possessing himselfe of the Kingdome and Signorie of the World And before these euen in the very beginning of the Creation God began to establish this gouernment forme of a Commonwealth Act 17.26 For as S. Paul saith God would that all Mankinde should descend from one Man And Gods chosen people did euermore maintaine a Monarchie and did ordaine that the Supreme power should reside and remaine in One. The first gouernours of the world were Monarkes did gouerne with this Title all the Common-wealthes of the World haue generally desired to be gouerned by one king As appeareth by those of the Gentiles euery particular state hauing his peculiar King And were it not a great monstrousnesse in nature that one body should haue two Heads Much more were it that one kingdome should be gouerned by two persons Vnitie is the Author of much good and Pluralitie the causer of much ill The Roman Commonwealth did suffer much miserie and calamitie not because all would not obey One but because many would command All. And therforein their greater necessities they did create a Dictator so called because all did obay whatsoeuer he dictated and sayd vnto them For they knew well enough and did clearely and plainely perceiue That in the Empire of One the authoritie was the greater greater the obedience freer their determinations firmer their Councells speedier their resolutions and more prompt the execution of their designes In a word Command Signorie and Supreme power does better in one head then in many And therefore all doe vnanimously and vndoubtedly conclude That the Monarchie is the ancientst and the durablest of all other and it 's gouernment the best yet would I haue it to helpe it selfe with the Aristocratia in that which may be vsefull for it's aduantage That in regard of it's strength and execution doth by it's greater Vnion and force excell the rest This other which is composed of a few noble wise and vertuous persons because it consistes of more hath the more intirenesse prudence and wisedome and by conioyning and intermixing the one with the other resulteth a perfect absolute gouernment So that a Monarchy that it may not degenerate must not goe loose and absolute for Command is a madd-man and power Lunaticke but must be tyed to the Lawes as far forth as it is comprehended vnder the Law And in things particular and temporall must haue reference to the body of the Councell seruing as the brace or ioyning peece of timber betweene a Monarchie an Aristocracie which is the assistance and aduise of the chiefer and wiser sort For from a Monarchy not thus well and orderly tempred arise great errours in gouernment little satisfaction to the State and many distastes amongst those that are gouerned All men that
Bases which the most wise King Salomon placed in the Temple 1 Kings 7.29 hee commanded Lions Oxen and Cherubins to be ingrauen in signification of so many the like qualities which Kings ought to haue who sustaine the whole weight of a kingdome He must be in perpetuall labour signified in the Oxe he must be endued with courage expressed in the Lion and he must abound in knowledge notified in the Cherubin Wherfore Cicero likewise maketh mention Cicero in Orat. pro lege Manil. Hae sunt saith that Heathen Orator virtutes Imperatoriae Labor in negotijs Fortitudo in periculis Industria in agendo To assist in businesses to be stout and valiant in dangers to be dextrous and wise in acting and aboue all to haue a liberall will without subiection and readily disposed for execution are vertues befitting an Emperour For to gouerne well great strength great courage great wisedome great power and a great willingnesse will be required For though a King know much and can doe much yet if he will not exercise his knowledge nor make vse of his power it is all one as if he neither knew nor could doe any thing The Leaper said to our Sauiour Christ Domine si vis potes me mundare If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And Christ made him answer not in word onely but in deed Volo mundare I will be thou cleane CHAP. VI. How Kings ought to carry themselues in those businesses which their vnderstanding comprehendeth not IN regard that the Vnderstanding is amongst all other faculties the Noblest it is that without doubt which doth least render and yeeld it selfe but is most sencible of the offence it receiueth in submitting it selfe Whereupon oftentimes it sticketh close to it's opinion and what it hath once intertained it obstinately maintaineth and defendeth And therefore the Philosopher said Amicus Plato sed maior Veritas Plato is my friend but the truth more In confirmation whereof we daily see that the dearest and neerest friends and that are one and the same in their will and affection in their vnderstanding and opinion are diuerse and different Each of them maintaineth his owne particular Tenet and yet without offence continew still good friends In a word in matter of Knowledge and Vnderstanding because it is a thing that cannot be measured out by the yard or meate out by inches there is not that Man that can indure Maioria or that another should goe before him or get the start of him in that kinde Euery one resteth satisfied with his owne Vnderstanding and conceiues that his reason is the best and few will bee brought to acknowledge that they are in an errour And in a manner all men flatter themselues with their owne opinion and thinking they are in the right they are so farre from yeelding that they stiffely maintaine what they haue vndertaken you shall not beate them out of it as being perswaded that they haue the better end of the staffe in their hands And hence arise those earnest contentions and endlesse questions in your Consultations and debating of Causes those crosse incounters and differences in determining great businesses persisting violently in their opinion though it bee neuer so contrary vnto reason And though this be a common infirmitie and a generall fault in all of what state and condition soeuer yet your great persons in this point runne the greatest perill For as the sonne of Sirach saith all doe approue and celebrate their sayings not in that onely wherein they speake home to the purpose but when they speake foolishly and vtter things not to bee spoken Eccl. 13.23 Locutus est diues omnes tacuerunt verbum illius vsque ad nubes perducent When a rich man speaketh euery man holdeth his tongue and looke what he saith they extoll it to the cloudes For opinion being now as long since Mistris of the World shew ouerswaies substance and authoritie checketh reason It is not Goodnesse but Greatnesse that strikes the stroke But if a Prince would bee so holy and so zealous of the good of his Kingdome haue hee neuer so able a braine neuer so much Knowledge and Vnderstanding acknowledging what a large extent of Wisedome is required for the gouerning of a Kingdome as it ought to be gouerned that hee would be pleased to receiue some helpe and assistance hee hath very secure and certaine remedies in this case and all of them ordred and ordained by the Holy Ghost The first is To begge of God and that with a great deale of faith and Confidence Light and Wisedome Conforming himselfe to that of S. Iames Si quis vestrum indiget sapientia postulet à deo Iames. 1.5 qui dat omnibus affluenter non improperat dabitur ei If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God that giueth to all men liberally and vpbraideth not and it shall be giuen him And for asmuch as in Kings this acknowledgment is vsually more difficult for that they are free and without dependance on any in their owne kingdomes so much the more acceptable in this kind are their prayers vnto God As King Salomon exemplifieth it vnto vs who confessing the shortnesse of his vnderstanding and his want of Wisedome for to gouerne so great a people that could not bee numbred nor counted for multitude acknowledging himselfe to be but as a little child and that hee knew not how to goe out or come in and humbly beseeching God that hee would be pleased to supply this defect he found so much fauour in his sight that he appeared vnto him after a solemne sacrifice and said Postula quod vis vt dem tibi Aske what I shall giue thee 1. King 35. And this young King with a great deale of thankefulnesse and submission sayd Domine deus tu regnare fecisti servum tuum c. O Lord my God 2. Chron. 1.10 thou hast made thy Seruant King in instead of Dauid my father c. And thy seruant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen a great people c. Giue therefore thy Seruant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and bad and be able to goe in and out before thy people And howbeit this discreete young King saw the doore of Gods mercie set thus wide open vnto him and what a liberall offer he had made vnto him to bestow fauours vpon him according to the measure of his owne desire yet did hee neither set his eyes nor his heart vpon Gold Siluer Riches or long life but as one that knew so well how to aske desired that he would out of his grace and mercy giue him the gift of Wisedome that hee might know how to gouerne his State and Kingdomes and to conserue them in peace and Iustice And God was so well pleased with this his Petition that he did not onely bestow that vpon him but many other blessings with it and
might be bred vp such subiects in qualitie learning and vertue that out of them Election might be made of fit men for greater Counsells And that the Presidents should be chosen out of the said Councells in which they were bred vp it is very conuenient and grounded vpon good reason For hauing beene conuersant in them some yeeres by the concourse of so many things as dayly offer themselues thereby will be better knowen their talent and capacitie their truth their treating their integritie and all the worth and parts of their person whereby the election that shall be made will be much the better more certaine in the things vndertaken and more safe and secure in matter of conscience And who is he can doubt but that those Counsailours which haue beene for a long time in your supremer Councells will haue greater knowledge of the qualitie and substance of those businesses which are treated in them together with those necessary circumstances which make for their better expedition Besides they will more prefectly know the State wherein the businesses of that Tribunall stand without being driuen to haue recourse vnto others to be better informed spending and loosing much time therein Againe they know which is a matter of no small consideration the rest of the Counsailours as also their condition their abilitie their cleannesse of hands and heart and their good or bad parts for there better then else where are they discouered And this knowledge is very necessary in Presidents for to deliberate and make choise vpon all occasions of the fittest persons that are to be trusted with businesses of importance And it is of no lesse consequence to take notice of the suitors and pretenders for to know how to carry themselues towards them to take particular knowledge of the good customes ceremonies preheminencies and priuileges of those Councells that they may be kept and obserued and that the authoritie of the Tribunall may be maintained and all discordes and Competitions a voyded All these things are learned with time and that experience which euery one hath of his proper Councell wherein it is very requisite that the President be a Master and not a Schollar as he is who enters newly into a Councell though he haue serued many yeares in another and of no little inconuenience are the nouelties which they both attempt and do who are admitted without this experience being desirous to accommodate and order things according to the measure of their own discourse And howbeit the want of experience be in Counsailours a matter of much consideration and may be tolerated and borne withall in some yet in realtie of truth the lacke thereof in a President is intolerable and very preiudiciall to the whole Common-wealth And from thence arise many great mischiefes and those remedilesse For some out of ignorance and some out of flatterie do leane to their opinion whereby many vniust decrees passe whilest the experienced and wiser sort which euermore are the fewer haue not power equall to their sufficiencie to turne the course of the streame And for th s reason so many difficulties offer themselues so many differences are raised amongst them and so many resolutions delayd and put off and peraduenture erre in the end too which would haue required a quicke and speedy Dispatch But when a President hath that experience which is needfull he will not gâ—ue way to these delayes but being priuie to his own sufficiencie and confident that he is in the right looke what he presseth and affirmeth the authoritie of his person and place will make it good and strike a great if not the only stroake in the businesse For these and diuerse other reasons in all well-gouerned Common-wealths and Communities I wouâ—d haue them make choise for Gouernment of such subiects as haue beene bred vp and liu'd some yeares in them for they cannot but haue a great aduantage of those that are strangers thereunto though otherwise of equall parts And this is the trace and tracke of the Holy Ghost marked out vnto vs by S. Paul Heb. 5.1 Omnis enim Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pâ—o hominibus constituitur For euery high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men For it matetreth much that the head be of the same substance as is the body and that all the members be of one and the same kinde not to haue a head of gold a body of brasse and feete of clay like vnto Nabuchodonazars image but that all the whole body be one and the selfe same flesh and bone all of the same matter and informed with the same forme That bundle of sheafes which Ioseph saw his like the King-sheafe lifting vp his head higher then the rest and if we may beleeue the Rabbins reaching as high as heauen and those of his brethren prostrate on the ground doing homage thereunto is the Embleme of the body of a Councell it's President like vnto that of king Pharaoh And the sacred Text doth not say that that tall and high sheafe was different in matter from the rest but that all were of the same eare and stalke giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that he that is to be the Head or President of the whole body of a Councell though he be to be higher then the rest in the dignitie and hight of his Office yet for all this God would not that he should be made of any other kinde of matter then were the rest of the members That he should not be some great block-headed Lord or a man without wit or learning that in his carriage and manner of life he should seeme to be cut out of another peece of cloath but that hee should bee of the selfe same qualitie fashion and profession And that the President of euery Councell should be chosen from amongst the Counsailours themselues that they be moulded out of the same Masse and lumpe as well the feete as the head that there goe as we say but a payre of sheares betweene them and that they be clad all in one and the same liuerie And God giuing order to his Vice-roy and in it to all Kings how he was to choose a President that should be the Head and ruler ouer his people saith thus vnto him Eum constitues Deut. 17.15 quem Dominus tuus elegerit de numero fratrum tuorum Thou shalt in any wise set him King ouer thee whom thy Lord thy God shall choose One from among thy brethren shalt thou set King ouer thee And howbeit God had heere exprest himselfe so plainely and that he himselfe had the nominating of the person and therefore there could be no errour in the Election yet it seemeth God was not satisfied heerewith but comes presently with another Prouiso and a second Mandatum saying Thou mayst not set a stranger ouer thee hominem alterius gentis which is not thy brother He must not be of another people or of another familie As if he should haue said not
Councels wherin vsually there are many which scarce know the first Principles of that wherof they are to treate must be guided directed by those which are taken out of that Councell which is acquainted with these kind of businesses Or if they will not confesse this by their ignorance and by their Competition they deferre at least if not vtterly ouerthrow the resolution that should be taken in the businesse For being as they are composed of different Tribunalls they neither loue nor trust one another neither know they how to yeeld each to other but grow stiffe obstinate and attend onely to shew their wit learning vpon those that are vnuerst in those affaires Whilest in the meane while it succeedeth with mens businesses as it doth with those diseases and sicknesses which are discust and debated by many Physitians who whilst they are diuided in opinion and one would haue this and another that the time of the cure is past Fiftly for the credit and authoritie of the King as also of the Councels themselues for when that which belongs to these Counsailours and their President is taken out of their hands by artifice and cunning and is recommended to others in no hand can be excused the note and suspition that either the King hath erred in the Election which he made of these his Counsellours or that they do not do their duty because that which did properly appertaine vnto them is taken from them and put ouer to others And as it should be a fault in a Prince not to trust his Ministers if they deserue to be trusted so is it likewise if they dismerit that trust to continue them in that place And therefore that Minister from whom there can be had no good satisfaction let him be put out of his Office For to keepe him in it argues either weaknesse in a Prince or an euill Conscience Sixtly That that may not by your Discoursists and Wits as they call them whereof Kings Courts are full diuine afore hand what is treated in those Iuntas which are no sooner had but the end of them is knowne a thing which cannot but be of infinite inconuenience for all affaires and more particularly in those which as they are of more importance so doe they require more reseruednesse Seuenthly because Ministers may haue time and place for to heare Negotiants which they cannot haue nor be able to remedy matters nor to vnderstand them vnlesse they may haue the hearing of them And though this complaint be without fault on the Counsailours part I am sure it is not without punishment of those that are to negociate with them And lastly because it is a great errour and intolerable burthen to tye two or three to the dispatch of many businesses of peace and of warre of the Exchequer of the state and of diuers other things which dayly offer themselues for as experience teacheth reason requireth and inconuenience proclaimes it it is impossible to giue a good issue and dispatch to all nay scarce to the least part of businesses For a man is not made of brasse that hee should be able to indure the trouble of so many Iuntas at least his spirits will be so spent that he will be able to doe little seruice in those that are last treated Counsailours know not like Angels Diuino intuitu but as Men by way of discourse and in this they are tyred out and ouer-wrought and it is not possible that at the latter end of the day they should be so quicke and nimble as at the first hower after they haue taken paines all the day long For this vertue is granted to spirits which know and comprehend things without measure or wearisomnesse Maâ—s vnderstanding is finite and hee said not ill that said The sence which is occupied in many things is weakened by euery one of them And in that repartment and diuision which that Euangelicall father of his familie made of the Talents amongst his seruants he gaue vnto euery one of them Secundum propriam virtutem He measured their abilities and conformable thereunto imposed a charge vpon them How many doe groane vnder the burthen of those offices which they beare without being able to vndergoe them yet will not they leaue these because their ambition does not leaue them But rather applying themselues to the gust and Palate of their King and out of a disordinate desire they haue to grow still greater and greater they are well content with loade vpon loade and neuer cry Ho because they neuer thinke they haue enough And so not complying as indeed they cannot with their obligation businesses are retarded and goe not on in that good way as they should and both they themselues and they that put them into these places liue with little or no securitie of conscience But if it be the Kings will and pleasure and that hee thinke it fit for his greater satisfaction that some one particular man that is eminent in the profession of that businesse which is to be treated shall treate thereof and shall see and peruse it a gods name if he will haue it so let his will be fulfilled yet with all let his Maiestie take his opinion as of a particular person and hauing receiued it let it be disputed discussed and debated by the body of the Councell such as haue beene beaten in these kinde of businesses and are throughly acquainted with these matters for by this meanes that which is pretended shall the better be effected and many the fore-mentioned inconueniences be excused Amongst those Ancient Romans when that Common-wealth was sole Mistris of all the world and when it was likewise vnder the Empire and Command of one onely Monarke we neuer read that it euer admitted of more then the Ordinary Councells for the dispatch of businesses Augustus Caesar a Prince of excellent prudence and his great Minion Mecaenas in matter of Counsaile can sufficiently confirme this Doctrine being that he himselfe was one of those that treated businesses in the ordinary Councells And he had a respect and consideration thereunto in that extraordinary cause of Piso touching the death of Germanicus Corn. Tacit. wherein the iudgement of the people and the Senate was so much interessed Tiberius the Emperour who was one of the subtilest and craftiest Princes that euer the Roman Empire knew would not for all his great strength of wit cunning dissimulation wherein he was his Arts-Master venter vpon any innouation farther then this to passe ouer his opinion to this or that other Councell but neuer appointed any particular Iunta for the same as one who knew very well that onely in so doing he should haue but laded his own shoulders with the weightinesse of the Case and the successe of the Cause Onely your Iuntas are to be vsed vpon some great and extraordinary occasion and not vpon euery trifling businesse as is now and hath these many yeares beene in vse much more time being
man will hardly be true and trusty vnto him and scarcely adiuse him to that which is fitting for him But suppose he hath all these good qualities yet if he giue way to be won by the loue of money and greedinesse of gaine all that shall be treated with him shall be saleable no whit weighing the benefit and authoritie of his King if the insatiable hunger of riches be put in the scale And I say moreouer that he that shall want these two qualities and shall not loue his King and yet loue Couetousnesse though he be indewed with all the rest he shall thereby be so much the worse and more dangerous for hauing his will depraued and his vnderstanding ill affected hauing these two Vices attending on him how much the more shall his sharpnesse of wit be and the greater his force of Eloquence the worse effects will it worke and the more remedilesse Let Counsellours therefore haue these two qualities Loue of the heart and cleannesse of the hand together with good naturall partes as a quicke wit and nimble apprehension for the speedier determining of present businesses and not onely to giue sodaine but sound aduise in them And that in future cases they may be able by naturall discourse to giue a guesse how things are like to succeede as also that they may by good discourse and debating of businesses attaine vnto those things whereof as yet they haue not had particular experience That they be prudent discerners of the better and the worse in Cases doubtfull that they may not be to seeke but to goe through stitch therewith and be prouided for all commers In a word let them be excellent sodaine speakers vpon all occasions assisted as well by a naturall kinde of gift they haue that way as by the exercise of their wit All which will not serue the turne nor make the Mill go so roundly as it would vnlesse there be much amitie amongst them and a conformitie of good agreement and a willing helping and assisting one of another in businesses For from Competitions and Contestations amongst themselues haue insued the losse of Kingdomes and States and other great losses and Calamities Ley. 29. Tit. 9. Part. 2. They must bee of one accord and one will with their King and still aduise him to the best hauing an eye both to him and themselues that they doe not erre or doe any thing contrary to that which is right and iust And then is it to be vnderstood that they beare true loue to their King and Countrie and that they apply themselues to all that which concernes the common good and their owne particular seruice when they take ioy and comfort that they concurre and runne all one way without diuision or distraction And if this vnitie be not amongst them it is to be imagined that they loue not so much the King and State as their owne priuate interest Being thus qualified they shall be fit Ministers and Counsellors for so great a Counsell for they shall therby be able to rid as many businesses as shall be brought before them and giue them good and quicke dispatch well vnderstanding what is needefull to be done and knowing as well how to declare themselues in that which they vnderstand And in this or any other Councell there ought according to Fadrique Furio a care to be had to examine the merits and dismerits of euery one informing themselues of his life behauiour and abilities as also the Actions of those who without suing deserue for their vertue to haue fauour showen them and likewise to take notice of those who desire this preferment And that for this purpose there be a Register or Booke kept of the merceds and fauours to be conferred and of the persons that are well deseruing to the end that those honours and fauours may be thrown vpon them according to the vertue sufficiencie and merits of the men For he that depriues Vertue of that honour that is due thereunto doth in Cato's opinion depriue men of vertue it selfe And when fauours are afforded those which not deserue them or are forborne to be bestowed on those that merit them vertue receiues a great affront and the Common-wealth a notable losse And it will proue the greater if honour be added to the bad and taken from the good and that vice shall be better rewarded then vertue For where she is not esteemed and rewarded the vertuous liue like men affronted and that are banished the Court. King Nabucodonosor Assuerus and others haue kept such a booke as this wherein were commanded to be recorded the seruices that were done them and the persons deseruing to the end they might gratifie them and cast their gracious fauours vpon them And this is very necessary in all well ordred Common-wealths to the end that all might indeauour to take paines and study to deserue well For reward inciteth men to labour And as Salust saith were it not for hope of reward few or none would be good It makes much likewise for the honor and credit of Kings For in no one thing can they gaine themselues greater reputation then by honouring those that are good and vertuous The Romans had likewise another Councell which was called by the name of Censura or Reforming of manners which did not in the Common-wealth permit publicke delinquents which might cause either trouble or scandall to the State and to the end that such ill disposed persons might not escape punishment For where there is neither hope of reward nor feare of punishment there can we haue no good thing no Common-wealth nor no Congregation of men to last and continue when as the good and vertuous are not rewarded nor the lewd and seditious punished For if one part of the body be infirme and be not holpen in time the maladie extends it selfe and goes creeping and spreading it selfe ouer all the whole body And therefore it is fitting that Ministers should haue an eye to see what vices what disorders what ill corrupted manners disturbe and molest a Kingdome and to haue a care to cleanse and cure the Common-wealth of them dealing with them for the publicke good as wise Physitians do for the Bodyes-safety Who in the curing of infirmities for the securing of the whole cauterize this or that member and if neede be cut it off Now your infirmities and diseases which are quickly knowne are as easily cured a great meanes of the remedy resting in the discouerie but those which with time waxe olde grow in a manner incurable the Aliment and fomenting of them consisting most in their concealement For as in suffering and dissembling a sore it but rankles the more and of ill becomes worse So to beare with insolent offenders and to winke at their foule faultes is as if a man should fauour a wound too much wherby as it so do they daily grow worse and worse For it is too too well knowne that to malignant dispositions the more lenitie is but
both waking and sleeping keepes his eyes open The Holy Ghost saith That a wise man hath his eyes in his head Eccl. 2.14 Sapientis oculi in capite eius And it seemeth that by Contrapositions he would giue vs thereby to vnderstand that a foole hath his eyes in his feete Which as they discouer but little so are they lyable to a thousand offences and deceits But the wise man beholds from high and as from a watch-Tower discouers things a farre off and is thereby better able to take notice of them and more punctually to comply with his obligation to the state and to that which neede shall require in those accidents that may occurre This is that sight which as before hath beene said befitteth Kings for that they are the Heads of their Common-wealths and therefore are to reserue for their own view those the more weighty businesses of their subiects there being a great deale of reason that they should see them as they say with their owne eyes For this end are those Visitations ordayned and those Entrances in State which Kings are wont to make into the Cities and Prouinces of their Kingdomes When the arrogant and vaine presumption of men grew to that passe that for to celebrate their name they went about to build that proud Tower of Babel with intent to touch euen heauen it selfe with the top thereof and to liue free from all feare of a second flood that sacred Historie tells vs Descendit autem Dominus vt videret Ciuitatem Gen. 11.5 Turim quam aedificauerint filij Adam That the Lord came downe to see the Citie and tower which the sonnes of men builded God came down himself to see this their so great insollencie that he might punish them accordingly as he did with such a confusion of languages that one could not vnderstand another and were amongst themselues as so many strangers without being able to communicate and conuerse together so that they were driuen to diuide themselues into different Countries and were scattred from thence vpon all the earth And in the said Historie of Genesis we read that when that abhominable filthines of the Sodomites grew to that highth of impudencie that it prouoked God vnto Wrath and in a manner bound him to consume them with fire from heauen he vttered vnto Abraham these words worthy the noting Gen. 18.20 Clamor Sodomorum Gomorrhaeorum multiplicat in est peccatum eorum aggrauiatum est nimis Descendam videbo vtrum clamorem qui venit ad me opere compleuerint an non est ita vt sciam Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me And if not that I may know As if he should haue sayd Howbeit the abomination of these accursed Sodomites and Gomorrhaeans hath so farre increased that it doth cry aloud vnto me for vengeance and chasticement and hath pierced the heauens and come vnto mine eares yet notwithstanding because it is a thing that concernes a whole Common-wealth and a busines of that weight as to deserue exemplary punishment I will goe downe and see whether it be so or no as the report goes of it Though most certaine it is that God hath no need to come downe from heauen to take a particular viewe of the things of this world for he is present in all places here there and euery where he filleth all seeth all and with his infinite wisedome comprehendeth all But the Scripture speakes in this kinde of language that it may accommodate it self to the stile and capacitie of men for to instruct Kings in this place that graue and weighty businesses they are not to transferre them ouer vnto others but of and by themselues to see and looke vnto them nor ought they too be to facile in giuing credit to fame and report especially of the vulgar without hauing first fully informed himselfe thereof and that by themselues they should be able to dis-deceiue themselues and to see and consider things with attention and with a desire to search out the truth and to rectifie what is amisse In the Kingdomes of Castile there is a very commendable custome and of great authoritie and Maiestie worthy those most prudent Kings which first ordeyned it And this is that Consulta which euery friday towards the Euening the President of Castile makes with those of his Maiesties Councell Royall wherein an Account is giuen vnto his Maiestie of all the weightiest businesses and wherein the opinion and the authoritie Royall is necessarie And this is not without example in the sacred Scripture For in the first chapter of Deut. it is written That when that great Law-giuer Moses had named for good and quicke dispatch such Counsellours as before specified giuing them in charge what they were to keepe and obserue and how to administer Iustice with equalitie and without exception of persons he told them Quod si difficile vobis visum aliquid fuerit Deut. 1.17 referte ad me ego audiam The cause that is too hard for you bring vnto me and I will heare it You shall consult with me in that case that I may heare it and take such course therein as is fitting And if to this so commendable a Consulta of euery Friday weekely there should bee added another Meeting some certaine dayes in the yeare to the end that the President and those of the Kings Camaera should carry with them the Consulta of the Offices and should treate and conferre thereof by word of mouth with our Lord the King it would be one of the most important things in the iudgement and opinion of many graue men whom I haue consulted with in this particular that could be or-ordained for the good of these Kingdomes Whereby many of those inconueniences would be auoyded which wise and Christian Counsellours haue found out by many yeares experience And none of the meanest amongst the rest is the remitting by writing so weightie and important a thing as the Election of Officers recommending the same to a dead Letter which can make no replie And that paper which passeth through so many hands cannot come so clean as it shuld but be sullyed especially if it come to such hands as are not clean but corrupted with gifts presents And because this Course is taken the loue respect due to their Kings is lost who like Creatures to their Creator ought to acknowledge al that they haue from his hands Wheras now they giue this respect vnto his Maiesties Ministers with whom they haue held correspondency as knowing that their Prouision must solely passe through their hands and that their good or bad dispatch consistes in them or in a lesse full or more effectuall Relation inclosed in the paper of their Consulta Which cannot be carryed thus when the President and those of
vnder a couple of Capons The Tribunes of the people of Rome a Magistracie ordained for defending of the Communaltie kept their gates still open that men at all houres might vpon all occasions come and treat with them If that young man Act. 22.21 which was Saint Pauls sisters sonne who heard the Conspiracie which the Iewes had plotted against him and went to giue aduise thereof to the Magistrate had not found such easie entrance into the Tribunes house as he did without doubt it had cost Paul his life For fourty men had taken a solemne oath to kil him as he came forth of prison to his Triall and bound themselues with a curse that they would neither eate not drinke till they had killed him Now when this young man came to the Chiefe Captaine and told him that he had something to say vnto him The Text there saith that the Captaine tooke him by the hand and went a part with him alone and asked him What hast thou to shew to me c. With this facilenes did the Ministers of that Heathen-people giue Audience How much more ought Christian Ministers to doe the like The open doore and the giuing of Audience in some open Hall or in some outward Court whereunto all are admitted to enter would giue much content vnto many but these close doores and close Audience to very few which is purposely done for to pleasure their friends and seruants for from this their hard accesse and difficile entrance they likewise make their gaine and are not ashamed now to demand that for a fee which if they were well serued should be recompenced with a halter And looke what I haue said of your Oydores which are your Iudges in Chanceries and other the chiefe Courtes of Iustice I say the like of other Ministers who though they haue not the same name yet doe they serue as eares to their king And then are their eares shut and growne deafe when they will not heare making thereby his Maiestie to be found fault withall to receiue a hard censure from his subiects when he is innocent blamelesse and drawing a thousand other mischiefes vpon the Common-wealth And it is a most shamefull thing and worthy reprehension redresse that when kings shall bee liberall in this kind their Ministers should be so short cutted and that a man should be at more cost and trouble to get Audience of them to negociate a busines then of the king himself And the mischiefe of it is that they procure and pretend now as in former times the greatest fauours the highest places honors dignities whilst in the mean while it is not thought vpon nor taken into consideratiō that besides the offence which is done herein vnto God the Common-wealth that it is one of the most preiudiciall things in the world for the quiet peace of States the conseruation of kingdomes And this was well vnderstood by Absolon the son of Dauid pretender to the Crowne of Israel Who perceiuing that the king his father through his great imployments in the Wars could not so well attend his giuing Audience to all his subiects and that they to whose charge care it was committed did not cumply therin with their obligation he placed himselfe at the entrance of the Citie whether the suitours repaired and seeing how much they distasted it that they had not that quicke Audience and dispatch as they expected and desired he insinuates himselfe into them and speaking very kindly 2 Sam. 15.3 and louingly vnto them he tolde them Videntur mihi Sermones tui boni iusti sed non est qui te audiat constitutus à Rege Thy matters are good and righteous but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee And this is it that puts all out of frame and order O quoth he that I were made Iudge in the land that euery man which hath any matter of controuersie might come to me that I might doe him Iustice c. And it followeth anon after in the Text Quod solicitabat corda virorum That by this means he stale away the hearts of the men of Israel And that thereupon there shortly after insued a great rebellion which put the king the kingdom in great ieopardie Which may serue as a lesson for a good Minister to teach them what they ought to do not to think they do that which they ought when for fashion sake they giue short and crowding Audiences where that which enters in at one eare goes out as they say at another But that so much time should be allowed for the hearing of them as the qualitie off the busines shall require without cutting those off who go rendring their reasons For he that hath not the patience to heare them either he not vnderstandeth them or is afraid to meddle with them With this therefore I conclude this and the former discourse That the first Office of a King is To heare all his subiects And it being supposed that he alone cannot doe it it is fit he should haue Oydores that should heare for him and be his eares And for that as by the eares of the head there runn's along a certaine secret nerue by meanes wherof that which is heard is presently conuaied to the braine there to be registred and consulted on by the Common sense So these Oydores ought to holde their secret Consulta wherein they ought to make relation vnto the King of all that they haue heard But let them weigh with all what a short Cut it is from the eare to the braine and the small stay that is made in this Iourney or passage to the end that by this natural course which is so quicke speedy they may see their errour and perceiue what a great fault it is to retarde their Consultations to shew themselues thicke of hearing to haue their eares shut or rather the Oydores themselues shut vp and not to be spoken withall Some would faine excuse these Audiences with the impertinencies of those that craue them which sometimes are very large and tedious and to as little purpose as they are too too importune vnseasonable But to this answere That your high and eminent places bring with them this trouble and charge And as the Apostle Saint Paul said that it is a great token of prudence to know how to beare with the foolish and to haue suffrance and patience with those that are none of the wisest Libenter enim suffertis insipientes 2 Cor. 11.19 cum sitis ipsi sapientes For ye suffer fooles gladly because that ye are wise And because he that is most wise is most offended with ignorance let him know that he meriteth much in dissembling it when it is fitting so to doe for to say the truth as the same Apostle affirmeth Gods good and faithfull Ministers haue obligation both to the Wise and to the foolish Sapientibus insipientibus debitorsum
pleasing and very acceptable vnto all and will oblige them all to new seruices And such a generall content will it cause in all sortes of people that it will make them to brook with the better patience those great fauours which are vndeseruedly done vnto others being in themselues men of no merit in the world I would not haue Kings to be too much carried away with the inclination of their own mindes for as they are Kings they will euermore be apt to giue much But I would haue them to place their eyes as also their consideration vpon the qualitie of the person to whom they giue according to the rules of Distributiue Iustice For from that in the receiuer and this in the Giuer is formed that Temperance Moderation and Equitie which giues liberality it's being and makes it to be a vertue Heroicall and worthy Kings Which if it be fayling in ether of these the one or the other it shall merit no such name as you shall see by and by when we come to conclude this discourse wherein we aduertise those that giue that it shall be much prudence and make likewise much for the good of the party himselfe that receiueth to goe leysurely along with him in these Mercedes and fauours For this difference I finde to be betweene offences and punishments fauours and benefits that the first are done but once because in discretion they will not goe dayly nourishing the passion of those who receiue the harme thereby and stand in feare lest the like ill might happen vnto them selues As for the second it is fitting that they be done often giuing now a little and then a little that it may the better penetrate the palate and please the taste of him that receiueth them As in our bodily meates and drinkes bit after bit draught after draught agrees better with our health and taste then grosse feeding and fall cups Besides this faire and frequent distribution cannot but cause a more settled loue in those persons on whom they are bestowed as also in those who liue in expectation of the like CHAP. XXIII How and in what sort Limitation in giuing may sute with the Greatnesse of Kings NOw I see the reply and the Argument which may be made against that which we haue mentioned in the former Chapter For this same sising of Kings fauours and these same short bounds of bounty wherein some would shut them vp seemeth no way compatible with the authoritie and greatnesse of Kings Especially on such occasions wherein they are forced to bestow them vpon persons that are deseruingly qualified for them and that haue done notable seruices who are not to be gratified with small gifts nor may that seeme to bee much which is giuen but once First of all I answer hereunto that it stands with good reason that they who haue spent their meanes and the better and greater part of their liues in the seruice of their King and Common-wealth should be recompensed according to the qualitie of their persons and seruices when Kings are well able to doe it without putting themselues in necessitie or charging their subiects which they too vsually doe with extraordinary Impositions And if it be well considered the maine drift of our former Chapter was that things might be so ordred that Kings might haue wherewithall to giue vpon such like occasions That therefore which I say is this That they ought to holde their hand in those Gifts which they giue meerely vpon their owne pleasure and humour that they may the better cumply with those which lye vpon them by way of obligation For they that haue vnder their charge and Command such a multitude and number of subiects it is not meete that they should conferre many and great fauours vpon a few and few or none vpon many shewing grace vnto some with that which in Iustice is due vnto others whose often sweats perpetuall labour and extreame neede serue now for riches regalos intertainments and annuall rents to those who in all the whole course of their life neuer knew what it was to moyle and toyle or to take any paines for the Common-wealth Nay which is more and it grieueth my soule to speake it the sweat and blood of poore labouring men is conuerted into roseâ—water for to feede their delightes and pleasures and that in such wastfull riotous loose intertainments as certainely beseemeth not Christians but Epicures and Sardanapalians Amos. 6.1 who did denie the immortalitie of the soule Woe vnto them saith God that are at ease in Syon woe vnto you great Potentates and Rulers ouer the people who enter in state into the Temples and goe thence in pompe who delight in lasciuiousnesse lying vpon bedds of yuory who eate the Lambeâ— of the flock the Calfes out of the stall who drink wine in bowles and annoynt themselues with the chiefe oyntments who sing to the sound of the Violls and inuent to themselues instruments of Musicke no man in the meane while being sorie for the afflictions of Ioseph or taking pitie and compassion of those poore miserable wretches who must wring and smart to maintaine these their idle and vnnecessary vanities But the world will be altred with these men one day and a time shall come wherein as that Princely Prophet saith Psal 58.10.11 Laetâ—bitur justus cum viderit vindictam manus suas laâ—abit in sanguine peccatorum The righteous shall reioyce when hee seeth the vengeance he shall wash his hands in the blood of the wicked And men shall say Verily there is fruit for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth in the earth Then shall Lazarus reioyce and be glad in Abrahams bosome and the rich Glutton lying in Hell shall begg a dropp of cold water and haue no body to giue it him And if any man should say vnto me that the Grandeza and Greatnesse of Kings requireth that great rewards should be giuen both to the one and the other My answer vnto him is That nothing better becommeth Kings for the conseruing of their Greatnesse then to know that they are but men and that they cannot stand in Competition with God whose fountaine of riches is infinite and is able to fill and satisfie all and neuer can be drawne dry though it be imparted and distributed to neuer so many Whereas that of men is but like vnto the water of a Cisterne which by being communicated to many is diminished and exhausted King Nabucodonosor and other Kings of whose falls there is mention made in the Scripture for default of this knowledg fel from their estates And let that tree whose top touched heauen and whose boughes did ouerspread the whole world whereof wee so lately made mention serue now the second time for an Example which going about to imbrace all in it 's owne armes and to giue sustenance in aboundance to all and pretending to exalt it selfe as high as heauen did pay the price of this it's pride
and costly oyntment which the blessed Mary Magdalen powred forth on our Sauiours feet Iohn 12.3 Wherof it was said Repletâ— est domus ex odore vnguenti That the whole house was filled with the Sauour of the oyntment When either in Court Citie or Countrie there is found a man who is like a sweete Sauor in the nostrills of all men and beares about him and scatters in what companie soeuer he comes a most odoriferous and pleasing perfume of his Vertue Holinesse and Learning which is as Saint Paul says of himselfe and his fellow Labourers 2 Cor. 2 15. the sweet sauour of Christ there is no neede to seeke for any other knowledge or to make any farther Inquiry for this is sufficient of it selfe to make choyse of him and to conferre vpon him the greatest Offices of trust It being safer to put them into his hands then into many of those men that are more in his Maiesties eye and by sight better knowen vnto him For the best knowledge of man is by the eare And he that will not beleeue me let him reade Saint Austin August who in a Letter which he wrote to Saint Ierome hauing expressed the great desire and content that hee should take in the knowledge and sight of him corrects that speech of his saying That he had not spoken well in saying That he did not know him because he had seene his most learned bookes wherein were represented vnto him his very heart and soule In like manner he that shall be knowen by the like fame or by the learned bookes that hee hath written Or if he be a souldier by the great and noble Acts that hee hath done or by his good gouernment in those places of Commaund which hee hath held Such a one I say is sufficiently well knowen though he had neuer put his head within the Court gates or seene the Pallaces of Kings The second kind of knowledge is that which your ambitious and solicitous pretenders doe giue of themselues who are ordinary Attendants and Assistents in the Courts and palaces of Kings and Princes and the houses of their Ministers seeking to insinuate themselues into their grace and fauour by flatteries Compliments and Lyes and oftentimes by giftes and subornations against which the doore is neuer shut because they carry about them if need be the Master Key not a gilded key but a key of pure golde whose bitts and wardes are of diamonds by which they make their way remoue all difficulties open the cunningst locks and enter the strongest castles This is not that knowledge which is here required for conferring Offices vpon them but rather to shut them out of all For it is to be presupposed that these who doe thus negociate and pay soundly for their places must make their best profit of them and sell at deare rates that they may the sooner get out of debt and haue wherewith all to maintaine themselues their wiues their children and their familie But to these kinde of men Kings may and with a great deale of reason vse by way of answer those words of our Sauiour Christ Amen Mat. 28.12 Amen dico vobis nescio vos Verily verily I say vnto you I know you not I will here likewise lay open one notable Cosenage and deceit which kings vsually suffer by the cunning plots and bolde impudencies of pretenders and by the fauour of those which put to their helping hand and giue them their best furtherance And this it is That when any of these pretenders is priuie to himselfe that hee hath not the like parts of Learning and Vertue and other abilities as others haue to mount at the first flight to those high places whereunto their ambition aspireth they seeke to enter into the basest and meanest Offices and that by base and vile meanes either by buying them with their money as good cheape as they can and when their purse cannot stretch so farre worke themselues in by the Codpisse by matching with this or that other Courtiers Kinsewoman and other the like humane respects making these the stepps for their preferrment God deliuer all good Kings from such kinde of Prouisions especially if they be preferred by them to places of Audience and of Iustice for therein shall they sinne grieuously because they put men into them that are ignorant and necessitated who for to relieue their wants and to maintaine their Vanities they and their wiues take bribes and set Iustice out to sale And so not by degrees and by little and little but in all post haste to the great preiudice of the Common-wealth they goe still ascending to greater places and higher Dignities wherein they goe on in doing greater hurt and more mischiefe And these kinde of men are like vnto your Martinets which if they be not raised from the earth are not able to flye but being raised neuer so little they make a very high flight So is it with these men who not hauing sufficiencie for the meanest places are no sooner raised a little by fauour and by suborning from that first Office which they no way deserued but they afterwards make a higher pitch and goe away with the best Offices in the Kingdome And the errour in this is for that Kings doe thinke that they are put into those places for their merit and good partes when as indeed it is farre otherwise Though sometimes also it cometh so to passe that Kings knowing how that such a one is not fit for such a place or such an Office that they may put him out of that clap him into another better and greater then the former and which requireth greater parts and more sufficiencie crossing that sentence of our Sauiour Christ who is the eternall wisdome of his father and cannot lye That hee that is not trusty in a little is not to be trusted with much Neither can he be held fit for the greater places that hath not sufficiencie in him for the lesser CHAP. XXV Whether Honours Offices and Dignities are to be conferr'd on those that sue for them TO men of much Learning Vertue and Quality and that haue beene of some vse and seruice to the State some Ministers doe haue sayd why do you not sue Sir for such or such a place Especially seeing that Kings loue to be sued vnto And that to sue beg and craue is so holy a thing that God himselfe knowing our necessities willeth vs to aske Petite accipietis Aske Iohn and yee shall haue Besides it seemeth to bee a certaine kinde of pride to be willing to receiue without being desirous to sue For to sue is a signe of humilitie Wherefore to seeke to runne any other course sauours of I know not what singularitie rashnes and presumption Hereunto I answer that there is a great deale of difference betwixt sueing to God and sueing to Men and in the crauing of spirituall goods and the crauing of Temporall For in sueing to God we
Kingdome The Citizens or which comprehendeth all the common people Or your Peeres and such as either are persons of Title or aspire to be It shall be good discretion prudence to procure to content the people especially in a Kings first entrance into his raigne in that which is reasonable and honest And if their demaunds shall be otherwise to dissemble with them and to take time to consider of it and so by little and litle let their blood goe cooling This was the Counsayle of your olde Counsailours Which had it beene followed by that young King Rehoboam his people had not rebelled against him 3 King 11. nor hee in the beginning of his Empire before he was scarce warme in his throne haue lost ten Tribes of the Twelue The Common people are alwayes grumbling and complayning and ready to runne into rebellion as being fearelesse in regard of their multitude and carelesse for that they haue little or nothing to loose The Minor Plinie after that hee had made a large Catalogue of the naturall vertues of the Emperour Traiane after that he had shewen what great account he made of the Common people he sayth Let not a Prince deceiue himselfe in thinking that hee is not to make any reckoning of the common people for without them he cannot sustaine nor defend his Empyre And in vaine shall hee procure other helpe for that were to seeke to liue with a head without a body which besides that it were monstrous it must needes toter and tumble downe with it's owne weight because it hath nothing to beare it vp And if Kings will needes know what kinde of thing the Common people is and what able to doe vpon all changes and alterations let them take into their consideration that which passed at the arraignment and death of our Sauiour Christ where there was not that Rule of reason of State in the vilest manner which was not then practized And the first stone that the Princes of the Scribes and Pharisees moued against him was the people for they knew well enough that without them they could not awe and feare Pilate nor moue him by their accusations and false witnesses to condemne him In the next place they had recourse to the particular conueniency of the Iudge that he should not be a friend vnto Caesar but should loose his loue if vpon this occasion the people should rise and rebell by which tricke they inclined him to their partie and wrought him to preferre his priuate Interest before publicke Iustice and his owne preseruation before that which was both honest and reasonable Againe it is more secure to procure the fauour and loue of the people and more easie to effect his purpose by them More secure because without their loue and assistance no alteration in the state can take effect This their loue doth vphold Kings and gets them the opinion of good and vertuous Princes This qualifieth all wrongs or makes the offenders pay soundly for them against whom none dare seeme to be singular Lastly for that the common people hauing onely respect to their particular profit their own priuate Interest cannot desire nor pretend that which your greater Peeres and principall men of the State do who alwayes out of their ambition aspire to more and stand beating their braines how they may compasse that which their imagination tells them they want And by so much the more doth this their Ambition increase in how much the greater place they are and in a neere possibilitie of that which they desire I sayd before more easie because the people content themselues with aequalitie and this likewise makes well for Kings with the administration of Iustice with common ease and rest with plenty and with the mildenesse gentlenesse and peaceablenesse of him that ruleth ouer them Now that Kings may procure this popular loue it is fit they should make choyse of such Ministers as are well beloued of the people that will heare them with patience comfort and hearten them vp that they may the more willingly beare the burthens that are laid vpon them the Tributes Taxes and troubles of the Kingdome which in the end must light all vpon them For it is not to be doubted and experience teacheth the truth of it That the Ministers and seruants of a Prince make him either beloued or hated And all their defects or Vertues turne to his hurt or profit And let not Kings make slight reckoning thereof nor let them colour it ouer with Reasons of State For he that once begins to be haâ—ed out of an ill conceiued opinion they charge him withall that is either well or ill done For there is nothing be it neuer so good which being ill interpreted may not change it's first qualitie in the eyes of men who iudge things by apparences Which is another principall cause why Princes ought to procure the loue of the people For in conclusion most certaine it is that the Common people is not onely the Iudge of Kings but is their Attourny also whose censure none of them can escape And is that Minister which God makes choyse of for to punish them in their name and fame which is the greatest of all Temporall punishments Suting with that which we sayd heeretofore of the voyce of the people that it is the voyce of God For his diuine Maiestie vseth this as a meanes to torment those who haue no other superiour vpon earth And therefore it behoueth them to preuent this mischiefe and to winne vnto them the peoples affection by as many wayes as possibly they can deuise as by their owne proper person with some with other some by their fauourites and familiar friends and with all by their Ministers For there is not such a Tully nor Demosthenes withall their eloquence for to prayse or disprayse the Actions of a King either to salue or condemne them as is the peoples loue or hatred A great cause likewise of procuring this loue and to winne the hearts of the people to giue them all good content will be if Kings would be but pleased who are Lords of many Kingdomes and Prouinces to haue neere about them naturall Ministers and Counsaylours of all the sayd seuerall Kingdomes and Prouinces For Common-wealths kingdomes risent it exceedingly to see themselues cast out of administration and gouernment when they doe not see at the Kings elbow or in his Counsell any one of their own nation and countrie conceiuing that they doe either basely esteeme of them or that they dare not trust them Whence the one ingendreth hatred and the other desireth libertie Let a King therefore consider with himselfe that hee is a publicke person and that he ought not to make himselfe particular that he is a naturall Citizen of all his Kingdomes and Prouinces and therefore ought not willingly to make himselfe a stranger to any one of them That he is a father to them all therfore must not shew himself a Step-father to
let him settle in the present and prouide in the future that which is most fitting euermore hauing respect to the iustnesse of his cause relying altogether vpon God and humbly beseeching him that hee will direct him in all his wayes For as it is in the Prouerbs Cor hominis disponit viam suam Prou. 16.9 sed Domini est dirigere gressus eius A mans heart deuiseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Suting with that common saying Homo proponit Deus disponit Man purposeth but God disposeth The second thing required of him is That hee looke well about him that he diligently obserue the maner of gouernment throughout his whole kingdome and that he haue a watchfull eye on his publike Ministers and Counsailours of State and more particularly vpon those that are in highest place and authoritie and haue his eare most And that hee likewise labour to know the qualities conditions and naturall dispositions of those that now are and to conferre and compare them with those of former times that hee hath seene and knowen or hath heard and read of in Histories to the ende that by the knowledge of the affections and naturall inclinations of those hee may prognosticate the end whereunto these tend and by those passages and proiects of precedent times make a diuination of the designes of the present For this prudentia in principe quodammodo diuinatio est Plutar. in Pompon Attic. This prudence and discretion in a Prince is a kinde of diuination And let them not tell mee that mens manners are changed with their names nor their naturall inclinations with the declination of times and that there is no correspondency betwixt those that are now and those of olde for as Cornelius Tacitus saith who was a singular Master in this science speaking of his owne times in respect of the former the men are other but not their manners They are now as they were then and then as now Well may it be that for some considerations men may represse and couer their affections more at one time then another but not that they are not one and the same those of this time and that and that early or late they doe not the same worke they antiently did For from one and the same causes it must necessarily follow that we must see one and the same effects Let Kings therefore see once more I speake it and consider well the estate wherein stand the affaires of their Kingdome how it is in the gouernment in their Ministers and their Counsellours what their affections naturall inclinations passions ambitions desires and the like and make a iudgement of the one and the other of the present and the past and they shall finde that these and those great small and all one with another tread in one and the same steps and ayme all at that faire white of their owne black and fowle Interest And weighing likewise with themselues that some if not most of those Kings and Monarkes that haue gone along in that track and held the like course of gouernment and made vse of the like Ministers either haue beene ruined thereby or brought neere vnto it let them stand aloofe from it or them or ought else whatsoeuer whereby they may either see or know other their predecessours haue beene vtterly ouerthrowne For most certaine it is that by the effects of Cases past we may know what were the causes of them and how in the like the like may likewise succeede The science and knowledge of Kings is like vnto that of Astrologie wherein are better skill'd those of latter then former times in regard of those many proofes and experiences which they haue seene heard and read Historie therefore and experience being the fountaines of humane wisedome Princes ought to peruse Histories and procure to know how it hath succeeded with others that thereby they may take aduice and warning in cases to come and from this experience and knowledge of mens naturall inclinations and affections to draw thence a doctrine for to moderate their owne and to know other mens dispositions and withall to take notice that the naturall dispositions of the men of these times are not more strong and able to resist their appetites but are more weake in the naturall and lesse perfect in the spirituall then those of our Ancestors Whence that followeth which wee said before that by the Knowledge of the past wee may prognosticate of the present if wee haue once seene and made triall that it fell out so with other men of the like state and condition So that it may be collected by what hath hitherto beene deliuered how necessarie it is that a King or supreme Lord should exercise himselfe for some few yeeres in the studie of the various Lections of Histories and may if he will come by them to know the customes and inclinations of forraigne nations as well of those that are free States as those that are vnder subiection with whom he must indure so many demaunds and Answeres To the end that the varietie of Accidents may no whit afflict nor trouble him For it were a kinde of disparagement to a great Prince to admire any noueltie whatsoeuer or to seeme a stranger to the strangest Accidents that shall occurre vnto him And hee must necessarily suffer this and other great inconueniences and deceits in matters of State if hee be not well aduanced in the knowledge of them and with the people with whom hee is to treat For many are they that pretend to deceiue him and will not suffer the truth to come to his eares in it's naked nature but shadowed with some colour as shall make best for their pretension For to cut off which mischiefe histories serue the turne which supply the want of experience and set before his eyes in a short peece of paper the successes of an age so large and of such a length that many liues cannot reach thereunto A thing very necessary in Kings whereby to finde themselues prepared for the present and prouided for the future For hee that hath still before his eyes what is past is seldome deceiued in that which is to come And hee that shall turne ouer the Histories of former times shall meete with the nouelties of the present as also with those truths which Sycophants conceale and such as are not flatterers dare not to tell him Onely Histories without feare or dread speake plaine language to Kings and yet remaine as whole sound and intire as they were before Another point of Discretion is That for as much as the aduice and wisdome and more particularly in Kings and persons of great name and ranke is great they should not intermeddle in small matters nor shew themselues in your lesser occasions where the glory is none and the losse of reputation great not onely if they be ouercome but also if they doe not ouercome to their great aduantage They ought not likewise lightly and without very
good ground to thrust themselues into businesses of great consequence and of that danger and difficultie that they shall not afterwards know well how to winde themselues out of them For it argues but a small talent of wisedome to know dangers then onely when a man is in the midst of them And sauours of much leuitie to put himselfe desperately vpon cases of aduenture And this is no other Counsayle then that which a very graue and wise man gaue the Emperour Vespasian deseruing to be written in letters of gold and in the Cabbinies of Kings Qui magnarum rerum consilia suscipiunt aestimare debent Refert Cor. Tacit Annal. lib. 8. an quod inchoatur reip vtile ipsis gloriosum aut promptum effectu aut certè non arduumsit They that aduise and consult the vndertaking of great enterprises ought to weigh and consider with themselues whether that they goe about be profitable or no for the common-wealth honourable for themselues or whether it may easily be effected or at least without any great difficultie And this is a Lecture which Christ reades vnto all aduising vs that before wee begin any busines of importance wee enter into an account and reckoning with our selues whether wee bee able to goe through with it or noe and when hauing well weighed the difficulties dangeres and expences wee must bee at wee shall finde it to be of more charge then profit to let it alone So shall wee rid our selues of a great deale of care and excuse the murmurings and censure of the people who will much risent it that in businesses wherein the wealth peace and reputation of a Kingdome is interessed Kings should aduenture for the gaining of a little to put themselues in hazard of loosing much As likewise because thereby is giuen occasion of measuring the extent and limits of the power of Kings and of plainely manifesting to the open view of the world that they cannot alwayes doe what they would nor against whom they will and therefore must not giue way that men should enter into iudgement that their power cannot reach whither they themselues will haue it but ought alwayes and by all meanes they can to maintaine the credite and estimation of their power and greatnesse The words of our Sauiour Christ are these Which of you disposed to build a Tower Luk. 14. sitteth not downe before and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to performe it Lest after hee hath laid the foundation and is not able to goe through with it all that behold him begin to mock him saying This man began to builde and was not able to make an end Or what King going to make warre against another King sitteth not downe first and casteth in his minde whether hee be able with ten thousand to meete him that commeth against him with twenty thousand c. The like I say of competitions whether this or that other doth this or that better Though it be in matters of recreation For all occasions of incounters with Kings are in any hand to be avoyded And it likewise seemeth ill in point of policie that they in any kinde should haue any competition with their vassalls Poru 20.3 And King Salomon sets it downe for a point of policie for that it is a thing vnworthy authoritie Royall It is a mans honour saith he to keepe himselfe from strife Alexander the Great being askt the question whether he would goe and sport himselfe at the Olympick games with the rest of the Great ones of his Court made answere yes if there were other Kings with whom I might contend Yet would I not haue Kings so farre to mistake mee as to vnderstand that they may not enterprise great things and haue competence with others that are as great or greater then themselues following their stepps and imitating their heroycall Actions nay it is a point rather of Discretion and wisedome in a prudent King to tread in the track of their Ancestors that walked in the right way and to set before their eyes the good things that they did that according thereunto they may take the like resolution in the like Cases The Romanes were so religious in the Precedents and Examples of their Predecessours that they made them the line and rule of all their Actions and made them as a Law to be kept and obserued and could not depart ther-fro without the fowle note of ignominie gouerning new enterprises by former old Actions Neither ought a King likewise to esteeme so meanely and so basely of himselfe as to thinke that hee is not able to doe as much as others haue done in times past For if they of olde had had that minde and conceit of themselues in calling to minde the braue and noble deedes which they haue either heard or read in Histories of their Ancestours they would not haue imitated them as many of them haue in their great and glorious Acts. And certaine it is that neuer any man did any such illustrious and heroycall Action heeretofore which might not be done by another And therfore the Actions of Kings being such as conduce to the seruice of God and the well-fare of the Common-wealth it will conuene very well the said circumstances being duly considered to commence and giue a beginning vnto them to the end that fortune or to say better God putting a helping hand to our good diligence and industrie may giue vnto them a full and perfect end It was the saying of King Agesilaus That fortune in great affayres and high enterprises neuer shew'd her selfe liberall and generous but when shee met with noble and generous mindes And it hath beene often seene that men loose at least let slip many things not because they are not able to atcheiue them but because they want courage to vndergoe them And let them not onely content themselues with the bare reading of them but endeuour to be like those famous Captaines in matter of warre those great Common-wealthes in matter of gouernment and those Christan Politicians in matter of State For examples perswade much And albeit that Homer saith that great enterprises are sooner spoken of then done easily vttered but hardly executed yet let Princes doe their best which will be no small matter For thereby their subiects will receiue benefit their successors beare them enuie and their enemies stand in feare of them Now let vs draw out of this discourse that discretion which is a vertue so necessary that when it is wanting good is conuerted into ill and vertue into Vice and where a man thought to winne fame in stead thereof growes infamous affronted and ashamed For discretion worketh in man that effect as salt doth in flesh which dryes vp the moysture drawes forth the blood and keepes it from corruption As doth salte so doth discretion keepe man free from perturbations or any vnseemelinesse and discomposure in any Action whatsoeuer he vndergoeth Christ recommended this vertue to his Disciples Mark 9.49
my fathers house King Ioram reigning in Israel there was so great a Famine and so sore a Dearth in that Kingdome that two women by consent did agree to kill their children and to eate them by turnes Which the King had no sooner heard of but that he was so inwardly grieued therewith that in expression of his sorrow he rent his garments according to the custome of the Hebrewes on such like sad occasions and put on sack-cloath within vpon his flesh 1 King 14.43 Because Prince Ionathan did but dip the tippe of his rod in the hony-combe when as his father King Saul and all his men of warre were fighting against the Philistins God was much offended with it Thereby teaching Kings that on the like occasions they ought to be the first that should abstaine from their pleasures and delightes signified by the Hony-combe That valiant Captaine Vrias was a good master of this doctrine who being returned from the Armie to the Court 2 King 11.11 called thither by the King would by no meanes be perswaded to goe home to his owne house to refresh himselfe and make merry with his wife though his Maiestie willed him so to doe And the reason which he rendred why he would not doe it was this Arca Dei et Iuda habitant in papiliâ—nibus c. The Arke and Israel and Iudah abiding in Tents and my Lord Ioab with the whole Army lying incamped in the open fields without any other shelter and being in that great danger that they are shall I then goe into mine house to eate and to drinke and to lye with my wife Por salutem tuam et per salutem anima tuae non facium reâ— haenc As thou liuest and as thy soule liueth I will not doe this thing And not only in the common calamities of a whole Common-wealth but also in those particular ones of great persons that haue beene seruiceable to the state it is fit and requisit and well will it become Kings that they make shew of their sorrow by laying aside their feastings and all other kinde of solacings and mirthfull Intertainments 2 King 3.33 When King Dauid vnderstood of the death of that braue Commander Abner he wept bitterly before the people and commanded that none should taste bread or ought else till the Sunne were downe saying vnto his seruants Ibi. vers 38. Num ignoratis quoniam princeps et Maximum cecidit hodiè in Israel Know yee not that there is a Prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel But some will say that we do not well in aduising Kings or the Common people on sad occasions to forbeare their sports and pastimes it seeming vnto them that they ought rather then to seeke after them for the diuerting of melancholy and banishing of sorrow Vrging Pluâ—arâ—es authoritie who reprehendeth those men who when they are already merrily disposed hunt after intertainments and pastimes wishing them to doe that when they finde themselues sad and heauie for then they haue most neede of it Here vnto I first of all answer that the reason is not alike in a particular person as in a King and a Common-wealth which as wee sayd before are to be considered and vnderstood as a body with it 's Head And as in a mans body the head doth naturally feele the paine of the arme the foote or any other member So Kings which are the Heads of the people are to haue a feeling of their subiects miseries to pittie the ill case wherein they at any time are as if it were their owne And this was that which moued the Apostle S. Paul to say Quando patitur vnum membrum compatinutur omnia membra 1 Cor. 12.26 When one member suffreth all the members suffer with it This is that Trauazon or coupling peece of timber in a Common-wealth and this both humane policie and mans naturall disposition doth require that when we see others suffer we should suffer with them in our common coÌ„passion towards them And the Law of charitie goes somewhat farther and would stretch this obligation to a greater and higher perfection as was to be seene in the sayd Apostle Quis infirmatur et ego non infirmor 2. Cor. 11.29 Quis scandalizatur et ego non vror Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended Cor. 11.2.29 and I burne not And in that which the Prophet Ieremie sayd Ierem. 20.9 who crossing the Kings humour and opposing his vaine pleasures and delights and representing the truth of things vnto him and what was fitting for him to doe his heart was all on a flame a burning fire was shut vp in his bones and hee was weary with bearing and could not holde so farre was he transported and so mightily inflamed with the zeale of the Kings and the Common-wealthes good Secondly I say That as before hath beene deliuered by mee I do not pretend to debarre Kings and Common-wealths of their pleasures and recreations But my desire is which I wish with all my heart that they may be such as may be harmelesse and vn-offensiue with out remordment and sting of Conscience and without the murmuration and notice of the people And this may easily be done by doing of that which the glorious S. Ierome aduiseth vs to doe ex necessitate virtutem making a vertue of necessitie but I doe not say ex necessitate but ex voluptate virtutem That is to say I would haue them to place their delight and content in that which is true vertue and godlinesse in cumplying with the obligations of their Office and Calling in giuing free and frequent Audience in hearing those that are wronged and oppressed in disposing of Offices in Dispatching of businesses or in causing them to be dispatcht and to spend their time or the most part thereof in these and the like cumplying with that of that Royall Prophet In virtute tua Laetabitur Rex Psal 21.1 super salutare tuum exultabit vehementer The King shall ioy in thy strength O Lord And in thy Saluation how greatly shall hee reioyce And from thence will follow that which presently followeth in the next Verse Desiderium cordis eius tribuisti ei Ibi. 2. et voluntate labiorum eius non fraudasti eum Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips King Salomon sayes of himselfe that he gaue his desires as much as they could desire that he gaue himself ouer to his delights contents with that freedome and libertie as suted with the greatnes of so powerful a king But that which he got therby was not the content which he sought after but distaste irkesomnes wearines griefe vexatioÌ„ of spirit which he himself hath left firmed signed with his own name for an example not only to all kings but to all the whole world Vidi in omnibus vanitatem Eccl. 2.11 et afflictionem animi et
amongst men must expire with it without the which the world cannot be conserued For they not resting assured that that which is promised shall be performed they will not trust one another Marcus Tullius sayth very well that this humane faith is so necessary amongst men that euen Thieues and Pyrates could not liue if they were not true amongst themselues and kept their word one with another And though all euen the meanest ought to keepe their word yet much more carefully ought Kings and Princes for there is nothing more vnworthy them then to fayle in their faith and word which aboue all earthly things they ought to keepe and cumply with all because they are as Gods vpon earth and the Head of their people Wherefore their single word ought to be as an Oracle and to be more firme sure and of greater credit then any bond or obligation whatsoeuer that is sealed and signed with an oath Let the Politicians say what they please and that it is good and sound aduise that a Prince for to conserue his State may do an act contrary to Faith Religion and neither keepe his word nor oath yet must I be bold to tell them that this is wicked vngodly and beastly Counsaile and contrary to the whole Schoole of learned Doctors and holy fathers who affirme that a Prince is bound to keepe his word though hee take not an oath for the performance thereof but much more if he shall sweare and binde it by an oath And if they will not yeeld to this let these Politicians plucke off their maske and let those that be their sectuaries speake plaine language and tell mee what they thinke of those Princes as of Sigismund and others who made no reckoning of that they promise and sweare when as by the breach thereof they haue beene vtterly ouerthrowne when they most assured themselues of Victorie I doubt not but they will hold it for a foolish reason of State For by this falsifying Princes shall presently loose all their cerdit and reputation and all their cunning shall not profit them for they will neuer afterwards be beleeued As it is in one of the lawes of the Partida L. 3. Tit. 4. Part. 2. No le creerian los homes que le oyessen maguer que dixessen verdad Men will not beleeue what they heare from them though they speake truth Titus Liuius holdes it a barbarous Act That Princes should tye their faithfullnesse to Fortune to runne along with the times and to shift sayles with euery winde For by this meanes the word of a Prince will come to be like vnto the Lesbian rule August in Apolog. which changeth and altereth it selfe according to the building and is crooked and streight short or long sutable to the bignesse or proportion of the stone or timber which the carpenter or mason heweth or cutteth But let vs conclude this second point with this That realitie and sinceritie both in words and deedes is very necessary for all sortes of persons but more particularly for Kings and Princes who should rather see Heauen and earth to fayle then that they should faile in their promises Let them first well weigh and consider with themselues what they either say or promise that it be agreeable to the Law of God and to the precepts of the Church but afterwards let them infallibly obserue and keepe the same For in this consisteth the conseruation and augmentation of great States And is that true reason of State which makes Kings more powerfull more rich more esteemed and more obeyed For hee that keepes his faith and his word holdes the hearts of men in his hand is Master of all their wealth and all because they rest assured that they may confidently relye vpon his faith and word Wheras by the contrary hath insued the destruction of Common-wealths the distrustfullnesse of their subiects the scorne and contempt of their enemies and the iealousie of their friends and confederates who all hang and depend vpon the truth of his words and the performance of his Contracts And this being once lost with it hee looseth his credit and after that all goes to wracke with it For Malignitas saith the Wise man euertet sedes potentium Malignitie or ill-mindednesse Wisd 5.14 which is nothing else but a Lye or deceit shall ouerthrowe the seates of the Mighty And Cicero saith That it is a most wicked and abhominable thing to breake that word which conserueth a sociable life betwixt man and man For as Aristotle affirmeth Pacts and Couenants being broaken violated there is taken away from amongst men the vse trading and commerce of things These and the like effects cause in a King either the keeping or loosing of his Credit But of no lesse importance is that third point which followeth in the next place concerning secrecie §. III. Of that secrecie which Kings and their Ministers ought to keepe IT is likewise the Tongues Office to holde it's peace And as it is not of the least difficultie so in nothing more doth mans wisedome and prudence shew it selfe Plato will not haue him held to be a wise man Diog. Laert. de Vit. Philos Pliny lib. 8. nâ—â—ur bis cap. 25 Cocodrillo that knowes not how to hold his peace Diogenes Laertius that there is no greater token of a Foole then to be loose-tongued and lauish of talke Neminem stultum tacere posse It is impossible for a foole to hold his peace The Ancient esteem'd him a God vpon earth that was a friend to silence representing him in a creature of that Region which hath no tongue Implying thereby that that man is the liuely image and true picture of God whose discretion teacheth him how when and where to holde his peace Alluding happily vnto that of Dauid who finding eyes eares and hands in God Psal 62.11 seemeth not to finde that hee had a tongue For as hee is God he neuer spake but once Semel locutus est Deus God hath spoaken once And the Spouse speaketh much of all the parts of her beloued but of his Tongue as if hee had no such thing And he that shall not speake a word out of season nor say any more then what is fitting it may bee sayd of that man that hee hath no Tongue And therefore did that holy King Dauid so often beg of God that hee would open his mouth with his owne hand and so order his Tongue that he might not speake but when he would haue him and that he would teach him what and how to speake Illius labia aperit saith S. Austen qui non solum quod loquitur sed etiam quandò vbi cui loquatur attendit God opens that mans lips who attendeth not onely what he speaketh but also when where and to whom he speaketh Merito igitur sapiens est addeth the same holy father qui accipit a Domino quo tempore loquendum sit Deseruedly therefore is he to be held
beginning of it's Sensation in the braine and from thence goes to this and to all the nerues of sensibilitie that are either more or lesse subtill and delicate according to their seuerall necessities It is a wonderfull thing that our of this trunke onely nay this little chip mâ—â— Nature should hew and cut out so many Materialls for instruments for such prime and subtill Operations as those of the sences and so different that it is impossible for one exteriour sense to doe that which another doth And therfore speaking of the Head whence all and euery one haue their sensible Instrument it is fitting that we should likewise say something of Touching and to set downe it's Office which is to haue a sense and feeling of the foure primarie Qualities Frigiditie Calidirie Humidiâ—â—â— and Siccitie and some other which from a mixture with these doe arise as are hard soft rough plaine sharpe flat great little And in a word all that whatsoeuer that is knowne and discerned by touching It hath no set place or determinate situation in the body but is equally scattred and diffused throughout the whole bulke of man by vertue of a nerue which like a fine thine net doth ouer spread and comprehend the whole lumpe or masse both within and without by meanes whereof it hath a feeling in all the parts but there the more and the better where the body is more soft and tender whereunto assisteth the subtiller Arist lib. 2. de â—ui c. 17. 27. and colder blood Aristotle saith That it is the first of the sences and the foundation of all the other foure and that there is not any creature but hath it And as we said of the Tast they say of this that it is so necessary that without it no liuing Creature can liue But without some of the other may And in man in regard of the goodnesse of his Complexion which in him is better then in other Creatures it is more subtill and delicate then in any one or all of them and farre more certaine and lesse lyable to be deceiued and supplieth as Nissenus affirmeth the defects of the other Greg. Nit. de homi opifici Et videtur datus a Natura propter caecos And it seemes to be giuen by Nature for the good and benefit of blinde men For when that spiritfull sense of the sight faileth them which should be their Guide they make vse of this more grosse and materiall sense by groping and feeling the walls Is caecus est manu tentans said Saint Peter and S. Ambrose Quod Tactu probamus 2 Pet. Ambr. lib. 6. Exam c. 9. quae oculis probare non possumus That wee proue those things by Touching which wee cannot try by the eyes Some of the qualities of this sence which appertaine to Kings hath already beene handled in those that went before all of them hauing their delight which wee commonly call Guste or Taste That which remaineth is to aduise them to beware thereof if they will not die by their owne hands for it is an ill and vnruly beast and makes men brutish and beastly S. Basil saith thereof That of all the other sences it is the most pernicious Basil lib. de verâ— Virginit because it trailes and draggs the rest after it or seemed to haue hired them to serue it in it's pleasures and delights making them pay it tribute and custome of all their gaines and commodities For that which the eies see the eares heare the nose smells and the heart desires is onely therewith to serue this sence letting it share with them and inuiting it to take part of their best and choysest morsells The rest haue recourse but to one thing this to all nothing comes amisse to it it lays hand on all The rest are but as the Media and breues dispositiones But this is the finis or end which all doe pretend To touch that which is not lawfull doth discompose and put the heart out of order and confoundeth mans soule For thence saith S. Bernard first arise euill thoughts fowle motions Bern. de interiâ— domo c. 39. then consent next Act and lastly Death It is not fit we should suffer flaxe to come to neere the flame nor is it it conuenient that man should Regalar and cocker vp himselfe with this sence for that presently such sparkles thence fly forth as inflame the body and set the soule on fire And therefore it is requisite that we carrie a hard hand vpon this sence looke well thereunto For euen in the plainest and euenest way man often times stumbles how much more where there is apparent danger And let not kings thinke because they are kings that they are free from this Tyrant but in that they are kings are so daintilie bread so deliciously sed and make so much of themselues they are more subiect thereunto for that their naturall condition conformes it selfe more to it 's guste pleasure and is a great friend of Regalas of daintinesse and nice vsage of fine linnen soft raiment choice deliacies and all that which causeth delight prouoketh pleasure And in Courts and Kings Pallaces and in the houses of Princes and great Persons Luk. 7.25 these things are in greatest request Ecce qui in veste pretiosa sunt delicijs in domibus Regum sunt Behold they which are gorgeously apparelled and liue delicately are in Kings Courts So says our Sauiour Christ And many dangers doe they runne who measure out all their life by the Compasse of Contents and passe times that goe cloathed in Silkes and Veluetts and are continually conuersant amidst the sweetest perfumes the purest Holland the finest Damaske and the richest cloathes of Silke and Gold Yet for all this doe not I say That Princes and great Lords liuing in this State and Pompe cannot eo nomine bee saued but to shew that in all Estates there is a great deale of danger but much more in your daintier and nicer sort of people Nor will I with all my force straine this vnto Kings as well witting what their Estate and Greatnesse doth admit and require And that as Nature did difference them from the rest both in blood and birth so likewise ought there to be a distinction in their diet raiment and in the furnishing and adorning of their houses But I say that which cannot be denied that in excuse of this their state and conueniencie they take vnto themselues heerein too large a licence and passe to soone from the foote to the hand from the hand to the mouth making of an inch an ell and of an elll an Aker So hard a matter is in for great Princes to moderate themselues and vse a meane And that Heathen was not much wide of the marke who sayd in the Senate That that is an vnfortunate Estate that obligeth a man to liue alwayes vp to the eyes grazing in his pleasures and delightes And that it is a very bad O
the clattering of armour and taking pleasure in the sound of musicke in putting off harnesse and putting on silkes in changing a field-Tent for a soft bed and forsaking the conuersation of soldiars and Captaines to follow the companie of women they stuck a naile in the wheele of their fortunes These are examples that cannot be excepted against But much lesse that which followes of King Salomon whose pompe musick dancings feastings huntings dainties delights and passe-times were such as he himselfe inspired by the Holy Ghost reckons vp Now that which he got by all these what was it Onely this that these Vices and wanton delights made him forget himselfe and to blot out all the good of his felicitie and that good correspondence which hee held with God and in such sor◠did turne his braines that hee came to committ idolatrie and to call his saluation in question And therefore let euery one command his flesh as hee would command his slaue lest it make him a slaue For to him that yeelds himselfe thereunto it is a fierce to him that feares it a cruell and to him that deliuers the keyes of his libertie vp vnto him a dominering Tyrant which like a haltred beast it hales after him There are two remedies found for the curing of so many dammages and disorders as we perceiue to be in this sense of Touching and that of the Tast One generall for all which is Temperance whereof wee will treate by and by The other more particular drawne from the example of Kings whereof we will discourse hereafter §. I. Of Temperance THe Office of Temperance is to keepe a man from flying out and to make him not to incline to a little more or a little lesse but to liue alwayes in very good Order not exceeding in any thing the bounds of Reason Cicero lib. 2. de sin Aug. lib. de moribus Est moderatio Cupiditatum rationi obediens It consisteth in a certaine moderation and mediocritie in pleasures and delights from which a Temperate man abstaineth refrayning from superfluities and excesses vsing things according to necessitie and not according to his appetite And it is that rule and Compasse which doth mete and measure out the desires of man that they may not passe from their point and Center not suffring the heart like the Rauen to flesh it selfe on the dead flesh of sensuall delights Dionis S. Dionisius saith That it serueth to incline a Man to all good according to the rule of reason as well in that which appertaineth to the sense of Touching as of the Taste that it may not like an vnbridled colte breake out into those two vnruly appetites whose operations are so furious and vehement that in earth water and ayre they leaue nothing safe and secure and therefore had neede of this great vertue to restraine their disorders and concupiscences These are those that make the cruellest warre against both body and soule and this is that which bridleth tempreth and moderateth her in her Excesses S. Prosper lib. 3. de vita Contemp. cap 19. Temperantia saith Prosperus temperantem facit abstinentem parcum sobrium moderatum pudicum tacitum serium verecundum Temperance makes a man temperate abstemious sparing sober moderate modest silent serious yet shamefac't It is a Vertue worthy Kings and Princes and much commended by the Saints and many are those Vertues which accompany it As modestie shamefastnesse chastitie abstinence faire and comely behauiour moderation sobrietie grauitie and humilitie Aristotle calls it Arist 6. Ethic. cap 5. 6. Conseruatricem prudentiae sapientiae the Conservresse of prudence and wisedome For intemperance in eating and drinking or in any other kinde of delight doth ouerthrow the braine dull the vnderstanding darken the iudgement blunt the best and sharpest wit and makes man as it were a beast as is to be seene by experience Quotidiano experimento probatur saith Pope Leo potus satietate S. Leo. Serm. de Ieiun aciem mentis obtundi vigorem cordis hebetari It is made good by daily experience that facietie of drinke dulleth the edge of the minde and blunteth the vigour of the heart Temperance likewise preserueth the health and makes mans life more long more sound and more pleasing For to be Princes and Monarkes and Lords of all the world and whatsoeuer therein is is not sufficient to content them if they want their health which is of more worth then all the world besides Melior est pauper sanus Eccl. 30.14 fortis viribus quam diues imbecillis corpus validum quà m census immensus Better is the poore being sound and strong of Constitution then a rich man that is afflicted in his body Health and good state of body are aboue all gold and a strong body aboue infinite wealth In distempering the humours the Lotts of mens Estates are changed The sicke man be hee neuer so great a Lord would be content to change States to haue a poore plough-mans health To what vse serue Kingdomes Signories and great treasures if day and night a King leade a more miserable life then a day-Labourer To what vse serue his rich bed and downe pillowes if he can take no rest in them To what vse serue his delicate Cates and dainty dishes if hee no sooner sees them but loaths them To what vse serue his rich and pretious wines if he must be driuen to drinke Barly-water Or what guste and content can hee take in any thing whose taste is as bitter as gall Or how can he haue contentment in these outward things that hath it not within himselfe Iulius Caesar wearyed out with his want of health did hate and abhorre his life For as the wise man saith Melior est mors quà m vita amara Better is Death then a bitter life A sicke life is no life nor is there any happinesse where health is wanting And all things without it are as nothing For to liue without paine is more to be prized then all And this doth Temperance effect This preserued Marcus Valerius more then a hundred yeares sound in iudgement and strong in body And by this Socrates liued all his life time free from sicknesses and diseases It was the saying of the elder Cate that hee gouerned his house increased his wealth preserued his health and in larged his life by Temperance In multis escis erit infirmitas saith Ecclesiasticus Qui autem abstinens est adijciet vitam Exceste of meates bringeth sicknesse By surfeiting haue many perished but hee that taketh heede prolongeth his life King Māsinoja was wonderfull temperate his fare was ordinary and with out curiositie which made him liue so sound and so healthy that at 87. yeares of age hee begat a Sonne and at 94. wanne a battaile wherein he shewed himselfe a very good Soldiar but a better Captaine And therefore let those dis-deceiue themselues and acknowledge their errour who thinke they shall preserue their life
will but weigh those words of the wise man Per me Reges regnant Prou. 8.15 Legum conditores iusta decernunt Through me Kings raigne Through mee Councellours make iust Lawes Whereby is giuen to vnderstand the particular fauour which God giues to the lawfull Kings and Gouernours of their kingdomes and commonwealths to hit right in that which appertaineth vnto gouernment And therefore was it well said of that wise King Salomon Prou. 16.10 Diuinatio in labijs Regis in iudicio non errabit os eius Prophecie is in the lippes of the King his mouth shall not go wrong in iudgement And your Diuines are of opinion that Kings haue more helpe and aide from their Angels of guard then other men haue And besides all this the publike prayers that are poured forth throughout all their kingdomes and Prouinces are of most great vse for Gods illightning of their vnderstanding And therefore for these reasons aforesaid although your Fauourites and more secret Councellours of State may be very learned and wise vnderstanding men yet is there a great deale of reason why in graue and weightie causes they should craue and attend their Kings opinion esteeming it as the more certaine being it comes from a head so much fauoured by God and so well assisted and strengthened on all sides Which doth not concurre in Fauourites for God hath not made that promise vnto them as he hath vnto Kings nor peraduenture doe they deserue it And if he bee the sole and onely Fauourite much lesse can hee presume that either his opinion or paines can be greater or surer then that of so many learned Councellours and Councells that haue met and sate thereupon and haue spent so much time and studie in State affaires Nor is it to bee imagined that when Councellours doe consult and craue their Kings opinion and resolution that they doe it to that end that they should receiue it from another inferiour person whom let Kings loue them neuer so much or conferre all that they can vpon them they cannot giue them more vnderstanding or more knowledge nor a better minde and disposition then what they haue already for this is reserued for God onely as also it properly belongeth vnto him to giue light vnto Kings that they may giue a fitting and direct answer to that point wherein they are consulted who alwayes supplyes them with that knowledge which is needfull for them if they shall but begge it at his hands and make good vse thereof Hence are two things inferred which are very sure and true The first That Kings are bound in conscience to attend in their owne person graue and weightie businesses for that this is their principall office which is euidently proued by this reason Whosoeuer beares an Office and hath salarie for the same is thereby obliged to comply fully therewith Sub poena peccati vpon penaltie of sinning And by so much the more grieuous shall the sinne be by how much the greater is the Office and by how much the more the stipend is augmented Now Kings you will confesse vnto me haue the greater office and greater stipend in all things and therefore shall they more grieuously sinne if they do not cumply therewith And this is made good in the sixth of Wisedome where in these very words it is expresly said Potentes potenter tormenta patientur Wisd 6.5 6. fortioribus fortior instat cruciatio A sharpe punishment shall be to them that be in high places and the mighty shall bee mightily tormented The second That Fauourites are obliged on paine of the said penaltie to serue their Kings in their owne persons well and faithfully in those businesses which they shall commit to their charge and that in taking their pleasure and ease more then their Kings themselues and substituting others to performe that trust and charge which is put vpon them they cannot iustly enioy that authoritie nor those interests and profits which doe result from their priuacie And let they themselues tell me what title they haue to enioy so much as they doe when they take lesse paines then their Kings but pleasure more And to conclude with that which is here questioned in this Chapter I say That admitting Fauourites to bee such as they ought to be it is fit notwithstanding that there should be more then one or two For thereby Kings shall haue the more helpe and out of that emulation and zeale which is wont to bee amongst them each of them will striue to bee more considerate and better aduised in commanding others and in begging and applying things to himselfe and his owne priuate profit and more solicitous in doing seruice to the State lest others might get the start of him in his Kings fauour And howbeit the name of fauourite seemeth not to indure a companion yet if they fixe their eyes on that which they ought which is the common good of the common-wealth and the seruice of their Kings it would neuer grieue them that there should bee others to assist for the same end and purpose but like that great Fauourite and friend of God Moses they would say Vtinam omnes prophetarâ—nt Would to God they did all prophecie CHAP. XXXIIII Of the Conditions and Qualities of Fauourites SVpposing that that then which hath beene said in the former Chapters and that Kings are to haue such persons about them who with proprietie may hold the name of friends for such qualitie and condition must they be of who possesse the bosome and soule of their Master by the communication of the greatest and most secret affaires and performe the office of Fauourites For although it be true that it cannot properly be said that Kings haue friends for that all saue of their owne ranke are inferiour vnto them yet is it likewise true that the holy Scripture as we shewed you before stiles Fauourites friends For the force of loue is of that great power that it remoueth and lifteth vp things from their point and center giuing the name of friend to a seruant and subiect Qui diligit cordis munditiam Prou. 22.21 propter gratiam labiorum suorum habebit amicum Regem He that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of his lippes the King shall bee his friend Aristotle doth admit betwixt the King and his subiect a certaine kinde of friendship howbeit the disparitie and inequalitie bee very great your Histories doe celebrate the friendships of great Princes held with their particular subiects And those which with other their equalls are called faithfull friends with Kings carry the name of Loyall-Subiects Which for that effect which wee pretend importeth little this altering or changing of the name That which most importeth and conueneth most is That we giue you some notice of those qualities which they ought to haue and of those signes whereby those may be knowne that are fittest and best for so great a Ministery There are two qualities amongst the rest which
estate and complexion of the man and according thereunto to make vse thereof and of it's vertue And therefore hee that hath by his Kings fauour the supreme disposall of all let him consider and know either by himselfe or by others that are his confident friends being as free as free may bee from naturall affections the dispositions and inclinations of men and together with this the qualitie of the offices and persons which are to gouerne and bee gouerned and let him imply euery one in that for which hee shall bee found fit and good And keeping this course he shall cumply with his owne inclination and naturall desires And shall therein do his King and countrey good seruice But for a conclusion and vpshot of all that is past let those aduertisements serue which follow in the subsequent Chapter CHAP. XXXVII The Conclusion of the former Discourse with some Aduertisements for Kings and Fauourites ALL those that write of the qualities of a good Prince doe agree in this that he ought to haue his will free independent subiect onely to God and his diuine Law without subiecting or submitting it to any other loue For it booteth little that he be Lord of many kingdomes if he be a slaue to that which hee extremely loueth That he ought to bee of a good courage and of a sound and setled iungement not suffering a superiour or equall in his gouernment For as wee said in the beginning of this Discourse kingdomes are by so much the more sustained and augmented by how much the more neare they approach to the gouernment of one Whereas on the contrary they runne much hazard when the reynes of the Empire are diuided and put into seuerall hands The Romanes neuer enioyed so much peace and plenty as after that Augustus Caesar was declared sole Lord of the Empire without dependance on any other Which aduise amongst many other good instructions the Emperour Charles the fifth gaue likewise vnto the King his Sonne to wit That he should be a very precise louer of Truth That hee should not giue himselfe ouer vnto Idlenesse And that he should alwayes shew himselfe a free and independant King not onely in apparence but in substance For it is very proper vnto Kings to rule not to be ruled And to administer their kingdomes themselues by their owne will and not by anothers For he will not be said to be a King who being to command and correct all should easily suffer himselfe to be led away and gouerned by others And therefore it is fit that hee should alwayes stand vpon his owne bottome and in none of his actions expresse himselfe to depend on the aide and opinion of others For this were to acknowledge a Superiour or a Companion in gouernment and to discouer his owne weaknesse Infirma enim est potentia saith Patritius quae alienis viribus nititur Patri to 2. li. 21. Tit. 3. That 's but a poore power that must bee vnder-propt by the strength of others In stead whereof I would haue him to sit in Councell and to treate and communicate businesses with such persons to whom it appertaineth as heretofore I said Saying onely now That that King is in a miserable and lamentable case that must depend on anothers helpe Vpon a certaine occasion Alexander the Great said Se malle mori quam regnare rogando That he had rather die then raigne by supplicating and intreating And no otherwise doth that King raigne who shewes himselfe a Coward and suffers the excellencie of his courage to bee ouerwhelmed and carried away with the current of hard and difficult things which many times offer themselues leauing the resolution of all to the mercie and fauour of others by whose helping hand it seemeth that he liueth and raigneth This said the Emperour Vespasian is to dye standing And as that King is dead which leaues that to another which hee can doe himselfe and which doth properly appertaine vnto his office and as he shall not truly cumply with his obligation if he should go about to draw solely to himselfe the gouernment of his whole kingdome much lesse in like manner shall he cumply therewith if hee should cast off all care from himselfe and relye wholly vpon others For Extreames in all things are ill And an extreme thing it were that hee should take vpon himselfe the whole weight and burthen of businesses and to haue all things passe through his owne hands it being likewise no lesse if he should shift off all from his owne shoulders and put his hand to nothing as did Vitellius and Iouinianus who did in such sort dis-loade themselues of their offices and ridde their hands of all matter of gouernment that all was ordered and gouerned by other mens arbitrement and none of theirs Of the former it is reported that he forgot that hee was Emperour And of the other that hee intended nothing but eating and drinking gaming and whoring So that both of them came to such miserable ends as their retchlesse and carelesse kinde of liuing had deserued Childericke King of France and third of that name is and not without iust cause condemned by the writers of those times for that hee did wholly quit himselfe of businesses and led so idle and vnprofitable a life that he tooke care of nothing recommending all to his great Fauourite Pipine who did rule and gouerne him as hee listed And there was not any meeting or conuersation throughout the kingdome wherein men did not mutter and murmure at it For their nimble and actiue nature could by no meanes indure that their King should be but the shadow of a King and stand for a Cypher sheltering himselfe vnder the shade of another Which could not choose considering how vsuall a thing it is but put spirit into Pipine and adde mettall to his power For it is very proper to the condition of men the more high they are in place and dignitie to desire the more honour and the more wealth There are but few of your great and powerfull persons which are not hydropicall and doe not thirst after new honours and new aduancements And some haue proceeded so farre in their pretensions that they haue presumed as this Fauourite did to quit the King of his Crowne Willingly hearkening vnto those flatterers about him which did whisper this in his eare and egge him on vnto it It likewise began to bee treated of amongst the great Lords of that kingdome How much better command and rule were in one Head then in two And how that all kingdomes had euermore a desire to haue but one Prince And that all prudent and wise men haue in reason of State held this gouernment to be the best and surest and that it was not fit that the vniforme body of a commonwealth or kingdome should bee subiect and obedient to two Heads To wit that one should enioy the name and title of King and the other possesse the power And that it were
better that all should obey one that had wisedome and experience and that had beene bred vp in businesses and the mannaging of State-affaires whereby to gouerne them in peace and Iustice And sithence that in Pipine these qualities did concurre and that on him all the businesses of importance did depend it were good that hee should bee their King and that Childericke should take his ease and pleasure Hereupon they treated with Pipine who though hee gaue eare vnto what they said yet would not rashly aduenture himselfe to accept of the Crowne vnlesse Pope Zacharias might first be consulted therein Whereupon they sent their Embassadours who had instruction to render such reasons to the Pope that might moue him to approue thereof and iudging Childericke to bee vnfit for the gouernment might absolue the French of their oath which they had taken and that obedience which they ought to their King and that he should depriue him of the kingdome and further declare That since Pipine did rule and command all and had so many good indowments that hee might likewise be inuested with the title of King And the Archbishop of Maguncia was the man that was nominated to set the Crowne on his head and to declare him to bee King of all France Being thus back't they summoned a Parliament degraded the poore seely king and thrust him into a Monastery and Pipine was sworne and proclaimed King of those so many kingdomes and Signories as were then subiect to the Crowne of France There remaineth testimony hereof in the Decretals C. Alius 16. q. Hence had it's first beginning and that hand and power giuen vnto Popes in so great a businesse as the setting vp and pulling downe of Kings and which is more of creating new Emperours and depriuing the old ones of their Empire Whereof there are many examples And that which this Pope did with that King who had no more then that vmbratill and apparent power other Popes afterwards did the like with Henries and Fredericks and other Tyrants of great puisance and power The one offend in the more the other in the lesse The one out of the ambition that they haue to bee Kings that they may command and doe all loose all and so go to hell And the other go the same way for that they will not bee as they should be Kings but giue themselues wholly vnto idlenesse It was the Emperour Galba's vtter ouerthrow that he had put the whole gouernment into onely three mens hands which he brought along with him possessing them with so much power that hee was not Master of himselfe depending still vpon their wil and through that great authoritie which they had they ouerthrew all whatsoeuer their King did ordaine thrusting their armes as we say vp to the elbowes in all affaires and making vse of their present fortune And for that this vnfortunate Emperour could take notice of no more then what hee had from them for none without their permission could or see or speake with him they made him to do that which that other Potter did who going about to make a pot to boyle meate in made a Iarre to put drinke in And he thinking to substitute Iudges that should administer Iustice appointed theeues in their place which robbed the Commonwealth All which was imputed vnto him And for that Vanity is the mother of so many vices all this their great fauour serued to no other vse but to cause their Soueraigne to commit many actions of iniustice and indiscretion and of vnheard of and vnthought of wrongs violently breaking through the ordinary course of Iustice By which exorbitant proceedings this imprudent Emperour grew to be hated and abhorred of all and not being able longer to beare with him they depriued him at once of his life and Empire And these kinde of Caterpillars said the Emperour Sigismund make those Kings vnfortunate Aeneas Siluester de doct Sigismund that put their affiance in them At this carelesse ward liued at first Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians though afterwards like a wise Prince hee did rectifie this errour And the case was this Hee let his friend and Fauourite Lisander carry a great hand ouer him and did honour him in all that he could expressing alwayes much loue vnto him Lysander puft vp herewith tooke great state vpon him being attended with a great traine and manifesting in his very gate a kinde of extraordinary grauitie and Maiestie and all did so farre forth serue and obey him that it seemed he had vsurped the dignitie royall and the Empire leauing good honest Agesilaus onely the bare Titulary name of King Which his Maiestie taking into his consideration to the end that the people might not say that hee raigned by Lysanders helpe he withdrew the dispatch of businesses from forth his hands and would not remit any thing vnto him and if he spake to him touching this or that businesse he made as if he did not heare him or not well vnderstand him dispatching all himselfe to the good contentment of his Subiects Hereupon Lysander began to cast vp his accounts with himselfe and forbore from that time forward to conferre fauours or to promise Offices and told such suiters as came vnto hâ—m that they should go themselues to petition the King and would by no meanes permit that they should accompany him to Court as before And yet notwithstanding all this he assisted very carefully in all such seruices as were by his Maiesty recommended vnto him without any the least shew of discontentment Within a while after occasion was offered vnto him to speake with the King and talking with him hee told him O King how well hast thou learned to make thy friends lesse yes quoth the King when they will make themselues too great The King played his part well so did the Fauourite and all ought to doe the like Kings must bore a hole in that ship with their owne hand to stop it's course when it hoyseth it's sayles too high and goes with too still a gale For the taking notice of their Fauourites ambition is that ballast which doth secure them against those their windes and puffes of vanitie Let then the first aduice and which is of greatest importance for Kings and Christian kingdomes bee that which amongst other the Catholicke King of Spaine and Emperour Charles the fifth left vnto his sonne King Philip the second wherein with many indeared and effectuall words he recommends vnto him the obseruing augmenting and defending of the Christian faith in all his kingdomes States and Signiories seuerely punishing with all rigour and iustice without exception of persons all such as should bee either suspected or found culpable in points of Heresies Errours and depraued Sects contrary to the Catholicke faith For therein consisteth all our good words all of them worthie consideration and worthy so Catholicke a Prince esteemed approued and perpetually obserued by his most happie sonne howbeit to his great cost As one that
out the houre and strikes without perceiuing how it moues or goes Or like vnto those plants of your tallest trees which grow to their full height whilest neither our eyes nor our vnderstanding can scarce comprehend how this comes to passe so insensibly doth it sproute and shoot vp This is the question and these in briefe the conueniences which for mine owne part I know not what they are vnlesse such conueniences as are proper to euery one in their owne estate But be it as it may be and let them say what they list let Kings resolue by the illumination of that light which they haue from heauen on that which shall be best for them That which I say is this That it will well become them to liue with a great deale of warinesse and circumspection and not to trust or relye too much vpon fortune For this Lady howbeit sometimes shee suffers her selfe to bee commanded by them yet now and then she ouerrules them as she doth the rest And therefore it shall bee good discretion and prudence to feare both her and her frequent mutabilities and changings as it behoueth euery man to doe the like For she without any respect or distinction of persons will oftentimes lash out from that way and course wherein she is and runne a quite contrary bias and commit the current of those effects to time and Nature Let Kings likewise take heed that they doe not put offended persons into such places where they may reuenge themselues For a receiued wrong or iniurie leaues still some roots behinde which when occasion is offered will bud forth most bitter and venemous plants Nor are there any rewards or benefits be they neuer so great that can blot out the print of that impression which an iniurie stampeth in the minde and heart of man Courtesies are soone forgotten by them for it seemeth a troublesome thing vnto them to endure the weight and burthen of so great a debt and obligation but a receiued wrong or iniurie that shall euer be remembred because they hold reuenge to be the character of courage and the badge of a noble minde and braue spirit Puluere qui laedit scribit sed marmore laesus He that does a wrong writes it downe in dust but he that receiues it in marble Tacitus teacheth vs to know this minde of man and it's passions telling vs that the greatest and strongest inclination in man is to receiue satisfaction of the iniuries done vnto them for thankfulnesse lyes as a heauy loade vpon them whereas they make light of those benefits they receiue Esteeming the latter to be a diminution of their greatnesse and the sormer to wit reuenge to bee a great gaine vnto them for they imagine that they gaine thereby in their authoritie in their reputation and in the manifestation of their valour when the world shall take notice that they haue righted themselues Such as these can neither bee good as they are Fauourites nor as they are Councellers For out of the desire and pleasure they take in reuenge they will rather aduise that which shall seeme conuenient for the execution thereof then for the authoritie and profit of the Prince whom they aduise They will aduise him I say to venture himselfe vpon some voyage to enter into a warre to go himselfe into the field with a royall army or to vndergo some dangerous enterprise for the better effecting of their designes plotting a thousand mischiefes to bring him vnto ruine And let them say what they will yet shall they neuer perswade me that this proceeds out of the loue which they beare vnto their King and his increase of honour but out of hatred to his person their owne proper satisfaction thinking that by that meanes they may worke their reuenge And hereunto I adde that no man can bee found of so perfect a minde of so temperate a nature and so vertuous but that in the first place he will treate of his owne businesse and that treating of this particular the eye of his thought still ayming to hit this white will not sticke to aduenture any danger in hope of reuenge And therefore I shall aduise Kings that of necessitie must sometimes giue eare and credit to these or the like persons if they chance to bee preferred to great places that they be very carefull how farre forth they trust them for they are a dangerous kinde of people vnsafe and more couetous of their owne priuate interest then carefull of the publike perill or common hurt For this loue vnto themselues and hatred vnto others couered and strewed ouer with the cloud and ashes of iniuries and offences either receiued or conceiued doth reuiue and quicken the coales by those blasts of fauour and greatnesse that are blowne on them procuring though to others cost to vphold themselues therein and to ingage Kings in that which they pretend for their reuenge and satisfaction God shield and protect Kings from such persons as shall with the snake take vp their poyson againe to vent the venome of their rancour and reuenge vpon an old quarrell and let them likewise take heed how they imploy their forces and their power in countenancing and protecting those whom they haue offended and discontented This saith the said Emperour Charles the fifth is an aduice of great importance for the safetie quietude and good gouernment of kingdomes States and Signiories which for that they are so many so great and so farre distant one from another it is impossible that they should be visited by your selfe in person so often as is requisite And therefore I aduise you that you haue a great care that your Viceroyes and Gouernours that shall be sent thither be such and of such parts as shall conuene for such an imployment men of experience and conscience of wisedome prudence and discretion and well seene in matters of State and Gouernment Well disposed and free from couetousnesse briberie and corruption seeking out rather men for Offices then Offices for men Lastly let them be such persons from whom you may receiue that good satisfaction that by their residence there may bee found no misse of their Kings presence For this is properly to bee Vice-royes Moreouer you must instruct them in that which appertaineth vnto them for the good gouernment of the Commonwealth and those Subiects which are committed to their charge maintaining them in equall iustice and good manners giuing them good example by their owne blamelesse conuersation There is nothing that doth so much oblige Vassals and Subiects to keepe the Statutes and Lawes which are ordained as to see them well kept and obserued by their betters And so it is that it is vniustly commanded which hee that commands keepes not himselfe if that which is commanded be good And being good why should it not be good for him to keepe it that commands it Bal. in l. 2 c. 8. Num. 4. C. de Serui. For as Baldus saith though the King be not lyable
is dangerous for Kings odious to the subiect and offensiue both to God and Nature And for that the last Kings of the Romanes vsed this power the name of King grew so hatefull that those that afterwards succeeded in the Romane gouernment durst not take vpon them the name of Kings but that of Emperours Which is by so much the more absolute by how much Imperare doth differ from Regere Yet notwithstanding the people of Rome did not so much feare this name of Emperour as that of King because those that last bore that name exercised on them this their absolute power So that it is not the name nor the office but the ill vsing thereof that makes it odious For it is neither the Title nor the Man that moueth or altereth the honest meaning minde of the plaine downe right subiect but deeds and actions that are done contrary to all right and reason Whereas on the contrary good vsage and good treatment keepes them in loue and peace and drawes them after him as it were in a string and to offer vp for his sake a voluntary sacrifice of their liues Let Kings consider that the Crowne speakes as much which they weare on their heads in forme of a Sphericall round figure which signifies limitem or terminum a limit or bound or rather that Circle out of which it is not lawfull for them to go no not one steppe The Crownes I say that they weare are Circles and Limits seruing to put them in minde that their power is limited and measured out vnto them that they may not passe the bounds of reason nor doe any thing but what is iust and lawfull Let the great Kings and Potentates of the earth moderate themselues and refraine from making themselues Gods by exercising this their absolute power let them acknowledge ouer them a God as well on earth as in heauen That hee may not grow wearie of their Monarchies and their gouernments as he did of that of the ancient Romanes and vtterly ouerthrow them prouoked and incited thereunto by the abuse of humane power Sene Traged 4. For as Seneca saith Quod non potest vult posse qui nimium potest But the God of heauen is very nice and tender in admitting companions in any kinde of manner whatsoeuer but much more daintie in matter of iurisdiction and absolute power punishing the same with grieuous chastisements and many demonstrations of his fearefull anger and displeasure Aristotle saith that through the gouernment of those that are too absolute in their rule and command the gouernment is changed kingdomes altered and petty Princes rise vp against them who in such sort abate and bring downe their pride that they come to serue those whom before they did command Tully tearmes them of all other the most miserable which make their will a Law and thinke that they may doe all that they can Nero did then leaue off to be cruell when he vnderstood that he was permitted to doe what hee listed and that many did approue all his actions for good It is the ancient language of adulation to speake absolute power vnto Princes and to perswade them to follow their owne free will But this is a very dangerous thing if they once giue way thereunto and let such flatteries dwell in their eares for the resolutions of such a power will not suffer themselues to be so subiect as they ought to the iudgement of reason nor humane discourse In such a case a power from heauen is more needfull And this errour is now come to be in such request that to agree in all things with the will and pleasure of Kings is now made in the minds of some not onely a meanes of hope but esteemed as a great seruice and pledge of merit to receiue honours and rewards But this deceitfull meanes whereby they thinke to thriue shall when God shall see it fit be the onely knife to cut their throates for such kinde of men neuer escape punishment and most commonly receiue it from their Kings owne hand In strange and extraordinary cases and vpon iust occasions and iustifiable meanes Kings may somewhat inlarge the limits of their power so as they doe not go beyond that which reason and Christian prudence permitteth Plato saith that Prudence and power are to embrace each other and to walke hand in hand Qualities which ought to concurre in a good King signified in that Scepter with eyes which Ieremy saw power being in the one and wisdome in the other And in that other old ancient portraiture of a good King being a Lion placed on the top of Mercuries Mace which is a Scepter with two Snakes twining about it This signifying prudence and wisedome and that fortitude which should neuer be separated from a King By his power he is feared respected and obeyed he commands prohibites and executes By his wisedome he auerreth the truth of his actions and doth nothing but what is lawfull Wisedome tempereth power and both together vphold the world But if power forsake the fellowship of wisedome it growes to be absolute and runnes into a thousand indiscretions and commits as many wrongs and iniuries wherewith it desolateth and destroyeth euen the greatest States For there is not that ill wherein power doth not exceed if it haue not wisedome for it's bridle And for that a powerfull hand is so dangerous a thing Nature hath ordained and so ordered the businesse that the braine where wisedome hath it's residence should bee placed ouer it Which those ancient Doctors amongst the Gentiles did point at when they placed Minerua the Goddesse of wisedome vpon Iupiters head who of all the Gods is the most powerfull And therefore it was well said of him whosoeuer hee were that said Que vale mas saber que auer y poder Wealth and power are not comparable to wisedome Which saying is confirmed by the holy Ghost Melior est sapientia Wis 6.1 7.8 quam vires Et diuitias nihil esse duxi in comparatione illius Wisedome is better then strength I set more by her then by kingdomes and royall seates and count riches nothing in comparison of her Ambr. 6. Exam. 1. c. 4. Aelian lib. 6. c. 21. de Animalibus Iob 38.36 Greg. 3. Moral c. 4. The aduantage whereof is signified in that Hierogliffe of the Cocke who with his crowing makes the Lion to flie As Saint Ambrose and Aelian haue well obserued And that wise and iust man Iob doth much commend him for his knowledge and vnderstanding And Saint Gregory declareth that by him is to bee vnderstood a wise and prudent man who taketh hold on a fit and conuenient time for businesses and not onely aduiseth of but preuenteth all dangers and whatsoeuer hurt may befall The particular and generall experience which we haue of Histories teacheth vs how much it importeth for the conseruation and augmentation of a great Empire and Monarchie that he that is Lord and Master thereof if it lye