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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07610	A mirrour for Christian states: or, A table of politick vertues considerable amongst Christians Divided, into three bookes. Reviewed, and augmented, by E. Molinier, of Tolose priest, and Doctor of Divinitie. And by him dedicated, ro [sic] the most illustrious lord, the Lord Cardinall of Valette, Archbishop of Tolose. Translated into English, by VVilliam Tyrvvhit, Sen. Esquire.; Politiques chrestiennes. English	Molinier, Étienne, d. 1650.; Tyrwhit, William.	1635 (1635)	STC 18003; ESTC S112798	133,530	388

distributing and disposing brightnesse to all the rest and as the apple of the eye cleared by the light tiluminuteth the whole body shewes it the way keeps it from stumbling and directeth all its paces towards the end it aymeth at so Prudence enlightned by wi dome illuminateth the whole Soule sheweth her the way to arrive to good hindreth her from tripping directeth her thoughts guideth her motions disposeth her counsels regulateth her affections ordinateth her powers manageth her habitudes arrangeth her vertues and composeth her actions since without Prudence Vnderstanding is vaine Science unprofitable and Wisdome idle plaine dealing faulty zeale indiscreet justice unjust Force full of temerity Temperance distempered all vertues become vices and perfections faults For as wisdome is the eye of speculative life so is Prudence the light of practicall Reason and as without the light of wisdome the understanding erreth in the knowledge of truth so without the light of Prudence it cannot but erre in the conduct of actions It is the first office of Prudence to see what is to be done in the occurrence and circumstance of each particular case then to finde out the meanes of compassing them this being done then to prescribe the measure and limits of the action since as the Philosopher sayth it appertayneth to Prudence to allot a requisite medium to all vertues having waighed what is fitting for time place subject and affaires after to gaine the dexterity of attayning thereto and to prescribe the measure he therein ought to observe his last office is to put commandement in action by prompt and diligent execution by meanes of the soules faculty having the charge of executing the sentence of judgement and the Empire of Reason Now if any one of these foure parts of Prudence eyther counsell meanes measure or prompt commandement bee defective in action how can it merit the title or glory of a vertuous worke If counsell fayle him it is foolish if it want meanes it is vaine if measure it is irregular if prompt and oportune execution it is idle unusefull fruitlesse If foolish how can it beright If vaine how good If irregular how vertuous If idle how laudable VVherefore as Queenes and great rincesses are attended by along traine of Ladyes of Honour so Prudence as Queen of vertues is followed by foure other vertues The first is called Eubulia well to consult of whatsoever is to be effected to examine and ponder what is necessary for the well ordering of actions in all sorts of affayres The second carryes the name of Synesis a vertue requisite to judge aright and to draw solid conclusions our of the principles of the universall Law The third is called Gnomè well to examine in particular what is to be done according to naturall reason when there is in some case no expresse law The last likewise is named Gnomè to resolve and command after due research and judgement There are three acts of Reason which reflect upon humane actions to consult judge and command And to the end this may passe in due place and conformably to reason It is necessary that Prudence be accompanyed with these foure vertues the first whereof serves for consultation the second and third for judgement the last for commandement CHAP. 10. That politicke Prudence is rare and how it is to be acquired IF it be a difficult matter to accompany every particular action with these foure vertues attending Prudence and with those foure perfections thence yssuing how much harder is it to associate them to all the actions of our life and if to the comportments of a private how much more to the actions of a publike life There are three sorts of Prudence as there are three generall conditions of mans life For eyther man hath onely charge of himselfe and hath therefore need onely of an ordinary Prudence or he hath moreover the guidance of a family requiring an oeconomicall Prudence or else the administration of publike assayres which requireth a Civill and Politike Prudence Now if common Prudence necessary onely for particulars be so rare among men the oeconomicall and Politike is farre more extraordinary and if the right and Prudent conduct of our selves requires such parts what shall we say of the conduct of others Of the guidance of Republikes and government of Empires The Scripture sayes That God founded Heaven by Prudence and the Philosopher That this is the proper vertue for him who governes and proceeds not that it is not necessary for private persons but that it is in such sort requisite for him who hath publike charge that as light is to the Sun and heat to the fire so this to him is a proper essence and inseparable quality without which he is no more capable to manage affaires than the Pilot is to guide a Ship without the Helme and Sea-Card God having chosen losyph to govern the State of Egypt under King Pharath endued him with so perfect a prudence as though yong yet was hee able to instruct the Antients And Salomon together with his Diadem received from God the wisedome to discerne judgement as the booke of Kings speaketh to wit the Prudence causing decernment in the occurrences of all affaires presenting themselves And truely since Prudence is the right rule of such things as we ought to execute the whole life of publique persons consisting in execution and practice they cannot escape from falling into manifold errors if they be not adorned with much Prudence And since this vertue as the watching and open eye over the scepter of the Egyptians ought to spreade its circumspection on every side over places times persons humours appurtenances accidents and dependencies over things past present and future over reasons conjectures suspitions briefly over the smallest particularities hapning in this subject the oppositions rancounters and varicties of affaires in a Common-wealth being infinite and the circumstances accompanying these affaires yet more endlesse It is needfull were it possible to have an infinite Prudence perfectly to performe businesse and to be armed against all occurrents in this case Aristotle in his Rherorickes saith That the most excellent among men are the Councellors of State Plato that good consultation is a certaine divine and sacred thing Saint Basil That Councell is a divine thing and God himselfe by the mouth of the wise man in the Proverbs Pro. 3. That the acquisition of Prudence is more precious than the negotiation of gold and silver But as divers things must concurre to forme gold King of Mettals to weet the preparation of the matter the earths disposition the Suns heat and length of them so for the forming this Prudence Queene of Politicke vertues the gold of Kingdomes the treasure of States the pearle of crowns great help and happy advantages are to be required strength of spirit soliditie of judgement sharpenesse of reason and docilitie to learne of Antients are the dispositions Instructions received from eminent persons the studie of Sciences knowledge of history a

happy memory in things past in all Ages and States are the beginnings The practice of important affaires long experience and the gray maturitie of yeares are the consummation For this word of the Ancients never deceived any Councell of old men Armes of yong men sound consultation circumspection of circumstances foresight of consequences precaution against impediments prompt expedition are the beautifull actions of States-men and in fine the peoples repose the safety of States the common good of men are the divine fruits of this perfect prndence Who so possesseth this treasure enjoyeth a Diadem and if his origin hath not conferred Crownes upon him Crownes will seeke after him and if his condition have not made him a King his sufficiencie will make him the Oracle of Kings VVhat he pronounceth are decrees what he sayes are lawes his bare words ought to passe for reasons and as the Philosopher saith His naked propositions have the authority of demonstrations since the practise he hath acquired by experience enableth him in whatsoever he proposeth to consider the causes and principles But what is said of the Phoenix which being so frequent in Bookes was happily never framed in nature or what is related of that Orator among the Antients so highly extolled but never heard or of the Philosophers Republique the so well depainted Idaea whereof could never really appeare the same may be said of this perfect Prudence whom the contemplation of Sages hath so excellently expressed and which the imbecilitie of humane Nature could never yet perfectly produce So many rare endowments required in one man are more easily imagined then met with sooner desired than acquired To abuse our selves with Ideas is to feede upon fancies Wishes rule not the world and since things cannot be sutable to our votes wee must proportion ovr votes to things We are to acknowledge our owne ignorance in the truth of this passage of Scripture How irresolute are the thoughts of men and how uncertaine their foresights and to confesse the truth in al things but chiefly in Politicke Prudence which governeth the incertitude of worldly affairs that he who hath the fewest defects hath a great share of perfection One single circumstance susficeth to alter all in this case and very often the effect of greatest and most important actions as the cure of desperate diseases in States depends upon a very instant which Prudence either seeth not or fortune ravisheth away and after all we are to avow that in such cases wherein ordinarily waies are hidden the causes obscured the councell incertaine and the events independant of us he who seldomest stumbles hath no small sufficiencie and who so oftnest doth happen rightly to hit hath a great deale of good fortune CHAP. 11. That true Politicke Prudence ought to be derived from the Law of God against Machiavilians BVtas true wisedome ought to be deduced from the law of God so doth true Prudence flow from this divine fountaine For God hath spoken by the mouth of the Wise man Councell is to me Equitie is mine Prudence is mine and David said to God Lord thou hast made me wise by thy word VVisedome without God is meere folly and Prudence no better than malice the one followeth salle principles the other useth the meanes opposite to the true end of man the one depraveth the understanding the other deregulates life the one deceiveth us in what we ought to understand the other in what we ought to doe the one adoreth lyes insteed of truth the other embraceth iniquity for vertue in briefe the one diverts us from the true way the other leadeth us to a precipice The Prudence of the flesh produceth nothing but death saith the Apostle So as if it be pernicious to particulars what profit can it afford to Republiques if it ruine men how can it relieve Empires Is not God the finall end of States in generall as well of men in particular if he be their end ought he not to be their ayme if their ayme ought they not to levell thereat by meanes conduceable to their end What other meanes are proper to cause all States to tend toward God than those which the Prudence derived from God dictates unto us If therfore fleshly vain prudence supposing to maintaine it selfe maketh use of unjust meanes and those contrary to God is it not apparent it diverteth them from their mark their end and happinesse ruining insteed of establishing them Wherefore Moses called the people of Jsrael who would not guide themselves according to Gods law but by their private spirit a Nation without Councell and Prudence And the spirit of God gives us two advertisements as two generall rules of our life the one by the Wise man Relye not on thine owne Prudence the other by the Apostle Derive not your prudence from your selues Plato reporteth of Hyparchus in a Dialogue intituled by his name how this man desirous of the publique good placed great Pillars in all the crosse-waies of Athens whereon were engraven grave and wholesome inscriptions advertising men of their duties If this custome were still in use among us it were fitting these two sentences as two Oracles from heaven were engraven in Marble and brasse in the most eminent and chiefly frequented places of all Cities to admonish men not to guide the course of their lives affaires and offices by the foolish Prudence of the flesh but by that Prudence derived from God being the infallible rule as it is the finall and firme conclusion of all humane actions CHAP. 12. How the Law of God is usefull for the acquisition of true Politicke Prudence THe Law of God doth in two sorts serve toward the acquisition of true Prudence not onely of that which is ordinary and oeconomical but of the civill and Politicke likewise First in proposing to every particular action its due end direct meanes and just measure secondly in appeasing and calming the passions of the soule which as the Philosopher saith cause a certaine thicke fogge to arise in the superiour part thereof darkening the eye of reason and hindering the wholesome counsell and right judgement of things which Prudence ought to afford For passions imprint in the soule a kinde of malignant disposition causing counsell to ere in the election of the true end judgement in the choice of the meanes and the commandement of reason in the definition of times we ought to take of the place whereof we are to make choice and of the measure we are to observe in making an Act truely Prudent The covetous and ambitious person who propoundeth to himselfe no other end than his particular profit and honour will not make use of other meanes but such onely as may conduce to the raising of his revenues and dignities yea and often carried away by the floud of this unbrideled desire as by the force of an impetuous torrent he is not able to observe either time place or measure VVhat counsels can be expected from a spirit so indisposed

without passion to whom reason simply and barely proposed may at all times satisfie But we have to doe with men who have reason which we are to know how to satisfie by reason and passions which we are when occasion is offered to understand how eyther to appease and sweeten or stirre up and inflame by discourse How often hath sustice lost her cause for want of being represented with requisite esticacie before men preoccupated with passion What caused Socrates to be condemned in Athens and P. Rutilius at Rome both the one and the other being innocent but only that the former contented himselfe to refute the calumnies of his accusers by simple and naked negations and the latter forbad his Advocates to use any strength or vehemency of speech in the maintainance of his innocency The Roman Orator indeed sayth that if one might plead his cause in Plato's imaginary Republicke before Philosophers exempt from all passions and humane perturbations It were well to be wished that onely reason should governe humane affaires and that passion should have no power over them Since it being so the naked and simple proposition of what were just would happily suffice without any Eloquence to draw them to good But since only to wish this order among men is not to establish the same it is fitting as much as we may to rectifie the disorder and rather to reflect upon the remedies of present mischiefes then upon the vaine wishes of a happinesse not to be had And since depraved inclinations passions vices voluptuousnesse and perverse habitudes have so farre preoccupated humane spirits as lyes seeme oftentimes Truth unto them and iniquity Iustice what better remedy to make way against all these impediments to right and reason than the force of reason it selfe explaned by Eloquence illustrated by lively words and animated by efficacious gestures and motions Reason I say which presented to so ill affected spirits simply and nakedly would be presently rejected but appearing with the grace and winning garb of this sitting ornament it winneth the hearts of the most refractari● it insinuates it selfe into the worst dispos●d thoughts cures most ulcered humors and which is a most happy kinde of healing it cures them with content It is sayd that the Aspick suffers it selfe to bee charmed by the Enchanters voyce forgetting its naturall rage The Lyra appeaseth the Tyger Musick the Dolphin Davids Harpe the Divell tormenting Saul The sound of Flutes asswageth the paines of the Gowt And one of Alexanders Musitians had a tune wherewith he could sodainly calme the fire of his furie and cause it to lay downe Armes in the heighth of his greatest heate Eloquence hath yet farther power over humaine passions to moderate bend calme overcome and to cause them though it selfe unarmed to yeild up their weapons to reason Eloquence charmes the Sences mollifieth harts inciteth Affections frameth desires in other mens passions commandeth without law raigneth without Scepter forceth without Serjeants leaveth men to their freedome yet exerciseth in them a secret Empire It findes Wolves and makes them Sheepe encountreth Lions and leaves them Lambs not touching Bodies but transforming Soules and changing Wills without altering Nature What was the Eloquence think you of that Philosopher who commending Eloquence in presence of a debauched young man crowned with Flowers clapping his hands tripping about and dancing to the sound of Flutes in habit and gesture of one who celebrated the Feast of Bacchus entring into his Schoole in this equipage with purpose to scoffe at him did so lively pierce him with the Darts of his discourse as hee presently caused him to cast his Flowers from him to quit his caprings to breake his Flutes to settle his countenance and to testifie by the change of his comportment the alteration of his Spirit What force suppose you had Pericles his Eloquence being commonly termed Thunder and Lightning who by speaking imprinted in all hearts certaine strong incitements and stirred up all spirits with unusual transports enclining them to Wisdome What kinde of vehemency imagine you had that torrent of Demosthenes his Eloquence which so long stayed the course and successe of Philips good Fortune without any other armes then his tongue What vigor had the speech of Phocion who a thousand times raysed the courage of his Country men by his enflamed discourses no lesse than he did their Fortunes by his victorious armes But the authority these Orators acquired in Athens and the profit they brought to their Republick appeared clearely by this example At what time the Athenians reduced to extremity by Alexander the Great could not obtaine peace at his hands but under condition to send him as Prisoners their Captaines and Orators it came to this passe that in retayning their Orators they satisfied him in banishing their Captaines so as therein they shewed how much they preferred Eloquence before valour supposing it to be more availeable for them to maintaine the tongue than the sword in the Citie What shall I say of the Romans with whom Eloquence did at all times march hand in hand with valour these two having raysed their Republickes in Power Greatnesse and Glory above all the Empires of the World CHAP. 16. That Eloquence doth principally appeare in popular States but that it may be likewise very usefull in Monarchicall Governments TRuely as the popular Estates of Athens and Rome have caused Eloquence to be of high esteeme so doth it in truth seeme that Eloquence in such places is most usefull being of more splendour in popular estates where it is necessary to perswade the people to what is profitable for the publick than in Monarchicall States where those who are encharged with publike government are onely to propose their counsels and opinions to the Soveraigne thereupon receiving his commands to intimate the same to the people which without all comparison is more majesticall firme solid for the good and quiet of men then the opinion or advice of a Tribune or Orator confirmed by the suffrages of a rash multitude It therefore affords not so large a Field to the power of spirit nor so ample a subject to Eloquence Neverthelesse as certaine Birds who make no use of their wings for flying and soaring in the ayre yet employ them notwithstanding in their walking on earth therewith putting themselues forward with more speed and strength So Eloquence not meeting with those spacious places in Monarchies to soare in if I may so say with displayed wings doth yet at all times shew her dexterity and promptitude even in those straight limits enclosing her and her wings though uselesse unto her for flying do yet at least help her to walk with greater vivacity Besides the inconstancie of worldly affaires affordeth but over-many subjects even in best setled Kingdomes on the one side to cause the peoples fidelity to appeare towards their Soveraigne and on the other side to employ Eloquence in his Service and for publike profit Occasions I say which are no

virtutibus alienum bonum videtur spectare qui ad alterum spectat Agit enim qua alteri conducunt aut Principi aut Reip. saith the Philosopher to those who are encharged with the publick good either of the Prince or State It is the essentiall and inseparable quality constituting the nature of their office and without which they leave to be what their titles import and are as men in picture being nothing lesse than men though they retayne the name and forme So the Scripture termeth the Pastor who hath no care save for himselfe only but an Idoll since he is not what men call him he is called Pastor by relation to others and he only feedeth himselfe so as hee is no better than a painted Idoll having in him nothing lesse than what his name imports nor is any thing so little as what he appeares to bee A title likewise belonging to all those who obliged to the publick regard nothing save their particular interest and are to say truly none other than Idols and phantomes whose appearance dazleth our eyes and whose name deludeth our eares And truly since they are not established over the publick but with obligation to have care on them they violating the duty of their dignity disgrace its glory and not performing what they promise they are not really what they stile themselves They are rightly Idols since the figure only remayneth not quick bodies since the soule is vanished One may say of them as David did of the Idols among the Gentiles They have eyes but see not eares but understand not mouthes but speak not feet but walk not for they have eyes but connive eares but counterfeit the deafe dumb mouthes and feet fixed to the center of their proper interest since they walk not toward their obligation They have hands but feele not for they being ordinarily employed in touching and taking they lose both sight hearing speech and motion Wherefore the The bans painted their Iudges and Magistrates without hands Pitrius in hierogly l. 38 since when their hands are over long it is much to bee feared their feet will become gouty their tongues tied their cares deafned and their eyes dimmed And the Scripture saith That those who take bribes do likewise retaine injustice I intend not hereby to prove that injustice destroyes authority being both by divine and humane right inviolable but only that in such persons the honour and merit of possessing places of judicature perisheth the title remayneth the merit is missing Iustice therefore tending to the good of others is as it were an essentiall quality to publick persons obliging them to love and daily to procure the generall good which not only lawes and reason teach us but even nature it selfe dictates unto us For is it not apparant in all sublunary things that whatsoever is destinated for common good operateth not for it selfe but imployeth it selfe for all Do not the heavens send forth their influences the Sun his beames the earth its fecundity the trees their fruits fountaynes their waters Bees their honey Silk wormes their subtile webs for all Doth not the liver distribute blood to all the veynes the head motion to all the nerves the heart vigour to all the members Is there any thing in nature which converteth to its owne use what it hath received for the common good See wee not in reasonable creatures a desire in unreasonable ones a motion in insensible things a kinde of inclination toward the generall good of the Vniverse whereby their particular good subsisteth Is it not true that by naturall instinct the hand casts it selfe before the body to receive upon it selfe the strokes comming upon it and how each part is inclinable to preserve the whole though to its owne ruine Shall not then knowledge reason and justice cause that in man which a mere naturall inclination effecteth in all other things But is there any thing either more glorious or which draweth the creature neerer to the imitation of God than to seeke and procure publick good to go lesse therein is it not a signe of indigence and to enlarge our selves a token of abundance Who is so abundant as God and who diffuseth himselfe like him poverty pincheth and restraineth plenty enlargeth and dilateth Moreover whatsoever is most excellent and principall in all things doth it not communicate most and become most abundant The highest and most elevated among the Angels do they not take greatest care both of the heavens motions of the worlds government and of mankinde in generall those of inferiour orders having the oversight only of some single Kingdome Province or City and the lowest orders those who have the single conduct of each particular person Among the starres the Sunne holding the highest rank doth hee not bestow his lights and influences both upon the celestiall and elementary world The Moone succeeding in the second place to the elementary globe only The starres as least in dignity to a certain species or individuity of sublunary things But I beseech you is there any thing so noble in the world as God in man as the soule in the body as the heart in the tree as the root All the tree is nourished by the root the heart causeth life in the whole body the soule guideth the whole man God governeth the whole world To practise vertue in our owne particular is a great matter but to exercise it toward others is much more glorious to make use of it toward many is excellent but to impart it to all is supereminent And even as saith the Philosopher hee who is malicious toward himselfe and others Arist lib. 5. Polit. cap. 1. is the worst and most wicked of all men So he who practiseth vertue both toward himselfe and others is the best and most just among men It is the highest pitch of vertue the consummation of justice the perfection of man and the degree neerest approaching to the Divinity CHAP. 18. The Epilogue of all this Discourse of Iustice by way of Epiphonema BVT Plato saith that if vertue could be viewed living and animated with her proper attractions she would cause admiration in mindes and amorous motions in all hearts Discourse can only represent her in picture and Eloquence is not stored sufficiently with lively colours to inspire thereinto the soule and beauty of a naturall body So as to behold Iustice which my weak pencill is forced to expresse in her lively and native grace it is necessary to cast our eyes upon some living modell if the world yet affords any such expressing in it selfe the beautifull idaea of this eldest daughter of God which the pen is unable to depaint O more worthy the name of Great than Alexander or Pompey a man given from heaven and more resembling God than man he who mouldeth himselfe upon this image and whose soule is the table his vertue the pencill his actions the colours and whose life is the soule of that living image drawn upon the

prototype of this divine pattern God in this mans heart hath engraven a lively knowledge of this truth that those whose dignities cause them neerest to resemble him ought most neerely to approach unto him by duty and love and that the degree of piety should equalize that of preferment that the greatnesse of the benefit received should bee the modell of acknowledgement To consider likewise that the highest Angels are most ardent in his love the promptest to know and accomplish his commandements And from this Principle as from a celestiall seed we see spring the blessed maximes conformable to eternall verities Iust counsels sage advices the administration of earthly things according to celestiall lawes briefly all the fruits worthy of this Christian and divine Philosophy Hee then seeth how Iustice being obliged to allow to each man what is his right that after the service due to Almighty God the regulating of our manners being a right due to our selves holdeth the first rank in obligation and ought likewise to have the first place in discharge hee knoweth how the rule which ought to bee as the modell to all the world ought chiefly to be very direct in it selfe That the words of Iustice are found to be of very flat taste if the soule savour not the fruits That to govern well and live wickedly if it bee not incompatible is at least dishonest That sage counsels do only profit others but a lewd life endammageth its authour That there is nothing so foolish as to follow the Silk-worm who spins silk for us and ends her dayes in the action industrious for others to himselfe pernicious hee in conclusion sees how after he hath set himselfe in good order the last duty of Politick Iustice is to be carefull of the publick good and to despise his proper interest That it is as much as to make himselfe pretious not to be bought or allured by any reward That there is nothing so glorious as to shew himselfe incorrnptible in an age wherein the glittering of gold tempteth the fidelity of all and overcometh the constancy of many That Integrity then is most laudable when by reason of corrupted times covetousnesse seemes to bee excusable That it is an unworthy thing to make the earths excrements mens Idols and that those base metals Nature buries in her lowest bottoms should usurp the principall place in the affections of a reasonable soule That it is a shame and reproach to Christians to see very Pagans shew greater integrity and more incorruption and affection to the publick good in the administration of Offices than we do That the ancient Romans as Valerius the great witnesseth namely those of the Aelian family rather chose to bee poore in a plentifull Republick then rich in a poore one And that now even those who professe the knowledge of the true God blush not at all when they impoverish whole Cities and Kingdomes to enrich their private families with publick spoyles Out of these considerations ariseth and springeth this excellent resolution of despising our particular out of zeale to the publick and to shew our selves liberall of riches covetous of vertue and surmounting gold the conquerour of all things to make it appeare we are invincible From thence arise all those wholsome counsels which the generous liberty of a soule free from covetousnesse produce together with all those famous acts of loyalty toward our Prince of moderation in power in support of innocency of resistance against injury of incorruption against all sorts of tentations of the peace of Cities the repose of Provinces augmentation of Empires wholsome lawes just governments and all those faire designes which Princes conceive in the inclinations and motions of those generous persons which after God and themselves are the principall motions of their soules and our safety For even as those starrs meeting in conjunction with the Sunne do much availe toward the causing his influences to become good and favourable unto us as the Pleiades which cause the light to appeare pleasing and gratious unto us at the Springs return whereas the Canicular starres make it scorching in Summer So those who by their just and good counsels move the will and authority of good and just Princes concurre with them and are the organs and instruments of a fortunate age Symm Bonis iustis Princi●ib●●s bon● decora suadentes instrumenta sunt boni saeculi O happy ages who enjoy such miracles and alike treasures miracles in truth for the rarity treasures for their necessity O fortunate France who amid all thy miseries hast never wanted those brave Catoes and Phocions who have a thousand times saved thee from ship wrack at what time danger causing the ambitious to ●●●nk and feare the timorous to retire zeale hath bestowed on thee the good courage the valiant and God the necessary O great soules who conceive these generous designes not to breath but for the publick and to banish their particular you quit a slight profit and carry away the Laurell of an incomparable honour what you trample upon is but a little earth and in exchange the approbation of Kings the suffrages of Provinces the acclamation of people the culogies of History the benediction of men the glory of God here on earth commendations and on high immortall Crownes are your rewards The end of the second Book THE THIRD BOOK Of Vertues and Qualities which give vigour and grace to execute CHAP. 1. The proposition and divisi●●● of matters discused in this last Book TO know good and to will it to know it and to seek it to see it and tend toward it all this is not the attaynment thereof Power is necessary for the compassing what we aspire unto For what benefit were it for brute beasts to have sense to apprehend and an appetite to incline towards things fitting for them if notwithstanding they wanted both feet and wings to convey them whither their appetite inclineth them for the obtayning what their sense apprehendeth The Art and will of sayling plowing painting building what use would they afford to the Pilot Plowman Painter or Architect if the last wanted his trowell to set hands to work the next his pencill for the expression of his idaeas the third his plough to stirre the earth the fourth his rudder and sayles to part the waves Knowledge is unprofitable where power fayleth and vaine the desire which cannot arrive to its ayme The wisdome of God knoweth all things and his bounty is boundlesse but had he not equall power to bring to light both what he knoweth and willeth his bounty would remayn fruitlesse and his wisdome worklesse the one could not appeare the other not communicate it selfe nor should wee know either how much the one knoweth or how greatly the other loveth us It is therefore not enough to have treated of and handled in the two former Bookes the vertues instructing the understanding in the knowledge of good and those in particular disposing the will to