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A68283 Foure bookes of offices enabling privat persons for the speciall seruice of all good princes and policies. Made and deuised by Barnabe Barnes. Barnes, Barnabe, 1569?-1609. 1606 (1606) STC 1468; ESTC S106957 238,357 234

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Proheme of his Hystories doth affirme Will teach vs what ought to be the principall scope of our desires and detestations This which summoneth all creatures of all countries and fashions as to a generall muster imitating his diuine prouidence which in heauenly iustice and bountie bestoweth vpon euerie man according to demerit all vertuous actions are eternized by the penne of Hystorie so farre doth it surpasse the sage counsels and golden sentences of our forefathers and former Philosophers as times continuance comprehendeth more examples than one mans age This is it which maketh young mens iudgements of parill ripenesse with old age grounding aged persons in the depth of wisedome to whome long experience hath alreadie ministered a dayly triall of causes It maketh priuate men fit for Empire and Emperours earnest in vertue for victories heartening souldiours to giue a courageous charge vpon perils for honour of their countries terrifying malefactors propagating Soueraignetie by good example deuising lawes inuenting arts preferring vertuous actions enfranchised from mortalitie declaring it selfe a memorable and perfect marble-register of misdeedes and generally beneuolent This is it which aged time onely nourisheth when it eateth vp all things besides this is the patterne of eloquence the true mirrour of Philosophie the garden of knowledge and hence is it that Aristotle in his Politickes writeth how the skill of actions and Histories of deedes done most import a Counsellor to learne because things future are like their parent which came before them vpon which all euents of actions commonly depend Hee therefore which in noble Hystorie shall contemplate and meditate vpon the life of a good Prince or Counsellor may find somewhat alwayes worth his own obseruation and practise according to that saying of Seneca Aliquis vir bonus elegendus est nobis ac semper ante oculos habendus vt sic viuamus tanquam illo spectanti omnia faciamus tanquam illo videnti We must propose some one good man for our patterne and alwayes looke vpon him with the eyes of our mind that wee may so liue as if hee were looking vpon vs and so deale as if all our actions were performed in his sight Let a souldiour liue fortie yeares in seruice great and of continuall commaund as great Alexander and Caius Caesar escape in many conflicts as Anniball and Cato receiue so many wounds as Scipio and Scaeua triumph in so many victories subuert so many cities deuise so many stratagemes consult vpon so many leagues and truces enterparley with so many princes spending the full glasse of his time during those yeeres in magnificent actions and noble consultations onely like Cirus Themistocles Epaminondas Cimon Fabius Pelopidas and infinite others auncient and late yet shall one moneths reading in Liuie Plutarch Diodorus Thucydides Polybius Xenophon Dion and some few more which haue eternally recorded all the memorable actions and vertues of them all open more vnto him without bloudshead if hee will studiously conferre and reasonably remember than euer the seruice of many more yeeres with the slaughters of Myriads of souldiors could expresse The knowledge of all persons the meaning of all matters the depth of all secrets is locked vp in Hystorie In it wee find that inestimable treasure of the Lawes by which Commonweales were first ordered and instituted in the sentences of sage and prudent men confirming societies in peace and magnifying them by vertues like Physicke which is an hystoricall commemoration or rapsodie of experiments made by Physitions of old by whose Aphorismes and Precepts our Physitions direct their iudgements and medicines it is a methodicall Schoole-master of humane life examplifying the fashions and natures of people a certaine experience of their actions a sound and prudent Counsellor in difficult affaires The cruelties and exceeding lust of Domitian and of Nero which may be read in Tacitus hath power to terrifie princes from those vices which are recorded of them when also they peruse the lamentable stories of Caligula that Fax fex hominum That fire-brand and filth of men When they reuolue the monstrous obscoenities of Heliogabalus who was amongst the people a Cannon by word scorne and obloquie when they shall looke into the leaues of Maximus his life than whom no man was a more cruell slaughter man of his countrey finding what horrible epethites denominations and attributes were worthely throwne or as it were spit into the blacke legend of his bloudie gouernment being called in diuers places Busyris Phalar is Typhon what better precedent can remaine in detestation of vice Contrariwise the blessed and peaceable reigne of Octauian the goodnesse and gracious condition of Traian of Pertinax of Titus and some others are vehement prouocations to confirme and encourage Princes in iustice and honestie For euen as women which curiously fashion and attire their heads and bodies by their glasse which representeth vnto them all vndecent and comely guizes will presently shew themselues abroad amongst the people finding their bodies by that myrrour pleasingly garnished so Princes by the like resemblance find in the glasse of hystories that which giueth spurs to their vertues and policie The case is lamentable and I haue many times with heauinesse thought it how few be the Chronologiers and Historians of our age how doubtfull and vnfaithfull much of their matter how fearefully and vainly seduced by misprizion and affection Sure I am that infinite actions remaine worthie the penne of hystories nay that which men write of their own princes and nation tendeth lesse to truth than vnto vaine-glorie but that which is written by men of forraine princes people such as Mercury Gallobelgicus falsely proclaimed in his Annales of the world is both vncertaine fallacious and strongly sauouring of malice blind zeale and partiall motions of the mind Whereas if men would faithfully search out by the true records and memorials of realmes and Commonweales the vertuous and vicious actions of princes and people how would it instigate and deterre the well and ill affected rulers and commons of the world to take hold and detestation of goodnes euill In reading of them therefore we must carefully quote the map of actions with the times places the causes executions and euents of things wherein some did prosper and others perish with the reasons why those were gracious and these vnwelcome If any glorious matter happened whether it came by chaunce or felicitie by vertue or good counsell what impediments in contrarie did cause it miscarry A Counsellor should also consider by this knowledge what alterations haue formerly beene as in the realmes of England Scotland Fraunce Ireland Spaine Denmarke Italy with other Nations what Families possessed the Crownes of them and by what titles and meanes how long what the causes of those mutations were how many of euery familie did reigne which of the princes was most religious valiant wise and fortunate which not how many battailes euery prince fought against whom at what time where and vpon what occasion what warres