Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	good_a	king_n	power_n	4,538	5	4.8909	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50572	The memoires of Sir James Melvil of Hal-hill containing an impartial account of the most remarkable affairs of state during the last age, not mention'd by other historians, more particularly relating to the kingdoms of England and Scotland, under the reigns of Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, and King James : in all which transactions the author was personally and publickly concern'd : now published from the original manuscript / by George Scott, Gent.	Melville, James, Sir, 1535-1617.; Scot, George, d. 1685.	1683 (1683)	Wing M1654; ESTC R201	279,416	250

Kings of Scotland were never rich since they left the High-lands and the Isles to dwell in the Low-lands For since that their Rents have been diminished and their superfluous expences increased at the unruly example of other neighbour Nations Then your Majesties Parks would be put to profit and replenished which will be found a necessary help to the keeping of your House The rest of your store Grounds lying in the far South parts are in such hands as it is not fit medle with them yet but some yearly number of Weathers will be easily granted by them who possess presently the said store grounds Also the forbidden Goods that go yearly out of Scotland if they were stayed and taken according to Acts of Parliament would be very profitable The best means to bring these good purposes to pass is a Princely Prudent and Gracious Government Which is easiest brought to pass when the Prince corrects himself before he correct his Subjects For they will be soon subdued to his Will when they see the same made subject unto Reason For being subject unto Reason the Prince hath conquered himself the readiest means to conquer the hearts of all his Subjects Their hearts being conquered the Country is easily conquered The Country being conquered the Prince may Plant and Establish good order there at his pleasure Theopompus being demanded what way a King might best rule his Realm Answered In giving liberty to those who love to tell him the truth The Senate of Rome writing unto Trajan excuseth Princes to be negligent in many things not so much for that they have not desire to foresee as because few or none dare warn them of the truth and says moreover That it belongs to good Princes rather to have regard to the benefit of their Country then to the delights of their Person and rather to follow such Exercises as will increase their Reputation then only to be taken up with their Pastime that they should be sparing in Speeches and prodigal in Deeds Plutarch saith to the same Trajan If thy Government answer not the expectation of thy People thou must necessarily be subject to many dangers He said further That Princes should Rule well if they be thankful to the great God and if they should be patient in chances of fortune and diligent in Execution careful of their Affairs in dangers mild to the people tractable to strangers not covetous of riches nor lovers of their own opinions and desires For then the burthen of their Office will be easie unto them As God is the Ruler and Spirit of the World so ought Princes to Rule and be the Spirit of their Country The Heaven the Earth the Sea and all the Elements obey God's Ordinance by the strength of his continual Motion and Providence so should the Prince who is God's place-holder by continual Care Providence and Motion cause every Lieutenant Minister Magistrate Judge Officer and Sheriffs to keep their due course in their Vocation For the which effect it may please your Majesty to consider the nature and wrong kind of Scottish Government by a continual long corrupted Custom Scotland is indeed Hereditary and a Monarchy yet among all other Monarchical Kingdoms it is oftest out of Tune by the sloth and carelesness of Princes the unruliness and sturdiness of the Subjects and the great number of the Nobility as also by reason of the great cumbersom Clanns so ready to concur together and to Rebell for the defence of any of their name or to revenge the just Execution of some of them for Murther Slaughter Theft or such other Crimes For our King wanting hired Soldiers remaining in Garisons as other Monarchs have may not at all occasions punish and redress such wrongs and disorders except they have by Wisdom and Vertue conquered their own passions opinions and desires and by the same means ravished the hearts of the most and best part of the Subjects to assist them with heart and hand to suppress the Rebels and to punish the offenders Such Kings again as endeavour to command absolutely not caring for the hearts of their Subjects their Proclamations may well be outwardly obeyed with their Bodies but they will never help the Prince in time of need save only to help to ruine him There is nothing more dangerous for a Scots King that hath not the love of his Subjects then when a great number are Convened together For at such times they use to take sudden consultations to put order to the Prince and his familiar Minions Of these two sort of Kings the first is more then a Monarch and the last less then Elective Of the first in Scotland too few have Reign'd and of the last too many Which is the cause that the Country is not conquered to the lawful King Which is also the cause that the corrupt Customs and Disorders have lasted so long and are not to be remedied until it please God to send three such Kings as I have named of the best sort granting them long life each one to succeed after other I pray God grant that your Majesty be the first of the three But it appears your Majesty is not well advised while you are creating more Noblemen making them thereby the stronger whereas divers other Princes endeavour to make them lower and fewer By reason of the old Emulation which hath lasted between the Kings of Scotland and their Nobility the Kings to Command absolutely as Sovereign Monarchs the Nobles to withstand their absolute power sometime by secret and indirect means and oft-times by plain resistance and force Hence but few Wise Vertuous and Potent Kings or Sovereign Monarchs who have obtained the Mastery whereas there have been many careless slothful and simple Princes that have Ruled by wicked Councellors and have commonly been brought to ignominious ends The good and worthy Prince took upon him more or less absolute Power and Authority as he found himself able by Assistance Substance and Alliance or as he found his Nobility feeble foolish and divided England believes it self to be in the better Estate by shedding the blood of their Nobility and debarring them from the Council and handling of the Princes Affairs Scotland contrariwise by sparing the blood of the Nobility and Barons and by making them partakers of Honours and Offices For the way of taking the life of a Nobleman or Baron breeds an hundred Enemies more or less according to the greatness of the Clan or Surname Of which some will lye at wait to be revenged albeit long after as they can find their opportunity For the Nobility being so numerous by long evil custom they esteem themselves to be born Councellors And yet will not remain at Court nor upon the Council unless it be at Conventions or for some particular profit And if the Prince intend to Rule without them they use to make sudden enterprises against him and his familiars with the which Tragedies the Chronicles are filled Then after such a violent

He therefore desired us to sit down and advise how he might best put remedy to things by-past and prevent such inconveniencies in time coming seeing he had determined hereafter to repose most upon our Council Our answer to His Majesty was That we had great reason to render His Majesty most humble thanks for the favourable opinion he entertained of us which we should endeavour to deserve and were very sorry for the displeasure His Majesty had taken praying His Majesty to take patience seeing that as he had always reposed upon God and not Man that the same God would mend his Estate as he had oft-times done before That our care should be presently how to receive the Queen honourably who was upon the Sea we daily looking for her landing and next how to treat and reward the Noblemen of Denmark Her Majesties Convey That being done and they returned back to their Country it would be best time to take order with the Affairs of the Kingdom conform to His Majesty's desire with the concurrence of so many of the Council as His Majesty had found most faithful and least factious But we did not think fit to take upon us the whole burthen in respect that hath been always the chief cause of the wrack of Scots Kings especially of all His Majesty's own troubles in laying the whole burthen of his Affairs upon any one or two who most commonly for greediness and ambition abuse good Princes and few or none dare controul them for fear of their great Authority and Credit The Chancellour being advertised of His Majesty's discontent and displeasure as said is made preparation to go off the Country and caused it come to His Majesty's Ears that he would Sail himself and bring home the Queen with him And that they were all but Triflers who were with her He forgot not to Anoint the hands of some who were most familiar with His Majesty to interpret this his design so favourably that it made the King forget all by-gones and by little and little he informed him so well of the said Voyage and the great charges he had bestowed upon a fair and swift sailing Ship that His Majesty was moved to take the Voyage himself and to sail in the same Ship with the Chancellour with great secrecy and short preparation making no Man privy thereto but such as the Chancellour pleased and such as formerly had all been upon his Faction He had also heard an incling of a word That His Majesty in the time of his high displeasure had said That he would lay the burthen of his Affairs upon my Brother and me whereat he had a great envy and despight and was the cause why His Majesty made me not privy to his Voyage He was very discontent when His Majesty had appointed my said Brother Robert to be left Vice-Chancellour and Convene the Council in His Majesty's absence to hold hand with the Duke of Lennox my Lord Hamiltoun Bothwel and other Noblemen with the Officers of the Crown and to Rule the Country in His Majesty's absence Three other Ships sailed with His Majesty wherein was the Justice Clerk Carmichal the Provost of Lincludin Sir William Kieth George Hume Iames Sandiland with all His Majesty's Ordinary Servants The weather was rough enough for it was in the beginning of Winter But the last day was so extream stormy that they were all in great hazard but His Majesty landed that same night at in Norway where the Queen was abiding the turning of the Wind and where he accomplished his marriage in person But he could not be perswaded to return to Scotland that Wiuter by reason of the raging Seas and storm he had sustained a little before The Queen and Council of Denmark being advertised that His Majesty was resolved to abide all that Winter sent and requested him to come to Denmark Whither he went by Land with the Queen his new bride and behaved himself honourably and liberally by the way and at the Court of Denmark where he tarried during his abode there But the Company who were with His Majesty put him to great trouble to agree their continual janglings strife pride and partialities The Earl of Marshal by reason that he was an ancient Earl and had been employed in this honourable Commission thought to have the first place next unto His Majesty so long as he was there The Chancellour by reason of his Office would needs have the preheminence There were also contentions betwixt him and the Justice Clark The Constable of Dundie and my Lord Dingwal could not agree about place George Hume did quietly shoot out William Kieth from his Office of Master of the Wardrobe At length they were all divided into two Factions The one for the Earl of Marshal the other for the Chancellour who was the stronger because the King took his part So that the Chancellour triumphed and being yet in Denmark devised many Reformations to be made and new Forms and Customs to be set forward at His Majesty's return As to have no Privy Council but the Exchequer and the Nobility to be debarred from it Sundry of the Lords of the Session to be put out who he judged had no dependence upon him and others his Creatures put in their room He caused a Proclamation to be pen'd which was sent home to be proclaim'd before His Majesty's return That none of the Nobility should come to Court not being sent for and then to bring with them six persons and no more Likewise every Baron to bring but four Likewise he resolved to cause Ward such as had been unruly and disobedient during His Majesty's absence as the Earl Bothwel the Lord Hume and divers Borderers and Highland Men. The next Spring His Majesty came home and Landed at Lieth well accompanied with the Admiral of Denmark and divers of the Council and many other Gentlemen All whom His Majesty treated honourably and after the Queens Coronation they were magnificently rewarded with more then twelve Golden Chains and many Medals of Gold with His Majesties Picture His Majesty at his landing was pleased to send to me to bear them company which I did until their parting to His Majesty's great contentment In the mean time the Earl of Worcester was sent Ambassadour from England to Welcome and Congratulate both their Majesties with some Presents unto the Queens Majesty Upon whom I was commanded by His Majesty to attend diligently all the time of his being here and at his parting he was presented with a Ring of seven great Diamonds He parted well satisfied and so did all his Company His Majesty was pleased at leasure to declare unto me his whole Voyage and proceedings during his absence He said that he wished that I had been sent alone Ambassadour to Denmark in place of the Earl of Marshal and the two who were joined with him he was so ill informed of the said Earl I answered That I understood that the Earl for his part had behaved himself