others which the Stoicks would euerie wise man should want saying it is the imperfection of a base minde yeelding to the nature of other mens offences and therefore such may be resembled to foolish women that would haue theeues deliuered because they see them shed teares in prison Moreouer the Stoicks affirme that mercy ought to respect the cause and not the fortune wherein clemency is vsed for that proceedeth of reason the other should be eschewed But omitting their opinions we will that our Senator shalbe indued with clemency mercie imploying them in all things that are honest and iust Furthermore as the societie of men is preserued by those good gifts which proceed from a iust sincere and mercifull minde so ought it also be assisted with externall furniture of fortune as riches possessions and mony sith therby aswell our owne as other mens liues by giuing and taking are maintained Also whatsoeuer nature hath made for the commoditie of man It willeth that the same should be common for all men yet not so that each man should haue therein property but that by imparting giuing and lending it should so much as reason requireth be made common Of which coniunction of mindes necessities amities and inward good will should grow This vertue whereby we are perswaded to giue and supply the necessities of other men is called liberalitie because it is a thing worthy a free man and requireth a free minde But for that there are diuerse degrees of mens societie whereof some ought be preserued before others the offices of liberalitie shalbe obserued if we become most liberall and beneficiall to those that are to vs nearest and most deare wherein the order of nature is to be followed preferring our parents children and kindred before others and our friendes before men vnknowne And likewise our countreymen before strangers In liberalitie heede must be taken that we giue not more then our powre suffereth nor lesse then the office of dignitie and humanitie requireth For those that haue no staie in giuing are prodigall and they that giue nothing be called nigardly and miserable which vices who so desireth to eschew for all vices are indeed to be eschewed let him looke to whom he giueth when how what in what place and time For to giue vnto him that hath inough vnlesse ye beleeue he needeth more then he hath or doe it to shew magnificence by so doing liberalitie is abused We must therefore know what is fit to be giuen to each man for it were vnfit to giue a targat vnto a priest a booke to a soldier a gowne to a ploughman We ought therefore to giue first things necessary then things profitable and lastly things pleasant and durable For necessitie profit are the causes of giuing In giuing chiefe respect must be had to honestie to the ende we abuse not the office of liberalitie by giuing euill things or to euill persons For benefits euill bestowed are as Ennius thinketh reputed euill deeds sith as men commonly say he that giueth to a person worthy receiueth a benefit Some men become liberall moued thereto by a certaine furie of minde whose gifts doe merit no praise because they are not giuen as they ought be deliberatly and with iudgement Such gifts are commonly bestowed by vaine and vnaduised persons These customes are therefore to be eschewed in liberalitie and the other to be obserued There is no vertue that winneth the good will of men more then this For through it we relieue others and make proofe of our owne liberall iust and well disposed minde To be liberall what is it else then to imitate God For as he is liberall towards vs so we should be liberall to others We must moreouer be warie least our liberall deeds be not performed with the spoyle of other men for that liberalitie which is done to harme other is greatly vniust We must therfore giue of such goods which are iustly gotten by our owne or others industrie and chiefly to those that by our giuing shalbe the better eyther in studie of liberall sciences or in the discipline of warre which are things most profitable to commonweale Among many errors which men commit those are most perilous whereby we are so blinded as we neither know how to giue no of whome to receiue a benefite Therefore difference of men is to be made also the manners disposition of each man towards vs with his worthines ought to be wayed for nothing is done liberally but that which is done iustly Neither is the office of liberalitie exercised only by money for some are helped with the presence of friēds others with credit others with fauor others with counsell others with authoritie others with labour and such like which kind of benefits are most honourable fit for a coūsellor for the one cōmeth from the cofers of the liberall man the other frō his vertue which cānot be exhausted or diminished Amōg many other vertues in Scipio Africanus this is not the least that he neuer returned home but before his returne he made some one or other man beholding vnto him The Sonne of Titus Vespatianus was wont to say that the day wherin he bestowed no benefit was time vtterly lost It is also the office of a liberall man to acquite a benefit with more abundance then it was receiued In giuing these two precepts must be obserued to forget the benefit we giue and remember well that we haue receiued for the commemoration of a good turne receiued is a kinde of exprobation and a minde vnthankefull is odious both to God and men We must also in giuing not be miserable as though we were both vnwilling orsory to giue but doe it willingly and with a franke minde for be it money or other thing whatsoeuer is giuen the same is not to be called the benefit but the signe of the benefactors minde Neither shalt thou obserue what but how willingly it is giuen for liberalitie is measured chieflie by the will of the giuer and therefore a certaine man receiuing a benefit of an other that gaue it vnwillingly called that gift a loafe made of stones Next liberalitie Magnificence followeth which vertue consisteth in greate expences and giftes differing from liberalitie in this onely that the one is employed in small and meane giftes and the other in great Magnificent men were wont to shew their vertue in building Churches erecting cities townes villages and doing all things wherby eyther God might be honoured or their owne good same encreased In which actions comelines must be obserued and respect must also be had to the person place time and matter wherein the magnificent charge is bestowed For it were folly for him to seeme magnificent that wanteth both powre and iudgement to performe great matters Let him also beware of that which is commonly said that each mans coat must be cut according to the quātity of his cloath And albeit that parcimonie
rest in men of such vertue and thinketh it a thing honest and iust to obey them Among all sortes of men there is not any so wise and of such perfect and absolute vertue as is the Senator because all others eyther through want of yeares lacke of experience or inconstancie are for the most parte withdrawen from the best course of life but a Counsellor is not by any affections troubled by appetites transported nor by youth inueigled but by reason gouerned by Counsell directed and by agâ— made perfect Counsellors also in respect of their capacities reason Counsell iudgement and ripenes may be called Senators because in them all youthfull appetites and furies be decayed and the force of reason increased which being growen to perfection in men doth make them like vnto Gods Furthermore for somuch as there are as the Philosophers affirme in all things three degrees Great Small and Indifferent that is thought most perfect which doth participate of eyther So the Senator being as it were a meane betwixt the king and people may the better finde the perfection of all things and consider what are the offices of Kinges and what the dutie of people with the right liberties and lawes apperteyning to eyther least the people for want of good gouernment do coueâ— immoderate liberty or the King lacking aduise doe fall into tyrâ—nâ—y It behoueth the Counsellor to be of high wisedome great vnderstanding and much experience endeuouring himselfe to â—e carefull and vigilant for the well doing quiet and happinesse of all the commonweale which ought be the study of him that is of high capacity and supernaturall vnderstanding Scipio saith that as the ende of the Saylors endeuour is good passage the Physitions trauell tendeth to health and the captaynes labour to victorie so the happy life of subiectes their wealth their glory and vertue ought to be the endeuour of our Counsellor and from him as one amongst the rest of most singularity and perfection the same proceedeth We shall now therfore discourse what foundation of great wisedome hath and what exercises knowledge and vertue ought to be in a Counsellor which being knowen the waies and degrees wherby he may attayne to so excellent qualities shall be the more easie For as much as the foundation and roote of euery commonweale is the inhabitants thereof we will first aboue all thinges determine that our Councellor shall be naturally borne within that state where he gouerneth Because that birth and being doth not onely binde him but also leade him to beleeue it is honourable iust and necessary to spend his blood in defence of his country for the onely loue which men doe beare vnto their country doth exceede all other pietie And how is it possible that any man should not loue that country wherein he hath his parentes his children his neighbours and friends and that which hath freely giuen him life name and honour with euery other thing requirable eyther for delight or necessity Surely Nature hath so deepely and firmely planted in the mindes of men the loue to their country as neuer any good subiect did feare at necessary occasions to aduenture his life Yea we haue found the force therof to haue beene such as euen the wicked and most vnnaturall subiectes attempting the subuertion of their country at the onely sight of their naturall soyle haue stayed their handes from performing so wicked an enterprise Did not Veturia disswade her sonne Martius beseging Rome only by reducing to his memory the loue he ought to haue vnto his naturall country calling him impious and audacious for daring to disturbe that Citie wherein he was begotten and bred forgetting that within the walls thereof his mother wife children famelie and friendes liued Greate was the loue of Veturia towardes her country and no lesse was the pietie of Martius in pardoning his country which through the crueltie of the Tribunes at that time persecuting the Nobilitie had beene to him vnthankefull Sertorius in like manner desired Pompeius and Metellus to procure his reuocation saying he desired rather to be called an obscure Citizen of Rome then else where an Emperour Therfore Ouidius Naso the Poet saith truely Nescio qua natale solum dulcedine cunctos Ducit immemores non sinit esse sui Great is the obligation which bindeth vs to our country whereunto our goods and persons are as it were impawned Pythagoras as Plato saith beeing asked in what sorte a man shoulde be vngratefull to to country answered as to his mother because all iniuries are to be pardoned for our countries sake neyther is there anye offence so greate which the loue of our country ought not delaye and diminish Let our Councellor therefore be a subiect naturally borne sith no man of forraine birth ought be preferred to that dignitie because the Councell of strangers is accounted suspicious perilous and dangerous The Athenians therefore did not onely seclude all strangers from their Councels but also suffered them not to dwell within their Citie leaste by such meanes they might aspyre vnto the magistracie and induce the Citizens mindes to innouation whereby change of lawes customes manners and seditions might growe Which manner of proceeding we see the Venetians haue carefully obserued For among them greate heede is taken least anye vnder false tide shoulde intrude himselfe into that number which is capable of the gouerment Whereby all forenners and strangers bee vtterly excluded But happelye it may seeme considerable who those are which ought be called Citizens This worde Citizen hath beene aswell among Phylosophers as lawe-makers diuerselye defined Some haue called the whole number of Inhabitantes by the name of Citizens Others onely those that are descended of Noble and free Citizens Others haue called them Citizens who haue one of their parentes free borne within the Citie And some woulde that the Citizen shoulde fetch his Pedigree from his ancient grandfathers Some doe also thinke that strangers receiued into the societie of Citizens and naturallized shoulde be called Citizens Aristotle doth call them by the name of Citizens that are capable of the offices in the state and are descended of free and honest parentage Surelye the opinion of euerye of these touching the name of Citizen is not to be thought strange seeing that custome and lawe doth in euerye place giue direction what is to be done framing their reasons according to the qualitie of the state wherein they liue In popular states all they are commonly called Citizens that doe inhabite the Citie aswell poore as rich bad as good wise as learned not beeing bonde men for euerye one is capable of the gouernmente and liue all in one equalitie Of this nature was the Athenian commonweale so long as it was popularlye gouerned and in our dayes the Cantons of Switserlande doe obserue the same customes Diuers other cities in Germanie are called free where the inhabitantes doe liue popularly secluded from gentlemen noble citizens
that all occasions of ciuill discention and subuersion are remooued Of good commonweales let this we haue sayde suffice and consider what are those thinges that doe chiefly make them perfect and happie In euery good and perfect commonweale three thinges are specially required that is to say Magistrates lawes and ciuill discipline for without these no Citie nor societie of men coulde euer be preserued The office of Magistrates is to rule and commaund the people to doe those thinges that be iust profitable and agreeable to lawe and reason Cicero no lesse learnedly then eloquently saith that as the lawes gouerne the Magistrates so the Magistrates ought to gouerne the people and the Magistrate may be iustly called the liuing lawe and the lawe a dombe Magistrate Hee therefore in all commonweales is of greate necessitie for without his wisedome councell fidelitie and discretion no state can stande nor be gouerned whereof also the state and order of euerye commonweale may be knowen As the shippe in tempestious seas is endangered and many time drowned vnlesse by the labour and industrie of the mariners it be saued So the commonweale tormented with tempest of seditions and discord must perish if through the diligence and wisedome of the Magistrates it be not preserued Or as mans bodie is ruled by reason so euery Citie and societie of men must of necessitie containe a soule which is the lawe to be thereby gouerned and that lawe proceedeth from the reason councell and iudgement of wise men For where no lawes nor Magistrates are there no God no men nor no society can be continued The true law of man is reason which wisemen doe giue vnto themselues others receiue from the Magistrates perswading them to eschue things forbidden by law no lesse then if the same were contrary to reason They therfore that in wisdom discretion do excell others are as is aforesaid made of golden or siluer nature because they can deserue best of mans society are to be aboue others aduanced For as Cities well walled and fortefied are thereby defended from the fury of enemies So tranquilitie and happie life is by the councell of wise men preserued Therfore it behooueth them first to be indued with such vertues as may make the commonweale happy then that they be affectionate to the state and liue therein contented to the ende they attempt no innouation and lastly that they be authorised to execute those thinges which they thinke profitable for the commonweale For so shall they commaund with more reputation and the subiectes more willingly obey them Surely whosoeuer shall without indignitie aspyre to the place of supreme gouerment hath neede to vse great art and singular wisedome For such a one is to gouerne not one onely house not one onely famely not one onely wife not one onely rase of children but the commonweale deuided into infinite and contrarie humors of men which by his wisedome must be reduced to one consent equality and concord Moreouer for somuch as in commonweales there are three degrees of magistrates among whom the king holdeth the most supreame place next vnto him is the Senate and the third is distributed to the people what profit may be reaped of euery of them let vs now consider The kinges authority contayneth great vertue high vnderstanding and diuine wisedome for as God is prince of the vniuersall world so is the King Lord of the whole commonweale It behooueth him therefore to gouerne iustlie and godlie because in the commonweale he is accounted the Lieuetenant of God For the Councell wisedome and knowledge of kinges is not their owne but giuen them of God Also for somuch as no king can with his diligence and onely wisedome equally gouerne the whole state for it is rather the vertue of God then man exactlye to know all thinges apperteyning to good gouerment they haue therfore vsed to call vnto their assistance some wise men whereby the common-weale might be the better gouerned Those men beeing as a meane betwixt the king and the people doe on the one side know the office of the king and on the other what are the customes and lawes belonging to the people thereof conceiuing what ought be done for preseruation of the kinges honour and what apperteyneth to the profitt of the commonweale people We thereof inferre that these magistrates or councellors are of all other most able to stand the coÌ„monweale in stead The king being but one onely man cannot looke vnto all thinges and sometimes it happeneth that eyther by giuing liberty to his appetites or yeelding to his affections hee is seduced from true reason and the ignorant multitude being as they say without head or discretion cannot be capable of that knowledge Yet the Senate being chosen and made of vertuous wise and expert men may from their place as from a watch-tower looke about and prouide thinges needefull for the state preuenting all seditions tumultes and perils that can be attempted which is the respect there is not skantlie any commonweale which vseth not to commit eyther the whole or the greatest charge of gouernment to the Senate For albeit they were indeede called Kings who first assembled the habitation of men into Cities liuing before sauagely dispersed in woods and fieldes yet with that course of gouernment the kings could not alone retayne them in obedience Neyther did the authority and wisdome of one Prince suffise when the mindes of men were reduced to ciuilitie and their wonted bestialitie reiected It therefore behoued kings to be accompanied with the Councell of wisemen to the ende the commoweale might be the better gouerned which we reade was done by Romulus For he supposing that the gouernment of one without aduise of Counsell would proue eyther perilous odious or without grauitie did call vnto his assistance a hundreth Senators whome eyther in respect of their age or wisedome he named Fathers The like was done by Theopompus king of Sparta who appoynted the Ephorâ— giuing them great authoritie in the state whereat his wife offended and saying that he â—ad thereby diminished the power of his posteritie in that kingdome answered that it was enlarged and strengthened being perswaded that thorough Counsell and authoritie of the Senate the state wold be exceedingly encreased and inforced Whereby it appeareth that the aduice of Counsellors were from the beginning by kings embraced and all men haue thought those resolutions to be most firme and assured which were by Councell and wisedome of the Senate digested I call that a Senate which is the chiefe magistracie appoynted to giue Counsell and gouerne the state And consequently the Senator is a man lawfully elected into the number authorised to counsell gouerne the commonweale It hath therefore alwaies beene that the order of Counsellors was framed of the most discreet wise and noble sort of subiectesâ— because there is not any society of men so barbarous but desireth the gouernment should
In Monarchies Aristocraties those are named Citizens that liue according to vertue And in the one onely good and vertuous men doe exercise the gouerment and in the other one alone for bounty excelling the rest doth commaund all who eyther a regendo or recte agendo is called Rex Those people which are naturally slaues or wicked doe for the most part obey Tyrants and that gouerment is called Imperium despoticum because they gouerne by will without lawe Such people are seruile barbarous and without vertue or honour Yet are not they to be accounted slaues that be oppressed with power ambition and couetousnesse of Tyrants if that therwith they be not base minded and vitious For we may read of many such that haue reuenged the seruitude both of their owne persons and of their country by sleying or expelling the Tyrants or not being able so to doe haue chosen rather to loose their liues then their liberty as in Rome Brutus Cato and many other had done In an Oligarchia because men are chiefly respected for their riches they who are most welthy will onely be reputed Citizens which kinde of men ought be holden dishonourable because they are carelesse of all vertue and studie for nothing else then how to become rich by what meane soeuer to the ende that not as wise and vertuous but as rich men they may aspyre to the offices and honours in the commonweale Among the Romaines there were diuers kindes of Citizens for some were called Municipes some Colâ—â—i and some Latini euery one retayning those conditions that were granted them by the people of Rome some were free some confederate and some stipendarie Some were made Citizens pleno iure which was by consent of voyces and they were capable of all honours or Iure honorario which were they that were onely admitted into the Citie without suffrage and for honours sake called Citizens as were the Company and Equiti Hee was also accounted a Citizen of Rome whose name was written in the Censors booke and was an householder in Rome By these thinges we haue sayde it appeareth that in all commonweales those are properly called Citizens that in their Citie haue right to beare office and giue suffrage in the state which priueledge who so wanteth is rather to be called an Inhabitante or Clyant then a Citizen In other thinges requisite to the perefction of a Citizen as vertue naturall byrth riches and Nobilitie the custome and lawe of euery state is to â—e obserued Of all these we will onely allowe of two sortes the one Noble the other plebeiall For euery Citie consisteth of the people and the multitude within the name of people as Caius the Doctor writeth all principall Citizens Noblemen Senators and Gentlemen are conteyned The worde plebeiall includeth the rest of the inhabitants and others that haue beeing within the state So as the one sort ought be called Citizens properly and the other so termed by imitation and courtesie But our Councellor shall be of the number of noble and free Citizens A noble Citizen taketh his title of that nobilitie which hath the originall of vertue which is partlie his owne and partlie as ornified and increased by the vertues and riches of his ancestors They therefore that aswell by their owne as their ancestors vertue be made noble are to be preferred honoured and reuerenced before others because of good parents good children are begotten as the Poet saith Fortes fortibus creantur bonis Est in iumentis est in equis patruÌ„ Virtus neâ— imbellet feroces Progenerant â—qâ—ilaeâ—o â—â—mbam To the perfection of a Noble Citizen as Aristotle saith three thinges are chiefely required good parentage riches and vertue Who so possesseth all those wanteth nothing appertayning to true and perfect nobilitie and such men were euer wonte to be called most Noble Citizens But because it seldome happeneth that one man can be owner of them all vertue alone doth chalenge as her right power to make men noble Touching riches and honour of ancestors as they doe ornifie Nobilitie so doe they greatly disgrace the beautie thereof in those that liue not vertuouslye For such men doe make the name of their ancestors obscure and through the vices of their posteritie they become vtterly vnknowne It is therefore better as Tullius saith to be noble by a mans owne vertue then by the opinion conceiued of his ancestors because the beginner of Nobilitie is most praise worthy Who so is descended from Noble parentes doth deferne vndoubtedly to be commended and honoured so that he doth endeuour himselfe to equall or excell the glorious actes and vertue of his ancestors And who would not greatly commend them for so doing declaring themselues thereby thankefull towardes their ancestors by not burying the faâ—e of the dead and increasing the same by their owne vertue yet liuing The lawe of the Rhodians seemeth commendable for therby it was enacted that those sonnes which followed not their fathers vertue but liued vitiously should be disinherited and their laâ—des giuen to the most vertuous of that rase not admitting any impious heire whatsoeuer It is an office of our fâ—ith and pietie to leaue vnto the posteritie of men a declaration howe mindfull and thankefull we are towardes our ancestors whose heirs we are not onely of their worldly goods but of their vertue glorie faith religion which is the true inheritance and may indeed be called the true possessions For it is not a Hall painted full of proude Armes or badges but vertue which maketh a man Noble As â—uuenall saith Tota licet veteres exornent vndique cerae Atria nobilitas solaâ—stâ—â— que vnica virtus For wheresoeuer vertue abideth in all estates the same is more praise worthy then fortune because it refuseth no man but may be by euery one embraced Cleantes was a poore water drawer and vertue found not Plato â—â—oble man but made him noble We câ—â—ld also tell that of diuers bond-men kinges haue beene descended and of kinges ofâ— spring some haue become bond-men such variety long tract of time bringeth and fortune turneth all thinges vpside downe Was not Agâ—thocles from a potter aduanced to be a king what was Romulus Tullius Hostilius Tarquinius Prâ—sâ—uâ— and all the progeny of Romanes wherof Iuuenall writeth thus Et tamen vt longe repetâ—â— longè que reuoluas Nomen ab infami gentem dedu cis Asylâ— Who is therfore a Gentleman he that by nature is made vertuous If any goodnes be in nobilitie it is as Boetius thinketh a certaine necessity imposed vppon Gentlemen that they should not degenerate from their ancestors Moreouer as the exercise of our qualities and actions are diuers so are the degrees of Nobility proceeding of vertue likewise diuers The Nobility of priuate men and all such as liue in contemplation may be called Philosophicall nobilitie but the same in those that eyther gaine glory by counselling the commonweale
men refused to haue any made of him saying he had rather men should aske why he had none then why he stood there For the honour due to vertue ought be perpetuall and euerlasting not fading or subiect to ruine Of three hundreth portractures set vp for king Demetrius not one was by time decayed nor by negligence defaced but in his owne life they were all turned vpside downe Yet a counsellor ought to desire glory as the most notable reward of vertue And he is in glory most excellent that passeth all others in vertue Thesius asked of the Gods three things that is good fortune want of inward sorrow and such glory as was neither false counterfeite nor fained Who so seeketh glorie for vertue and noble acts doth not commit any thing dishonourable eyther towards himselfe or others because he measureth his fame and dignitie by vertue and iudgement It is the propertie of men well borne and liberally brought vp to desire the good report of his countrey strangers friends and leaue good fame to his posteritie by consent of all honest people All men therefore but chiefly Counsellors must take heede least they make any euill impression to deface their good name or fame for seldome eyther in time present or age to come by vertue of posteritie it can be cancelled For time speaketh and fame is neuer silent also libertie of tongue remaineth to thinke and pronounce the sayings and actions of other men Moreouer we onely doe not reape the fruite of good fame but our neighbours friends and children are thereof partakers in so much as all people and their posteritie doe commend vs admyring our liues and extolling the time wherein we liued the commonweale where we gouerned and the lawes by vs ordained In our owne life time it behooueth vs to doe the like least vertue faith and religion doe seeme in vs altered and extinguished or that our posteritie should imagine that we did degenerate from the vertue of our ancestors or willingly reiected their precepts Fame is the ground of perpetuall commendation therefore let each man eschewe vice with the danger of disestimation for the losse of Fame and fidelitie are greater disaduentures then can be imagined It was prouided by lawe that no wan of corrupt fame should be chosen a Senator of Rome And he was holden of corrupt fame that had beene condemned for a diser a deceiuer of others a theese an vniust man a false performer of testaments a lyar an hereticke a banished man or knowne guiltie of any other enormitie whereby good fame was bleamished In Athens there was an order that the life of euery Senator before his creation should be examined Also Solon prouided by lawe that no man misliked of honest men or noted of dishonestie should be admitted a Senator Which kinde of men we also disalowe iudging them not onely vnfit for the place of Counsellors but also vnworthie the name of men Therefore the whole life of our Counsellor must be referred to vertue and honestie for of them all true glorie fame praise renowne and dignitie groweth Moreouer the vse of friends and neighbous doth greatly beautifie the honour of Counsellors sith they doe not onely make mans life happie but also comfortable For it is a singuler pleasure to cōmunicate our affaires with friends vsing their fidelitie and both in priuate publique buisines to be helped with their aide and assistance Alexander being asked where he would haue his treasure preserued answered amōg his friends because he thought good will to be the owner both of his and other mens riches Also to such a Counsellor as is desirous of posteritie a number of good and honest children are an inlargement of felicitie For men haue no treceiued from God any benefite so great as is ofspring and discent of children whereby we enioy immortall and eternall increase of life Bercilidas a chieftaine or gouernour in Sparta sitting at meate did forbid that the yonger sort should doe him reuerence reprouing himselfe of barrennesse because he had not begotten any children to doe them the like honour when they were olde In Rome the custome was that they who had furnished the commonweale with children should be after exempted from the payment of taxes and in token thereof those men were called Proletarij But let vs now speake of riches the possession wherof is for a Counsellor of singuler necessitie for money is not onely needed in priuate but also in publique affaires and without it he cannot performe any notable or vertuous action Maiestie without force is slenderly assured and wisedom without authoritie must yeeld to folly The opinion of Plato is that the gouernours of Cities should be neyther ouer rich nor ouer poore for the one doth make them cowardly slouthfull subiect to pleasures and desirous of nouelties the other maketh them silly weake and rusticall Therefore the wealth fit for a Counsellor should be sufficient for his degree and gotten without reproch Aristotle produceth two meanes of gaining riches whereof the one is according to nature and honestie the other against nature and dishonest The naturall meanes of getting is by agriculture hunting fishing fowling and such like which containe not in them any deceiptfull permutation Agriculture as Cicero affirmeth is of all other things the best the most profitable most pleasing and most worthie a free man Cato being asked by what meanes a man might soone become rich answered by feeding of cattell and being asked the second time said by well and fat feeding Whereby he seemed to thinke that riches gotten by tillage and nourishing beastes was of all other the most honest When the Romaines would commend any man they vsed to call him a good man and a good husband in so much as the Senators themselues liued in the countrey and at occasions were by pursuiuants called to the Citie Lutius Quintius Cincinnatus diuerse other notable men were called from the countrey to be made Dictators But it is to be thought that their dwelling the villages was rather for solace and recreation then for a-any necessitie wherein they liued Gaines against nature are all kind of craftes for lucre merchandise and vsurie because men doe therby seeke dishonest profit and be therein onely occupied Cato being asked what he thought of vsurie answered What is it to kill a man A Senator therefore must in no wise meddle with any dishonest gaine he must also auoide all base and fowle trauelingetting his riches for by such exercises the honour of a Counsellor is defiled It was therfore prouided in Rome that no Senator should be owner of any ship containing 300. Amphore because immoderate gaines was not in the noble men allowed Also it must needs be that those that binde themselues prentice to bace and soule gaines will not thinke vpon honest matters and be carefull of the commonweale therefore such Senators were deposed from the Romaine Senate All honest riches do seeme to consist in money