Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	good_a	king_n	subject_n	2,457	5	6.6055	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00232	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..; República y policía christiana. English. 1632	Juan de Santa María, fray, d. 1622.; Blount, Edward, fl. 1588-1632.; Mabbe, James, 1572-1642?	1632 (1632)	STC 14830.7; ESTC S1255	347,168	505

the Camera shall haue propounded the same and deliuered their opinions in the presence of their King And questionlesse they that by this meanes should be prouided for would esteeme in more and treat with more punctuality and truth the things appertaining to his Office considering that the King himselfe taketh particular knowledge of them For as we said before it is very meete and conuenient that Kings should know and communicate with if not all yet at least those who are to be placed in your greater kinde of Offices and dignities And amongst all other businesses this is that which with most reason doth require the Kings eyes and presence his remembrance and mature Counsaile For such are the Citizens as are their Gouernours and the Parishioners as their Pastors And though this perhaps cannot be performed so punctually and precisely as were to be wished yet at least it will be needfull that those persons of whom they take testimonie and receiue information in so graue and weighty a busines should be of that prudence learning and authoritie and so beyond all exception that the world which is apt to take exceptions may be perswaded that the Election could not but be passing good being that it past through such iudicious mens hands For whatsoeuer shall come forth decreed by them it is not fitting that it should bee subiect to their censures who either haue not the said qualities or are much inferiour in them or faile in their zeale to God or their Loyaltie and Loue to their King being Narcissus-like inamoured with their owne shadow and led away with the blindnesse of their passion Woe be vnto that Common-wealth King and Kingdome where one out of blindnesse or selfe willfull-nesse shall vndoe that which other men haue done with many and those the clearest eyes For as the Wise man saith Vnus aedificans vnus destruens Eccl. 34.24 quid prodest illis nisi labor When one buildeth and another breaketh downe what profit haue they then but labour CHAP. XVII Hee prosecuteth the same matter and shewes how Kings ought to carry themselues towards those that finde themselues aggrieued HAuing spoken of some Cases reserued for Kings and such as require their sight and presence it here now offers it selfe in this place to know how a King ought to carry himselfe towards those that finde themselues iniuryed and aggreiued And in the opinion of vnderstanding people it seemeth that nothing is more properly his then to quit wrongs and remooue iniuries For if we shall but consider that first beginning which Kings had that which the Ancient said of them and that which the holy Scripture teacheth vs wee shall finde that this Occupation is very properly theirs and that this Care appertaines of right to their greatnesse That most wise King Salomon in the fourth of Ecclesiastes saith That when he saw the teares of the Innocent and the wrongs they receiued and no body to helpe them or to speake so much as a good word for them it seemed a thing more terrible vnto him then to dye or neuer to haue beene borne Eccl. 4.1 Vidi calumnias quae sub caelo geruntur lachrymas innocentium neminem Consolatorum neque posse resistere eorum violentiae cunctorum auxilio destitutos laudaui magis mortuos quàm vinentes foeliciorem vtroque iudicaui qui nec dum natus est I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought vnder the sunne And behold the teares of the oppressed and none comforteth them And loe the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them and none comforteth them Wherefore I praised the dead which now are dead aboue the liuing which are yet aliue And I count him better then them both which hath not yet beene And not onely King Salomon but euen God himselfe was so highly offended with those wrongs and oppressions which the children of Israel suffred in Egypt that he thought it a thing worthy his presence and his comming downe from heauen to see the same with his own eyes Vidi afflictionem populi mei in Egypto Exod. 3.7.8 clamorem eius audiui propter duritiem eorum qui praesunt operibus et sciens dolorem eius descendi vt liberem eum I haue seene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their crie because of their Taske-Masters And for I know their sorrowes therefore I am come downe to deliuer them c. Teaching Kings That in matter of grieuances and oppression of the Innocent they are not content to themselues with remitting them ouer vnto others but to looke thereunto themselues And if need were to come from forth their princely pallaces and to forgoe for a while their pleasures and their ease till they haue reformed what is amisse The first words the diuine Scripture storieth which the first King whom God chose for his people said were these 1. Sam. 11.5 Quid habet populus quod plorat What ayleth this people that they weepe Who no soner saw himselfe Crowned King and put by Gods hand into the possession of that kingdom but applying himselfe to that which he ought first of all to doe as one of the mainest points of his dutie he hearkned vnto the cryes of the people who were oppressed by the Philistims and with great speede and feruent zeale did roundly set himselfe to the redressing of that oppression And I verily perswade my selfe that all good Kings would doe the like if they should see their subiects ready to fall into their enemies hands with whom they wage open warre But from those more close and secret enemies which are together with vs subiects Citizens neighbours Countrymen and Ministers of the same Kings and of whom there is held so much trust and confidence who goes about to free the wronged What reparation is there for receiued iniuries Are they not much greater then those that the Philistims offered to Gods people and more remedilesse As for professed Enemies against them we may make open resistance and euery man that is not vnnaturall or a Traytour to his Country will put to his helping hand and seeke to repell force by force reuenge the wrongs that are done them But for these our domestick enemies these our home-borne foes feigned friends who vnder the shew of friendship and vnder cloake and colour of being the Kings Ministers oppresse the poore and such as haue little power to oppose their greatnesse who shall be able to resist them If he that suffers shall pretend to doe it doth he not put himselfe in manifest danger of suffring much more if not of loosing all that hee hath And it is worthy your consideration that in those words related in Exodus it is not said that God went down to see and remedy the wrongs which that Tyrant king Pharaoh did vnto the children of Israel but that which was offred them by his chiefe Ministers Propter duritiem eorum qui

be and of neuer so good and approued iudgement should not be admitted to the Counsell Table till he were past 50. yeares of Age who being adorned with Vertue and experience might assure them that hee would keepe a Decorum in all his Actions and performe his dutie in euery respect Heraclides in Politicis Senec. Epist 60. Bald. in cap. 1. de renun Lex erat sayth Heraclides ne quis natus infrà quinquaginta vel magistratum gerat vel Legationem obiret In fine for Councell Seneca and Baldus affirme That the very shadow of an old man is better then the eloquence of a young man But because good Counsailes are not in our hands but in Gods hands who Psal 33.10 as Dauid saith Dissipat consilia gentium reprobat consilia principum The Lord bringeth the Counsaile of the Heathen to nought hee maketh the deuises of Princes of none effect Prou. 21.30 And the wisest of Kings tells vs. Non est sapientia non est prudentia non est consilium contra Dominum There is no Wisedome no vnderstanding no Counsell against the Lord. And in humane things there are so many Contingencies that mans wisedome is not alwaies sufficient to determine the best nor to hit aright in his Counsailes vnlesse the Holy Ghost be interuenient interpose it selfe and assist in them For let Priuie-Counsellours beate out their braines with plodding and plotting let them be neuer so vigilant neuer so studious they shall erre in their ayme and shoote beside the burt if hee direct not the arrow of their Councell and wisedome if he do not in Secret illighten their hearts illuminate their vnderstanding and dictate vnto them what they are to doe Which is done by the infusiue gift of the Holy Spirit co-operating in vs which is a diuine impulsion which doth eleuate raise vp our vnderstanding to hit the white and to choose that according to the rule the Diuine Law which is fit to be followed as also to be a voided And this is the gift of Councell giuen by God vnto his friends and such as serue him truly to the end that by his helpe they may light aright vpon that which of themselues they could neuer come neere And he that is not Gods friend nor studies by his Actions to be so let him shake hands with the Holy Ghost let him bid this blessed Spirit farewell this diuine gift Greg. Nyss lib. de lib. arbitrie which is the best saith Nissenus and the most perfect that is in Man so that for to giue Counsaile and Aduice yeares experience and gray hayres suffice not vnlesse his soule be as white as his head and his conscience be pure and cleane from corruption Cani enim sunt sensus hominis The good abilities Galen decognosc curand animi morbis cap. 3. and wise apprehensions of man are those true siluer haires those hoary locks which countenance him and adde authoritie vnto him and not those snowie flakes nor hoare-frost that lies vpon his bearde Aetas Senectutis Vita immaculata Wisd 4.9 Wisedome is the gray hayre vnto men and an vnspotted life is old age So the wiseman renders it of vertuous olde men Galen saith that they haue the facultie of aduising and that of them wee must aske Counsaile God Commanded Moses that he should make choise of the Elders of Israel to gouerne his people De senibus Israel quòs tu nosti Numb 11.16 quod senes populi sint Gather vnto me 70. men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be the Elders of the people Hoary-headed men accompanied with much vertue an approued life soundnesse of Religion and much prudence are those that are worthy to giue Counsaile and those which Kings are to make choyse of for their seruice The Emperour Charles the fift sayd it was fit that Princes should be serued by men that were learned and vertuous and that the Counsaile and companie of those which were not so were very preiudiciall and hurtfull Counsailours likewise must be of that greatnesse of courage and magnanimitie as may correspond with the Dignitie royall For Kings that haue not had in themselues any great courage haue still honoured noble-minded Counsailours whereas the contrary haue bin disgraced and degraded of their honours by Kings that were naturally magnanimous For it is the condition of cowardly hearts and of base Counsailours en cuerpo y alma as they say in body and soule to propose vnto their Kings base and vnworthy meanes for the remedying of some mischiefes whereon others follow that are farre greater And let them not perswade them that this Age is barraine of vertuous dispositions and Noble mindes which produceth as well as former times whatsoeuer is necessary and needefull for them For the diuine prudence to which particularly appertaineth the conseruation of kingdoms is neuer drawen dry neuer waxes weary And if such men are wanting and appeare not to the eye of the world it is because they are not sought after or not admitted to Councell for the chastisement and punishment of our great and heinous sinnes Besides this one benefit Kings haue aboue others that all good men would be glad to serue them and many do sue and seeke after them and offer their seruice vnto them So that they haue store of choise and may easily make good election if therein they will strip and cleanse themselues of their affections and passions which Eclipse and darken the true iudgement of man And these that I now speake of when they haue found them and made choise of them to be of their Councell let them loue them honour them and trust them And as they shall receiue ease and honour by their good Aduise So let them reward them and conceiue of them as king Alexander did of his Master and Counsellour Aristotle of whom he said that he ought no lesse respect vnto him then vnto his owne father For from his father he had his life his honour and his kingdome but from Aristotle his Instructions Counsailes and directions how he should order himselfe in all his affaires And Scipio doth attribute all the honour of his Victories to his faithfull friend and Counsellour Laelius And Cicero to the Philosopher Publius Cicero lib. 4. epist fam epist vltima for those notable things of his gouernment which he performed in his Consullship so that good and faithfull Counsailours are of great honour profit and ease vnto Kings But let Kings take heede least they strike a feare into their Counselours through their absolute and free condition and make them to withdraw themselues from aduising them what is fitting by seeing them so wedded to their owne opinion and to excuse themselues from giuing Counsaile for that they are dis-heartned discountenanced by them for deliuering their mindes freely for their profit honour Of the Emperour Adrian it is storyed that hee had so noble a condition Vt libenter patiebatur admoneri corrigi